Olive Real Food

Healthy Food

These recipes are typically healthy with the occasional exception of an "off limits"' ingredient. Many recipes are gluten-free, Whole30, or Paleo. Some recipes are low sugar, naturally sweetened, plant-based, or dairy-free.

Fiesta Feta Dip

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Try this healthy, gluten-free Fiesta Feta Dip. It’s a recipe that is inspired by a little grocery up in Hamlin, MI. We snuck a few bites of their spicy, mouth watering chip dip during our recent lake vacation. The dip I enjoyed was similar to this and I just had to try to recreate it.

Fiesta Feta Dip is a great party dip to enjoy with chips, gluten-free pretzels, crackers, celery, carrots, or any favorite dipping food! It's a 4 ingredient dip that is simple and easy to make.

Feta as the Base

Fiesta Feta Dip is a healthier chip dip, in my book, being that it is made with feta as the base. I love a good ol’ Hormel Chili and cream cheese chip dip, but it’s not one that ever leaves me feeling normal and healthy after consumption.

This healthy feta dip is a great alternative and it is hard to over-consume (feta is pretty rich) and it leaves your taste buds and appetite satisfied.

Equipment Needed

I recommend using a food processor. I have two smaller food processors and I used my smallest one to make this dip. I guess it depends on if you double or triple the recipe to determine what size processor you will need.

Also, I didn’t own a food processor until the last few months. If you’re like me, you might try this in a blender, with an immersion blender, or mash it really well with a fork. Just be sure to chop the cilantro before hand.

Fiesta Feta Dip is a great party dip to enjoy with chips, gluten-free pretzels, crackers, celery, carrots, or any favorite dipping food! It's a 4 ingredient dip that is simple and easy to make.
Fiesta Feta Dip is a great party dip to enjoy with chips, gluten-free pretzels, crackers, celery, carrots, or any favorite dipping food! It's a 4 ingredient dip that is simple and easy to make.
Fiesta Feta Dip is a great party dip to enjoy with chips, gluten-free pretzels, crackers, celery, carrots, or any favorite dipping food! It's a 4 ingredient dip that is simple and easy to make.

Chips, Veggies, Pretzels and More

There are many things you might serve along side this dip. It’s great with:

  • pretzels,
  • tortilla or corn chips,
  • carrots or celery sticks,
  • gluten-free crackers,
  • crackers

The possibilities are pretty wide open.

I’m also wondering if this might be a really delicious panini spread/sauce or gourmet grilled cheese!

So, how about serving this healthy feta dip at your next party?! July 4th is tomorrow and if you’re serving Copycat Chipotle Chicken from the blog, why not throw this Mexican themed appetizer with it?! You’re guests will love it and it’s pretty stable in the heat for a bonus!

Let me know how you try this healthy Fiesta Feta Dip! I’d love to hear about.

Fiesta Feta Dip is a great party dip to enjoy with chips, gluten-free pretzels, crackers, celery, carrots, or any favorite dipping food! It's a 4 ingredient dip that is simple and easy to make.
Pin this picture if you like what you see (top left of picture)! Share it on Pinterest and follow me on Pinterest as well!

chip dip with chipotle and feta
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Fiesta Feta Dip

This healthy dip is made with feta as the base making it a better alternative to a cream cheese based dip or queso. It's delicious with chips, crackers, veggie sticks, or pretzels.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Mexican
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Crumbled Feta
  • 3 tbsp Adobo sauce
  • 1 full fist Fresh Cilantro it’s about 3 tablespoons
  • 4 tbsp Pico De Gallo

Instructions

  • Simply put all ingredients, except the cilantro, into a food processor and process until well incorporated and the feta has broken down to a smoother texture.
  • Add cilantro once the dip is at a decent texture and incorporate the cilantro until it is the size/texture you desire.

Notes

  1. Adobo sauce can be found at Aldi, Walmart, and most groceries. Buy a can of chipotle peppers and it is the sauce in which they are canned.
  2. If you don’t have Adobo Sauce, substitute chipotle seasoning (use 1 tablespoon and add as you go depending on what kind of chipotle seasoning you have, they’re all so different)
  3. You could use a blender or mash with a fork if you do not have a food processor.
 
 

Copycat Chipotle Chicken

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I am a huge fan of Chipotle food! Especially, now that they make a Whole30 salad bowl (not that I often order it :-). This Copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe is another one I make often. So, I thought I’d share it. I’m obviously a big chicken fan. I’ll admit, it’s the easiest meat to cook, hence, the abundance of chicken recipes on my blog.

