Grab and Go Eats!

It's Winston Churchill who said "He who fails to plan is planning to fail" during World War II...

and your own personal war on balananced optimal eating is no different.

I can not say it enough.... planning is EVERYTHING.  A little extra time spent in the kitchen getting yourself set up for nutritional success is the difference between meeting your goals and a epic fail.   These muffins address my need for a holiday infused smell of baked goods through out the house and are a great grab and go snack. 

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

Oven 350

6 eggs

½ cup coconut oil (warmed slightly till just liquid)

1 t pure vanilla

½ cup caramelized date puree

(dates cut in 1/2 and baked until they begin to caramelize.  Cooled and then pureed in food processor)

¼ cup banana puree

1 teaspoon fresh ginger

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 cups shredded carrot

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup shredded granny smith apple

½ cup coconut flour

1/3 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 t cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

½ t pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon cloves

1/4 cup hemp seeds

½ cup unsweetened cranberries or cherries

¼ cup walnuts, or pecans

3-4 T finley diced candied ginger optional

Sautee zucchini, carrot, and apple for 1-2 minutes in a teaspoon of coconut oil to release some of their liquid, set aside.

Wisk eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, fresh ginger, date and banana, in large bowl.

Stir in veggies, cranberries, nuts and candied ginger if using.

Sift the coconut flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together with the spices. Gently stir into the wet ingredients, Scoop ¼ cup of batter into paper lined muffin tins, spray liners with oil first for optimal release.

Bake for about 30 minutes

Frosting Optional  (…kinda : )

 

¼ cup coconut oil

¼ cup coconut butter

¼ teaspoon fresh ginger

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 tablespoon maple syrup. (optional)

 Wisk/whip all ingredients together. Frost each muffin with about 2 teaspoons when muffins have cooled.

PLEASE note that the image at right is about 3 Tabelspoons of frosting, way more that the 2 teaspoons reccomended as a serving size. 

Hold the rice and give me two scoops of whatever THAT is. Faux RICE.

Illusion is the first of all pleasures. -Oscar WildeCoconut 'Cauliflowered' Rice

Oscar Wilde hit the nail squarely on the head and I have the faux rice to prove it.

I made this recipe for a group of 27 decerning Hawaiian friends and family.  You live in Hawaii, you KNOW how we feel about our white rice.  Take my first born and the dog but DO NOT touch my rice pot.  Over one meal I saw every tentitive fork full turn into a broad 'Are you kidding me?' look of amazment.  "This is not rice, but I do not care", I heard over and over.  Mission accomplished and then some.  I not only found a substtute for rice on our communities plate but low and behold a REPLACEMENT!  

Paleo Coconut ‘riced’ Cauliflower

*Ideally the easiest way to make this dish is with a food processor but a regular box grater or hand held large cheese grater can be used.

Ingredients

Head of cauliflower

3 Tablespoons Coconut oil

2 cups Kale, spinach, or chard-chopped fine

Salt & Pepper

2-3 Tablespoons Coconut butter (See recipe below)

¼ (or to taste) cup mac nuts

Cut cauliflower head into 1/8 ths or smaller depending on the size of your food processor. Process with the shredder blade attached.  Empty into bowl and repeat until all sections are shredded.

Heat 1 Tabelspoon of the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat then add chopped greens. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and sauté until they are wilted and have released a good amount of moisture, about 2 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Place pan back on heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.  Add shredded or ‘riced’ cauliflower to the hot pan and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper.  Stir the cauliflower to evenly coat with coconut oil and then let the mixture cook with out stirring for 2 minutes.  What you are looking for is for a light browning of the cauliflower.  It may take a bit longer depending on your stovetop and type of cookware.  Once the cauliflower begins to lightly brown, add the reserved greens, chopped nuts if using, and coconut butter.  Stir until coconut butter is evenly coating ‘rice’.  Transfer to a serving bowl and gently stir in fresh mint.  Pat yourself on the back for a job well done, and enjoy!

Coconut Butter An example of UNSWEETENED coconut flakes, there are many brands or find in the bulk food bins at the natural food store.

Also know as coconut mana, coconut butter is a crazy delicious option to choose in place of regular nut butters.  It can be purchased from healthfood stores, but it is extremely easy to make for a fraction of the price. Packed with body loving fats, fiber and nutrients, it creates a powerhouse of a snack when paired with your favorite fresh fruit or blended into smoothies. The cheapest option is to purchase the coconut flakes from the bulk section at the healthfood store (make sure not to use the sweetened flakes in the baking isle of a traditional grocery store).  For a smoother spread, add a few tablespoons coconut oil.

