Chronically Beautiful! - Chronically Delicious

Mexican Italian Casserole

10/29/2019

My family is a HUGE fan of Mexican food! Tacos, burritos, and enchiladas are a staple at my house, but every now and again it's nice to have something different, and so the Mexican Italian Casserole was born!

This casserole is super versatile, meaning that if you're gluten free or you would rather have rice instead of pasta, you can easily do so. This recipe is also super simple, and completely organic for all of my chronic illness warriors that have sensitive stomachs like I do!

So if you're a fan of Mexican... or Italian... than this is the casserole for you!

Mexican Italian Casserole

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of dried pasta
1 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa*
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 can (15 oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups of cooked shredded or ground chicken
2 cups shredded cheese
chopped pepper
chopped avacado
chopped cilantro
chopped fresh tomato

*I used homemade canned salsa, but you can easily use organic salsa from the store as well.

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta according to package directions. I put 1 tsp. of salt in my pasta water while I'm bringing it to a boil.
While pasta is cooking, combine sour cream, salsa, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large mixing bowl.
Drain the pasta when it's done cooking and add into the sour cream mixture. Stir to combine.
Add in the corn, black beans, chicken, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Stir to combine
Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Cook for 20 minutes
Chop your extra veggies while your dish is cooking and sprinkle on top for garnish. You can really add any veggie you like on top!

**Use organic ingredients when feasible!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Bread

7/16/2019

Sweetbread that is 100% organic and refined sugar-free!? I think yes! One of the questions I receive a lot about my health and my diet is about gluten. Gluten is a great controversy in the modern food war, and for me, I've found that it's not so much the gluten that does harm in people with certain autoimmune diseases, but it's the KIND of gluten. Wheat and flours that are highly saturated in pesticides and other chemicals can cause great havoc on a body that is already compromised, and after being gluten-free for a year, I've found organic whole wheats that don't make me sick and that I love feasting upon! With that said, I'm all for those who find that a diet without gluten makes them feel better. Health is all about listening to your body and doing what's best for YOU!

This bread is made with organic whole wheat flours, and sweetened with raw honey and Lakanto monk-fruit sweetener! It's the perfect treat to curve that sweet tooth without overdoing the sugar intake for the day, and tastes amazing with butter or jam!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Bread!

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup warm water
1 Tbs. organic butter (melted)
1/4 cup raw honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 cup classic Lakanto sweetener
1 Tbs. cinnamon

Directions:

Place egg, water, and honey in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix on low until well combined.
Sift flour, yeast, and salt together in a bowl and add to wet mixture. Replace whisk attachment with dough hook and mix on medium speed until dough forms in a ball. (You may need to add more flour or water depending on your mixture.) Dough should form a firm ball, and be slightly sticky but not so sticky that you can't form it into a ball.
Kneed dough by mixing with dough hook on low speed for 3-5 minutes. (You will know when your dough is ready to rise when you poke it with your finger and it bounces back at you.)
Put the dough in a clean bowl that has been greased with butter and cover with parchment paper Let rise in a warm environment for 60 minutes to 2 hours. Dough will be ready when it has doubled in size.
Once risen, remove the dough from the bowl and divide into two loaves.
On a lightly floured surface, stretch and roll out dough into a rectangle the same size as your bread pan.
Mix sweetener and cinnamon together and sprinkle on bread. (You can also spread melted butter on your dough before adding the cinnamon sugar mix if preferred. That's what I do, and it tastes amazing!)
Start at the end of the dough and roll your dough up like a jelly roll. Repeat with your second ball of dough.
Let breads raise in a warm environment for another 60 minutes to an hour.
Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden brown.
Remove bread from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool on a cooling wrack the rest of the way before serving.

Sugar Free Thumbprint Cookies!

6/25/2019

Let's talk food for just a minute here...

How many of you often feel overwhelmed by the massive amount of information that is out there about food and nutrition? I honestly believe that if you listen to every single "expert" there is out there, you would probably be forced to result to eating nothing, as tips on diet and nutrition can often be contradicting and counter productive.

This is why it SO IMPORTANT that we learn to eat what is right for YOUR body! It's important to listen to your body and what it's trying to tell you because I guarantee you that if you eat something that isn't good for you, your body will be sending you that message the next day.

