Six Easy, Quick & Delicious Recipes for YOUR Optimal Health

Marita Rahlenbeck

Small SpaceFir sBigt Tastein a series of many 1 • #SmallSp 2017ac e©MaritaBig TInternational,aste LLC Thank you for your interest in preparing Big Taste, delicious food — easily and quickly — no matter how small or challenging your kitchen space may be. These recipes are tried and true. They are my go-to on a regular basis. I know you’ll enjoy them!

Make food simple and let things taste of what they are. ~ Curnosky

Small Space Big Taste 2 2017 ©Marita International, LLC I’m Marita, your master Foodie.

I have creativity and food in my DNA. My mother was a great cook; my aunt worked as a hotel chef, a third aunt is a radical cook in a completely different (full on chaotic, hot mess!) way. My uncle was very intentional and health aware decades before it was fashionable. All were influential and inspirational in their own way.

These four people were siblings and seeded something in me I was not aware of until recently. Then in June 2014 I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury which left me unable to do most things. Unable to read, work, think, converse for any length of time, listen to music or educational material, I took to the kitchen.

Let’s say for now that I’m carrying on the tradition on my mother’s side of the family!

I love to cook. I’ve learned to enjoy baking. I like to innovate.

And then there’s my radical health changes once I eliminated gluten and later all grains. What type of changes? Pains I had had for so long I didn’t realize they were SYMPTOMS of eating foods that hurt me: constant headaches, eye and neck pain — gone in the first 36 hours of eliminating gluten. Weight disappeared — 12 pounds in 8 weeks. Energy appeared.

That said, everything I prepare is gluten and grain free. I strive for dairy free, but I do so enjoy a nice cheese! My most recent elimination is soy. That insidious little bugger is hidden in many things! And I’m on a mission to find them and get rid of them.

Join me.

Marita Rahlenbeck

Small Space Big Taste 3 2017 ©Marita International, LLC SLOW COOKER — GRASS FED BEEF ROAST One 3-4 pound roast easily serves 4 • Prep time: 20 minutes • Cook time: 6 - 8 hours on low

This easy, plan ahead meal is delicious and versatile in how you choose to season it and what you choose to add to it once cooked and pulled apart.

Special thanks for my friend INGREDIENTS: Jason who inspired this dish. One 3-4 pound grass fed chuck roast Salt, pepper and any seasonings you prefer Lingzhi tea or water Red wine if you like

ADDED VEGETABLES FOR LATER ADDITION: Mushrooms • Onions • Parsnips • Carrots • Celery

METHOD: Cut roast in chunks and season. Place in slow cooker, add Lingzhi tea (see separate instructions) and a bit of red wine if desired. Turn slow cooker on low and allow to cook for 8 hours. The meat will be super tender; pull apart with a fork. Saute any combination of your chosen vegetables and mix in with the pulled meat. Add Lingzhi tea, water and/or wine for desired consistency. Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes. If you eat gluten, egg noodles would be delicious. Of course, offer up additional vegetable sides as well.

Enjoy!

Small Space Big Taste 4 2017 ©Marita International, LLC SLOW COOKER — COCONUT CURRY CHICKEN 2-3 pounds of chicken easily serves 4-6 • Prep time: 25 minutes • Cook time: 6-8 hours on low

Adapted from the Food Charlatan INGREDIENTS: 2-3 pounds Chicken Thighs (remove skin) 2 cans Coconut Milk 1 large Red Onion, chopped (don’t have red onion? yellow is fine) 2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced 1 8 oz package of Mushrooms, chopped 1-2 cups Green Cabbage, sliced

2 T dried Basil 2 t Salt ¾ t Pepper 1½ T Curry Powder ½ t Chili Powder

You can also add parsnips, celery or carrot too.