Ingredients

About 5-6 cups Unsweetened flake or shredded coconut

2 Tablespoons Coconut oil (optional)

Place coconut into blender and pulse until it no long falls into blades. (if using a high powered blender you can do in one large batch.  If using a traditional blender do in ½ to ¼ batches.)

Using a spatula push coconut down the sides and pulse.  Scrape down sides again and add coconut oil.  Repeat this a s many times a needed until enough friction has been created to begin heating the mixture and it blends freely.  Let mixture run on high until fairly smooth 2-3 minutes.

Cover in a air tight container and store in a dark place.  To cool and it will solidify and be difficult to spread, no worries though just run the closed jar under warm water and it softens right up.

Please think twice about eating RICE! -By Coach KC

Whats wrong with RICE? The most current research says, it's a risk to your health

From the Harvard School of Public Health comes new research. "Eating white rice on a regular basis may increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, according to new Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) research.

HSPH researchers from the Department of Nutrition—led by Emily Hu, research assistant, and Qi Sun, research associate—reviewed four earlier studies involving more than 352,000 people from China, Japan, the United States, and Australia who were tracked between four and 22 years. The researchers found that people who ate the most rice—three to four servings a day—were 1.5 times more likely to have diabetes than people who ate the least amount of rice. In addition, for every additional large bowl of white rice a person ate each day, the risk rose 10 percent. The link was stronger for people in Asian countries, who eat an average of three to four servings of white rice per day. People in Western countries eat, on average, one to two servings a week.

The study was published in the British Medical Journal March 15, 2012.

White rice has a high glycemic index, meaning that it can cause spikes in blood sugar. Previous research has linked high glycemic index foods with increased type 2 diabetes risk.

For the full article click HERE to go to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Arsnic in RICE?

And if the nutritional risks aren't enough to get your attention, a recent Nov. 2012 Consumer Reports released a report on independent laboratory tests that found inorganic arsenic – a known carcinogen – in some 200 rice products purchased in grocery stores across the United States. The admitted point was to pressure the U.S. Food and Drug Administration into setting a safety standard for arsenic in the American food supply, something the FDA has been embarrassingly reluctant to do. 

For the full report in PDF form please click HERE for Arsenic in your food :Our findings show a real need for federal standards for this toxin.

PLEASE THINK TWICE ABOUT EATING RICE!

9/22/12 Got Munchies? The Great Alternative to Almonds!

Although granted, they are paleo, and a great source of lean protein, I guarantee I will never eat a snail.

This post is about snacks.  

Salty, crispy satisfying by the handful snacks.  Insert here your best Homer Simpson impression ... mmmmm chhhiippps.

For the love of modern cavemen aspiring monkeys everywhere, do not give me another roasted or raw, tamari soaked or sea salt rubbed by virgin monks almond.  I will no longer accept this as my go to option for satisfying my once monthly, and admittedly, totally unreasonable need for salt.  

I want chips.  

Yes chips.  I said it.  Potato chips, tortilla chips...chips, chips, chips.  The English call them crisps, I just call them the ultimate way to satisfy my need for salt and the tuber banned from my paleo aspiring life as refereed to in my previous post.

But lets get real here...

this post is sooo not about potato chips. But rather something that, until I tried it, thought it was the most bizarre sounding idea I had ever heard. Right up there with dehydrated seaweed, eewe right? Wrong! Pretty much everyone loves nori. My kids will eat every bit in the house in one sitting if I allow them to.  

This post is about kale.

Green, luscious, full of delectable goodness, that when very slightly altered, turns into a gastronomically wondrous thing.  Crispy, salty and dare I say satisfying to my utterly unreasonable monthy craving.. ... low and behold kale chips are strikingly similar in both apperance and texture to nori, and yes they passed the most stringent of critics, my children.  I am not very good at flat out lying to my kids, they laugh at me and can read my fallacy with humor and laughs that go over like a fart at the dinner table.  Told them I made nori and with a, yeah right your full of it mom look, Aiden replies "What is it really? You can not MAKE seaweed."  Oye. Back step. Turn head to hide my telling face and reply "Well, I did not make the seaweed, duh, but what I made I dried like seaweed, I mean nori..." and with a inspecting eye and twisted brow he popped it in his mouth...."ummm... crunch, crunch, tastes kinda different, kind from store does not taste like bacon."...ah ha, knew I had him.  He loved it, said he wants it in his lunch for snack and that is as good of a review as it gets in my book.

I am a avid supporter of organic farming.  

