Ingredient-Challenge Monday: Very Berry Fruit Bowl with Spiced Whipped Coconut Cream

July 9, 2012 By 19 Comments

Happy Ingredient-Challenge Monday, everyone!

I hope you are brimming with excitement…if the recent entries are any indication; I cannot wait to see what you have for us this month.

I don’t know about you, but I have had a great day!

Yes, I know it’s Monday, but this really was a great day.

Why you ask?

My husband, sons and I all began our day with an intense cardio workout at the gym.  Only recently have we started all working out together, for a long time it was me working out alone, and I was okay with that…but more recently we decided to make a move that would get us all out the door together.  We manage to get up and out the door by 5am together, and our boys are awake and ready without mom or dad having to say a word!

How many 13 year olds do you know who will do that? Especially during summer break?!

Shortly after we got home, my husband updated his facebook status to this:

“I’ve lost 11 pounds in 14 days. Maybe this crazy diet my wife has me on isn’t so bad.”

As you may recall, my husband agreed to join me on my second Whole30, his first.

And he has stuck with it, stopped himself from making poor food decisions and recently told his boss not to purchase lunch for him at their company meeting this Friday, saying that he would rather bring something that is ‘totally safe’ for him right now than have to worry about what a restaurant is going to do.

Seriously, this man is awesome.

The only aspect of the Whole30 he has not been sold on?  No weighing in during the entire 30 day process, hence the facebook mention above…

But you know what? If that is the one shortfall he has on this program, I can live with it.

So after all of this, I went in to work for a while.

Yes, even teachers work during the summer.

While I was there, one of my co-workers asked me what I was doing to “lose so much weight,” and earnestly was hoping for some insight and direction.

Now keep in mind, I have no idea how much I have lost.  The last time I was weighed was for our campus weight loss challenge back in May where I learned just 11 days in to my first Whole30 that I had dropped 9 pounds (yes, I broke the weigh-in rule my first go-round, too).  And frankly, we don’t own a scale and there is no way I am hopping on one that is stationed in middle of our gym…no way.

Really though, it doesn’t matter…I feel better, my clothes fit better, and now other people are noticing!

I don’t know why that matters, but it does.

Anyhow…this has really been a great Monday for me; I hope you can say the same about yours.

Now, on to our Ingredient Challenge for July!

As announced yesterday, this month I am challenging you to share your favorite blueberry recipe.

Why blueberries?

Well let’s start with the fact that one cup, one whole cup of blueberries has only 84 calories.  In these 84 calories, you’ll also get 14% of your RDA in fiber, 24% in Vitamin C, and a good dose of Vitamin A, Calcium and Iron. More importantly though, blueberries are rich in anti-oxidants (http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/blueberries.html), so not only will you stay thin and healthy by eating blueberries, you’ll stay young as well! ;)

Sounds like my kind of fruit.

Before I share this recipe, I will say I feel a little guilty over the simplicity of this dish.

My kids suggest that I make a blueberry cobbler, but the main recipe I use has already been shared with you.

My oldest daughter shouted, “MAKE SOME OF YOUR SORBET, MAMA!” To which I said, “I’ve already shared that one, too.”

Then my husband spoke up and said, “make some more of that creamy berry thing you made the other day, that was really, really good.”

Now how could I resist?

So for this Ingredient Challenge Monday, I am proud to share with you the creamy berry thing my husband loved so much.

:) Enjoy!

Print
Very Berry Fruit Bowl with Spiced Whipped Coconut Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 can Whole-Fat Coconut Milk (I prefer Thai Kitchen)
  • 2 c Fresh Blueberries
  • 8 Strawberries
  • 1 Nectarine, or Peach, really any stone fruit would do well in this recipe.
  • ¼ c Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
  • ¼ tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 pinches of Cardamom
  • 1 tiny pinch of Sea Salt