METHOD: Combine coconut milk and all spices in slow cooker. Add chicken, onions, garlic, mushrooms and any additional vegetables you’ve selected. Feeling ambitious? Sear the meat first. More ambitious? Saute vegetables in olive or coconut oil too. Doing so adds another layer of depth to the flavors, but if you’re uninspired or low on time, it’s not necessary. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Or 3-4 on high. I like the low heat setting because the meat is that much more tender. Pull apart the meat (if necessary!) and serve with potatoes. If you eat grain, there’s a plethora of options. Grain free? “Rice” cauliflower.

Delicious! And enjoy!

Small Space Big Taste 5 2017 ©Marita International, LLC GRAIN FREE GRANOLA — LINGZHI INFUSED Makes a lot! And probably won’t last long!

Tip: Use what you have and what you prefer yet allow yourself to explore different combinations of flavors and textures. Don’t have “enough” of one nut or seed? No matter. No one will ever know.

INGREDIENTS: 4-5 cups of Nuts. Choose from Pecans • Walnuts • Cashews • Hazelnuts • Pistachios • Almonds 1-2 cups of Seeds. Choose from Pumpkin (Pepitos) • Sunflower • Hemp • Chia 1-2 cups Dried Fruit Choose from Raisins • Cherries • Wolfberries (Goji) • Blueberries • Apricot 1 cup Coconut Flakes 1 cup Shredded Coconut 1 Tbsp Cinnamon ______1/3 cup Melted Coconut Oil 1/3 cup Maple Syrup (the real syrup, not imitation) 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla (optional) 2 packs of Alphay Zhi Cell OR 4-6 capsules of any Alphay formula*

Small Space Big Taste 6 2017 ©Marita International, LLC METHOD: Mix together all ingredients up to the ______in a large bowl. Melt coconut oil on low heat in a small saucepan. Stir in maple syrup, add vanilla if desired. Gently combine together the dry and wet ingredients. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread mixture out evenly and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove from oven. Mixture will be moist. While still moist, sprinkle Zhi Cell or your choice of Alphay’s medical mushroom formula over batch and stir. Allow to completely cool before placing in airtight container.

I like to make a healthy fat smoothie (see separate instructions) and pour over a bowl of this delicious granola!

*Zhi Cell is premium, extremely bio-available cellular support. To learn more about Zhi Cell visit http://bit.ly/zhicell4you For more information on the medicinal mushroom formulations, visit http://bit.ly/energyandvitality or I’m happy to help via email. See page 11 for information about the Lingzhi.

Small Space Big Taste 7 2017 ©Marita International, LLC MARITA’S FAVORITE HEALTHY FAT SMOOTHIE One generous serving

I love healthy fat smoothies! Why? Because they burn slow and keep us feeling full and happy a long time (4-6 hours, sometimes longer).

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 can organic Coconut Milk Lingzhi tea 1/2 Avocado 1/3 Banana Handful of Berries (or other seasonal fruit) 1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped Kale OR Spinach leaves (I don’t chop the spinach) 1 scoop protein powder 1 packet of Alphay Zhi Cell*

METHOD: Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend til smooth. Add Lingzhi tea (or water or almond milk) to achieve desired consistency.

Ideas on other goodness to add: Nut Butters Hemp Seed Chia Seed Aloe Vera Juice (1-2 Tbsp) Young Living’s Ningxia Red (Yum!) A drop or two of Young Living Lemon or Orange Essential Oil

Small Space Big Taste 8 2017 ©Marita International, LLC CARROT & ONION FRITTERS Makes approximately 20

INGREDIENTS: 3 cups shredded Carrot ¼ cup finely chopped Onion ¼ cup finely chopped Parsley 1 Egg 2 T Arrowroot Flour Salt • Pepper EVOO for frying

This is not an exact science. Don’t have enough carrots? Add potato instead. Or beet. Or zucchini. If you use zucchini be sure to squeeze out all the excess moisture. It’s delicious with carrot!

METHOD: Shred carrots, chop onions and parsley and combine in a large bowl. Beat in egg and gradually mix in flour. Add salt and pepper and any additional seasonings to taste. Heat fry pan, and add EVOO. Spoon carrot mixture in 3-4 inch rounds into oil. Fry until brown on one side; turn. Serve with a side salad and/or bowl of soup.

