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Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
Today is an exciting day! Well yes, it’s election day. Which is obviously HUGE, I hope for my American readers that you’ve already gone out and voted. But, it’s also book release day for my friend Alexis of Lexi’s Clean Kitchen. Her debut book Lexi’s Clean Kitchen hits stands today and this is an absolute must for your kitchens. Featuring over 150 delicious paleo-friendly recipes to nourish your life, this cookbook brings the focus to achieving health and happiness through the simple concept of eating clean. With a collection of fresh, creative yet practical and approachable recipes, Lexi makes eating at home, easy, tasty and fuss-free.
For those of us with gut issues, Lexi has a similar path to her healthy lifestyle, so her story brings feelings of familiarity and with that that instant connection. Lexi’s Clean Kitchen delivers an abundance of healthy meals packed with amazing flavor, like Thai Meatballs, Classic Chili, One-Pan Arroz con Pollo, Maple-Glazed Salmon, and Sriracha Lime Chopped Chicken Salad, with healthier options of your favorite indulgent foods, like French Toast Sticks, Perfect Waffles, Birthday Cake, Easy Sandwich Bread, and more!
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Italian Style Chicken Sliders
It is no secret, my love of spiralized veggies. You guys have seen countless zucchini noodle recipes on this site over the years, along with butternut squash noodles, sweet potato noodles, cucumber ribbons and lots more. But, my friend Ali of Inspiralized, she takes this love to a whole new level and she has built an entire brand on cooking healthfully with the spiralizer! Ali even developed her own incredible spiralizer, The Inspiralizer, better than any spiralizer that existed before. I have switched over to it and I am in love. (You can buy it on Amazon or direct from her site)
You may recall her first book, Inspiralized which came out last year, that I told you all about and shared a recipe from. Ali is back at it again this year with her second book. Inspiralize Everything.
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Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon
With summer nearly upon us, we are already planning a summer of BBQs, cookouts and picnics. While I am not a mayo hater by any means, I have always felt indifferent about traditional mayo-based potato salads. It’s just not my thing, something about it doesn’t sit well with me. I think it’s years of seeing it sitting in the sun at picnics, uncovered looking all gnarly. Yuck.
I have over the years developed several variations instead on vinegar and herby based potato and sweet potato salads that have become staples at all of my summer shindigs. That is until this Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon from Heather Christo’s book Pure Delicious. For the foreseeable future, this may just give all other potato salads the boot! It’s that good.
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Grain-free Basil and Mint Zucchini “Noodles”
Being in the blogging world over 6 years now, I have had the pleasure of meeting some very incredible people along the way. But some, they walk into your life and you know that they were placed into your path with a purpose. I met Amie Valpone last year, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a busy conference. We spoke like half-witted high school girls, catching up, giggling, sharing and connecting over our personal healing journeys. Amie has an infectious lust for life and for living that instantly resonated with me. As someone that has spent the past 10+ years dealing with various (though very minor in comparison) health struggles, I very much appreciate how Amie has chosen to use her struggles as a means to help others, through her website thehealthyapple.com, I also admire that she has used her very challenging healing journey to fuel her passion to teach others that your health and vitality lies in your hands and that you DO have the power to overcome. I feel like the word “inspiration” is hardly enough for this firecracker.
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Pesto Turnip Noodles with Brussels Sprouts
I know I have sung the praises of my spiralizer for sometime now, but today we are taking this love affair to a whole new level! It’s about to get really real as this love affair turns into a slight obsession, bordering on stalking. So let’s just spiralize ALL the things, shall we?
Today’s Foodie Friend Friday post celebrates all things spiralized – so get prepared to be Inspiralized! My girl Ali Maffucci’s debut cookbook Inspiralized: Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals will take your love of spiralized noodles to a place you never thought possible. Whether you are low-carb, vegan, gluten-free, paleo or even raw, you don’t have to give up your favorite meals. Learn to create your the classic indulgent recipes you have grown up on and love but recreated and made from over 20 of your favorite fruits and vegetables. We all know about creating spaghetti from zucchini but this book is loaded with tons of unique and revolutionary recipes and ideas featuring spiralized vegetables and fruit.
