Zucchini Carrot Slaw

Back at the beginning of summer I was trying to decide which “eating discipline” I wanted to try… Or try again as in this case! My curiosity was between Paleo and Vegan (again) though, this time, specifically Raw… or as much as possible…

I’ve seriously been thinking about Vegan… again! But before taking the plunge, I figured I would play with new recipes! And the good part is that, for the most part, I can have it on the side as I continue trying Paleo!

This recipe does fall under both! And made up… kind of a couple recipes mashed together.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Carrot
1/2 Zucchini
1 1/2 Tbsp guacamole (or avocado)
1 Tbsp Veganaise
Lemon Juice
Flax Seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Using a potato peeler or julienne peeler, shave the carrot and zucchini into about 4 inch strips long and 1/4″ wide. Kinda like fettuchini! Place in large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the guacamole, Veganaise, and lemon juice. Stir until well combined.

Pour over zucchini/carrot and stir until evenly coated. Sprinkle with flax seeds.

I usually have guacamole in the house which is why I used that instead of a slice of avocado… either, I’m certain, would work fine!

I recently tried Veganaise instead of Mayonnaise as I saw a show that was doing a blind taste test and it was liked the most of 5 different brands of mayo type dressings. I’m certain regular mayo, or even Greek Yogurt would work equally as well.

Watermelon cucumber salad

I always forget about this salad but it’s a regular at my father in laws house in the summer time. It’s PERFECT for the hot weather- super easy to throw together and absolutely refreshing!

The ingredients might be odd- I know the first time I had it, my first reaction was “HOW can that possibly be good?!” and then “that’s it?!”… The flavors work perfectly well together and it’s SO easy to prepare!

INGREDIENTS:

Watermelon
Cucumber
Feta Cheese
Fresh cracked Pepper

Dice watermelon and cucumber, combine in bowl. Crumble feta cheese, top with fresh ground pepper and mix together.

Like I said: SUPER easy to make! And the ratio of the ingredients can easily be adjusted to personal tastes!

Gingerbread Chia Protein Pudding

Have you ever had a thought that seemed like a good idea at the time? That was me this morning as I was putting together this dessert. Both husband and I have been unusually hungry after dinner, so I’ve often been making Greek yogurt and berries of various configurations- tonight I wanted something different!

So my good idea turned bad?

I find dates a little frustrating to process. They start getting chopped up and fly and stick to the outside of the bowl. I had the brilliant idea of adding water to the dates to start processing as the original recipe I based mine on called for water. As it turns out, I didn’t even need the water!

So I flip the switch and magically find myself in the middle of Ol’ Faithful-a geyser of partially chopped date water reached impressive heights and I probably should have checked the ceiling. It’s spraying out of the food chute like a fountain and the force of the blades is forcing the water up and out from the seal of the lid like a waterfall! The counter’s covered, the cupboard doors, the floor… myself! After a retarded length of time, I figured I should turn the processor off as it didn’t get better, but continue to spray water everywhere. I drained as much water as I could, mopped up the counter, and continued with MY recipe!

So, don’t worry- water’s not even in mine!

And you’ve been warned! Use caution!

However, if you like pumpkin pie or gingerbread (as it’s a cross between those two flavors!) you should like this pudding! I can also see it in a graham crumb crust as a pie or tart filling!

 

Serves two

INGREDIENTS:

 * 5 dates, pitted
* 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

* 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* pinch nutmeg

* pinch cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup 0% plain Greek Yogurt
* 1/2 banana, peeled and cut into chunks

* 1 scoop Vanilla or flavorless Protein Powder
* chopped almonds or plain Greek yogurt for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Starting with the dates (as they seem to be the hardest to process) process for a couple minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and blend. Combine the rest of the ingredients and process until very smooth and fluffy… walk away, fold some laundry, change the sheets, check the mail, etc!

(or in my case, get out the swiffer and try and unstick the floor!)  

