Cheers! It’s Spring AND Friday!
0April 26, 2013 by nicole
TGIF! This tasty cocktail is inspired by warm weather sipping, and by my favorite tea shop, David’s Tea. David’s Tea originated in Toronto, Canada and I have been a fan since opening day. Thankfully, David’s Tea has come to Chicago and is just down the street from me! I received a free sample of their Exotica tea, with is made with delicious ingredients such as, lemongrass, pink peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pineapple, orange peel & coconut. I decide to get exotic with this Exotica tea and add tequila! I used Hibiscus infused Tequlia because it sounded even more exotic. And we all know…Tequila DOES makes your clothes come off. That’s Exotic.
Now drink up! That’s the Spirit!
Exotica Cocktail
| Meal | Beverage |
| Occasion | Casual Party |
Ingredients
- 1 cup David's Tea, Exotica (brewed, chilled overnight)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1fl oz Gran Centenario Hibiscus infused Tequila
- 1fl oz Cointreau Liquor
- juice of lime wedge
- ice
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| When brewing tea the day before add honey with water is still warm. This will help it to dissolve. Combine with tequila and liquor. Squeeze and garnish with lime. Serve on the rocks or shaken, and in a martini glass if you want to be fancy! | |
Category Uncategorized | Tags:
Springspiration Day# 4: Thrill of the Grill
0April 25, 2013 by nicole
Spring wouldn’t be Spring without some good BBQ! Springspiration week is the perfect time to start sharing my tips for grilling, give you something more then just a recipe, and make my blog a little more meaty! Literally…
This week’s grill guru: My Dad.
Featuring: Lamb.
Trust me, he is the best griller I know! (My apologizes to my husband…)
Dad’s Grilling Secrets:
- Sear the fat side of the cut on EXTREMELY HIGH heat for 3-4 minutes.
Watch the grill carefully during this process as the meat is prone to flaring up as the fat cooks and chars. - After the fat is well seared, reduce the heat slightly, turn over meat, and place a layer of foil under the lamb so it is removed from direct heat.
- Cover the grill and cook the lamb for another 15-20 minutes without turning.
The fat layer will self baste the cut as it cooks. - Remove cover and let stand before carving.
- Serve to your family and friends, and gloat in your grill master glory!
Category Uncategorized | Tags: BBQ, lamb
Springspiration Day #3: Take Me Out to the Ballgame!
0April 24, 2013 by nicole
Buy me some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks…Or bring your own Ballpark Berry Cashew Jacks!
I am not the biggest sports fan, however, when I asked my husband what food most reminded him of Spring, he said the ballpark hotdogs, peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Go figures its not something I make at home…
I do agree with him however, Cracker Jacks are delicious! But also deadly, especially for me and my corn allergy! Sweet & salty all at once, I decided to make my own, naturally sweetened version. I used dried mulberries to substitute the popcorn, cashews for the peanuts, and threw in some pistashios for good measure.
Now the only dilemma is smuggling them into the stadium?
Ballpark Berry Cashew Jacks
| Dietary | Corn Free, Paleo, Peanut Free |
| Meal | Snack |
| Misc | Man Dish |
Ingredients
- 1 cup grade B maple syrup
- 1 cup raw honey
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 3 cups raw cashews (unsalted)
- 2 cups dired mulberries
- 2 cups raw green pistachios (unsalted and de-shelled )
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| Preheat oven to 250°. Arrange mulberries, cashews and other nuts on a silicone lined baking sheet. | |
| Step 2. | |
| Combine maple syrup, honey and almond butter in a medium sized sauce pan. Keep the mixture on low heat, incorporating ingredients with a whisk. | |
| Step 3. | |
| When the surface of the mixture thickens and bubbles, remove from heat and immediately add baking soda. | |
| Step 4. | |
| Quickly pour this over the pan of berries sand nuts. Mix gently until everything is coated evenly. | |
| Step 5. | |
| Bake, string every 15 minutes, for 50 minutes. Allow to cool, and break up any large pieces. | |
| Step 6. | |
| Snack away! | |
Category Uncategorized | Tags: almond butter, cashews, honey, maple syrup, mulberry, pistachios
Springspiration Day #2
0April 23, 2013 by nicole
Yesterday’s weather in Chicago finally felt like spring! No coat! Hooray! On warm Spring days I always crave cold food. Sushi and ice cream mostly…
Instead of preparing dinner with the go-to cauliflower “rice,” my springspiration told me to cool it down! I will call this side dish, Light & Lemony Caulicauli, like couscous, since my mother always made it cold, and I want to make it as fun to say as couscous. I added jicama to give it a nice crunchy texture, topped with sprouts, and served with some pan fried ground bison.
