faith4tots.com » Cooking with Essential Oils

Healthy Girl’s Champagne

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:20:53 +0000

Drinking a glass of wine, particularly red, a couple of times a week can keep your heart healthy with the antioxidant resveratrol. The holidays, however, often seem a time of overindulgence with plenty of celebrating, rich foods and drinks. In excess, these things not only add unwanted pounds but can accelerate the signs of aging. There are some great non-alcoholic options to choose from so you can save your spirits for really special occasions. You’ll sleep better, wake refreshed and stay on track with being healthier this season when you substitute this healthy champagne for traditional cocktails.

The foundation of the champagne is simply sparkling water, Soda Stream now makes it possible for you to add carbonation to your tap water if you choose. I like San Pellegrino, partly because I love all things European, and glass bottles. The “champagne goes together very quickly, you simply add 1 drop of citrus essential oil to your glass champagne flute: tangerine, orange, lemon or grapefruit. Add garnishes like organic cranberries or twists of lime, lemon or orange. Then pour in your sparkling water to mix it all together. You could even add a couple drops of agave nectar to the glass bottom before adding the water to sweeten your drink for a pure, refreshing spritzer.

The options are endless and can suit your personal taste for the moment. You could even bring along a bottle of San Pellegrino or Perrier and a bottle of Young Living Therapeutic Grade Tangerine, Orange or Lemon as a gift for your hosts this season. Whatever combination you choose, the citrus essential oils work to gently detoxify your system and will give your taste buds a boost. Many citrus oils naturally have anti-depressant qualities versus alcohol which is a depressant, so you’ll be giving your psyche a lift too when you choose to go healthy this season.

1 drop of citrus oil will infuse 8-16 ounces of sparkling water~

Optional garnishes:

fresh, organic cranberries
lemon, lime, orange twist
fresh pomegranate seeds

1 tsp agave nectar for a sweet drink (optional)

Cheers!

Savory Butternut Squash Soup with Oregano and Lemon

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:23:19 +0000

My friend KC Thor of KC’s Kafe developed this recipe a year ago for an episode on her What’s Cookin show. I’ve long awaited the new squash harvest this year and this is now my absolute favorite butternut squash soup recipe. It’s an amazing savory blend of flavors that is super easy to put together. I’ll be making this recipe every week until I run out of butternut squash this fall. It’s perfect for a simple dinner with a salad and slice of artisan bread, or reheated on the stovetop for a leisurely lunch. I only recommend using Young Living’s Therapeutic Food Grade essential oils, and the oregano oil gives a rich depth of flavor that even fresh oregano can’t match. Plus, the oregano and lemon essential oils will give your immune system a boost that you’ll need for cold and flu season. Enjoy!

2 T organic butter

1 T organic, extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

2 small organic onions, chopped

3 large cloves organic garlic, minced

2 oz. organic cream cheese

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 lbs steamed organic butternut squash, peeled and cubed

6 T organic white miso dissolved in 4 C purified water

2 drops Young Living oregano essential oil

1 drop Young Living lemon essential oil

Heat soup pan over medium heat. When hot, add butter and olive oil. When the butter is melted add onions and saute’ for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and cream cheese. Heat until cream cheese is melted, add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Add squash to mixture and saute’ 1-2 minutes. Add miso broth and bring mixture to a boil. Allow to cool, then spoon out 1/2 the mixture into blender and blend until smooth. Return to soup.

Add essential oils and allow the soup to simmer 5 minutes. Garnish with whole grain croutons, shredded carrots or fresh oregano.

Makes approximately 5 1/2 cups.

