Paleo Sweet Potato Chips

Hello Friends,

Okay, so it goes without saying that I have a husband who LOVES chips.  We don’t have them in our house often but when we do it’s like the movie… Gone In 60 Seconds.:)

I thought I would give making them a try last night to see if I could come up with a “healthy” chip that would pass the Chip Connoisseur’s specifications and make me feel a little better that he’s not eating garbage.  Mission successful!  Let me start by saying that these are tasty low-glycemic treats that rival restaurant sweet potato chips and are far better than sweet potato chips out of a bag.

You can try these with an organic seasoning salt for a more savory flavor or lightly sprinkled with cinnamon for a sweet treat.  I made ours with Himalayan sea salt and they were delish!

Ingredients

4 organic sweet potatoes – try to get the “straight ones” for a more uniform cut.

2 tablespoons melted organic coconut oil

Himalayan sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
• Use a mandoline slicer to cut your potatoes into thin 1/8” coins.
• Place a small dab of coconut oil (1/4 a teaspoon) onto a rimmed baking sheet and “grease” the sheet.  A little goes a long way!
• Place sweet potato rounds on the parchment paper.
• Melt coconut oil and use a pastry brush to lightly brush some coconut oil on top of each sweet potato round.  If you don’t have a pastry brush you can use the back of a spoon to lightly brush some coconut oil onto the chips.
• Sprinkle salt on top.
• Place in the oven to bake for around 10 minutes.  Flip sweet potatoes over and bake for another 5 minutes or until edges are brown and have curled up a bit.

*If you like your chips a little thinner (crispy) adjust your mandoline and reduce the baking time by a few minutes.

Enjoy this healthy spin on a tasty treat!

Love and hugs,

Donna and Daniela

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Raw Cucumber Salsa

Hello Friends,

We know you are always asking for quick and easy recipes and this one fits the bill!  This delicious and refreshing “salsa” is light yet full of flavor.  It has a texture that is more similar to a pico de gallo but we will call it salsa for now.:)

With cucumbers as the main ingredient we have to give you the low-down on this crunchy vegetable!

The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a vegetable that belongs to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, which includes gourds, melons, and squashes.  Cucumber is often regarded as a healthy food because it is low in calories and fat. It is also high in water content this makes it an ideal food for people who are looking at managing or losing weight

3 Benefits of Cucumbers

1.  Keeps you hydrated: Cucumber has 96% water content which helps keeps the body hydrated and also helps in flushing out the toxins from the body.

2.  Helps fight cancer: Cucumber are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol – three lignans that have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including breast, prostate and ovarian cancer.

3. Control blood pressure: Cucumber juice contains a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber that work effectively for regulating blood pressure. The potassium is also helpful in reducing and eliminating muscle cramps.

Just a note:

When buying cucumbers, choose the ones that are firm to touch and dark green in color. Do not buy the biggest cucumber as they are prone to contain more insoluble fiber and mature seeds. Go for organically grown cucumbers to get the best taste and nutrient content.

Raw Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of 1/4″ dice seeded and peeled cucumber (2 medium cukes)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato (1-2 roma tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped (to taste of course!)
• 1/3 cup minced cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• ¼ of an avocado mashed
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions:  In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine the avocado, lime juice, cumin and salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat.

Other ways to use this fantastic salsa!

• As a garnish on top of grilled mahi mahi or chicken.
• Healthy snack for kids when paired with organic tortilla chips.
• Serve with fish tacos (That’s for you Matt!)
• If you want a great and healthy salad dressing combine 1 cup of the salsa with 1/4 cup of avocado oil and lightly pulse in a Vitamixer.  So versatile yet so tasty!
• For a low-carb snack fill a celery stalk with the “salsa”.
• For a low-carb lunch on the go, mix 4 oz of chopped chicken or flaked tuna with 1/2 cup of the “salsa”.  (That one is for you Reenie!)

Let us know how you decided to use the salsa!

Have a super weekend enjoying family and friends!

Love and HUGE hugs,

Donna and Daniela