Spinach, Kale and Dandelion Green Salad with Blood Oranges, Candied Pecans and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

April 5, 2012 By 2 Comments

Spring is beautifully upon us.  Flowers are blooming, birds are singing.  Children are ready to shed their winter gloom to get outside and play.

Then there is the yard.  Lawns need to be mowed, weeds need to be pulled.

Or do they?

One advantage to living in a drought ridden area is the fact that grass has become faux pas.

Instead of wasting precious resources on frivolous things like having a green lawn, I get to focus on my garden. Watering things that help to feed and nourish my family has always been more important to me than maintaining a lawn, I’m happy to say that decision is now officially socially acceptable in my area.

But then there are weeds.

No matter how little water we have received, weeds always seem to find a way to grow.

There are some plants that I pull without hesitation.

But then there are those plants that are instead put to good use.

Unlike most, I smile when dandelions begin to appear.

Far more than an early sign that spring is on the way, dandelions are food for the soul, good for your liver and delicious to the tongue.

Every part of the dandelion can be enjoyed. Roots can be dried, ground and used as a tea with a similar flavor to coffee; or you can boil the roots and enjoy them like a small potato.  The leaves are delicious either raw or cooked, but they are best if picked before flowers begin to bloom.  And finally the yellow flowers offer a beautiful garnish for the most simple salad, sweet to the tongue, delicious in more ways than one, wow your friends with your gourmet flair and put those dandelions to good use.

In time you may start to see the dandelion for what it is, a gift of nutrition that is free for the taking.

To ease your family into your new love for these delicately delicious delights, mix the greens with more familiar lettuces like in this Spinach, Kale and Dandelion Green Salad with Blood Oranges, Candied Pecans and Blood Orange Vinaigrette.

 


Print
Spinach, Kale and Dandelion Green Salad with Blood Oranges, Candied Pecans and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Ingredients

    Blood Orange Vinaigrette
  • ½ c Juice from Blood Orange
  • ¼ c Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tbs Agave Nectar
  • 1 tsp Rosemary, crushed
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Pepper
    • Salad
  • 2 c Dandelion Greens
  • 2 c Shredded Kale, thick stems removed
  • 10 oz Spinach
  • 1 Blood Orange, Peeled and Diced
  • ½ c Candied Pecans
  • Dandelion flowers for garnish (optional)
    • Candied Pecans
  • ½ c Pecans
  • ¼ c Coconut Palm Sugar
  • ¼ c Water

Instructions

  1. Prepare vinaigrette. In pint-sized mason jar, add juice of blood orange, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, agave nectar, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and salt and pepper. With lid on jar, shake vigorously then store in refrigerator until ready to use.
  2. Prepare candied pecans. In small non-stick pan, combine pecans, palm sugar and water. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for approximately 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until pecans begin to lightly brown and sugar syrup appears dry. Watch closely as the sugar tends to burn quickly. Remove from heat and spread coated pecans over parchment lined cookie sheet. Allow to cool completely.
  3. Prepare salad. In large salad bowl, combine dandelion greens, kale, spinach, diced blood orange, candied pecans and dandelion flowers for garnish (optional). Serve with blood orange vinaigrette.
  4. Delicious alone or with eggs and roasted chicken breast for a complete meal.
  5. Serves 6-8
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This recipe is also connected to: The GFE Virtual Gluten-Free Support Group , Allergy Friendly Friday and Wellness Weekend

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Grain-Free Vegan Candy Creme Eggs

April 3, 2012 By 4 Comments

:) If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or even if you stopped by to visit my recent review of Well Fed (don’t forget to enter the giveaway while you are there!) you have heard me talk about my final plunge into the Paleo world.

While most of the recipes I have shared here over the last year have been Paleo or Paleo friendly, I must admit that up until the last few weeks, I was still indulging in things like the occasional rice or potato platter.

Going grain-free has not only been an important adjustment for my gut, limiting my sugar intake (palm, stevia or otherwise) has also been a blessing.

That being said, Easter is this weekend, and while I plan on continuing my grain-free, dairy-free, legume free ways; I will be making treats for others to enjoy including these Vegan Nutty Butter Eater Candies and the beautiful crème eggs I am sharing with you tonight. And while these are sweeter than I can eat on a regular basis because these treats are Paleo-friendly, if I stop to steal a bite I know I won’t be throwing off my whole eating plan.

