Paleo Bread and Baked Avocado Breakfast

I have a really juicy post coming up soon, but I needed to get this recipe somewhere accessible.  So enjoy this (it's really good!) and hold on to your hats for the next post. 

In the meantime, here is a generic "paleo" recipe for grain free bread:

paleo bread:
1.5 c almond flour or almond meal
1/4 c ground flax
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
5 eggs
1 tbs honey
1 tbs cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 tbs coconut oil (plus some extra to grease pan)


Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  This will leave the bread yummy and moist, but still able to handle toasting.  If you want it a little crispier right out of the oven, it can definitely handle a few more minutes.  Oh yeah, if you look at the ingredients, you see baking soda and vinegar...this will bubble up - and you should let it, it helps the bread be a little less dense :)

Oh yeah, this is an awesome base for making banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, or....french toast!!

I really like to eat breakfast.  I saw something a while back about baking an egg in an avocado, and thanks to Pinterest, I was able to find a recipe! It's super simple, and oh so delicious! And not to mention that it's brimming with wonderful nutrients and health fats, so it will really hold you over until lunch time.  Which is excellent.  And what's nice is that it's not overly heavy either.  I can devour this and then take Nick for a walk downtown to the playground.  So, here it is:


1 avocado, sliced in half (remove the pitt and scrape out a little extra fruit to make room for the egg if needed). You may also want to hack off a tiny bit of the bottom so that the avocado doesn't tip over.
2 eggs
Bacon, and any other fixin's that you like (i.e. tomato, salsa, whatever)


Preheat the oven to 350 and put your skillet in the oven while is heats to warm it up.  Crack one egg in each half of the avocado and place in the warm skillet.  Place 2 slices of the paleo bread in the skillet to toast with the eggs and avocado.  Let bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs.
While the eggs are cooking, it is SO worth it to fry up some bacon!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Fruit Kvass and...Kvass-tini

Okay, Nick is sleeping longer than I thought he would (phew!) so hopefully I can delve into what I wanted to.  Since discovering that most of my ucky symptoms were because of yeast die off, I have been trying to incorporate less sugar, less grains, and more probiotic foods.  This is an adjustment, and something that I need to do slowly, both because it is a big lifestyle change, and because it makes me really sick to do too much too fast

The other day, I decided to make Kvass, kind of like my beet kvass, but I drank too much of the beet kvass and it made me a little sick, so I'm not so keen on the taste any more.  This kvass is a really delicious one...so much so that it's hard to NOT drink!  The recipe was straight from the GAPS book, and it's just apple, raspberries, and ginger.  Cut up the apple, including the core, grate ginger (about a teaspoon), and add a handful of raspberries.  Typically you would use whey, but I didn't have any, so I just used some salt; so add a bunch of sea salt to the fruit, then cover with water.  Leave on the counter for a few days, then refrigerate when it has brewed to your satisfaction. 

Please do beware, though, that if you are as yeasty as I am, this will cause a mild die off reaction, so proceed with caution.  I tried the kvass because it is supposed to be a gentle detoxifying tonic, and not supposed to cause die off symptoms....but I am pretty toxic, so I did experience die off.  I started out only drinking 2 oz, which I watered down. 

After the first drink, which I drank early in the day, I starting having it at the end of the day so that any die off would happen overnight while I was sleeping.  This is also when Nick nurses the least, so it minimizes the impact on him. 

Now I can have that 2 oz and I don't have the uncomfortable side effects, so I will start to up my intake.  Yay! This really is a refreshing little drink, perfect for these hot summer days.  Know what else it would work well in...a martini! Or any other light, spritzy mixer.  For my purposes, I am avoiding alcohol, but I did add some soda water and drink from a fancy glass, just to make it feel more festive. 

This drink is highly recommended!

spring rolls

i wish i had more time to write today! but it's a gorgeous day out, and i want to get outside!!  i just wanted to write out these two fabulous recipes! 

the first is another pinterest find, i will have to update with the website, but it appears to be broken right now :( 

anyway, the recipe is for these yummy spring rolls - perfect for using up the ton of veggies that dropped off at my door step every week.  as usual this recipe is quite adaptable.  i shredded up carrot, cabbage, turnip, ginger, red scallion, basil, and mint....i think that was it.  soak your wrapping medium in some warm water to make it pliable enough to wrap.  i used cabbage. 

the dipping sauce is a spicy peanut sauce, which calls for hoisin sauce, but i didn't have any, so i used soy, which worked out ...okay.  besides that, you need onions, peanut butter, and water.  and chili flakes. 

first i would soak my wrapping medium, then i would shred my filling ingredients, then whip up the peanut sauce, then roll 'em up!

