Category Archives: Gluten-Free

Greens, Eggs, & Hash

May 4th, 2013
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Recently, our UA Marketing Coordinator Amber Hansen had the chance to shadow Health Coach Kim Wilson for a day (remember Kim from Get Healthy, Co-op Style?).

As part of her 21-Day Clean Up Your Diet™ Online Program, Kim used produce from Urban Acres to make us an original, healthy recipe.

Kim shopping for produce at UA

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Ready!

Below is the recipe in Kim’s words…

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Do you love eggs but are too rushed in the morning to make them? Why not enjoy them for lunch or dinner? High quality organic eggs are rich in choline, an important nutrient for reducing inflammation. Eggs are also loaded with vitamins and minerals in forms that can be easily absorbed. These include vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K in addition to iron, zinc, and lecithin, which help contribute to brain function, a healthy metabolism and disease prevention. Adding a dark leafy green vegetable – like Bok choy – and sweet potatoes along with your organic eggs makes this recipe a perfect, healthy meal!

Greens, Eggs & Hash

Ingredients:

  • 2 organic eggs
  • 2 organic sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
  • 4 stalks organic Bok choy, chopped
  • ½ organic avocado, sliced
  • 2 cups organic shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 TBS organic coconut oil
  • 1 tsp organic garlic powder
  • 1 tsp organic seasoning
  • 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
  • Ground pepper to taste
  • Balsamic vinegar to taste
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Ingredients ready to go

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and grate the sweet potatoes (I used a food processor).

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Place in a bowl and mix with 1 TBS coconut oil, garlic powder, seasoning, sea salt and pepper.

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Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in the oven for 15 minutes.

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Chop bok choy and mushrooms (remove stems first) and steam for 5-8 minutes.

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After steaming, place them in a bowl and season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

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Spray pan and cook eggs sunny side up for 3-5 minutes (or longer depending on preference, I like my eggs very runny). Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

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On a plate, serve eggs, sweet potato hash and bok-choy and mushrooms, add ½ chopped avocado on top and enjoy!

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About Kim Wilson Pollock, CHC:

Kim Wilson Pollock is a Certified Holistic Health & Wellness Coach dedicated to helping busy, smart, successful people become even more amazing by teaching them how to eat, what to eat and why to eat it in order to become the healthiest version of themselves! She received her certification through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Kim offers one-on-one health coaching and a 21-Day Clean Up Your Diet on-line nutrition program.  Visit her at [www.kimwilsonhealthcoach.com]. Follow Kim on Facebook and Twitter.

Get Healthy Co-op Style Day 4: Get Your Smoothie On

January 4th, 2013
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get healthy coop style badge2It’s day 4 of Get Healthy Co-op Style!  Today UA member and health coach Kim Wilson provides you with 3 different types of healthy smoothie recipes. 

Please follow along, join us, blog, tweet and Facebook about it and be sure to use hashtag  #GetHealthyCoopStyle.

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Go Ahead, Get Your Smoothie On!

by Kim Wilson, Health Coach

kim wilson - green juice 3I am a big fan of smoothies! They provide a powerful boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients without slowing down your digestive system. And because you are eating natural, organic, whole foods (from your UA share of course) in the most ideal form for your digestion and nutrient absorption, you will have more energy to get things done and enjoy your day. Doesn’t that sound awesome?

Today I am going to discuss the 3 different kinds of smoothies and why each one is important.

Feel free to double the recipes of any of the smoothies below and put the leftover in a mason jar to save for later as a snack when you are on the run. As I like to say, “Cook once, eat twice!”

  • The Cleansing Smoothie: This smoothie is my favorite because it is 75% dark leafy vegetables! With just veggies and fruit and no added protein or fat, your body can absorb the nutrients quickly and also eliminate toxins more easily. This smoothie will help your skin glow and leave you feeling energized and light! My favorite cleansing green smoothie recipe was featured in yesterday’s post.