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How-to Make Dairy-Free Ice Cream
I have to say, I have made and had dairy-free ice cream many times before, but it has never as good as this. I received a copy of Dairy-Free Ice Cream: 75 Recipes Made Without Eggs, Gluten, Soy, or Refined Sugar from Kelly Brozyna of The Spunky Coconut and it has forever changed my dairy-free ice cream eating ways! Not only is this book insanely beautiful, but Kelly has us covered on every ice cream and frozen treat you could ever dream of! This cookbook is loaded with 75 amazing recipes, each and every one totally dairy-free and gluten-free.
For this week’s Tutorial Tuesday post, I am teaming up with Kelly to give you a quick how-to on making the perfect dairy-free ice cream, plus a simple recipe for classic vanilla. In the Dairy-Free Ice Cream cookbook, Kelly uses her fool proof method to dairy-free ice cream – sharing her versions of classic favorite flavors like Vanilla, Chocolate, Rocky Road, Salted Caramel, Strawberry, Butter Pecan and more. But, the real treat is the collection of unique and innovative flavors, like White Chocolate Goji Berry, Gingerbread Cookie Dough, Saffron and Rose and so much more. As if all that wasn’t enough, you’ll also find frozen yogurt, sherbet and sorbet and she even shares incredible recipes for ice cream cakes, sandwiches and popsicles, plus there are grain-free cookie bowls, brownies, sauces and toppings and more! All made without eggs, dairy, gluten, soy or refined sugar. It’s incredible really. A summertime frozen miracle!
Below you will find a brief tutorial to get you started making the best ever vanilla bean ice cream, my version of Kelly’s classic vanilla. I am keeping this tutorial super simple and to the point, but, for more in depth information about the various ingredients, notes and tips on freezing, storing, tools and lots more – check out Dairy-Free Ice Cream.
Read the rest of this entry »
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Summer Berry-Coconut Milk Ice Pops – Vibrant Food Cookbook Giveaway
There are some blogs and cookbooks that I feel like were created just for me, thumbing through the pages or scrolling past the recipes, I feel like every beautiful photo was taken for me, each recipe created with my eating choices in mind. While I am not so arrogant to believe this to be actually true, it is really amazing to know that there are people out there, just like me, eating intuitively – loving and celebrating all of the beautiful, seasonal, healthy whole foods available to us. When I started reading The Year in Food, sometime last year, I instantly felt connected to Kimberley Hasselbrink, the creative mastermind behind all of the recipes and beautiful photos. Like me, Kimberley has a background in design, she, hailing from the world of furniture design, me, from a life of graphic design and it is clear in every recipe she develops. Her creativity shines brightly, as she creates a feast for the eyes by combining colors, textures, and flavors into her gorgeous, dynamic dishes. When I heard of her brand new book, VIBRANT FOOD, I knew right away before ever seeing it, that this was a book that I would absolutely love and would become a resource I turn to often. I was right.
It is clear that Kimberley’s look at food is viewed through the eyes of an artist in search of beauty as well as flavor and that she’s wildly inspired by the vivid hues of produce. In her debut book, Vibrant Food Kimberley captures the radiant colors of each of the seasons with recipes that transform meals into captivating works of art. It is apparent the passion that Kimberley has for cooking, each recipe a celebration of color, flavor and mood. Besides being an inspiration in the kitchen, it is hard not to be inspired visually, as well, as you make your way through the incredible, drool-worthly photographs on each page.
Vibrant Food invites you to look at ingredients differently and let their colors inspire you: the shocking fluorescent pink of a chard stem, the deep reds and purples of baby kale leaves, the bright shades of green that emerge in the spring, and even the calm yellows and whites of so many winter vegetables. As Kimberley mentions at the start of the book, “when we intuitively let the colors guide our choices, we can trust that we are eating well, and taking care of ourselves and celebrating food for its dynamism, its vibrancy, its flavor and its colors, as much as we are for its benefits to our health.”
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George and Juli’s Paleo Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread
Today, I am super excited to be sharing this delicious Paleo Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread recipe from George Bryant of Civilized Caveman Creations and Juli Bauer of PaleOMG, two paleo blogger powerhouses. This recipe comes from their soon-to-be-released collaborative cookbook The Paleo Kitchen.
