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December 17, 2020 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Taco Meatball Soup

Healthy Soups
Taco Meatball Soup

Healthy Soups

I know, Taco Meatball Soup is a weird name, but in truth, I really don’t know what else to call this hearty soup recipes.  It’s got all the delicious ingredients of tacos but with fun bite sized meatballs in a soup!  Everyone’s happy!

If you’re in a hurry you can even just use ground beef and skip the meatballs . . . although truthful, it’s just not as much fun that way.  It’s really worth the extra time to make the meatballs.  Then just saute a few items, bring to a boil, let it cook for 20 minutes, and serve.  It’s hearty soups made healthy soups and fun along the way.

Healthy Soups – Hearty Soups

I have to be honest, I eat soup year round.  I love it!  It’s a staple of my life.  But, I realize as the weather turns toward the cooler seasons more people begin to think of soups.  In case you want to expand your healthy soups recipes, try Curried Winter Squash Soup,  Salmon Chowder, or find lots of healthy soups recipes in my Cleanse and Detoxify Your Body: 28 days to better healthy using nutrient dense whole foods book and program.

One secret for Taco Meatball Soup

taco meatball soup meatballs
small, bite-sized meatballs

This recipe is super easy and you can add or subtract ingredients depending on what you have leftover in the refrigerator or freezer.  Just like I do with tacos.  You can make your own tortilla chips or buy a bag.  You can make make your own salsa or buy a jar.  Whatever works for your busy life.

I know I said in the beginning you could skip the meatballs, and yes you can.  But, the one secret that really makes this healthy soup stand out, is the meatballs.  Remember to use the best grass fed beef you can afford; the health advantages are numerous.

But, since they’re going to be in the soup (and not highlighted like in spaghetti) they don’t have to be perfectly sized.  Make them small, no more than an inch in diameter.  Then you only partially cook them – just enough so they hold their shape – and finish them in the soup.  It makes for a much faster dinner.  Plus the little bite sized meatballs are perfect on a tortilla chip or in a spoon.  You don’t want people to have to cut the meatballs . . . this is a hearty soup recipe, but not that hearty!

Taco Meatball Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup uncooked rice, divided
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3 T fresh parsley, chopped
  • ½ t chili powder
  • ½ t dried oregano
  • ¼ t sea salt
  • ¼ t fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 T ghee
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • ½ cup celery, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
  • 2/3 cup bottled salsa
  • 2 14-ounce cans of chicken broth
  • ½ cup frozen whole kernel corn
  • 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 20 tortilla chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop onion and mince garlic.  Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Combine ¼ cup rice, ground beef, and spices (through pepper) in a bowl.  Shape mixture into 24 1-inch meatballs.
  3. Place on a broiler pan and bake for 10 minutes.
  4. Heat ghee in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add onion, celery and carrot.  Sauté 4 minutes or until tender.
  5. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
  6. Add salsa and broth; bring to a boil.
  7. Add remaining ¼ cup rice and the meatballs.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and meatballs are fully cooked.
  8. Stir in corn and cook another minute or until heated through.
  9. Spoon into bowls.  Sprinkle with cheese and tortilla strips.

Serves 6-8

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Main Course, Recipes Tagged With: healthy soups, hearty soup recipes, meatball, meatballs, soup

December 9, 2020 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Free Virtual Health Retreat 12/15/20

Free Virtual Health Retreat

10 International Health & Nutrition Experts Share All . . .

Join me for this FREE Virtual Event Tuesday, December 15th!

I want you to meet one of my friends who is another mom, wife and transforms Life coaching as certified nutritional therapist.

Her name is Astrid Schiller, and she is the founder of the NutriHealth Products Inc. in Canada.

As a mom of 3 young healthy children and a wife, Astrid encounters challenges in figuring out how to improve her own family’s and patient’s health while preparing the children’s school snacks & lunches every day.

She didn’t start out thinking she could become a nutritional therapist but decades ago, she was sick, overweight and doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to become a mother! She started researching healthier solutions and her interest in food became a passion. She lost weight, was able to focus, increased her energy and got healthy.

Today she is a mom of 3 healthy young children and a wife, spending her time with her active young children while being genuinely coaching her patients’ holistic approach to health.