But for the love of all things wholesome always wash your kale diligently and inspect the curls and dips well, as it is a favorite meal for my greatest garden nemesis and ultra gnarly phobia...snails and slugs.   Get fancy and speak with a French accent if you wish, cook them in butter and garlic and call them escargot, but I still call them NASTY.  Although, granted they are paleo, and a great source of lean protein, I guarantee I will never eat a snail.  Ya wanna see me cry, scream like a B grade actress in a horror flick, put a slug in my path. Swear, I will climb a rope of glass to get away from one.  Anyway, I digress... onto the recipe.

Baked Kale Chips

Preheat oven to 350

(all measurements are approximate, use all organic slug free ingredients when possible)

1 Large bunch kale any variety that you prefer.  I used both curly and the toscano aka 'dinosaur ear'

1-2 Tbsp  Bacon drippings...yummo! Could also use coconut oil, olive oil or nut oil.

Kosher or coursley ground sea salt.  Regular table salt can be used but the larger crystals of these two salts adds more than just flavor but also texture.

Fresh ground pepper

Tear or cut out the ridged stems from all the leaves.  Rip leaves into 3-4 inch pieces...(no ruler needed here guys) and place into a large bowl. Sprinkle about a 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss. Melt the bacon drippings, and toss well to coat all leaves. Add fresh ground pepper as much or as little as you like.  The first time you make I would err on the conservative side with the salt and pepper as the flavors will condense as the water evaporates in the oven. You can ALWAYS add more when they are finished. Add to much from the start and you have wasted your time and created fancy food for your compost pile.

Bake 10 minutes, then check every 5 after that.  Give a gentle shake and nudge with care any that stick at the 10 minute mark and alternate and flip sheets.   Once they are all crisp, and edges just begin to brown (this took a total of about 15-18 minutes in my oven) turn off heat and leave in the oven to cool and continue dehydrating. What you are looking for is complete dehydration here.  If they have started to get really brown let them cool out of the oven or with the door ajar and adjust your time, and attention : ), the next time. Remove from the oven when cool and super crispy.  Make sure to store them in a air tight container.

The options for variation are endless.  Garlic, herbs and lemon zest.  Cumin, coriander and chili powder.  A touch of siracha chili paste, nam plah and finely chopped peanuts.  A few sesame seeds and oil and dried squid...really no rules, only what suits you.

 The original idea for this recipe was taken from Diane Sanfilippo BS, Certified Nutrition Consultant

9/21/12 Paleo Muffins

-Added by KC

Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Lactose Free Muffins Recipe from Kathy V.

RECIPE: I'll give you the 'official' recipe, then i'll tell you how I modified it to make it what I thought would be yummy and it was.

Paleo Muffins

4 eggs (separated)

1 Apple (grated)

1 Carrot (grated)

1/2 cup Almond Flour

1/2 cup Tapioca Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add Yolks one at a time still beating. Mix in with spoon grated Apple & Carrot. Then add the dry ingredients (sifted together first) until all is combined. Don't over mix. Spoon into oiled, 12 cup muffin pan. Bake 375 for 20 minutes. WHAT I DID DIFFERENTLY: I used all coconut flour instead of almond and tapioca. I couldn't beat the egg whites till stiff cause I don't have a beater so I just whisked. I added in unsweetened almond milk cause it was a bit stiff. I also added frozen Marion berries about a cup. I added a bit of maple syrup and cinnamon before baking. THESE ARE SUPER GOOD AND MOIST! I suppose you could substitute the eggs with egg replacer if needed? Enjoy!

7/15/12 Potato, Potahtoe....Tomato, Tahmahtoe...

Written by Elin

Things have come to a pretty pass, Our romance is growing flat...Lets call the whole thing off. -George and Ira Gershwin

...no matter how you sing it, potatoes are not optimal eats.

So that is it, my romance with potatoes, I am calling it off. A break up right up there with the guy who broke my heart in high school.  Would I ever go back to that lyin' sack of potatoes? Not just no, but hell no! Will I cheat on my Paleo aspiring self on occasion to have perfectly fried batons of crispy, salty goodness, you can bet you first born on that. Fried, baked, boiled, smashed, mashed, hashed, or fermented my Irish and Polish heritage predisposes me to a visceral reaction to all things spudly, just love 'em.  But as the Gershwins wrote, my romance with them has become flat, uninspired, and just plain empty so it is time I call things off.  Aside from some fiber, assuming you eat the skin, and some trace minerals, potatoes are not much more than fluffy filler on your plate.

