Recipes for 7 Day Real Food Challenge
THURSDAY
Egg Muffins
These little treats are great to have in the fridge to grab and eat when you have a busy
morning. You can also wrap in wax paper individually then put in a zipper freezer bag to
freeze.
Ingredients
10-12 eggs
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 green onion
1 zucchini squash julienned
½ red pepper
4 cups fresh spinach (can use1 package of frozen if want to substitute)
1 cup of cooked meat (sausage, hamburger, turkey burger, bacon)
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350⁰ F and grease two muffin pans with coconut oil.
2 Whisk eggs with baking powder, salt and pepper.
3 Put green onion, zucchini, and peppers in food processor and process until finely
chopped but not smooth. Add to eggs.
4 Put spinach in processor and finely chop, add to eggs.
5 Add cooked meat to eggs and mix well.
6 Using a measuring cup, fill muffin pans with ¼ cup each of the egg mixture.
7 Bake for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set in the middle.
Pecan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients:
½ cup spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons raw organic honey (optional)
1 cup pecans, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard and honey.
2. Toss the pecans in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Pour
the chopped pecans into a large bowl and set aside.
3. Using a paper towel, remove any excess moisture from the outside of the chicken
breasts.
4. Taking one chicken breast at a time, roll the chicken in the mustard honey mixture and
coat on both sides.
5. Transfer the coated chicken into the chopped pecans and again cover both sides.
6. Place the crusted chicken into a greased glass baking dish and sprinkle each chicken
breast with just a little sea salt. Bake 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.
Oven Fries
Ingredients
4 Medium size, sweet potatoes
3-4 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of cinnamon
Coarse sea salt
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes in strips, with skins on, about ¼ inch thick.
3. In large bowl, combine oil and spices.
4. Add potatoes and toss to coat.
5. Spread out potatoes in single layer on nonstick cookie sheet.
6. Roast 20-30 minutes, turning once. (Be sure to watch as they can burn quickly.)
Baked Apple with Cashew Topping
Ingredients
4 firm cooking apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Macintosh)
8 Tbsp raisins and cinnamon to taste
Topping: ½ cup raw cashew pieces, pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. With a knife, cut apples horizontally around the middle to keep the skin from splitting
during baking.
2. Core apples and fill the center of each with 2 Tbsp raisins. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until tender.
4. While baking apples, whirl cashews in a blender or food processor, adding water
gradually until you get the consistency you prefer. The longer you blend, the smoother
the mixture becomes. Add a few drops of pure vanilla extract for extra flavor.
5. Spoon over hot apples.
Serves 4
FRIDAY
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 medium to large onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced or diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable stock or water
1 bay leaf
28 oz can tomatoes with juice
1/3 cup brown rice
16 oz can organic kidney beans, undrained
1 lb fresh green beans, cut into 1” pieces or 10 oz package frozen cut green beans
Directions
1. In a 6 quart pot, sauté onion, celery, carrots and garlic until softened.
2. Add stock or water, tomatoes, rice, and bay leaf.
3. Bring to boil and cover, reduce heat to a simmer for 50 minutes, stir occasionally.
4. Stir in kidney beans and green beans and simmer for 5-10 minutes more until all
vegetables are tender.
5. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Hummus
Ingredients
16 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil or flaxseed oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Paprika, sea salt and fresh parsley to taste
1 tsp cumin
¼ cup tahini (sesame butter)
Directions
1. Drain beans and reserve liquid.
2. Blend beans with remaining ingredients in food processor or blend.
3. If mixture seems dry, add some of the reserved liquid slowly to make a smooth paste.
4. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and parsley.
5. Enjoy with fresh vegetables such as carrots, celery, cucumber or bell peppers.
Breakfast Pizza!
This pizza is sooo good, we often will make it for our evening meal. It takes a little while to put
together, so it’s a good treat to make on the weekends or a day that you have a little extra
time.
Crust
8 Eggs
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon dried basil
Pinch of sea salt
Black pepper to taste
Toppings
1 pound mild Italian pork sausage
½ cup organic marinara sauce
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
½ cup sliced, black olives
2 green onions, diced
Directions
1 Turn oven on to Broil.
2 In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs together and set aside.
3 Brown the sausage in a skillet.
4 In a large skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat and add the garlic.
Sauté for 2 minutes.