For the peanut sauce, mince half a small onion and saute for about 5 minutes, or until translucent.  add about a quarter cup of water, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce.  if you like spicy, add your favorite amount of chili flakes. 

Next you can assemble your rolls.  remove one piece of lettuce or cabbage from the soaking water, put a bit of peanut sauce in the wrapper, then place some of you filling, and roll like a burrito.  the original recipe calls for using rice to make it a little stickier, and therefore easier to roll, but i am trying to go grain free (yes i know soy sauce throws that out the window....baby steps).  My rolls were hard to keep together, but they still tasted great!

My second one came out better :)

These are really delicious, but since there is an aweful lot of raw roughage, they can be a little tough to digest, so it's smart to proceed with caution.  i can see me making more of these....

No More Garlic Allergy!!

Well, I have "cured" my garlic allergy, which as it turned out wasn't really an allergy at all.  My suspicion about having a rather large yeast problem seems to be what has been wreaking havoc on my system.  I'm not entirely surprised.  This means I am a huge leap closer to being in the full GAPS diet protocol.  Or Simple Carbohydrate Diet.  Or eating Primal/Paleo.  Whatever, it's all pretty much the same thing. 

Recently I have been really good about cutting out dairy and gluten, and keeping it out.  Not only that, but I have made some really good progress in terms of going totally grain free, and I have cut out most fruits too.  It's definitely an adjustment, but with the way I have been feeling, I barely look back.  When I do "cheat", usually because I have not packed enough food for a day out, or am away from home longer than I anticipate, I feel pretty yucky.  And then the cravings hit...having milk, and bread, and cheese, and chips around is like keeping a pack of butts in the house after you have quit smoking.  I shut what I could into the closet so that I don't have to look at it when I open the cabinet, but my subconscious knows it's there!  So far so good!

Anyway, so I figured out that the garlic allergy was actually a yeast problem by adding coconut oil to my green smoothies on a more regular basis.  I knew something in them was causing me some digestive upset, but I wasn't sure what.  So I tried changing up the ingredients, and lo and behold it was the coconut oil.  It's no coincidence that the coconut oils has wonderful anti-fungal properties... so I started using more of it instead of avoiding it.  And after about a week, I stopped getting bloated.  Hmmmm, know what else is a potent antifungal? Garlic! So I tried eating some fresh garlic....nothing! WhoooHooo!! Boy how I missed that flavour! And the added bonus is that I started to be able to tolerate probiotics!! I am only taking Nick's dose of 5 billion, and I should be working my way up to 50 billion....so I have a ways to go.  But definitely progress; so this means that just by eating the coconut oil and garlic and by avoiding sugar, dairy, and grains as much as possible, I have started to kill off the yeast!

So while I feel super encouraged that I have identified what my issue is, I know it's going to be a tricky road to go down...avoiding all sugars, including fruit, and all grains, and all starchy veggies....Hmmm.  That's a toughie.  So I came up with a sort of sugar free treat to help bridge the gap between all out sugar and sugar free.  I know from experience that trying to go cold turkey is a recipe for disaster. 

Now I feel really good about having separated my problems from Nicks...and he is getting better too.  Although, his symptoms went south as soon as I tried to eat some handy gluten free convenience foods, (I think it's the corn), so it just cements my resolve to quit all grains.  Luckily he really seems to like the real foods...I just need to get him to take one bite at a time! 

This little gem is the perfect summertime cool down, great for kids and adults!  For adults, I recommend a fancy cup, and for those who drink can add some rum and this would be totally fabulous.  For kids, just pour into Popsicle molds. 

 

 

Creamsicle!

This is ridiculously yummy, and it tastes just like the real thing! All you need is coconut milk, orange juice, pear juice, and vanilla extract...and ice for the adult beverage.

Firstly, I open my coconut milk the night before (the kind from a can - with the cream, not the light version - coconut fat is really good for you!), so it will get nice and firm. 

Then I squeezed the juice from one orange and added just a dash of pear juice (you probably wouldn't miss this if you didn't have any).  And about a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  I poured this off into popsicle molds, and then blended the rest with ice to create this wonderful, amazing refreshing elixir!  It was absolutely perfect for the 90-100 degree weather we had! 

Green Smoothie Soup

So, I really like the green smoothies in the morning, but sometimes I'm not in the mood for raw.  Sometimes I want that smooth creamy, warm goodness of a soup.  And I want the healing, balancing properties of the greens too.  So, a logical leap is to make a pureed soup with the greens.  I've made soups that were green before, like asparagus soup, broccoli soup or pea soup, but this soup is so much more! Those soups are definitely yum, but they just seem so one dimensional compared to the newest batch of soups.