The war on food is raging in our day and I think everyone is forgetting that we're ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! I am not against people who eat gluten-free, as I know people who thrive on gluten-free diets, even if I don't. Same goes for any other diet (Keto, Paleo, etc). And to those who eat foods that are full of chemicals, overly processed, and full of sugar that is incredilby unhealthy for your body:

I will ALWAYS encourage you to eat healthy because I care. But I will NEVER look down on you or make you feel like you are less of a person if you choose to eat processed, sugar filled food. Again, we're all in this together and as we teach with love and compassion we can all help each other on our roads through life. I eat 100% organic and refined sugar-free because that is how I can function with Lyme disease and how I can still live a life despite my chronic illness. Not because I'm trying to outrun anyone else in this life.

So without further ado, I'd like to introduce the sugar-free Thumbprint Cookie! These cookies are completely sugar free, organic, and free of harmful additives and chemicals. They are made with whole wheat flour and they still melt in your mouth! They're also sweetened with Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener which is full of nutrients and approved for all kinds of healthy diets!

Sugar Free Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup salted butter (softened, to room temp)
1/2 cup powdered Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener*
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. Real Salt
1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour**
1 cup organic whole wheat bread flour**
1/2 cup of thick, sugar free fruit preserves***
extra powdered monkfruit for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F with the rack in the middle position. Like a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
In a bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter and sweetener on high speed until butter and sugar light and fluffy and white in color. (This will take about 2 minutes of beating.)
Add the vanilla and salt, scraping down the sides as needed.
Switch to low speed and slowly add the flours. (You may not need to use all of the flour if your dough seems to get to dry. So add flour gradually until dough forms in a nice ball. Dough will be slightly sticky.)
Form dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from the fridge and form 1 inch balls of dough. Press you thumb lightly into each dough ball to form the indent for the fruit.
Scoop a generous amount of fruit preserves into the center of each dough ball.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light, puffy, and slightly browned. Let cool for five minutes and then remove cookies onto a cooling wrack. Let cookies cool completely. Dust with powdered monkfruit sweetener and enjoy!

*If you don't have a the powdered version of your Lakanto sweetener, you can take one cup of classic Lakanto sweetener and blend it in a blender on high until it is in powdered form.
**Make sure you use the right kind of flour, for if you only use bread flour your cookies will be dry and if you only use pastry flour your cookies will fall apart.
***You can use any kind of fruit preserves that you like. I used organic, sugar free, wild blueberry jam that I ordered from Thrive market.

Cookies N' Cream Fat Bombs!

4/5/2019

Still on my quest for healthy ways to gain weight, and these babies are AMAZING! They're like little ice cream bites, and they taste just like cookies and cream ice cream! The wonderful thing about them is that they use no Oreos, no additives, and no chemicals! Let's be real here, Oreos are practically a chemical cocktail, and our bodies do not need the extra toxins! These fat bombs are, gluten-free, sugar-free, organic, Paleo, Keto, and absolutely DELICIOUS! The cookie part is made with almond flour and cacao powder, and they're really easy to convert to dairy-free if you don't eat dairy!

Cookies N' Cream Fat Bombs!

Ingredients:

For the "Oreo Cookie" Crumbs:
2/3 cup almond flour
2 Tbs. cacao powder (heaping)
3 Tbs. Lakanto powdered sweetener
2 Tbs. butter (melted)
pinch of salt

For the Vanilla Cream:
2/3 cup full fat coconut milk
4 Tbs. Lakanto powdered sweetener
pinch of salt
2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream (or chilled coconut cream)
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Lightly toast almond flour in a dry skillet until fully golden in color and fragrant. (This is a really important step taste wise so don't skip!)
Transfer toasted almond flour to a small bowl. Mix in cacao, sweetener, and salt.
Add in the butter and mix until combined.
Press about a third of the mixture into cupcake liners and leave the remaining 2/3 as "crumbs"
Place both in the freezer.
Whisk together coconut milk, sweetener, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sweetener has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. (It won't take long). Transfer to mixing bowl and allow to cool COMPLETELY.
One coconut cream is cooled, whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form and then slowly add in vanilla extract and coconut milk mixture. Mix until smooth.
Fold in 1/3 of the leftover crumbs. Pour mixture into prepared molds and sprinkle leftover cookie mixture on top. Freeze until solid.
Serve and enjoy!

