Roasted Veggie Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Stir fry is one of my favorite dishes because it is so diverse. You can combine almost any mix of vegetables with noodles and sauce to make it taste delicious. It’s a way to please even the pickiest of eaters because it can be served mixed or buffet style. With easy prep and lots of leftovers, this recipe is a win all around. I love how one stir fry is not ever the same as the last. Check out one of my favorite recipes that I created using ingredients that I have in my pantry to create this one of a kind masterpiece.

For the Veggie Stir Fry:

• 3-4 carrots, sliced thin

• 1/2 white onion, sliced thin

• 1/2 green cabbage, sliced thin

• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets

• 1 can bean sprouts, rinsed well

• Or use 2-3 cups of any vegetables on hand

• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 package noodles of choice (I'm using glass sweet potato noodles, but any thin noodle will work)

• Sesame seeds (for topping)

For the Peanut Sauce:

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/4 cup liquid aminos or GF Tamari

• 1/4 cup honey

• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce (omit if GF)

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 6-8 Tbsp water divided

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Cut all veggies and place them onto a foiled sheet pan.

3) Put olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper on veggies. Stir to coat everything evenly.

4) Put the tray in the oven for 25 minutes or until they become light brown on the edges. Check at 5-minute intervals after that and stir to ensure the veggies cook evenly.

5) Combine ingredients for the peanut sauce in a separate bowl. Add water at 2 tbsp intervals and stir to reach desired consistency.

6) Cook noodles according to directions on the bag. Once done, place the noodles in ice, cold water to prevent the noodles from sticking together.

7) Once the veggies are done, combine noodles with veggies in a wok pan or large skillet for 5 minutes or until everything is cooked through.

8) Add the desired amount of sauce and enjoy. Top with sesame seeds. Feel free to add Tofu, egg, or cooked lean animal protein for an extra calorie boost for a fantastic post-workout meal. I added cooked shrimp in the picture below.

Want to learn how to cook this for your family, but have never chopped a vegetable properly before? I’ll teach you in my all-new virtual online cooking classes. From start to finish, you will have the tools to create meals that will please you and your loved ones.

Easy Peasy Crockpot Veggie Soup

Welcome to Chicago! Where the seasons don’t matter and mother nature is permanently on holiday. While we are in the midst of our second winter, I have been stirring up some delicious soups. All I want to do is stay warm and not go outside. I feel antsy if I don’t move around for too long, so I need something grounding to keep me relaxed throughout the cold months. Being all stirred up in my head can make it difficult to think at times. This soup recipe can be whipped up without a recipe. I know my favorite vegetables on hand and buy them at the grocery store on a weekly basis. I enjoy challenging myself to add one new vegetable a week to one of my dishes in order to expand my palette. What an easier way to throw it in a crock pot? With minimal prep, this recipe is a winner. As an added bonus, eating more vegetables and warming foods will help keep the flu symptoms at bay. This grounding dish helps keep me more focused and connected to my purpose. I’m excited to share my healing recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium-sized carrots, chopped

• ½ stalk celery (4-5 pieces), chopped

• 1 white onion, chopped

• 1 can dried tomatoes, chopped

• 1 4 oz (112 carton) portabella mushrooms, chopped

• 1 10 oz bag spinach, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, diced

• 1 6 oz can tomato paste

• 6-8 cups vegetable broth

• salt & pepper to taste

• 1 tsp marojam

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1 tsp oregano

• 2 15 oz cans beans of choice (cannellini or kidney beans)

Directions:

1)      Chop all of your vegetables (minus spinach) and garlic. Add to the crockpot.

2)      Strain/rinse beans/canned tomatoes. Add to the crockpot.

3)      Add tomato paste, spices, & broth to the crockpot.

4)      Close lid and cook high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. During last 10 minutes, add spinach & stir.