She creates customized nutritional programs based on her patients’ individual needs to reduce inflammation, brain fog, weight and menopausal symptoms to increase their confidence and overall wellbeing.

So, she has decided to take on a research project to learn what has changed in people’s lifestyle during these unprecedented times.

She found out that many parents:

  • Feeling left alone and isolated with their health & weight issues.
  • Losing hope and dreams to fit into their “old” clothes.
  • Getting overwhelmed with all the information out there, not knowing which food items to eat to reduce their pain, weight, etc.
  • Forgetting the basic steps that could immediately improve their daily wellbeing

Coaching men and women to become healthier and be present for their kids & families in the future, and unifying people together to HELP EACH OTHER is her calling and brings Astrid her fulfillment and purpose. She encourages everyone to empower each other using simple strategies to improve their wellbeing, and at the same time not have to sacrifice too much to achieve our goals.

This research project has turned into an interview series, where she interviews this coming Tuesday December 15th, 2020 10 Health and Nutrition Experts (including me!).

Free Virtual Health Retreat

The FREE Event is called: From Dieting To Opportunities: How to improve immune repose and detox while reducing inflammation, weight and belly fat!

I have a complimentary ticket for you to attend. You can register using this link >> www.FromDietingToOpportunities.com


Just so you know, you will be able to watch from your home, office, or anywhere on the go.

It is for specifically for men & women who want to get back into health – or their desired shape – but are challenged with the priorities that come with being a busy-working dad or mom while juggling the responsibilities and desires to be a great parent.

Live Interviews All Day

Here’s what is going to be covered in the LIVE INTERVIEWS:

  • How to break old habits and beliefs that are keeping moms & dads from creating the healthy stability they want, while being active with & for their kids;
  • How to NOT lose yourself in the journey of building a healthy active lifestyle so you don’t fall back into the shadow of the woman or man you used to be.
  • What to do when you are feeling stretched thin, and how to do it in a way that you won’t drop the ball;
  • How to cook healthy recipes so you can spend more time with your family;
  • Actionable strategies that are WORKING RIGHT NOW which any parent can implement to quickly improve health;
  • Improve Your immune response by taking care of your gut
  • Learn how the Gut “communicates” with the Brain
  • What has to be done to improve bone density
  • Listen to your inner voice and get inspired
  • Connect and receive personal information on Autism & ADD recovery
  • Create a vision for your life, and finally step into the healing process!

These interviews are REAL, short and to the point CONVERSATIONS with moms & dads who became international health and nutrition experts!

SO, let me ask you this: What would it be worth to you to be able to sit at the same table amongst internationally known speakers—to find out WHAT are the latest scientific data, WHAT are the food items they are using (or not) and, HOW they are doing it?

For me it is PRICELESS, which is why I will not only be a speaker, but I’ll be attending, too.

Register for Free Virtual Health Retreat

Register here with your complimentary ticket to listen in. >> Access to the FREE Virtual Retreat

 

P.S. In case you are wondering who the speakers are, here are just a handful of speakers you will hear from: Prof. Dr. E. Mayer, Dr. John Jaquish, Jenny Breen, Greg Amundson, of course ME, and many more!

That’s just a handful. You can find out who the rest of them are right here >> FREE Retreat

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: free, health, healthy, retreat, virtual, Weight loss

November 10, 2020 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Turkey Breast Seasoning OR Roasted Vegetables Seasoning – Healthy Holiday Foods!

Healthy Holiday Foods
Healthy Holiday Foods

Healthy Turkey Rub Recipe

Healthy Holiday Foods don’t have to be boring!  I know some people love to spend all day in the kitchen when it comes to the holidays . . . I’m just not one of those people.  Even on special occasions I’m still a cook that likes fast and easy.  Luckily this seasoning only takes about five minutes.  And, this herb rub is not only super quick to make, it also does double duty.  It can be used as a turkey rub recipe or a roasted vegetables seasoning.  Make one batch and add it to both foods.

I grew up with the whole basting the bird concept – lots of butter rubbed on the turkey and then the butter and turkey fat religiously moved from the drippings pan every hour and lathered onto the turkey.  Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against butter, but over the years, more and more of my family have needed to monitor the amount of added fats they eat.  So, this turkey rub recipe has become a staple in our house.  Plus, in truth, don’t tell my mother, but I actually like the taste of these healthy holiday foods better.

