Monday, March 11, 2013

Baked Sweet Potatoes

I recently found a site that I love... Nom Nom Paleo (http://nomnompaleo.com). Paleo recipes and sites are wonderful for grain-free diets because there are no grains in a Paleo diet. However, Paleo diets do not include any legumes or dairy, which is what makes it different from how I eat. I obviously don't always need to eat my beans or cheese, so these recipes are usually A-Ok for me! I do love my meat and veggies!

Anyway, I saw a recipe on this site that I had to try because I love sweet potatoes! Here is the link... http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1667354361/baked-yams-sweet-potatoes.


Baked Sweet Potatoes

What You'll need...
sweet potatoes
coconut oil
pan lined with foil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, simply clean the outside of your potatoes (so you can enjoy the crispy skin as well), coat the outside of the potatoes with coconut oil. Once nicely coated, poke multiple holes around the potato with a knife and place the potatoes on your pan lined with foil and stick them in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour! No need to cover the potatoes with foil, just place them on top. The insides should be nice and creamy and the outsides perfectly crispy. Enjoy like I did!!

Tip: I sprinkled some of my frozen grated lemon on top and it was amazing!! read more here... http://theshrinkthatshrank.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-life-gives-you-lemons.html

When life gives you lemons...

I'm not sure if I've said it before, but I want to emphasize the importance of eating your fruits and vegetables whole!! This is the only way to get all those great nutrients locked inside. Juicing and picking them apart will leave you with some of the missed goods. So try and eat your vegetables and fruits whole, rather than juicing them, etc. Okay, I will now step off my soap box to introduce you to a fabulous idea that is new to me... Eating a whole lemon! 

Before, I only ever used lemon juice and occasionally lemon rind. But here's a tip about lemons... the whole lemon is super nutritious and packed with vitamins. So how do you eat a whole lemon? Simple... freeze it! That's right, freeze those lemons until they are nice and rock solid. Then simply take a fine grater (microplane) and grate the whole thing down to the stem. I grated mine, rind, insides, seeds and all. What is left is beautiful fine gratings that you can add to almost anything... salads, drinks/cocktails, desserts, marinades, meals, seasonings, or just eat it plain like that... nice and cold and yummy! Obviously while I was grating I had some left on my fingers, so I simply licked my fingers clean and it was delicious!

I think I'll keep the gratings in the freezer to keep them fresh until needed.



(Lemon from my family's tree in Beverly Hills, CA)

Here are just some of the health benefits of lemons I've read about from various sites (sorry I have no references or links - so I can't guarantee these):

- Kills cancerous cells
- Fights bacterial infection and fungi
- Reduces fever (sprinkle some of that grated lemon in your tea)
- Helps cure the common cold (have an extra dose of Vitamin C!)
- Helps with Respiratory Problems
- Lemons have antioxidant properties
- Helps treat urinary tract infections
- Lemon juice is a digestive aid (so may aid in weight loss)
- Lemon has a calming effect (try inhaling lemon oil as well)
- A little lemon in your water may boost your energy when feeling fatigued
- Lemon can freshen your breath

So try the flavor explosion of eating a whole grated frozen lemon now, if not for your health, for your tastebuds!!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Roasted Cabbage

Here is a quick and very simple recipe that is healthy and delicious! A different way to eat your red cabbage... and I guarantee you'll think you were eating dessert! Roasting red cabbage brings out the natural sweet flavors, yum yum yum!

Roasted Red Cabbage

What you'll need:

1 Head of Red Cabbage
Some olive oil for drizzling
Salt and Pepper to taste
A baking sheet lined with foil (you could roast these directly on the pan too)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Now what?

