-
Grilled Spicy Shrimp and Veggie Skewers with Pineapple Turmeric Salsa {gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, keto}
Ready in no-time, these Grilled Spicy Shrimp and Veggie Skewers are fast, simple, and so crazy-flavorful. Turmeric adds a boost of health benefits and flavor depth to both the marinade and the Pineapple Turmeric Salsa served on the side. This recipe is gluten-free, paleo, whole30 and keto compliant.
This post and recipe were created in partnership with MegaFood®. I am proud to work with brands that care about the health of its consumers and the planet. As always, all opinions, ideas and text are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Tasty Yummies.
There’s something so special about the food of summer. At our house, we opt for lots of easy-to-make, all-encompassing meals that don’t require too many pots and pans or heating up the kitchen. But more, I LOVE celebrating all the vibrant colors and tastes of the season. And we are ALWAYS down for a grill-centric meal over here.
By now you folks know I am all for getting in ample superfoods and supplements, be it classically in tablet or powder form, tossed into smoothies – I have some very important supplements that are part of my everyday routine, no excuses. That said, there is something I love so much more about foods and supplements working together in harmony. Often, there are other nutrients found in our foods that work symbiotically with these supplements and other nutrients to ensure the best chance for assimilation and absorption.
Turmeric is one of those foods/supplements that I don’t ever miss! I’m serious, I take it every day. I have personally seen improvements in the health of my joints and muscle recovery post-workout by consistently including turmeric in my diet over the past few years*. In fact, I can almost always feel a marked change if I miss even a single dose. It’s pretty wild.
-
How-to Make Perfectly Roasted Vegetables {+ Video}
How-to Make Perfectly Roasted Vegetables: Tips and Tricks
Roasting vegetables is one of the simplest cooking techniques. With very little time and effort needed, you get richly flavored vegetables with a caramelized exterior and a really nice, tender bite.
This time of year, roasted vegetables are on repeat around here. We, of course, have our most favorite go-to vegetables that we roast up super often, like broccoli and broccolini, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, just to name a few, but the possibilities are truly endless. You can roast just about any vegetable, or any combination of vegetables — your imagination is the only limit, so I encourage your to experiment and have fun with different combinations of vegetables, seasonings and flavors.
With my fool-proof approach for roasting vegetables, I give you everything you need to make perfectly roasted vegetables every time. You’ll be armed with the tips and tricks to master your roasting. No matter the veggie or the quantity. No recipe needed.
I have some of my favorite vegetables called out by name and in the photos below, but remember, just about any vegetable can be roasted and honestly, go with my motto, if you’re not sure – ROAST IT! Worst thing that happens, it’s not your favorite! Best thing? You discover a new way to enjoy a favorite, in-season vegetable.
Check Out My Instructions on How-to Make Perfectly Roasted Vegetables. Every Time.
-
Bone Broth Braised Greens {Paleo, Gluten-free, Whole30, AIP}
These Bone Broth Braised Greens are a nourishing addition to any holiday table or just a perfect, comforting side dish, for anytime. Bone broth, onion, garlic, lemon and red pepper flakes add flavor to this side dish that can be made with whatever hearty green is in season. Collard greens, Swiss chard, kale or a mix of your favorites.
I find that at holiday tables (shoot many dinner tables year ’round, for that matter) the veggies are often an afterthought. The thing people throw together and half-ass, because they “have to”. Veggies deserve more love than that. A little respect and honor, ya know? After all, nutrient-rich veggies should be the backbone of any real food diet, or any diet really. We should be shooting for some green stuff at every single meal. Non-negotiable.
I know veggies can get boring and if you’re like me, in the cooler months, salads get less and less enticing, so getting those greens in can be hard. Steaming works, but let’s be real, it can be ‘blah!’ and when you serve ‘blah’ veggies, it’s a fight to get them down and the chances are you aren’t going to do it at every meal.
These slow cooked greens, bring the flavor and nourishing, healing goodness of the bone broth, we get a little heat from the red pepper flakes and the onion, garlic and lemon, round it all out with classic, simplicity.