Chipotle Chicken Spices

Years ago, I looked up a recipe and started making this meal a regular at our house. It’s evolved into my own recipe which is much easier! I simply use my Homemade Taco Seasoning and adobo sauce (if I have it in the house).

It’s so much easier than putting together the spices for one recipe each time I make it. To achieve the Copycat Chipotle style, it’s more about how you cook it than the specific spices you use. You can be a little flexible with the spices.

This easy to make Copycat Chipotle Chicken is easy to make and healthy. It can be grilled or made in an iron skillet.

How to Cook Chicken Like Chipotle

First of all, you can definitely grill this chicken after rubbing it with spices. But, to really get that authentic Chipotle style and flavor, I like to cook it in an iron skillet on the stove and in the oven.

To begin, you will need to pound the chicken out with the flat side of the meat tenderizer to get everything even. You want it to be about one inch thick. If you don’t have a meat tenderizer, use a rolling pin.

Next you will use an iron skillet to cook for 4 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other. Then, you’ll pop it into the oven for about 7 minutes.

And that’s it! It’s very easy. You will not be disappointed if you follow this process!

One important tip: Do not move the chicken around in the skillet once you’ve placed it in the piping hot iron skillet. You’ll achieve that blackened chicken flavor better if you just let it cook and flip it once.

This easy to make Copycat Chipotle Chicken is easy to make and healthy. It can be grilled or made in an iron skillet.
This easy to make Copycat Chipotle Chicken is easy to make and healthy. It can be grilled or made in an iron skillet.

Serve it with Chipotle Chicken Bowl Toppings

I love to make this for parties. Serve it with all the toppings and everyone can customize their meal:

  • salsa
  • pico de gallo
  • sour cream
  • green onions
  • cilantro
  • cilantro lime rice
  • rice
  • beans
  • dips
  • tomatoes
  • cheese
  • tacos
  • salad
  • chips
  • guacamole

July 4th or All Year Long

Like I said, this would be great for a party. July 4th is in a couple of days and if you’re looking for a meal idea, this one is great for everyone! Copycat Chipotle Chicken can be customized and made so many ways. Your party guests will love you! Also, many of these condiments will last in the heat of the outdoors if you’re partying outside! But, it’s also a great meal for any time of the year.

This easy to make Copycat Chipotle Chicken is easy to make and healthy. It can be grilled or made in an iron skillet.

Copycat Chipotle Skillet Chicken
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Copycat Chipotle Chicken

This Copycat Chipotle Chicken is an easy meal and great for hosting parties. It can be made on the grill or in an iron skillet. It’s delicious served with tortillas, rice, and/salad.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword burrito bowl, chicken, copycat chipotle chicken
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • grill or iron skillet

Ingredients

  • 1/8-1/4 cup Homemade Taco Seasoning see blog post
  • 1 tbsp adobo sauce (sauce in can of chipotle peppersubstitute chipotle seasoning or smoked paprika
  • 1 lb chicken breasts substitute chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil

Instructions

  • Instructions
  • Heat oven to 425 degrees. Or, prepare grill and set heat on medium/low.
  • Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound the thickest part of the chicken breasts to make it even with the thinnest part. About 1 inch thick throughout.
  • Once the chicken is an even thickness, pour the Homemade Taco Seasoning and adobo sauce over the chicken and rub into the meat.
  • Heat an iron skillet on high with oil. Let it heat up thoroughly for about a minute.
  • Once the skillet is good and hot, arrange the chicken breasts in the skillet. It can be packed tightly and still cook nicely. Once you place it in the skillet, do not rearrange or move the chicken. Let it cook for 4 minutes on high.
  • Turn the stove down to medium and flip the chicken after 4 minutes. Let it cook another 3 minutes. Then, pop it into the 425 degree oven for 7 minutes.
  • When the internal temperature is 165 degrees or higher, you can remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes before slicing.
  • This meal is best served with tortillas and taco toppings or as naked burritos with rice, beans, and all the trimmings. It’s also great on a salad.

Notes

  1. You can make this recipe without adobo or chipotle. It still tastes very good.
  2. It’s important not to move the chicken around on the skillet if you want to achieve those dark, blackened pieces of chicken.
  3. This nutrition label is based on using MrCormick’s seasoning and might be a little different if using my Homemade Taco seasoning.
This Copycat Chipotle Chicken is easy, healthy, and can be made Whole 30 or Paleo for your health needs. It is great for a party and delicious way to customize a party meal.
Pin this on Pinterest and use my hashtag #oliverealfood.

Easy Goat Cheese Asparagus Appetizer (Dairy-Free)

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These Easy Goat Cheese Asparagus Appetizers are simple, healthy, and elegant to serve as an appetizer for your next party.

