Quick & Easy Chicken Liver Pate

Made from a mixture of liver, fat and seasoning, pâté works well as a snack or dinner party hors d'oeuvre, served with crackers or spread on bread. Because it has a relatively small serving size but high calorie count -- 90 calories per ounce -- pâté is easy to overeat, so monitor your portion size when snacking. Adding pâté to your diet boosts your micronutrient intake, which offers some health benefits, but it also increases your intake of fat and cholesterol. Consume pâté in moderation as a treat, but don't make it a daily part of your diet.

Iron and Copper
Pâté offers some health benefits as a result of its copper and iron content. The copper from your diet activates a family of enzymes, called cuproenzymes, that are essential to good health. Some cuproenzymes help your brain cells communicate effectively, while others help you make proteins required for strong tissue. A 1-ounce serving of pâté contains 113 micrograms of copper, or 13 percent of the recommended daily intake. The iron in pâté also makes up a component of enzymes, including enzymes required to make energy. Iron also activates a pair of proteins, called hemoglobin and myoglobin, that help your body transport and store oxygen. A serving of pâté boasts 1.5 milligrams of iron -- 8 percent and 19 percent, respectively, of the daily iron intakes set for women and men.

Selenium and Riboflavin
Snack on pâté and you'll consume more selenium, as well as riboflavin, also called vitamin B-2. Riboflavin plays a key role in metabolic function, and it's required to break nutrients down into energy. Selenium activates proteins that regulate immune function, contribute to sperm development and support thyroid function. A serving of pâté offers 0.17 milligram of riboflavin, which is 13 percent of the recommended daily intake for men and 15 percent for women, as well as 11.8 micrograms of selenium, or 21 percent of your daily requirement.

Vitamins A and B-12
Eating pâté also benefits your health by increasing your vitamin A intake, as well as your consumption of vitamin B-12. Vitamin A contributes to the health of your immune system by guiding the growth of new white blood cells, as well as controlling mature white blood cell function. Vitamin B-12 is essential for the development of new red blood cells, and it supports nervous system health; a B-12 deficiency can cause irreparable nerve damage. A 1-ounce portion of pâté provides 936 international units of vitamin A, which contributes 40 percent toward the recommended daily intake for women and 31 percent for men. Each serving also contains 0.91 microgram of vitamin B-12, which is 38 percent of the recommended daily intake.

Although pâté boosts your mineral and vitamin intake, you should consume it in moderation because it's high in fat and moderately high in cholesterol.

A very easy pate that's big on taste as opposed to those that boil the livers and great on whole-grain crackers.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken liver
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 hard-boiled egg (optional)

Directions:

1 Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft.

2 Add cleaned chicken livers and saute until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Cut into quarters and cool.

3 Save pan drippings.

4 In a blender or food processor, combine liver pieces with the reserved pan drippings, onion, salt and pepper.

5 Blend well for about 20 seconds.

6 Optional: Blend in the hard boiled egg for a richer pate.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Blintz Souffle - Mom's Recipe

A Blintz Souffle is out of this world and a great comfort food.  Blintzes are a bit thicker than crepes and are filled and folded like a burrito.  Blintzes are a European dish, served mostly in Jewish households, but every country has their own version of this kind of  "pancake".  You can make your own blintzes or you can easily buy frozen cheese blintzes for this recipe.  This is the recipe my mom used to make and I've continued the tradition for a delicious breakfast treat, but of course I tweaked it to be organic.

Ingredients:

12 cheese blintzes (frozen)
6 fresh eggs
1 1/2 cups organic sour cream
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 organic butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
Sprinkle of cinnamon (Ceylon)
1/4 cup organic frozen blueberries


Directions:

Lay blintzes in 9 x 13 buttered baking dish.  Beat eggs well.  Add the sour cream, sugar, butter and vanilla extract, beat in with eggs.  Stir in frozen blueberries.  Pour mixture over blintzes and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until lightly brown.



Try this recipe if you've never experienced just how delicious blintzes or a blintz souffle can be!  You may be pleasantly surprised! 

Send me your comments or suggestions and let me know if you like this recipe ~



Intuitively yours,
Laurel ♥ 

Baked 7 Layer Mexican Dish

Cinco de Mayo is next month, and I have planned a special recipe for that day.  This baked 7 layer Mexican dish was and continues to be a favorite easy recipe that I learned to make from my mom. Many of the recipes for 7 Layer Mexican dips/dishes are served cold, but this recipe is baked to make a complete dinner.