It’s a pretty fuss-free recipe and at the end of it, you get a bowl of goodness that your beautiful body sooo deserves! Every time I share that I am whipping up this recipe on social media, I get so many messages that you want the recipe. So I finally wrote it up to share with you. Just in time for the holidays.
-
Mini Frittata Egg Bites {gluten-free, paleo, keto, whole30}
These Mini Frittata Egg Bites are a wonderful, easy-to-make, one-bite breakfast treat that is perfect for entertaining, great for the holidays, light, simple and super, duper customizable. Read on for lots of flavor options.
One of the perks of this strange career path I have embarked on, is the incredible experiences and opportunities to understand and investigate our food further. I consider it a great blessing that I am able to get behind the scenes and truly see where our food is coming from – as this is of high importance to me, to learn, to educate myself and to share with all of you, to hopefully empower you with the knowledge to make the best choices for your family.
To boil it down quite simply, first, personally I want my food to be nutrient-dense and second, I want it to be bullsh*t free! As a long supporter of Vital Farms I was beyond honored when they asked if I would come to Missouri to tour some of their farms, to meet the growers and most importantly to see how their Girls on Grass live, the pastures they graze on and a peek behind the scenes at how they run things.
I am beyond excited to share that everything this company boasts if truly a reality. No BS! Right down to Stuart, the farmer featured in their incredible new campaign, he’s a real farmer, with Vital Farms. I spent the afternoon on his farm. Across the board on all of Vital Farms’ farms, the beautiful hens are raised under humane conditions and they have time on pasture, daily, each bird getting a minimum of 108sqft of pasture to roam (compared to less than 1 foot that a cage-free hen gets or the 2sqft that a free-range hen receives).
-
Turkey Pot Pie Soup with Grain-free Drop Biscuits
Cue the Boys II Men song, End of the Road. The big event is here and after all the recipe testing, menu planning and grocery shopping it all comes to fruition in the big feast and soon all we’ll have remaining are full bellies, happy memories and hopefully lots of leftovers.
This week has been ALL about getting you prepped for the days after. With minimal cooking and making great use of the leftovers, I want you to just keep the holiday comfort food party going and of course, I never ever want you to throw away any food! This Turkey Pot Pie Soup with Grain-free Drop Biscuits is about as good as it gets when we are talking about comfort food and leftovers. This is the ultimate and without any grains or dairy, you can feel good after indulging!
-
Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza {with Grain-free Option}
Without trying to rush away the holiday, considering it hasn’t even landed yet, I wanted to have a little something special waiting for those of you that will have leftovers later this week. If you ask me, the leftovers are half the fun. Sadly, oftentimes there isn’t exactly enough left over to make a full meal out of or, maybe you are sick of the traditional Thanksgivings spread and you wanna have a little fun. This pizza recipe is the answer. Use this more as a gentle suggestion / inspiration, since you can really make this your own, depending on what specific leftovers you have.
Of course, you could always make the traditional sandwich, a pot of turkey soup or a turkey pot pie, but I am telling you, after you’ve made a Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza, there’s no turning back.
This pizza is an updated makeover on the traditional leftover Thanksgiving sandwich that we all now and love, and it’s easy to make with the family. To lighten things up, I made the turkey and the fresh veggies the highlight here with little dollops of cranberries for some bright, sweetness. For some extra fun, leftover gravy would make a killer sauce or maybe take some leftover stuffing, roll it up into tiny stuffing meatballs and add that on top, finally, you could mix your leftover mashed potatoes with the cheese and spread that out on top of the crust, to change things up a bit. But listen up, whatever you do, please don’t skip on the cranberry sauce! As crazy as it may sound, it’s THE best part of this pizza. The bites with the bright, fresh and sweet flavor of the cranberries were our very favorite.
-
How-to Make Quick Pickled Veggies
With the end of summer not too far off, it’s time we start planning our graceful exit strategy, for me this usually includes preserving as much of the summer flavors as possible. Besides preserving fresh herbs in olive oil, I find quick pickled veggies to be an excellent way to hang on to the tasty abundance of summer, just a little bit longer.