Michigan Asparagus Season

Friends, it is asparagus season in Michigan and I couldn’t be happier. Honestly, I only became aware of the local asparagus season in the last couple of years. I distinctly remember seeing my first asparagus plant in the fields of Newaygo County only 3 or 4 years ago when our friend pointed them out to Bob and I. It’s surprisingly different than you’d expect.

As if discovering what asparagus plants looked like wasn’t interesting enough, my coworker recently started sharing her abundant access to this lovely vegetable with me. Being that her family transports asparagus for a living, she had plenty to share. She’s given me some great material to work with for this blog post! Thanks, Lauren!

Blanched Asparagus (It’s Easy)

These Easy Goat Cheese Asparagus Appetizers are simple, healthy, and elegant to serve as an appetizer for your next party.

If you’ve never blanched asparagus, or anything, here is a quick explanation. Blanching is easy! It’s a process of cooking a vegetable in boiling water for a short amount of time and then transporting it to very cold ice-water to stop the cooking process.

Different vegetables need different amounts of cooking time. For asparagus, I boiled them for 2 minutes and immediately placed the spears in a bowl of ice water. I let them rest for at least 2 minutes (probably longer/until I was ready to dry them and use for my recipe).

*Little “hack” for boiling long stems like asparagus, use a large skillet instead of a pot.

Asparagus Appetizer

This could be a meal, it’s so delicious! Originally, my friend used ham and cream cheese to wrap her asparagus spears. Genius lunch idea! I wanted to add a twist to those snappy asparagus spears she had in her lunchbox. So, here is my fancy version; snappy blanched asparagus spears wrapped in honey goat cheese and prosciutto.

Enjoy this delicious appetizer with some cheese and crackers and fresh fruit! Or, throw this on your next charcuterie board…possibly, just the ingredients and let your guests build their asparagus wraps according to their tastes!

These Easy Goat Cheese Asparagus Appetizers are simple, healthy, and elegant to serve as an appetizer for your next party.
These Easy Goat Cheese Asparagus Appetizers are simple, healthy, and elegant to serve as an appetizer for your next party.
These Easy Goat Cheese Asparagus Appetizers are simple, healthy, and elegant to serve as an appetizer for your next party.

Dairy-Free

I wanted to note that this is nearly a dairy-free recipe, however, goat cheese is considered dairy. It seems, though, that many people with intolerances to dairy from a cow can tolerate dairy from a goat. I am labeling this dairy-free to make this recipe easier to find for people looking for goat dairy recipes that are cow “dairy-free.”

These Easy Goat Cheese Asparagus Appetizers are simple, healthy, and elegant to serve as an appetizer for your next party.
Easy Goat Cheese and Asparagus appetizer
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Dairy-Free Blanched Asparagus Appetizer

This Dairy-Free Blanched Asparagus Appetizer is the perfect blend of snappy blanched apsaragus and sweet honey goat cheese wrapped in dry-sliced prosciutto.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword Dairy-free
Prep Time 10 days
Cook Time 2 days
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 12 spears fresh picked asparagus
  • 4 oz honey goat cheese
  • 1 package dry-sliced prosciutto

Instructions

  • Remove the goat cheese from the fridge to bring closer to room temperature prior to starting the recipe.
  • Blanch the asparagus by boiling the spears for two minutes and then transferring to an ice water bath.
  • Once the asparagus has rested for at least two minutes in the cold water, remove and dry it off.
  • Slice the prosciutto slices in half and layer each half slice with about 1 tsp of goat cheese. Press it onto the prosciutto to spread it.
  • Place the asparagus in the center of the prosciutto and goat cheese slice. Wrap the slice around the asparagus.
  • Keeps in the fridge for a couple of days or serve and enjoy immediately!
These Easy Goat Cheese Asparagus Appetizers are simple, healthy, and elegant to serve as an appetizer for your next party.

Homemade Healing Bone Broth

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Does anyone else notice that “bone broth” is all the rage right now? It comes in drinks, powders, soups, boxes, cans, etc. The funny thing is, this is the good stuff that used to be in our grandparents’ soups. It’s nothing new at all. Just good ol’ real food made using the whole animal. Nothing goes to waste, just like it used to be.

How to make homemade healing bone broth in the instant pot.

Broth Versus Bone Broth

So, what’s the difference between broth and bone broth? Broth is made by cooking meat or vegetables in water to create a delicious broth full of the nutrients from ingredients it was boiled with. Bone broth is the very same thing except that bones, tendons, organs, feet, skin, and nearly every part of the animal are cooked in water for an extended amount of time, or under high pressure, to create a more nutrient dense broth.