Baked 7 Layer Mexican Dish ~

Layers:

1.  Refried beans
2.  Cooked chicken or ground beef
3.  Avocado mixture
4.  Sour cream or plain yogurt
5.  Tomatoes
6.  Black olives
7.  Cheese (I like to use colby-jack)


Ingredients:

1  16oz can organic refried beans

1 lb. grass-fed lean ground beef (cooked with 1/2 pkg. taco seasoning mix or use my recipe listed below**  (Optional: Substitute with cooked shredded organic chicken)

2  avocados  ( add 1 T. lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. sea salt*, and 1/8 tsp. ground pepper), and mix in blender until smooth.

1 cup organic sour cream

1/2 large organic tomato, cubed

1/2 can black olives, drained and rinsed well

2 cups shredded organic cheese (your choice)


Preparation:

Cook the ground beef with taco seasoning ahead of time and set aside.  Blend your avocado mixture and also set aside.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  

Use a 7 x 11 inch baking pan and begin layering the pan with the refried beans for the bottom, then add the ground beef on top of the beans.  Spread avocado mix next, and add the sour cream layer.  Add the tomatoes and black olives.  For the last layer, sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Serve with warm tortilla chips.

Salmon Souffle

http://healthyintuitions.blogspot.com/Mom's Recipe Box

Salmon Souffle is one of mom's recipes.  I've tweaked just a few of the ingredients in her recipes ever so slightly for a healthier option.  Basically they are the same and will not change the taste of my mom's original recipes.  I've added a star * to any ingredients I've substituted.

Let's begin with Salmon Souffle -

Ingredients:

2 T whole wheat flour*

2 T butter

1 cup coconut milk*

2 egg yolks, beaten

2 T chopped fresh parsley

1 T minced onion

1/2 tsp sea salt*

dash pepper

16 oz ( 1 large can) of wild sockeye salmon, flaked or 1 lb. wild sockeye salmon ( cooked with skin removed)

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; stir in flour, gradually stir in milk.  Continue cooking, stirring constantly until thick, remove from heat.  Add a little of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks and return the egg yolk mixture to the sauce, stirring quickly to blend.  Add the parsley, onion, salt and pepper.

Stir in the flaked salmon and fold in egg whites and blend.  Pour into a lightly buttered 1 1/2 qt casserole baking dish.  Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until golden brown and set.  Serves 6.

Serve as a main meal with a vegetable salad or for breakfast with fruit.   

  

Organic Fruit Pizza

I love making this healthy fruit pizza as farmers markets are opening for the season.  It's a healthy dessert and so yummy!   My recipe begins with an organic whole grain sweet crust, then topped with a creamy filling.  Add your own fruit design on top with an array of berries, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, oranges, grapes or whatever suits your fancy.

Fruit Pizza is fun to make for the entire family, and especially for the kids because they can help to make the fruit design and they will love eating it!


Ingredients: 

    For the crust:

2 cups  rice flour or almond flour
2 T  coconut flour
1/2 tsp  unflavored gelatin
1/2 tsp  baking soda
1/2 tsp  sea salt
6 T  unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup  raw honey
2 tsp  vanilla extract

      For the filling:

1/4 cup  coconut milk
1/4 cup  raw honey
1/4 cup  coconut oil 
1 T  vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream (whipped)
Berries & Fruits


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and adjust rack to middle position.  Butter a 12-inch round baking pan or pizza pan.  Whisk together the rice flour, coconut flour, gelatin, baking soda and sea salt in a large bowl.  Stir in melted butter, honey and vanilla until a dough forms.  Form dough with your hands and spoon onto the pan.  Evenly press dough into the pan to cover the 12-inch diameter. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just golden brown.  Cool.

Place coconut milk, raw honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a blender or food processor. Blend  3-5 minutes until smooth.  Fold in whipped cream.  Pour filling over cooled crust and spread evenly.  Chill for 2 hours.

Top with berries and fruit & serve.


 

Sweet Potato Kugel

Happy Passover!

I took a traditional potato kugel recipe and turned it into my own healthier variation by changing the ingredients.  My recipe is still kosher and even if you're not Jewish, it's a healthy side dish for any meal.  Of course, you know it's organic if you've been reading my blog!

Ingredients:

5 sweet potatoes, finely grated

2 onions (diced)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup matzah meal  (rice flour or whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)

1/2 tsp sea salt 

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

3 organic eggs (slightly beaten)

fresh ground black pepper 

Preparation:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  

1)  Saute onion in olive oil until golden brown.