Because the creme filling is made with palm sugar, it is darker than the store-bought stuff, yet the texture and flavor is spot-on to the candies we so lovingly remember.

Using turmeric to color the ‘yolk’ not only keeps you from having to use unnatural food coloring; the lightly floral flavor from the spice is a nice compliment to the candy itself.

Amazingly these treats come together in just minutes (excluding the refrigeration time to help solidify the filling/make molding these by hand possible), and other than a hand or stand mixer to make the crème creamy, there are really no special tools required.

While the measurements I use makes approximately 15 candy eggs about the same size as the store-bought versions, I could easily see making dozens of miniature versions by dropping the filling measurements from tablespoons to teaspoons or doubling the filling and making just a few giant eggs.

Because the directions below do not require a mold, you are free to measure and shape however your creative nature guides you.

However you choose to enjoy these, I hope this holiday gives you many reasons to celebrate.

Print
Grain-Free Vegan Candy Creme Eggs

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Blend together arrowroot powder and palm sugar in blender. Set aside.
  2. Using electric mixer, beat together agave nectar, palm shortening, vanilla and salt in large mixing bowl.
  3. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Measure in no more than ¾ c arrowroot and palm sugar mix at a time, blend on lowest setting until completely creamed together to prevent covering the walls with grain-free powder sugar. No matter how much you are tempted, do not go above the lowest setting (take my word on this!). Continue mixing in ¾ c at a time until powdered sugar and agave mix are completely incorporated.
  4. Divide candy crème in half, placing each half in small glass bowl. Mix turmeric into one-half candy crème until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate each bowl of candy crème filling for 2+ hours or freeze for 10-15 minutes, depending on when you want to serve your candy.
  6. When candy crème is stiff but pliable, scoop out 1 tbs of egg ‘white’ (okay, it’s light brown, but you know what it’s meant to be ;)) and flatten completely. Scoop out 1 tbs of egg ‘yolk’ and form round ball. Place the yolk in middle of the white then mold the white around the yolk, shaping the filling into the desired egg shape. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and continue this process until all of the filling has been molded into the desired shape.
  8. Return molded crème to the freezer for approximately 10 minutes or refrigerate until ready to cover with chocolate.
  9. Melt chocolate in the microwave using a ceramic bowl. Set timer for 2-minutes, but remove chocolate at 30 second intervals, stirring each time until the chocolate has completely melted. This will take approximately 1 ½-2 minutes.
  10. Remove crème eggs from freezer.
  11. If eggs flattened slightly during the original molding process, they should be stiff enough at this time to re-shape into the perfect egg (or whatever you would like them to look like). Do this before dredging each egg in chocolate.
  13. Dredge each egg in chocolate until completely covered, allow chocolate to drip lightly from the egg and place on clean parchment lined cookie sheet. Once each egg has been properly covered, return eggs to the freezer and allow them to set for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate shell has completely solidified.
  14. Remove from freezer and wrap in candy wrapper until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature.
  16. Makes approximately 15 eggs.
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Have a Happy Easter!

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Well Fed Review, Country Captain Chicken and a Giveaway!

March 31, 2012 By 34 Comments

A   couple of weeks ago I decided to float around in the “Your Recommendations” section of Amazon.

Amid the number of books Amazon thought I might be interested in was one that, while it had been floating around on my list for a while, I had never really taken the time to dig deeper into.

I’m not certain what inspired me to look inside that day.

Maybe it was the simple cover.

Maybe it was the title. I mean, I do like to eat.

Maybe it was the fact that I had just signed on to the weight-loss contest going on at work and finally decided it was high-time for me to make the total switch to a paleo-focused lifestyle (versus the heavy dabbling I have been doing for more than a year now).

Whatever it was, from the moment I finally dug into Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat, I was hooked.

Up until that time, the name Melissa Joulwan was still foreign to me.

Undoubtedly some of you are reading this and thinking “seriously, how could you not know Melissa?”

In the two days between placing my Amazon order and receiving her book, I began to wonder the same thing.

