Wholesome Chef Mici - Recipe Blog

Wholesome Chef Mici

Beef Moussaka

2/17/2019

Mmmmmm... Moussaka!
I just love the smell of those Middle Eastern spices that fill my home when it's baking in the oven. I make this quite a bit for a few of my clients. Sometimes, dairy free, sometimes onion/garlic free, or sometimes egg free... depending on the needs of the person I'm cooking for that day. Me, I like it with beef not lamb, goat dairy not cow, and without peppers. The version here is no peppers or onions, but it still tastes great if you take any one of these mentioned ingredients out. Great for a rainy day or big event with friends.

1-2 lbs. Ground Beef or Lamb
1-2 cups of Onion
2-3 cloves of Garlic
1 can of diced Tomatoes
1 Zucchini or Summer Squash
1-2 Red Bell Peppers (optional)
1 cup Red Wine
2-3 Eggplants
1/4 cup Raisins (I prefer golden)
Salt/Pepper
Olive oil
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/4 tsp. Allspice
1/8 tsp. Cayenne

Béchamel Sauce:
1/2 cup GF flour (I prefer 2/3 rice,1/3 arrowroot)
2 1/2-3 cups Milk (I prefer goat or light coconut)
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Eggs (pasture raised)
1 large Goat Cheese Log
1 lemon zested

Slice and bake eggplant on a cookie sheet with olive oil and salt for about 30 min or so till soft and starting to brown. 350 degrees.

Mince garlic (and onions/peppers if using) and sauté with squash for 3-4 min. then add Beef and cook till almost done.

Add the canned tomato, spices, raisins and S/P to taste. Stir over med flame for 1 min. Shut off burner.

Line the bottom of your casserole dish with half of your eggplant. Then pour the beef mixture over this layer.

Top with the remaining eggplant.

For the Béchamel sauce:

Dilute your flour in 1/2 cup of milk and mix till there are no lumps. Then add the egg and mix well.

Add the nutmeg, zest and goat cheese to a pan with the rest of the milk and flour mixture. Stir constantly over med flame until it starts to thicken. Don't let it boil. Just stir, stir, stir. Should take about 3-5 min or so.

Pour over the eggplant.

Bake uncovered for 45min-1hr at 350, or until you see bubbles and the top starting to get brown.

Try not to burn your tongue! The smells are intoxicating! You may try to eat while it's too hot!

Marinated Strawberries

5/16/2018

It's Strawberry Season!!!!

Oh I just love fresh, sweet strawberries, don't you!? My mom used to marinate them in sugar and put them over sponge cake with fresh whipped cream. I think they are good all by themselves! But feel free to put them on pancakes, ice cream, cake, etc...

Strawberries have a strong sour undertone that is balanced by a little sweet. The honey, sugar, or maple with break them down into a lovely syrup. Please pick wisely the type of sugar you use. Cane sugar is a good preserver, but lowers the immune system and leaches minerals from our bones and teeth making us weak. There are plenty of other options for sweet. Do the one that works for you. I'm a honey girl!

16 oz. Fresh Strawberries
1-2 Tbs. Honey or: coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar, birch xylitol, date syrup....

Wash and sanitize your berries.

Cut them in slices and add your sweetener to taste.

Stir or toss.

Refrigerate overnight.

It makes a nice syrup.

Enjoy!

Japanese Ginger Dressing

5/25/2017

2 Tbs. Onion
2 Tbs. Fresh Ginger Root, (peeled)
2 Tbs. Celery
1 Tbs. Ketchup
4 Tbs. GF Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
2 Tbs. Ume Vinegar (or salt to taste and increase lemon by 1 tsp.)
1-2 tsp. Honey
3 drops Stevia
1/3 cup Rice vinegar
1/2 cup light sesame oil or other light oil of choice
2 Tbs. Toasted Sesame Oil

One of things I loved when I used to eat out was the ginger dressing you would get on your salad when you ordered at a Japanese restaurant. Pungent and a little sweet. I found the right combinations with wholesome ingredients to make it just like the real thing.

This dressing is on the sweet side, so adjust to your taste.

Gather your ingredients, there are a lot!

Peel your ginger and cut horizontally to break the fibers into small pieces. This helps make for a smoother dressing. Sometimes the blender will not do the job and there will be ginger stings in your final product.

