Recipes

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Paleo Chocolate chip banana bread — aka Black Bottom Banana Bread (paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free)

Yes, it’s paleo.  I was super excited and intrigued!  This came out so moist and delicious; I just had to share!

Recipe from Living Healthy with Chocolate

Black Bottom Banana Bread (paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free)

 Ingredients
  • 1½ cups blanched almond flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup raw cacao powder
  • 1½ cups ripe bananas*
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. in a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking soda and salt
  2. add the bananas, coconut oil, vanilla, egg and honey to a food processor and pulse to combine ingredients
  3. mix together the wet and dry ingredients using a spoon to form a batter. Be careful not to over mix or the batter will become oily and dense.
  4. divide the batter in half. Add the cacao powder and chocolate chips to half and pour into the bottom of an 8½” x 4½”-inch medium loaf pan greased or lined with parchment paper
  5. spoon remaining batter on top and bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 45 minutes.
Cook’s Notes

* To measure 1½ cups of bananas, chop the banana into small pieces and fill the measuring cup.

Apple bananas enhances the flavor of this bread, so make sure to use it if you can find it for sale at your local stores.

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

My Bear absolutely loves sweets.  I’m currently still in the transition of going paleo and eating clean, however, one can indulge every now and then, right?  Last Thanksgiving, we hosted both our families and I was stressing to figure out what to prepare.  I have minimal baking experience.  So I needed something easy and straightforward and most of all tasty!  I stumbled upon this recipe and it was a hit.  It’s one of my Bear’s fave fall recipes — and he loves cream cheese.  It was a great compromise for flavor (cheese cake is appalling to me, but it’s my Bear’s fave) and texture.  For all the new bakers out there, give this recipe a try (see link at the bottom: huge props to The Novice Chef for this outstanding recipe!).

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE SWIRL MUFFINS

yield: 18 MUFFINS

prep time: 12 MINUTES

cook time: 18 MINUTES

total time: 30 MINUTES

pumpkin-cream-cheese-swirl-muffins-1-sm

INGREDIENTS:

  • FOR THE MUFFINS
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (pure pumpkin puree)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • FOR THE FROSTING/SWIRL
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cups into muffin pan. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside.
  3. In large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar.
  4. Beat in eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, until there are no lumps. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.
  5. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
  6. Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter. This will not look smooth, but it will bake up much prettier.
  7. Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
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Mimi’s Chinese Chicken

This was one of my childhood favorites. If I wasn’t feeling well, I would drink the broth. I loved the tenderness of the chicken after being boiled. There was a ton of flavor! And I used to love pouring the sauce over rice as I really disliked the texture and blandness of white rice.  Thank you Mimi for teaching me one of my faves!

INGREDIENTS

  • 5 drumsticks (may be frozen or thawed)
  • 5 star anise
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
  • One Thai Chile or red pepper flakes
  • One small dab of honey or agave (very small)
  • 1/2 to 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • One bag of Asian spice pouch (either brand found at the Asian market) — see pics below


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a 3 quart sauce pan, place drumsticks in water (just enough to cover the drumsticks). Cover pan and bring to boil (med-high heat). 

2. Once boiling, skim off fat before adding spices. 

3. Add all spices. Stir well to make sure all ingredients are mixed. Water should still be boiling at this point. Boil one minute longer after all ingredients mixed well. 


4. Decrease temperature to med-low for 30 minutes (if frozen or until chicken meat looks like it’s almost falling off the bone). Keep lid on (do not lift lid to check on meat). 

5. Turn off heat after 30 minutes. 

You may use liquid as broth. It’s great for soup, broth to drink, rice topper, seasoning of veggies, etc. 

THE FINAL PRODUCT

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Best convenient meals that work for me

Everyone seems to be busy these days.  It doesn’t seem to matter whether you’re a student, professional, stay-at-home… everyone is running around in the rat race of life.  When I lived in Boston, I would have a delivery service called PeaPod deliver my groceries typically on my postcall day bc I knew that’s when I’d be home.  But today, delivery services have improved!  I’ll go through each of my favorites:




GOBBLE

For the person or couple or family who likes the idea of cooking and/or cooking together, Gobble makes it super easy to whip together a delicious meal that takes all the menu planning, grocery shopping, portion controlling out of it.  It’s my go-to date night meal.