Caulicauli, Couscous!
Sorry. Sun gets me giddy!
Light & Lemony CauliCauli
| Dietary | Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free |
| Meal | Side Dish |
| Misc | Serve Cold |
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 1 cup jicama, chopped into small cubes
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- juice of one lemon
- course ground salt to taste
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| Using food processor, grind your cauliflower until it has a couscous consistency. Remove from processor and place into large bowl. | |
| Step 2. | |
| Add parsley, lemon juice and salt to your clean processor. Pulse until parsley is finely chopped. | |
| Step 3. | |
| Mix parley & lemon mixture with your cauliflower. Add chopped jicama. | |
| Step 4. | |
| Serve with your favorite protein! | |
Category Uncategorized | Tags: cauliflower, jicama, lemon, parsley
Springspiration
0April 22, 2013 by nicole
It is Spring in Chicago! Although fellow city dwellers may not feel so fresh and airy…it snowed this past weekend! Lovely.
I have decided to stay optimistic and use Spring as an inspiration for my recipes this week.
Today’s recipe uses one of my top five favorite foods – Sweet Potatoes! I even eat them for breakfast sometimes, try my Sweet PotatOats.
I leave the skins on when roasting these wedge fries, which keeps them crispier and easier to prepare. Just be sure to buy organic, so that they are not coated in wax or dye.
Sweet potatoes are extremely rich in beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Here comes the best part: Beta carotene is a fat soluble vitamin, so eating the sweet potatoes with a fat like olive oil or nuts can help absorption.
Bring on the fat! Double points.
Read about the health benefits of sweet potatoes here & here.
Now comes the Spring inspiration, or Springspiration…as I hope you have all been stuffing yourselves with sweet potatoes since Thanksgiving, I know I have. These are potatoes after all, so they can be fairly filling, or a considered a “heavy” meal ingredient.
I needed a light ingredient to lighten up this ingredient – add a little prep in this potato’s step! My Peppy Pesto is super easy and uses cilantro, instead of a traditional basil base, to make it perfectly light and fresh for Spring!
Peppy Pesto over Sweet Potatoes
| Dietary | Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian |
| Meal | Main Dish, Side Dish |
| Misc | Serve Hot |
Ingredients
- 5 large sweet potatoes (skins on, cut into wedges)
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- course salt to taste
- 2 cups fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cups walnuts
- juice of one lemon
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| Preheat oven to 425° | |
| Step 2. | |
| Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss your sweet potato wedges in 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt. | |
| Step 3. | |
| Let the sweets roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. | |
| Step 4. | |
| While the tots are roasting, add cilantro to food processor first. Then add the walnuts. Finally, pulse in garlic powder, lemon and remaining oil. | |
| Step 5. | |
| Let the sweet potato wedges cool slightly, and top with delicious pesto before serving! | |
Category Uncategorized | Tags: cilantro, sweet potato, walnuts
Dehaydrators the New Crockpot.
3February 27, 2013 by nicole
I just recently discovered the delights of the dehydrator! I borrowed this incubator looking machine from my brother in-law, who has been churning out numerous varieties of beef jerky. Some batches are better then others. I think it is difficult to get that perfect chewy consistency that make jerky so satisfying! So for any jerky making professionals out there, please share your secrets!!!
I am more of a sweet treat kind of girl anyway, so I decided to attempt making raw cookies. These Dehydrator Date Rookies, are are chewy, slightly sweet, and a great quick snack option. Raw+Cookies=Rookies! Plus, it is my first time dabbling in the sport of dehydrating!
The dehydrator is very similar to a crockpot or slow cooker in that you don’t have to worry about watching it cook. You can make things overnight and in mass quantities to bring to work for the rest of the week! Double brownie points. Hummm…I should try some raw brownies next!