Like me, Melissa is a Texas transplant who grew up in a food-centered home.

Like me, Melissa struggled with weight throughout her childhood, avoided P.E. as best she could and secretly desired to be fit enough to someday follow our dreams through the military, but we were too embarrassed and overwhelmed to ask for the help we needed to get there.

In time Melissa found her way to health and happiness, a story she shares not only in the opening pages of Well Fed, but also on her seriously fantasmic blog The Clothes Make the Girl.

Within 24 hours of having Well Fed in my hands, I knew this book was going to be my new love.

Free of processed foods, grains, legumes, soy, sugar, dairy, alcohol, white potatoes and vegetable oils, Well Fed offers everything I needed to take that final jump into the paleo way of life without feeling the least bit deprived.  Approved by the authors of Whole9, Melissa and Dallas Hartwig (who also wrote the forward for Well Fed), there is no doubt this book offers nothing but the best of the best.

I know what you are thinking…how can you go without everything listed above and still be well fed?

Take a look at this preview over on The Clothes Make the Girl and be sure to download the free 30-page sampler while you are there.

See the Meatza Pie?

The Ginger-Lime Grilled Shrimp?

What about this Velvety Butternut Squash?

Now tell me your mouth isn’t watering.

With such beautiful food, such simple recipes made from real-food that is easy to find, how could you feel deprived?

After feeding my family for several days using Melissa’s recipes, I did something I have never done before…

I requested a copy of her book for you.

You see, this gluten-free, celiac awareness and whole-food lifestyle has blessed me with many wonderful blogging friends.  A number of my friends have written cookbooks, and in turn have privileged me with copies to review.

But to reach out to someone who I had never even conversed with was something I never felt bold enough to do.

It’s just, this book is that good.

Really.

With a resounding “yes”, Melissa not only has graced me with a copy of her beautiful book to giveaway, she has offered a lovely recipe to share.

The Country Captain Chicken is every bit as good as it looks.  Rich with exotic seasonings topped with sweet raisins, delicately roasted almonds and delightfully rich, wonderfully crunchy bacon, this is a recipe I look forward to making time and time again.

Once you have recovered from the deliciousness below, be certain to scroll down and see exactly how you can enter to win your own copy of Well Fed.

:) Enjoy!

 

Reprinted with permission from Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat. Copyright © 2011 by Melissa Joulwan.  Published by Smudge Publishing, LLC. Photo Copyright © 2011 by David Humphreys.

 

Blue Ribbon Country Captain Chicken

my mom’s award-winning version of a southern classic

 

In 1971, wearing a groovy vest-and-pants outfit she sewed herself, my mom won first prize in the Pottsville Republican’s annual Share-Your-Recipe contest. In the photo of the award ceremony at the swanky Necho Allen Hotel, she is clearly the hippest looking lady in the crowd. And she bucked tradition with her Country Captain Chicken recipe, too, omitting tomatoes and accessorizing with a sprinkle of bacon and almonds.

 

Food historians wage an ongoing battle about the origin of Country Captain Chicken, which seems appropriate. The name most likely refers to a British sea captain who carried the exotic flavors of the East to Britain and the American South sometime in the 18th century.

 

 

PREP 20 minutes

COOK 45 minutes

SERVES 6-8

 

INGREDIENTS

3 strips of sugar-free, nitrate-free bacon (optional)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

salt and black pepper, to taste

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

4 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

3 large bell peppers (red and/or green), thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

3 tablespoons raisins

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons curry powder

3 scallions, green tops only, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted*

* To toast almonds, cook over medium-high heat in a dry skillet until browned, about 2-3 minutes.

 

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

 

Cut the bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch wide pieces. Place the chopped bacon in a cold skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and fry the bacon until it’s crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan with a wooden spoon and drain on a paper towel.

 

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add the coconut oil to the bacon fat in the pan, and reheat the skillet, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken in a single layer, smooth side down. Don’t crowd the pan and don’t annoy the chicken! You want it to form a crisp, brown crust, so place it in the pan and leave it alone, about 4 minutes per side. You may need to cook it in batches or be daring (!) and get two pans going at once. As the chicken browns, place it in a single layer in a 13X9 inch pan.

