Veggie Beef Stew

Veggie Beef Stew - Super satisfying soup that is cozy-comfy when you are short on time. You can use either an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and whole 30 friendly. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a fire kindling in the background, snuggled with your dog on the couch with a heavy blanket and warm bowl of stew in hand? Goals, right? 

Well, I can’t promise the fire or the dog but what I can promise you is a super easy but satisfying bowl of veggie beef stew. If anything, as you prepare all the ingredients and throw it into an Instant Pot or slow cooker, you can chop up some wood and steal your neighbors dog if you want to get the full ambiance! Haha

Just like the ultimate fall scene, so is this recipe because while it may look rich and hearty (and it is) it’s actually super cheap to make! 

Beef stew meat is usually the cheaper meat and the rest of the ingredients are fresh or frozen produce so another win! With that said, this recipe is perfect for that week day meal or when you are too tired to make something while costing you pennies to make.

And if you really want to level up the comfort, serve with fresh sourdough bread or gluten-free skillet cornbread. 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Veggie Beef Stew - Super satisfying soup that is cozy-comfy when you are short on time. You can use either an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and whole 30 friendly. 

Prep: 15 min Cook: 30 min Serving: 6

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs beef stew meat (or beef chuck roast cut into chunks)

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

• 3 stalks of celery, sliced

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 lb small potatoes, cubed

• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

• 1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)

• 1 can (14 oz) fire roasted tomatoes (with liquid)

• 4 cups beef bone broth

• 2 tsp salt, pepper

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1 tsp italian seasoning

• 1 bay leaf

• Cooking fat of choice

Directions

1. Select “saute” on the Instant Pot and add 1 tbsp cooking oil (ie grass fed butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil). Season meat with salt and pepper and add it to the Instant Pot - searing all sides of  meat until it’s brown.

2. Cancel the “saute” setting and add the rest of the ingredients minus frozen peas and green beans to the pot and stir until combined. 

3. Turn the setting to “pressure cook” or “stew” and set for 30 minutes or “high pressure” for 20 minutes. Once it’s done, allow 10 minutes for natural release before flipping to “venting” position to release any remaining pressure.

4. Press “cancel” then select the “saute” setting and add peas and green beans and cook for about 5-7 minutes. 

5. Take bay leaf out, season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh thyme. 

Notes

1. Don’t have an Instant Pot but have a slow cooker? You can still make this recipe! Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and set on low for 6-8 hours. Add the frozen green beans and peas 30 minutes before serving. Add more broth if needed.

Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Cookie Dough - Super delicious and packed with fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Dairy, gluten, and grain-free.

Not only is this cookie dough safe to eat, it’s chock full of nutrients thanks to chickpeas' excellent source of soluble fiber and protein. When you combine it with nut butter and pumpkin puree, it’s a nutritional powerhouse! 

Professional Cycle Syncer? This is a luteal phase recipe as it contains ingredients like sunflower seeds, pumpkin, and chickpeas that are great sources of B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and fiber. During this phase, your body needs more calories and slow-burning complex carbs and beans provide calories while stabilizing blood sugar.

Bonus! PMS symptoms? Chickpeas are a great source of magnesium. They also contain vitamin B6 so when taken together, help reduce PMS symptoms! 

You can eat this for dessert, bring to a family or sports event, or simply grab a spoon and eat it straight from the fridge! 

You can most definitely use regular dark chocolate chips for this recipe, but I love using Hu Kitchen chocolate! For this recipe, I used one bar of hazelnut butter dark chocolate and used their grain-free cookies (chocolate chip and ginger snap) as the “spoon”! 

They just came out with seasonal dark chocolate bars: gingerbread and pumpkin spice and I BET that would truly level up this cookie dough! 

I love using their products because of their simplistic ingredient list: 

Organic cacao

Unrefined organic coconut sugar

Organic fair-trade cocoa butter

That’s. It.

Again, you don’t have to use these products to make this recipe, but if you want to, here the website or my SHOP PAGE and code FROMTHEROOTS for 15% off your first order! 

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If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Cookie Dough - Super delicious and packed with fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Dairy, gluten, and grain-free.