Enjoy! Would be delicious with a homemade vegan pesto (see my recipe here)

I understand that meal planning can be challenging. People are busier than ever and want to get a quick meal on the table. Health has taken a back seat a lot of the time in the name of convenience. With Redefining All Diets, you get to have both. You no longer have to sacrifice your health. I assist you in finding recipes to fit yours and your family’s needs, taking the burden of research off of your plate. I will customize a week’s worth of meals for you for you and provide it in a PDF document along with a shopping list ready to take to the store.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Rice is always a staple when you go to a Chinese or Japanese restaurant. Most times, white rice is included with your dish. You can even upgrade to fried rice for an extra $1. Typically, this is fried in canola oil, which comes from the rapeseed plant, one of the most genetically modified plants on the market. Not only are you consuming trans fats due to the amount of oil typically put in this dish at restaurants, but you are getting high amounts of sodium from the soy sauce they put in. Typically, soy sauce contains ~900 mg sodium PER TABLESPOON.  White rice has had the bran, fiber, B-vitamins, and all the external fiber removed so all that's left is a pure carbohydrate. The outer shell is removed on white rice, which removes the natural oils found in brown rice, which makes white rice have a longer shelf life. While this is nice that you can keep white rice longer, it has a high glycemic index, which turns it rapidly into sugar. This will lead to a big boost of energy followed by a big crash pretty quickly afterward. Talk about a salty, nutritionless monstrosity. The great this is that you can make fried rice at home using any other type of grain, fry it in sesame oil, and use Tamari in place of the soy sauce to make it completely gluten-free and soy free! Plus, you get the nutrition from the peas and carrots with a healthy dose of saturated fat from the oil. Feel free to add whatever meat you like to make it a complete meal that will leave you full of energy and begging for seconds.

I’ve decided to give this recipe an all-new spin using the Redefining All Diets method. By upping the veggies game on this dish, it’s an easy way to get fuller quicker while getting more nutrients. Talk about getting more bang for your buck. What I do is I modify any recipe to incorporate more wholesome ingredients while removing the processed crap from what you would find at a restaurant. It still tastes fucking amazing because I don’t skimp on the flavor. For those of us who struggle to enjoy the taste of vegetables, I find it easier to make a homemade sauce so that you still get the nutrients without having a plain taste. Sometimes, I don’t even realize how many veggies I’m eating its mind-blowing. How I amped this dish up is by swapping out the rice for cauliflower. As a bonus, it makes the dish take less time to prepare. Feel free to add eggs or cooked protein to make this meal well-rounded.

Check out my spin on Cauliflower Fried Rice!

• 1 cauliflower, chopped into florets ** You can also buy riced cauliflower from most supermarkets fresh or frozen to save even more time

• 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded AND/OR 1 bag of frozen seafood, thawed

• 1 small red onion, diced

• 2-3 green onions, chopped

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots

• 2 eggs

• 3 tablespoons sesame oil (or you can substitute butter!)

• 1/4 cup Tamari Low Sodium soy sauce (or liquid aminos)

• 1 tsp. brown sugar (optional)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Top with sesame seeds and sriracha

Directions:

1)      Cook your protein in advance. To cook your chicken, put it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

2)      Thaw your cauliflower or chop a fresh one up into florets and blend in batches on low power.

3)      Chop your onions, green onions, and garlic.

4)      If you’re using frozen seafood, cook in a separate pan on low heat, draining the water periodically. Cook until all the water has evaporated. The seafood will shrink a ton.

5)      Add 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil to another pan. Turn the pan to medium-high heat. Let it sit for 30 seconds to heat up.

6)      Add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until caramelized.

7)      Add the frozen peas, carrots, and cauliflower (if frozen). Cook until warmed through (3-5 minutes).

8)      ** Only do this step if you have fresh cauliflower. Add the cauliflower if you haven’t already.

9)      Add the cooked seafood and chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes.

