Paleo Pad Thai, Gluten Free Brownies and Coconut Whipped Cream…. Oh My
Last night I went a little hog wild in the kitchen. I was planning on making the Paleo Pad Thai from the book Well Fed (I got the recipe off of Carrot-n-Cake here). I thought this would be an easy, peasy recipe. It was a wee bit more labor intensive than I thought. However, it is really good and it made a ton of left overs. I basically followed Tina’s post on the recipe, but I doubled the recipe and added about 2 more cups of spaghetti squash. I also used broccolini instead of pea pods. The sunshine sauce in this recipe is kinda amazing. Deep thoughts…
I threw a little of it over mixed greens for din-din. So good!
After dinner, I got a wild hair up my fanny and decided I needed to make a brownie recipe that I pulled out of Oxygen magazine months ago
Some of the goods used in the operation:
I basically followed their recipe, except I used Xyla instead of Stevia, cacao powder instead of unsweetened chocolate and coffee grounds instead of expresso powder. This recipe is a keeper and really simple. Side note: this is the first time I have ever baked with Xyla and I really like it. Xyla is xylitol -According to iherb it is a low glycemic sugar that is processed from natural xylan-rich sources. Xylitol is metabolized independently of insulin and is safe for diabetics and anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle. {source} Basically it is a sugar substitute that is not full of carcinogens and it doesn’t leave the funky after taste that stevia can leave. Big fan. To learn more about the benefits of this darling, go here.
Here is the recipe I used, which is heavily adapted from Oxygen Magazine’s Sugar Free, Gluten-Free Brownie Recipe
The Goods:
- 12 T of raw cacao or 60z unsweetened chocolate
- 3/4c butter ( they called for unsalted butter, but I didn’t have any, so I just went with regular)
- 3/4c Xyla or powdered Stevia or if you want to go the sugar route- 1.5c sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1t vanilla extract
- 1/4c + 2T gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/2t salt
- 3t of ground up coffee or 3t of instant expresso powder
- Pre Heat oven to 325
- grease 8inch square baking pan.
- In a small saucepan dissolve the chocolate with the butter over low heat- whisk until both are completely melted
- Remove from heat and stir in Xyla (or whatever sugar you are using)
- Transfer to medium bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time with an electric mixer then add the vanilla
- Mix in the Flour, salt and expresso powder
- Flod batter into prepared pan and spread evenly
- Bake for 21-24 minutes- brownies may still appear moist on the surface
- allow to cool
On a different note, did anybody see Parenthood last night? Love. That. Show.
I am out… Happy Wednesday!
A few of my weekend eats.
I am a little late on this post. My Monday was little cray cray, so pardon the delay.
I have to admit, I am not very good about snapping photos of my eats over the weekend. However, I did manage to capture Friday & Sunday’s dinners as well as Saturday’s breakfast.
I have turned into quite the salad afficiando. This was Friday night’s din-din. In this beast: spinach, artichoke hearts, zucchini, candied hazelnuts, a sprinkling of parmesan and dressed with curry powder, nutritional yeast, and spicy cashew sauce. A tuna filet also landed on top of this guy, but he did not get his kodak moment.
Sunday’s salad explosion= spinach, shredded cabbage, quinoa, seaweed (stay with me), avocado and dressed with nutritional yeast, siracha, and peanut butter sauce (see recipe below). A cod filet also landed on this creation, but he, too, missed his moment in the spotlight.
Healthified Peanut butter sauce:
- 6T PB2 powdered peanut butter (or peanut flour)
- 2T low sodium Tamari
- 1T toasted sesame oil
- 1/2T raw honey
- a few drops of liquid stevia
- 3T water
- 2T brown rice vinegar
- Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk until smooth.
