One of my favorite meals that my mother made for me as a child was this great "chop suey" dish.  I think that I was drawn to the sweet and umami filled flavors that this dish radiates.  

The original recipe calls for 1.25 lbs of various meats - mainly pork chicken and veal, lard,  white flour and sugar. No wonder I loved it with all those refined products!  To this day my mouth still waters thinking about this dish the way my momma made it. 

This revamped recipe has the same taste as the original with a fraction of the fat and no cholesterol if you chose to go meat free with it. If you cannot stand mushrooms but instead want meat, see the meat option in the notes. I add in optional veggies for more vitamins and to round it out with colors, but you can omit those and keep it as simple as you wish.  This is a true choose your adventure!

INGREDIENTS
1 package of white or portabella mushrooms, diced into large pieces
vegetable broth or water for lining pan
Whole wheat flour (coconut flour if paleo)
Coconut sugar or maple syrup
1 medium stalk of celery
5 small onions, or 1 large Vidalia onion
2-3 Cups of cubed cabbage (white) (OPTIONAL)
1 Cup of diced yellow and red peppers (OPTIONAL)
​1 Cup of broccoli florets or other hearty vegetable (OPTIONAL)
1 can of water chestnuts, sliced or diced
1 large can or 2 regular cans of bean sprouts, drained
Coconut aminos (or soy sauce/GF tamari sauce)

MEAT VERSION:
The original recipe called for the meat to be coated in flour and then fried in lard until browned, then simmered in water until cooked through.  If you are choosing the meat option, use 1.25 lbs of your preferred diced meat  (chicken, pork, veal or a mixture of the three) and replace lard with ghee. 

VEGGIE VERSION:
If you are following the vegetable version, line a large pot that has been heated over medium high heat with vegetable broth or water. Add in the diced mushrooms, and any long-cooking veggies (broccoli) you would like, cook until they are glistening and tender. At this point I add in 1 Tbs of whole wheat or coconut flour and simmer for a moment to thicken.

MEAT OR VEGGIE VERSION CONTINUES THE SAME:
Then add enough water to cover the mixture with an inch or two over the top and add in the celery and onions simmering until onions (and peppers if using) are translucent and soft. From this point forward it is really personal preference.

Add in by 1 Tbs at a time, whole wheat flour or coconut flour until you hit a consistency that you like and then add in by 1 Tbs at a time coconut sugar/maple syrup and coconut aminos until it has the sweetness that you enjoy.

Now add in the drained water chestnuts and bean sprouts, adding additional water and flour if needed to keep consistency.

I serve this over either brown or white rice or riced cauliflower if Paleo, or you can omit and serve with a spoon as a stew.

I have a killer sweet tooth and I love pumpkin/sweet potato pies and candied yams around the holidays. I remember my mother opening up that can of Bruce's candied yams and that was the first thing that I went for every Holiday meal! 

As an adult I continued on the tradition even buying the exact same brand as it reminded me of family times spent together over a hot meal being grateful for one another and the life around us.

As part of my mission to pack a powerful nutritional punch in everything that I eat and serve my loved ones, I wanted to share these too-easy to believe but better than candied yam recipes.

Guess what - a baked garnet yam tastes just like pie without any of the guilt or added sugars and if you decide to go full on dessert - a little Brulee action or stuffing with candied pecans and walnuts turns this tuber into something SPECTACULAR!  

Yams have lots of antioxidants and Vitamin A - 

INGREDIENTS:
Garnet Yams 1 for each person
For brulee: Coconut sugar
For stuffed:  1/4 C walnuts or pecans plus 1 Tbs pure maple syrup per person, 

DIRECTIONS:​
Poke each yam with a fork to allow steam to escape, and bake at 425° for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to the touch.
 
BRULEE: 
Once cooled, cut each in half length-wise and open it, cut side facing up. 
Sprinkle each with coconut sugar, then take brulee torch or place under the broiler (watch them!) until the sugar caramelizes and bubbles. 