 

In the same pan, without draining any remaining fat, sauté the onions, peppers, garlic, and raisins until the vegetables just begin to soften, but are not cooked through. Spread them on top of the chicken and return the skillet to the stove.

 

Pour the chicken broth into the hot skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Add the curry powder to the pan and stir until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

 

Bake 35 minutes, then remove the foil, increase the heat to 400 F, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with scallions, bacon, and almonds.

 

 

So are you ready to win your own copy of Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat?

Leave a different comment for each action below, up to seven entries per person.

1. Visit The Clothes Make The Girl, download the free 30-page PDF sampler and tell me which recipe you want to try first, and why.  If you try it, be sure to come back and let us know how well you enjoyed it!

2. “Like” And Love it, Too! on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did.

3. “Like” The Clothes Make the Girl on Facebookand leave a comment saying you did.

4. Follow @andloveittoo on Twitter and leave a comment saying you did.

5.  Follow @melicious11 on Twitter and leave a comment saying you did.

6. Help us get the word out about this giveaway by posting about it/sharing the link on your Facebook status (be sure to include @And Love it Too) and leave a comment back here saying you did.

7. Help us get the word out about this giveaway by Tweeting about it/sharing the link (be sure to include @andloveittoo in your tweet) and leave a comment back here saying you did.

Giveaway ends Friday, April 6 11:59pm CST. So many ways to enter :) Best of luck to you all!

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Eat Like a Dinosaur Winner!

March 28, 2012 By 2 Comments

Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment or share your wonderful recipes on this month’s Ingredient Challenge Monday’s challenge/giveaway post!

While the special ICM featured recipe will not be shared until this weekend, I wanted to take a moment and announce the winner of the Paleo Parents wonderful cookbook, Eat Like a Dinosaur.

 

As selected by Random.org, the winner is (drum-roll please)….

Shannon Brown

I liked And Love it, Too On Facebook.

Congratulations, Shannon!

Please be sure to contact me with where you would like me to send your copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur at andloveittoo (at) gmail (dot) com

:) Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Filed Under: Gluten Free

Papaya Lime Coconut Muffins

March 25, 2012 By 16 Comments

I’m sorry I have been so quiet this past week.

Truth is my family and I have eaten a lot of whole-food this week with very few inspirational recipes.

The best meals are those that don’t require recipes though, right? ;)

Oh, I do have a couple of special just-waiting for that right moment recipes under my belt; but with Easter quickly approaching, I am doing my best to perfect a few Eater-related, gluten-free, dairy-free refined sugar-free but still as good as you remember recipes for you to enjoy.

Then my friend Shirley Braden announced her March Muffin Madness event and I knew I had to find a way to participate.

I love muffins. Blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, lemon, banana, banana chocolate chip and more.

I must say muffins were one of the top things I missed when going gluten-free.

Knowing that Shirley is going to have something amazing and never heard of before recipes for her event, a classic blueberry muffin just wasn’t going to do.

So I took a look around my kitchen to see what inspiration I might find.

Because we are so close to Mexico and the tropical produce that comes with, this time of the year our stores are brimming with bright, beautifully exotic fruits that make you dream of days on the beach just by cutting in.  Naturally, my kitchen is well stocked with these luscious fruits waiting to be devoured.

Of these, the papaya fruit has to be one of my favorites.  Beautiful coral pink hues and lightly sweet, squeeze a little time juice on and you have created a paradise for your mouth.

These muffins highlight what I consider to be the best of the best in regard to paradisiacal delights; papaya and lime with coconut and banana, naturally sweet and no sugar needed.  Like having the ultimate fruit salad in one easy-to-carry high-protein package; these muffins may not plump up like the glutinous cousins you so fondly remember, but don’t let their flattened package fool you, these are every bit as pillowy sweet as a muffin should be.

Enjoy!