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FRESHLY

Freshly is a more Paleo focused meal that offers single serving portions of breakfast, lunch, or dinner that is super quick and convenient!  Some of the best parts about this delivery service: high quality protein, no refined sugars or artificial sweeteners, always gluten free, low-glycemic carbohydrates, and nutrient-rich veggies.  Need I say more?


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FRESH AND FIT

Fresh and Fit meals are more a local delivery food service that is super convenient and served in single serving containers.  It’s all natural and organic, seasonal, and comes from local, sustainable farms.  It’s more veggie intensive and they taste delicious!


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DAILY HARVEST

Daily Harvest is a wonderful way to blend up healthy stuff that’s super convenient and perfect for that sweet tooth craving!  Usually I’ll whip one of these up in the morning — either with water or coconut water or almond milk.  The directions are on each cup.  Oftentimes I’ll add my own protein powder, chia seeds, flax seed, etc. to boost my nutrition.  These shakes taste delicious — almost like a decadent milkshake (but one that’s actually healthy and good for you!).  So go ahead and have one for dessert!

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*** UPDATE March 2017 ***

SUN BASKET

This is now our go-to meal planner for the week! We love the nutritious aspect of this quick throw together meal delivery kit. It’s faster to prep than Blue Apron, but slightly longer to make than Gobble. The sunbasket ingredients are organic and as expected have a longer shelf life in the fridge. The recipes are super delicious and diverse. I prefer a paleo delivery kit and this one delivers!! 

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Food Delivery Service for Dinner Prep #cooking #blueapron #gobble

Somedays, I get home from a full 12-hour day (or even a 24-hour day) and I’m exhausted.  It’s great to be able to open the fridge door and see all the ingredients you need to put a meal together — all without having to go grocery shopping!!

Food delivery has been amazing!  Who has time to grocery shop and meal plan when you’re already working 60+ hours/week?  The down time you do have, you want to spend with friends and family and yourself!

So, I decided to look at various food delivery options because:

  • Convenience
  • Healthier than restaurant dining
  • Cost savings
  • Learn to cook
  • Share with people you love

My first experience is with Blue Apron.  It’s basically $10/meal.  I ordered the 3 dinners/week option for two people.  It roughly came out to $65/week.  The dinners were ethnic, unique, seasonal, and delicious (and 500-700 cals/meal).  Portion size was huge — oftentimes enough leftovers to take for lunch the next day!  Prep work was roughly an hour per meal (chopping ingredients; no microwave use).  I had a very good experience with Blue Apron and highly recommend it to anyone curious to dive into cooking and using new seasonal ingredients.  Delivery materials are fully recyclable and fully reusable too!

Here’s another customer’s user experience:

 

My next experience is with Gobble.  Cost is roughly $12/meal.  I order the 3 dinners/week option for two people.  It is $72.70/week.  The dinners again are ethnic, unique, seasonal, and delicious (and 500-700 cals/meal).  Portion size is slightly smaller than Blue Apron — so no leftovers for the next day (i.e. the serving size can truly only serve two people with average appetites).  Prep work is quick…about 15 minutes (that’s bc some of the prep work involves using the microwave; there was no chopping involved!).  I’m a bit saddened by the microwave use, but time is precious and it seems that corners need to be cut somewhere.  I would still recommend Gobble to anyone who is extremely short on time and is interested in diving into cooking.  Delivery materials are fully recyclable and fully reusable too.  In fact, this company offers a recycle pickup when they make a delivery.

Is food delivery service worth it?

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Spicy Thai curry

Cleaning out the fridge before my vacation:

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Serves 7!

Ingredients:

2 yellow bell peppers
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 white onion
3 green onions
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1 large handful cilantro
1 package tempeh
Red chili flakes
1 large handful bean sprouts
1/2 bottle Trader Jo’s red curry sauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4-1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1) Chop bell peppers and white onion into cubes.  Dice shallots, roughly chop cilantro.  Chop green onions.  Set aside.