Gluten-Free Tabouli

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 22:25:07 +0000

One of my favorite vegetarian dishes, traditional tabouli, is made with bulgur wheat. Since becoming gluten-free I’ve made this version with quinoa (a gluten-free grain) which has a texture similar to bulgur. Quinoa also has more protein than any other grain! Quinoa is an ancient food, first used by the Incas who referred to it as a sacred grain. I adapted this gluten-free version from my favorite vegetarian recipe book The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen). Summer and early Fall have been my favorite times to eat this when fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs are ready to pick from my garden. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, use your food-grade basil, peppermint and oregano essential oils – just take a toothpick and glide it around the inside of the essential oil cap and stir into your dressing. Oregano essential oil is a powerful antibacterial and anti-viral agent, so if you use the essential oil in your dressing you’ll get a boost to your immune system. Fresh lemon juice is ideal, but you could also substitute Young Living’s food grade lemon essential oil if you don’t have lemons on hand.

Ingredients:

1 C dry quinoa (whole grain form, not flakes which may contain gluten)

1 1/2 C water

Dressing:

1/4 C fresh lemon juice (or 5-6 drops Young Living food grade lemon essential oil)

1/4 C olive oil

2 medium cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp sea salt

black pepper to taste

Additional ingredients:

Fresh herbs – oregano, basil, tarragon

4 scallions (whites & greens) or red onion finely minced

1 packed cup minced parsley

10 fresh mint leaves, minced

2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, diced

Optional

1 medium bell pepper, diced

1 small cucumber, seeded and minced

1/2 C cooked lentils

toasted chopped walnuts

1/2 C Nicoise olives

squeezable wedge of lemon

Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Drain off excess liquid if needed, then pour into a bowl to cool.
Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over cooled quinoa. Cover tightly and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving.
About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve cold with garnishes . May be served on a bed of fresh salad greens as a salad or for those who can eat gluten, serve with warm wedges of lightly toasted pita bread.

This is an excellent recipe to make a day or two ahead of time, and have it ready to take in your lunch. Just pack up your additional add-ins in a separate container and mix in right before eating. The dressing flavor gets even better after a day.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free No-Bake Pumpkin Seed Caramel Bars

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:03:16 +0000

I made these easy, nutrient packed bars while on vacation. I brought all the ingredients and assembled them in less than 10 minutes. I used soaked and dried pumpkin & sunflower seeds from Wilderness Family Naturals. I soak and dehydrate my own organic almonds and grind them in my Magic Bullet for quick ground nuts. Everyone in my family loved these bars and they hardly lasted a day. They are perfect for lunches and healthy snacks on the go. You could add 1-2 drops of cinnamon bark oil to give them a little spice. I got this delicious recipe from KC’s cafe email newsletter, always packed with healthy, kid friendly, easy recipes that my family loves. We’ve also made the caramel sauce to dip apples – a great alternative to the sugar laden store versions and an even better taste.

1 cup raw, organic pumpkin seeds

1 ½ cups raw cashew or other nut flour (ground nuts)

½ cup raw, organic sunflower seeds (or seeds of your choice)

2/3 cup organic coconut flour

1 cup organic almond butter

1 cup organic caramel (see recipe below)

1 tbsp organic coconut palm sugar

Mix all ingredients well. Pat out on wax paper and divide into bars. If desired, freeze separately in Ziploc bags until ready to eat. I saved a little bit of the caramel sauce for garnish and sprinkled each serving with raw cocoa nibs. Enjoy!

Makes approximately 3 dozen small bars

Organic Caramel Sauce

¼ cup organic butter

1 ½ cups organic coconut palm sugar

1 generous tbsp organic coconut cream

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Melt ingredients in saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Whisk until smooth and then add to bar mixture outlined above.

From the kitchen files of
K.C.’s Kafe©

Decadent Gluten-Free Brownies

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:27:10 +0000

Since I’ve given up wheat products not only do I have more energy, I have improved mental clarity and just feel better overall. This recipe uses coconut flour which is high in protein – combined with 6 eggs, this is a brownie you can enjoy, guilt-free. I’ve even allowed my kids to eat one before breakfast when they’ve just come out of the oven because of all the good ingredients, and I make sure to remind them that not all brownies are created equal. Don’t be shy about trying this recipe if you’re not a fan of coconut, the flour does not have a “coconut” flavor. Add 2-3 drops of food grade essential oil of your choice to give more depth in flavor. Young Living’s food grade essential oils like orange, peppermint & cinnamon compliment the dark chocolate. Coconut flour does not exchange 1:1 with wheat flour so if you’d like to use coconut flour in place of wheat for other recipes, it pays to invest in a cookbook devoted specifically to baking with coconut flour. I get my coconut flour and coconut sap(natural sugar) from Wilderness Family Naturals. Bob’s Red Mill also packages coconut flour which many grocery stores carry in the natural foods area.