Print
Papaya Lime Coconut Muffins

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces Papaya, peeled and seeded
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Fruit of 1 lime (remove the pith and use the entire fruit, not just the juice)
  • 1 large, very ripe banana (about 4 oz)
  • ½ c Coconut Flour (unsifted, 2.75 oz)
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • ½ c Coconut Oil
  • ½ c Unsweetened Coconut Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • ½ c Shredded Coconut, unsweetened

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350f. Generously grease or line 12 muffin tins, set aside.
  2. Add all ingredients to blender in the order listed.
  3. Blend until ingredients are fully incorporated, tampering as needed.
  4. Scoop ¼ scant cup of muffin batter into each prepared tin.
  5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until muffins are golden and the centers are firm.
  6. Allow muffins to cool in the tin, they should be moist but not mushy and will firm up as they cool.
  7. Makes 12 servings.
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It’s that easy!

Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a copy of Paleo Parents new cookbook, Eat Like a Dinosaur today!  Entries close at 11:59 tomorrow, March 26, so be sure to leave your comment here to win.

Also, stop by BeBesty.com every Thursday to see a combination of new and not previously published recipes with the occasional oldie but goodie from yours truly.  Register and comment here by midnight tonight (March 25) for your chance to win a $50 Visa gift card, tell them SunnyB sent you ;)

This recipe is also connected with: Wellness Weekends

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Courses, Paleo, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Guest Post for Dixie Chik Cooks: Sugar-Free Chocolate Cashew Butter (Raw, Vegan)

March 17, 2012 By 2 Comments

This post originally aired over at Dixie Chik Cooks.  While Shea (the original Dixie Chik) is not gluten-free or dairy-free, many of her creations are naturally safe for those of us who are.  Creative, spicy, and beautifully talented, be sure to visit Dixie Chik Cooks for some beautifully southern inspiration.

 

It is always an honor to have a friend request a guest-post.  Yet even though Shea and I work together more often than most bloggers work together, because our methods of cooking are so different it is often difficult to come up with something that she and her readers will love equally as my family and my readers do.

But then, there’s chocolate.  Who doesn’t love chocolate?

When my son asked me to make him a chocolate sandwich (think: Nutella), I knew just what I wanted to share.

Because two of my children and I cannot have milk, luxuries like Nutella are a no-go for us.  That and the amount of sugar in the store-bought brands of chocolate nut-butters is enough to send my children into permanent hyper-active mode.

When there’s five of them and only one of me…

Let’s just say I avoid sugar as best I can.

Still, we like sweet. We love chocolate. And, we like to enjoy our food.

Thus, I am happy to share our solution to the no store-bought chocolate butter conundrum.

Choosing raw cashews over hazelnuts primarily because they are easier to find in our humble little town, this recipe is smooth, rich, creamy and every bit as sinfully delicious as a chocolate nut-butter should be…only, this one has none of the sugar or chemicals that come with the store brand.

Thank you, Shea, for the opportunity to share, I hope to see you all again sometime soon.

xoxo

Sugar-Free Chocolate Cashew Butter (Raw, Vegan)

3c Raw Cashews

3 Tbs Cocoa Powder

3 Tbs Coconut Oil

6 Dates, soaked 1 hour

10 drops Vanilla Crème Liquid Stevia

 

Using high-speed blender, add ingredients in the order provided above.  Blend on medium speed for about 3 minutes, tampering all ingredients until somewhat crushed, turn speed to high and continue to blend until the natural nut oils are released and the nut butter is creamy and smooth, approximately 5 minutes longer.  Remove from blender, serve and enjoy.

Store in an air tight container and refrigerate.

Makes approximately 3 cups of nut-butter.

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Grain-Free Irish Soda Bread, 2-ways

March 15, 2012 By 4 Comments

My red hair is generally a dead giveaway to one of the most distinct parts of my family ancestry.

While I grew up proud of every part of my rich, mixed family history which includes: American Indian, English, Dutch and (as mentioned before) Irish, the two portions I studied most closely were definitely my American Indian and Irish history.

This time of the year my hometown of San Diego, California, is brimming with Irish related events.  Ceili dances, food, parades, shamrocks and Irish pottery on every corner, this is truly a time to celebrate a proud Gaelic history.

As it is with many celebrations worldwide, food is certainly at the heart of any Irish Festival.

Of this, I must admit that I miss soda bread the most.

A quick search online shows two very different types of Irish Soda Bread.