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ cup sunflower or nut butter

• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

• ¼ cup pumpkin puree

• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar (chopped)

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Flaky sea salt for garnish 

Directions 

1. Place drained chickpeas in a medium saucepan and add the baking soda. Cover the chickpeas with water and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat for 5-10 minutes or until the chickpeas look bloated. In a fine mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them. No need to peel the chickpeas now that they are soft and should create a creamy texture!

2. Transfer cooked chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients except for chocolate in a food processor. Puree mixture until completely smooth and creamy in texture. May need to pause a couple of times to scrape down the side of the processor bowl. 

3. Transfer mixture into a bowl and fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve and garnish with flaky sea salt. 

Chicken Sausage and Harvest Veggies Sheet Pan

Chicken Sausage + Harvest Veggies Sheet Pan - All the fall feels on one sheet pan. This healthy fall inspired sheet pan recipe includes a sweet maple tahini dressing. Meal-prep, make-ahead, and weeknight friendly. 

Sheet Pans - Without a doubt, the easiest thing to prepare if you fall into the categories of: busy, tired, and bored. Simple as that. All you have to do is cut (or use pre-cut/frozen) your veggies, slice sausage links, and place in the oven until ready to eat. While your meal is cooking, prepare a simple 3 ingredient dressing and that is it! 

To save even more time, you can prepare the veggies and dressing the day before so when you are ready to heat up the oven, simply spread the veggies and protein on the sheet pan and let it cook. Come on people, I am just spoon feeding how easy this meal is to you! Haha

By using seasonal veggies, you don’t necessarily have to worry about flavor as much as seasonal produce are at its peak! 

Meaning, less seasonings = less fuss. For this recipe, I season with little salt (because of the sausage) and use a simple everyday seasoning blend when seasoning the veggies. 

To help round this meal out by incorporating healthy fats, I created a sweet and simple maple tahini dressing that pairs perfectly with the dish! 

So either add this to your lunch meal prep rotation, weeknight dinner option, or keep it in your back pocket when you need to make something last minute - I promise you, you won’t regret it!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Chicken Sausage + Harvest Veggies Sheet Pan - All the fall feels on one sheet pan. This healthy fall inspired sheet pan recipe includes a sweet maple tahini dressing. Meal-prep, make-ahead, and weeknight friendly. 

Ingredients

• 1 red apple, cored and cubed

• 12 oz (1 package) chicken sausage, sliced

• 2-3 medium to large beets, cubed

• ½ red onion, diced into chunks

• 2 large sweet potatoes or 1 small butternut squash, cubed

• 1 head broccoli (or frozen), chopped

• ¼ cup raw pepitas

• Fav seasonings + S|P

Maple Tahini Dressing

• 2 Tbsp Tahini

• 1 tsp pure maple syrup 

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• S+P

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or generously coat with avocado/coconut oil spray

2. Add sweet potatoes to the sheet pan and toss to coat with oil spray. 

3. Roast for 15 minutes. While sweet potatoes are roasting, prep other veggies/protein. 

4. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and add the rest of the sheet pan ingredients. Sprinkle seasonings over ingredients, toss to coat, and spread ingredients out in a single layer. 

5. Return to the oven and continue to roast until the veggies are tender, about 25 minutes longer. 

6. While roasting, prepare dressing by simply mixing all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. May need to add 1 Tbsp increments of water to thin dressing until desired consistency. 

7. You can sprinkle pepitas over roasted veggies/protein and return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes or sprinkle pepitas after final cooking. Serve with dressing and enjoy! 

5-Ingredient Banana Bread Muffins

Banana Bread Muffins - All you need is a blender or food processor and 5 wholesome ingredients. Naturally gluten free, no refined sugar, and super easy to whip up! 

It’s no secret that I absolutely love banana bread! *Cough Paleo Banana Nut Bread and Brownie Batter Banana Bread Muffins. 

WIth that said, I am completely unapologetic as I whipped up yet another banana bread recipe - banana bread muffins!

This was a fun recipe to create as I had my niece and nephews in mind. Like most parents, mornings feel rushed so I wanted to create a recipe that my sister could make ahead of time so that first thing in the morning, she can warm up or serve cold these muffins with a small pad of butter and eggs on the side and serve it to the kiddos! 

Simple as that! And even if you aren’t a busy mom, this recipe is great for people that are busy in general. Think about it. If you are able to throw 5 measly ingredients into a blender, pour the batter in a muffin tin and walk away for about 15 minutes to come back to freshly baked banana bread muffins, wouldn’t you do it too?!

