Salted, Seedy Chocolate Bark

A Healthy Treat for Special Occasions

Makes 8, 1 ounce servings

Ingredients:

¼ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

2 T hemp seeds

2 T sesame seeds

¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt

8 ounces chopped 70% cocoa chocolate

Preparation:

Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat and then add pepitas. Toast them, stirring occasionally until the pumpkin seeds first start to pop, about 1 minute. Pour seeds into a bowl. Toast hemp seeds in the same skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just starting to turn a pale straw gold, about 45 seconds. Add to the bowl with pepitas. Toast sesame seeds in the same manner until fragrant and just starting to turn golden, about 45 seconds. Add to bowl with other seeds. Add salt and toss to combine.

Using a double boiler, heat water in the bottom pan and place the top pan over the hot water. Place the chocolate in the top pan and stir until melted.

Pour melted chocolate onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet; smooth out into a thin even layer (it won’t cover the entire baking sheet). Evenly sprinkle seed mixture over chocolate. Let stand at room temperature until set, 2 hours or more. Break into 8 pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, if desired, before eating.

Nutrition (1 ounce)

Calories: 222, Fat: 17g, Protien: 5.3g, Carbohydrates: 14g, Fiber: 3.4g, Sugar: 7g, Magnesium 116 g

By Mila McManus MD|2015-02-17T13:36:54-06:00February 17th, 2015|General, Recipes|

Healthy and FAST Cabbage Sautee

1 head of green cabbage
6 slices of uncured bacon
1 Apple, cored and sliced, if desired
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Cut raw bacon up into bits and pieces. Using medium heat, cook the bacon bits and pieces in a skillet or Dutch oven until brown and crisp. Remove from the pan, reserving the bacon fat.

2. Wash the cabbage, remove the outermost leaf. Remove hard core. Cut the cabbage into quarters or six even slices. . Place the segments into the bacon fat. Lightly salt and add pepper to taste. Cover and sautee until desired tenderness about 5-10 minutes. If desired, add apple slices at the same time.

3. Dish cabbage and apples onto plates and top with crisp bacon crumbles.

If bacon is not used, simply cook the cabbage in butter or chicken broth.

By Mila McManus MD|2015-02-03T23:15:22-06:00February 3rd, 2015|Articles, General, Recipes|

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Pear, Red Onion, and Walnuts

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Pear, Red Onion, and Walnuts

Makes 4 Large Stuffed Mushrooms

4 Large Portobello Mushrooms (3 inches or more in diameter)
6 small (1 inch) Portobello mushrooms if the above are already stemless
2 organic Bartlett pears
2 small red onions, chopped into chunks
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Sea Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Grass Fed Butter
Fresh Rosemary and Thyme
Optional: Crumbled Goat Feta Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash the Portobello mushrooms, remove the stems (to use in the stuffing) and pat them dry. Place the mushrooms in a baking dish. (If mushrooms were already stemless, purchase 6 small 1 inch baby Portobello mushrooms to be used in the stuffing).

3. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a pan on low to medium heat. Pour a small amount of balsamic vinegar in a separate small dish or bowl. Using a kitchen brush, lightly brush the mushrooms first with balsamic vinegar and follow with a light brushing of melted butter. Place the baking dish with mushrooms in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the skin of the mushrooms begins to soften.

4. Use the remaining butter in the pan to sauté the red onion with a pinch of salt until lightly caramelized or browned.

5. Take the mushroom stems or 6 small Portobello’s and roughly chop them. Then wash, dry and roughly chop the pears including the skin. Add the chopped mushrooms and pears to the onions and sauté very lightly, just enough to soften them. Remove from the heat and add the walnuts, a pinch of sea salt, finely chopped rosemary and thyme.

6. Remove the mushrooms from the oven, spoon the mixture into the bowl of the mushroom so that the stuffing slightly overflows and then return them to the oven to bake for another 5-10 minutes until fragrant, the stuffing is soft, and the mushrooms are beginning to slightly shrivel. During the last few minutes, sprinkle with goat feta cheese if desired, baking until cheese is melted.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-12-02T03:23:43-06:00December 2nd, 2014|General, Recipes|

Toasted Pecans, Sweet or Spicy

Serves 12, ¼ cup servings
Ingredients:

¼ cup of melted, organic butter
4 cups pecan halves
Sweet : ¼ to ½ cup Xylitol or Erythritol (depending on desired sweetness) and 1 to 2 TBS Cinnamon, All Spice, or Pumpkin Pie Spice
Spicy : 1 TBS sea salt and ¼ – ½ tsp ground red pepper, chili powder, or cayenne pepper

1. Melt butter and add the sweet or spicy ingredients, stirring well. Toss pecans in mixture.

2. Spread pecans on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 325° until crunchy. (About 30-45 minutes)

By Mila McManus MD|2014-10-21T22:46:08-06:00October 21st, 2014|General, Recipes|

Tuck Me In Savory Oats & Salmon Recipe

savory oats and salmon

Having trouble sleeping? Try this savory oats and salmon recipe for better sleep.

Serves 4

Preparation: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tsp organic, pressed coconut oil
½ cup gluten free steel cut oats
1 small yellow onion
2 cups boiling water
2 stalks of celery, diced
3 5 oz pouches cooked wild salmon
1 tsp fresh dill, plus garnish
¼ tsp sea salt
1 apple, chopped (Honey Crisp, Fuji or Pink Lady)

1. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan on medium-low for 1 minute. Add oats and onion and toast for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in boiling water. Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer oats about 25 minutes, checking to see if oats are just getting tender but not too soft.