Instructions

  1. First, refrigerate your coconut milk for several hours, overnight is best. Frankly, I always have at least one can of coconut milk in my fridge, just in case.
  2. Place your whipping bowl in the freezer and allow it to chill while you prepare the fruit and the coconut flakes.
  3. Preheat medium sized cast-iron or any other dry skillet over medium-high heat. Let this warm while you prepare your fruit, you’ll be back to it in just a moment.
  4. Prepare fruit by rinsing, drying and slicing strawberries and nectarine. Divide into two bowls and add one cup of blueberries to each. Gently toss fruit together and set aside.
  5. Pour ¼ c coconut flakes into warm skillet, spreading evenly over the pan. Stir gently until flakes are golden in color. Remove from heat and set aside. Resist the urge to take a bite, once you start on these it is nearly impossible to stop.
  6. Remove whipping bowl from freezer and prepare your whipping tool of choice (I prefer my stand mixer for this). Remove coconut milk from refrigerator, open and remove the firm cream from the coconut water below. Sprinkle in cinnamon, cardamom and the tiny pinch of sea salt. Whip cream until desired consistency is achieved. If the cream is too liquidy, return bowl to freezer for 5-10 minutes, check and either return if still too runny or whip once firm but not frozen.
  7. Top each bowl with ½ spiced whipped coconut cream, sprinkle ½ toasted coconut flakes on to each bowl. Serve immediately.
  8. Serves 2
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Are you ready to share your beloved blueberry best?

It’s easy! Simply link your recipe back to this page, come back and link in with the linky tool below.

Because this blog is a gluten-free and dairy-free blog, I do ask that your recipes also be gluten-free and dairy-free.  Please also keep in mind that I want to try your creations in my own home and do my best to make each and every item you share…that being said, as the main cook in the home, the more Paleo-Friendly your recipe is, the more likely I will be able to taste it.

What do I mean by Paleo-Friendly? Well, it must be free of grains (including corn and quinoa), dairy (already a given), legumes (beans and peanuts), and free of refined sugars.

Many naturally gluten-free and dairy-free recipes fit nicely into the paleo lifestyle. Gluten-free vegan foods are welcome, as are gluten-free non-vegan foods.  As long as it is free of gluten and dairy, it is welcome here!

That being said, if there is something (like sugar or peanuts) that can easily be substituted without changing the nature of your recipe…and if you are okay with me throwing my own minor tweaks in when I give your recipe a try, please share! I promise to keep my changes minimal as I aim to taste YOUR recipe, not create my own.

So are you ready to have the next ICM featured recipe??

Link it up and have a wonderful week! xoxo

This recipe is also shared with: Wellness Weekends, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

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

Ingredient Challenge Monday Featured Recipe- Strawberry Arugula Salad with Sweet Cilantro Honey Dressing from Heather, The Gluten-Free Cat and ICM Challenge-Ingredient Announcement!

July 8, 2012 By 4 Comments

Months that begin on a Sunday or a Monday seem to mess with me.  Here it is, July 8 and it’s already the second week of the month.

What does that mean?

That means tomorrow is Ingredient-Challenge Monday!

And I almost forgot.

Before I go on and tell you what ingredient we will be playing with this month, I would first like to brag a little about the spectacular recipes we had the opportunity to try last month!

First, these Vegan and Grain Free Strawberry Shortcake Push-Pops are simply amazing.  Even though Danielle was our first entry into the Strawberry Ingredient Challenge, I was pretty certain her recipe would take the cake (pun intended).

And while Danielle did not win our featured recipe spot this month…she was a very close, I almost had to feature two recipes these were so good, winner.

I’m not certain I could select a third recipe to feature.  Maybe it’s because we love strawberries so much, or maybe it’s because all of the recipes were just.that.good. But really, my family enjoyed everything from this Anti-Aging Strawberry Energy Smoothie to this Fresh Strawberry Pie in a Chocolate Crust (oh my!).

But even with several desserts on the list, it was the salads that won us over. (weird but true)

This Asparagus, Strawberry and Basil Salad with Mosto Cotto was very filling and brimming over with summer time flavor.  If you have never tried Mosto Cotto, Janet gives a link where you can purchase your own…as far as balsamic’s go, this is one of my favorites.

I was surprised by the joyous response my children gave when a second strawberry salad graced our table.

I like to include fruits, nuts and all sorts of flavors when I make salad, but there was something about the addition of big, fresh strawberries in each of these salads that made my children smile.

That being said, this Strawberry Arugula Salad with Sweet Cilantro Honey Dressing is a definite winner!

From the coolness of the cucumber to the delightfully green dressing, there is so much to love about this salad.  For once though, I favored a little less garlic than this recipe called for (I am usually a double or nothing type garlic girl).  For my children, especially, 2 cloves of garlic seemed to do the trick, although 4 cloves not only intensifies the flavor, it adds a bit of unexpected spice that will please most grownups.

Two or four, I am pleased to present you with this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Featured Recipe.