Dehydrator Date Rookies
| Dietary | Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free |
| Meal | Dessert, Snack, Treat |
Ingredients
- 2 cups medjool pitted dates (soaked in water for 1/2 hour to soften)
- 2 cups raw cashews (soaked in water overnight)
Optional
- 1/4 cup Spectrum Essentials Decadent Blend Chia & Flax Seed
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| Strain dates and cashews. | |
| Step 2. | |
| Place in food processor. You may need to stop and manually move around mixture since it is fairly thick and sticky. | |
| Step 3. | |
| Add Chia & Flax Meal Blend. I found this at my local Whole Foods. You could also use 1/4 cup of your own mixture of ground flax, chia, coconut and cocoa. Incorporate this into your cashew and date mixture using your hands. It's the easiest way! | |
| Step 4. | |
| Roll into golf ball sized balls, then press down to get the "cookie look." | |
| Step 5. | |
| Spread evenly onto dehydrator trays. Dehydrate for at least 6 hours on 105°F(41°C). | |
Category Uncategorized | Tags: cashews, chia, flax, medjool dates
Taco Tuesday!
2February 26, 2013 by nicole
We just got mass quantities of beef delivered to us from VDL Grass-Fed Beef through a meat share that our local cross fit gym does, Division St Crossfit. I am so excited for all the beefy possibilities to come!
I tackled the first of these packs with tacos in mind. Tacos are on my mind a lot! But instead of my usual trip to the nearby mexican joint, I decided to try homemade!
The fillings for tacos can easily be adjusted to your likings! I used chopping tomato, chopped scallions, fresh guacamole, and mango salsa. I pan fried the ground meat in some coconut oil, along with some fresh cilantro.
Now comes the the tortillas! Traditionally these are made with corn or flour. But I wanted to try to make a grain-free version to be allergen and paleo friendly. Tortillally Delicioso, are slightly sweet and crepe like. Try them as dessert, or even for breakfast!
Tortillally Delicioso
| Dietary | Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Vegetarian, Wheat Free |
| Meal | Breakfast, Dessert, Main Dish |
| Misc | Man Dish, Serve Hot |
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg whites
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 heaped tablespoon canned coconut cream (the creamy stuff that settles on top)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (for frying!)
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| Heat coconut oil in a small pan. | |
| Step 2. | |
| Whisk together eggs and egg whites. | |
| Step 3. | |
| Add coconut flour, coconut cream and salt. Whisk until there are little to no chunks in your batter. | |
| Step 4. | |
| Batter should be thick but runny, similar to a pancake batter. Using a ladle, pour into pan to make small, round, tortilla shapes! Slightly brown on each side. | |
Category Uncategorized | Tags: avocado, beef, cilantro, coconut flour, coconut oil, eggs, grassfed, mango
Happy Fat Tuesday
0February 12, 2013 by nicole
I almost forgot there was a holiday with the word fat in it.
What better way to celebrate Mardi Gras then with my all time favorite healthy fat: Coconut!
I can’t describe to you how obsessed with coconut I am. It’s a sickness. Yet during one of my compulsive coconut binges I created what I think to be genius. Coconut Crazed Cookies. They are not only crazy good, they taste like raw cookie dough – don’t pretend you don’t like it. They also have a crazy about of coconut in them, seven different forms to be exact. Coconut is basically the only ingredient + chocolate chunks!
Warning! These cookies are not recommended for those trying to recover from their coconut addiction. But why try and recover when relapsing is so much more fun!
Coconut Crazed Cookies
| Dietary | Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Vegetarian, Wheat Free |
| Meal | Dessert, Snack, Treat |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 3 tablespoons canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- dash salt
- 3/4 cups coconut flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (Enjoy Life brand)
Optional
- 10 pieces coconut strips (cut into small chunks*)
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| Preheat oven to 350° | |
| Step 2. | |
| Whisk together coconut oil, honey, eggs, egg whites, coconut milk, coconut extract and salt. | |
| Step 3. | |
| Stir in the coconut flour, shredded coconut, coconut flakes, coconut strips, and chocolate chunks. | |
| Step 4. | |
| Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, or a 1 TBS measuring spoon, shape dough into a cookie shape. | |
| Step 5. | |
| Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. | |
| Step 6. | |
| Let cool and eat! Try them for breakfast with your coffee with coconut milk in it! To die for! | |
Note
*I found this stuff at Trader Joe's. It is great for snacking and is almost like a coconut jerky! You can leave it out if you can't find it anywhere!
Category Uncategorized | Tags: chocolate, coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil
Blog Worthy Beef
1February 10, 2013 by nicole
Make this for your friends. You can do most of the work the day before and your friends will think you are the best cook ever. I adapted this recipe from my good friend and blogging mentor Better with Butter. Of course, I had to add some bacon! I swear this recipe is not just one of those that looks good in pictures…its tastes even better!!!