Whether you are a full blown paleo eater or just a real-food eating gluten-free chick like me who is mindful of the amount of grains she consumes, I am 100% certain that The Paleo Kitchen is going to be an amazing addition to your kitchen. Besides the beautifully created, unique flavor combinations in the over 100 brand new recipes, this book is also chock full of beautiful photography, tips, tricks and other anecdotes to inspire you.
Here are just some of the amazing recipes you will find in The Paleo Kitchen:
· Sage and Shallot Delicata Squash Soup
· Citrus Mint Sugar Salad
· Blackberry Lavender Muffins
· Banana Chip French Toast
· Creamy Seafood Risotto
· Pepper Crusted Prime Rib
· Asian Marinated Bacon-wrapped Asparagus
· Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
· Blueberry Cheesecake
· Lime Pound Cake with Coconut Lime Frosting
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Potato and Spinach Soup with Jalapeño from the Nourished Kitchen Cookbook + Giveaway
What a wonderful time it is for fantastic passion-filled cookbooks! So many incredible, drool-worthy books on the shelves right now, it is such a great time for us food lovers! I can tell you, this self-proclaimed cookbook junkie is in heaven, currently. You should see the many packages and envelopes that have been showing up here over the last month or two, each one filled with another stunning book that is exuding the incredible passion of the dedicated creator.Today, I am excited to bring you another book that I have been highly anticipating. The Nourished Kitchen: Farm-to-Table recipes for the Traditional Food Lifestyle, from the ever so talented, Jenny McGruther, is a book that I have been waiting to have in my very own kitchen, since the minute I heard that it was in production. I have followed Jenny’s blog, The Nourished Kitchen for many years now and she has always been an inspiration to me, how I cook and how I eat. Jenny’s blog was one of the first I found when I initially changed my diet.
For me, there is nothing more inspiring than flipping through the pages of a cookbook that I know was created with much love and passion. Regardless of the content of a cookbook, there is something so special about the ones where you can feel the author’s devotion to their craft and the immense amount of love and care that they put into every single dish that they created to share with us, the readers. The Nourished Kitchen is a fine example of this. Jenny’s words illustrate the profound love and joy she has for cooking and with each paragraph I read, I get more excited to get into my kitchen to start creating something beautiful. Although Jenny and this cookbook are not exclusively gluten-free, she and I share so many very similar views on food and eating. As the Jenny puts it:
“a fad-free approach to cooking and eating that emphasizes nutrient-dense, real food, and values quality environment, and community over the convenience of processed, additive-laden products that are the norm on grocery store shelves”
I couldn’t have said it better myself, really. For those of you that have followed Tasty Yummies over the 4 years I have been writing it, you know that I have chosen to not put any labels on my diet. Besides eating gluten-free, I choose to focus my efforts on a real food diet rich in nourishing whole foods that feed both my body and my soul. I eat intuitively, always listening to my body and feeding it with fresh, unprocessed, seasonal and whenever possible, local foods that are not just delicious and good for me, but that also fills me with happiness and joy.
You also probably know that despite my mostly plant-based diet, I do consume some meat. I consider myself a conscientious omnivore who prefers to only eat meat and other animal products, when I am given the opportunity to purchase it locally, from a farmer whom I can trust. This is something that has become increasingly more difficult for me, since we’ve moved to California last year. The cost of raising livestock on pasture and sustainably seems to considerably more expensive here, than it obviously is in New York. So, I have to say, I am very envious of Jenny’s amazing resources, living in the central mountains of Colorado.
With each recipe and every section in this beautiful book, you can see the incredible advantages of Jenny’s location, which provides her access to amazing traditional foods throughout the year. The Nourished Kitchen contains more than 160 recipes, inspired by the seasons, land and waters around her. Whether you are gluten-free or dairy-free, or you have other restrictions on your diet, there are still plenty of recipes in this cookbook for you and the best part is, because of the simple and traditional preparations and the approachable ingredients (many of which you can grow in your very own garden) – many of the recipes are easily adaptable to fit your own way of eating. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Blender Girl Cookbook Giveaway and Creamy Cauliflower Soup
I am super excited to be sharing with you guys today, one of my favorite new cookbooks, The Blender Girl: Super-Easy, Super-Healthy Meals, Snacks, Desserts & Drinks. This drool worthy masterpiece is the debut cookbook from the beautifully talented Tess Masters, aka The Blender Girl. This comprehensive cookbook releases tomorrow and it is chock full of 100 gluten-free and vegan recipes!