10)   Crack your eggs in a bowl and lightly beat them with salt and pepper. Add them to the pan and cook until the eggs are cooked through (3-5 minutes)

11)   Add the tamari, brown sugar, and remaining sesame oil to the pan. Stir until everything is coated with sauce. Add more sauce if desired.

12)   Top with sriracha, sesame seeds, and green onions. Enjoy!

Are you sick of eating the same take-out meals every single week, feeling like shit after eating them?

Your body simply can’t handle food the way it used to, and your body is starting to respond with symptoms.

You don’t know what to do because you feel like you’ve tried every diet plan in the book.

Nothing seems to be working, but you don’t want to give up hope.

I know how it feels to go for decades trying to find the perfect diet to work for me.

Once I dropped the idea that I had to go on a diet or restrict calories to lose weight and feel good, the weight flew off naturally.

I have been able to lose over 30 lbs and keep it off for over 6 years!

By cooking my favorite take-out recipes from scratch, I found a fun way to still eat my favorite foods without feeling like I need to go out to the restaurant to eat them.

Cooking has been a way for me to find peace in my life because I know what I’m putting in my body.

That’s why I created 55 all-new recipes to give you fun and creative ideas for what you can manifest in the kitchen.

As a bonus, I've modified all of them to be gluten-free and dairy-free.

Each recipe can be modified to fit your dietary needs.

This book contains recipes for appetizers, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and crockpot.

As another bonus, I have included tips for some food swap ideas.

Ditch the takeout and bring the food back to your kitchen with my easy, healthy, affordable meals!

Beef Stew

If you are a meat and potatoes lover, this recipe is definitely for you.

I grew up eating some type of meat and potatoes dish all the time. 

Whether it was a burger and fries, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, or whatever, it was always on my plate in some form.

A lot of times, when you think of meat and potatoes, it can be quite a heavy dish without a lot of nutrition. 

Sure, you get protein and starchy carbs, but a lot of times, there is no source of vegetables.

When you make a stew, it is a great way to make a hearty and warming meal that is also full of delicious vegetables. 

With carrots, celery, and greens (optional), this amazing beef stew recipe courtesy of My Heart Beets is a well-rounded dish that will keep you full for hours!

As a bonus, this recipe yields a ton of leftovers, which are great for easy weekday meals.

Check out the recipe below:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

• 1 pound beef stew meat

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 serrano, seeded and chopped

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon cardamom

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon oregano

• Big pinch of nutmeg

• ¼ cup red wine

• 4 – 6 cups beef or chicken broth*, divided (I used beef broth for this one)

• 3 large carrots, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 4 gold potatoes, cubed

• 1/2 cup of mixed greens (spinach and kale are great additions)

• Cilantro, optional

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over high heat (a regular pan will work as well).

2. Add the beef and sear on all sides for about 5 minutes.

3. While the beef is cooking, begin chopping your vegetables.

4. In a separate pan, set your heat to medium, add the onions, garlic, serrano and saute for 5 minutes.

5. Next, add the carrots, celery and potatoes to the pot and saute until the veggies are soft.

6. Add the spices, stir for a minute, then add the red wine and deglaze the pan.

7. In a stock pot (I use a cast iron ceramic one here), add 4 cups of broth, bring the pot to a boil then reduce to low heat. Add the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook for 1 hour, checking the pot at the halfway mark. If the broth has reduced too much, add the remaining broth.

8. To thicken the stew, mash some of the potatoes right in the pot and mix well.

9. Garnish with cilantro if desired and enjoy!

PS: This tastes really good when you dip it with crusty sourdough bread! 

PPS: Looking for recipes to combat your food sensitivities, but don't know how to prepare them?

I have 55 all-new recipes that I've modified to be gluten-free and dairy-free.

Each recipe can be modified to fit your dietary needs.

Contains recipes for appetizers, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and crockpot.

As a bonus, I have included tips for some food swap ideas.

Ditch the takeout and bring the food back to your kitchen with my easy, healthy, affordable meals.