2) Heat up a large skillet on medium heat with coconut oil.  Place shallot and garlic in pan.  Break up 1 package of tempeh into ground pieces.  Place in skillet.  Add soy sauce and sesame oil and red chili flakes.  Stir until tempeh slightly browned

3) Add bell peppers, white onion. Simmer until al dente.  Add TJ’s red curry sauce.  Coat evenly.  Add green onions and bean sprouts.  Simmer.

4) Serve over rice (here’s a recipe I enjoy for Coconut Rice).  Garnish with cilantro and mint (optional)

5) Watch it be a real crowd pleaser!  🙂  Kick back and sip on a lovely pinot grigio or riesling… the spice and sweet together makes for a nice combo.

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Coconut Curry Flounder

This recipe was adapted from this one here.  I didn’t have lemongrass or mussels…. so here’s my take on that recipe.

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Ingredients

  • 2 flounder fillets (I used flash frozen since I had it available)
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped in cubes
  • 1 thai chili, finely chopped (can substitute good pinch of chili flakes)
  • 3 teaspoons of ginger, minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder
  • 1/2 cup of chicken broth
  • 1 can of coconut milk (13.5 fl. oz.)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Kelp noodles
  • 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped into four pieces and smashed (I didn’t have lemongrass, so I squeezed 1 small lemon)
  • 3 kaffir lime leaves* (optional) — didn’t have this either
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges

Method

1 Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and stir for a few minutes until they become soft and slightly translucent. Add the chilies, ginger, and curry powder and stir for a minute until fragrant.

2  Add the chicken broth and reduce half. Add the coconut milk, salt, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves if using and bring to a boil. When boiling, drain and set aside in a separate bowl/container.

3 Boil kelp noodles in boiling water.  Drain when slightly soft.

4  Season fish with salt and pepper.  Add some oil.  Place fish fillets in skillet.  Add some garlic for flavor.  Reduce heat to medium and cover.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until the fish is cooked.  Place kelp noodles in a bowl and top with the cooked fish.  Spoon previously made sauce over the kelp noodles and fish. Garnish with chopped cilantro and juice from lime wedges.

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Coconut Curry Mussels

And to truly finish off any craving I have for curry, coconut, and mussels…. I will shock all by attempting to make this dish!  🙂

Coconut Curry Mussels

Coconut Curry Mussels Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of mussels, cleaned and debearded
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 thai chili, finely chopped (can substitute good pinch of chili flakes)
  • 3 teaspoons of ginger, minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder
  • 1/2 cup of chicken broth
  • 1 can of coconut milk (13.5 fl. oz.)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped into four pieces and smashed
  • 3 kaffir lime leaves* (optional)
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges

*Kaffir lime leaf: a key ingredient in Vietnamese, Thai, and Hmong cuisine; can be found in Asian Markets, though many markets now carry them in the produce aisles with other fresh herbs. The taste is very distinct and can’t be substituted. However, you can make this dish without the leaves and the mussels will still taste great.

Method

1 Place mussels in a bowl of cold water so the mussels will spit out any sand or mud. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Drain and repeat. Toss any mussels that are open as these are dead. Debeard the mussels, pulling out their byssal threads (aka: their “beards”) and place them in a bowl of cold water until ready to use.

2 Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and stir for a few minutes until they become soft and slightly translucent. Add the chilies, ginger, and curry powder and stir for a minute until fragrant.

3 Add the chicken broth and reduce half. Add the coconut milk, salt, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves if using and bring to a boil. Drain and add the mussels, reduce heat to medium and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 6-7 minutes until the mussels open. Discard any that are closed as these were dead before cooking. (Some may only be slightly open, if you have to debate on whether it’s good to eat or not, toss it.) Spoon mussels into bowls and pour over with broth. Garnish with chopped cilantro and juice from lime wedges.

Yield: Serves 4.