A good bone broth should congeal and become like jello as it cools (that’s because gelatin is made from the bones of animals). Plain ol’ broth will not congeal as it doesn’t have the collagen present that bone broth does.

Pressure Cooker Versus Slow Cooker

Have you heard that it’s better to make bone broth in a pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, instead of a slow cooker or simmer on the stovetop? I’ve read up on this and found some interesting information from The Paleo Mom about slow cooked bone broth and pressure cooked bone broth. Basically, the final thought is that pressure cooked is healthier as it allows for less oxidization in the broth. But, you can certainly achieve mostly the same result by slow cooking chicken bones in water for 20-24 hours.

How to make homemade healing bone broth in the instant pot.

Does the Quality of Meat Make a Difference?

This is a question I’ve had for a very long time. If I’m leaching out nutrients at a high pressure from the WHOLE animal, I’d really like it to be uncontaminated and as healthy as possible. I did some reading on this awhile ago and found some I interesting and even scary information (thank you Google). I read an article about organically raised chickens leaching lead into the broth. Wow, that got me thinking maybe organic isn’t always better? Well, once again, The Paleo Mom did the hard work and addressed this concern. Read about it here. I still try to use cage free or organic meat when making bone broth, but I also make it without at times.

Hopefully I’ve addressed many of the questions or sent you in the right direction to find more scientific, research based information about bone broth. Obviously, I am a huge fan of The Paleo Mom. Her writing is thorough and scientific.

What Do You Add to Bone Broth?

I add whole pieces of celery, carrots, and onions. I also splash some apple cider vinegar which helps with leaching out all nutrients from the bones (according to some). Of course, I also add about 5 cups of water and chicken bones. Sometimes I add spices like rosemary, thyme, and sage. And that’s it!

How to make homemade healing bone broth in the instant pot with added vegetables.
How to make homemade healing bone broth in the instant pot with added vegetables.

Is Bone Broth Healthier For You?

Bone broth is healthier for you. It’s especially good for gut health and gut healing. It also has more protein in it than broth. The good stuff in the bone broth comes from the collagen which is leached out of the bones. The collagen helps YOU grow stronger hair, bones, joints, and has healing properties for the lining of your stomach. Read The Paleo Mom’s article on bone broth for more information. She also has some great podcasts and other insights into making your own bone broth.

What Are Some Ways To Use Bone Broth?

There are a million and one ways to use this super food! First of all, I typically make bone broth from chicken bones. I usually do this after making a whole chicken for dinner. I save the bones in the freezer until I’m ready to use. You can also save chicken thighs and other bones from other meals. Here is my quick list of ways to use chicken bone broth.

  1. Brothsicles- I freeze bone broth in silicone cupcake inserts and use them in recipes or to deglaze a sauté pan. I got this idea from Cook By Color Nutrition.
  2. Fresh or frozen bone broth in smoothies. The Whole Smiths has a great “Cold Buster” smoothie in her recent cookbook which uses bone broth.
  3. Use it in soups.
  4. Use in casseroles.
  5. Drink a glass plain.
  6. Create a sauce or gravy with it.
  7. Soak your kids’ bread in it for a healthy and nutritious meal.
  8. Add it to the sauté in my Healthy Chicken Pasta Dinner in 30 Minutes recipe.
  9. Add it to my One Pot Sausage and Veggie Meal.

Can I Get My Broth To Be More Congealed?

If you find your bone broth is too thin after cooling, be sure to keep the water content at minimum on your next attempt. I put about 5 cups of water into my pressure cooker and yield about 4 cups of broth.

How to make homemade healing bone broth in the instant pot with added vegetables.
bone broth recipe instant pot
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Homemade Healing Bone Broth

This recipe explains how to use an electric pressure cooker to make chicken bone broth.
Course Soup
Servings 4 cups

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1-2 lbs chicken bones I use one whole chicken with the meat removed
  • 1 onion
  • 2-3 stalks celery
  • 3-5 carrots
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 5 cups of water Enough to cover half the bones but no more.

Instructions

  • Dump everything into the pressure cooker. Seal the the steam vent valve. Set for 2 hours and 25 minutes (I have done as little as 1 hour and 30 minutes).
  • When cooking is complete, let it naturally release.
  • Pour broth through a screen and store in a mason jar in the fridge.
  • Or, you can pour into silicone ice trays or cupcake inserts and make frozen brothsicles.

Notes

You can also use a slow cooker and cook for 20-24 hours to achieve the same results.
 
When the broth has cooled, you will see a fat layer sealing the top of the broth. It’s recommended that you remove this before eating, especially if the chicken you used was not organic, free range. Animals store toxins in their fat cells.
 
