primal - - Page 2

January 1, 2017

Tired of Eating Soup on the GAPS Intro Diet? Try This! {Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe}

We are still hanging strong on GAPS intro, and I’m not sure when we’ll venture off of it, but I’m enjoying the healing benefits we’re experiencing for the time being! I’ve had to continue getting creative while we are eating a TON of soup, because having the same soup every day becomes so monotonous. I’ve been making this chicken enchilada soup for a couple weeks now, and as we’ve been able to add in more foods like avocado and spices, it just keeps getting better. Even on early stages, without those things, though, this soup is pretty great- and a nice change from typical bland soups.

I’ve been taking advantage of organic tomato puree as a way to quickly flavor stocks and soups. While tomatoes can cause inflammation for some people (particularly those with an autoimmune disease), we don’t seem to have any trouble with them. And while foods should be prepared freshly in your kitchen, I’ve found that this is a corner I feel fine about cutting. I make sure to buy pure, organic tomato puree in a jar (not a can), so I’m not adding any non-GAPS intro foods or ingredients. This is a great one to try. However, you can easily puree fresh, organic or homegrown tomatoes in your blender and use in the soup as well.

Be sure to check out how to make poached chicken so you’re prepared with chicken stock and shredded meat for this recipe!

Print Recipe

GAPS Intro Chicken Enchilada Soup

If you need a fresh take on soup on the GAPS intro diet, try this flavorful, (optionally spicy) soup!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn Harwell

Ingredients

2 quarts - Chicken Stock - homemade
2 cups - Tomato Puree - pure no added ingredients
2 cups - Shredded Chicken - previously cooked
1 whole - Bell Pepper - de-seeded and sliced
1 whole - Onion - peel removed and sliced
1/2 or more tbsp - Chili Powder - no added ingredients
2 tsp - Real Salt
1 tbsp - Creme Fraiche - optional topping per bowl
cubed - Avocado - optional topping
Cilantro - optional topping

Instructions

Combine tomato puree and stock in large stock pot.Add shredded chicken, sliced vegetables and spices and whisk until well mixed.
Bring soup to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for 30 minutes.
Ladle into individual bowls and allow to cool slightly before adding toppings, so as to leave cultures in creme fraiche intact.

Notes

For stage one ingredients, leave out the chili powder, avocado and cilantro. Stage two can include fresh herbs; stage three, avocado; chili powder can be introduced on stage five.

For added nutrition on stage two, mix a raw egg yolk into each bowl of soup.

January 1, 2017

Golden Hot Chocolate Easy To Prepare Recipe from Nourishing Holiday

If you’ve been around on the internet at all for the past little while, you’ve probably seen a trend on lots of health sites: golden milk. This ancient, traditional milk uses turmeric to add anti-inflammatory properties to the milk, along with other tasty and healthful ingredients like honey and spices. For my new book Nourishing Holiday, I wanted to create a special hot chocolate recipe with the same properties.

In fact, I sort of combined two health trends, because adding ghee to this hot chocolate recipe is also a nod to the bulletproof trend. I stopped just short of adding gelatin, but there’s no reason you couldn’t add a scoop of collagen peptides to your mug if you’d like.

Anyways, I knew if I was going to write a holiday cookbook, it was imperative to include a recipe for hot chocolate. I can still remember the very first holiday season after our family started eating healthier.

We had decided to join some friends to walk downtown through a Christmas lights display and it was cold, y’all. Ok, not, like, Nebraska cold, but Texas cold, which doesn’t take much for us hot-blooded hicks. I really wanted to bring hot chocolate for the kids, but I knew I would need a good hot chocolate recipe for us to all enjoy it.

It turned out to be pretty easy to whip up some dairy-free milk, sweetener, and cocoa and make a hot chocolate recipe that the kids liked.

I’ve had a lot of practice with making hot chocolate since then, and for Nourishing Holiday, I didn’t want to create any ol’ hot chocolate recipe. I wanted it to be special and chock full of healing, nourishing ingredients… and so, the idea for Golden Hot Chocolate was born.

Find the recipe below, then go nab a copy of Nourishing Holiday. The GAPS diet holiday cookbook is loaded with over 50 grain-free, gut-healing recipes to get you through the whole holiday season. From cakes to pies to cookies, plus dinner rolls, turkey gravy, and cranberry sauce, you’ll be set through all your holiday celebrations! The e-book version is half price this week only (through Friday the 28th!)- get it here, or you can get it on Kindle or in print!

