Month: November 2015

I could never continue my life without the occasional chorizo breakfast burrito. Fortunately, I don’t have to! With a whole food natural diet, you do not have to give up any food that you love. You’ll just change up how you make it a little bit.

Chorizo usually contains sodium nitrate, which is an icky thing we should not put in our bodies. I do not know why it’s typically added, nor do I really care. Because I can make my own in just a couple quick, easy steps and skip it.

For this chorizo, I’ve used ground goat meat. Ground goat meat is awesome in recipes calling for ground beef or pork. It has more protein and iron than beef or pork, yet is more lean than chicken (even when compared to chicken without the skin) all while maintaining the flavor and texture you want from red meat.

I purchase goat meat directly from a farm via a farm co-op. Farm shares and co-ops are all over. Get on Google and find one in your area. When you buy direct from a farm, you are supporting small, local farms, which are better for our economy and environment. You are also eating products that taste better and that are better for optimal health.

Most small, local farms raise animals on a pasture, which is far more ethical than raising animals in tiny cages or in large warehouse-type buildings. More than likely, animals will be grass fed, which is a far more natural diet than grain fed, leading to more nutritious and tastier meat and dairy products. They will be free of antibiotics, added hormones, and other weird things we shouldn’t be putting in our food. Give it a try. You’ll discover what food is supposed to taste like!

I was recently asked by a friend, “Doesn’t that cost more?” Well, yes, it does. In the short term, anyway. But, considering it reduces your risk of disease, increases your energy, and supports sustainable, ethical farming, I’m not sure it costs more in the long run. There is more to the decision of what to buy than which item has the lowest price tag. Those super low price tags usually come at a very high cost.

The typical American diet includes far too many animal products than is healthy. When we eat a more appropriate amount of animal products, we can afford to pay more for these products simply because we are purchasing less of them.

You can use ground beef or pork in this

recipe if you prefer. Just know that this obviously changes the nutritional information, so be sure to adjust for that if you are keeping track.

Also note that I recommend tortillas made by a company called Food for Life. Their products are all natural, multi-grain, whole grain, delicious and filling. I warm the tortilla on an open flame just prior to serving, and they are just divine. Food for Life products are found in the frozen section of various grocers.

And, by the way, buy your seasonings and spices in their whole form when possible and grind them just before use. The taste is incomparably better, and they will also retain more of their unique health benefits. I just throw mine into a coffee grinder. The amounts listed are for whole spices except the paprika and cayenne pepper. Bear in mind, seasonings and spices are suggested amounts only. Learn to tailor recipes to your tastes. If you like your chorizo on the hot and spicy side, increase the cumin and cayenne pepper in this recipe. One of the joys of cooking yourself is making food that is perfect for you!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground goat meat
• Garlic (as little or as much as you want!)
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 5 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 5 peppercorns
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 10 eggs
• 2 cups black beans (purchased dry and prepped according to package directions…make a lot at once and freeze them in 1-2 cup portions for future use)

Directions: Place all the ingredients from the cumin to the cayenne pepper into a coffee grinder and finely grind. Some people prefer to use a mortar for this, but I’m too much a fan of a convenience. The coffee grinder suits me fine.

In a medium sized bowl, place the goat meat, garlic, apple cider vinegar and spices from the coffee grinder. Mix together very well with your hands, squeezing and working the spices into the meat. It is very important you mix these ingredients in this manner rather than stirring with a spoon. You can use gloves if you want to avoid getting spices on your hands. I don’t and wash my hands immediately afterward and have never had an issue.

Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. You want these flavors to meld together, and that requires time.

Once the meat and spices have sat for at least 8 hours, whisk the eggs and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the meat and continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and beans and continue to cook, stirring frequently for another 5 minutes.

Serve with freshly warmed tortillas and the toppings of your choice. I usually like mine with just a little cheese.

A half cup of this breakfast chorizo mixture contains 143 calories, 15g protein, 6.5 carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 6g fat, 40mg calcium, and 2mg iron.

Bradley’s breakfast consisted of 1/4 cup of the breakfast chorizo mixture and a Food for Life tortilla pictured above for 151 calories, 10g protein, 17 carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 4g fat, 40mg calcium, and 2mg iron plus some fruit and goat milk for blending and added nutrients. Mmmmmm!!!

I had no plans of posting this recipe just yet. I’m still working on a from scratch enchilada sauce, but there is still some tweaking to be done before it will be ready. So, I was going to wait until I had an enchilada sauce recipe to go with this, but it is just too delicious to wait. Whatever enchilada sauce you choose to use, be careful to read the ingredients and avoid sauces with added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or other weird things.

You may find these ingredients odd for an enchilada, but, just trust me. They’re so good. The squash gives it a very nice sweetness to it, getting the balance of sweet and spicy just right. Not only that, but it packs it with fiber, B-vitamins, vitamin A, and a variety of minerals.

These enchiladas overall are an excellent source of protein, fiber, calcium, and iron. A single serving contains 340 calories, 15g protein, 50 carbs, 9g fiber, 200mg calcium, and 2.5mg iron. If you choose to forego the sour cream, a serving will have 280 calories and 10g protein.

A couple tips:

I love garlic, so I always put a ton in any recipe

that calls for it. Every once in a while, I buy a ton of garlic, run it all through the food processor with a small amount of water and freeze it into ice cubes. When I have a recipe that calls for garlic, I pull out the number of cubes I want and toss it into the skillet. As I mention in Tips for Eating Well, so much of natural cooking involves making things in bulk and having it on hand for when you need it.

When you pull the seeds out of the squash, don’t toss them in the trash. They’re good for you! Wash all the guts off and put them in a jar. Fill the jar with water and a dash of salt. Cover with a towel, soak for 8 hours, rinse, and drain. Toss them into a BD blend or into a smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, sliced in half and de-seeded
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Garlic (to taste)
• 6 cups spinach
• 8 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups black beans
• 1 cup enchilada sauce
• 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 corn tortillas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the squash halves on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until very soft. This will be at least 30 minutes if not more, depending on the size of your squash.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add the spinach and sun dried tomatoes and cook until the spinach is completely wilted. Set aside.

Mix the enchilada sauce and black beans in a small mixing bowl.

When the squash is soft, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool enough to be handled. Remove the skin and dice into cubes. Gently toss into the onion and spinach mix.

While you are chopping the squash and mixing the sauce, place the corn tortillas into the oven (still at 400 degrees). Bake for 5 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 5 minutes. They should be very crispy.

Now, it is time to build your tostadas! Spread the black beans/sauce mixture onto the tostadas. Next, spoon the squash mixture. Add the cheese crumbles, and then top each with 2 Tbsp sour cream. Lastly, sprinkle on the cilantro.

Sit back momentarily, admire your beautiful creation, and then, enjoy!

For tubie mamas, notice 1 serving blended has a volume of 16 oz. The black beans and corn tortilla require a little more liquid than usual to blend it well, which leads to a higher volume. I blended Bradley’s tostada with goat milk. This can be split into 2 meals. Olive oil can be added if you need to increase calories.