Sauces

Hormone Balancing Salad Dressing

This dressing is a complete hormone balancer. No supplements needed here! I often teach how to make this in my classes but it’s high time I share it here because its such a good recipe to have on hand. I’m obsessed with this dressing because we often only think of dressing when we want to add flavor to a salad. However, this one not only tastes good also does wonders for your hormones! It feels like cheating honestly, in such a good way! The Ingredients in this dressing work to detox the liver, remove bad or fake estrogens from the body and help to build up good hormones. It’s full of healthy fat and fiber along with a little sweetness from the goji berries. I’ve noted beside each ingredient how it helps your body, I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate these ingredients into other dishes, they are that good for you!   Ingredients: 2 TBS. Balsamic Vinegar (I use Neopolitan from Olive Oil Taproom) 2 TBS. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I use Picoult from OOTR) 1 tsp. Chia seeds (removes bad estrogen) 1 tsp. Goji berries (detox the liver) 1 tsp. Maca powder (builds good hormones) ½ tsp. Flax seeds (removes bad estrogen) ½ tsp. sea salt Freshly ground pepper 1 TBS. water if needed for consistency Directions: 1. Place all ingredients in the food processor (except olive oil). 2. As the food processor is going add the olive oil in a slow steady stream and blend until well […]

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Easy Tomato and Red Chili Salsa

At home, I refer to this recipe as “my easy salsa” because it really is so simple to make. It’s my favorite go-to salsa since it only takes a few minutes and uses all fresh ingredients which make the flavor out of this world. I am giving you many variations here and all of them are great! Making your own salsa is so much better to me than store-bought, you can skip out on all the preservatives and add flavor. I’ll take that! This recipe can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes and any type of hot pepper or chili you prefer. Also, I use up my cilantro stems in this recipe so that I am not wasting any part of cilantro. The stems actually have more flavor than the leaves so this is a great way to use them up since you are going to be pureeing all the vegetables together. Ingredients: 3 large tomatoes or 5 plum tomatoes or a full pint of cherry tomatoes (if it is winter and you don’t have fresh tomatoes you can use a 28 ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes) 2 cloves of garlic ½ tsp. of dried chili de arbol (or any other dried chilis you like) or 1 whole jalapeno or habanero. ¼ cup cilantro stems (or leaves if you prefer) ½ tsp. Sea salt Directions: Put all the ingredients in your blender (I use a Vitamix) and depending on the consistency that you want you can either pulse […]

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Homemade Olive Oil Mayo

  This is one of those recipes people tend to shy away from because it seems complicated. It is actually so easy!!! Mayo made with olive oil is so much healthier for you and you can easily turn it into an aioli by adding additional ingredients like garlic or chipotle chilies. I also use this recipe as the base for a homemade ranch dressing, chicken salad, and my chipotle chili aioli! We enjoy this on sandwiches and as a sip for fresh veggies. Enjoy!   Ingredients:  1 large farm fresh egg, room temperature 1 tsp. of salt 3/4 C organic extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 tsp. of dry mustard     Directions:  1.  Using your food processor or blender, combine the egg, salt, lemon, and dry mustard. If you would like to add anything else, you would add it now and pulse until combined. (If you prefer a chunky consistency you can add your additions after you have processed the mayo). 2.  Turn the processor on high and slowly drip the oil in, the slower the better! Do not rush this step. Take it from me, if you pour the oil in too quickly you will have a liquid mess. 3. You should see the mayo start to become fluffy and thick as you slowly drip the oil in. As soon as all the oil is added, transfer to a glass container and you can store in the refrigerator for up to a week!         […]

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Chipotle Salsa

I’ll admit it, we have a crush on salsa over here. I have been making homemade salsa ever since the kids were young and we have always loved to put it on everything. We are a little obsessed! Which is why I have several recipes. This is another salsa I came up with that is so easy and versatile. This recipe is pretty flexible so its possible you’ll have all the makings in your pantry at any given time. I started making this salsa a few winters ago when I was craving tomatoes and realized that if you use a good quality canned tomato the salsa is still very delicious. Be CAREFUL what brand of tomatoes you buy because some of the canned variety taste like the actual can they come in. Also, if you want less heat you can use just one or two of the chipotles. Salsa is a great way to keep fresh flavors and veggies in your diet during the winter. Our bodies desperately need veggies and if you’ve made the change to eat more of them, you will keep craving them. I truly enjoy making homemade salsa, for me, it is another way in which I choose to put more good into my body and nurture my health. I hope you can be inspired by how easy this is and begin to make your own salsas at home!   Ingredients: 1 28 ounce can of San Marzano whole tomatoes in their juices. 1 can chipotles in adobo […]

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Guacamole

I am a little bit obsessed with avocados! They are actually one of my favorite healthy fats to put in my diet. I even wrote a little blog post about healthy fats you can read about here. Avocados are packed with fiber, vitamin E and potassium. The fat helps you feel fuller longer and their creaminess tastes almost decadent. These are just a couple reasons why I eat them almost every week. One way I eat avocados is in guacamole. I like to make a salad and top it with my Carnitas or Shredded beef, this guacamole and my homemade salsa. Yum! I love making these types of toppings that are not only crowd pleasers but packed with nutrition. When guests come over they can enjoy what we make and I can keep eating the way I like to without sacrificing flavor! This recipe beats out jarred cheese dip any day of the week! Ingredients: 4 avocados 1 large tomato or 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, chopped 3 green onions finely chopped 1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped 1 jalapeno (or any other pepper you would like) (optional) 1 tsp. sea salt ½ tsp. Of cumin ¼ tsp. Crushed dried chili de arbol (optional) Juice of 1 ½ limes Directions: 1. Using a potato masher, mash avocados in a medium bowl. 2. Add chopped tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, salt, cumin, and dried chilis. Mix together and taste to make sure the seasoning is to your tasting.   3. Squeeze […]