Just cut your cabbage in half (lengthwise), cut out the bulky white part in the middle and start slicing into lengthwise pieces (don't worry if some of it falls apart... those loose pieces will get nice and caramelized and crispy so don't throw those pieces away!). Try and cut them as thin as you can (you can use a mandolin, but it's a bit tricky). Once you have all your round slices and those extra pieces, drizzle them with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper over them. Toss until evenly coated and spread onto your baking sheet or pan evenly (one layer, some minimal overlap is okay). Pop in the oven for about 20-30 min, until tender and caramelized. Serve as a veggie side dish to your favorite meal! Enjoy as always... :)


Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Coconut whipped cream

Coconut whipped cream

I saw a wonderful post about how you can use coconut milk to make whipped coconut cream. I thought I would try this. The trick is that you have to whip the thick solid part of the milk from the can. To make this happen, you need to refrigerate the can of coconut milk for about a week. I only did for a few hours, so I only got a few spoonfuls worth of whipped goodness. It was delicious! But... I needed more for the dinner I was going for. So, since I am not a vegan, I decide to add some real whipped cream, made with heavy whipping cream. When all mixed together I had a delicious, light coconut tasting, fluffy delight! Adding the whipping cream made the coconut flavor less intense and I thought it was perfect. Of course, if you are vegan... then try it with just the coconut milk. Like I said, I would recommend leaving it in the fridge for a few days to a week and buying two cans. Good luck!!

Ingredients
Coconut Milk - Full Fat (only use the thick solid part, remove liquid)
Heavy Whipping Cream
Powdered sugar (for sweetness and thickening, you can omit this)
Other optional add-ins: vanilla extract, cinnamon

Mix together and whip!


Shown here with my delicious flourless chocolate cake

Breakfast Quinoa

Hey there! I know I haven't posted for awhile and I have some new ideas! Here is one for now...

Breakfast Quinoa!

I actually had this for dinner tonight. The reason is because I was craving oatmeal from earlier when a drug rep brought McDonald's breakfast for everyone (including oatmeal) at work. As you know from my initial post and some thereafter, I don't eat oats because they are a grain. But... I do eat quinoa, not often, but at least I can because it's technically not a grain. It's a seed! It definitely hit the spot! Here's the ingredients... enjoy!

Breakfast Quinoa

quinoa 
water for boiling
heavy whipping cream or milk
cinnamon
honey
berries or any other fruit

Simply cook the quinoa according to directions (typically it is cooked like rice, 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa (1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa is a nice amount for one). Once the quinoa is cooked, place it in a serving bowl, add the desired amount of cream or milk, then mix in cinnamon and honey if desired until it is sweet to your liking. I think the cinnamon does the trick by itself. Then top with berries or cooked apples! Mmmmmm Mmmmmm!


Note: it takes some time to cook quinoa, so try cooking it the night before so it's ready for a fast go-to breakfast!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Meal Plans and Snack Ideas


I will try and update this list as I come up with ideas to share. But here is a handy dandy list if you are trying to think of some healthy, grain-free meal or snack options. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section!! I’m always looking for new and tasty ideas. J I will post pictures and recipes for some of these as I make them at home… stay tuned.

Breakfast Choices (If I am not running out the door with a plain banana I go with one of these):

1    .     Banana with 2 TBL almond butter (or other nut/seed butter). I love MaraNatha All Natural No Stir Almond Butter Smooth.

2    .     ½ cup of Plain yogurt (I use TJ’s European Style Organic Plain Nonfat) with a large handful of blueberries. Optional add-ins include; slivered almonds, toasted coconut or other berries. Can sweeten with cinnamon or honey or agave syrup.

3    .     Hard-boiled egg (I like to make a few early in the week for an easy grab).

4    .     Scrambled eggs with feta cheese (I started using coconut oil to cook eggs). Go fancy and add some parsley, dill or other herbs. Season with salt/pepper.

5    .     My easy pancake recipe made with just eggs and banana (recipe).

6    .     Sunday brunch usually includes some type of omelet and very crispy bacon! I love bacon!

Lunch Options:

1    .     Romaine lettuce wrap. Can include chicken, turkey or other meat with some hummus or guacamole, sprouts, and cucumber for some crunch. You can also go veggie with red pepper, carrots, green onion and anything else you can fit in there. FYI… Jimmy John’s delivers and you can order any sandwich as an “unwich,” in which they use a huge piece of lettuce instead of bread to wrap up the inside goods. But try to make homemade and try to stick to meats that are not deli-meats. The less processing, the better.