If you ask an Irish man, Soda Bread is a relatively easy recipe made with flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk.

Here in America, many people identify Irish Soda Bread as sweet bread made with raisins or some other type of fruit.

Either way, this Irish girl has long missed her Irish Soda Bread.

Today I am happy to share with you a bit of my own family tradition through two very different, but very delicious types of soda bread.  One replicates a very traditional, very simple Brown Soda Bread and the other a more Americanized fruit-laced Soda Bread.

Whether you prefer one or another, I hope your St. Patty’s day is filled with many reasons to celebrate your Irish Heritage (authentic or not).

Eireann go braugh!

Print
Grain-Free Brown Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350f.
  2. Grease and flour 9” round cake pan, set aside.
  3. Mix together coconut or almond milk with lemon juice, set aside.
  4. In large mixing bowl, mix together almond meal, coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda.
  5. Slowly add wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
  6. Bake bread at 350f for 40 minutes, remove and cut “X” into the top of the batter using an oiled knife. Return to oven. Bake for another 40-50 minutes or until a knife, when inserted, comes out dry.
  7. Serve with a large dollop of coconut butter or your favorite topping.
  8. Makes 10-12 servings.
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Grain-Free Fruited Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350f.
  2. Grease and flour 9” cake pan, set aside.
  3. Mix together unsweetened coconut or almond milk and lemon juice, set aside.
  4. In large mixing bowl, whisk together beaten eggs, palm shortening and vanilla. Add in milk and lemon mixture, set aside.
  5. In large mixing bowl, bring together almond flour, arrowroot powder, palm sugar, salt, baking soda, grain-free baking powder, dried fruit and ground anise.
  6. Mix wet ingredients into dry.
  7. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake at 350f for 60-70 min.
  8. Makes 10-12 servings.
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:) Don’t forget to enter here for your chance to win a free copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur and have a wonderful St. Patty’s Day Weekend! xoxo

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holidays, Other, Paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

ICM, Giveaway and the Chocolate Mint Green Monster (AKA, the healthiest Shamrock Shake this side of the pacific)

March 12, 2012 By 20 Comments

Happy Ingredient-Challenge Monday!

As Shea and I announced last month, the 2nd Monday of every month is now dedicated to our ICM challenge!

As mentioned this past Saturday, we have a lot in store for you this month.

First, our featured ingredient for this month: Kale!

Like I have said before, I love love love my greens!  But of all the greens, kale is definitely at the top of the list.

Why?

It’s versatility.  Raw, cooked, dehydrated or blended into your favorite smoothie, this green packs a delicious nutritional punch anyway you chose to serve it.

Low calorie high fiber.  Can you say, win!?

One cup of kale has only 33 calories yet offers 5% of the daily value for fiber.  Additionally, one cup of raw kale also has 206% of your Vitamin A (for your eyesight, appetite control and taste buds), 134% Vitamin C (keeps your immune system strong), 9% of your daily calcium (for your bones, nerve function and more!), and 6% of your daily iron (keeps your blood healthy and your immune system strong).

Kale is also a good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Manganese and more!

All this from one not-so-little leaf.

Seriously, kale does a body good.

Inspired by a delicious recipe from the wonderful book I reviewed this weekend, Eat Like a Dinosaur, Shea and I are pleased to open this ICM challenge with our own very green, wonderfully delicious kale recipes for you.

 

This smoothie has all of the markings of a delicious dessert, especially when topped with a dollop of coconut whipped cream (never mind the amount in the picture below, which was solely for aesthetics, really, a spoonful will do).  Even so, packed with raw fruits and vegetables, a powerful anti-oxidant punch from the raw cocoa and a good amount of protein from the raw cashews, even without the whipped cream, I have no doubt you will find lots of not-so-guilty pleasure in this delicious drink.

Heck, I’ve been drinking it every morning for the last week.

It is that good.

With approximately three cups of kale in each large serving…

Well, I’ll let you tally the nutritional value on that.

This is good stuff.

;)

Enjoy!