*Use organic ingredients when feasible!

Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs!

3/29/2019

I'm currently on a fat bomb kick, and these are my first try at fat bombs!

For me, Lyme disease makes it super difficult to gain weight, and so I'm currently on the lookout for any snack recipe that is full of healthy fats! This recipe is SUPER easy to make and only takes about 10 minutes of prep time! It's also organic, sugar-free, keto, paleo, and gluten-free! These babies are glorious little summer treats and taste like mini little cheesecake bites!

Delicious! Easy! And Beautiful! My favorite combination!

Keto Cheesecake Fat Bombs!

Ingredients:
6 oz. organic cream cheese
4-5 medium strawberries (fresh)
4 Tbs. salted butter
3 Tbs. powdered monkfruit sweetener
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Let the cream cheese, butter, and strawberries sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften. (It's vital that you let your cream cheese and butter soften to room temperature before mixing together, as your mixture will be lumpy if you don't.)
Puree your strawberries using a small blender.
Beat cream cheese and butter together with a hand mixer.
Add strawberries, sweetener, and vanilla. Beat on high speed until well blended. (Mixture should be thick and creamy, not watery.)
Divide the batter into your silicone mold, or pour mixture into a 9x9 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
Freeze for about 3 hrs, or until fat bomb are solid.
Store in freezer and enjoy to your pleasing!

*Use organic ingredients when feasible

Vegan Fudge Cake

3/26/2019

Who doesn't LOVE chocolate!? I've always been a chocolate lover and when I was diagnosed with Lyme I thought I would have to give up chocolate for good! The good news is that I really only gave it up for a year, and I found healthy ways to eat chocolate in small proportions so it doesn't make me sick!

This chocolate cake was a hit for my whole family and it's completely organic, refined-sugar free, AND vegan! Yep, that's right! No animal products in this cake! I also have found in my healthy baking pursuit that it's really difficult to make healthy cakes that aren't super dry, but I've FINALLY mastered a refined sugar-free recipe that is super moist and very fudgy on the inside! Even the glaze is sugar free and it adds the final finishing touch to this beautiful cake! I also used cacao powder in this recipe instead of cocoa. Cacao is considered a super food and helps boost your mood and your immune system! Eating chocolate in the right amounts can be good for your body! What a relief!!

Vegan Fudge Cake!

Ingredients:
2 cups coconut milk
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 organic maple syrup
2/3 cup organic grapeseed oil
2 Tbs. pure vanilla extract (Yes that's correct! Bring on the flavor!)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups whole wheat bread flour
2/3 cup cacao powder (sifted)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. salt

Chocolate Glaze:
2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted (or if you don't mind it not being vegan you can use organic butter)
1/4 cup powdered Lakanto sweetener
1 Tbs. cacao powder
2-3 Tbs. coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare your bunt pan. The secret to a bunt cake that doesn't stick is using organic, grass-fed butter. But since we're going vegan here, you can also grease your pan with coconut oil, and the coat it in flour as well.
In a large glass measuring cup, mix milk and vinegar. Set it aside for about two minutes. This mixture makes vegan buttermilk!
Mix sweeteners, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl, and whisk together by hand. Add your vegan buttermilk and whisk until well combined.
In a large bowl, combine flours, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
Pour milk mixture over the top of your dry mixture and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
Pour batter into bunt pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool for about 30 mins. Remove from bunt pan.
For the glaze, whisk all ingredients together and pour glaze over the top of a completely cooled cake.
Slice and enjoy!

*Use organic ingredients when feasible.

Winter Peach Cobbler

3/14/2019

I know what you're all thinking... "Why am I calling this WINTER peach cobbler?!" Well, because it's winter, and peaches are not in season in the winter time, and yet... here we are! The secret is that I just happen to have a brother that has a lot of peach trees that produce in the summer, and so we spent a lot of time slicing and freezing peaches this summer! The rewards of that are now being feasted upon! It's like having fresh peach cobbler in the winter! Yum!

