Dr. Tracy's Blog

Gluten Free Apple Crisp - perfect for Thanksgiving! Ingredients 5 Granny Smith Apples 1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup or natural sweetener of choice 3 Tbsp Water 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon For the Crumble Topping: 1 cup Regular Rolled Oats 1/2 cup Almond Flour 1/2 cup Chopped Almonds or walnuts or pecans 3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or butter 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup or natural sweetener of choice Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel apples and dice into cubes of approximately equal size. In a large bowl, toss with maple syrup, water and cinnamon. Pour apples into greased 9 x 9-inch baking dish. In the same (now empty) bowl, add oats, almond meal, nuts, cinnamon, salt, coconut oil or butter, and maple syrup. Stir crumble topping together and pour into baking dish on top of apples. Bake for 40-45 minutes until apples are soft, covering pan loosely with ...

Healthy Five-Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies Ingredients 1 cup pumpkin puree 2 cups quick oats 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray. Add pumpkin, oats, syrup, peanut butter and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl and with hand mixer mix for about 30 seconds. Form the dough into tablespoon sized balls. The dough should be sticky. To make balls easier to roll with sticky dough, lightly wet your fingers. Place on cookie sheets. Gently press down each cookie with your fingers or spoon. You don't want to squash them you just want to flatten them into a cookie shape. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Source: https://brooklynfarmgirl.com/5-ingredient-healthy-pumpkin-cookies/

This soup is perfect for this time of year! Immune boosting garlic, onions and beta -carotene from pumpkin plus anti-inflammatory coconut oil, ginger and curry spices. Vegan Thai Pumpkin Soup Ingredients: 2 Tbsp coconut oil 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp vegan Thai red or yellow curry paste 1 Tbsp peeled minced fresh ginger 1 (3-inch) stalk lemongrass, bruised 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more to thin as needed 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree or 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk, 1 Tbsp reserved for garnish 2 Tbsp lime juice, plus more for serving 1/3 cup shredded Thai basil or fresh cilantro 3 red Thai chilis, sliced or minced Directions 1. In a large pot, heat coconut oil and sesame oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, curry paste, ginger and lemongrass, reduce heat to ...

Spring Veggie Whole Grain Salad   Salad: 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces 1 cup fresh or frozen peas 4 cups baby arugula 1 jar or can of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 cup cooked whole grain: kamut is pictured in this photo, other options are farro, short grain brown rice, quinoa, amaranth or bulgur wheat Dressing: 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, basil) 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard zest of one lemon (I always use organic lemons when using the zest in a recipe) Juice of one lemon 1/4 tsp each sea salt and pepper or to taste Blanch asparagus in hot water for 2-3 minutes, add peas to hot water for 2 minutes if you are using frozen peas. After heating,place asparagus and peas in a bowl of ice water while you assemble the salad. Place the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drain asparagus and peas and add to salad. Mak...

~ POWER BOWL RECIPES ~ Plant Based Power Bowls are a great way to use up leftovers or make a full week's meals by preparing the ingredients separately then mixing and matching them throughout the week. I recommend making 2 grains, 2 sauces, having lots of chopped raw veggies and spinach/kale/cabbage as well having 2 proteins (beans, tofu, hummus) on hand to get a week's worth of meals. To make a balanced plant-based power bowl, mix items from each column and top with sauce. ½ cup 1 cup 1 cup ¼ - ½ cup Toppings Cooked Brown Rice Shredded carrots Roasted broccoli or cauliflower Edamame beans 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds Cooked Quinoa Shredded cabbage Roasted Brussels sprouts Black beans 2 tablespoons chia seeds Cooked Farro “Riced” Cauliflower Steamed broccoli Chickpeas 1 tablespoon toas...

As the nights become cooler and leaves begin to change colors ( and Starbucks lets their Pumpkin Spice loose... ) you may be craving something hearty for dinner. This is a quick, mild chili to satisfy those cravings. To keep it simple, the variety of veggies in this dish is meager but when I've had other items on hand and more time for chopping... I've made this with sweet potato, carrots, broccoli or cauliflower instead of bell peppers and it come out nice. Autumn Chili garnished with roasted beets, pumpkin seeds and avocado slices Autumn Chili 1 tsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups bell pepper. chopped 28 oz diced tomatoes and their juices two 15oz cans of beans, drained and rinsed or 3 1/2 cups cooked beans 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1/4 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, depending on how much smoky flavor you desire 1/4 tsp paprika 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice* 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp dr...

Matcha Lemonade with lemon Matcha Lemonade 2 cups water Zest of 1 lemon 1 lemon, peeled and seeded 2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup 1-2 tsp matcha powder 1 cup ice cubes Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until frothy. Use 1 or 2 teaspoons matcha powder, depending on your taste preferences. Matcha is a superpowered green tea aiding in detox, hormone balance and reduces inflammation.

Tropical Coconut Lime Dairy Free “Yogurt”  2 cups young coconut meat ½ cup water or coconut milk Zest of 2 limes Juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon maple syrup Contents of 2 probiotic capsules If you purchased frozen young coconut meat, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Add all ingredients to a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth. The mixture will be thicker than milk based yogurt but thinner than Greek yogurt, it will firm up over a few days in the refrigerator. Young coconut meat is an excellent source of fiber and live enzymes. Because of the fiber content, this “yogurt” is filling, try a small serving (1/3 cup) at first. Top with fresh berries, ground flax seeds, hemp hearts, ground ginger, or fresh mint.

