Simple Roasted Garlic & Herb Mushrooms

Mushrooms can help slow your aging, boost your immunity, improve your blood flow and cardiovascular health, stabilize blood sugar, increase athletic performance, and even help regenerate your nerves!  They also contain some of the most powerful natural medicines on the planet, making them especially great to boost your immunity during cold and flu season.

And Kerrygold Irish butter is the key ingredient for this recipe.  I love this grass-fed butter because it's significantly more creamy and nutritious than conventional butter.  For this particular dish I use their Garlic and Herb Butter, which includes a mixture of chives, parsley, garlic, fresh herbs and spices.  Yum!

It can't get any more simple, delicious and nutritious than this.  (And I give my talented sister, full creative credit for this recipe).

I love these for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and paired with a couple sunny-side-up eggs. :)

INGREDIENTS:

- 12 oz. button or cremini mushrooms 

- half a stick of Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter (more or less)

- 1/8 teaspoon unrefined sea salt (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Wipe off mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel to remove any dirt.  Remove the stems and discard (or save for another use).

3.  Place mushrooms in a 9x13 casserole dish, hole side up; adding enough to fill up the dish.  Cut a small square of butter, just big enough to fill up each hole.

4.  Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until fork tender.  

5.  Carefully remove from oven, and sprinkle with salt, and serve!

6.  Enjoy!

Approximately 2 to 3 servings

*Variation: You can also add about a half stick of the Garlic and Herb butter to a large skillet, and turn on medium heat.  Then slice up your mushrooms, and simply sauté them, until tender, sprinkle salt on tops and enjoy!

Refried Black Beans

I love beans; all kinds, but especially black beans.  Unfortunately I hear all to often how people don't enjoy consuming beans because of the digestive issues they're known to cause.  But did you know that with the proper preparation, you can decrease significantly any potential digestive discomfort?!  

I bring you some delicious, easy to prepare and digest refried black beans.  Plus, black beans are a great source of folate, dietary fiber, manganese, protein, magnesium, vitamin B1, phosphorus and iron!

Lots of reasons to love this dish (other than it's not a very pretty one to photograph..)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 pound dried black beans

- 2 tablespoons acidic medium (such as apple cider vinegar, whey, kefir, plain yogurt or lemon juice)

- 1 large onion, peeled and cut in half (divided)

- 4 cloves garlic, peeled

- 4 tablespoons good quality butter or ghee

- 1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt, or to taste

- freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- optional: hot sauce, salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocado and/or egg to top with

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place beans in a large glass bowl, and cover with warm filtered water (at least 4 inches above the beans). Add acidic medium, and cover bowl with dish cloth or paper towel.  Let soak for at least 24 hours.

*note: The acidic medium helps to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors (phytates), making beans (and grains), more digestible and nutrient-dense.  Soaking them in water makes them swell and begin the slow process of sprouting which makes the nutrients available.

2. Once your 24 hours are up, drain liquid (your plants and garden will love this liquid), and rinse your beans thoroughly with filtered water.  Add the beans to a large stock pot, and cover with fresh filtered water (2 inches above), and add half of the onion and the garlic cloves to the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil and scoop out and discard any foam that rises to the top.  Turn down to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 3-4 hours, or until beans are tender.

3.  Drain the beans in a colander , but reserving the cooking liquid, and remove the onion and garlic cloves.

4.  Place the empty pot back on the stove over medium heat and add the butter or ghee.  Finely chop the remaining half of the onion and place in the pot.  Cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

5.  Pour the beans into the pot, add salt & pepper, and mash the beans with a potato masher (or blend to make a smoother consistency), adding any reserved liquid if needed.

6.  Serve warm with optional hot sauce, salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocado and/or egg on top.

7.  Enjoy!

Approximately 6-8 servings

(Adapted recipe from here)

Tuna Cakes

My husband is repulsed by fish, especially tuna fish, so lets not tell him about these tuna cakes the kids and I have been enjoying lately. ;)

I love to make these for lunch to switch things up a bit. It's such a simple and great way to get some Omega 3 fatty acids into your diet. 

If you are a fish lover, then go try these out, and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 (5 oz.) BPA-free cans of wild albacore tuna fish, drained (I like this kind)

- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

- 2 eggs, beaten

- 1 tablespoon chia seeds

- 1 tablespoon dried parsley

- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

- dash of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Add all ingredients into a medium-sized bowl, and mix to combine.

2.  Using 1/3 cup, scoop up mixture, and place in (clean) hands, and squeeze to form into patties.  Repeat until all patties are made.

3.  Turn skillet to medium heat, and add a dab of coconut oil.  Place patties on skillet, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, carefully flip, then cook for an additional 6 to 7 minutes.

4.  We enjoy ours dipped in mustard or paired with hummus or a side salad.

Makes approximately 5 cakes

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Although I'm not quite ready to face it, fall is definitely approaching.  After spotting some falling leaves today,  I knew just what I wanted for dinner.

This curried butternut squash soup is so yummy and so-oo easy to make, you don't even have to chop up that dreaded squash, but just throw the whole thing in the oven to bake!  Now how awesome is that?!

Plus, butternut squash delivers an ample dose of dietary fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice.  It also provides a significant amount of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems.

Subtly spicy and perfectly creamy, this nutrient-rich soup is wonderful for babies, big kids and grown ups too!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 large butternut squash

- 1/2 cup full-fat BPA-free canned coconut milk (adding more if needed)

- 1/2 cup chicken broth (homemade is best, or this kind) (adding more if needed)

- 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt (or to taste)

- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)

- optional: chopped cashews to top with

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place butternut squash on a cookie sheet and give it a few pokes with a knife, then place in oven.  Bake for 1 hour, or until browned, and knife easily slides in.  Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes.

2.  Carefully cut off ends of squash, then slice lengthwise.  Remove and discard seeds, then scoop the squash out, and place in a blender.

3.  Add all other ingredients to the blender, then blend until smooth and creamy (adding any additional, equal amounts of coconut milk and broth to reach desired consistency).  Taste test, and add more salt and/or curry powder if desired.

4.  Pour into bowls, and top with optional chopped cashews, and serve.

5.  Enjoy!

Approximately 3-4 servings