Let’s talk about peanut butter. This is a subject that has been peeving me for quite some time. You might be wondering how peanut butter could peeve someone, so I’m going to tell you.

They aren’t all created the same.

Most people know that there is a difference between their childhood Jif peanut butter spread and a jar of natural peanut butter that you have to stir. You know, the kind that has TWO ingredients, peanuts and salt? Well, now those marketing buffs are fooling people into thinking they are buying healthy foods when they are not. They have begun labeling jars of peanut butter with the word “natural” when, in fact, they contain added oil and sugar. There’s nothing natural about that! I can’t tell you how many time I’ve bought a jar of “natural” peanut butter and gotten home only to realize there are more ingredients than I bargained for. That really peeves me! Peanut butter doesn’t need all that stuff. It is velvety and delicious just the way it is. Our kids don’t need extra sugar. They get way more than enough sugar around every turn. And, those parents who are trying to do the right thing shouldn’t have to inspect labels that read “natural.”

Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now. That subject really fires me up.

What can I say? I love peanut butter! And that’s why I created this velvety, rich peanut stew inspired by the many recipes for African Peanut Stew that are floating around the web. I took elements of several recipes and came up with this hearty stew. Even better I was able to throw in plenty of greens and add an extra hit of protein by adding chickpeas.

Just do me a favor when you make this stew- please use natural peanut butter AND read the label! Seriously. This stew has no need for oil OR sugar. It has all the flavor and whole food plant based ingredients it needs!

Here is a video to show you how it’s made in the Instant Pot. Don’t forget to subscribe while you are there!

xo Jaime

Never have I cooked a lentil until this past weekend. I did it in my Instant Pot of course! In my quest to find some more plant based recipes, I was watching a bunch of videos and reading recipes about Lentil Chili. But, listen folks. I am SO sick of Mexican dishes. It seems like every whole 30 or healthy recipe is seasoned with cumin and chili powder. I need a break from that. I threw caution to the wind and just winged this recipe.

It turned out so tasty! Lentils, though – they kind of look like mush so prepare yourself. And, they overcook quickly. I saw some recipes online that had red lentils cooking for like 20 minutes! I imagine they would completely dissolve. I chose a cooking time in my Instant Pot that left them just slightly firm. Try not to forget to do the quick release as you want these to stop cooking quickly.

There are so many different ways you can eat these through the week. Eat them as a stew. Scoop them over some fresh steamed broccoli or over a baked potato for a carb-heavy meal. Put them as a side with your favorite meat. It is such a hearty dish that it will keep great through the week after you meal prep.

The big question I am anticipating:

I hate coconut. Can I sub the oil and coconut milk? Yes. Use olive oil or avocado oil instead of coconut oil. If you are subbing the canned coconut milk, use heavy cream. However, and this is important, add the heavy cream AFTER cooking is complete. Dairy products can sometimes curdle. These substitutions obviously change the overall flavor of this recipe, but it should still be tasty!

Check out a video on this prep here:

xo Jaime

I love rice. I think it constituted about 90% of my diet in college. The other 10% was Fruity Pebbles. Lately, I have been craving that Yellow Rice that you get in the grocery store. You know, the kind that is like 65 cents, full of sodium, and looks like this…

But, I’m not in college anymore. So, I care about things like my blood pressure.

During a recent vacation, my friend whipped up her version of Yellow Rice in her Instant Pot and I was intrigued. I took her recipe home and tweaked it out to fit my taste preferences. I thought you might enjoy it too! This recipe is very, very basic and can be enhanced with additional seasonings like onion power or curry. You can also opt to toast your basmati rice in the oil before adding the other ingredients. Go crazy and throw in some diced onions sautéed in the oil too! Or, be lazy like me and follow the easy recipe below.

If you are a visual person, here is a how-to video complete with Paw Patrol in the background. Yay!

Enjoy!
xo Jaime

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I’m off the grains again. This time it wasn’t by choice. The new fitness program that I’m doing cuts out all grains on the third week. As I’m writing this, I’m on Day 20 and tomorrow is the last day. My results are pretty stunning. The best side effect is that this meal plan has been terrific for my husband’s struggle with Ulerative Colitis. When I told him that tomorrow is the last day of the program, he was practically begging me not to go back to cooking with grains again.

But. There is always a “but.”

Cutting grains ain’t easy, honey! I needed something that felt like a “cheat.” Since I just got a brand spankin’ new Power XL Air Fryer, I was anxious to “fry” something. I happened to have quite a lot of Tapioca Starch from when I was doing the Paleo(ish) diet earlier this year. So, I thought I would give it a shot as a breading for fried chicken thighs. The results were off the hook! In 20 minutes, I had perfectly fried and crispy chicken thighs.

A couple things…

I have kind of given up on dragging out my pro camera for my food blog posts. I know that sounds lazy, but my life is nuts and I don’t have time to edit a ton of photos. To be honest, I don’t even really have time to take good photos on my phone. Until I find more time, I am giving the world my crap-tastic iPhone photos. I have been finding myself ditching blog posts because of the anxiety associated with editing all the food pics. Therefore, I’m choosing posting more often over pretty photos!

Secondly, when I cook, I tend to do pinches of this and that instead of measuring everything out exactly. Feel free to leave your measuring spoons in the drawer and grab a pinch or two of these spices. Do what’s easy for you! You can also add seasonings that you personally love to the mixture. Don’t love turmeric, but love Old Bay? Do what floats your boat.

Please note this post contains Amazon affiliate links that help support this blog. If you purchase using my links, you help me keep this blog alive! My opinions are my own and I have no sponsorships whatsoever.