2. Let oats stand and thicken for 2 minutes before gently stirring/tossing in the remaining ingredients. Divide salmon-oat hash among 4 plates and garnish with dill if desired.

Serving Suggestion : Pair with a fresh, spinach salad.

Nutrients per serving (1/2 cup oats, 4 oz salmon, ½ cup vegetables)

Calories: 266, Total Fat: 9g, Carbs: 22g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 24g.

From www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/20-minutes-or-less/salmon-oat-hash-with-celery-apple/

By Mila McManus MD|2014-09-27T13:51:27-06:00September 27th, 2014|General, Recipes|

Lemon Tarragon Dressing (using lemon essential oil)

1 Tbsp. fresh Tarragon, or 1 tsp. dried
yummy!
1 Tbsp. fresh Basil, or 1 tsp. dried
1 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1-3 drops doTERRA* lemon essential oil

Mix all ingredients well and use as a salad dressing, or topping for fish, as well as steamed or grilled vegetables such as asparagus or grilled tomato. Adjust the number of drops of lemon oil to suit your taste.

*available for purchase at TWIHW

By Mila McManus MD|2014-08-24T11:05:26-06:00August 19th, 2014|General, Recipes|

Banana Ice Cream (dairy-free)

Serving Size ½ cup

5-6 Servings

4-6 Medium, Ripe, Peeled and Frozen Bananas
¼ tsp Organic Vanilla Bean
1 tsp of honey (Optional)
2 Tbsp of Hot Water

Organic whole vanilla beans are available in the spice section of better grocery stores. Take one Vanilla Bean, slice it down the middle and use a knife to scrape the inside of the whole bean which should yield about ¼ tsp of vanilla bean. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or other powerful blender (such as a Bullet, Vita Mix, or Ninja) until a smooth, scoopable consistency is reached. Place in a glass dish topped with dark chocolate (60% or higher) shavings or chips, nuts or cold espresso on top. Since banana can be quite naturally sweet, we do recommend this as a special treat and within the portion recommendation provided, especially for those seeking to stabilize blood sugar levels, lose weight, or manage diabetes.

Recipe provided compliments of Melissa Humphries, The Primitive Diva

By Mila McManus MD|2014-08-02T08:53:18-06:00August 2nd, 2014|General, Recipes|

Sweet Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 T butter or coconut oil, melted
¼ Cup celery, diced
¼ Cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup green onions, chopped

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 T lemon juice
½ tsp mustard powder
4 T cold pressed olive oil
1/8 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cubed sweet potatoes in a bowl with the melted butter or coconut oil. Bake cubed sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet or pan until tender but not mushy (about 45 minutes). Allow to cool slightly. Chop celery, pecans, and green onions and put in a bowl with the sweet potatoes. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the garlic, lemon juice, and mustard powder until mustard powder is dissolved. Slowly whisk in olive oil until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and mixture begins to thicken. Add parsley, thyme, pepper, and salt. Stir.

Put just ¼ cup of the dressing into the bowl with the sweet potato salad and gently toss. The remainder of the dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks in a glass jar. Potato salad can be served warm or cold.

(Adapted from Get Healthy through Detox and Fasting by Don Colbert, MD)

By Mila McManus MD|2014-07-31T14:40:56-06:00June 27th, 2014|General, Recipes|

Fermenting Your Store Bought Food

1) Purchase a vegetable starter culture such as Caldwell’s, Body Ecology’s or Mercola’s Kinetic Culture.

2) Choose one of the recommended foods below and purchase one that is void of chemicals or preservatives. An organic choice would be great. If the food contains a tad of vinegar as one of the last ingredients, it should ferment fine however if it is a primary ingredient, it may not ferment well.

3) Use 1 Tablespoon of starter for each cup of food you wish to culture. Stir the culture starter into the food, cover, and let sit on the counter for 2 to 3 days at a moderate room temperature (60-70 degrees).

4) Move the cultured food to the refrigerator and enjoy!

Click here to see some product options for easy fermentation.

Try this process with Grandma’s Hummus or Pita Pal Organic Hummus, an organic, unsweetened applesauce, or an organic ketchup in a bottle (rather than plastic) that does not contain high fructose corn syrup. Another good option is an organic, vinegar free salsa in a glass jar such as HEB Organics Salsa. Even a prepared mustard in a glass jar can be fermented in this manner.

Select a can of beans of your choice. Drain and rinse then puree with a teaspoon of cumin and ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder and then blend with 2 tablespoons of vegetable starter culture to make your own fermented bean dip.

Information obtained from http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/traditional-fermented-foods-benefits/#axzz32rl8P9qu

By Mila McManus MD|2014-07-31T14:45:04-06:00May 31st, 2014|General, Recipes|

Mushrooms and Onions

Serves 2 to 3

1 pint of Mushrooms
1 to 2 Sweet Onions (Vidalia’s if available)
2 T Grass-Fed Butter
½ tsp Thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

Rinse mushrooms and slice. Peel onion(s), cut in half and slice. Melt butter over medium to medium high heat and add mushrooms and onion. While sautéing, add thyme, salt and pepper, stirring frequently until mushrooms and onions are browned and caramelized. Provides a rich source of B vitamins, Vitamin D and Potassium. Serving suggestion: Enjoy with a grass fed steak or grilled wild shrimp or lobster.

By Mila McManus MD|2014-07-31T10:43:30-06:00May 4th, 2014|General, Recipes|