Need something healthy to satisfy your cravings during PMS? Look no further, these cookies are a good source of protein, iron and magnesium to not only satisfy your cravings but support healthy hormone balance as well. Peanut Butter PMS Cookies 1 cup almond meal 1/2 cup peanut butter (natural, unsweetened) a pinch of sea salt, if the peanut butter is unsalted 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (I like the Enjoy Life brand because they are dairy and soy free) 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds and 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar In a large bowl mix the almond meal, peanut butter, sea salt and maple syrup. Stir well to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips. At this point. The dose should be a somewhat sticky cohesive ball. In a shallow bowl combine the flaxseeds in coconut palm sugar. Role about a tablespoon of dough in your hands to form a golf ball-size ball. Role the cookie dough in the flaxseed mixture and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Th...

Ginger Orange Almond Biscotti - grain free Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse the following ingredients in a food processor to combine: 2 cups almond meal 2 tablespoons arrowroot 1/2 tsp seas salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger Zest of 1 orange Add 1/2 cup honey and pulse to form a crumbly dough. Press the dough together to form 2 logs about 1/2 inch thick and 2-3 inches wide. Bake at 350 degrees for 15- 18 minutes. The logs will still be soft until cooled. Cool for one hour. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Slice into 1/2 inch wide slices. Bake slices at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before enjoying.

I've made this recipe from Moosewood Restaurant's Simple Suppers cookbook many times and it has evolved over the years into my own. It's a very simple recipe if you're just getting into cooking beans and rice trying to increase fiber in your diet. West Indian Red Beans and Yellow Coconut Rice One large onion, diced 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon allspice diced tomatoes, I prefer to use the Pomi brand diced tomatoes in BPA free 26 oz boxes but you can use 28 oz can of diced tomatoes two 15 ounce cans of dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained two zucchini, diced 1 cup frozen peas chopped parsley to garnish Sauté the onions in coconut oil over medium heat until translucent, 10 minutes add the red pepper flakes, thyme and allspice and heat. Another few minutes add the tomatoes, peas, zucchini and kidney beans, continue over low heat for 15 minutes Yellow Coconut Rice 1 c...

I love kale so much, the joke around my house is that if I was in a band, it would be called " Kale on the Side ". ( I would be the tambourine girl, of course ) I make this quick kale at least a few times a week as a side dish because if the main dish doesn't include kale, I'm sad. This method works with both lacinato (Tuscan) kale or heartier green or purple curly varieties. Spicy Garlic Kale 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes sea salt and pepper to taste Heat 1-2 tsp olive oil over medium heat Add garlic and red pepper flakes, heat 3 minutes Add kale and saute for 5-7 minutes (maybe longer for heartier leaves) Finish with sea salt and black pepper

1 cup quinoa cooked in 2 cups vegetable broth for 15 minutes and cooled one can chickpeas rinsed and drained one bunch of parsley and 10 sprigs of mint In a food processor pulse the parsley and mint until finely chopped or finely chop the herbs by hand using a knife and cutting board In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chickpeas and herbs with ½ teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper Serve the quinoa salad on a bed of mixed greens or baby spinach leaves, and topped with fresh cut seasonal vegetables such as red pepper strips, cucumber slices, or radish slices and Lemony Salad Dressing Lemony Salad Dressing ¼ cup fresh lemon juice one clove of minced garlic 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sumac (if you do not have sumac you can use dried oregano or thyme) ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1/3 cup olive oil or grapeseed oil Mix all ingredients well in a mason jar or salad dressing shaker.

I'm normally a "made from scratch" kind of woman, but in the summer I'm always looking for ways to spend less time in the kitchen and more time in the sunshine. These quick and easy spring rolls make the perfect summertime lunch. They are even easier using pre-chopped vegetable mix and store bought baked tofu. Summertime Spring Rolls Rice spring roll wrappers One package Mann's Broccoli slaw, Coleslaw mix or Broccoli salad mix One package Ginger Sesame Baked tofu, cut into strips 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari 1 tsp minced ginger 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 tsp toasted sesame oil cilantro In a large bowl, toss the Broccoli slaw mix with the tamari, ginger, sesame oil and sesame seeds Set up your assembly line including: shallow dish with warm water to soak spring roll wrappers, wet paper towel to use as a work surface when rolling the wrappers, tofu, veggie mix, cilantro, platter lined with parchment paper Soak a wrapper in warm w...

Quinoa Avocado Spinach Bowl Guest post by Krista Fleury Photo credit to www.gardengrazer.com Salad Ingredients: 1 cup of dry quinoa 2 medium avocados 3oz cherry tomatoes 1/2 of a red onion For the dressing: 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic (minced) 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1/8 tsp of sea salt                                                                      1/8 tsp of black pepper Directions:  -Cook the quinoa according to packaged directions -While the quinoa is cooking, make the dressing by whisking all ingredients in a small bowl -Chop the spinach, avocados, tomatoes and onions and set aside -When the quinoa is finished cooking, add it to a large bowl.  Then throw in the spinach, avocados, tomatoes and onion -...