The Goods:
- 1/2 med sweet potato (cooked)
- 1 egg
- 2 egg whites
- 1T chia seeds
- 1T ground flaxseeds
- 1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
- 5-10 drops of liquid stevia
- dash of vanilla & cinnamon
- 1T natural peanut butter
- 1/2T dark chocolate chips
- crack eggs in small bowl and whisk
- in a a small sauce pan on low heat mash sweet potato
- add in all ingredients except for the eggs and stir
- add the eggs, turn heat to medium and whisk until they all gel together (approximately 3-5 min). This process always seems like it takes forever. Be patient- they always come together
- remove from heat and top with peanut butter & chocolate chips or whatever your little heart desires.
pickles and breakfast
this title is a wee bit deceiving. i did not have pickles for breakfast, although i might. however, i did partake in a portland pickle party this weekend. and i made two really amazing breakfasts, hence the very clever title.
da pickle party. i would love to say i that i am responsible for the amazing pickle creations and that i now know how to pickle, but that would be a lie. i basically drank wine, washed dishes and observed the pickling process. i can’t stop typing some version of the word “pickle.”
pickling was a hoot and i may do it again or i may just buy store bought pickles… either way, i loved spending a weekend with ma ladies!
now on to these breakfasts i speak of.
first up: no oat “oat meal”
this recipe is adapted from carrots-n-cake’s recipe. i have made this before, but I tweaked it a wee bit more and i am simply tickled by how it came out
the goods:
- 3 egg whites
- 1T chia seeds
- 1T ground flaxseeds
- 1/4c unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/3 banana (mashed)
- 1/4 c frozen cherries & blueberries
- 1/2t vanilla
- 1/2t cinnamon
- dash of sea salt & liquid stevia (optional)
how to:
- crack eggs in a separate bowl
- put all of the ingredients (except the frozen berries) in a small sauce pan and heat on low for 2 minutes
- add the egg whites and whisk continuously for a few minutes. this can feel like it is taking forever.
- after “oatmeal” has reached the desired consistency add the frozen berries and stir for 1-2 minutes
- serve with topping of choice. i choose a giant scoop of peanut butter.
if you are thinking about going the paleo route this is a great breakfast.
breakfast numero 2: oats in a jar (aka OTA)
i had an almost empty peanut butter jar and a brand new protein powder. a combo that screams for oats in a jar.
plant fusion protein powder came in the mail a little over a week ago. it is vegan, gluten free, soy free and sugar free. it also offers a full amino acid profile, which is tricky with vegetarian protein powders. the only vegan protein powder i like is metagenic’s ultra clear ph, but it is time for a change. so far, i like this one. he was superb in this morning’s breakfast.
the goods for oats in a jar
- nearly empty peanut butter jar (almond butter will suffice if you must)
- 1/2c oats
- 1c water
- dash of unsweetened coco milk
- 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 5 strawberries (quartered)
- handful of blueberries
- 1/3 banana (mashed)
- dash of sea salt, cinnamon, & vanilla
how to:
- bring oats, water, vanilla, sea salt, & cinnamon to a boil
- reduce heat to a low for 5 min
- stir in banana, blueberries, & strawberries
- stir in coconut milk & protein powder
- pour mixture in peanut butter jar
- feel pleased as punch with yourself and consume your goods
And with that, I am off to the dentist. I am also pondering chopping my hair off today. big plans
Happy Tuesday!
month of fun
Happy June 1st!
I have decided to deem June the month fun. I have no validity behind this declaration other than I want have more fun- damn it.
Here are some of my thoughts on fun (prepare to be enlightened):
1. Most Americans do not have enough of it.
2. It makes you skinny. Say what?! Generally when we allow for more fun in our life we are less inclined to turn to a bag of Doritos to give us a sense of elation. Additionally, fun ignites a sense of relaxation and we digest our food far more efficiently in a relaxed state.
3. We are not put on this planet to be miserable, we get one shot, so we should probably enjoy it a little.
This so called “fun” I am referring too, does not require you to quit your job and a move to Tahiti. Although, that’s not a bad idea. I am talking about finding fun in the little things. Get a massage, manicure or facial. Instead of cleaning your bathroom, go get a drink with a friend. Please know that I have to deem a month of fun because I am the type of being that has a very unhealthy relationship with my to-do list, so this type of “fun” needs to happen more in my life. I am a creature of habit and I am boring myself to tears.
Here are my fun goals for June (Again, prepare to be enlightened)
- get something done (i.e. mani/ pedi/ Eyebrow wax)
- start going to yoga a few nights a week as a way to take a break from my beloved computer
- ride ma bike
- try new recipes
- turn off the TV and read a fun book
- have more happy hours with my chums and honey
- get outside
- go on a vacation- just so happens that I have one planned. Woot!