Fresh or Dried for Healthy Holiday Foods

Right around the end of October frost begins to hit our area.  Which means it’s time to cut back all the herbs and hope they’ll survive the winter and give us fresh new herbs come next Spring.  We dry the herbs for future use.  Sometimes I dry them as full pieces and sometimes I’ll make this type of herb rub and dry the combination (same with the herbs for Italian Dressing).  I love that dried herbs can be put in a clean jar and stored for up to a year!  Obviously the flavor of the herbs degrades over time so try to use them as soon possible for the best taste.

When ever possible though, I love adding fresh flavors to our foods.  This turkey rub recipe is perfect for making healthy holiday foods.  Using the fresh herbs gives a beautiful flavor that I think is better than any butter basted turkey.  I’m sure there are people that would disagree with me but I challenge you to try it . . . this seasoning really does add so much flavor.

Using the Seasoning

Dried or fresh there’s a couple different ways to use this herb rub for turkey breast seasoning.  If you have a skinless breast you can just rub into onto the meat.  If you have a full turkey or a breast with the skin still attached, I recommend gently lifting the skin from the meat (but don’t remove the skin all together).  Cover the meat with the rub, including the breast and legs of a full turkey, then replace the skin to keep the herbs in place and the moisture in the bird.  So, the herbs are between the meat and the skin.

When using this recipe for roasted vegetables seasoning, toss the vegetables with the herb rub until the seasoning is evenly distributed among the vegetables.  I like this herb rub on pretty much any type of vegetable.  Here’s a video if you need more ideas.

Mix Up the Ingredients

I’m giving you my basic recipe here but feel free to mix it up depending on what you are cooking.  With turkey I use more sage than rosemary.  With vegetables I use more rosemary than sage.  When roasting a chicken I sometimes use tarragon instead of sage.  With lamb I add mint.  If I’m pairing with a tomato sauce I use marjoram instead of sage.  There isn’t any one size fits all – it depends on what your family likes.

Also, this basic recipe uses Herbamare and white pepper.  First, Herbamare isn’t essential you could use good old sea salt.  I just like the additional dried flavors of celery, leek, cress, onion, chives, parsley, lovage, garlic, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and kelp.  Most larger grocery stores now carry it or you can buy it online.  Second, sometimes I use black pepper and sometimes I use white pepper (one time I used tri-colored peppercorns).  The decision mostly depends on how “spicy” I want the outcome.  White pepper has a tendency to be a bit spicier than traditional black pepper.  Sometimes it’s also a visual.  I don’t like seeing black flecks on chicken or turkey but they disappear into lamb.  Again, use whatever you think your family will like best.

Herb Rub Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of fresh sage
  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Herbamare
  • Ground white pepper

Directions:

  1. Remove leaves from sage and rosemary stalks.  In a small food processor, pulse herbs, garlic, Herbamare, and white pepper until pretty fine.
  2. Use fresh or allow to dry.  If drying, store in tightly sealed jar for up to a year.

Video:

If you’re more of a visual learning, here is the video on making this recipe.

Filed Under: Blog, Main Course, Recipes Tagged With: healthy holiday foods, herb rub, roasted vegetables seasoning, turkey breast seasoning, turkey rub recipe

October 22, 2020 by Kellie 2 Comments

Stuffed Fig

Healthy Appetizer
Stuffed Fig

Healthy Appetizer

Stuffed fig for the win!  A friend gave me a giant bowl of figs from her backyard tree the other day.  They were so sweet, I actually couldn’t believe it.  Obviously some fig jam was in order.  But, I still had quite a few figs left over.  I decided that this amazing sweetness needed a touch of savory and started working on a sweet and savory stuffed figs healthy appetizer.  With just a bit of work I think I’ve come up with a new family favorite and an easy dish to take to holiday parties in the future.

Healthy Appetizer Prep
Healthy Appetizer Prep

A few notes for stuffed fig ingredients:

There’s really not much to this stuffed fig recipe – figs and soft cheese in a savory meat wrap.

