Category: Recipes

Delicious Sweet Potato Power Bowl

I love oatmeal but it doesn’t love me. At 2:30pm, I’m doubled over in pain. Oatmeal is also really great with brown sugar and butter. Which as we all know, isn’t that great for you. However half a baked sweet potato topped with warm blueberries, coconut and banana is heavenly.

Here’s how you make it:

Heat up an already baked sweet potato in a bowl.

Toss 1/2 cup of blueberries into a microwave safe glass or into a sauce pan – heat them up until they turn into a sauce. Feel free to squeeze a lemon wedge in them.

Top the potato with the blueberries, a teaspoon of coconut oil, tablespoon of almond butter, sliced banana, pecans, coconut, cinnamon and enjoy!

This is vegan, free of refined sugars, it’s grain free and is very satisfying and easy to make.

Cooking Class: Easy Marinated Chicken

Okay – this one is for the busy ones out there, the meal preppers, the non-cooks and the single peeps. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated. This is a flat leaf parsley and garlic marinade that you can let sit for 1 hour or overnight. If you don’t know how to cook and need a starting point, this is for you.

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You can roast some baby potatoes, make a mixed green salad to go with and you’ve got yourself an easy dinner and lunch for the next day.

I use chicken thighs because they are the perfect portion and they are juicy. I think drumsticks would be great too. Scroll to the bottom to see step by step pics on how to make this. I forgot to snap a pic of the chicken on a baking sheet, it shouldn’t be crowded, about 1 inch space between pieces of chicken.

Easy Marinated Chicken, Serves 4

10 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 handful of flat leaf parsley

3 cloves of garlic

1-2 tsp of kosher salt

1-2 tbs olive oil

Marinade:

If you have a food processor- awesome. If not a knife and cutting board work fine. Put the 3 cloves of garlic in the food processor, pulse a few times, add the parsley, salt and olive oil, pulse until mixed nicely- small pieces, not a paste. Put the chicken in a ziplock baggie, or bowl, pour the mix over the chicken and mix well. Either cover and put in the fridge over night or let it sit for an hour or so.

Roasting:

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, pre-heat the oven to 375, put the chicken on a baking sheet, cook for 25 minutes, when it’s done, broil for a few seconds to get crispy on top.

Remove and serve with roasted potatoes and salad. If you serve with potatoes, start cooking them 25-30 minutes before you start roasting the chicken. Baked potatoes, button potatoes alway take about 45 min-1 hour to cook. If they are sliced or diced they can take 30 min to cook.

 

Eight chicken thighs, a handful of Italian flat leaf parsley, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tbs salt (I use Himalayan) and of course olive oil (not pictured)….

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Add the cloves to the food processor first…..pulse so they look diced….

Add the parsley, salt and olive oil…..pulse so it looks like this

Put the chicken in a bowl, container or bag and drizzle a little olive oil over it….

Add the parsley mix to the chicken……

Coat the chicken evenly with the mix and let sit for at least an hour but it can sit over night too….

Place evenly on a pan, 1″ apart, bake 25-30 min, put under the broiler to brown (eyeball it) and serve with roasted potatoes.

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Aloe Matcha Face Mask

I love staying in on Friday nights, getting take out and listening to podcasts and maybe baking something.

I was on the ‘gram recently and saw that @Bucknakedpaleo posted a face mask using all natural products. I wanted to try it and have to say, I liked it so much I made the mask 2 days in a row. My skin is so sensitive and I usually end up in breakouts or hives so I generally stay away from masks. This face mask doesn’t look gorgeous but it’s so simple to make, leaving my face feeling alive, skin incredibly soft and fresh. Take 1 tablespoon of raw aloe vera – I used aloe vera gel, a tablespoon of matcha powder and a 1/2 teaspoon of Manuka honey (regular honey works too, Manuka honey is $$$$). Mix together and apply all over your face. I used a combination of a brush and my fingers. It gets a little messy but that’s half the fun. Wait 15 minutes, rinse with cool water and finish with a few sprays of rose water and aura glow oil.

Here’s me with the face mask on….wondering if what’s going to happen. 🙂

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Scrumptious Gluten Free & Sugar Free Pecan Spice Coffee Cake

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My Scrumptious Pecan Spice Coffee Cake is the perfect fall treat. It’s the perfect combination of a vanilla, spices and pecans that go well with a cup of coffee on a cool fall morning. What’s even better is it’s refined sugar free. I adapted a Bob’s Red Mill recipe for Blueberry Muffins. Instead of using refined sugar, I used monk fruit sweetener and coconut sugar, which does not compromise flavor. Since we do not really drink cows milk at home, I used cashew milk instead. The coffee cake is full of flavor and welcomes fall with a sweet pecan flavor.