Thanks, Heather! xoxo

Strawberry Arugula Salad with Sweet Cilantro Honey Dressing from Heather, The Gluten-Free Cat

Salad ingredients:

  • 4 c. arugula
  • 1 c. sliced strawberries
  • 1 c. chopped cucumber
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 whole strawberry, fan cut

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1 c. cilantro
  • 1 c. olive oil
  • 2 T. honey (or agave nectar)
  • 4 cloves garlic

Directions:

1.  Place all dressing ingredients in a mini food processor or Vitamix and blend until smooth.

2.  Place arugula in a bowl and layer strawberries and cucumbers on top.

3.  Fan the avocado slices on top of the salad.

4.  Fan cut the whole strawberry and place on top for decoration.

5.  Drizzle entire salad with dressing.

Serves 4-6

 

Now that you have enjoyed Heather’s delightful recipe, are you ready for this month’s challenge??

With so many summertime options, I really had a difficult time narrowing down one ingredient to play with.  I mean really, watermelon would be great, then there is basil, oh and eggplant or maybe zucchini…but no, when I went through the list of options with my family, it was unanimously decided that blueberries need to be our featured ingredient for the month.

So get ready, break out those aprons and prepare to send your most fabulous gluten-free and dairy-free blueberry recipes my way!

I will have my own blueberry recipe with linky posted late tomorrow, July 9th, and I look forward to seeing you then!

xoxo

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

In My Gluten-Free Kitchen

July 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This post was originally written for the Celiacs in the House, In My Gluten-Free Kitchen event. Wendy has done a lovely job of compiling a tremendous list of gluten-free bloggers who have been kind enough to let us in their kitchen.  Many live in a completely gluten-free home like mine, and many live in a shared kitchen where the struggle to keep cross contamination to a minimum is a daily reality.

When you have a chance, be sure to stop by Celiacs in the House to see some amazing kitchens from gluten-free bloggers all over the globe.

For now, I hope you enjoy this “peek” into the heart of my home…In My Gluten-Free Kitchen.

________________________________________________________________________

In my home there are five children, one husband and a busy busy wife/mommy/teacher/taxi driver who does her best to feed her family safe foods that are delicious and healthy, too.

I wish I could say I had the perfect kitchen.

I don’t.

But what I do have is a kitchen that is constantly in motion, big enough to fit my entire family without stepping on each other’s toes, but small enough not to feel overwhelming.

Now that school is out, this is what an average lunch time view of my kitchen is:

 

The charming 1950’s cabinets, stove and yellow tile are all original to the house. The stove works perfectly and I simply adore the classic features this frigidare model offers.  In the front right-half of the photo, you may notice several jars, which is typical as I usually have some sort of canning project going on this time of the year; and in front of that is my water bottle and lunch.  While I insist that my family and I eat dinner together, especially during the summer, lunch is a time where we are usually all scattered about and I am lucky to get in a nibble of anything.  But I do eat.

Behind all of that you probably noticed a big white box hooked up to our sink.

Yes, this is our dishwasher.  No, we do not have one installed. No, this is not a full-sized portable model…it is half-sized at best, but we make due.  What doesn’t go in there gets hand-washed by my children.  For us, it works.

On the counters you will find items I use several times a week, if not daily.  My vita-mix, George Foreman grill and dehydrator are in constant use and fit nicely over in this back corner.

 

My larger counter holds my utensil canisters, a sunflower box filled with jars of various seeds and nuts, vegetables, mixer and microwave.  This is my prep area, storage area and often acts as our family serving area as well.  Truly, this is the most used counter in the home.

 

Behind this large counter is our newest appliance, a very well needed 31-cubic foot French-door refrigerator.  While my home is 100% gluten-free, we do live with dairy and non-dairy eaters and always have milk on hand for both.  As you will see, there are lots of fruits and vegetables, pre-made meals and planned-overs, homemade butters, ketchup, mayonnaise and more…most of them stored in mason jars, many stored in recycled canisters which once held more traditional store-bought versions of the same item (like the ketchup over to the right).

 

Facing back towards the main part of my kitchen, off to the left is the entry way into my dining room.  Yes, those are jello molds on the wall behind my stove. No, I am not 90. Heck, I’m barely one-third of that.  I have a 1950’s kitchen, what do you expect? My jello molds fit in fine where they are.

 

 

In our dining room, along with our table, china cabinet and built-in hutch, we have what I call our fruit counter.  Here you can usually find apples, pears and bananas.  Seasonal fruit like watermelons are on hand throughout the summer, and before this picture was taken I had that bottom bowl filled with big, beautiful grapes.  It looks like little hands got a hold of them before I could take the picture, but that’s okay…we make these items accessible for our kids and they know they can snack on these without any complaint from mom.  It sure beats cookies and candy, doesn’t it? ;)

 

Outside we have one of the more important areas of my gluten-free kitchen…my garden.  Being early June, many of my plants are just now starting to grow.  While some of them look a little frumpy in this 100+ degree heat, they perk up in the evening when the air is moist and the weather is cool.