I met Tess last month at Expo West and I knew immediately when I saw her shining smile and welcoming presence, that she was someone I could totally get down with! Tess is a health-conscious blogger with a love for food very much like my own. The recipes in her brand new cookbook are all plant-based and gluten-free and each one is created with the intent to not only tantalize your taste buds but to also nourish your body and your soul. I have already bookmarked several of these amazing recipes to make over the next few weeks! I cannot wait to cook my way through this beautiful book.
The Blender Girl Cookbook is loaded with nutrient-dense recipes that run the gamut of creativity. Sure there are the traditional blenders recipes you’d expect to see in a cookbook like this, such as smoothies, sauces, juices and soups but Tess takes what a high speed blender can do, to new limits creating recipes like:
A Flourless Triple-Pecan Mousse Pie
Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff
Pad Thai
Chai Rice Pudding
Vegan Cheezes
Watermelon Gazpacho
Alkaline Tacos
Tons of various salad dressings, dips, sauces and so so much more.
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Gluten-free Sandwich Bread from America’s Test Kitchen – How Can It Be Gluten-free Cookbook
I am very fortunate, as a blogger, to have the opportunity to sample and test out many different gluten-free cookbooks, of all different types from a variety of different sources and authors. Generally, I am always very happy with them and so excited with in the 9 years I have been gluten-free, how far recipe development has come. The things people are doing in their gluten-free kitchens now, blows my mind. I can honestly tell you that when I first went gluten-free – 9 years ago, I honestly never thought some of what is being made now, even the things that I am making and creating, were ever even possible.
Bread is something that I have just come to accept as something that will never be the same for me. It has come a very long way in the 9 years I have been eating gluten-free, but I still generally find it to all to just be – OK. I have made a few good recipes here and there, there are some decent store-bought brands that are OK when I am really craving a sandwich, but by-in-large, I tend to just avoid it and not go out of my way. What’s the point?
When America’s Test Kitchen contacted me, with an exclusive invitation to check out an advanced copy of their latest creation – The How Can It Be Gluten-free Cookbook – I, of course, instantly and happily obliged. I was so excited to try out their recipes and share one with you. As an industry standard, America’s Test Kitchen works recipes to utter perfection, sampling, testing and playing around until they get it just right. This cookbook is literally the results of a yearlong gluten-free odyssey in the Test Kitchens.
America’s Test Kitchen Revolutionizes Gluten-free Cooking
Not only did America’s Test Kitchen send me the book to test out and review, but they also sent a large container of their pre-made custom created all-purpose gluten-free flour blend to bake with. So, in addition to this incredible gluten-free sandwich bread recipe, I am also sharing their easy-to-make, economical gluten-free flour blend recipe and a simple sandwich that I am obsessed with, don’t get very often and had to make with this yummy bread. Oh, and one lucky Tasty Yummies reader will receive a copy of The How Can It Be Gluten-free Cookbook. See the bottom of this post for the giveaway.
My favorite thing about this amazing cookbook is the fact that America’s Test Kitchen knows not every reader will want to make a homemade blend, they evaluated all the leading store-bought options and found two commercial blends (King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill) work well in all of their recipes, too. The recipes include everything from foolproof bread, cakes, cookies, pie crust, pizza dough, weeknight dinners, and even fried chicken.
Besides being filled with amazing recipes, The How Can It Be Gluten-free Cookbook helps readers understand gluten-free baking and cooking, with an extensive section in the front of the book explains the science of gluten as well as breakthrough strategies that every gluten-averse cook should utilize.
Finally, you’ll learn what to stock in a gluten-free pantry and the very best ways to cook many familiar (and not so familiar) gluten-free grains. With The How Can It Be Gluten-free Cookbook, you’ll acquire more than just recipes that will amaze your family and friends: You will also get a valuable education in gluten- free cooking and baking.