Personally, we found we liked the smaller figs best as they made perfect bite size morsels.  If you have the larger figs you can cut them in half and stuff them like a boat.  Learn about figs if you’re going shopping for them.

We tried a couple different kinds of cheese; just what we had in the refrigerator.  Soft cheeses worked better than hard.  Creamier cheeses “mixed” into the soft sweet fig meat the best.  Once I did a little research (yes, after I finished the stuffed fig recipe), I noticed many other recipes use goat cheese.  Personally, I think any mild, soft cheese would taste fine.

Finally, I had pancetta and proscuitto.  Since I wanted to bake the figs, pancetta seemed to work better but either is fine.  You could also choose not to bake the stuffed figs, especially if they are super ripe, and just wrap them in proscuitto.  This works great for various fruits; try Watermelon Appetizer.  Any thin cured meat would be fine.  Just something to give a salty, savory addition to the sweet fig and the creamy cheese.  Gosh, just writing this makes we want to go grab a few to munch on!

Prepping Stuffed Fig

Remember to remove the stem of the fresh fig.  If it’s a small fig just cut a bit of the seeds from the core and you can stuff cheese in the hole.  With a medium sized fig you can score the top of the fig in an “X” and then stuff cheese in the hole.  Using a larger fig you may need to cut the fig in half from stem to bottom, remove a bit of the core, stuff the cheese in the hole, wrap the meat around and bake cheese size up.

Stuffed fig

Cut the pancetta vertically for the smaller figs and horizontally for the larger stuffed figs.

Stuffed fig wrap

If you aren’t baking the stuffed fig then wrap it so people can see the cheese in top.

Stuffed fig exposedWhen baking the stuffed fig then wrapping it depends on the type of cheese you choose.  With a cheese that will melt easily and therefore possibly run out of the fit, then fully encase the stuffed fig with the meat (see below).  If the cheese is a slower to melt type of cheese, then you can leave the cheese exposed or just cover a bit (see the very first picture in the blog).

Stuffed fig wrapped

Finally, place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Or until the meat is crispy.

Stuffed fig cooked

Enjoy a delicious, healthy appetizer of stuffed figs.

Stuffed Fig Appetizer Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 20 small to medium figs
  • 3 oz soft cheese
  • 4 oz pancetta

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. With a paring knife cut the stem from the fig.  Cut a small “core” in the fig or “score” the top in an X.
  3. Gently “stuff” a small piece of cheese inside the fig.
  4. Cut pancetta pieces in half and wrap a ½ piece around the fig.
  5. Place figs on prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until pancetta is crispy.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Blog Tagged With: fig, healthy appetizer, Recipe, stuffed fig, sweet and savory

September 16, 2020 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Healthy Dinner Ideas – Kung Pao Chicken

Healthy Dinner Ideas
Kung Pao Chicken

Easy Dinner Recipes – Kung Pao Chicken

Summer – okay really any time of year – means I need healthy dinner ideas that are super easy dinner recipes.  Kung Pao Chicken is one of my favorite go-to dinners.  It’s healthy, easy and can be planned or made with whatever is leftover in the fridge. (Sorry about the less-than picture but we were already dishing up when I remembered I needed to grab a quick pix – no staging time allowed when my family was already serving up).

If you need an even faster dinner meal, chop up all your vegetables for this easy dinner recipes or for the entire week.  Then when you need the items they’re ready to go.  Because, let’s be honest, the cutting and prepping work is the most time consuming.  I’d love for my son to be my sous chef but as a teenager now, he’s just not that interested in helping in the kitchen.  He does make one meal a week for the family and some version of noodles with meat and vegetables is his quick solution.

This is also one of my favorite healthy dinner ideas because you can virtually add almost any vegetable and it’ll taste great with the Kung Pao Chicken sauce.  Plus, you can add any meat . . . it could be Kung Pao Pork or Kung Pao Tofu . . . it all tastes great.

Kung Pao Chicken Substitutions

So let me point out some ways that you can make this easy dinner recipes without committing to any particular ingredients.

