I love vegetables. Absolutely adore them. But it took me some time to get to where I am today that I could literally eat vegetables all day long. Incorporating more vegetables into your daily eating is all about baby steps. First find the vegetables that you love to eat and start incorporating a vegetable at each meal. And you can add some fun foods to your vegetables like BACON! This scrumptious recipe you'll get your vegetables in and some tasty sugar free bacon (make sure you check the label as most bacon out there has sugar added in. Wellshire Farms has started making a sugar free bacon and let's face it bacon really doesn't need sugar added to it).

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut in half
6 strips of bacon
Optional: Sprinkle of Garlic powder or Red pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place the Brussels sprout halves in a roasting pan.  Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder or red pepper and salt.

3. Cook the strips of bacon until just barely cooked. Place on a paper towel while they cool. Once cooled break up the bacon and scatter all over the Brussels sprouts.

4. Drizzle leftover oil from cooking the bacon over Brussels sprouts or drizzle olive oil or even a mixture of both!

5. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, toss the Brussels sprouts and bacon in the pan so that the sprouts are evenly cooked.

6. Continue roasting for another 15 minutes.  To finish, turn the oven to high broil and broil for 5 minutes, mixing halfway through so that the sprouts crisp evenly.

7. Remove from the oven.  Plate, serve and enjoy as a snack or side dish to your meal!

I grew up eating asparagus. It was always a stable side dish to any home cooked meal by my mom. So whenever I eat asparagus now, I feel like I'm getting a huge hug from my mom. I hope that as you eat these crispy asparagus that you feel that same love and nourishment I feel every time I make these.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
15-30 stalks asparagus
1 tsp sea salt
1 garlic clove (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Wash asparagus and cut off the ends. Place asparagus in a baking dish or pan and drizzle with oil, salt, and optional sprinkle cut up garlic on top. 

3.  Toss asparagus with the oil, salt, and garlic until thoroughly worked into the asparagus.

4.  Bake until crispy about 15-20 minutes. *Thicker asparagus may take longer to crisp up

5. Add as a side to any meal or even chop up and toss into a salad as a substitute crouton for an extra baked crunch!

I adore Indian food and this is one of my favorite recipes! What I often hear from my clients who have sensitive stomachs is that they have to be careful when they go out for something like Indian food as there can be so many potential allergens like dairy, nightshades, and gluten. Here is an incredibly easy and simple recipe to bring some tasty Indian food into your home.

Ingredients:
3 cups spinach
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 tsp. ginger powder or 1 inch ginger, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. turmeric
2 ½ tsp. garam masala or chinese five spice
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 chicken breasts

Directions:
1. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil and add in onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté on medium to low heat until the onions are translucent (about 5-10 minutes). Add all spices and sea salt, except for the garam masala and lemon. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium to low heat, the smell of the spices will change and the mixture will turn to a deep color. If the mixture looks like it may burn, add a bit of water.

2. Meanwhile, cut up the chicken into pieces and put into another pan with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, cinnamon, and sea salt.  Cook on medium heat until the inside of the chicken is white and tender.  About 15-25 minutes.

3. Add the spinach and salt to onions and cover the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, occasionally stirring the spinach around the pan to soak up the spices.  Remove the mixture from the heat and blend in a blender or food processor until it is a thick mixture.

4. Put the sauce back in the pan and on very low heat add the garam masala and lemon juice.  At this point, you can add extra cumin or chili powder to adjust to your taste buds.  Cook for another 3-5 minutes until spice and lemon juice are incorporated.

5. Put the chicken in your favorite bowl and pour saag sauce over the chicken.  You can garnish with sea salt, red pepper flakes, cilantro or parsley. 

6. Turn on some music, light some candles, and enjoy!