 

Most importantly, several of these plants are already producing.  This little garden will provide enough fully organic fruits and vegetables to save my family hundreds throughout the year.  I can’t imagine feeding my family any other way.

 

Back inside and downstairs in my basement; we are blessed to have a ginormous pantry which holds our precious food storage, full-sized freezer, canning, decorating, food storage equipment and more.

 

You may have noticed the large grey buckets in the kitchen as well.  Given the size of my family, I buy most everything in bulk.  Lined with BPA free food safe storage liners, these grey buckets hold things like almond flour, coconut flakes, etc. I can’t imagine trying to store enough food for my family without them.

 

The shelves in my pantry are filled with all kinds of canned goods.  Dozens of jars filled with homemade broth, fruit sweetened jams and preserves, pickles and still room for more.  I love this space!

There you have it.  My perfectly imperfect kitchen.  Filled with love, laughter, delicious food and the center of all things good…everything I could ever hope for.

Maybe not so imperfect after all.

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Cherry-Lime Flavored Water

July 3, 2012 By 17 Comments

The last few days have brought some significant changes to my home.

After much discussion, my husband agreed to join me on my second Whole30, which began just a couple of days ago.

Why is this such a big deal?

My husband is a die-hard dairy-loving gluten-eating sugar-binging wonderful man.

Don’t get me wrong…he is fully supportive of our gluten-free household. In fact, once it was realized just how sensitive I am to gluten and how any amount of it in a house with five children was going to find its way into my body, he was the first to say gluten had to go!

That doesn’t mean he stopped eating it though. He just doesn’t eat it at home.

So for him to agree to eat only what I give him and ditch his beloved Monsters and snacks at the local convenience store (yuck!) for an entire 30 days…well, that means a lot!

Forget the fact that I need to wake up an extra 30 minutes earlier to ensure I can feed him a good breakfast before he leaves for work; forget the fact that he protests, often in jest, to the level of health he is now enjoying at every meal (not just dinner anymore!); forget all of this and rejoice with me that he is willing to eliminate the junk and do what is right, both inside and out (at least for the next 30 days but I am aiming for beyond!).

To this point though, I haven’t been able to get my spouse to read either the original e-book The Whole30 Success Guide or our copy of It Starts with Food (ISWF), both written by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, both containing the vital information regarding Whole30 (although ISWF is far more detailed with both scientific and logical information related to the Whole30 plan. Either way, you are guaranteed a great read).

To counteract this reality, he quizzes me several times a day about what is allowed and what is not allowed, he trusts me to feed him only what is safe and asks me before he eats anything I haven’t directly offered.

His number one complaint? No soda!

Today I stated to him plainly, “You are a sugar addict, a caffeine addict and a carb fiend. I am too. I did this plan all on my own and found success in it. You can do this, I am here to help.”

As a compromise I am doing all I can to offer him drinks, just once a day, that are on-plan but just enough to keep him from getting (as he said) “bored with all this water.”

Today I whipped up a batch of this Cherry-Lime flavored water, first with mineral water then with filtered water.  To my surprise the filter water won him over, although I truly enjoyed the fizz from the mineral water.

Reminiscent of those sugar laden drinks found throughout the southern states, this drink is light and refreshing yet free of all the junk you are trying to avoid. Perfect for your Independence Day celebration, I hope you find as much satisfaction in this as we have!

xoxo

Print
Cherry-Lime Flavored Water

Ingredients

  • 1 c Fresh Cherries, halved and pitted
  • 1 whole lime, sliced thin
  • 1 liter Mineral or Filtered Water

Instructions

  1. In a large pitcher, using a wooden spoon or the tamper(er?) from your blender, mash together cherries and lime slices, releasing as much of their natural juice as you can.
  2. Cover fruit mixture with water and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before serving (if using mineral water, I recommend serving as soon after as you can because mineral water loses its fizz very quickly).
  3. Serve over ice.
  4. Makes 4 servings
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This recipe has also been shared on: Allergy Free Wednesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

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Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger, Ricki Heller from Diet Dessert and Dogs

June 26, 2012 By 6 Comments

I was so excited when Shannon from Enjoying Gluten-Free Life contacted me to let me know that the sign-up for this month’s Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger was ready to go because there is one blogger I have been waiting to adopt but always seem to either miss the sign-up date (darn day-job distractions ;) ) or when I do get to sign up, she is already taken.