2    .     Tuna salad or chicken salad. I make my chicken salad with some Lemonaise, celery, walnuts, and apple. For the tuna, I like to get the one in oil so I don’t need mayo, and add celery, capers, pickles, scallions and walnuts. Yum yum. You can eat this by itself or in a lettuce wrap.

3    .     Make a salad. Any kind, pile up the veggies. Adding an avocado gives it a little depth. I also like adding some Mediterranean olives (not the seedless ones that you can put on your fingers to make an olive monster). (Blue cheese and cranberries) (make it greek) (arugula with lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan).

4    .     Soup. Vegetable soup, tomato, lentil, etc. (see my hearty soup recipe… )

5    .     Roasted chicken with roasted or steamed vegetables (I love roasting broccolini/broccoli rabe)

6    .     Raw shaved zucchini, asparagus, or mini artichoke salad. Add shaved fennel, spring onions, parsley, goat cheese, lemon juice and olive oil.

Dinners (recipes to follow soon to eventually):

1    .     Basically any meat with a side of vegetables and a small salad if needed.
a.     Baked or roasted chicken thighs/breast with roasted vegetable (onions, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower).
b.     Mashed cauliflower and roasted red cabbage with grilled sausage.
c.      Roasted brussels sprouts, baked sweet potato with cinnamon with pork roast.
d.     Grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and red cabbage slaw.
e.     Lamb chops with arugula salad.

2    .     Ground beef stew with zucchini, tomato, and green beans.

3    .     Roasted vegetable lasagna.

4    .     Omelet for dinner.

5    .     Bean salad with chorizo.

6    .     Flatbread pizza on a cauliflower crust or cheese base.

7    .     Tomato, mozzarella, basil salad.

8    .     Artichokes with a lemon oil sauce for dipping.

9    .     Spaghetti using spaghetti squash.

Snacks:

1    .     Water – don’t underestimate the importance of hydration. Sometimes when you’re thirsty, your brain confuses it for hunger. Hydrate first and foremost!

2    .     Apple with some almond butter

3    .     Navel orange

4    .     Cheese sticks

5    .     Guacamole with Plantain chips (my favorite!)

6    .     Cucumber or carrot sticks with hummus

7    .     Handful of nuts or seeds. Try Pepitas! (Make pre-portioned baggies so you don’t go overboard).

8    .     Beef Jerky

Drinks

1    .     Water, lots of water!

2    .     Green Tea or White Tea

3    .     My Starbucks run is usually for either a Grande Nonfat Latte or Earl Grey Latte. Yum yum.

4     .     Stay away from juices and sodas, especially diet. Yuck for fake sugar. I do admit that on special occasions I do order a regular Coke. Soooo good, but it has corn syrup – which is made from grains, so not good, not to mention all that sugar and carbonation.

5    .     Alcohol you say? I stick to Red Wine. Beer, Vodka, Whisky, etc. made of grains. Swans Neck Vodka is made of grapes and is the only one I like (I think CĂ®roc has a weird taste). So I can still enjoy my favorite Bloody Marys!!

Monday, February 4, 2013

Just do it!

Here are some simple exercises that you can do while watching television. Try them, I dare you...

(images from Real Simple)

1. Jumping Jacks (try 50 at a time, or 100)

2. Plank or Side Plank for 60 sec intervals
3. Mountain Climbers
4. Wall Sit for 30 or 60 sec intervals (if you have weights, try doing some bicep curls at the same time or use a exercise ball to do wall squats)


5. Sit-ups or curls ups (try bicycle style)
6. Bridge (try on one leg at a time with other held up straight parallel to other leg)
7. Arm circles
8. Walking lunges or squats

**Now if you have additional time... private dance party at home or go enjoy the fresh air and run or fast walk for half an hour for some cardio!!**