Bottom line: deviate from my daily routine in ANY way.
apparently I got a jump start on said “fun” because I made a new recipe on Wednesday night. I was craving curry and chicken, so Chicken Curry soup I made.
I bring you Slow Cooker Chicken Curry:
The Goods:
- 2lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1t coconut oil (for greasing slow cooker)
- 1 white onion (chopped)
- 2 large garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 medium size sweet potato (chopped)
- 2 medium size broccoli heads (chopped)
- 1T curry
- 1T cumin
- 1/2T Graham Masala
- 1t Tagine spice
- 1t sea salt
How to:
- grease up slow cooker with coconut oil
- put coconut milk & spices in slow cooker and whisk together until you get a creamy, consistent mixture
- place chicken breasts in cooker on high for 4 hours (could also do low for 6 hours)
- after 2 hours add sweet potatoes, onion & garlic
- after three hours add broccoli
- let cook for the full 4 hours (on high) or 6-8 hours (on low)
Serves 4-6
I had it for dinner again last night and added a wee bit of kale & chard
In honor of my month of fun, today’s breakfast consisted of chocolate, peanut butter quinoa. I am wild!!!
1/4c quinoa + 1/2 scoop chocolate vegilite protein powder+ 1/2 banana+ 1T peanut butter+ a titch of vanilla, cinnamon & coconut milk+ a few blueberries = pure fun.
Furthermore, I ate this bowl of pure fun on our front porch instead of the computer. I am on a roll…
I fully intended on getting my bangs trimmed today and having drinks with chums and honey. Let the fun brigade continue!
Hope your day is filled with fun!
Happy Friday!
summer lovin’
technically it is not summer yet, but it feels like it. We had blue skies and 80 degree temps this past weekend and we are set to enjoy several more days of this bliss. Given the rain that we usually experience this time of year, I am beside myself with glee.
Saturday started out with left over sprouted quinoa, berries, peanut butter and raw protein powder.
I am not sure how I feel about this protein powder. So far, I don’t love it in smoothies or oatmeal/ quinoa. Perhaps it will be a good protein powder to bake with?
After a quick gym sesh, I came home to do computer work in the sun.
Please ignore my pasty limbs
Burt also got his sun on:
On Sunday we had breakfast at a new coffee shop (however, I forgot my camera, so no photos), I got back on my bike for the first time in a looooong time and I discovered that I actually really like riding outside. I would imagine part of this love affair had to with the weather. After our mini bike ride we got to tackling our house, we cleaned, hung a few pictures, worked on the yard (well, Keith worked on the yard), hit up the grocery store, then made our first grill out feast in our new back yard. Woot!
We are still sans patio furniture, so camping chairs and a side table became our dining material
I dined on this medley of homemade cole slaw, kale, grilled veggies and there is a buffalo burger patty underneath there some where. I made this miso tahini dressing for the kale portion and it was amaze.
I also enjoyed half of sir sweet potato
My dining partner:
My other dining partner
I went inside to grab my dessert and this is what I came out to
I need to take a moment to touch on dessert.
I finally purchased Jordan almonds and cinnamon bears. There is a little bulk candy section at the Grocery store we frequent and every time I pass it, I dream of indulging. I am so glad I did. These nuggets of naughty really hit the spot. This may not be the healthiest of choices, but it was exactly what I was craving, so I only needed a few to satisfy me.
And with that, I am off to walk the pug.
Happy Monday!
kitchen domination
Last month the husband and I added up how much we spend at the grocery store and dining out and it wasn’t pretty. Food is definitely where the majority of our funds go, so in an effort to stretch our grocery store purchases and eat out less, I went a little nuts preparing eats for the week. I am also hoping that my prepping will aid in the loosening of my ever tightening pantalones.
Here’s what happened:
First up: a crust-less broccoli quiche.
Recipe:
The goods:
- 1 large broccoli head (chopped)
- 1 leek (chopped)
- 2 garlic gloves (chopped)
- approx. 14 mushrooms (chopped)
- 4 organic eggs
- 4 organic egg whites
- 2T feta
- 1.5t Ghee (butter, evoo, or coco oil will also work)- this is for sautéing veggies
- coco oil for pan greasing or whatever oil you so desire
- 1/8t garlic salt (to taste)
- 1/2t tumeric
- dash of black pepper
How To:
- pre heat oven to 325
- grease 12″ pie pan
- heat ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in garlic, mushrooms, broccoli, salt, pepper and turmeric and continue cooking until soft.