Sure, canning, fermentation and other more long-term storage options are always available, but this is a super quick method, that you can throw together in a mere 15 or 20 minutes. No mess and no fuss.
-
Grain-free Savory Breakfast Muffins
Whenever I ask, over on the Tasty Yummies Facebook page, what types of recipes you guys want more of, inevitably, easy, healthy breakfasts are almost always requested. I’m with you guys, when life gets hectic and we are on the go, often times breakfast is the first meal to get the boot. If there is time for a morning bite, maybe you just grab a coffee and a muffin or a breakfast bar on the way out the door, eat it in your car, while you drive and hope for the best. Sadly, this is a sad tone to kick start any day on. Not only is your digestion confused by the state in which it’s being forced to eat, but starting off your day loaded with sugar, even of the natural variety, gets the blood sugar control game out of whack before it ever had a chance. You can be sure with a sweet breakfast and a coffee, that mid-day crash is sure to follow.
For me, starting the day with a breakfast filled with protein and healthy-fats, not only means that my body is armed with a more long burning fuel source, but I also find that I stay full much longer. I also really love eating veggies at breakfast, it feels like I got one up on the rest of the world, who doesn’t even consider this move until lunch time.
These Grain-free Savory Breakfast Muffins are a wonderful option for those busy mornings. Make them ahead and keep them in the fridge, grab and eat chilled or slice in half, pop it into the toaster oven to take the chill off and bring a little crisp to the outside. Maybe add a small pat of butter and a little hot sauce, when serving.
What I really love about this recipe, like so many others you will find here on Tasty Yummies, it is super customizable. The veggies can be whatever you have on hand and specific to the season. If you wish to add bacon, sausage or another meat, that would be delicious, if you like cheese, add your favorite.
-
Chilled Green Curry Kelp Noodle Bowl
I know for those of you just barely feeling spring trying to force it’s way in, you won’t want to hear about the extreme heat we’ve had in southern California recently. With temperatures in the 90′s, it seems we have skipped right over the spring and jumped right into summer. I have switched from comforting winter soups and stews and roasted veggies to salads and cooler meals.
Soup that isn’t served hot may seem strange, but there are times when it just works and this is definitely one of them. It’s super fast to throw together — no slaving over a stove! — you don’t have to wait around for hours to let it simmer and there is very little prep.
-
Collard Wrap with Briny Cashew Cream – Gluten-free and Vegan
I am very excited to introduce you guys to my talented and lovely friend, Kris, of 80twenty. Kris’ beautiful site is filled with delicious and creative recipes that celebrate the balance in life of good and good for you. Today Kris is sharing a recipe for super vibrant and beautiful, but simple-to-make Collard Wraps. I am really, really excited about this post, as I have recently become obsessed with making wraps with collard greens or Swiss chard.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Like most of you, I love to cook. I am my happiest when I’m in the kitchen working on something to share with the people that I love. I spend most of my free time over at 80twenty dreaming up dishes that inspire people to eat well. Ironically though, one of my least favourite life tasks (along with doing the laundry) is preparing my lunch for the next day. I’m not sure if it’s a lack of creativity, my unwavering need for high quality food, or a desire for a little something special each day, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to come up with really good lunches that also happen to be quick, healthy, and super-tasty. I think I’ve cracked the lunch code with this one! This collard wrap with briny cashew cream provides some serious lunchtime satisfaction. It’s crunchy, creamy, nutty, and beautifully green in all sorts of ways. The best part about it is that it’s so versatile that it can be made differently each week.