 

Scrumptious Gluten Free Pecan Spice Coffee Cake

Makes 1-9″ cake pan or 12 muffins

  • 2 Cups Bob’s Red Mill GF 1-1 Baking Flour*
  • 2 tbs cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp cloves
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup monk fruit sweetener
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 c milk (I used cashew milk)
  • Raw Pecans to top cake with

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray round cake pan with non-stick spray or line 12 muffin tins.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another bowl cream together coconut oil, monk fruit sweetener and vanilla, add eggs. Transfer mix to dry mix and stir in cashew milk. The batter will be thick, a little thinner than cookie batter. Don’t be afraid.

Spoon batter into 1-9” pan or 12 muffin cups and top with pecans.

Place pan in oven and reduce heat to 375 F. Cook 9” cake for 35-40 min and muffins for 30 min or until a toothpick comes out clean and edges are a golden brown. Let stand to cool.

Modifications:

If you are not GF use regular AP baking flour, if you have GF Flour and Xantham gum follow the ratio instructions. Of course you can use sugar, the classic recipe calls for white sugar.

 

Coconut Banana Bread (GF)

Coconut Banana Bread

Banana Bread is magical. This is a gluten free protein packed banana bread topped with shredded coconut. Rather than using refined sugar, I used coconut sugar and added a 1/2 cup of paleo protein powder for some extra protein. Although it was 11:00pm when I finished baking the bread, I had to have a sample.

Coconut Banana Bread (GF) (Makes 1 – 9×5 loaf pan)

  • 2 Bananas (Mashed)
  • 1⁄3cup olive oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Redmill)
  • 1/2 cup unflavored protein powder (I used Paleo Pro)*
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • Shredded coconut (unsweetened)
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Grease or line with parchment paper a 9×5-inch non-stick loaf pan.
  3. Cream together mashed bananas, oil, coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.
  4. Add flour, protein powder, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda to egg mixture.
  5. Mix until smooth.
  6. Pour into prepared pan, cover with shredded coconut and a little coconut sugar.
  7. Bake 9×5″ loaf for 1 hour

Enjoy!

*Do not feel like using protein powder? Use 1 3/4 Cups of Gluten Free Flour

Pulled Pork Bulgogi

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I really hate leftovers but I also really like saving money and having food on hand after a busy day. I also like meal prepping. I made some pulled pork earlier in the week and had enough for another dinner but wanted to make something new and was feeling a bowl / Asian inspired meal. To turn a standard pulled pork into something else, I added another seasoning and made a sauce to go with it (this is a good trick if you’re cooking for yourself and maybe one other person). I have a lot of ladies who cook for themselves and often express the dilemma of cooking so much food for one person.

Pulled Pork Bulgogi

Chinese 5 Spice Pulled Pork

I’m refraining from measurements here, you can add the flavors to taste and it depends on how much pork you have left. We had ¾ of a pound left.

  • Pulled pork (leftovers)
  • Chinese 5 spice to taste
  • A dash Sesame Oil –only for flavor, use it sparingly.

Sweet and Sticky Sauce (adapted from Primal Palate) – Serves 4

  • ¾ Cup Coconut Aminos
  • 1/8 TSP Fish Sauce
  • 2 Cloves of Minced Garlic
  • 1/3 TSP Ground Ginger

Coconut Lime Cauli-Rice

  • Riced Cauliflower about 4 cups (I’m lazy and buy it already riced)
  • 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
  • 1 Lime
  • Handful Shredded Coconut
  • Himalayan Salt to taste

Toppings

  • 1 or 2 Chopped Green Onions
  • Sesame Seeds for topping
  • Kimchee
  • Chili Garlic Sauce for spice

Cooking time – 30 minutes

Start the sauce first, in a sauté pan, on medium – medium high heat, add ¾ cup of coconut aminos, the fish sauce, ginger, and garlic, let bubble, reduce the heat and stir so it doesn’t stick to the pan and let it reduce about 10-15 minutes. I was hungry and mine ended up reducing to ½ cup. I’m sure I could have left it on the burner longer. When done, pour the sauce into a container so you can pour or spoon it easily on your pork.

Using the left over pulled pork, I added a little bit of sesame oil and about ½ a teaspoon – 1 teaspoon of Chinese 5 Spice to some left over pulled pork. The pork roast I bought was about 2 lbs and I had about ¾ lbs left. Add the pork to the sauté pan used to cook the sauce and let it cook. The temperature should be medium-medium high. While it’s heating up, cook the cauliflower rice. Heat the pan to medium, add a tablespoon of coconut oil to the sauce pan, add some unsweetened shredded coconut – watch it so it doesn’t burn, add the riced cauliflower, salt and stir, then add the juice of one lime. Cook the rice through.