This month I am honored to adopt Ricki Heller from Diet Dessert and Dogs.

What can I say about Ricki?  Well first, despite our differences (she’s vegan, I’m not), we have sooooo much in common.

Ricki and I are both educators.  She teaches at a University, I teach at a K-12 school.

Ricki and I both have spouses who eat differently than we do.  I’m grain-free, my hubby is not.  Ricki is vegan, her hubby is not.  Regardless, we love them, they love us and we make our dietary differences work.

Ricki has dogs, I have dogs.

And lastly, Ricki and I both love our salad, but still leave plenty of room for dessert (have your cake and love it…diet dessert…yeah, you get the picture).

Because of these similarities, I must admit that I had a very difficult time determining which recipes I wanted to share with you.  I have tried many of Ricki’s recipes and have loved every one of them. Heaven’s knows her Raw Chocolate Fudge-Topped Brownies are reason alone to put Ricki on your follow list!

Of all her recipes, there is one that has truly become a staple in our home.

About a year ago Ricki shared an ‘almost instant’ grain-free breakfast cereal that looked very similar to one of my beloved childhood favorites—cream of wheat.  I remember being so excited about this recipe and so grateful that I had everything on hand to make it that I had whipped up our first bowl within minutes of her post being published.

Since then, this Easy No-Cook, Grain-Free Breakfast Porridge has graced our table at least once a week, every week.  Really. It is that good.

With so many great recipes, I couldn’t stop at just one.  If you have been over to the In My Gluten-Free Kitchen series at Celiacs in the House, in the recent tour of my own Gluten-Free kitchen you may have noticed my ‘fruit counter’ with a big, beautiful watermelon on it.  This time of the year we eat at least 1-2 watermelons a week, so when Ricki shared this Watermelon-Basil Cooler I knew I wanted to try it!

Just fancy enough to be served in a grown up glass, this cooler certainly hit the spot.  If you have never enjoyed the taste of basil and watermelon together, this is a great way to start!

Thanks for hosting this month’s event, Shannon.  And thank you, Ricki, for being you! xoxo

Do you have a blogger you would like to adopt?  There is still time to sign up for June! And Shannon made certain there is an opportunity for all of you to join in, blog or not.  Hurry! Don’t miss your chance.

I hope you will all join me for next month’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger which will be hosted right here at And Love it, Too!  xoxo

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Chinese Chicken Salad (Paleo, Fruit-Sweetened, Whole30)

June 20, 2012 By 19 Comments

 

This month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free  is perfect for summer.  With digits well into the 100’s here, I’m all for keeping my oven time to a minimum, so having an extra push to play with some of my favorite salad recipes was something I gladly jumped into!

This Chinese Chicken Salad is an updated version of a classic cabbage salad my mom used to make when I was younger.  You may be familiar with the Top Ramen Chicken Salad? Loaded with fried noodles, salt and not-so-good for you ingredients, looking back at this ‘healthy’ meal makes me cringe a little.

That being said, I always enjoyed this salad. In fact, this was one of my pregnant cravings. Every.single.time.

V8, beef jerky and Top Ramen Chinese Chicken salad.  My other cravings varied, but I guarantee you if I was pregnant, I would be wanting one or all of the above at any time nearly every.single.day.

While I am not pregnant, when I received two beautiful heads of Napa Cabbage in a recent order from Bountiful Baskets, I knew I wanted to finally nail down a more ‘me’ friendly version of this salad.

Having recently finished my first Whole30, I am a little obsessed with making anything and everything without sweeteners of any sort.

As you know, I have been using non-refined sugars for more than a year now; but this is different.

While the occasional fruit-juice sweetened item is allowed, part of the Whole30 program includes eliminating all sweeteners, including stevia. Effectively, the Whole30 program is designed to reset your body, your mind, and your taste buds.

The purpose of eliminating all sweeteners goes beyond a mere breaking the sugar cycle ideal, it ensures you taste your food for what it is, tasting your food for what it should be.

And you know what? Beyond being the most difficult part of the program for me (I even found stevia as an included ingredient on my favorite herbal tea, seriously!?) eliminating all sweeteners taught me something…

I don’t need to sweeten my food nearly as often as I thought I did, and when a little sweetness is required, a little fruit juice goes a long way.

So while I may use a bit of honey, maple syrup, palm sugar or stevia when I am not on the Whole30 program, expect to see many, many more recipes without any of the above.