Sprinkle with chopped almonds or additional plain Greek Yogurt, if desired. 

TIPS:

If you need pumpkin puree for a recipe that doesn’t call for the entire can, freeze the rest in 1/4 cup amounts in individual freezer bags.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (not including garnish)

• Calories 193
• Fat 3 g
• Carbs 27.5 g
• Sugar 16 g
• Fiber 5 g
• Protein 18 g
  

I decided last minute to make a graham cracker tart crust for my husband- since I had quite a bit of pudding left over! Now I’m not a cheesecake person, so I’ve never made the crust, so I just wung it!

…I think I just made up a word!

Anyhow, he said he thought he preferred the pudding in the tart shell… though I over cooked the crust so it was crunchier than it should have been. The pudding IS sweet, and he was eating the plain pudding immediately after eating the tart, so I think he ate too much!

I think this would be a good recipe for the Xmas holidays! In mini tart shells!

Guess getting over my cheesecake aversion is next! Gotta get better at the crusts!

Chocolate Protein Paleo Muffins

MMMmmm… chocolate! Personally, can’t get enough! It was probably a contributing factor to reaching 210+ lbs! Well… that… and sugar in general… and lack of exercise… BUT, I loooooooooove chocolate!

And with these, I get it every single day!

I adapted the other Paleo recipe I had to allow for my sugar/chocolate cravings I may have- and this keeps them at bay! Having this little bit each day is enough to resist any binging- AND they’re healthy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/4 Cup Tapioca Flour
• 1/2 cup non fat greek yogurt
• 2 scoops chocolate protein powder
• 1/4 cup Stevia in the raw
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup 70% cocoa
• 1 cup milk of choice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well.

2. Pour batter into a prepared muffin pan.

3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. Allow to cool in pan before transferring to wire rack.

 

Makes 6 large muffins

 

NUTRITIONAL INFO per muffin

• Calories 243
• Fat 7 g
• Carbs 28 g
• Fiber 10 g
• Sugar 3 g
• Protein 17 g

And don’t think of these JUST for morning breakfast/snack- they also make an AWESOME dessert! I’ve adjusted the recipe to just make 2 (one for me and one for hubby) and as soon as they’re out of the oven and cool enough to touch, cut them in half, put them in a bowl, top with berries and 0% Greek yogurt… voila! A healthy dessert!

Pineapple “Gelato”

MMMmmmm… pineapple! Nothing screams tropics than a nice juicy pineapple! And nothing beats a nice fresh juicy pineapple!

(screw the canned stuff!)

You may try and convince yourself that the canned stuff is adequate, but lets face it- it’s not!!! Some fruits you can “get away” with the canned stuff, but not pineapple! Once you go fresh, you’ll never want canned again!

But how do you get through the chain link armor to the sweet goodness?!

You don’t really “peel” a pineapple. It’s more like mining for gold with a hammer and chissel! Though it probably seems similar to scaling fish as well- bits and pieces flying everywhere- especially if you don’t cut into the flesh enough! However, I’d take “scaling” a pineapple over fish anyday! At least you don’t have the smell!

But once you get into the good stuff- be prepared to pucker! Tart, tangy, sweetness- there’s all sorts of tastes in one!

I was stupid excited to try gelato with pineapple! I’m certain I’ve had it before, but combining it with coconut milk would be a taste of the tropics and perfect for the stupid hot weather we’d been having recently! Not to mention, light on fat compared to icecreams!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 fresh pineapple
• 2 cans lite coconut milk, such as from Thai Kitchen

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove top, bottom, and tough outer scales and inner core from pineapple. Cut into chunks.
2. In food processor, process until smooth. If desired, once pulsed a few times, remove 1/2 cup or so of finely cut pineapple to top with when serving.
3. Add both cans of coconut milk and process until smooth.
4. Freeze according to icecream maker instructions.