Just an FYI for you 100% dairy-free folks, as someone that generally tries to avoid dairy when I can, many of the recipes in this book, including this bread recipe and even their flour blend, do include dairy. So, keep that in mind if you need to be dairy-free. They offer dairy-free subs in many cases, but I did think it was worth mentioning. For this particular bread, I went with goat milk dry milk powder in the actual bread recipe, since that is what I keep on hand for baking and it worked great. But, since I can consume dairy as long as not in large amounts or too regularly, I decided to keep the butter and use their blend as-is.
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Salted Dark Chocolate Nut Bites
A true test of how much I love one of the many cookbooks in my collection, is how messy and “used” the book appears. If there are oil stains, melted chocolate fingerprints, bookmarked pages, etc – you know it’s one of my favorites. I haven’t had Kelly from The Spunky Coconut’s new cookbook in my collection for even a month yet and it already has quite a few of those things. If you pulled it off my shelf right now, you’d swear I have had it over a year. It looks that used, already.
The Paleo Chocolate Lover’s Cookbook features 80 gluten-free treats for breakfast and dessert and it will have you drooling just a few pages in. I know you guys know this already, but I don’t go crazy over all sweets and baked goods. I am just not wired that way. But, if you were to set something in front of me that has been dipped in some melted high-quality dark chocolate, it almost doesn’t matter what it is. I will eat every last bit of it. I don’t need heavy rich desserts, I rarely crave sugary, sweetness, but when I do – just a little something chocolatey usually does the trick for me. Sometimes just a small square of cold dark chocolate is all I need. Satisfying and comforting.
Making healthy, gluten-free chocolate treats that aren’t loaded with refined sugars and grains is just so gratifying and you can still enjoy the rich goodness without the guilt. I am so excited to now have a healthy chocolate “bible” of sorts, to refer to for the perfect chocolate treats whenever I want. An entire book filled with recipes, every single one safe for me and my way of eating. There are breakfast options, cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream, candy and so much more. There is even a section of savory recipes including stews, salads and other dinner-time meals. Besides all of the recipe goodness, Kelly explains some basic tips on getting started with a Paleo lifestyle, going in depth about specific ingredients and techniques. Plus she shares the science, history and ethics of chocolate and some of her favorite brands of store-bought chocolate. It is an incredibly comprehensive book about one of the most yummy topics you can think of! Read the rest of this entry »
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Photo Fun Day Friday
Here we go, it’s Friday again, here are some pics from the last two weeks! Hope everyone has a great weekend!! Got anything fun planned?
Infusing vodka with figs and other goodies. Look for the how-to and some fun cocktail recipes later this week.
Went to Alex’s Bar here in Long Beach, AKA Fangtasia from True Blood with our friend Anjuli who was visiting from Buffalo. (I stopped watching the show many seasons ago, but it was still cool to see where they filmed those scenes)
Loving these amazing bottles from Lifefactory. Glass bottles with plastic-free silicon sleeves and they are free of known harmful chemicals like BPA, BPS, phthalate, etc. The wide mouth is great for adding fruit or ice to your water and you can even carry fresh juice or smoothies, without fear of it ruining the bottle or the flavor of your drink being affected, etc. Check out all of their products here http://amzn.to/14YqQw4
My runs by the ocean, don’t suck. Just sayin’
Super excited to get an advanced copy of my friend Kelly, of The Spunky Coconut’s brand new book: “The Paleo Chocolate Lovers’ Cookbook: 80 Gluten-Free Treats for Breakfast & Dessert”. Preorder it now. Look for my full review and a giveaway very soon!
Made some raw vanilla bean almond milk and chocolate almond milk for the first time with a nut milk bag and OMG have I been missing out! What a breeze, so clean and easy. This is the nut bag that I used —–>http://amzn.to/17MhEau. Here’s my recipe for homemade raw almond milk.
Working from home means I get to enjoy mid-day cuddles and sometimes naps with this girl. I just love her so much!
A great reminder on the street near my acupuncture clinic.
I had a lady’s night dinner with Meg from Beard and Bonnet this week and I made this yummy treat to share. Grain-free flatbread with caramelized shallots, figs from our tree, goat cheese and arugula. Recipe coming next week.
I get some really fun products sent to me to try. This is wine spritzer that has electrolytes added. I cannot wait to try it. Half the calories of wine and zero sugar. Sounds like my kind of cocktail. I will report back!
I love taking Seri to the dog park to play ball. Nothing makes that dog happier.