Remove everything from the heat and plate, topping with the sauce followed by chopped green onions, red chili garlic sauce, sesame seeds and kimchee.

Enjoy!!

WTF Are These? Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie Cookies. aka a Dream Come True.

After two margaritas and some tacos I decided it was time to bake cookies.

I’m not down with grains and refined sugar, but I am down with chocolate and peanut butter (best combo ever). I’m also down with brownies and cookies. You see where this is going. I wanted both. So I made cr-ow-nies.

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I trolled the interwebs and found two recipes that fit my vision: didn’t take forever and didn’t call for a ton of ingredients. I was able to add my spin on them and out came these sexi nuggets of pure chocolaty chunky peanut buttery goodness. When I asked my husband to try them, he chewed, went silent and said…whoa WTF. That was a good sign. I’ve also had 3 in less than 12 hours.

If you have nut allergies – look away. These are not for you. I’m sorry. The cookies are a combo of raw cashews, cocoa powder and peanut butter. If you’re full on paleo, omit the peanut butter – tahini could work (although I haven’t tried it). The best part: they take max 30 minutes, start to finish.

I used my Vitamix for these. So you get little chunks of cashews in every bite. When you’re blending, you might need to stop, push the mixture down towards the blades and blend again. Just check the mix to make sure you are good with the consistency. It’s chunky, but raw cashews are pretty soft so they break down. I’m thinking a small food processor can do the job for the wet stuff + cashews. I worked really hard for a C in chemistry, I’m not super precise in measuring things — so you’ll always see a little wiggle room / go with your gut directions.

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These make about 20, 2″cookies, I used a teaspoon. I’m sure if you are super precise you can get 24 out of the batch.

On to the baking!!!!

1 cup raw cashews

1 egg

1/3 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted – get your MCT’s)

2 tablespoons peanut butter (try to avoid peanut butter with palm oil – environmental reasons)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

handful of chocolate chips ( I use Enjoy Life)

To cook:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F, line a baking sheet with a spilat (one of my favorite kitchen things) or parchment paper and a few sprays of olive oil or coconut oil so the cookies won’t stick, add the cashews, egg, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla to a blender or food processor – the mix won’t be velvety smooth, blend until kind of smooth, add the cocoa powder, baking soda, blend a little more, add the peanut butter and blend a few seconds longer.  Spoon the cookies onto the baking sheet and top with the chocolate chips (I also stirred some into the mix, but found topping the cookies with the chocolate chips looked better). Bake for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Banana Matcha Waffles

I’m shamelessly obsessed with waffles. It all started one day in college when I had breakfast in Ocean Beach at a little cafe where they sold bumper stickers saying: “The weather is here, wish you were beautiful.” Yes I know. So bad it’s good. Well, waffles might be delicious, crispy, sweet, and buttery — they are certainly not very good for you. I can’t be eating the OG waffles on the reg, I’d like to but let’s be serious here, that’s a ticket to Type 2 Diabetes and a host of other health issues. What’s a girl to do? Well I decided to seek out recipes that do not skimp on flavor but leave out the refined sugar and processed carbs.

So — the latest and greatest are my Banana Matcha Waffles. Using Wedo Banana flour, which is made from green bananas. Not every one has a waffle maker and these make a great pancake too. Clearly I need one in mine and if you’re going to buy one, don’t buy a cheap one, they suck and waffles come out steamed. Been there done that. Gross.

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I’m not really sure if Whole30 would consider this compliant or SWYPO; I don’t think this is SWYPO. When I eat them I’m not like, that was just okay, meh – I eat them and think, I’m never going back to the flour version. This recipe is an adaption of the recipe on the Wedo Banana Flour container, I’ve omitted the sweetner and added the matcha.

This is what you need, serves 4:

1/2 cup Wedo Banana flour

2 tablespoons of Matcha powder

1.5 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup Nut Milk (Almond or cashew – I’m sure you can use dairy milk)

3 eggs (we prefer pasture eggs, more spend but those yolks!)

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon (I’ve done both)

2 bananas – sliced.

Ghee, coconut oil, or non-stick spray (I use olive oil) for your frying pan and waffle maker

Time to cook:

Pre-heat you waffle iron or frying pan.

Option 1 – put everything excluding the sliced bananas into a blender and blend until smooth.