This cobbler turned out delicious and is super easy to make! It's refined sugar-free and and made with organic whole wheat flour! It's also super versatile (most cobblers are), so it would be really easy to make this gluten free if you'd like that to be an option. Simply replace the whole wheat flour with almond flour and your have your gluten free winter treat! You can also top it with organic heavy whipping cream, or if you're dairy free you could top it with coconut cream for your finishing touch!

Winter Peach Cobbler!

Ingredients:

Filling:
4 cups frozen peaches
1/4 cup organic maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 tsp. cinnamon (depending on how cinnamon-y you like it)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. clove
1 Tbs. organic corn starch
2 Tbs. water

Cobbler:
1/2 cup butter, melted (organic and grass-fed)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic maple syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9x13 inch pan with a generous layer of organic, grass-fed butter. Set aside.
For the filling, place your frozen peaches in a large saucepan and SLOWLY let it thaw on medium heat, stirring occasionally. (Do not mutilate your frozen peaches by over-stirring or forcing them to break apart).
Once peaches are mostly thawed, add your maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Stir until mixed in.
Bring peach mixture to a boil and in a small glass mix cornstarch and water. Add cornstarch mixture and stir gently until thickened. Once thickened, remove from heat, and let sit while you make your dough.
For the dough, combine flour, butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. (Mixture will be kind of sticky.)
Pour peaches into your prepared pan. Drop dough on top of peach mixture, and spread as evenly as you can.
Bake at 350°F for about 40-45 mins. or until top of cobbler is golden brown.
Store in fridge.

*Use organic ingredients when feasible.

Healthy Cinnamon Rolls!

3/7/2019

Did you know that cinnamon can actually be used as a medicinal herb? It can be used as an anti-bacterial, and it's also known to kill stealth bacteria in our bodies like micoplasma! Who knew?!

I have a lot of healthy recipes I've been trying lately that are going to go up on here soon, but I had to postpone all of those because this recent recipe I just made was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! This recipe taught me so much about clean eating and how you don't have to eat bad tasting food to eat clean. These cinnamon rolls look, taste, smell, and make you feel amazing!

I don't know why anybody would feel like they need processed sugars and other processed food in their lives when they can eat something this delicious and nourish their body with proper nutrients at the same time! These rolls are made with organic, whole wheat flour, and they're about 98% sugar free, and 100% refined-sugar free! The only refined sugar in these babies is a little bit of raw honey in the dough, and then the filling and frosting is sweetened with Lakanto sweetener which is not processed in your body the same way sugar is. Lakanto is an amazing sweetener that is made with Monk fruit which is a super food and filled with nutrients!

You can purchase Lakanto here and you can also find it on Amazon!

The BEST Healthy Cinnamon Rolls!

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 cup warm coconut milk (110° F)
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter (melted)
4 1/2 cups organic whole wheat bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup raw honey
2 1/2 tsp. yeast (do not use instant yeast! Instant yeast is highly processed)

Filling:
1/2 cup golden Lakanto sweetener
2 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter (melted)

Frosting:
1 (8 oz.) package organic cream cheese
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup powdered Lakanto sweetener
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the warm coconut milk in a large glass measuring cup. Mix the honey, butter, salt, and eggs in a large stand mixer. Add your milk and yeast mixture and whisk together on low until well combined.
Add flour and mix well. Knead your dough using your dough hook attachment. Knead for about 4-5 minutes on medium speed. (When you poke your dough with your finger and it pops back at you, that's when you now it's ready to rise.)
Grease a large glass bowl with a light layer of butter, and with lightly floured hands place your dough in the bowl, cover with parchment paper, and let rise for about 2 hours (or until the dough has doubled in size) in a warm environment.
After the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 mins.
In a small bowl, combine combine your golden sweetener and cinnamon.
Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Brush your dough with melted butter, then sprinkle your cinnamon mixture over the top. Roll up dough, starting along the long side.
Cut into 12-18 rolls. (Or you can use the simple trick of taking a clean piece of white thread, sliding it underneath your dough where you'd like to cut, and crossing the two ends of the thread over each other to cut the dough. This makes for a clean cut, and doesn't mutilate your rolls so much.)
Place rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled. (It took mine about 1 hour.)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bake rolls for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
To make the frosting, simply cream your butter and cream cheese together with a hand mixer, add your other ingredients, and then cream together until smooth. Spread evenly on each roll.