And because of how I felt on the end of my first Whole30, the fact that I was running easier and faster, the fact that my skin was clearer than it has been (probably ever), the fact that I dropped quite a bit of weight (although I don’t know exactly how much because we don’t own a scale! But who cares? My clothes fit better and that matters more in the scheme of things); because of all of this expect to see many more Whole30 type recipes from here on out.

Want to learn more about the Whole30? If you read my review of Well Fed, you may have noted the mention of Melissa and Dallas Hartwig from Whole9.  Whole30 is their brainchild and ultimately what pushed Melissa Joulwan into her own health-centric lifestyle.

The epitome of the paleo lifestyle, a great guideline and a fantastic way to live, the Whole30 program is something everyone can do and something I really feel everyone should do to rest our minds, our bodies and our lives.

In case you were wondering, despite being a paleo-centric lifestyle, Melissa and Dallas have made alternative menu suggestions for followers who are vegan, vegetarian and those suffer from any other food related allergies or autoimmune syndromes.

So yes, you too can do this! ;) It’s worth it, I promise.

Learn more about the Whole30 and buy the Success Guide here; or even better, invest in Dallas and Melissa Hartwig’s new book: It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways.  My copy should be here sometime today, after which I will begin my second Whole30 and with this, look forward to even more progress and continued success.

Without further adieu, here is my entry into this month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free

 

Print
Chinese Chicken Salad (Paleo, Fruit-Sweetened, Whole30)

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 head Napa Cabbage, chopped
  • 5 stalks Celery, sliced
  • 3 Spring Onions, whites and greens, sliced
  • 8 oz Snow Peas
  • 1 c Raw Cashew Pieces
    • Dressing:
  • ¼ c Coconut Aminos
  • ¼ c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ¼ c Pineapple Juice
  • 1 Tbs Dried Chives
  • 1 Tbs Dried Onions
  • 1 Tbs Dried Parsley Flakes
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400f. On parchment lined baking sheet, sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic, salt and pepper. Bake until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 170f. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  2. Prepare dressing by combining coconut aminos, extra virgin olive oil, pineapple juice, chives, onions, parsley, garlic powder and onion powder in a medium Mason jar or shaker mug. Shake until well combined and set aside.
  3. Prepare salad by mixing together cabbage, celery, spring onions, snow peas and cashews. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss chicken and dressing in with salad base and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
  4. Make up to 2 days before serving, flavor is absorbed without salad becoming soggy (yay!).
  5. Serves 8.
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This recipe is also being shared with: Allergy Free Wednesdays, The GFE-Virtual Support Group

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Ingredient-Challenge Monday: Strawberry Mojito Sorbet (Fruit-Juice Sweetened, Vegan, Raw, Paleo)

June 11, 2012 By 20 Comments

Welcome to Ingredient Challenge Monday!!

As announced yesterday, this month I am challenging you to bring your best strawberry recipe to the table.

Some things you should know…I.love.strawberries. I do! In fact, now that they are in season, I have purchased more than 20 pounds of strawberries in the last month alone (no joke!).  Some have been frozen, some have been turned in to fruit juice sweetened jam while others have been dehydrated (I have about 3 pounds of strawberries in the dehydrator right this moment) and many have simply been eaten and enjoyed by my entire family.

And you know what? According to The World’s Healthiest Foods this little obsession of mine is a good thing! Especially since I enjoy them most in their purest form.

That being said…I didn’t create this challenge to have you all show me how you eat your every-day strawberries. No, I am hoping to see your most exotic, yet healthy strawberry recipes and look forward to trying each and every one of them!

I must admit, I had an extremely difficult time narrowing down which strawberry recipe I wanted to share with you today.

Given that our temperatures have topped 100+ degrees since we returned home from our vacation, I knew whatever I shared needed to be cold if for nothing else than because I wanted something cold!

To solve this, I whipped up several different recipes that I had been trying to perfect and had my kids chose their favorite (yeah, sometimes it’s good having a food blogger for a mom).  Even though I had them test each recipe separately and at different times, even though two of my recipes were very similar and could only be separated by taste, not by sight, without ever discussing it amongst themselves…my kids all selected the same dessert!

I suppose this minty cold concoction is exactly what we all needed today.

For my entry into this month’s Ingredient Challenge Monday, I am proud to present you with my Strawberry Mojito Sorbet!