Option 2 – put everything excluding the sliced bananas into a bowl and stir until smooth.

Once the mixture is smooth and silky (this is a little thinner than you’re used to) stir the sliced bananas into the mixture, I like to mash them a little bit.

Cook, the pancakes, 60 minutes each side and waffles until ready as indicated on your waffle iron.

Serve with sliced almonds, shredded coconut, cinnamon and ghee or go traditional with maple syrup.

Obviously it’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have matcha, you can omit it.

Enjoy!!!!

 

 

Sensational Spirulina Smoothie (vegan)

FullSizeRenderSo everyone is all about “super foods” these days – there is a new discovery each week, which is exciting because we can try some new things and get a little creative.

A year or so ago I discovered spirulina and haven’t looked back. Browsing the intrawebs one day, I read about this magical green stuff and wanted to explore. I was advised to drink this mysterious dark green powder with orange juice, otherwise it would taste like a pond. So into the Vitamix went a tablespoon of spirulina powder and the orange juice. As the juice met the spirulina powder everything turned this vibrant green color. I stopped the blender, nervously poured the mixture into a glass, took a sip and wow! – it was delicious and invigorating.

Fast forward to rushing around the house one morning a couple of months ago and needing something to sustain me until midday –into the Vitamix went a scoop of protein powder, splash of almond milk, some OJ, scoop of spirulina and a spoonful of coconut oil for healthy fats, and some ice cubes. Boom! Easy. Fast. It tasted great. Not to mention it’s full of nutrients.

1 Tbsp of Spirulina Powder

1 Scoop Protein Powder (plant based)

1 Cup Fresh Orange Juice

1 Cup Almond Milk

1 Tsp Coconut Oil (optional)

1 Cup Ice Cubes (optional)

Spirulina is one of the most nutrient dense foods out there, this super food has a lengthy list of health benefits that you can read up on anywhere on the internet. I personally like Spirulina Manna by HealthForce.

Have You Hopped on the Turmeric Train?

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If not, I suggest hopping on it and making a cup of Golden Milk, you will love it. It’s tasty, comforting and filled with all sorts of amazing benefits. This drink tastes similar to chai tea and can be enjoyed in the morning or before bed to help with sleep.

Serves Two:

  • 2 Cups of Unsweetened Plain Almond Milk or Cows Milk
  • 1 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
  • 2 Tbsp of Honey (local if possible)

Optional, add one, all or none.

  • 6-10 Peppercorns
  • 6 -10 Cardamom Pods
  • 2 Tsp Coconut Oil
  • Dash of Cinnamon
  1. Add milk, turmeric and/or optional peppercorns and/or cardamom pods to a small saucepan and allow it to simmer until all the ingredients are combined.
  2. Either, pour into a tea pot and stir in honey & coconut oil or pour into separate cups and add 1 tablespoon of honey & 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to each cup.
  3. Enjoy warm!

The benefits of turmeric are endless – turmeric is a spice that has been used over 4,000 years in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Most commonly known to help with inflammation, according to WebMd turmeric is used with digestion, arthritis, headaches, and cancer. It can also help with symptoms of depression. I’ve been told in India, people use it to treat small wounds and bites. In an article written by the Mercola Institute, curcumin is one of active ingredients in turmeric that has been studied the most; and is what contributes to the healing properties found in turmeric. It is said when you add peppercorn to the milk it enhances the properties of curcumin by 1000%!

I like to add cardamom pods into the milk – they have a great flavor and reminds me of chai tea, plus, you’re getting the natural benefits found in cardamom. Cardamom is a natural detoxifier and is used to aid in digestive problems, such as indigestion and heartburn. Cardamom also relives nausea. In a posting on Organic Facts, cardamom is the Queen of Spices as it’s one of the top three most expensive spices. Saffron and vanilla are numbers one and two.

I’m a purist and know there are a lot of sugar substitutes out there. I’ve been slowly cutting out refined sugar from my diet and always have honey on hand. I try to have local honey, as it helps combat seasonal allergies, but I’m human and sometimes don’t have a chance to buy local honey. Honey has all sorts of natural benefits – Medical Daily wrote a great article called, “Liquid Gold” detailing the benefits found in honey. As I mentioned before, honey alleviates allergies, it can also boost your energy, boost memory, ease coughing, helps with sleep (Golden Milk is great before bed), and it treats wounds.

I like to add a little coconut oil to the mix because it thickens it up and adds richness to the flavor. Not to mention Organic Facts explains that coconut oil is great for the immune system. Studies have shown it helps with heart disease, it aides in digestion, and helps regulate blood sugar.

Enjoy a cup and let me know what you added to it.