Category: Dairy Free

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Health Benefits of Chickpeas

These tiny, yet powerful legumes are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein that will surely invigorate your body’s overall function and resistance against infections! Torn between garbanzos and chickpeas? No need to pit them with each other because both are healthy; it’s just a matter of which flavor, color, and texture fit your palate or dish.

Let’s explore the health benefits of chickpeas!

Controls Blood Sugar Levels

Chickpeas are regarded as a healthy alternative to wheat or other high-gluten grains. Chickpeas have a high fiber content and can help you keep blood sugar and insulin levels steady after meals. Consuming chickpeas in place of wheat can also lead to lower postprandial (after meal) blood glucose (sugar) levels

Improve Heart Health

Chickpeas are an excellent source of potassium, fiber, and vitamins C and B6. They help lower the total cholesterol in the blood, reducing heart disease risk. Fiber also assists in plaque removal from arteries, improving heart health. This benefits the whole body.

Source of Protein

Chickpeas are a great source of protein as 1 cup of chickpeas contains 15 grams of protein.

Reduces fine lines

Chickpeas are an excellent source of manganese and a good source of B vitamins, which can help your skin in various ways, especially in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

You can use chickpeas as a face mask by simply mixing chickpea paste with turmeric. Leave it on your face for 15 minutes and rinse with cold water afterward. This can help brighten your face and helps reduce age spots.

Forged with Fiber

You can generate 6 grams of your 24% daily fiber needs in half a can of chickpeas and that already includes both soluble and insoluble fiber! Soluble fiber promotes good gut bacteria while the insoluble create soft stool which prevents constipation.

Homemade Falafel

Ingredients: 

  • Dried chickpeas
  • Yellow onion (or red onion)
  • Chickpea flour or other gluten-free flour
  • Fresh parsley
  • Cinnamon
  • Cloves
  • Cumin
  • Cilantro
  • Turmeric
  • Cardamom

Directions:

  1. Put the chickpeas to soak for a minimum of 8 hours. I prefer to soak them overnight. Make sure it has enough water and is sitting on a large bowl. They will grow to double or even triple their size.
  2. Blend the soaked chickpeas on low speed with the rest of the ingredients, except for the oil, on a food processor, little by little. You may have to stop the processor and mix the ingredients 2 or 3 times. Don’t overmix it! The mix should be crumbly; that’s why we don’t use pre-cooked chickpeas.
  3. Make balls with the falafel mixture. They should be about 2-3 cm in diameter and placed on a tray. If you find it hard to compress them in your hand, add some extra chickpea flour. Don’t worry; they will tighten up after placing them in the refrigerator.
  4. Let them rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour, ideally 2 hours.
  5. Put the oil on high heat, preferably on a flat pan, and optionally add a roughly smashed garlic clove to infuse it.
  6. Set a bowl with paper towels to place the fried falafel balls.
  7. Test the heat. As the oil starts smoking, throw a pinch of the falafel mix, it should emerge immediately and brown in two seconds.
  8. Add falafel balls in batches of 6 (depending on how large your pan is). Just ensure you have about 2 cm between each other. Remember, don’t overcrowd the pan. It should take about 1-2 minutes per side.

This one is the kind of recipe that is very filling, everyone can repeat as much as they want, and surely you will end up with more for later in the week since it can last for as long as four days in the fridge.

Adapted from Our Plant-Based World

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Health Benefits of Fennel

This bulbous vegetable may not be as familiar as some of the other veggies, but its flavor, texture, and benefits surely deserve to be a part of your list of healthy foods. What does fennel taste like? Well, it has a light, bright, and licorice-like aroma but is not overpowering. Incorporate this vegetable into your diet and you’ll surely reap the benefits as it boasts an abundance of health-protective nutrients.

Let’s discover the benefits of this vegetable and make sure to stay tuned till the end of this article to uncover the recipe perfect for this veggie!

Food for the Guts

Fennel is your digestive system’s best friend! Snacking on some fennel seeds (1/4 tsp.) or drinking fennel tea can help provide relief to your stomach. This is due to fennel’s abundance in prebiotics which is the food source for probiotic bacteria which it restores balance in the gut. Also, this veggie is rich in fiber which softens your stool.