STUFFED:
Mix the nuts with the maple syrup until well incorporated.  You can spice the candied nut mixture if you would like - this is optional.  Add in a little cayenne if you like​ a sweet heat or some cinnamon and cloves if you like a more traditional spice. 

Open the yams like you would a baked potato and scoop in equal amounts of the candied nuts into each and serve immediately. 
 
Alternatively, you can eat them right from the oven with a dollop of vanilla infused ghee, or right from the fridge the next day as a snack to power through any cravings. 

Just sayin', yams don't have to be candied to be amazing!

Desserts do not need to be void of nutrition in order to be indulgent and satisfying.  Cacao, cherries and chia seeds are all very nutritionally dense foods that when put together in this easy pudding not only satisfy the sweet tooth but incorporate antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and heart healthy fiber in every bite.

This pudding is inspired by one of my favorite Christmas time treats - Cherry Cordials.  I thank my father for instilling in me a love for these decadent treats. Now that I am more of a food for fuel person I wanted to still enjoy some familiar flavors while still achieving my health and wellness goals.  

This pudding is a great make-ahead no fuss for Holiday entertaining.  You can multiply the recipe easily and make in one large bowl for serve yourself ease - or make in individual ramekins for a single-serve more fancy presentation. 

Enjoy!

DIRECTIONS
Add 1.5 C of the Frozen cherries, almond milk, maple syrup and cacao/cocoa powder to blender and blend until well pureed.

Coarsely chop the remaining 1/2 C of cherries

In a large bowl, add chia seeds, the pureed milk cacao cherry mixture and the remaining chopped cherries.

Stir until well combined and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. ​

Being a triathlete I am always looking for easy to consume energy on the run.  Or bike.  Or between swim sets.  

For me convenience and quality are key, but so is flavor and quite often I am left disappointed in the mouth-feel and taste of conventionally packaged convenience "nutrition".  

​I am not a huge fan of commercially made products for daily use because many of these products are no better than candy bars and other junk foods. Somehow we have been sold on pre-packaged Gu's and sports "nutrition" as being the secret to performance. 

I found a company that I support fully, BASE Performance, and use BASE Salts in many of my sports recipes for added minerals and salt.   

The following variations of bliss balls are a great snacks to keep on hand when you are busy on the go - regardless if you are active in sports or active in your daily life running around keeping your family on track.  If you are working out more than normal, it is hotter outside, or you find yourself sweating a lot feel free to add in a pinch of electrolyte salts, such as BASE Salts (www.baseperformance.com).

Cacao Date Bliss Balls
Makes 25
INGREDIENTS:
8 dates, soaked
2 cups pumpkin seeds, soaked for 5 hours then rinsed
¼ cup raw cacao
½ cup coconut flakes
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (replace with a the internal scrapings of a vanilla bean if following Whole 30 and are mindful of any SWYPO)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
OPTIONAL - a scoop of BASE Salts or other electrolyte/mineral salt blend of preference

METHOD: 
Blend all the ingredients using a high-speed blender. Take a spoonful and roll into a ball. Set each ball on a tray. Finally, allow the balls to harden in the refrigerator. ​

Vegetables, especially raw ones, are typically cooling in nature to the body.  Eating seasonally and locally helps you keep in tune with you body and its seasonal needs.  I love a good salad, however as the weather turns it becomes less craved as my body starts to look to warming foods.  

I have been making it a point to eat 1 cupf of greens with every meal (yes even breakfast), and I plan on continuing this habit throughout the Fall and Winter.  To help mitigate the cooling effect of the lettuce, making a salad rich with seasonal and warming ingredients is a win.  The star of this salad is the apple - a Fall staple! - which is rich in fiber and anti-oxidants, and is topped with a delicious and warming lemon tahini dressing.  

Because I am crazy busy just like you, I like adding in rotisserie chicken for a super stress-free and easy recipe that pulls together in literally minutes prep to plate.