- in a large bowl whisk eggs & egg whites together. Add broccoil mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.
- Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Next up:
slow cooker, salsa chicken.
I have seen this recipe (if you can call it a recipe) on other blogs and cooking websites, unfortunately I cannot remember what ones.
How To:
- line 3 (or however many you desire) chicken breasts on the bottom of slowcooker
- pour entire jar of salsa over chicken breasts
- set slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-5 hours
- done
The chicken turns out superb and it couldn’t be easier. We ate some of it last night on top of a kale salad. Unfortunately, no photo was snapped.
Moving on…
eggs were hard boiled:
After a night of soaking, chickpeas were cooked. Dry chickpeas from the bulk section are so much more economical, but I always fight the purchasing of them because of the soaking required to use them. However, it just isn’t that hard. At 11:00 on Saturday night I put a cup of dry chickpeas in a bowl and covered them with room temperature water then went to bed. Why do I struggle with this?
I froze half of this batch, so next week all I will have to do is thaw. Again, why do I fight this process?
Next up:
Two sweet potatoes were baked. So easy: clean potatoes, wrap in tin foil, stick in oven or in toaster oven at 425 for 40-50 min depending on size. This process does not even require clean up.
Because I have a hearty sweet tooth, I needed to make sure I had some appetizing desserts on hand.
Behold grain-free, protein packed, spice muffins:
Stay tuned: Recipe to come this week.
The Man Piece’s Birthday is today. Happy Birthday Man Piece (Aka Keith)!! In lieu of his day of birth, he requested peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies. I obliged. I made these delights with the ingredients I had on hand which meant, they ended up being gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and egg-free. They still turned out pretty darn good. I should know because I think I ate my weight in dough and the Birthday boy seemed to enjoy.
Stay tuned: This recipe is also coming your way this week.
Burt also had one helluva Sunday. After using up the remainder of the sunflower butter in the above creation, Burt got to help in the jar cleaning process.
Very good at his job. Very good.
2 things I am not proud of
{source}
1. I just goggled “bachelor spoiler.” I do not know what crawled up my knickers. I don’t even watch the damn thing. Well, I sorta do, but that is not really important. I honestly could not tell you what I learned via this very intellectual search. I was so bored two sentences into the article, I stopped reading. If the picture on the website is any indication, then I think I know the answer. I will sleep soundly tonight.
2. I have had 7 of these little darlings. Six were consumed before 10:00 AM. At 9:30 last night I got a wild hair up my fanny and decided to make these grain-free sesame cookies from Elana’s pantry. I know I am on this blog way too much. I pretty much followed her recipe except I used grass-fed butter for the grape seed oil and maple syrup for the agave. I cannot tell you how amazing these cookies are. I have about 7 cookies left and it is taking every last bit of strength I have to not eat them.
I am off to study for my first Integrative Institute for Nutrition exam. I wonder if there is a question on there on how to control a cookie addiction? Deep thoughts
devil
Happy Wednesday!
meat madness
pardon my blog hiatus, these things happen from time-to-time.
Here is recap of what has been happening in ma neck-o-the-woods
Sunday we had breakfast at one of my favorite breakfasts spots in Portland, Cloud Seven Cafe.
I got Petunia’s Pies & Pasteries gluten-free, vegan spice cake. I do not know what they do to their baked goods, but they are beyond delish. I can’t stop thinking about this gem. I will be recreating.
Coffee made this gem even better
And so did this guy- despite the fact he is currently perusing Mr. iPhone.
After breakfast we ran a few thrilling errands that involved Keith getting new work shoes and me getting a sassy, green blouse. We also hit up the grocery store, so I could get my cook on for the duration of the day.
I had the ambition to make oodles of eats that worked with the Live Fit program.
I made Jamie’s Apple Cinnamon Protein Bars. I would show, you a picture, but I forgot to take one. And they are not very good, so I am thinking the garbage disposal might be dining on them in the near future.
I also adapted her Turkey Meatloaf Muffins. They turned out swimmingly and they make a superb salad topper.
Here is my version of the meat muffins.