Prevents Anemia

Iron is a vital component of hemoglobin which transports oxygen from your lungs to various parts of your body. Fennel is rich in iron therefore it helps replenish your body’s iron needs.

Source of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant known for its ability to improve your immune system, keep your skin healthy, prevent macular degeneration, and shield your body from oxidative stress. The good news is, fennel is rich in Vitamin C, and now is the time to munch on these veggies!

Roasted Fennel with Garlic & Herbs

Ingredients:

  • 2 large bulbs of fennel
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme

Direction:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove any of the stalks from the fennel bulbs and then cut them in half lengthwise. Cut each halved fennel bulb into 1/2-inch thick slices and arrange the slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet ensuring that they are all laid out evenly and do not overlap.
  2. In a bowl combine the olive oil and minced garlic and brush it over the sliced fennel and then sprinkle the thyme, salt and pepper overtop to ensure they are all well-seasoned.
  3. Roast the fennel in the oven for 25 minutes. After 35 minutes of baking, the fennel should be tender and caramelized on the edges (cook for another 5-8 minutes if it’s not yet tender). Serve warm.

Adapted from Every last Bite

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Health Benefits of Green Beans

Green beans are one of the most common vegetables that we see in the market and they are also easy to grow whatever the climate is. Their abundance is a blessing to humanity and the earth because like all other legumes, they are rich in nutritional value and they can fix the nitrogen from the air, therefore, improving the soil that they grow in.

Time to cultivate more knowledge about this vegetable by reading more about it below.

Anti- Cancer

Green beans are abundant in chlorophyll. This green pigment can reverse the carcinogenic effects of heterocyclic amines which are produced by foods grilled at high temperatures.

Improves Mood

This veggie can help you meet your daily folate need which is essential for regulating the homocysteine in your body. Homocysteine can prevents the blood from reaching your brain affecting the distribution of nutrients and the production of feel-good hormones.

Bone Booster

Consuming green beans along with other food can help strengthen your bones. A cup of green beans contains 20% of the Vitamin K daily requirement, and 4% of Calcium needed every single day.

Superior Immunity

These goodies are also rich in Vitamin C which is an antioxidant that amplifies your immune system and is necessary for your body’s development, growth, and repair.

Split Green Bean and Pea Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 cup green beans chopped
  • 4 carrots
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound of split peas
  • 8 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper

  1. Chop the onion and carrots. Mince the garlic.
  2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, green beans, and carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and split peas and sauté for 1 minute.
  3. Add the broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 to 55 minutes, until the split peas fall apart and the soup becomes thickened. If you’d like, with a hand-held immersion blender, pulse a few times to yield a smoother yet still chunky texture. 
  4. Stir in the kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Garnish with smoked paprika if desired.

Adapted from A Couple Cooks

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Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe (Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Ya’ll this paleo recipe is soooo good. If you want that buffalo chicken feel without the guilt of fried food, dairy, or gluten this will be your new jam. Whether you a just looking to eat healthy or add weight loss as one of your health goals, this recipe is here to serve all the feels. Serve my buffalo chicken dip on lettuce wraps, gluten free crackers, or just dip in with some veggie sticks. I hope you enjoy! – Dr Z

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Use a saucepan and boil the cashews in water for about 12-15 minutes or until they are soft.
  2. In a blender or food processor add drained cashews, spices, water, lemon juice and hot sauce. Blend until nice and smooth.
  3. Add the drained chicken to a casserole dish.
  4. Spread sauce from the blender on top of the chicken and mix well.
  5. Bake casserole dish at 350 degrees in over for about 20-30 minutes.
  6. Serve buffalo dip on lettuce wraps, with gluten free crackers or with veggies. ENJOY!

This dish will make approximately 4 servings – 330 calories per serving.

If you like this paleo recipe, check out my paleo- Baked Buffalo Wings Recipe.

Want to see how I made this paleo recipe? If so, watch the video below!

@drzgraggen

Paleo Buffalo Chicken Dip. Full recipe at DrZgraggen.com/blogs #paleo #recipe #e2m #e2mrecipes #recipesoftiktok #weightloss #healthycooking #health

♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

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