Print
Chocolate Mint Green Monster (AKA, the healthiest Shamrock Shake this side of the pacific)

Ingredients

    Coconut Whipped Cream (Optional)
  • ¼ c Arrowroot Powder
  • ¼ c Palm Sugar
  • Cream from 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated at least 48 hours (I prefer Thai Kitchen)
    • Smoothie
  • 2 sliced banana’s, frozen
  • 1 handful raw cashews (approximately ¼ c)
  • 1 c unsweetened almond or coconut milk
  • 1 Tbs raw cocoa
  • ½ tsp Mint Extract
  • 4 big kale leaves, stems removed and shredded

Instructions

    Coconut Whipped Cream:
  1. Refrigerate mixing bowl for at least 2 hours.
  2. Using coffee grinder or small blender, blend together arrowroot powder and palm sugar until completely incorporated.
  3. Remove mixing bowl and coconut milk from refrigerator. Scrape cream from coconut milk container, being careful to leave as much of the water out of the cream as possible. Place in chilled mixing bowl. Using stand-mixer, whip on medium-high or high speed for about 60 seconds. Slowly add arrowroot and palm sugar ‘powdered sugar’ mix until the ideal sweetness and consistency has been achieved. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
    4. Smoothie:
  4. Load ingredients into high-speed blender in the order shown. Blend until completely smooth. Serve as-is or with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
  5. Makes 2 small or one large serving(s)
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:) Now that I have shared my kale recipe with you, won’t you share yours with us?

To enter this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday:

1. Simply link your kale recipe to the blog-hop below.

2. Link this post with your recipe, using the ICM logo (at the top of the post) or through simple mention in your individual recipe post (not your homepage).

3. You may submit more than one recipe, but please ensure you link each one correctly and only enter each recipe once.

 

What’s in it for you? :) We’re glad you asked!

Each month, Shea and I will select one winner from the ICM recipes shared and feature that recipe on our own page (double exposure, YAY!).

This month though, we have something extra-special for you.  Remember the lovely book from Paleo Parents?  Each entry into this month’s ICM challenge wins you the opportunity to win your own copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur!

:) Link it up, share your kale recipes and increase your opportunity to win!

 

Wait, what if I don’t have a blog?

That’s OKAY! There are more ways to win!

1. Do you have a fantastic kale recipe?  Leave a comment below with the recipe in full.  Shea and I will be happy to consider this in our monthly feature, and you will be entered into our monthly drawing.

2. “Like” And Love it, Too On Facebook, and leave a comment telling me you did.

3. “Like” Dixie Chik Cooks On Facebook, and leave a comment telling me you did.

4. “Like” Paleo Parents On Facebook, and leave a comment telling me you did.

5. Follow @andloveittoo On Twitter, and leave a comment telling me you did.

6. Follow @dixiechikcooksOn Twitter, and leave a comment telling me you did.

7. Follow @PaleoParents On Twitter, and leave a comment telling me you did.

Entries will be received through 11:59pm March 26, 2012.  Winners will be announced EOD March 27, 2012.

Remember, each action = 1 comment.  Each comment = 1 entry.  The more actions = the more opportunities to win!

Good luck everyone, we cannot wait to see what you come up with! xoxo

 

Filed Under: Beverages, Dairy Free, Desserts, Gluten Free, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eat Like a Dinosaur and Yummy Egg Pie

March 10, 2012 By 6 Comments

If you are a regular visitor of the gluten-free blogging world, it is likely you have heard a lot of buzz about the new cookbook from Paleo Parents titled Eat Like a Dinosaur.

Well let me tell you, this book is worth buzzing about.

I was honored to work with Stacy and Matthew, the paleo parents, back in August, when they privileged me with a guest-post and some amazing Healthy Lunchbox ideas.  So when I received a message that they wanted to share their cookbook with me, I jumped at the opportunity!

While this book is loaded with lots of wonderful tips, ideas and suggestions to help get your kids involved in preparing meals, easy to read allergy labels and great recipes; it was the opening story that really got my kids excited.

You see, Stacy and Matthew’s story is not too far off from our own.  While only two of my five children have food sensitivities and allergies, three out of seven of us (including me) physically cannot eat the way we used to. Like us, the Paleo Parents have managed to heal physical ailments and behavioral issues through changes in their diet.  So, the idea of eating habits have changing dramatically and impacting lives in a positive way is something they can all relate to.