- 2lbs ground, organic, grass-fed buffalo
- 2 egg whites
- 1 whole egg
- 2T ground flax
- 2t dried mustard
- 2t black pepper
- 1t chipotle pepper spice
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2.5 celery stalked (finely chopped)
- 2 carrot sticks (finely chopped)
How to:
- Pre heat oven to 375
- grease muffin tins with coconut oil
- mix all ingredients together in med-lrg bowl
- roll mixture into balls and place in muffin tin. Muffins are about the size of a tennis ball
- bake for 40 minutes
makes 15 muffins.
After the meat muffins were in the oven, I decided to try my hands at roasting a whole chicken. I saw a recipe for a roasted chicken with prunes and olives on Carrots-n-Cake and thought it looked so dang good, I saw it again on Elana’s Pantry while sleuthing for soup recipes, so I decided I must give it a whirl. I followed Elana’s recipe to the tee and it was the best chicken I have ever had. My love with Mr. Chicken is slightly amazing given, I sincerely considered giving up meat after preparing the fella. I definitely shed a tear or 7. I wish I was joking. I am a bit of a nutball. If you can get past any emotions that might come up in the prep of roasting a whole chicken, they really are super easy. I know, I am an odd duck.
Mr. Chicken was consumed on a bed of welcoming spinach and roasted brussel sprouts
And with that, I am signing off.
Happy Tuesday!
muffin numero duex
Yesterday I shared the sweet muffin recipe that I made on Sunday. Today, the savory variety is coming your way.
Introducing flax, egg, & rosemary muffins:
I got the idea for this recipe from a Oxygen Magazine.
This recipe calls for ground turkey, which I did not have and it only called for 1 egg. I had four eggs that needed to be used up, so I modified the recipe to look like this.
The Goods:
- 4 medium Eggs
- 1/2 cup Organic Flax Seeds Ground
- 1 medium Sweet Potato
- 2 tsp Rosemary, Fresh
- 1 2/5 g Sea Salt
- 3 Raw Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 cup mozzarella Cheese
- 1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
accessible health
Lately I am obsessed with Whole Foods’ salad bar. Every time I get their salad bar, I always think if I only I could have this stuff accessible to me at all times, I would eat buckets of veggies for every meal of the day. As it stands, I do eat a decent amount of vegetables (on most days), but there is something ridiculously convenient about having cut veggies, protein, nuts and salad dressings all lined up waiting to be picked, that I am mildly obsessed with. It seems that if everybody had the ease of such a spread, we would all eat healthy all of the time. Ok maybe that is a stretch, but I know it is a lot easier to grab a handful chips or pop a frozen pizza in the oven when I am less than motivated to prepare lunch, dinner or a snack. As much as I adore that glorious salad bar, there is no way my budget will allow for such an indulgence to be had at every meal, every day, so I decided to recreate THE bar. Honestly, this is not a monumental task and I am not reinventing the wheel here, but for all of those people who need a gentle nudge towards eating healthier, I suggest spending one day of the week, prepping. Please do not underestimate the power of prep. Sunday, I did just that.
I got my greens washed:
begging for some toppings
I boiled some beets
I roasted some squash & yams
I boiled some eggs
The Husband grilled a chicken breast
I pulled a bunch of beans out of the freezer that I cooked up last week. However, forget to get them to pose for the camera.
Cut up the above ingredients, place in separate containers and poof Whole Foods’ salad bar. Or a wee bit dialed down version:
a wee bit less glamorous, but the outcome is still just as delish
I usually top salad monster with a variety of toppings that are at my finger tips to allow for an ease of plopping right on top. I rotate between:
- blue cheese crumbles
- goat cheese
- pecans
- walnuts
- dried currants
- apples
Salad dressing usually involves some combo of:
- olive oil
- honey mustard- if you have not tried this, you must
- apple cider or balsamic vinegar
- fresh squeezed lemon
ta da
If you’re still not sold on the in-house salad monster, ponder this: The more veggies you eat, the more veggies you want to eat. The more veggies you eat the better you feel and the less cookies you consume. With that said, instead of worrying about eliminating certain foods from your diet, focus on bringing in more veggies and the not-so-healthy foods will stop taking up the starring role in your diet. Give it a whirl and see if you agree.
What are simple things you do to help keep healthy habits up?
