Berry season rocks! The other night I threw some ripe strawberries in a bowl to have with dinner. I’d say 99% of the time, fruit is consumed as-is in our home, but decided to change it up quick for something different. Sweet tooth, satisfied!
I simply drizzled a little raw honey, probably 1 TBSP Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, and topped with a sprinkle, maybe 1/2 TBSP of Madhava Organic Coconut Sugar.
I never took the time to bake myself a paleo cake for my birthday, but cake sounded so good (really, when does cake not sound good?), so I decided to try the 5 Minute Dessert: Paleo Chocolate Cake in a Cup recipe from Oh Snap! Let’s Eat!
I followed the recipe (which you could pretty much do anything with), and because my mint is out of control, I added a sprig of cut up fresh mint to my mixture. Mine was still a little dry, so next time I think I’d use either a little less coconut flour, or add a little coconut oil. I did use organic half and half, because it was open as I didn’t know if I’d be able to get through freshly opened coconut milk in the next couple of days. Next time, I’ll go dairy free 🙂
What an easy, and satisfying indulgence!
I’ve done a lot with eggs, but I’ve never topped a salad with one! The inspiration came from a newer restaurant here in San Diego, 100 Wines, from the Cohn Family Restaurant Group (one of our favorites), view the amazing menu here: 100 Wines Menu. They’re very accommodating with gluten-free, grain-free, etc. and willingly substitute breads/pita for crisp vegetables, or will remove ingredients you can’t eat, etc.
I met a girlfriend for dinner there and I enjoyed the Mixed Greens salad: poached egg, crispy pork belly, ciabatta crouton, piquillo, peppers, ginger apple dressing-sans the ciabatta crouton of course 🙂 It was fabulous! I can’t believe how awesome the yolk was mixed in with the salad. I told Seth about it, and he made this one night recently!
Burger Egg Salad
You can use any burger patties you choose, seasoned however you want, and same goes for the salad and it’s ingredients-be creative. Make the salad, top with burger, bacon and poached eggs. Mix altogether-the key is a little runny yolk, it flavors the salad so well!
I’ve really been craving Italian flavors lately, WAIT…I think I’m craving the idea of Italian flavors (meaning, dimly lit authentic little Italian restaurant, good red wine, Frank Sinatra, cheese, and garlic). What’s awesome about this health journey I’m on is recognizing the flavors OR ideas (in my brain) that I’m craving, appreciating them, and understanding what they mean so I can satisfy them in a healthy way. Amazing the very, very close relationship between your gut and your brain. That’s a whole other post.
These cravings were the inspiration for my creation last night: Artichoke Olive Pasta.
Artichoke Olive Pasta
I had pre-roasted spaghetti squash in the fridge, which made this dish super quick. I squeezed the water out of the artichoke hearts over a colander (they don’t need to be “pretty” so I literally smash them up in my hand). I melted about 1 TBSP of coconut oil in a sautĂ© pan, and added the diced onion, sprinkling with garlic powder, kosher salt/pepp. After about 5 minutes, I added the squeezed artichoke hearts and continued stirring so they could warm up. Last, I added the black olives, which I’d sliced in half lengthwise. I turned the heat down low to keep everything warm, and microwaved a pile (yes, a big pile) of spaghetti squash. once the squash was warm, I generously sprinkled with Herbes de Provence, and a drizzle of olive oil (to add to the Italian flavor). Then I added my artichoke olive stir-fry, and voilĂ ! Italian flavors abound!
That make me happy. This health journey I’ve been on has been successful for me, because I take baby steps and slowly make changes (makes it far less overwhelming for me). This is the perfect example of one of those changes: baking powder. I don’t bake that often, but when I do, I refuse to use the baking powder you find at any grocery store, etc. because it has corn in it. Corn is a grain, that I do not eat. Not even corn starch in small amounts. For me, corn is one of those things that’s a no. I have looked at health food stores out here in San Diego and much to my surprise was unsuccessful in finding a corn-free baking powder, therefore, I turned to my best buddy, Amazon. Enter Hain Pure Foods Featherweight Baking Powder. I’m super excited about this (like I said, it’s the small things 🙂 ). It’s gluten, sodium, aluminum, and corn-free. Yes, it has potato starch, but I’d rather have a small amount of that, than the other. Oh, and it’s affordable especially when it lasts so long!
livinglikelinds 