Blend it all up until smooth.

Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

SNACKS: store bought

5/24/2017

Snacks! I'm always boasting about making your food fresh from garden or farm ingredients, but as much as I love to cook, I have a busy life and need something to grab once in a while. Most pre-made food gives me the willies with all the excito-toxins and plastic... no thank you. But over the years I have found a few brands that have good ingredients.

Here's a picture image of each one and a little note on how I might use them or other tidbits.

Grain free and nice when you need some crunch! The Jalapeño flavor is lovely crushed up in a salad to add a bit of kick!

These sea salt ones are great but a little on the salty side.

Other flavors:

Rosemary
Cracked pepper
Sun dried tomato
Cheddar
Jalapeno
Everything
Plain

I really dislike Cliff bars in general, but they have a subdivision called Kit's that's really clean and tastes good. Not too sweet. Perfect to keep in your purse.

Other flavors:

Peanut butter
Cashew
Dark chocolate almond-coconut
Chocolate with chili (really yummy!)
Chocolate walnut
Chocolate peanut
Cherry sunflower seed

These trail mixes are sprouted! My favorite is the spicy mango (jalapeño).This wild berry is my second favorite. Fun for a day at the beach or just to have in your day pack if out on a hike.

Other flavors:

Malted Maple
Honey Seracha
Dark Cocoa
Wild Berry
Thai Curry
Manago Goji
White Chocolate
Banana Hemp
Spicy Mango

These are raw and super full of protein! I also love their lemon pie flavor! Crunchy when you first open the bag, but after a day or so, they become soft, so eat 'em up!

Other flavors:

Spirulina Banana
Lemon Pie
Sweet Crunch
Ginger Snap
Choco Crunch
Spiced Chai

I'm Italian, so I just love the taste of chestnuts. This company does nothing but cook and shell them! Perfect little snack. Fills you up and keeps a level head as they are sweet but full of protein to balance it... no crash.

Need sweet crunch? These are awesome. Just apples! We even found them at Costco!

I'm a freak for lemon! This company makes these in a lemon flavor that is off the charts delicious. I don't have a picture, because they don't last long in my fridge! My second favorite is the chocolate chip!

They make little pies, too, but beware. The ones in picture use maple syrup (which is bad enough as far as sweet goes), but some of the pies they put agave in. Agave is a sweetener that has one too many carbons on its molecular chain. It doesn't burn clean. It can have a terrible effect on blood sugar.

I'm not big on chocolate, but this brand and this flavor is super good.

Sweet and salty!

These are made with rice flour. I don't partake in grains often, but this is such a treat! Tastes just like Gnocchi, only better! No gluten reaction.

Summer isn't summer without a hot dog! These are grass-fed and no BS like MSG or maltodextrin! Love this company for offering them at my local grocery store at a reasonable price.

Grain free tortillas that taste so good I have tacos 3-4 times per week. They are soft and hold well when you overfill like I tend to do.

I just love plantain chips! Not all are clean. I react to the ones from Traider Joes and Whole foods. I think they have gluten in the oil that they fry them in. But the Sprouts ones and the Inka chips brand are great. Just 3 ingredients.

Use them like tortilla chips in a taco salad or tortilla soup.

Because I was trained in Macrobiotics, I think I love sea veggies more than one should! This company cooks them in a little sesame oil and sea salt. I feel so good munching on these with all their minerals. Seems to help balance if I have too much sweet.

Favorite flavor of Larabar.

What's yours?

Carrot Cake Truffles

4/19/2017

2 cups Nuts ( I used part Walnut and part Pecan)
1 cup Madjool Dates 8-10
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all spice mix)
Pinch of Sea Salt
4 drops of Stevia
3 cups Carrot, finely grated
3/4 cup Almond butter
1-2 tbs. Honey or Maple syrup
Almond flour as needed (about 3/4-1 cup)

Cocoa powder or shredded coconut for rolling

My Birthday often fell at Easter growing up and my mom loved to make me a carrot cake shaped like a lamb. So since this year my birthday was a few days before Easter, again, I thought I'd come up with something different that mimicked my mom's idea.

