Clean and Easy Cranberry Sauce Relish

Here is a clean and easy Thanksgiving cranberry relish to enjoy with turkey or pork roast that is sweetened without sugar or corn syrup.

What you need:

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 cup powdered erythritol (Swerve brand is ideal) or monk fruit powder

¾ cup filtered water

1-2 teaspoons orange zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine the cranberries, water, erythritol (or monk fruit), and orange zest in a medium saucepan.
Bring them to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the cranberries pop and a sauce forms. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Top with orange rind, orange slice, and/or a sprig of fresh rosemary and serve.
Makes 1 ½ cups

By Mila McManus MD|2024-11-26T13:49:24-06:00November 27th, 2024|General, Recipes|

Easy Avocado Hummus

by Nancy Weyrauch Mehlert, MS

Easy Avocado Hummus – This is a very simple, quick and delightful change up, especially for the bean or seed sensitive!

1 Avocado

¾ cup chickpeas (canned)

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp lemon zest

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon Himalayan or Real Salt

Blend all the ingredients in a small food processor until smooth. Enjoy with bean chips or fresh veggies.

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T11:03:21-06:00July 27th, 2022|General, Recipes|

Protein Banana Bread

Adapted by Nancy Weyrauch Mehlert, MS

This protein banana bread is a deliciously moist breakfast or snack bread. It is a simple recipe and easy to make.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

3 medium bananas, mashed

¼ cup Swerve confectioners sugar or Monk Fruit

½ cup full-fat, canned coconut milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 ¼ cups almond flour (hazelnut flour if preferred)

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 scoops vanilla protein powder (A Bone Broth option is perfect)

Directions for Protein Banana Bread:

Preheat oven to 350°
In a bowl, combine eggs, banana, Swerve, coconut milk and vanilla. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and protein powder.
Combine both mixtures, stirring until well incorporated.
Place the mixture in a well-greased loaf pan (silicone works wonders) and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out dry from the center.

This recipe for protein banana bread was retrieved from Ancient Nutrition, Dr. Josh Axe, and sweetener modified.

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T10:36:25-06:00April 13th, 2022|General, Recipes|

White Chicken Chili

This white chicken chili is a healthy one-pot recipe that won’t disappoint!

Serves 4

1 TBS butter or coconut oil
1 lb. chicken, light or dark*
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 1/2 cups of chicken broth*
3 (15 ounce) cans cannellini (aka white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained**
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies
1 TBS dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 handful of baby spinach, arugula or kale leaves
1 medium Avocado, peeled and chopped into chunks

Purchase “all natural “ or organic, skinless, boneless white and/or dark meat chicken. Using a sharp knife, slice pieces into 1-inch bite sized pieces. In a large, deep pot, or Dutch oven, sauté the chicken in butter (or coconut oil) with the chopped onion and minced garlic until just done.

Add the chicken broth, cannellini beans, green chilies, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Simmer for 30-45 minutes to allow flavors to blend and develop. If desired, add in the last 5 minutes of simmering, a small handful of fresh baby spinach, kale, or arugula leaves for added nutrition.

Divide the chopped cilantro and avocado between four bowls. Ladle the chili over the top and serve.

*We recommend that you cook a whole chicken in a pot with water, celery, lemongrass, and peppercorns to render your own yummy stock for this soup and the cooked chicken meat as well. Keep extra stock in the freezer for the next recipe.

** For those able to do so, we recommend purchasing dried beans, soaking them and preparing them in advance to avoid the BPA in cans. Additionally, you may want to look for a BPA-free lined can like Eden Organic. Trader Joes claims their canned beans are in a BPA free lined can.

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T10:32:43-06:00March 16th, 2022|General, Recipes|

Brussels Sprouts: Dark Green Winter Salad

by Nancy Weyrauch Mehlert, MS

A delicious salad with flexible choices. *Alternatives to Brussels sprouts include arugula, cabbage slaw, or shredded romaine. Field greens would work too!

1 thin piece of gluten free bread, toasted

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T fresh Meyer (less acidic) lemon or regular lemon

2 T avocado oil based mayonnaise

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

½ t sea salt

3 cups finely shredded Brussels sprouts*

3 cups finely shredded kale

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Toast bread until browned and crisp. Cool before breaking or cutting into small pieces.[Bread Recommendations: Carbonaut GF low carb bread, B-Free GF Bread, GF stuffing cubes]

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise, garlic and salt.
Toss the Brussels sprouts and kale with the dressing. Season with pepper. Sprinkle bread crumbs and serve.

From : https://www.nutritionaction.com/daily/healthy-recipes/need-a-new-winter-salad/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=2021.12.1+Need+a+new+winter+salad&utm_content=2021.12.1+Need+a+new+winter+salad with suggestions added.