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Mussels in White Wine Sauce

I cannot wait to make these!!  Called Ralph’s this AM and they deliver their seafood Tues, Thurs, and Saturday…but they don’t carry Mussels.  What??  Yeah…

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Mussels in White Wine Sauce Recipe

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes

When purchasing mussels be sure they smell like the ocean, not fishy. Don’t buy any whose shells are cracked or open or any that refuse to close their shells when you handle or tap them, those are likely dying or dead. Try to cook the mussels immediately (unwrap them as soon as you get home), but if you have to wait place them in a bowl and cover them with a damp towel so they can breathe.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed clean under running water
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup minced shallots
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons flour (optional, omit for gluten-free version)
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley

Method

1 Put the mussels in a bowl of salted water (1 Tbsp salt per quart of water) for 10-15 minutes. Throw out any that are wide open or refuse to close when you handle them as these ones are likely dead. Looking over the closed mussels, see if any still have their beards (long hairy byssal threads which help anchor the mussel to surfaces) and pull them out, pulling slowly and strongly towards the hinge of the shell.

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2 Put 1/2 cup of dry white wine in the bottom of a large pot (at least 4-quart). Add the mussels to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. As the mussels cook, they will release their highly flavored water into the pot. Cook until shells have opened, and the mussels are just cooked, looking steamed and soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Take care not to overcook, or the mussels will be rubbery and hard. Once the mussels are cooked, carefully remove them from the pot to a bowl, one-by-one using tongs, including those that have broken loose from their shells. Do not discard the water in the pot!

3 Let the water in the pot settle for a minute. Any grit will settle to the bottom. Gently pour out the cooking water into a measuring cup, leaving the grit in the pot to discard of later. If the water you’ve measured out is still a little gritty, filter out the grit using a sieve.

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4 Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the shallots and cook a couple minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. If you want your sauce to be a little thick, add a teaspoon or two of flour to the pan, stir to combine. (Otherwise skip the flour.) Slowly add about a cup of the filtered mussel cooking water to the saucepan, stirring to create a smooth sauce. Add the minced parsley to the sauce.

5 Place mussels in serving bowls. Pour some sauce over each bowl of mussels.

Serve immediately. Serve with crusty bread for dipping in the sauce.

Yield: Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as an appetizer or side dish.

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Coconut Rice

Halibut with mango salsa on coconut brown rice...

Image via Wikipedia

My next food craving… aside from the amazing curry mussels I had at Bo-beau Kitchen + Bar.

Coconut Rice!  This should be a great accompaniment to my thai dishes and indian dishes.  Very excited!

Coconut Brown Rice

If you’re looking for a delicious way to cook brown rice, try this wonderful Thai Brown Coconut Rice! Coconut rice is a favorite side dish that works well with a number of different mains, including Thai and Indian as well as Western dishes. Normally brown rice tastes a bit too “grainy” for some people, and my husband used to be one of them until he tried this recipe. I hope you like it as much as we do!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
  • SERVES 3-4 as a Side Dish
  • 1+1/2 cups brown jasmine or basmati rice (I like Lundberg Organic Brown Jasmine rice)
  • 2 cups good-quality coconut milk (preferably regular, not ‘lite’)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2+1/2 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut (baking type)
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, or other vegetable oil
Preparation:
  1. Rub the oil over the bottom of a regular-sized pot (you will also need a tight-fitting lid).
  2. Add the rice, coconut milk, water, salt, and shredded coconut. Stir and set over high heat. Bring to a bubbling (but not rolling) boil.
  3. Immediately reduce heat to low (just above minimum – around #2 on your dial) and cover tightly with a lid.
  4. Allow to cook for 1 hour, or until the coconut-water has been absorbed by the rice.
  5. When all (or nearly all) of the coconut-water is gone, turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner (covered). Allow the rice to sit for another 5-10 minutes, or until you’re ready to eat. Your coconut rice will stay warm in this way for 1 hour or more (a great make-ahead tip if you’re expecting company!).
  6. Fluff the rice with chopsticks or a fork, and serve with your choice of entree(s). If desired, coconut rice can be topped with a sprinkling of toasted coconut (simply ‘dry-fry’ 1-2 Tbsp. shredded coconut in a dry frying pan until toasted), OR top with a sprinkling of sweetened shredded coconut (as pictured here). ENJOY!

Coconut Rice

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