*These rolls stay super fresh for about five days if you store them in the fridge! Then when you're ready to eat them you can either warm them in your warming drawer on high for 10 mins. Or you can preheat your oven to 350°, turn it off once it's fully preheated, and place your rolls inside for about 10 mins. Then when you take them out it will be like having a freshly baked cinnamon roll!
*Use organic ingredients when feasible.

Ginger Cookies!

2/26/2019

I participate in a health group in my area every now and again, and every month I try to focus on one medicinal herb, what it does for your body, and how we can use it in our everyday food! So, this month's herb is GINGER, and these cookies are not your average ginger snaps!

Ginger is a great anti-bacterial herb, and you can use it in many ways! This is obviously ground ginger that we use in these cookies, but you can grate fresh ginger into your favorite chili recipe, or you can make ginger tea by boiling diced ginger in a pot for about 10 minutes and adding honey. Ginger tea is great for keeping colds and flu viruses away, and it works wonders for a natural remedy for strep throat!

These cookies are thick and chewy and VERY GINGERY! If you're looking for cookies with a kick, then these are for you! These cookies are also completely organic and refined sugar-free! They're sweetened with pure maple sugar, which means that they're sweetened with dried maple syrup which is filled with lots of minerals and nutrients!

Ginger Cookies!

Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 Tbs. ground ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup palm shortening
3/4 cup organic maple sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°
Line baking sheet with silicon baking mat, or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until combined.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and shortening then add the maple sugar and molasses. Beat until light and fluffy.
Add in the eggs and stir until combined.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in thirds, stirring well until combined in between each addition. The dough should hold together well and be soft.
Form half inch balls of dough and place on prepared baking sheet in rows of 3x4. Do not flatten your dough balls.
Bake on middle rack for 10-12 minutes or until they are set. (Do not over cook or they will be hard and crunchy.)

*Use organic ingredients when feasible.

Banana Nut Muffins

2/26/2019

I recently had this major craving for banana nut muffins, and so these refined sugar-free delights were born! These babies are made with organic, whole wheat flour. And they are sweetened with organic maple sugar! For those of you who don't know, maple sugar is basically just dried maple syrup, and so it's important that you find a brand that is 100% pure and organic so that we can stay away from extra additives and chemicals that are harmful to our bodies. Otherwise, maple syrup is a sweetener that is full of nutrients that your body will love you for! This is why maple sugar is a great sugar substitute and can be used for all of your baked delights!

Healthy Banana Nut Muffins!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup organic maple sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup butter (melted)

Topping:
1/4 cup maple sugar
2 Tbs. whole wheat flour
2 Tbs. oats
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (or you can use your nut of choice)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mash your bananas and add the maple sugar, egg, vanilla, and butter. Whisk together until well combined.
Add the flour mixture and stir with wooden spoon until just combined. (Do not over-mix.)
Divide the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. (Each muffin cup will be filled about 2/3 full.)
In a small bowl, combine flour, maple sugar, and butter until mixed. Stir in the oats and walnuts. Divide topping over muffins.
Bake for 18-20 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*Use organic ingredients when feasible.

Welcome to My Kitchen!

Food is one of the greatest forms of science, art, medicine, and sustenance all at the same time! It's what feeds our lives and pumps through our blood. It's what connects us and what gives us energy to fulfill our purpose. It is for that reason that I have a deep passion for discovering, cooking, and eating only the most nutrient dense foods. In my kitchen, we only use organic, whole ingredients that feed the body, as well as the mind and soul. My hope is to inspire healing through healthy AND delicious food that feeds not only our stomachs, but also our hunger for connection and quality of life.

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Disclaimer: For Educational and Informational Purposes Only. The information provided by Chronically Beautiful is for educational and informational purposes only, and is made available to you as self-help tools for your own use. All and any information given on my website is for the purpose of sharing information to help you help yourself, and not for me to take on any other role as any health professional.