The dessert name "truffle" derives from their traditional shape, which resembles the truffle mushroom. You can roll them in cocoa powder or nuts of choice. Theses carrot ones are mildly sweet with a hint of warm spices. Raw and Vegan. I keep them in the freezer and pull them out a few hours before guests arrive for a quick and delicious snack to serve. Super satisfying.

Makes 40-60 truffles depending on size you roll them into.

Blend your nuts in a food processor until fine.
Add your dates ( I find chopping the dates first, to be helpful on the processor.)

Finely grate your carrot and add all ingredients -minus the almond flour- to the food processor and blend till smooth.

Place mixture in a bowl.

Add enough almond flour to make the "batter" rollable. The amount will depend on many factors like how wet your dates or carrots are or which nuts you use or how oily your almond butter is.

Roll in shredded coconut...

Or cocoa powder.

You can melt chocolate chips and dip your truffles, but I find all that unnecessary. I'm not a big chocolate lover, but please do, if that pleases you.

~Happy Easter!

Raw Mint Macaroons

4/11/2017

Spring is here, and the mint in my garden is happy and abundant! It inspired me to make mint macaroons. You can make these with or without cocoa. The two versions with the same procedures are to follow. Light and not too sweet. Just right.

Makes 20-25 small (1 tbs.) cookies

Chocolate Mint Macaroon: White Mint Macaroon:
1 cup Blanched Almond Flour   1 cup Blanched Almond Flour
1 cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut 1 cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Vanilla   1/2 tsp. Vanilla
3 drops Stevia 3 drops Stevia
1/2 cup Duch Process Cocoa Powder 4-5 tbs. Coconut Oil, melted
4-5 tbs. Coconut Oil, melted 2-3 tbs. Honey or Maple Syrup
2-3 tbs. Honey or Maple Syrup 1/2 tsp. Mint extract
1/2 tsp. Mint extract 1/4 cup Fresh Mint, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Mint, chopped   1/2 cup GF Chocolate chips
1/2 cup GF Chocolate chips

Place all your ingredients in a bowl.

If you can find the mini chocolate chips, they look the best since this cookie is on the small side.

If making the white mint cookies, wash and finely chop your mint. Then add to the mixture.

Mix everything with a spoon until well combined. You want the "dough" to be slighty wet but also sticky.

If you squeeze some of it, it needs to make a loose ball.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Wet an ice-cream scoop or spoon so the "dough" doesn't stick to it. Then scoop and pat the mixture in tight. Tap the side of the spoon and it should slide right out.

Let it set up in the fridge for an hour (or freezer for 20min). Store in a glass container in the fridge.

Great for a light dessert after a heavy dinner.

Minty goodness!

Vegan Caesar Dressing

8/4/2016

Who doesn't love Caesar Salad? I gave it up 20 years ago because of the dairy, but now its back!!! I think I've had it every day for weeks now trying to make up for lost time!

Ingredients:
1 cup Hemp Seeds
1 cup Pine Nuts
1 Tbs. Umeboshi vinegar
1/3 cup Lemon juice
1/2 cup Olive oil
4 drops of Stevia
1/2 sheet of Nori
2 tbs. Capers
1-2 Tbs. Fresh Jalapeños
1-2 Cloves Garlic
2 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Lightly toast your pine nuts.

Blend all together in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Add GF Croutons and fresh ground pepper to taste. Super YUM!!!!

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Pie

7/30/2016

It's summer! Had to think up a fun snack for some Vegan clients of mine. Their kids love peanut butter, but this could easily be any nut butter you prefer. I like to serve it on a hot day directly out of the freezer for added coolness, but texture is wonderful out of the fridge, too. Happy no-baking! Keep cool....

Crust ingredients:
6-8 Madjool Dates, soaked 1 hour
3/4 cup Raw Almonds
1/2 cup Raw Walnuts
Salt
Optional: 3 Tbs. Raw Cocoa powder

Filling:
1/2 cup Grape juice
1 tsp Agar agar or grass fed gelatin
1 can High fat Coconut cream (like 15% or higher)
1 cup Nut butter of choice
1/4 cup of sweetener of choice (I used honey but maple or date, etc would be fine)
4 drops of Stevia
1 tsp. Vanilla
pinch of Sea Salt
2 Tbs. Coconut oil, at liquid temp.