I do warn you that you have to be patient with with recipe. It takes a while, but is well worth it in the end! I chose to serve this with a cauliflower puree (Tasty Paste) but you could also serve this with cauliflower “rice,” paleo cornbread (recipe coming soon!) or a sweet potato mash, like BwB did!
Blog Worthy Beef
| Dietary | Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Wheat Free |
| Meal | Main Dish |
| Misc | Man Dish, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Casual Party |
Ingredients
- 3-4lb beef short ribs (bone in)
- 3 heaped tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 pieces extra thick cut bacon (diced into small cubes)
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
- 1 handful snacking celery sticks ((or 1 celery stalk) chopped)
- 1 bottle red wine
- 1 carton beef stock
- course salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
| Day Before | |
| Step 1. | |
| Preheat oven to 350° | |
| Step 2. | |
| Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large, deep, oven-proof pan. A large dutch oven will work best, but I have yet to invest in one of these. My husband provides me with all the dutch oven action I can handle for now... | |
| Step 3. | |
| Brown meat. Rotating, flipping, and maneuvering it to make sure you get all of its surfaces. Remove and set aside. | |
| Step 4. | |
| Add bacon and cook until slightly crispy. Use all of your willpower not to snack on these bits! | |
| Step 5. | |
| Add onion, carrot and celery to the bacon/bacon fat and cook until veggies are slightly softened. | |
| Step 6. | |
| Pour the whole bottle of wine in! Maybe save the final swig for yourself. Simmer uncovered until liquid reduces. | |
| Step 7. | |
| Add your meat to this pool of deliciousness. Add stock. Bring to a boil. Cook for another 20 minutes or so. Then remove from heat to cool. | |
| Let it Marinate! | |
| Step 8. | |
| I 100% recommend doing the steps above the day before and allowing your meat to marinate in fridge overnight. Just do it. | |
| Day Of | |
| Step 9. | |
| Put the pan back on the stove. Some of the meat's fat may have hardened on the surface. Don't be scared. This is what makes it taste so good. | |
| Step 10. | |
| Simmer for at least an hour. Or longer. The longer you cook this meat the more tender ("fall off the bone") it will be. Spoon liquid over meat as it simmers. | |
Note
Recipe snatched from my good friend at Better with Butter.
Tasty Paste
| Dietary | Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free |
| Meal | Side Dish |
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower (remove leaves)
- dash ground nutmeg
- dash turmeric
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| Boil large pot of water and add cauliflower florets. Boil until softened. | |
| Step 2. | |
| Using food processor, blend to a thick, paste like texture. | |
| Step 3. | |
| Add spices and lick the bowl clean! | |
Category Uncategorized | Tags: bacon, beef, carrot, celery, coconut oil, onion
Sweet PotatOats
0February 8, 2013 by nicole
Even in my pre-paleo days, breakfast has always been my favorite meal. I used to be a cereal fanatic: Mini Wheats, Peanut Butter Puffins, Grape Nuts, and oatmeal galore. All of which I thought were “healthy” choices. I was a cereal nympho! When I began my paleo journey I had to force myself to start loving eggs. Now don’t get me wrong. I do in fact LOVE eggs now, especially eggs covered in coconut butter. Don’t knock it until you try it! No really, try it.
Anyways, I never really got over craving that sweet, crunchy, milky, soggy, belly warming satisfaction that comes from a bowl of cereal, especially hot oats. I know there are dozens of great paleo oatmeal recipes out there, but I wanted to create an eggless version. Sometimes you just need an egg break, or a break from breaking eggs every morning.
I swear this tastes exactly like oatmeal, especially when served warm. I found it to be sweet enough from the natural sweetness of the potatoes, but you can always add a drizzle of honey if you like!
Sweet PotatOats
| Dietary | Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free |
| Meal | Breakfast, Snack |
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet potato mash (use leftovers!*)
- 1 heaped tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Optional
- drizzle honey
Directions
| Step 1. | |
| MIx all ingredients in a small microwave safe bowl. | |
| Step 2. | |
| Eat cold. Or microwave on high for 2 minutes. | |
Note
*To make sweet potato mash: Poke holes all over your potatoes and cook in oven at 350 for about an hour. Or longer - the longer you leave them, the sweeter they get! Remove skin and MASH. Add coconut butter if you are an addict like me.
Category Uncategorized | Tags: almond butter, almond milk, flax, honey, nuts, sweet potato