For my base this time, I used black rice because lately I can’t get enough of it’s nutty flavour. But you can, of course, use whatever grain you have on hand. I then topped it with julienned vegetable noodles (shredded work just as well), some sprouts, and this cashew cream that you’re going to go insane for! But don’t feel limited by my suggestions. The beauty of this dish is that it can be made with whatever you have on hand. Don’t have radishes and carrots? Add leftover roasted squash or sweet potato. Don’t want to make the cashew cream? I mean, you’ll totally miss out, but avocado fits in nicely here. And the black rice is just a suggestion. Ultimately, this wrap is all about what you like. Sub in your favourite grain and vegetables, top with the briny cream sauce, and you’ve got a truly nutritious and delicious collard wrap made, just the way you like it. Read the rest of this entry »
-
Whole-Grain Chocolate Zucchini Muffins – Gluten-free, Dairy-free & Nut-free
After sharing my guide for gluten-free flour and starches last week, I wanted to create a yummy baked good that you guys could easily make your own, by using your very own all-purpose gluten-free flour blend! I decided to go with a whole grain blend to give these muffins a great texture. Feel free to make your own blend with your favorite flours and starches, whole grain or not. I make my all-purpose flour blends 1000 grams at a time, since it makes measuring simple, and then I have additional flour already made up for other recipes. For a whole grain blend, as mentioned in my previous post, I use 70% grains and 30% starches.
I am already overwhelmed with zucchini from my garden, so these muffins are a great way to use up some of the zucchini but also to sneak some veggies into an unsuspecting place. Chocolate is of course the real start of this show, the cocoa powder gives the muffins a beautiful color then you get the flecks of the little mini chocolate chips! YUM! The best part of this recipe is that it will work with any flour blend you choose. So make up your favorite all-purpose gluten-free blend using my guide for gluten-free flour and starches and as long as you are measuring the flour by weight for this recipe, it should work just fine.
This recipe was originally shared as part of my Restricted Diet series with the Free People blog BLDG 25.
[print_this]Whole-Grain Chocolate Zucchini Muffins {Gluten-free, Dairy-free & Nut-free}
Makes 12 muffins
- 350 grams whole-grain gluten-free flour mix* (approx 2 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2/3 cup honey (I used raw honey)
- 2 large farm-fresh eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup grape seed oil, olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, with as much liquid squeezed out as possible
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (make sure they are gluten-free and dairy-free)
* See above for the blend I used. Any all-purpose flour mix should work here, gluten-free or otherwise, as long as you stick with the same weight for measurement.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a large muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium bowl add the honey, eggs, vanilla, oil and zucchini, mix together well until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well until it is all well combined, then add in the mini chocolate chips, folding them in until mixed throughout.
Fill the paper-lined muffin tins about 3/4 full. Place the muffins into the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, until they are cooked through and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.[/print_this]
-
Roasted Veggie Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping – Vegan + Gluten-free
I am so excited that it’s comfort-food season!! As much as I adore the fresh local produce and cool and light dishes of the summer, there is something about the hearty, hot and comforting foods of the winter that are so enticing. A good comfort food meal will leave you feeling like you just got the biggest, warmest hug from your favorite loved one! Even better when it can be healthy comfort food! What’s your favorite comfort food?
Although this isn’t technically a one-pot meal, since it requires some prep, it is in theory and in it’s final state. I love a meal where it’s all inclusive. One big scoop and you are all set. Plus, a meal like this is perfect for leftovers. For some reason, I find meals like this even better as leftovers, I am not sure if it’s because I didn’t spend all the time prepping just before, or if it just really allows the flavors to come together to their fullest.
Please keep in mind, I used what vegetables I had on hand and what I would like best for the filling, but feel free to have some fun and add in whatever you’d like. Other wonderful add-ins for the filling would be squash, cauliflower, corn, green beans, asparagus, peas, lentils, beets, turnips, meat or tofu, etc, etc. The possibilities are endless. You could make this many times, each a totally different way. Another thing to note, you don’t have to roast your vegetables if you don’t want to. You could simply sautee them in a large pan on the stove top, I just personally love the flavor of roasted vegetables. I didn’t exactly accurately measure, so use my measurements below as a guide, but don’t get too hung up on the specifics, there really is no wrong way.