Enjoy

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Strawberry Mojito Sobet

Ingredients

  • 1 c Pineapple Juice
  • 1 Tbs Lime Juice
  • 1 lb Frozen Strawberries
  • 1 c Fresh Mint

Instructions

  1. Place pineapple juice, lime juice and strawberries, in that order, into high speed blender. Blend ingredients together, tampering as needed.
  2. Once smooth, quickly add in fresh mint and blend just long enough to incorporate the leaves, one or two seconds maximum.
  3. Your sorbet should be frozen enough to serve immediately. If you find that it is too soft, simply freeze in a glass bowl, stirring every 30 minutes, until the sorbet is as firm as you like.
  4. Makes approximately 3 cups
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!

 

 

:) Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you, it is extremely decadent!

Are you ready to share your own strawberry sensation?

It’s easy! Simply link your recipe back to this page, come back and link in with the linky tool below.

Because this blog is a gluten-free and dairy-free blog, I do ask that your recipes also be gluten-free and dairy-free.  Please also keep in mind that I want to try your creations in my own home and do my best to make each and every item you share…that being said, as the main cook in the home, the more Paleo-Friendly your recipe is, the more likely I will be able to taste it.

What do I mean by Paleo-Friendly? Well, it must be free of grains (including corn and quinoa), dairy (already a given), legumes (beans and peanuts), and free of refined sugars.

Many naturally gluten-free and dairy-free recipes fit nicely into the paleo lifestyle. Gluten-free vegan foods are welcome, as are gluten-free non-vegan foods.  As long as it is free of gluten and dairy, it is welcome here!

That being said, if there is something (like sugar or peanuts) that can easily be substituted without changing the nature of your recipe…and if you are okay with me throwing my own minor tweaks in when I give your recipe a try, please share! I promise to keep my changes minimal as I aim to taste YOUR recipe, not create my own.

So are you ready to have the next ICM featured recipe??

Link it up and have a wonderful week! xoxo

This Recipe is also linked to: Wellness Weekend, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Allergy Friendly Friday, Allergy Free Wednesday

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

May ICM Winner: Coconut Secret Bars from Tessa the Domestic Diva and June’s Challenge-Ingredient Announcement!

June 10, 2012 By 7 Comments

First, I want to congratulate everyone who participated in last month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday, your coconut recipes were simply amazing!

If you haven’t been by to see everything shared, please do…in addition to the several that were linked in, there were two- late arrivals, one from Kate at Eat Recycle Repeat that is vegan, sugar-free, and absolutely worth exploring; and another from Sandra over at Candida Diet Plan that looks positively delicious! I hope these ladies can join us for this month’s challenge as well.

I really had a difficult time narrowing down my favorites this month, which is a great issue to have!

Our three favorites include this Vanilla Sweet Potato and Kale Curry from Janet at The Taste Space, which I made in our crockpot and subbed out the peanuts for cashews but kept everything else the same.  Positively delicious both as a side-dish or a main course!

Iris from The Daily Diet Tribe shared her Sugar-Free Lemon Custard, and heaven knows I love me some sugar-free desserts.  I didn’t have any kuzu root starch to make her custard with but noted in her comment section that Iris mentioned arrowroot might be a good substitution. For me, this worked perfectly.  Creamy and smooth, this is a dessert I will be making again and again!

Finally though, this recipe for Coconut Secret Bars/Homemade Healthy Mounds Bars from Tessa the Domestic Diva proved to be the overall favorite for my entire family.  Frankly, unbeknownst to her, Tessa had an unfair advantage as I have been craving Almond Joy’s like crazy for several months now and once I completed my whole30 program, which does not allow for any sweeteners of any type-including stevia, this was the first dessert I opted to make.

So very rich that I could only handle one little square, this recipe was exactly what I needed to kill this long-time craving.  My kids not only flipped over this, my husband even proclaimed that these taste just like Mounds bars but couldn’t figure out how given that he knows I don’t use regular sugars.  The coconut nectar in the filling sends these bars over-the-top.

I hope you enjoy this Ingredient-Challenge Monday winning recipe as much as we have and don’t forget to check below to see what the Challenge-Ingredient for June will be, I look forward to seeing more wonderful creations from all of you!! xoxo

Coconut Secret Bars/Homemade Healthy Mounds from Tessa the Domestic Diva

4 cups unsweetened, grated coconut
1/2 cup softened or melted coconut oil
2-4 tablespoons coconut nectar(Tessa says you could also use real maple syrup, honey, or agave)
Roasted whole or slivered almonds (optional) (I used raw and did ½ with, ½ without)

Coating:
1 1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces (I used Enjoy Live Chocolate Chips, Tessa also says that you can sweeten your own baking chocolate squares-the ones with no sugar.  She did a mixture of 6 squares/1/4 cup coconut nectar/40 drops vanilla creme stevia)
1 tablespoon coconut oil

