Even if you're not a Broncos fan, or even a football fan, the upcoming Super Bowl likely means getting together with family and friends and eating snack food all day. Want some healthy options that everyone will enjoy? We're here to help. Throughout the playoffs our family has survived the weekends on nachos (or the Colorado Springs culinary treat known as tater tachos - just substitute organic tater tots for organic corn chips). Below you you will find recipes for a delicious homemade pico de gallo, as well as the best non-dairy nacho cheese sauce we have discovered (this sauce does require a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix, a pricey item that is worth investing in if you are serious about healthy eating). Nachos are so versatile you can top them with almost anything. We use diced red onion, bell peppers, olives, and black beans along with a simple guacamole (2 smashed avocados, juice of one lime and a pinch of salt). And to add some dark greens to your celebration, we've included a recipe for kale chips that will disappear before you know it. Enjoy! 


Pico de Gallo
Makes about 5 cups
 
4 cups finely diced tomatoes
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
large handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 to 4 jalepeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt

•  Place all ingredients into a bowl and gently stir together. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. This gives the flavors a chance to meld.
• If anyone you are cooking for does not like certain ingredients (tomotoes, cilantro, jalepenos, etc.), it is easy to omit these ingredients and still have tasty results.

From Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre


Not-So-Cheese Sauce
Makes 6-7 cups

1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup diced pimentos or 1 large roasted red bell pepper, peeled
2/3 cup raw cashews or almonds
1 1/4 teaspoons onion powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast or 2 tablespoons baking yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt

• Put all ingredients into the Vitamix in the order listed.
• Select Variable 1 and turn on blender.
• Slowly increase speed up to Variable 10, then switch to High.
• Blend on high for 4 minutes, or until heavy steam come out the top of the blender and the sauce thickens. 

From Vitamix's Whole Food Recipes


Kale Chips
Makes 4 servings

2 bunches kale, inner stems removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• Preheat oven to 250º F.
• Rinse the kale and pat completely dry. Remove the tough inner stem from the middle of each kale leaf, then tear or chop into big pieces.
• Place kale pieces into a large bowl and toss with the olive oil and salt. Gently massage the oil into the kale so it is evenly coated. Spread the leaves out on a cookie sheet.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven, let cool a little and enjoy! Extra kale chips can be stored in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature.

 
Adapted from Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten & Tom Malterre

This is a healthy and tasty treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. Perfect for parties, movies, or an after school snack.

Popcorn:
2 to 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup organic popcorn kernels
 
Caramel:
½ cup coconut oil or organic butter
1 cup maple syrup
a few dashes sea salt

• Preheat oven to 325º F.
• Heat an 8-quart stockpot over high heat for a minute or so. Add oil and salt, then popcorn. Cover and cook for a few minutes, moving the pot vigorously, until the popping has subsided. Immediately remove from heat to prevent burning and pour popcorn into two bowls.
• In a medium saucepan heat the coconut oil or butter, maple syrup, and a few dashes of sea salt over medium heat. Once small bubbles form, cook for 4 to 5 minutes whisking occasionally until thickened and foamy. Quickly pour half of the caramel over each bowl of popcorn and toss together using two large spoons. Spread into two shallow baking pans or cookie sheets and place in the oven.
• Bake for 10 minutes stirring half way through. Let cool completely. Caramel corn will crisp up as it cools. Once completely cooled, store in a tightly sealed container to keep crisp. Yields about 4 quarts.

 
From Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten & Tom Malterre 

This dinner is one of our family favorites. We usually serve these with a simple veggie side - often boiled beets with balsamic vinegar or steamed broccoli. We highly recommend adding the optional spices to the oven fries. They are delicious and good for you. And don't forget the ketchup! We really like the ketchup from Elevation, a small Denver company.

Nuggets
Makes 4-6 servings
 
2 large organic chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
2-3 teaspoons poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons arrowroot powder
4 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups almond flour
6 tablespoons coconut oil

• Set out two shallow, wide bowls (or 8x8 baking dishes work well). In one bowl mix together the poultry seasoning, salt, arrowroot powder, and water. In the other bowl, add the almond flour.
• Rinse the chicken breasts and cut them into small chunks. Make sure to keep the size of each piece relatively even. Place the chicken breast chunks into the arrowroot slurry and mix them around to coat them evenly. Then toss a few at a time into the almond flour and roll them until coated.
• Heat a deep 11 or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. Once the oil is hot, place half the chicken nuggets in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Add the remaining coconut oil to the pan and cook the rest of the chicken nuggets.

From Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten & Tom Malterre 

​
Fries
Makes 3-4 servings

4 medium organic russet potatoes or sweet potatoes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
 
Optional Spices:
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Scrub potatoes well and removes eyes and discolored areas. Leave the peels on. Cut into wedges and place into a large bowl.
• Sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and spices. Toss to coat.
• Arrange potatoes in a single layer in a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Bake until golden and fork tender, about 30 minutes.

From The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten & Tom Malterre 

To welcome in the new year, we are introducing a new way for you to learn about improving your health and life in 2016 and beyond! 

The Hälsa Blög will feature a variety of healthy, delicious, and relatively simple recipes for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Our goal is to offer recipes for the whole family that won't leave you feeling guilty or sacrificing your good health. Most of our recipes are gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and use whole foods and healthy oils. We will regularly add new recipes, so be sure to check back for new tasty treats, sensational sweets, and satisfying savories. You'll find one of our favorite dinner combinations in the next post!

The Hälsa Blög will also feature posts on health topics or concerns that patients raise or that we feel strongly about spreading the word about. Finding reliable information about health, wellness, and supplements can be a challenge, and we hope that our blog will soon become a source of information that you and your family can trust.

In Swedish hälsa has two meanings that we identify with. As a noun it means good health. As a verb it means to bid welcome. Like our office, we hope that The Hälsa Blög will be a place where you will feel welcome and where you can focus on optimizing your health and being your best self. Enjoy!