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T10:44:38-06:00January 12th, 2022|General, Recipes|

Thanksgiving: Two Yummy Simple Clean Ups

by Nancy Weyrauch Mehlert, MS

Cranberry Sauce and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving

The cranberry sauce and the pumpkin pie can be two big sources of sugar at Thanksgiving. But it isn’t necessary, and you don’t have to give up great flavor and taste! The pie crust is an excellent gluten free option for every kind of pie. If you can find CoCo Whip in the freezer section of your grocery store, it is an excellent replacement for those other common whips full of hydrogenated damaged oils. Enjoy and Give Thanks!

https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/keto-cranberry-sauce.html/

https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/pumpkin-pie-al-la-pumpkin-pie-filling-and-nutty-pie-crust.html/

By Mila McManus MD|2022-10-24T16:42:28-06:00November 10th, 2021|General, Recipes|

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is an amazing add to a hamburger, steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, or fried eggs!

Makes 2 Cups

Ingredients

1 jar (16 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon capers, drained

Juice of ½ lemon

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 5-10 times to combine, then blend on high speed until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Suggestions: Top any array of fresh steamed vegetables from asparagus to zucchini, dollop on top of a hamburger patty or salmon steak, or pair with fried eggs. Change out the roasted red peppers for the same amount of sundried tomatoes or roasted eggplant. Add black olives to make a tapenade.

Hartwig, M. and Hartwig. D. (2015) The Whole30. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 316.

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T11:07:52-06:00October 28th, 2021|General, Recipes|

Palmini and Meat Sauce

(You won’t miss spaghetti or the carbs anymore)

by Nancy Weyrauch Mehlert, MS

Palmini and meat sauce is an awesome recipe that satisfies your cravings for spaghetti and meat sauce.

Ingredients:

4 T grass-fed butter or ghee

6 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms

1- 8 ounce package of Palmini Angel Hair

½ lb of 100% grass-fed beef, 85/15

1/3 cup sliced green olives

12-14 ounces jarred organic marinara

½ cup grated Pecorino Romano sheep cheese

In a large skillet, melt the butter on medium high heat.
Slice the mushrooms thinly into the pan and cook until soft.
Add the ground meat to the pan and cook until brown and reduce heat to medium.
Open the Palmini package and drain water off of the “noodles”.
Add them to the mushroom and ground beef mix.
Add green olives, marinara, and cheese.
Stir to mix ingredients and heat for 3-5 more minutes until cheese is melted, and the mixture is bubbly and hot. Then serve.

Ideas: Choose the meat, and additions as desired. Veal, lamb, pork, chicken, or bison would work nicely as meat options, as would shrimp. Spinach, black olives, capers, and zucchini slices would be nice vegetable options. This could easily be placed in a buttered casserole dish with the cheese on top and reheated in the oven at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Available at Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Amazon, and directly from www.eatpalmini.com.

By Mila McManus MD|2021-09-21T16:30:17-06:00September 22nd, 2021|General, Recipes|

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

(2 Servings per potato)

1 Medium Sweet Potato

1 Tablespoon Arrowroot

1 Tablespoon butter or coconut oil, melted

Seasoning suggestions: Pepper, Lemon Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Rosemary, Onion or Garlic powder

Sea Salt

Instructions:

Wash the sweet potatoes.
Using a sharp knife slice them into even, similarly sized matchstick fries, not more than ¼ inch in thickness. Peel adds nutrition but you may also peel them if you prefer.
Place them in a bowl of very cold water for 30 minutes or more, overnight is ideal.
Drain and dry off the potatoes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter or coconut oil and toss the fries in the oil to coat well.
In another bowl put 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot per whole potato. Don’t salt yet, however you can add to the arrowroot seasonings such as pepper, smoked paprika, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder etc.. Lightly Should be closer to a dusting than a breading so err on the light side.
Then spread evenly on the parchment paper into one even layer.
Bake until crispy 13-15 minutes on one side, then flip the fries, and put them back in the oven until brown and crisp, another 7-12 minutes.
Remove from the oven, salt generously, and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T12:19:51-06:00July 29th, 2021|General, Recipes|

Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

Fast, Easy, Indulgent, and Healthy!

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding – Not only is it fast and easy, it is also indulgent, and healthy! It’s ready in 8 – 10 minutes.

Prep Time: 8-10 minutes

Makes 4 servings, 8 ounces each

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened Milkadamia Vanilla (non-refrigerated aisle)
¼ cup cacao powder
¼ cup Swerve confectioners’ sweetener (more if very sweet is desired)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup chia seeds

Instructions:

Combine together all ingredients in a bowl or 4 cup measuring cup, stirring well. Wait 15 minutes.

Stir again and transfer into 8 ounce serving cups, ramekins, or other serving container.

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Garnish with fresh raspberries, nuts, or coco-whip.

Nutrition:

1- 8 ounce serving: 165 calories, 9.75 grams Fat, 5.5 grams Protein, 3.25 net Carbohydrates.

By Mila McManus MD|2022-11-01T12:40:15-06:00July 8th, 2021|General, Recipes|