All posts by Lauren Bolanos

Dinner

Baby Kale and Bacon Loaded Sweet Potato

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When I go out to my local diner in LA, I always order a plain baked sweet potato and then I eat it with steamed spinach or broccoli on top. That way I don’t have to worry about crappy ingredients contaminating my food. Since I made this at home, I thought I would jazz it up with some bacon. I’m tempted to bring crumpled bacon to the diner in my purse. This was that good. It was really easy and fast to make so it’s definitely a great meal for the weekday.

Baby Kale and Bacon Loaded Sweet Potato
 
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Serves: 2 loaded potatoes
Ingredients
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 bag of baby kale (it's less bitter, than the full grown version)
  • 1 package of bacon
Instructions
  1. Wrap sweet potatoes in foil, stab it a few times with a fork, and bake for an hour at 350 degrees fairenheight.
  2. Steam baby kale by adding inch water to a large pot, throw in baby kale then cover with lid for 5 minutes. Mix once to evenly distribute steam.
  3. In a pan, cook bacon, crumble bacon, and save the fat.
  4. Drain baby kale thoroughly
  5. (optional) Add baby kale to leftover bacon fat and stir. This might splatter a bit since water and oil don't mix so be careful and stand back. This will make your steamed baby kale taste awesome though.
  6. Cut open sweet potato and add baby kale then crumbled bacon on top. Enjoy.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2

Dinner

Pike Poached in a Puttanesca Sauce

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Pike Poached in Puttanesca Sauce | Healing and Eating

I wanted to test out a puttanesca sauce recipe for some anchovies I bought in bulk at the local Italian grocery store near my parent’s house. I put this recipe to the test with some wild pike I picked up at the grocery store and am really happy with the results. Poaching the fish in spaghetti sauce makes the fish incredibly tender and moist even though I cooked this for a long time just to be safe. My family and I loved it plus it was easy, so I plan on making this again. Most likely, with my new anchovies over spaghetti squash.

Pike Poached in a Puttanesca Sauce
 
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Ingredients
  • 8 roma tomatoes
  • 3 finely chopped cloves of garlic
  • 10 pitted kalmata olives chopped in half
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1 sprig of fresh parsley chopped
  • 2 tbsp of capers
  • 1 tbsp of coconut oil
  • 1 tsp of dried sweet basil
  • 2 lbs of pike cut into 3-4 inch pieces (any white fish will work)
  • 2 tbsp of honey (reduce amount if your tomatoes are really sweet)
Instructions
  1. Finely chop garlic and add to large skillet with coconut oil. Let garlic brown a bit.
  2. Pulse tomatoes in food processor until finely chopped. Then add them to skillet.
  3. Add capers, olives, dried basil, and fresh rosemary and parsely to skillet.
  4. Let simmer for a half hour, stirring occasionally.
  5. Put fish in a oven safe pan, then spread sauce over top
  6. Cook for 40 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 4-6

Breakfast

Broccoli and Breakfast Sausage Quiche

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Broccoli and Breakfast Sausage Quiche - Healing and Eating

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! I’m back in New Jersey where I grew up prepping for my wedding, so I get to spend today with my mom! We made this awesome broccoli and breakfast sausage quiche with locally sourced pastured sausage and eggs. The crust is made with almond flour so this quiche is seriously packed with protein, which my brother loves. It’s very filling so unless you eat crazy big portions like my brother and I, be prepared for leftovers.

Broccoli and Breakfast Sausage Quiche
 
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Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients
  • ½ lb of breakfast sausage
  • 1 cup broccoli
  • 2 cups of almond flour
  • 2 tbsp of coconut oil
  • 9 eggs
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp of water
Instructions
  1. Cook breakfast sausage on stovetop. Set aside, then let cool.
  2. Steam broccoli. Set aside, then let cool.
  3. With dough blade for food processor, blend sea salt and almond flour.
  4. Then add coconut oil and one egg to food processor and mix until it forms a ball.
  5. Spread dough out on quiche dish. Dip hands in water when dough sticks to hands.
  6. Place sausage and broccoli over dough.
  7. Whisk remaining eggs and water, pour over sausage and broccoli.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until desired firmness.

Lunch

Chicken and Avocado Salad

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Chicken and Avocado Salad | Healing and Eating

Happy Cinco De Mayo everyone! I made this recipe with a homemade mayo recipe that I slightly altered. I left out the dijonnaise and substituted the juice of one lemon for the juice of four limes. I used three bone-in skin-on chicken breasts that were non-GMO and on sale at Whole Foods and had a ton of leftover shredded chicken. You can use it for leftovers, or just cook two instead. I think bone and skin add flavor, so if you don’t mind a little mess when shredding your chicken, I’d avoid boneless skinless chicken breast.