No refined sugars here! We are only using naturally sweetened sources like bananas and medjool dates. Now, if you add chocolate chips, that is a different story! 

With that said, these muffins are great when paired to a great fat and protein source so here are some great examples of what that could look like as a breakfast or snack option:  

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If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Banana Bread Muffins - All you need is a blender and 5 wholesome ingredients. Naturally gluten free, no refined sugar, and super easy to whip up! 

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free oats

• 1 large ripe banana

• 2 eggs

• ¾ cup pitted whole dates

• 1 tsp baking soda

• *pinch of salt / generous pinch of cinnamon 

Optional: ¼ cup dark chocolate chips if you are feeling crazy

Makes 6 muffins

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease 6 count muffin tin. 

2. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. 

3. Pour batter into greased muffin tin and top with oats, banana slices, or chocolate chips if you would like. 

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes and enjoy! 

Notes 

1. Store in the fridge for up to a week. 

2. Great to add to your meal prep rotation

3. Dates should be soft but if your dates feel hard when removing the seeds, soften the dates by soaking them in warm water before putting in the blender. This is super helpful if you don’t have the best high powered blender or processor. 

4. *salt and cinnamon don’t make the 5-ingredient cut but they truly elevate the banana bread flavors!

Adrenal Cream Cider

Adrenal Cream Cider - If hot apple cider and a creamy chai latte had a balanced, blood sugar baby - you would have adrenal cream cider! Adapted from the original adrenal cocktail - fall version

We are nearing the end of our blood sugar series this week and I just had to save the best for last! 

1| Because we are entering fall

2| I’m sure everyone is tired of the pumpkin spice latte

And even though I do have a great pumpkin spice latte recipe to share with you guys - this is not the time. Haha. 

The time is for the adrenal cocktail - fall version! You heard it right, the traditional adrenal cocktail version that is made with simple ingredients (fresh fruit juice, coconut milk/cream, hydrolyzed collagen powder, and sea salt) has now been transformed into a warm and comforting fall drink. How? Let’s break it down! 

Organic Apple Juice - Has a notable amount of vitamin C, a key component of the body’s immune system and is needed when your adrenal glands are producing cortisol during stressful situations. Bonus* Apples contain an adequate amount of fiber and malic acid which may improve the digestive rate and can support liver function. 

Coconut Cream/Milk - Coconut milk has stable saturated fatty acids that help stabilize blood sugar levels and provides your body with energy. Depending on your preference in texture you can use either unsweetened coconut milk or cream. Personally, I think the cream is better and provides that “latte” texture to the drink! 

Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder - Collagen acts as a blood sugar regulator and provides essential amino acids to support and build a resilient gut and boost cortisol production. 
Cinnamon - Is that special spice that helps to naturally balance blood sugar, don’t skimp on it! 

Sea Salt or pink Himalayan sea salt - contain essential electrolytes and minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium that are key for energy production, blood pressure, and adrenal function. 

All of these power forces create a hot apple cider meets chai latte taste. It’s just so hard to put into words how amazing this drink tastes! 

Before you make your new favorite fall drink, head over to the OG adrenal cocktail post for more nutrition facts on how this is supporting your adrenals and when you should be drinking the adrenal cocktail. 

Are you a visual person? Me too! That’s why I created a video on how to make the Adrenal Cream Cider on IG reels below.

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A post shared by Candace Dorsey| From the Roots (@fromtherootsblog)

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Adrenal Cream Cider - If hot apple cider and a creamy chai latte had a balanced, blood sugar baby - you would have adrenal cream cider! Adapted from the original adrenal cocktail - fall version

Ingredients

• 4-8 oz 100% apple juice

• 2-4 Tbsp coconut milk or cream

• 1 scoop of collagen

• ½ - 1 tsp cinnamon

• Generous pinch of sea salt

• Cinnamon sticks

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, add a cinnamon stick and apple juice and cook on medium-high heat until slightly boiling and fragrant, about 5-10 min. Take off heat.

2. In a milk frother, blender or a glass using a handheld frother - add coconut milk or cream, collagen, cinnamon, and sea salt and blend until smooth and creamy. 

3. Transfer hot apple cider to a glass and pour cream over. Stir to combine and enjoy!