Make your crust. Fist blend your nuts into a powder in a food processor. Then strain and chop your dates. Add enough to make a sticky pliable crust to pat into a pan.

Pat your crust into a pan. I used a 9"

If you have leftover crust, it makes nice snacks. Just roll into a log and cut into bite sized pieces. Wrap in parchment paper. See here for more instructions...

Bring your apple juice and agar (or gelatin) to a boil for 3-5 min until dissolved.

Mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl and place in the fridge or freezer to start the stiffening process.

When you can see that the filling is stiffening due to the gelding, not freezing, then take it out and mix it smooth with a whisk.

Then pour into your pie pan and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set up.

If you'd like to make a ganache topping, you can prep that now. It's great drizzled on top or as a chocolate layer on top.

This is how it looks when set up. Easy to cut, but soft.

YUMmmmmmm!!!

Ginger Butternut Soup

6/10/2016

If you like the creamy, sweet taste of butternut squash, you will love this soup! A light hint of fresh pungent ginger and creamy coconut cream make this soup a hit with all my clients. Super easy to make and very hearty.

Time to share the goodness...
Wholesome Goodness!

1 Butternut squash (Kabocha or red curry squash are good, too!)
1 small Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
Can of Coconut cream
2" Fresh Ginger
Salt and pepper
Nutmeg

Peel your squash and cut into chinks. You can purchase it already in this form at fancy grocery stores like Whole Foods, Jimbo's, etc...

Place in a pot with diced onion and celery.

Make sure the can of coconut cream is high in fat. 13 grams is a good number. Higher is fine too!

Peel and cut your ginger across the grain to break up the hairy fibers inside. This will make blending easier later.

Add to pot about 2" of cut ginger.
You can add more at the end if you need it stronger.

Cook all ingredients in a pot, covered, till tender. About 20min or so.

Blend in whatever way is easiest for you. I really love my emersion blender. Quick blending and easy cleanup!

Add more fresh ginger if need for your taste. Also salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg to finish it off.

Oats and Blue Berry Muffins

6/10/2016

1 3/4 cup GF Oat bran (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup Coconut flour
1 Tbs. Baking powder
1/4-1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 1/4 cup nut milk or other milk of choice
2 large Pasture Raised Eggs
6 drops of Stevia
3 Tbs. Honey (I used raw white honey and it was delicious)
2 Tbs. Grass fed Butter or Coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. Vanilla

1-2 cups fresh blueberries or other fresh fruit

I have been off grains for years now, but due to some complications with leaky gut syndrome, I have to be off meat for a while, so a few grains are back in!

I think the body needs variety and to eat different things from time to time to stay fresh and vibrant. As hunter gatherers, we would naturally only have access to certain foods at certain parts of the year, or just every so often. So, as much as it pains my thyroid, I acquiesce to flexibility and change. I test fine for GF oats and highly suggest if you're attempting to be GF, that you only purchase oats with the GF certification on them as they are grown and harvested with wheat, otherwise, and you are sure to get cross contamination.

Hence, this lovely oat flour muffin! It's mildly sweet as a muffin should be and very satisfying. Use other fruits for fun, if you have them in season.

Mix the wet ingredients.

Then the dry.

Then both together.

Add the blueberries last!

Line your muffin tin with cups so it's easy to serve.

Fill them all the way to the top.

Bake at 425 for 15-25min.

Check the tops by pushing down. When firm and bounce back, they are done.

Awesome with some fresh butter or jam on top.

I like to warm them up in the toaster oven for breakfast at 200 degrees for like 10min while get ready for work.

Author

Mici is the owner of Wholesome Goodness.

These recipes are focused on wholesome ingredients from the garden or farm with very little sweet if any. They are gluten or grain free and organic, grass-fed or pasture raised.

She menu plans, shops, cooks, cleans and fills the fridge with healthy Gluten-Free meals and naturally sweet desserts!

She also teaches and does personal menu planning for those with restricted diets.

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"I have been richly blessed by Mici’s healing presence in my life. As a facilitator of personal transformation, her passion and dedication to serving others is evident. I have grown tremendously from her gifted use of emotional healing work, nutritional counseling, culinary artistry and organizational skills. She unfailingly demonstrates the highest efficiency and effectiveness, true strength of character, wisdom reaching well beyond her years and a generous heart of gold."

~Gabriella B.