I set out to tame the need for a noble replacement to the other worldly spud on our breakfast table and came up with something that I think even the most discerning potato lover will embrace.

Ingredients. Quality matters, period.

Dissertations and books in volume have been written on the absolutes around fresh, quality, organic ingredients, and I agree 100%.  If I asked you which ingredient at right appealed to you more which would you pick?  I hate to assume that it is obvious that the item vibrant in color, robust in smell (where is my Wonka smell-o-vision button) and velvety to the touch would be the ingredient of choice over the dull, flat, and prickly.  If you have only ever cooked with commercially dried herbs and spices an amazing world awaits you.  It is the difference between saddleing up for a work out with a Sussane Sommers thigh master in front of the TV and an epic Hero WOD at the box.  

That being said, perfection is not the goal...

Education is. With education we have the power to compare our options and make better choices.  With each choice we practice. We gain experience and begin to make turns toward mastery.  If frozen is what you got, then frozen is what you use. Try fresh the next time and experience the difference.  Never have time to source farm fresh goods?  Pay attention to labels and make the best choice for you.  All grocery stores have a point of origin on the produce tags that list the price per pound. Try to make a local choice over something shipped from Mexico.  When in doubt ASK.  Make friends with your neighbors working in the produce section and butcher counter, they will hook you up with the freshest shipments or let you know what day deliveries are.... all you have to do is ask.  Fresh, local anything will ALWAYS taste better.  When it tastes better it needs less 'work' to be impressive to the senses.  Less work equals easier, easier equals more time to spend with family, friends, and yourself. To me the most important fact is that it means means you will enjoy it more, feel satiated and content with your nutrition.  Begin to see food as the powerful fuel that keeps you moving forward, and love it.

When you see a * in a recipe this is an indication of a special note of interest, education or opinion that I will add at the end of the recipe.

Hash Brown Potatoes Spaghetti Squash

(what the hell is a spaghetti squash, do I find it in the pasta isle, you ask... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_squash)

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper*

2 tsp oil of choice.  Olive, Butter, coconut**

Method: Cut it in half (lengthwise). Scrape out the seeds and pulp as you would with any squash or pumpkin. Sprinkle each half with ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper then:

Bake if you have other baking going on.Place rind side up and bake about 30 to 40 minutes

at 375 F until a fork is easily inserted through skin.

OR

Boil 20 minutes in a wide bottom stock pot with 2 inches of water until a fork is easily inserted through skin.

• Remove from oven or pot and cool flesh side down on a wire rack placed over rimmed cookie sheet or towel to catch the juices.
• Once cool, separate strands by running a fork through the squash in the "from stem to stern" direction into a colander.
• Place colander into a bowl to further collect juices and place into the refridgerator for a few hours or over night.  Discard any juices that collect.
• In a large well seasoned cast iron or non stick skillet, heat over medium/high heat, 1 teaspoon of oil for 1 minute.  Add 1/2 of your chilled squash.  Give a few grinds of pepper then add the rest of the squash on top. smooth out so it is even in the pan and push down gently with a spatula to remove some of the air.  Let it cook...DO NOT STIR, FLIP, or otherwise mess with it, for a good 5 minutes.  
• In the first minute or so, the squash will render a lot of liquid...don't worry! Just leave it.  The juices will evaporate as it cooks, and the carmalization of the natural sugars in the liquid will add to the flavor.  Give pan a little shake every now and again to keep hash from sticking. If using a cast iron skillet a bit more of your chosen oil may be needed to keep it from sticking, this all depends on the level of seasoning in your pan... (worthy of a entire post in and of itself.)
• Using a spatula lift up the edge and check the level of golden goodness.  Depending on your stove, 5 minutes may be too long, just right or not enough time, you want them a deep golden brown, like, well hash browns.
• For the advanced, a good swirl and flip and you can get the entire mass flipped over in one movement, if can, do.  For the remaining folks who like to keep their eats in the pan and off the stove top, take the time to turn over the hash browns section by section so that you are looking at the browned bottom, and all the uncooked section is now down.  (Think flipping a pancake) Idea here is to not scramble them all up...yet.
• Cook another 5 or so minutes on the flipped side until golden.  Turn out onto a plate, give a little fluff with a fork, top with some eggs and bacon and you are good to go.

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS (as pictured above, mmmm... perfection)

A finely chopped hearty green.  Like: kale, chard, spinach

Any variety of minced savories.  Like:  green onion, shallots, onion, garlic.

Any type of meat.  Like left over grilled beast, bacon or sausage.  Heck, all of the above, the more the merrier!

Herbs.  Like: thyme or parsley.