[print_this]Roasted Veggie Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Topping – Vegan + Gluten-free
Serves 4-6Filling:
(please keep in mind you can really use whatever veggies you would like and prefer, this is just what I had on hand.)- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1-2 cups pearl onions, peeled and halved, if need be (I used fresh, not frozen)
- 1 small bulb of kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 leeks, rinsed very well, slice thinly white and light green parts only
- 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, thinly slices
- 1 15 ounce can of organic white beans
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh or dried herbs, to your liking – I used both fresh rosemary and fresh thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or other stock like chicken or mushroom, etc)
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (potato or corn starch would also work)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
Sweet Potato Topping:
- 4 medium organic sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, vegan butter, ghee, etc)
- splash of non-dairy milk (I used a bit of coconut milk)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Toss all of your vegetables, leaving out the white beans, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, together with olive oil, fresh herbs, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and beginning to brown. While the veggies are roasting, quickly sautee the mushrooms with a small drizzle of olive oil over a medium high heat. Take the roasted vegetables out when they are ready and toss in the white beans, sauteed mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.
Lower the oven temperature to 375ºF.
In a small saucepan heat the stock for your broth plus your herbs, over a medium-high heat, once simmering, carefully whisk in your starch to thicken. To avoid lumps, sprinkle it in lightly a little at a time or add some stock to a small bowl with the starch in and whisk quickly to fully incorporate. Once the veggies are done and all together, pour the sauce over, don’t add it all at once, you may not want it all, depending on how many veggies you have.
Pour the filling evenly into a very lightly greased glass baking pan and set aside. Meanwhile boil the sweet potatoes with the garlic in a medium saucepan full of water over a high heat. Once boiling, continue simmering for about 10-12 minutes until the sweet potatoes are nice and tender. Quickly drain the potatoes and then add back to the pot, add your oil or butter (or vegan butter) and mash with a potato masher, a hand mixer, etc. until smooth and creamy. Add a splash a non-dairy milk if you need a bit more liquid or to give just a hint of creaminess. Salt and pepper to taste.
Smooth the mashed sweet potatoes over the filling, using a spatula to spread evenly. Place in the 375ºF oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes until the filling is bubbling. If you wish to get a bit of crispy brown goodness on top, place your shepherd’s pie under the broiler for a few minutes.
Let cool for a few minutes then serve while hot.
[/print_this]
-
Seasonal Shopping: Fresh Fruit & Veggies to Buy in November!
I am not sure how, but November is now upon us. So many of the beautiful, colorful leaves have fallen from the trees, there is a crisp coolness to the air that reminds us that winter isn’t too far off (OK, well that’s the case over here in Western New York anyhow), I know you Southern Californians have been dealing with a super HOT fall! I am still getting myself used to the idea of that for when we eventually get there.
Considering how cold it actually has been, it is always so surprising to me how much produce is still growing around here and just how delicious and tasty it all is! We are loaded up on squashes and peppers from our CSA, I think I could be set for the winter just on those two, but we’ve been getting so many other delicious fresh goodies too, like kohlrabi, collards, broccoli, beets, turnips, and so much more! It’s a really fun time for fresh produce.
I still think the squash is my absolute favorite thing this time of year, how about you?
Seasonal Shopping: Fresh Fruit & Veggies to Buy in November!
Broccoli
Winter Squash
Collard Greens
Turnips
Parsnips
Brussels Sprouts
Cranberries
Apples
Arugula
Garlic
Kale
Onions
Potatoes
Carrots
Radishes
Beets
-
Vegetable Stir-Fry with Kelp Noodles – Gluten-free and Vegan
I had a wonderful birthday complete with the perfect yoga class, a fun day of work, dinner with hubby and so many wonderful friends, a delicious cake and I finished the night off with a glass of wine and a visit to my parents house. A wonderful and blessed day, indeed.