My children were very excited to read a story, presented from the child’s view, which is very much like their own story.

And you know what?

Because every recipe in Eat Like a Dinosaur is naturally gluten and dairy-free, we can enjoy each and every one of these special creations!

How exciting is that???

Tonight, Victory Belt Publishing has given me the honor to share one of our favorite recipes (so far) from Eat Like a Dinosaur.

This egg pie is the perfect solution for a healthy breakfast, or a lovely addition to an easy dinner.  Choosing to pair this with a simple salad and a light drizzle of my easy vegan ranch dressing this meal is not only beautiful, it is filling and healthy as can be.  Most importantly, it is delicious enough that even my pickiest eater went back for more.

I have no doubt you’ll be going back for more, too.

Enjoy!

Reprinted with permission from Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & guidebook for gluten-free kids. Copyright © 2012 by Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry. Published by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

 

Kale, Bacon, & Black Olive Egg Pie

Ingredients

1/3 lb nitrate-free bacon

2 c kale, chopped

1 c black olives, chopped

8 eggs

¼ tsp black pepper

1 prebaked pie crust (p. 207) (optional)*

 

Instructions and How Kids Can Help (every recipe has a cute little hand-print next to each direction where kids can help, as identified with the bullet-point. I love this part of the book! Getting your kids involved in the kitchen is essential to their health and development.)

Cook bacon in frying pan over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes.

Remove bacon from the pan and crumble when cooled.

  • Add kale to pan with bacon fat, tossing frequently; cook until softened, about 3-minutes (do not allow to wilt entirely; it will cook more in the pie).
  • Add crumbled bacon and olives to pan with kale, cook 2 minutes until warmed through and well combined.
  • Lay vegetable mixture into precooked pie crust if using, or greased pie pan if not.
  • Beat eggs in bowl with pepper.
  • Pour egg mixture over vegetables.
  • Cover edges of pie crust with aluminum foil or pie crust protector.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes; remove once the top becomes a light golden brown.

Serves 6-10 slices.

*To obtain the pie crust recipe, purchase your copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur here

 

:) Are you ready to receive your own copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur? Inspired by the recipe above, Shea and I are featuring the beautifully in-season, perfectly green vegetable, kale for this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday posts!

Starting Monday, March 12, you will not only have the opportunity to win a feature spot on each of our blogs; we will also share exactly how you can enter to win your own copy of Eat Like a Dinosaur!

Until then, sleep well and dream of yummy kale creations.

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no-bake cookies (allergy-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, vegan)

March 4, 2012 By 8 Comments

About a week ago I pinned these beautiful, paleo-friendly no-bake cookies which were originally shared by Alison Lewis from ingredients, inc.

While Alison’s recipe is good, really good, this recipe has been the cause of much discussion over the last week.

One of the main discussions that really stuck with me is where on earth do you find good chocolate chips that don’t have cane sugar or artificial sugars in them?

While my chocolate chips of choice use evaporated cane juice, which is safe for my family; there are many (like my friend Ricki Heller from Diet Dessert and Dogs), who cannot have cane sugar of any type.

So when Ricki asked me if I knew of a good replacement for the chocolate chips, I had no positive answer for her.

I knew right then and there that I wanted to revamp this recipe, if for nothing else than to make something Ricki could enjoy, too.

The addition of flax seeds to this recipe not only increases the nutritional value of these cookies, it adds just enough of a bite, making these truly reminiscent of the texture more traditional oat-based recipes have.

Inspired by Alison’s beautiful paleo-friendly recipe, I have updated the recipe from my childhood and am happy to share these allergy-free, refined/cane sugar-free, vegan and paleo friendly no-bake cookies made just for you.

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Print
no-bake cookies (allergy-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, vegan)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In large saucepan, combine palm sugar, cocoa powder, coconut oil or palm shortening, unsweetened coconut milk and salt. Melt over medium heat until mix reaches a light simmer, stirring continuously. Lower heat slightly and continue to stir for 60 seconds. Remove from heat.
  2. Quickly stir in remaining ingredients. Drop mixture by the tablespoon onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes or until completely cool.
  3. Makes approximately 30 cookies.
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