Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

Orange chicken with cauliflower rice is a quick and pleasing recipe to make when you are craving Chinese food. This recipe is free of MSG, soy, processed vegetable oils, and gluten-based thickeners…all of which you would find in your typical restaurant-bought orange chicken. With the shelter in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all required to spend more time in the home and less time at social gatherings. This has given individuals all around the world the opportunity to spend more time cooking whole food recipes. Once you start cooking meals from scratch with simple and healthy ingredients, you start to realize all of the unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients that ready-made and convenient packaged meals contain. This is very eye opening and makes you pause for a moment to review exactly what you have been feeding your body on a daily basis. I would say the most common feedback I receive from patients who switch to preparing the majority of their meals from scratch is the difference in taste and satiety.

Whole foods pack a punch of flavor, especially when you know the right ingredients to use for each recipe. My orange chicken is flavored with orange juice, ginger, and coconut aminos, all of which have health promoting properties and a delicious taste. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and has been shown to lower cancer and cardiovascular disease risk. In addition, ginger is wonderful for soothing an upset stomach and also helps with blood sugar regulation. Coconut aminos is the fermented sap from the coconut palm tree and is the perfect substitute for soy sauce, since 90% of soy in the United States is genetically modified. And the best part of this recipe? The rice is made exclusively from cauliflower, which you can purchase now at stores (in the fresh and frozen vegetable sections). We have transformed a heavily processed staple Chinese meal into a light and health promoting dish that will give you every reason to pat yourself on the back for making healthier choices.

Ingredients:

Orange Chicken:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 2 tsp coconut oil

• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Cauliflower Rice:

• 3 cups of riced cauliflower

• 2 tsp coconut oil

• 1/4 cup onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

• 2 tsp coconut aminos

• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Sauce:

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 3 Tbsp coconut aminos

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 2 Tbsp arrowroot or tapioca starch

Garnishing Options:

• Toasted sesame seeds

• Green onion (chopped)

Instructions

1) Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Cut into bite-sized pieces and season with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.

2) Place all of the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow sauce to thicken. Once the consistency is to your liking, remove from heat and set aside.

 3) Add the coconut oil to a skillet over medium heat and allow to melt. Cook chicken pieces for 5-7 minutes until browned. Remove any excess fat from pan, then add half of the sauce to the skillet. Mix well with chicken until warmed throughout. Remove from heat.

 4) Prepare cauliflower rice by heating your skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp of coconut oil and allow it to melt. Add the onion and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Now add peas and cook for 2-3 additional minutes. Now add the riced cauliflower and coconut aminos and cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with orange chicken. Pour your remaining sauce over cauliflower rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onion.

Homemade Hummus

Homemade hummus is one of the easiest ways to get more legumes into your diet. Legumes consist of lentils, peas, and beans and were a major food group in the diets of our early ancestors. Thanks to the Middle East, legumes are making a comeback in the diets of countries all around the world!

Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) form the base of this recipe, and are an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein, folate and manganese. Folate is a B vitamin that is critical for DNA replication (making new healthy cells every day) and methylation reactions. Methylation is used in over 250 biochemical processes in the human body including healthy gene expression, detoxification, and neurotransmitter production to name a few. Proper methylation is necessary to keep unhealthy genes “silenced” so that a person does not develop chronic illness and disease. Methylation function can be assessed through genetic testing (for more information, click here: https://www.missalexanutrition.com/lab-services/genetic-testing-with-interpretation-). Manganese is a trace mineral that aids in keeping your blood sugar stable as well as cholesterol metabolism. This means hummus is an excellent recipe for Diabetics and Heart Disease patients.

It’s time to pull out the food processor and treat yourself to this delicious recipe that can be used as a dip or a spread for wraps and sandwiches. Homemade hummus is a quick, easy, and appetizing recipe that is sure to please any crowd!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 dash sea salt & pepper

• Garnishing options: fresh parsley, paprika

Instructions

1) Put all hummus ingredients (except garnishing options) into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add water to thin (if necessary). Add garnishing options.