Besides it being my birthday month and my absolute favorite season, the only thing (besides the cold) that I really dislike is how early the sun sets this time of year, and it’s just gonna keep getting earlier, too. I miss the beautiful and perfect end-of-day light when I am in the kitchen cooking, after I am done working for the day. Most nights as of recent, by the time we are done working and dinner is made and ready to eat, it is pitch black outside. For some reason I find that to be so depressing. This also poses a problem for taking photos of the dinner that I prepared, if I plan to share the recipe on here. So this fall and winter I am going to try something a little different, since we work from home, on the days I have a recipe I want to create to share with you guys, I am going to actually cook it and serve it for lunch, this way I can take all of my photos, and we can eat it fresh and hot. Win win. Then I can work a bit later in the day and we can just eat a light dinner. I am pretty excited about this as most days I am much hungrier in the middle of the day anyhow, since I got to yoga in the mornings. I think hubby and our assistant are both going to be more than happy about this new schedule, too.
For this stir-fry I used some of the beautiful veggies we got in this week’s CSA. Bok choy, leeks and lots of peppers, plus I added in some shitake mushrooms and carrot that I grabbed at the Co-Op this morning. I served it all with some kelp noodles that I have been so excited to try. After my obsession with zucchini noodles this summer, I thought kelp noodles sounded like another fun grain-free noodle alternative, especially for Asian meals like this one and woah, was I right. They were perfect in this stir fry and I am already dreaming of other fun Asian inspired dishes that they would be great in. (Please note that kelp noodles do have a unique crunch to them from the kelp and their texture is different from that of regular noodles.)
I included some notes below on preparing the kelp noodles, since they technically do not need to be cooked. I ended up rinsing them and running super hot water over them for a while to heat them up a tad, then I tossed them right in the wok with the stir-fry so they would get mixed right in and served right away.
Have you ever tried kelp noodles? How do you like them served?
[print_this]Vegetable Stir-Fry with Kelp Noodles – Gluten-free and Vegan (Grain-free)
Serves 4Kelp Noodles:
1 16-ounce package of kelp noodles, I used these
Kelp noodles come ready to eat, no need to cook. You just need to rinse them, however they are very crunchy so I rinsed them and ran them under hot water for a bit to soften them up. I found the noodles were best tossed with the vegetable stir fry and the sauce and heated up a bit, they softened up a tad this way rather than just spooning everything over. I have also read that letting them soak in water and lemon for about 30 minutes and massaging them a bit with your hands (as you would kale), makes them a bit softer and not as crunchy. I like the crunch and found it to be a nice texture in the stir-fry
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup gluten-free tamari
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon of corn starch or arrowroot starch
- optional: 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, if not vegan
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Stir Fry:
feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand, I went with what we had on hand from our CSA and the market
- 2 tablespoons sesame or peanut oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 leek, rinsed very well, slice thinly the white and light green parts only
- 2-3 bell peppers, sliced (I used a purple bell, red bell and red cubanelle pepper)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled then grated
- 1 bunch Bok Choy, sliced thinly the long way, you want about 3-4 cups
- 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
- 4 ounces of shitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
Additional ingredients:
- Scallions, sliced
- Sesame seeds
- Roasted Peanuts
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately. Add oil, then stir fry onions, leeks and bell peppers for about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the ginger and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the remaining ingredients to the wok, the bok choy, carrot ribbons and mushrooms. Toss around and cook until the vegetables are just tender. Add in the sauce, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in some of the scallions, peanuts and sesame seeds, leaving some for sprinkling on top.
Serve over the kelp noodles or add the kelp noodles to the wok and toss it all around. Serve topped with sliced scallions, peanuts and/or sesame seeds.[/print_this]
-
Mango Banana Green Smoothie – Gluten-free + Vegan
I figured as long as I am on a smoothie kick, I will continue to share my recipes with you guys. It’s been a bit of a busy work week and I just haven’t been motivated to make many large involved recipes, plus I am waiting on a shipment of almond flour to make a few recipes that have been in the queue for this week. I’ve been cooking pretty simple recipes for dinner and quick easy salads and other veggies for lunch. As much as I love cooking, when the rest of my life feels hectic and busy, it is hard sometimes to muster up the energy to want to be patient and take photos after I do all the cooking. I love creating the recipes, I love cooking and I really love eating, but sometimes setting up for the photos, worrying about lighting and stressing about props is just more than I can handle. I want my photos to be as good as they can be, so I think I tend to put way too much pressure on myself, in that way.