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David’s Garlic Aioli

This aioli recipe is a great condiment choice because it is not only full of flavor but it is much better for you than store-bought mayonnaise. It is made with olive oil which is such a good source of healthy fat and really important for hormone balance as well. You can use aioli for so many things: a dressing for slaw, a little drizzle on a taco or to spice up a burger.  There are so many possibilities! Make sure to use high-quality organic extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil. I want my Olive Oil as fresh as possible so I purchase mine from a local store, Olive Oil Taproom because it is bottled for me upon purchase. Our friend, David, makes aioli and kindly shared this recipe with me! He is an artist in the kitchen and everything he makes has so much flavor! This mortar and pestle method requires patience but is so worth it! Enjoy!!   Ingredients: 4-6 garlic cloves, pinch of salt, pinch of smoked paprika, ½ tsp fresh lemon juice,  1 ½ C Spanish extra virgin olive oil   Directions: 1. Place garlic in a mortar with a pinch of salt and pinch of smoked paprika. Using the pestle, smash the garlic cloves to makes a smooth paste. (I alternately grind circularly as well as pound it with the pestle). 2. Add lemon juice to the garlic. 3. Then, drop by drop, add the olive oil as you continue to crush the “garlicky” paste. Keep turning the pestle […]

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Lemon and Parsley Vinaigrette

  This dressing is a part of my Turmeric Bowl recipe but it is so versatile that it deserves its own post. Now that we are in the thick of spring its the perfect opportunity to use all your herbs! I have an abundance in my garden so this dressing is being made just about every week here. Its perfect for a salad with some protein and raw veggies.       Ingredients: 1 bunch of fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 tsp. Lemon zest 1 lemon, juiced 1 TBS. raw honey or to taste ⅓ cup olive oil ¼ tsp. Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper   Directions:  1. In a food processor, add parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. 2. While the food processor is running, add olive oil in a steady stream. 3. Once the parsley is all processed your dressing is done.  Taste to see if you need more honey or salt and pepper. 4. Store in a ball jar in the fridge for about a week, drizzle on any salad!!             © The Sown Life LLC, 2019    

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Chili, Lime and Cilantro dressing

  This dressing is featured in my Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl recipe but it deserves its own post because it is so delicious and versatile. Whenever I have leftover cilantro, which is the main ingredient here, I pulse it up in my blender and make another batch of this dressing. It really is good on just about anything.  Both this dressing and my lemon parsley vinaigrette are perfect for using up extra herbs!    Ingredients:  Zest of 3 limes Juice of 2 limes 1 TBS. brown rice vinegar 2 TBS. raw honey 1 ½ TBS. Bragg’s Amino Acids 3 TBS. avocado oil 1 jalapeno, seeded 1 handful cilantro Salt & pepper to taste   Directions:   1. Add all dressing ingredients into a small blender or food processor.   2. Pulse until desired consistency.  (I like my dressing pureed pretty well but you can leave it chunky if you like.) 3. Store in a ball jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.           © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

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Kale and Toasted Pistachio Pesto

  Pesto is so delicious and I love making it so I challenged myself to try a vegan version and I have to say, I think it is the best I have made so far.  I removed all dairy by using nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan and also increased the nutritional value by adding Kale. I also added some toasted pistachios instead of pine nuts and wow!!!  What a difference it made. This pesto is so creamy and full of flavor that you are not missing a thing. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. You can use pesto for so many things, I enjoyed it mixed with some brown rice pasta and a few tomatoes for an energizing meal!     Ingredients:  4 C chopped kale 1 C fresh basil 2 garlic cloves ½ C roasted and salted pistachios ½ C nutritional yeast Juice of 1 ½ lemons Zest of 1 lemon ½ C of olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Brown rice pasta cooked according to box *check the box and make certain it is gluten-free if you are gluten intolerant.     Directions:  1. In a food processor, add kale, basil, garlic, pistachios, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper.     2. While processor is on the low speed, add in olive oil in a slow and steady stream until pesto comes together.  If you want a looser consistency you can add some additional olive oil or water […]

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Grilled Lamb with Chimichurri Sauce

   Lamb Chops in a Lemon, Chive and Garlic Marinade Ingredients:  6 Lamb Chops 4 sliced garlic cloves 1 T chopped mint 1 T chopped fresh rosemary  ½ C minced chives or green portion of green onions ¼ C olive oil ⅓ C white balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper     Directions:  1. Combine garlic, mint, rosemary, chives, olive oil and vinegar and pour into a 9×13 baking dish. 2. Coat lamb chops with salt and pepper.  3. Add the lamb chops to marinade and flip once or twice to evenly coat them. 4. Refrigerate 4-6 hrs 5. 1 hour before grilling, remove lamb chops from the fridge, flip them over and allow to come to room temperature in the marinade. 6. Heat up the grill. 7. Grill lamb chops for 3 minutes on each side and then allow to rest covered in foil for 10 minutes.  This will give you a medium-rare lamb chop. If you desire well done, just add a minute to each side. 8. Top with chimichurri and ENJOY!     Chimichurri Sauce Ingredients:  ¼ C flat-leaf parsley ½ C cilantro 2 T fresh oregano 3 garlic cloves 3 T red wine vinegar ¼ C sherry vinegar 1 tsp crushed red pepper 1 tsp sea salt ½ C extra-virgin olive oil   Directions:  1. In a food processor or blender, combine parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, vinegars, crushed red pepper and sea salt.   2. With food processor on low, slowly drizzle olive oil in from the […]

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