    Kim Wilson - cleansing green smoothie

    Kim’s cleansing green smoothie

  • The Protein Smoothie: A smoothie with added protein is perfect for active individuals who work out a lot. Adding nuts or protein powder to a smoothie can help repair and build muscle and improve strength and exercise performance. My favorite protein powder is Vega Sport Performance (vanilla) because it is plant based with no soy, gluten, dairy or artificial ingredients.
  • The Dessert Smoothie: Instead of choosing a cupcake or cookie when you have a sugar craving, make a dessert smoothie! The key ingredient here is frozen banana because frozen bananas make everything taste sweet and creamy! I love a strawberry milkshake, so my favorite dessert smoothie is the Strawberry Fields Smoothie from one of my favorite new books, Crazy Sexy Kitchen by Kris Karr.

Kim’s Perfect Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack of Vega Sport Performance Vanilla Protein Powder
  • 2 cups of Unsweetened Coconut Milk
  • ½ cup of frozen blueberries
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup of green veggies (spinach, kale or Swiss chard are great choices)

Directions:

Blend and enjoy!

Strawberry Fields Smoothie-cropStrawberry Fields Smoothie

from Kris Karr’s book, Crazy Sexy Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups cashew or nondairy milk of your choice
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 small orange, peeled
  • 1 banana
  • 11/2 cups loosely packed spinach

Directions:

Blend and enjoy!

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Kim WilsonKim Wilson Pollock is a Certified Holistic Health & Wellness Consultant dedicated to helping busy individuals live a healthier lifestyle. She received her certification through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Kim’s life changed in 2006 when her mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. Her mom decided to fight her cancer through nutrition by changing her diet and eating real foods, juicing green vegetables and creating delicious green smoothies and Kim was quick to join her mom in this new lifestyle!  Visit her at [www.kimwilsonhealthcoach.com]. Follow Kim on Facebook and Twitter.

Fall Produce, How Do We Love Thee? Let Us Count the Ways…

October 10th, 2012
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First honeycrisp apples of the season

We’re officially in love with the fall produce that’s beginning to come in.  In the next few weeks, the co-op style produce shares will have  LOCAL butternut squash, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, beets and several other exciting items!    Stay tuned.  In the meantime, please indulge us while we swoon over a few of our favorites…

1) Butternut Squash.  

Every drop of sweat that goes into peeling, seeding, and chopping a butternut squash is worth it in our book.  This is simply a delicious, buttery, versatile fall vegetable with tons of great recipe ideas.  Check this post and our Pinterest board for a few of our favorite butternut squash recipes.

2) Honeycrisp Apples.

BEST.APPLE.EVER.  Enough said.

If you simply must cook them, perhaps try apple and fennel soup or apple chips.

3) Sweet Potatoes.

Sweet potato chips…sweet potato fries…sweet potato hash…baked sweet potatoes…sweet potato soup…sweet potato chili…sweet potato brownies…we’re starting to sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump.  You get the idea.  Get recipes on our Pinterest board or try one of these…

4) Beets.

We’re on a mission to make every UA member a beet believer.   Don’t throw the greens away, either – you can eat them too!  There are lots of beet recipes on our Pinterest board, here on TheKitchn.com, or below…

Local Produce In Transition // Featured Items This Weekend: Reed Avocados, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sweet Corn

July 27th, 2012
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Jacky Morrison on the tractor at Morrison Organic Farm in Cleburne, TX

Local Farm Update…

Just to keep you in the loop, we’re going through a big transition for the next several weeks.   All our local farmers are tilling under the summer crops right now and planting for the fall harvest.  The great news is we should have some incredible LOCAL FALL PRODUCE!  We might see another wave of Texas peaches but we’ve seen the last of the tomatoes and figs for awhile :( .  We hope you enjoyed them!

Below are some of the featured items we’re planning* for the co-op style produce shares this weekend…

*There are several more items in the shares – this is just a sampling. When working with fresh produce, availability can sometimes change last-minute.  We do our best to let you know what’s coming ahead of time, but sometimes things do change, especially when working with local farmers.  Thanks for your understanding!

Just when you thought an avocado couldn’t get any better, BEHOLD!  The Reed Avocado.