This morning, after a somewhat restless night of sleep, I actually slept in a little bit (until 8:30am) and didn’t make it to yoga, so I decided to make a smoothie first thing and enjoy it outside on the patio. I had no real plans of sharing the recipe or taking photos, but after I took the first sip I decided it was way too good not to share (plus I wanted to tell you guys about the yummy green superfood powder). So, I ended up grabbing my camera quick and setting up a really fast shoot for the smoothie, trying not to stress over details. No harm, no foul. Until…. the wood backdrop that you see behind all of the ingredients in the photo below, decided to fall forward and spill almond milk everywhere, it was the last of the almond milk in the house and was supposed to be enough to make a smoothie tomorrow. Not exactly the way to start a day. I took a really deep breath (OK maybe I threw the wood in anger first, then took the deep breath) and cleaned it up. At any rate, thankfully I got a few decent photos before that whole fiasco, but I have to say, I am not gonna lie, editing these photos definitely gave me a little anxiety thinking about that crash, and the almond milk spilling everywhere.
OK, enough of all that, let’s talk smoothie…many times I just make up my smoothie recipes as I go and this morning I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I really wanted to include some veggies but since I was out of kale and didn’t have any spinach, I decided to add a scoop of Orange Dreamsicle Green SuperFood from Amazing Grass. They aren’t paying me to say any of this, it is a product I grabbed at the Lexington CoOp a while back after they had someone there offering samples. I was impressed with the taste, but I also love that one single scoop helps provide you with your 5 to 9 daily servings of veggies. Not too bad for a small unassuming scoop of gluten-free and vegan green powder.
The powder has a very subtle orange creamsicle flavor and it isn’t chalky or strange, it pairs nicely in fruit smoothies as well as a smoothie with cocoa powder and almond butter. I bought this container back in March and I still have a decent amount left. Each container has about 30 servings and once opened you store it in the refrigerator for optimal freshness. The Orange Dreamsicle flavor is so good I have on occasion mixed it with just water or almond milk for a quick green pick me up. You should definitely give it a try if you are looking for ways to add more greens into your diet.
[print_this]Mango Banana Green Smoothie – Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free
serves 1- 1 cup unsweetened organic vanilla almond milk (or any non-dairy milk of your choice)
- 1 organic banana, preferably frozen
- 3/4 cup frozen organic diced mango
- 5-7 drops of NuNaturals Liquid Vanilla Alcohol-Free Stevia (or any other sweetener of your choice)
- 1 scoop of Green SuperFood Powder (if you don’t have this or something like this but you still want greens, add 1 cup of
- spinach or kale or just leave it out)
- 1 handful of ice if your banana isn’t frozen
Add all of the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If it is too thick, add more almond milk or some water to thin it.
[/print_this]
-
Blueberry, Banana and Kale Smoothie – Vegan + Gluten-free
I am back from a short, but very lovely trip to California for the wedding of our very good friends, Patrick and Summer. We got back home on Tuesday morning after flying a red-eye out of LAX Monday night and I am still trying to readjust to being back home. It was a great trip, but we crammed a lot of celebrating into just a couple of days. My body was definitely hurting when I woke up yesterday morning. Between eating a little bit different than I normally would, getting way less sleep and doing less yoga than normal and OK maybe there was lots of wine, a few chocolates and even a cigar or two. I feel pretty beat up, but it was definitely worth it.
First thing I decided I would do to get back on track, was a 3 day cleanse. Lots of fruit and vegetables, juices and smoothies, tons of water, etc. And of course, lots of yoga. My everyday diet has evolved so much that this really isn’t a massive difference from my usual daily eating, but for the next couple of days I am actively avoiding any and all sugar or sweeteners of any kind (including my usual maple syrup or honey), no caffeine, no alcohol, no meat, no eggs, no grains and of course, the usual no gluten and no dairy. My body just needs a break. Summertime can be a bit rough, even when I think I am being careful and mindful, only indulging a little here and there, the little celebrations that I allow myself, happen a bit too often in the summer. Next thing you know, I am feeling worn out, sluggish and all of those other yucky things. I actually got a migraine yesterday for the first time in many, many months, and it was a bad one. I am sure my body was angry at the excessive amount of travel, lack of fruits and veggies, lack of water and all of that wine.