Keeps for 2 weeks WITH the fat sealing the top of the broth.

So, there you have it. Homemade Healing Bone Broth! Hope you give it a try!

This recipe explains how to make homemade healing bone broth using the instant pot and shares articles and research to support the benefits of bone broth.

Healthy Chicken Pasta Dinner in 30 Minutes

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Dinner in 30 Minutes

I am admittedly not a very good planner. I just don’t think ahead very well. It’s something I’ve had to work hard to develop in myself once I became a teacher–and parent. I still revert back to my poor planning tendencies on a regular basis which is why making dinner in 30 minutes, start to finish, is pretty important to me. Here is a recipe solution to those of you who just run out of time in a day and need to get a meal on the table in 30 minutes.

Healthy-Chicken-Pasta

Gluten Free Pasta

I very rarely make wheat pasta these days. Since doing a Whole 30, I’ve tried to change my ways when it comes to gluten. This means finding some alternatives. Currently, I’ve been using Aldi brand, LiveGfree, which is brown rice and quinoa pasta. Like any gluten-free pasta, it cooks a little different than wheat pasta. I also find it is important to rinse GF pasta when I strain it. It’s just much starchier/slimy than typical pasta and a good rinse gets rid of that sticky starch so that it has a similar texture as your normal pasta.

Also, interesting note for you. I do not like using the instant pot for my gluten-free pastas. It bubbles up in the pot and spits all kinds of sticky grime over the lid of my IP. Let me know if you have pro-tips for this!

Healthy-Chicken-Pasta

Chicken Options

The recipe suggests chicken tenders, but I have made it with chicken breasts as well. And, I think it would be delicious with boneless chicken thighs! You can cook your chicken WITH the onions and peppers OR cook it before sautéing the veggies. If you do them before hand, you can get your chicken tenders to be nicely seasoned and maybe even a little crispy but you will need to remove them from the pan and add back in later! My favorite, of course, is to crisp them up in the pan before doing the veggies.

Either way, be careful not to overdue your chicken, especially the tenders. They get pretty chewy and over done easily. Sign up for my Cupboard Companion guide over on my homepage. It includes meat cooking temperatures that will be helpful for you in cooking your chicken tenders to the perfect temperature.

Healthy-chicken-pasta
Healthy-chicken-pasta-in-30-minutes
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Healthy Chicken Pasta in 30 Minutes

This fresh veggie and pasta chicken dish is the perfect blend of wholesome pasta, chicken, and fresh vegatables. Combined with feta and lemon for a sauce, it is sure to please your whole family.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword chicken, gluten-free, healthy chicken pasta, pasta
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken Tenders thawed
  • 12 oz Pasta I use penne or fusilli
  • 3 Bell Peppers sliced
  • 1 Red Onion
  • 1 Tomato diced
  • 2 Cups Fresh Spinach
  • 1/2 Lemon to squeeze
  • 4 oz Feta Crumbled (Might need a little extra, depending on your tastes)
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic Sub a little garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp All Purpose Seasoning Use your favorite! Mine is Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper.
  • 2 TBSP Olive Oil

Instructions

  • Start by getting a pot of water boiling for your pasta.
  • While wating for water to boil, slice your peppers and onions. Check out the photos in the blog post for a quick hack on chopping peppers.
  • Next, grab a skillet, turn the heat up, and get 2 tbsp olive oil nice a hot.
  • Lay your chicken tenders in the hot oil and add your favorite seasoning. I like to use Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper or All Purpose Seasoning. You could also just do salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder (just a little).
    Turn the heat down right away to medium low.
  • Watch chicken closely until the sides are turning white and the top is only a little pink. Flip and give it a couple more minutes. Remove from pan once tenders are done and set aside.
  • Add some more olive oil to the pan. Throw in some minced garlic, sliced onions, and sliced peppers. Cover for a couple of minutes until the get soft.
  • Meanwhile, your pasta might be done and ready to drain. Remove the pasta from the water as soon as it is done and rinse.
  • When the veggies are soft, add your two cups of spinach and let it shrink down and soften.
  • Add the pasta, feta, and fresh sliced tomatoes to the skillet.
  • Squeeze a half a lemon over everything and combine.
    That's it! Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition Info:
  • Calories 520.3
  • Total Fat 16.2 g
  • Saturated Fat 4.9 g
  • Total Carbohydrate 52.5 g
  • Dietary Fiber 4.2 g
  • Sugars 3.0 g
  • Protein 41.8 g

I’d love to hear how this recipe worked for you!

-Suzi

Healthy-Chicken-Pasta