Note that I’m certain an icecream maker doesn’t have to be used, but it’s how I made it! The process of the icecream maker is to incorporate air during the freezing process, making it fluffier.

The pineapple flower I wanted to try after seeing a pictograph of making them- the link no longer works, but the “photo essay” is pretty easy to follow! The hardest part was cutting it thin enough without tearing and figuring out how long and at what temp to bake it at!

The ONLY way this could have gotten better was if I actually remembered to put in the Malibu Rum during the last 5 minutes in the icecream maker! Instead I used it like a sauce… which was just fine!

;D

Short Cake Pancakes

I love to cook… but it’s hard to create original recipes- well… not without numerous attempts and possibly disastrous results! I simply don’t have the money to waste on ingredients! So I simply test others recipes and/or adapt them to either make healthier or adjust to my requirements.

But after a while, you start recognizing key elements to recipes. Pancakes often have similar ingredients- a flour, a binder, spices, and a fruit topping.

So let the fun begin!

This morning I made a pancake that originally I thought was going to be a tosser… But it was actually really quite good! Thinner and more dense than the typical “light and fluffy” flapjacks you get at Denny’s or Whitespot… They still had their own appeal! They reminded me of those little yellow dessert cups they always sell by the strawberries! Yum!

These——->

These pancakes REALLY reminded me of them! Topped with fresh strawberries and drizzled with local honey, it’s like having dessert for breakfast!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
1/4 Cup Almond Flour
2 Packs Stevia
1/8 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Almond Milk

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

Pour onto hot griddle evenly between 2-3 pancakes. Cook until golden, then flip. It does NOT cook like a regular pancake, so check to make sure it doesn’t burn!

Once other side cooked, transfer to plate, top with fresh fruit and drizzle with honey.

Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO (not including topping)

• Calories 360
• Fat 19 g
• Carb 8 g
• Fiber 3 g
• Sugar 2 g
• Protain 37 g

Practically a perfect breakfast! Don’t let the fat fool you into thinking it’s unhealthy! Most of the fat is from the almond flour (and the whole egg, of course!) so it’s easy enough to substitute a different flour and/or substituting the whole egg for egg white.

Adding 1 Tbsp honey will add 60 caloris and 17 g carbs (16 g sugar) but still a balanced breakfast! And better to get the fat and sugar in the beginning of the day when it’s just getting started rather than at the end of the day when you’re getting ready for bed!

Paleo Pizza Crust

I have to admit… I can’t believe this worked! As my husband would say, “Sometimes your recipes don’t turn out” but I thought I would give it a try… plus he wasn’t home to criticize my efforts… or go hungry… considering the HORRIBLE result of the cauliflower pizza crust, I decided to use the paleo hummus I made the other day, which, incidentally, IS cauliflower!- add some tapioca flour, and see if I could get it to work and have pizza for lunch…

Not bad! I have to wonder how it would have turned out minus the tapioca flour!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 Cup Paleo Hummus
• 1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400′
2. Mix the two thoroughly and roll out onto parchment paper or non stick pan.
3. Allow to cook in preheated oven until golden around edges.
4. Remove from oven, add toppings of choice, and place back in oven and cook until crust is desired done-ness.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (NOT including toppings!!!)

• Calories 465
• Fat 23 g
• Carbs 38 g
• Fiber 6 g
• Sugar 3 g
• Protein 7 g

When I initially pulled the pizza out of the oven, the crust wasn’t quite done, so as I was eating half, I put the other half back into the oven to cook more and came out much better.

Eat it as a meal or split it with someone as an appy!

Paleo Protein Muffins

You KNOW something is going to be good when you lick the spoon and want to lick the bowl clean!

My schedule at work/gym is going to change and it may not allow me to get home to a kitchen to cook breakfast before work, so I needed something to be able to take with me. I decided to try and “Paleo-fy” the Lemon Blueberry Protein Muffins for my breakfasts. Though may not be considered Paleo by some… since dairy is a grey area… and I’m not 100% certain about the opinion of whey powder… at least I got rid of the wheat!