Chicken and Avocado Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups of shredded chicken
  • 2 tbsp of homemade coconut oil and lime mayo
  • ⅓ cup of green onions chopped on bias
  • ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onions
  • ⅓ chopped cilantro
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 2 diced avocados
  • 1 package of romaine leaves
Instructions
  1. Make homemade mayo, set aside.
  2. Cook chicken breasts in oven for 20 minutes on each side. Let cool in fridge until ready to handle.
  3. Remove skin and bones from chicken, shred, then add chicken to large bowl.
  4. Chop green onions, red onions, and cilantro. Add to bowl.
  5. Add homemade mayo, and sea salt. Stir bowl.
  6. Then diced avocados and gently sitr in.
  7. Serve on romaine leaves.
  8. (Optional) Garnish with cilantro.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2

Health & Wellness

Chlorella and Pain Relief

Chlorella for Pain Relief | Healing and Eating

When you’re in chronic pain, any supplement that aids in regeneration and recovery is helpful. Chlorella contains a property called “Chlorella Growth Factor” (CGF), which helps rebuild and heal tissues, especially nerve tissue damage and is excellent for treating brain and nerve disorders (Wolf 234). Chlorella also has the ability to detox heavy metals, pesticides, and radiation poisoning from your body. Heavy metals can be a cause of many debilitating diseases such as neuropathy, carpal tunnel, arthritis, and diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer’s and migraines (Rogers 158).

Chlorella also aids in digestion and liver support, making it an ideal supplement for helping your body utilize nutrients and eliminate waste. Another great benefit, is that it aids the growth of good bacteria in your digestive system and if your chlorella source is unpasteurized it will also contain enzymes, which help digest your food (Wolf 235). Your liver with thank you for any help you give it in eliminating chemical additives and pesticides. It has a heavy workload with all chemicals in our environment we are exposed to on a daily basis.

The enviornmental toxins not only affect our body, but also our mind. Heavy metals can also be responsible for mood disorders such as ADHD and depression (Rogers 158). Instead of reaching for a prescription, try the natural way first. Start your dosage small, and add more if your body tolerates it. People react differently to detoxification, so more is not necessarily better, especially in the beginning.

Sources: (1) Superfoods by David Wolfe, (2) Pain-free in Six Weeks by Sherry A. Rogers, MD, (3) Is Chlorella a Powerful Natural Detoxification Tool? by Dr. Mercola

Photo Credit: tastyhealthproducts.com

Natural Living

3 Ingredient Bronzing Moisturizer

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The vast majority of cosmetics available today have many carcinogenic and toxic additives in their ingredients list. They have been linked to a variety of maladies ranging from eczema and hives on the milder side to more serious issues like lung damage and cancerous breast tumors. Click here to learn more about ten toxic ingredients you should avoid in any cosmetic product.

I have never really been one to wear makeup since I have sensitive skin and never really learned how exactly to apply it. Recently, I had been looking for a natural product to balance out a few lighter shaded spots on my face.  Even many of the natural makeup lines contained additives that I was less than sure about, so I decided to make my own bronzing moisturizer. This moisturizer only contains 3 ingredients, all of which are great for your skin, and it smells amazing!

3 Ingredient Bronzing Moisturizer– Raw/Vegan/Organic
 
Turmeric Powder– Anti-inflammatory and antiseptic, known to even out skin tone and add glow to skin.
Cacao Powder– Smells amazing, and contains sulfer which is essencial for healthy hair, nails, and skin.
Coconut Oil– Moisturizing, protects skin from free radicals, anti-bacterial.
I am estimating the measurements that I used for my skin tone: 3 TBS. Cacao powder, 2/3 Tsp. Turmeric Powder, 2 Heaping TBS. Coconut oil. Chances are you know your own skin tone best so adjust to your liking. I recommend starting with just a little turmeric so you get a nice glow rather than an accidental yellow tone. If you have a lighter skin tone cinnamon powder (also anti-bacterial), and arrowroot starch can be used to cut the cacao powder and lighten the tone. To add a subtle red or pink undertone use a super fine mesh strainer to stain beet root powder or hibiscus powder, and add the fine strained powders to your mixture until you get the shade you desire.
Voila! your very own customized bronzing makeup!
Sources:
http://www.fitsugar.com/10-Toxic-Cosmetic-Ingredients-Avoid-204330
http://www.lovingfit.com/nutrition/raw-cacao-amazing-super-food/
http://www.bewellbuzz.com/general/benefits-of-turmeric-for-skin-and-more/
http://coconutoilforskin.com/