Enjoy!

Small Space Big Taste 9 2017 ©Marita International, LLC GRAIN FREE SWEET POTATO MUFFINS Makes 11…. I know. I don’t get it either.

Adapted from Healthy Holistic Living INGREDIENTS: 1 small Sweet Potato, baked (about 1 cup) 3 organic Eggs ¾ cup of canned Coconut Milk 2 tbsp of Olive Oil ¼ cup of pure Maple Syrup 1 cup of Almond Flour ¼ cup of Coconut Flour 1 tbsp Baking Powder ½ tsp pink Himalayan Salt 1 tbsp of Cinnamon • 1 tsp of Ginger* • ⅛ tsp of Cloves* & Nutmeg*

METHOD: You’ll need a baked sweet potato. You can bake it ahead of time when you’re already using the oven for something else or you can bake it now when you’re wanting to bake these lovelies.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a 12-hole muffin tray. (I recommend coconut oil)

Using a food processor (don’t have one? a hand mixer is fine, too) whip together sweet potato, olive oil, eggs, coconut milk and maple syrup until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together, then pour into sweet potato mixture in batches until fully combined.

Fill each muffin tin until ⅔ full. Bake for 25 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

Serve with your favorite jam and/or coconut oil! Yum!

*Don’t have these spices on hand? If you have food grade, safe to ingest essential oils in the house, use them here!

Small Space Big Taste 10 2017 ©Marita International, LLC (BREWING) LINGZHI TEA 1 bag yields 2 quarts when you follow these instructions

(That’s a lot, right?! great value here. Big bang for your buck!)

FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT LINGZHI IS

The Lingzhi is known as as the herb of Longevity, Immortality and is also a symbol of Good Luck, Good Health and Happiness. It is considered the King of medicinal mushrooms and has over 5000 years of history in traditional Chinese Medicine. Imagine your life when you infuse this goodness into your food! Not to mention drinking the tea. It is a delicious addition to your beverage choices — from iced to room temperature to hot.

If you have not heard of Lingzhi before, but are familiar with Reishi, know it is the same mushroom, just a different language. Lingzhi in Latin is Ganoderma lucidum. Maybe you’re familiar with that term. Google that along with any type of health concern and you will be amazed. Try it. It’s true!

This is not the place to discuss all the amazing health benefits of Lingzhi, just know it is a powerful source of immune support.

I recommend Alphay’s Lingzhi Royal Tea Blend. When it comes to nutrition, this is seriously a great value. One tea bag yields 2 quarts. Visualize this: one bottle of wine, one bottle of kombucha and a large cup of coffee. That’s 2 quarts….

Small Space Big Taste 11 2017 ©Marita International, LLC BREWING THE TEA:

The secret to achieving the rich, robust flavor is to steep — the longer the tea steeps, the more robust the flavor and the more the medicinal mushroom properties are released.

In a 2.5 quart pot add 2 quarts of filtered water and one tea sachet. Bring to a rolling boil and then allow to simmer for 1-2 hours — until it begins to smell amazing. (I have a gas stove … your stove may require this time to be adjusted.)

Allow to cool, refrigerate and use as your “cooking water” (soups, gravies, sauces). Any recipe calling for water, consider using this tea. It’s a subtle and easy way to bring the nutrition of the Lingzhi into your food!

Of course, reheat as the simple, elegant cup of tea it naturally is! I personally love it at room temperature. (please don’t use the microwave!)

Add honey and lemon for a very different experience! Serve on ice with berries and cinnamon in the summer! Be creative and enjoy!

I’d love for you to consider buying some! And I’d be honored and grateful if you’d support my business by visiting http://bit.ly/energyandvitality.

Small Space Big Taste 12 2017 ©Marita International, LLC Thank you again for your interest in preparing quick, easy and delicious meals! Your body and family will thank you!

Have a question? Email me at [email protected] and use Small Space Big Taste in the subject line!

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Small Space Big Taste 13 2017 ©Marita International, LLC