5 Meanwhile, add basil, salt and pepper to eggs and mix well.
6 Pour the egg mixture over the garlic and turn the heat down to medium. Cover and let
cook for about 3 minutes, or until the bottom of the eggs is set and firm. Do not stir or
disturb eggs while cooking.
7 Remove the lid and transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for another 3 minutes or
until the top of the egg mixture is also firm.
8 Remove from the oven and evenly spread the marinara sauce over the egg crust.
9 Add the cooked sausage and the other toppings.
10 Place the pizza back in the oven and broil for another 5 minutes.
11 Slice and serve immediately with avocado slices as a garnish.
SATURDAY
Almond Meal Blueberry Pancakes
This recipe is great to double to either freeze or keep extras in the fridge. We like to
heat them up in the toaster for a quick breakfast or anytime of the day for a little treat!
Ingredients
2 cups almond meal
½ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
3 eggs
1 cup coconut or almond milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 apple, grated
1 cup fresh or frozen organic blueberries
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
Directions
1
Mix all ingredients together.
2
Using ¼ cup scoops, cook the pancakes on a super-hot griddle or in a frying pan greased with
coconut oil. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, making sure the pancakes are brown before
flipping.
3 Serve with more blueberries on top
Green Smoothie
Rarely, do I make 2 green smoothies exactly the same! They are a concoction of what I have
available at the time. Here is a basic recipe to start.
Ingredients
1 cup frozen berries
2 scoops Ultra meal or Protein Powder
1 scoop Dynamic Greens
Organic carrot juice, Pomegranate juice, almond milk, rice milk or combination of each. We like
carrot juice as the base and a bit of almond milk for richness.
½ Avocado
Handful of spinach
½ apple and/or banana
½ lime (helps cut the green of the spinach)
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp Omega 3 oil
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency. Some days we
make ours thick enough to eat with a spoon, other days we make it more runny to drink
through a straw.
2. The total amount of a smoothie should be 10-12 ounces. They are very calorie dense so
be careful not to have too much!
3. Smoothies are a great place to hid healthy oils and liquid vitamins for kids – they won’t
know they are in there unless you tell them.
Turkey Wraps
Turkey wraps are great for a quick lunch or snack. You can make them however you
want. Here are a few ideas.
Lay one piece of deli turkey flat on a plate. Spread hummus on top and your favorite
toppings, roll and enjoy.
Topping ideas: Olives, Avocado, sliced bell peppers, shredded carrots, tomatoes,
cucumber, onions, pickles, por my sons favorite – strawberries.
Steak & Veggie Kabobs
Ingredients:
2½ pounds sirloin steak cut into 1 inch cubes
4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
½ tsp garlic powder
Cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 zucchini squash, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 cups small mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
Directions:
1
Place the chunks of steak into a large mixing bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil, and generously
sprinkle with the seasonings listed above.
2
Add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper and mix well until all the steak pieces are covered with
the spices.
3
Take metal or bamboo skewers and alternate skewering pieces of meat and veggies.
4
Cook over medium-high grill for 7-10 minutes, turning often.
Cowboy Beans
My Mom makes these beans a lot for feeding the cowboys at the ranch…hence the
name. I have altered her recipe some so that it fits into our real food rules.
Cut ½ pound bacon into small pieces and cook in pan. Remove bacon from pan and brown
together 1 pound hamburger and ½ onion.
Put into a slow cooker along with 1 can black beans (drained), 1 can kidney beans (drained), and
1 can butter beans (drained).
In a small bowl, mix 1/ 2 cup honey, ½ cup ketchup, 2 Tbsp mustard, 4-5 dashes of worschester
sauce, 1 tsp vinegar, salt and pepper. Combine all and pour over bean mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours or in slow cooker.
Strawberry Salad
Ingredients:
Salad:
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup butter or Earth Balance, melted
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and dried
One 5 oz bag of baby spinach, washed and dried
1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
Dressing:
1/4 cup honey
½ cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup olive oil
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Directions:
For Salad:
1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2
In a small bowl, combine seeds, almonds and melted butter.