In a food processor (or vitamix), put the filling ingredients and blend  until well incorporated and smooth.  Taste for sweetness, add more if you like.    It is necessary the coconut oil be soft or melted so the mixture blends.   Line an 8 x 8 or similar sized  pan with waxed paper or parchment.  Pour the mixture in and spread around evenly.  If you would like to use almonds, now is the time.  Press them in!   Place the  pan in the fridge or freezer to speed the solidifying process.  Meanwhile, melt your chocolate with the coconut oil.  Once solid, lift the whole chunk out by lifting the paper.  Cut into desired shapes.    Dip each piece in the chocolate, letting the excess drip back before laying it on A Silpat, parchment, or waxed paper to solidify.  Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the freezer. unlike most coconut oil delicacies these are solid at room temp and travel well out of refrigeration.

SHORTCUT?: Tessa has also done these the easy way by spreading the chocolate coating right over the top of the whole pan and forgoing the dipping process!

 

Are you ready for this month’s challenge?

High in antioxidants, low glycemic-value but very sweet, one of the world’s healthiest foods, strawberries are something we can all use a little more of!

Stay-tuned tomorrow to see my personal contribution to this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday and learn how to link-in your own strawberry recipe to win your spot as the next featured ICM recipe!

Have a great afternoon, everyone! xoxo

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

BLT Frittata

June 2, 2012 By 3 Comments

I will be quite literally off-the grid for a few days but couldn’t leave without sharing just one-more recipe with you all.

This BLT Frittata or Egg Pie is one of our favorite meals. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it goes together quickly, is loaded with healthy greens and delicious ingredients.  Make ahead and re-heat as needed, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.

Enjoy!

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BLT Frittata

Ingredients

  • 6 oz Uncured Bacon
  • 2 Tbs Bacon Grease
  • ¼ med Red Onion, diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 c Greens (Kale, Broccoli Raab or Spinach all work well), chopped
  • 8 eggs
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Pepper
  • 1 large tomato, sliced
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh Parsley

Instructions

  1. In 425 degree oven, bake bacon on parchment-lined cookie sheets until crisp.
  2. Grease one 9-inch pie pan, set aside.
  3. Set aside to cool and measure two tablespoons of bacon grease into a large skillet.
  4. Over medium-high heat, use the bacon grease to caramelize the onion and garlic.
  5. Remove from heat and quickly add greens, stirring until wilted but not over-cooked.
  6. Crumble bacon and add to the greens mixture.
  7. Add greens to prepared pie pan.
  8. Whisk together eggs, salt and pepper. Pour over greens mixture.
  9. Carefully layer slices of tomato over greens and eggs and sprinkle with parsley before baking at 425 for 30-35 minutes.
  10. Once a knife can be inserted into the middle and come out clean, remove pie from the oven. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
  11. Makes 8 servings.
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Have a wonderful week everyone! Happy Summer!

This recipe is also being shared at: Foodie Friday

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

Strawberry Coconut Butter

May 27, 2012 By 16 Comments

I first discovered coconut butter at my local health food store.  Purchased more out of curiosity than anything, one little bite and I was positively hooked!

This Strawberry Coconut Butter came after experimenting with this brilliant Coconut Butter recipe from Lexi’s Kitchen.  Filled with nutrient dense coconut and coconut oil, coconut butter is one of those perfect foods that is loaded with medium-chain fatty acids, lots of fiber, protein vitamins and minerals.

Somewhere between strawberry mousse and strawberry cream cheese, this spread is perfect for your grain-free biscuits (recipe coming soon), grain-free waffles, pancakes or simply straight off the spoon!  However you use it, I hope you find this spread as easy and delicious as we have!

Enjoy!

 

Print
Strawberry Coconut Butter

Ingredients

  • 4 c Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, divided
  • 2 c Strawberries (fresh or thawed if using frozen)
  • ¼ c Coconut Oil

Instructions

  1. Add 3 cups shredded coconut, strawberries and coconut oil to high speed blender.
  2. Blend on high until smooth, tampering as needed.
  3. Add final cup of flakes and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
  4. Transfer to mason jar and store in your refrigerator until ready to serve.
  5. Makes approximately 3 cups.
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Do you have a favorite coconut recipe?  Don’t forget to enter this month’s Ingredient-Challenge Monday, just four days left for you to enter for the chance to be featured on next month’s ICM Ingredient Announcement!

This recipe is also being shared at: Friday Foodie Fix, Wellness Weekends

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