2) Serve hummus as a dip or spread. Enjoy!

Acai Bowl

Ahh, the acai bowl. Touted for its nutritional profile and decadent taste, the acai bowl has become well renowned due to its simplicity, sweetness, and beautiful presentation. The acai berry grows from a tropical plant native to Central and South America and served as a major dietary staple among primitive Amazon tribes. It continues to grow in popularity around the world today for its flavor and powerful antioxidant profile. Anti-oxidants are substances that work against (anti-) any inflammatory promoting compound in the body (oxidant). A more commonly known term for oxidants are “free-radicals”. Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that promote a cascade of inflammation leading to chronic illness. Since we are all exposed to free radicals (through our environment and metabolic processes in the human body) it is imperative that we keep our antioxidant stores well stocked. And that is where the acai bowl enters!

The acai berry contains the three major antioxidant vitamins (Vitamin A, C, and E) and is loaded with anthocyanins, which are anti-inflammatory compounds responsible for its deep purple color. In addition, its fiber content aids in regular bowel movements, which are necessary for eliminating toxins from the body on a daily basis. The antioxidant lineup continues in this recipe with blueberries and banana, both of which offer additional vitamins, minerals, and healthy carbohydrates. Due to the carbohydrate content of this recipe, my acai bowl is carefully balanced with healthy fat and protein from almond butter, coconut, and avocado. Protein and fat help balance the naturally occurring sugars in this recipe to avoid blood sugar fluctuations and insulin surges.

The options are endless when it comes to garnishing the top of your acai bowl! The more colorful your bowl is, the more antioxidants it contains, so get creative and choose from pomegranate seeds, kiwi, mango, pineapple, cherries, shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, chia seeds….you get the picture :)

Ingredients:

Serves 1

• 1 packet of unsweetened acai puree

• 1 tablespoon almond butter

• 1/2 banana, frozen and sliced

• 1/2 cup blueberries

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

• 1/4 avocado

• Garnish options (1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, fresh fruit, 1 tablespoon of raw nuts/seeds)

Instructions

1) Place all of the above ingredients (except garnish ingredients) into a high-speed blender.

2) Blend well until smooth. You may need to add a little extra coconut milk if the mixture is too thick.

3) Scoop into bowl and top with garnish options when desired consistency is reached. Enjoy!

Mini Banana Pancakes

Yes everyone, it is possible to make “healthy” pancakes, with only four ingredients might I add! This recipe has been a staple among my patients (and their children) due to its easy prep and delicious flavor. While you may be skeptical, I can promise you that this recipe has been tried and true throughout the years. The banana works as the perfect binding agent for the batter, while adding that sweetness that leaves absolutely no need for added sugar. The egg helps the pancake rise, while adding a nice punch of protein and healthy cholesterol to fuel your morning. The dash of cinnamon helps regulate your blood sugar to avoid that afternoon slump and the medium chain triglycerides in the coconut oil provide your liver with energy promoting fatty acids. Who would have thought that a stack of pancakes would be your new go-to “health” breakfast? Miss Alexa did. And do not limit this recipe to just breakfast, feel free to pack them for a healthy snack or freeze leftovers so you can pop them in the toaster for an evening dessert. The options are endless!

Ingredients:

Serves 1

• 2 eggs

• 1 large ripe banana

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons of coconut oil

Instructions

1) Add eggs, cinnamon, and banana to a blender and blend until smooth to create the pancake batter. Set aside.

2) Add 2 teaspoons of coconut oil to a skillet warmed on the stove and let melt. Add pancake batter slowly to skillet until you’ve created a pancake no larger than the size of your palm (the more "mini"/smaller you can make the pancakes the better they will turn out). Cook each pancake for 30 seconds on each side and serve.

Note: you may need to add extra coconut oil if skillet gets too dry in between pancake batches.