  • Tamari – if you don’t have tamari, use soy sauce or coconut aminos.
  • Corn starch – feel free to use agar or arrowroot.  I like the glossy look of corn starch and my co-op has non-GMO corn starch.
  • Dry sherry – if you don’t have dry sherry, use dry white wine.
  • Chicken breasts – use whatever meat, or meat substitute, you like.  I’ve even used leftover rotisserie chicken.  Or go no-meat; it’s still a tasty, healthy dinner ideas.
  • Crushed red peppers – these are absolutely optional.  If you don’t like too spicy, stick with just the chilies in the oil.  If you want to bring up the heat, add the crushed red peppers.
  • Vegetables – I wrote up red pepper, celery, mushrooms, snow peas, green onions and bean sprouts.  But, you can chop up summer squash, any color pepper, green beans, asparagus, etc.  You can also use canned mushrooms instead of fresh.  The only vegetable that I feel is kind of required are the green onions.  A regular yellow onion, even a sweet one, just doesn’t have the same flavor.  So, if you can, keep the green onions.
  • Peanuts – I think I actually used cashews in this picture because that’s what I had in the refrigerator.  But, usually I like the taste of peanuts better in this recipe but don’t get too caught up in the specifics.
  • Noodles – use fresh or dried.  Find the one that you like best.  We’ve found we enjoy ramen noodles and plain old brown rice spaghetti noodles but we’ve used various types and styles of noodles and they’ve all tasted great.

Don’t Change with Easy Dinner Recipes

  • Thickener – don’t skip a thickener on this Kung Pao Chicken recipe.  You want that saucy feel over all the noodles and vegetables.
  • Tofu – if you choose tofu, don’t use the cornstarch on the tofu.  But, do marinate the tofu in the broth, tamari, sherry and cornstarch for about 30 minutes for a better flavor.
  • Oil – don’t skip the oil; it adds so much flavor!  Also, make sure you saute the chilies until browned.  This spices up the oil and the whole dish.
  • Green onions – there’s really no substitute in this recipe.

Tips for Easy Dinner Recipes

As I noted earlier, chop up as many vegetables in advance as possible.  Use leftovers whenever you can.  Use whatever combination you have in your refrigerator – no celery, no problem – this healthy dinner ideas will still taste great!

Kung Pao Chicken Ingredients:

  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup tamari
  • ½ cup dry sherry
  • 2 T cornstarch
  • 1-1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • 2 T sesame oil, divided
  • 5 dried chilies
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 T fresh garlic, minced
  • ½ t dried crushed red peppers (optional)
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 5-6 mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 cups snow peas, trimmed
  • 6 green onions, cut into 1-in pieces
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
  • 4-5 servings of noodles or linguine
  • 2 T sesame seeds

Directions:

  1. Chop all ingredients. Allow onions and garlic to rest 5-10 minutes.  Boil water for noodles.
  2. Combine chicken broth, tamari, sherry and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in small bowl. Toss chicken with remaining tablespoon of cornstarch.
  3. Cook noodles al dente.
  4. While noodles cook. Heat a wok over high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil.  Sauté the chilies for 1-2 minutes, until browned.
  5. Add the garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper if using. Sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  6. Add the chicken and sauté until almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to plate.
  7. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil. Add all vegetables and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
  8. Return chicken to wok; add peanuts and chicken broth mixture. Cook until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
  9. Add noodles to the wok and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

 

Filed Under: Main Course Tagged With: easy dinner recipes, healthy dinner ideas, kung pao chicken

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Kellie Hill Nutrition

Taco Meatball Soup

Healthy Soups

Free Virtual Health Retreat 12/15/20

Turkey Breast Seasoning OR Roasted Vegetables Seasoning – Healthy Holiday Foods!

Stuffed Fig

Healthy Appetizer

Healthy Dinner Ideas – Kung Pao Chicken

Healthy Dinner Ideas

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DISCLAIMER: The content shared on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Statements/products discussed have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your health care practitioner before making changes to your current diet or before beginning any herbal or vitamin supplement regimen or exercise program. Although Kellie Hill is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, the author(s) at The Right Plan are not licensed medical professionals, nor do they claim to be. They are not here to diagnose or provide medical advice to any reader.Affiliate Disclosure • Terms and Conditions© 2021 The Right Plan Nutrition Counseling & Kellie Hill Nutrition • Custom Web Design by Paradux Media Group