5 T organic cocoa powder

3/4 C butter

1 C sugar (I use Rapadura or Coconut Sap)

1 tsp vanilla

6 beaten eggs

3/4 C sifted coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

optional add ins: 2-3 drops Young Living essential oils of choice: orange, peppermint, or cinnamon

1 C chopped walnuts or pecans

In a saucepan heat chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove from heat and mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in a greased 8X8X2-inch pan for thick brownies, 9×13-inch pan for thinner brownies. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 C) for 30 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting.

Enjoy!

Fruit Mielleux (Honeyed Fruit)

suep — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:12:48 +0000

I think everything sounds better in French. Being in France is ideal, my favorite visit once was to the little hilltop village of Perouge where the locals were welcoming and the food was magnifique’. The French have a way of taking everyday ingredients and making them special. This recipe is just that - a healthy, colorful salad to add several servings of raw fruits into your daily diet. You can substitute any of the fruits to suit your taste and availability of produce. Use only organic lemons and oranges for the zest. Citrus essential oils like lemon and orange are distilled from the rind giving the dressing more depth in flavor than just the juice. Ideally use organics for the fruits that are not peeled: blueberries, strawberries & grapes. I used some raw local honey to support local farming. Bon Appetite’

pomegranate seeds

kiwi – peeled, sliced and quartered

blueberries – washed and dried thoroughly

mango – peeled and diced

pineapple -cut into 1/4 size cubes

honeydew – balled or cut into 1/4 size cubes

cantaloupe – balled or cut into 1/4 size cubes

lemon zest

orange zest

Honey Marinade: mix up ahead of time, then toss with fruit just before serving

4 T honey

1 T agave nectar

2T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 C fresh squeezed orange juice

1 drop Young Living tangerine essential oil

1 drop Young Living orange essential oil

1 drop Young Living lemon essential oil

process in a blender until smooth. Chill 20 minutes before adding to fruit.

Celebrate Easter With Resurrection Cookies

suep — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:41:46 +0000

We’ve been celebrating Easter for years with this simple and delicious meringue cookie recipe. It’s become a tradition that all of our kids enjoy making and eating. The hollow cookie insides are a perfect representation of Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning. They’re pretty healthy too! I’ve adapted this recipe from one that I read first in Christian parenting over 15 years ago. Now I’m sure there are some purists out there who don’t agree with the sugar, and honestly I’ve made peace with sugar! It’s all about moderation, and I figure there are many other scary ingredients in our food than sugar (like corn syrup and artificial sweeteners which shouldn’t be in anyone’s diet). And if I’m going to bake something with fine sugar (I’ll make sure it’s organic) you can bet it will be in a recipe like this that requires specific texture for the final product. I’ve tried other substitutions (agave and raw sugar, stevia might work but I haven’t tried that yet) but none gave the hollow cookies effect like the sugar.

You can even let the kids taste a little sugar as you are making them (after they taste the bitter ingredients and talk about Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”, a simple child’s devotion I first heard from a dear friend of mine, Theresa Freiding, when I was a new mom volunteering in Lambs preschool) Let me know if you found any substitutions that work for you. I hope you can share these with friends and family and have a blessed holiday!