And one word… YUMMY!!!

 Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/4 Cup Tapioca Flour
• 1/2 cup non fat greek yogurt
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 cup Stevia in the raw
• Juice from 2 lemons
  Zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup blueberries

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except blueberries in mixing bowl and mix well.

2. Add blueberries and lightly mix. Pour batter into a prepared muffin pan.

3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. Allow to cool in pan before transferring to wire rack.

 

Makes 6 large muffins

 

NUTRITIONAL INFO per muffin

• Calories 210
• Fat 6 g
• Carbs 25 g
• Fiber 7 g
• Sugar 3 g
• Protein 16 g

 

Enjoy 1 for a snack or 2 for breakfast!

Paleo Hummus

This website I found for Paleo recipes is awesome! There’s some great stuff there- but even I was sceptical on how hummus could be made with cauliflower and still taste like hummus!

I was pleasantly suprised! And this makes me happy! “Going Paleo” is simple enough- stick to meat and veggies! That can get pretty boring pretty quick… I should know as that’s pretty much what I do during contest prep! So this website is nice as it gives me variations and options… plus “baked goods” for when I want a treat!

So on to the hummus!

6 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1-1/2″ florets
• 1/4 tsp sea salt (optional)
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup tahini (may be found in many middle eastern markets or at Whole Foods)
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced into a paste
• juice of 1 lemon (I actually forgot this!)
• 1/8 tsp paprika

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. Toss cauliflower, olive oil, cumin, sea salt (if desired) and black pepper together in a large bowl.
3. Transfer mixture to rimmed baking sheet and spread out evenly.
4. Bake until cauliflower is browned and tender, 25 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Combine tahini, garlic, lemon juice and roasted cauliflower in a food processor. Blend until a smooth paste forms (add additional olive oil if desired).
6. Season with sea salt (if desired) and sprinkle paprika on top.
7. Serve warm or cold with assorted vegetables.

NUTRITIONAL INFO Per Serving:

• Calories 265
• Fat 23 g
• Carbs 12 g
• Fiber 6 g
• Sugar 3 g
• Protein 7 g

Sweet PoPALEO loaf

I have to admit, I was crushed when I found out lentils are “black listed” in the Paleo lifestyle… I loved my Lentil Walnut Loaf! So I decided I wanted to keep it, but modify it to have it be Paleo friendly… so out goes the lentils and bread crumbs and in goes sweet potatoes and almond meal.

I don’t know if I quite like it as much, but it’s still good!

So here’s the changes I made (in red):

;

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked and lightly mashed sweet potato (about 1 large)
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 large carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup almond meal
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• for topping—
• 2 tbsp ketchup or BBQ sauce
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup or Honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

6 Servings

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cook sweet potatoes as desired. I diced small (with skin) and boiled until soft. Drain and slightly mash so there’s still chunks of sweet potato.

While sweet potato is cooking, prepare your veggies. Chop the onion, grate the carrot and dice the celery. Saute the onion and celery in the olive oil over medium high heat for six minutes, or until tender, not caramelized. Add the garlic and carrot and cook for about another four minutes.

Toast the walnuts in the oven for six to seven minutes. Add them to the onion/carrot/garlic mixture on the stove and stir well.

Add the oregano, chili flackes, salt and pepper as well and then take the mixture off the stove and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the almond meal, egg white and cooked sweet potato and toss well. Press mixture into a parchment paper lined loaf pan and set aside while you make the topping.

In another small bowl combine the ketchup, maple syrup and vinegar. Spread on top of loaf. Bake for 40 minutes, allow to cool and then lift out of pan and cool on a plate.

NUTRITIONAL INFO Per Serving

• Calories 306
• Fat 15 g
• Carbs 37 g
• Fiber 5 g
• Sugar 12 g
• Protein 7 g