Golden Hot Chocolate Recipe

Print Recipe

Golden Hot Chocolate

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn Harwell

Ingredients

4 cups - cashew or coconut milk
6 tbsp - cocoa powder
1/4 cup - raw honey
1/4 cup - ghee
1 tsp - turmeric
1 tsp - vanilla
1/2 tsp - cinnamon
dash real salt

January 1, 2017

Gingerdoodles: The Healthy Holiday Cookie for GAPS, Paleo, and Primal Diets

I have had so much fun getting into the holiday spirit in the kitchen lately! As you may know, I’m getting close to the release date of my first cookbook, Nourishing Holiday, which is my all-new e-book with over 50 holiday recipes, which focus on gut health. The recipes are perfect for GAPS, primal, and paleo diets, and I know you’re going to love them! This “Gingerdoodles” recipe is adapted from the book.

I wanted to share this recipe so you can get a taste for what’s to come in the book. Also, sometimes I make up words. Like Gingerdoodles.

Gingerdoodles are the perfect combination of two lovely cookies, which I’m sure you’ve already figured out by now: gingersnaps and snickerdoodles, both of which I love. This cookie is the best of both worlds!

The best part is that these cookies are not only delightfully delicious, but they are totally healthy. They’re grain-free, refined-sugar-free, low carb, low starch, and full of good fats and protein. But your kids won’t know how healthy they are, and that’s the best part, really.

These Gingerdoodles are adapted from my Gingerbread Man Cookies from Nourishing Holiday.

~~I love making holiday cookies with my kids.~~ I tolerate my kids making messes in the kitchen while we make cookies together.

See:

But seriously, for all the mess and stress, making cookies together is a time-honored tradition I always want to be able to do with my kids, no matter how strict our diet. I hope your kids love these as much as mine do!

The above photo shows the Gingerbread Man Cookies from Nourishing Holiday, which I let my kids frost with leftover cream cheese frosting, also from Nourishing Holiday. You can see it below in my Carrot Cake photo:

Listen up!

If you want to get your hands on Nourishing Holiday at the BEST PRICE, make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter, because I will have an early release, discounted pre-sale for newsletter subscribers only! You will not be able to get it at a better price, and you’ll get it first! Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Sign up here.

Be sure to check out the details on Nourishing Holiday here.

Then get the recipe for Gingerdoodles below!

Would your kids love these Gingerdoodles?

Be sure to pin the recipe or share using one of our handy links so friends can have some healthy holiday cookie fun without the guilt!

Print Recipe

Gingerdoodles

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Servings: dozen

Author: Jaclyn Harwell

Ingredients

2 cups - blanched finely ground almond flour
1 cup - crispy pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup - dates
1/3 cup - coconut flour
2 - eggs
1/4 cup - butter - softened Replace with palm shortening for dairy-free option.
3 tbsp - coconut sugar - Use date sugar for GAPS-friendly option.
1 tbsp - ground ginger
1 tsp - vanilla
1 tbsp + 1 tsp - ground cinnamon - divided
1/2 tsp - baking soda
1/2 tsp - salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º.
In the container of a high powered blender or food processor, combine crispy nuts, dates, eggs, butter, vanilla, ginger, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Blend on high until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and add almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir until a thick, sticky dough forms.
In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 tbsp cinnamon and coconut sugar and stir.
Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll between your hands. Roll each ball in the cinnamon and sugar mixture before flattening with your palm on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Space cookies 1" apart and bake 15-18 minutes, until cookies begin to brown on edges.

January 1, 2017

Pizza Pockets: The Grain-Free, Healthy Kid Favorite You Can Make at Home

Since our self-proclaimed summer of fun food is over and we’re back to eating grain-free and paleoish, I’ve been inspired to create some fun and new recipes, like these grain-free pizza pockets. I made these last week and my kids jumped for joy. Literally. First, you’ll want to snag my recipe for easy-peasy paleo tortillas, then meet me for the rest of the recipe below.

My kids have sort of gone kicking and screaming back into a grain-free lifestyle. It stinks to feel like I’m depriving them of junk food (which, I know, is a silly way to feel, and I typically feel offended by someone telling me I’m depriving my kids by feeding them a healthy diet). Getting creative and making them foods that feel like junk food, but have no harmful ingredients is a win-win.

Recipes like these pizza pockets are helping them transition back to healthier eating.

While my kids have never had typical pizza pockets, they were thrilled with this healthy, homemade version. These are great for a quick meal at home, or packing for a school lunch. I hope your kiddos enjoy them as much as mine did!