Peppermint Hot Cocoa

suep — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 23:08:23 +0000

My kids like to drink hot chocolate several times a week in the winter. Most hot cocoa mixes contain chemicals, colorings and unhealthy sugars and sweeteners, some with Nutrasweet. Nutrasweet is also known as Aspartame and turns to ethyl alcohol when heated. I avoid these processed ingredients by making my own hot chocolate recipe. My kids see this recipe as a treat, I feel good knowing that it can be pretty healthy when I’m selective about the milk & sweeteners I use. If you really want to get it healthier substitute the cocoa with carob powder. When I make my own hot chocolate I can use organic ingredients and adjust the sweetness using low-glycemic sweeteners that won’t cause a jump in their blood sugars. My kids don’t care about how “healthy” it is as long as it takes good. This combination of ingredients fits the bill for all of us. I feel the flavors in this homemade version are even richer than any packaged mix and come together in about the same time. Adding Young Living’s food grade peppermint oil gives a cooling minty flavor. Add a full drop for adults only to get a therapeutic dose – drinking slowly. You can see me prepare this recipe and learn about more options with sweeteners in this video my daughter taped:

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

8 ounces of milk of your choice (organic cow’s, rice, coconut, almond, etc)

1 tsp organic 100% cocoa

1 T sweetener of choice (Rapadura, date sugar, coconut sap, agave nectar) – if using Stevia, only use 1-2 drops – or adjust to taste

toothpick application of Young Living peppermint essential oil

Whisk together milk, sweetener and cocoa and heat to desired temperature. For an adult therapeutic dose of peppermint oil, drop 1 drop in bottom of a ceramic mug. For a kid’s serving, take a toothpick and run along the inside rim of your essential oil bottle and stir toothpick into cocoa. Gently pour warmed cocoa into cup. Enjoy! Makes 1 serving.

Young Living’s peppermint essential oil 15ml Wholesale $19.75, Retail $25.99

You can order oils at Wholesale (select independent distributor and add a $40 Starter Kit, no monthly quotas to order) or Retail as a customer

Wolfberry Coleslaw

suep — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:23:24 +0000

This recipe is from the Young Living “Healthy Cooking” cookbook. My whole life I’ve had an aversion to coleslaw, I’m not quite sure why except that I cannot eat mayonnaise and the coleslaw I’ve seen bears too similar a resemblance to the creamy white condiment I can hardly even smell. This is not the traditional coleslaw you may think of being served in every diner across America. I put this together pretty quickly, a refreshing dish on a hot summer day. You can vary some of the ingredients based on what you have on hand. I was glad to use the organic cabbage from my CSA’s weekly share of produce for this healthy recipe.

Combine:

1 head of cabbage, grated

3-4 green onions finely chopped

1 1/4 C raw sunflower seeds

1/2 C Young Living dried wolfberries

1 carrot coarsely grated

1 1/2 C jicama chopped fine

1/2 C raisins

Dressing:

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

4 T pure rice vinegar

2 T blue agave nectar

1/2 tsp salt

1 drop YL black pepper oil or fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix together dressing ingredients and pour over mixed vegetables/fruits. Refrigerate several hours to allow flavors to infuse. Makes 16-18 servings.

Oven Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

suep — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:28:29 +0000

I love to cook, but honestly the time I have to devote to cooking complicated recipes is limited. This basic recipe has become a staple for me, especially during the summer and fall when fresh produce is in abundance. I just made a batch of zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and red onions for a quick and healthy lunch. I’ve even come to enjoy brussel sprouts in late summer this way, they get a wonderful buttery texture – just make sure you take Essentialzyme to help digest those cruciferous vegetables and prevent gas. You can vary the herbs you cook to change the flavor or just cook with a bit of Celtic Sea Salt to enhance the natural flavor of the vegetable.

Fresh vegetables cut into medium size pieces
Olive oil or grapeseed oil
Celtic Sea Salt
Herbs of your choice (optional)

Toss vegetables with olive oil or grapeseed oil, sprinkle with sea salt. Broil in the oven until tender. Serve warm or cold, on it’s own or as a side dish. For extra flavor, sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese just at the end of baking.

This is a nice dish to cook ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a quick meal.