Think of all the things you love about a regular avocado, and take it to the next level…
  • The Reed avocado is the size of a softball, super creamy, smooth, and buttery.
  • Not only are Reed avocados difficult to find because their growing season is very short, but finding them organic is almost impossible.
  • The Reed avocado stays green on the outside, and it’s ripe when it’s soft to the touch, not when it turns dark.
  • The Reed avocado doesn’t brown as quickly as its cousin, the more common Haas avocado.
  • Unlike the Haas avocado, the Reed doesn’t need lime juice and cilantro and all those fancy embellishments.  The reed stands alone.  All you need is a sprinkle of sea salt and a spoon to scoop out its creamy goodness.

If you absolutely must fancy them up, here are a few recipe ideas. But first try them plain – trust us!

Local Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushroom bruschetta – 100% local ingredients

Oh how we love our trusty shiitakes from Texas Organic Mushrooms in Denison!    And we’ve prepared both slow and quick shiitake mushroom recipes for you, depending on how much time you have.  Get them here.

Bi-Color Sweet Corn

Mmm, great sweetness and flavor to this corn with different color kernels.  The possibilities are really endless with corn – you can go simple and just shuck it, boil it, butter and salt it, and eat it!  (How to boil corn on the cob)  Or try one of these recipes…

We love you guys!  Thank you for all your support and we hope you’re enjoying your summer!

VIDEO: The Urban Poser Feature on Urban Acres // Recipe: Herbed Crispy Flat Bread with Chicken, Arugula & Mango-Strawberry Salsa (Grain-Free)

July 25th, 2012
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The Urban Poser’s grain-free herbed crispy flat bread with chicken, arugula, & mango-strawberry salsa…using Urban Acres produce!

We’re so excited today – Jenni Hulet from The Urban Poser blog has put up a feature about us – a video she filmed of picking up her co-op style produce share at our Southlake location) plus some INCREDIBLE recipes using the produce.  Thanks so much, Jenni!

Jenni Hulet // The Urban Poser

We’ve been a huge fan of The Urban Poser blog since we found out about it – not only is it based in the DFW area, but the site features beautifully photographed and easy-to-make recipes using fresh, gluten-free, grain-free ingredients that are seriously delicious.  We’ve featured several of her recipes that you can make with your Urban Acres produce.  They’re especially great for those of you following gluten-free or Paleo/Primal diets!

Jenni’s goal with The Urban Poser is to bring beauty, flavor, enjoyment, and freedom from the fear and difficulty of living with health restrictions. A few years ago, Jenni was diagnosed as severely Gluten and Casein intolerant and was put on a strict diet and supplement regimen to heal her ravaged body.  Bringing together her love of culture, her culinary skills, and her compassion for the suffering, The Urban Poser was a way for her to meet the adversity in her life with all the creativity and exuberance she had once thought was gone forever. She continues to pioneer and discover new passions through the difficulty and knows that her story has only just begun to unfold.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/46187199 w=400&h=300]

>> Go to The Urban Poser to read more & get lots of recipes!

Local This Weekend: Blueberries, Peaches, Tomatoes, Okra & More…

June 21st, 2012
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The Texas produce has been unbelievable, and it just keep comin’!  Here are the local items we’re planning* for this weekend’s co-op style produce shares…

*When working with fresh produce, availability can sometimes change last-minute.  We do our best to let you know what’s coming ahead of time, but sometimes things do change, especially when working with local farmers.  Thanks for your understanding!

Here are some recipes for you…

Texas Blueberries

>> Make sure to read this post on how to keep your berries mold-free and lasting longer!

Texas Peaches

Local peach from Larken Farms in Waxahachie

What Is Sorrel?

Sorrel is a delightful, leafy green with a tart, lemony flavor.  Use the tender, young leaves in salads, and the larger leaves for soups, stews and sauces. Sorrel also complements goat cheese, eggs and poultry.

Rich in vitamin C, sorrel was valued for centuries for its ability to prevent scurvy, a serious, even life-threatening problem when fresh fruits and vegetables were not available. The English physician Culpeper (1826) recommended sorrel “to cool any inflammation and heat of blood,” “to refresh overspent spirits,” “to quench thirst, and to procure an appetite.”  Pretty cool!

Get sorrel recipes here – both raw and cooked.

5 Ways to Eat Local Okra

So you’ve got lots of local okra to eat…now what?  Here are 5 ways to eat and enjoy it!

Thank you for being a part of Urban Acres and supporting Texas farmers and local, organic produce!  We ♥ our farmers, and we ♥ you!