3
Transfer to a baking sheet and toast until brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
4
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5
Tear the lettuce and combine with spinach and strawberries in a large salad bowl.
For Dressing:
1
Dissolve the honey in the vinegar.
2
Combine oil, seasonings and garlic together then add to the vinegar mixture.
3
Mix well and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
4
Just before serving, sprinkle on the crunchy topping and toss the salad with enough dressing to
coat well. (If serving a smaller group, I will let people add the dressing on their own.)
SUNDAY
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
2 ¾ cup oald fashioned oats, uncooked
½ cup maple syrup
¾ cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
½ cup chopped walnuts
1
tsp cinnamon
3 1/3 cup almond milk
¾ cup applesauce or pureed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp ground flaxseed
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50
minutes.
Gypsy Stew
This is an easy crock pot stew that you can make meatless if you would like.
Ingredients:
2 15 oz cans garbanzo or navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 10 oz package frozen spinach
1 pound pork tenderloin or chicken breast (optional)
2 cans 14 oz chicken broth, low sodium
1 cup water
1 can 14 oz diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, copped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon salt
8 grinds fresh black pepper
4 dashes of cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW 10 to 11 hours or on HIGH 5 to 6 hours, until beans are
tender. Enjoy!
Chocolate Coconut Delights
This recipe I got from my friend Sammi. They are a great little treat to have a snack or
a dessert. You can cut into bars to make a knock off “Lara Bar.” So yummy!
Ingredients:
1cup pitted dates
½ cup almonds (or walnuts or pecans)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Directions:
Blend all ingredients in food processor until mixture turns into a ball. You may need to add a
little water to the ingredients to stick together. Roll into balls in additional coconut flakes,
chopped almonds or leave plain. Refrigerate or freeze. OR feel free to press into and 8X8 pan
lined with saran wrap and cut into bars.
MONDAY
Mexican Quinoa and Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and uncooked
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes + juices
1 ½ cups salsa
1 tbsp chilli powder (1/2 for less spice)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne (1/2 for less spice)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Spray a large baking dish with olive oil or coconut oil and place all ingredients in dish.
3 Cook covered with tin foil for 75 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender and quinoa
is done.
4 Top with sliced avocado or fresh guacamole and enjoy.
Easy Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 Avocados, diced
2 Tomtaoes, diced
¼ onion, diced
Juice from 1-2 limes
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Mix all ingredients together. Adjust to taste. Can add 1 jalapeno for extra spice if wanted.
TUESDAY
Taco Salad
We eat taco salad once a week for supper and take leftovers to work for lunch. Super easy and
delicious salad!
Ingredients
Salad greens (romaine, spinach, green leafy)
1 pound ground burger (beef, turkey, or wild game)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ can black olives, diced
½ avocado, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
Sugar free salsa
Shredded cheese
Mexi Mix – We use this for our taco seasoning instead of buying the packages that are all full of
MSG! Use 3 Tbsp of Mexi Mix to replace one packed of commercial mixes.
5 Tbsp ground cumin
6 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion flakes
¼ tsp black pepper
¼- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
Directions
1. Brown burger and drain excess fat.
2. Add 3 Tbsp of Mexi Mix and ½ cup of water.
3. Add black beans and allow to simmer.
4. Place salad greens on plate.
5. Top with burger/bean mixture, cheese, salsa, avocado and tomatoes.
Serves 4
WEDNESDAY
Chicken Curry
Ingredient
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp curry powder
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups yellow squash, cut in ½ moons
2 cups red bell peppers
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or a few dashes of ginger powder)
1 can of full fat coconut milk
½ cup chicken broth
2 cups frozen peas
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked brown rice
Directions
1. Prepare rice according to package.
2. Sauté onions in oil in large pan over medium heat for 3 minutes.
3. Add curry and cook 2 more minutes
4. Add chicken strips and red pepper flakes. Cook 5 minutes.
5. Add squash, bell pepper, celery, sweet potato, ginger and chicken broth.
6. Cook an additional 5-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
7. Stir in peas and coconut milk.
8. Serve over hot rice.
Serves 6