Our bodies definitely can only take so much. When you are always treating your body with love and care being very mindful of every little thing going into it, even just a few days of “letting go”, can affect you.
I normally have a smoothie or juice in the morning after yoga anyways, but this week I am really trying to load the smoothies up with tons of fruit and veggies. Today I put a big, tightly packed cup of organic kale into my smoothie and it was perfect. I know I have shared kale’s many benefits with you before, but here it is again in case you had forgotten: One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Read more about kale here.
Blueberries rank as having one of the highest antioxidant capacities among all fruits, vegetables, spices and seasonings. Additionally blueberries are an amazing source for vitamins and minerals and they are high in fiber. Blueberries are also beneficial for your brain. On a test tube level, blueberry antioxidants activate two brain-protective enzymes, catalase and superoxide dismutase. These are the enzymes that keep neurons from being “deactivated” after they are attacked by free radicals. You can read more about the many benefits of blueberries here.
Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis. Bananas are also great for digestive issues, replenishing your body of much needed electrolytes after a bout of diarrhea. Additionally, bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber (called a hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation. You can read more about bananas many great benefits here.
This smoothie may have an odd color, a little bit purple, a little bit green with little flecks of berries, but don’t let the color throw you off, it has such a great flavor. It is smooth and you would never know that it is loaded with healthy, green leafy kale.
[print_this]Blueberry, Banana and Kale Smoothie – Vegan + Gluten-free
serves 1- 1 cup unsweetened organic vanilla almond milk (homemade works great)
- 1 tightly packed cup organic kale leaves, stems removed and roughly torn
- 1 cup organic blueberries (frozen or fresh)
- 1 organic banana
- 1-2 soft medjool dates (optional, or other sweetener of your choice, like maple syrup, honey, etc)
- 1 small handful of ice cubes
Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
[/print_this]
-
Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Walnuts and Dried Currants
I am a huge fan of brussels sprouts, always have been. For some reason, getting one of those huge stalks at the farmers market, is one my favorite things in the world. There is something about that beautiful green stalk peaking out of your canvas bag, that feels so right. I had big stalk that I grabbed while I was at the market and I couldn’t decide what to do with it. I absolutely love oven roasted brussels sprouts, but I always prepare them that way, I wanted to do something different. So after a little looking around, I came across many many recipes for sautéed shredded brussels sprouts. This sounded perfect. I was also very happy to discover that my amazing food processor, has an attachment for shredding. Who knew? That made shredding all the brussels sprouts, a breeze, it took me far longer to cut each one off of the stalk then to shred them all.
I didn’t have a large and deep enough skillet to cook the amount that I had, so I just used a large pot. The key is to get whatever pan you are using hot, but not too hot. If the heat is too high, you will cook them too fast. You want them tender, with a tad bit of a brown crisp to the outside. I found that since I had so many sprouts and I was cooking them in a pot rather than a skillet, the key was to keep stirring them around, so they wouldn’t just sit there and steam, only the bottom ones getting browned. Stirring allowed them to cook evenly and for all them to brown up nicely.
This is definitely going to be a winter side dish staple in our house. Perfect with so many different meals and I promise, even those that swear they hate brussels sprouts, would enjoy this. Looking to add a little meat? A bit of smoked ham, bacon or pancetta would be beautiful with this.
Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Walnuts and Dried Currants
serves 6-8
2 pounds brussels sprouts
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
Coarse kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
1/2 cup dried currantsTrim root ends from brussels sprouts. Using sharp knife or processor fitted with coarse shredding disk, thinly slice brussels sprouts into shreds. (This can be done one day ahead, cover and chill)
Heat olive oil in large deep skillet (or large pot) over medium heat. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Add brussels sprouts; sauté until crisp-tender but still bright green, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with coarse salt and black pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Toss with toasted walnuts and dried currants. Serve.