And remember- if you’re working to transition your kiddo to healthier eating habits, persevere! They will get used to it and they will not starve. My rules for implementing a healthier diet for children are:

only stock the kitchen with foods you want them to eat (if it’s not there, they can’t eat it, and will eventually forget about it)
insist they try one bite of new foods
do your best for replacing foods they love with healthier versions, and let them help plan and cook when you can.

Having a healthier family is worth eating a better diet, so hang in there and keep trying new foods with your kids. Start with these pizza pockets!

Would your kids love these grain-free pizza pockets? Share the recipe using one of our links for your grain-free friends whose kids need some fun food in their lives!

Your Kids' New Favorite Lunch is Here: Grain-Free Pizza Pockets | The Family That Heals Together

Print Recipe

Pizza Pockets: The Grain-Free, Healthy Kid Favorite You Can Make at Home

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Servings: pizza pockets

Author: Jaclyn Harwell

Ingredients

6 - paleo tortillas
6 tbsp - shredded mozzarella
6 tbsp - Tomato Puree
1/2 tsp - Real Salt
1/2 tsp - garlic powder
1/2 tsp - dried oregano
palm shortening - for greasing the pan
6 slices - nitrate-free pepperoni or
6 tbsp - browned sausage

Instructions

Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt a little palm shortening in it.
Combine the tomato puree, salt, garlic powder, and oregano and mix well.
Place your first tortilla on the skillet and put a heaping tablespoon of the tomato sauce on one side.
Add either pepperoni or sausage on top of the sauce.
Add a tablespoon of mozzarella on top of the meat.
Once the cheese has begun melting, fold the tortilla over and press the sides together, letting the melted cheese hold it together.
Cook for 2-4 minutes until hot and melted before removing and allowing to cool.
Repeat with remaining 5 tortillas.

January 1, 2017

Cassava Flour Buttermilk Biscuits

Whether you live in the south like me or you just miss this classic breakfast staple, these cassava flour buttermilk biscuits are sure to hit the spot. Find the grain-free recipe below, complete with a dairy-free, paleo option!

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make you the happiest… snuggling up with my boys and burying my face in their hair and they smell like sunshine and outside and grass. Mr. Incredible coming home from a long day of work and grinning wide before wrapping his arms around me so I can welcome him home. Enjoying foods you thought you’d never get to enjoy again… yeah, those are the cloth happy is cut from.

Biscuits are just one of those things that you never really get over losing… I can eat meat and veggies and the occasional honey-sweetened treat and be pretty satisfied. I don’t even really miss conventional breakfast foods like cereal or poptarts (gross). But biscuits. Buttermilk biscuits. I just miss them sometimes. It used to be a regular thing, Mr. Incredible making old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits on the weekends, but we hadn’t had his buttermilk biscuits in a long time… until this past weekend when I said “hey you should try making your buttermilk biscuit recipe with cassava flour. It should sub equally for all purpose flour.” He delighted me by agreeing to give it a try!

It worked like a dream and we ate real buttermilk biscuits. Cassava flour buttermilk biscuits. Gosh, I love that man and his biscuits. I’m going to have to see what else I can put him to work remaking with cassava flour because he used to bake all the time before I banished gluten from our kitchen. Try out his recipe for grain-free cassava flour buttermilk biscuits below!

We even shared with family members who usually eat gluten- and they enjoyed them too! Total win.

Buy Otto’s cassava flour here.

Print Recipe

Cassava Flour Buttermilk Biscuits

Prep Time10

Cook Time22

Total Time32

Servings: large biscuits

Author: Jaclyn Harwell

Ingredients

2 cups - Otto's cassava flour
1 cup - buttermilk*
1/2 cup - butter - softened at room temperature**
1/2 cup - half and half - we mix half raw milk with half raw cream*
2 egg whites
1 tbsp - honey
2 1/2 tsp - baking powder - homemade or grain-free
1/2 tsp - cream of tarter
1/2 tsp - salt
*For dairy-free option replace buttermilk and half and half with 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, combined with 1 tbsp lemon juice.**Replace butter with ghee, palm shortening, or lard for a dairy-free option.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450*.
Combine dry ingredients: cassava flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt.
Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until a crumbly dough has formed and there are no chunks of butter left.
Add the honey, cream, and buttermilk and mix until combined.
Whip the egg whites with a stand mixer or high-powered hand blender until they are thick and fluffy.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the dough until just a streak remains. Don't overmix biscuits or they'll become tough.
Using two spoons, scoop large spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing two inches apart.
Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove when the tops have begun to brown.