2)  Place the finely grated sweet potatoes in a colander and squeeze down the sweet potatoes with a large spoon to eliminate extra moisture.  Empty into a bowl and add the eggs, matzah meal, orange juice and seasonings.  Blend well.  Mix the browned onions in with all ingredients.

3)  Add the mixture to a greased baking pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 1 hour until golden on top and crisp at the edges.  

Serves 10

Have a healthy and happy holiday!

Perfect Roasted Garlic Hummus

Hummus is made from chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans.  These legumes are an excellent source of fiber.  Garbanzo beans contain over 80 nutrients, such as manganese, folate, copper, phosphorus, protein, iron and zinc.  They also improve blood sugar levels and are beneficial for a healthy digestive system.

Ingredients:

2 (16 0z) cans organic chickpeas (drained)

2 T tahini 

4 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 large head of garlic 

2 T lemon juice

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Paprika and chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation:

1)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut off the top of the garlic clove so that the tops of the cloves are exposed.  Coat with a little olive oil and wrap tightly in tin foil. Roast garlic for 1 hour.  Remove and cool.

2)  Using your fingers, squeeze the soft roasted garlic out of each clove into a food processor.  Rinse and drain canned organic chickpeas.  Add the chickpeas with all other ingredients and blend until completely smooth.  Scrape out the mixture and transfer to serving bowl.

3)  Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley before serving.  Makes 14 servings.

4)  Serve with warm pita chips and raw vegetables.

Homemade Sweet Potato Oven Cakes

Enjoy my baked version of the pan-fried potato pancake with applesauce made organically.  This recipe makes 4 servings and is a healthy meal to eat as a side dish or serve with a poached egg for breakfast.


Ingredients:

3 medium organic sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
1/2 onion
1/2 cup organic applesauce
4 tbs rice flour  (whole wheat or oat flour can be substituted)
1 tsp organic baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil or coconut oil
3. Grate potatoes and onion into a large bowl.  Add applesauce, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly by hand.
4. Place rounded mounds of the mixture on cookie sheet (about 3" diameter).
5. Bake for 20 minutes, flip with spatula, and bake on the other side for another 20 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Serve with more applesauce.

*Sweet potatoes are one of the top vegetable sources of beta-carotene, (vitamin A), which is excellent for your vision and preventing cancer.  They are rich in vitamins C & E that contain potent antioxidants.  Sweet potatoes have a large amount of vitamin B6 and potassium, each helping the body maintain healthy blood flow and normal brain function.

*Sweet potatoes are high in "good" carbohydrates, meaning that although high in fiber, they are low in fat content so that caloric energy is used more slowly and efficiently than a low-fiber carbohydrate.

Organic Pina Colada Smoothie

Spring has finally arrived!  

Enjoy the day with a refreshing glass of an Organic Pina Colada Smoothie.  It's full of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and natural sugars for energy.  Take it outside and sip it while absorbing the sunshine -

Ingredients:

1 cup organic pineapple chunks
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 organic banana
2 tsp. raw or homegrown honey
1 tsp. organic vanilla extract
1/4 cup crushed ice


In a blender, combine all ingredients and puree until smooth.  Garnish with pineapple wedges.  Makes 2 servings.

Honey-Orange Baked Sockeye Salmon Fillets

Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon is an excellent source of protein, high in antioxidants, low in saturated fat, and rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  Sockeye salmon has the highest amount of omega-3 than any other fish, therefore only one serving per week can help to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

I have always loved eating sockeye salmon since the days when my mother used to make it for our family.  Currently, I eat sockeye salmon at least once or twice per week, which is the recommended amount your body needs.  My recipe is easy to prepare and brings out the superb flavor of the salmon without tasting "fishy".

Ingredients:

4 Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets

4 T. raw or homegrown honey

1  Mandarin orange (mix in blender for juice w/pulp)

sea salt & ground pepper

extra virgin olive oil 

Mandarin orange slices

Preparation:  Heat oven to 400 degrees

Line a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with foil.  Drizzle just enough olive oil in the pan and coat both sides of each fillet.  Place salmon skin-side down in the pan.  Combine the honey and orange juice in a bowl and stir until well blended.  Salt and pepper the fillets.  Spoon the honey and orange mixture over the fillets.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

*Garnish with sections of mandarin orange slices

Serves 4