I've made a few of these at this point, and I find that I really crave them after I have pigged out on junk.  They give a huge bump of nutrients, and they are alkaline type foods, which will balance the massive load of sugar you probably just ate while indulging.  They will help ward off sugary cravings too.  All in all, this is an awesome soup.  And, while J feels like the smoothies are too "crunchy" for him, (he won't admit it, he just is never "in the mood for it" when I make them, lol), he will devour the soup.  I love how you can almost feel your body taking in the nutrients!

One of the things that I've learned about cooking is that, once you learn some basic flavour combinations, cooking is really easy.  It's forgiving and unique.  So many of my "recipes" are never the same because I never have all of the same things in the pantry.  Or I am wanting (or not wanting) a particular punch from a certain spice.  Anyway, what I am trying to say that my usual disclaimer applies here, the same as always:  Take measurements with a grain of salt (ha-ha), and don't be afraid to improvise a little!

For these soups you can use broth or water.  I like using a nice chicken stock so that I get all of those nutrients too, but that is not always possible of practical, and water will work just fine too.

The first thing you want to do is prepare the veggies that take the longest to cook.  I like using lentils in my soup because they are pretty nutrient dense, have a bunch of fiber, and help me feel fuller than in I were to just eat the veggies.  So I add my (soaked) lentils to the broth, and which ever veggie is my base - broccoli, asparagus, split peas, etc.  I bring this to a boil and let it simmer.  While that is happening I chop up more veggies and add them in order of how long it takes to cook them.  Some things I like to use are squashes, carrot, parsnip, leeks and cucumber, then I add in some leafy greens like lettuce, arugula, kale, spinach, etc.  To season, thyme and rosemary work nice, but I really like a combo of coriander, sage, and mustard. Hitting it with a bit of balsamic vinegar can add a little umph to it too. Once everything is cooked through and soft, puree.  Again, adding rice or potato can help thicken a soup that is too thin. 

I love eating this with good crunchy bread and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese; it's like heaven!  I bet this would also be good as a cream soup using fresh sour cream or yogurt.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Impromptu Homemade BBQ Sauce

I stayed away from dairy and most junk food for about a month, and things went really well.  Then I made an appointment with an allergist, and figured I may as well challenge the dairy.  Plus, you are supposed to be "on" suspect foods for allergy tests.  FYI, the allergist was a complete waste of time.
Anyhoo, since I am a glutton for punishment, and we had several cookouts to attend near the time of my appointment, I went food crazy as usual, and as usual I regret it.  Nick has been miserable, and I'm not sure if it's because of the food, or because of seasonal allergies.  Either way, he has been throwing massive tantrums left and right, which is not like him.  Well, I mean, he is a normal toddler and will totally pitch a fit now and then, but these things are epic.  Poor boy doesn't know what to do with himself!
Anyway, to the food! So, here I go again, beginning my journey back into more whole foods.  With one last goodbye to cheese.  I won't over-do it, but I don't want to throw away what's in my fridge either....well, at the very least I will make some goodies for J.

J has been super busy at work (as per usual, I guess - I suppose I should just get used to it!), so I am planning some easy style meals to get us through the rainy week while I try to help Nick work through his angries.  I ordered a bunch of pasture raised meats, and accidently defrosted way too much pork at once, so I figured a slow cooker pulled pork would be the way to go.  Unfortunately it's impossible to find BBQ sauce without garlic in it.  At least, I have yet to discover it.  So I figured I could throw something together at home.  Silly me, decided to put the pork in the slow cooker and then put the ketchup in immediately.  This meant that I destroyed any chance of tasting my concoction as I went.  Typical thoughtless Nina mistake.  So instead of worrying about it, I just threw a little of this and a little of that in, and depended on my sense of smell to guide me.  I decided that BBQ sauce is another one of those things that's really hard to mess up....except if you add too much vinegar.  I learned that lesson a while back, and I do not intend of making that mistake again!!

Using *very* approximate volumes, my sauce went something like this:

5/6 of a bottle of Ketchup
1 tablespoon of Trader Joes spicy dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2.5 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of honey
a glug of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 glug of soy sauce
several glugs of tobasco
and about 3/4 cup of water
 

Again, as long as you go easy on the vinegar, BBQ sauce is very forgiving, so it's okay to improvise, and certainly don't take my measurements to heart!

I sliced half a smallish onion, and put four decent sized chops in the cooker overnight...about 10 hours.

I ate this for lunch today on a bun with shredded cheese and avocado.  It was AWESOME!  It tastes relatively mild, but still has a slight kick to it. Very flavorful, and just the right amount of sweetness.  This will not last long!

Just another note that this would be a really easy place to hide veggies :)

Snacks for kids....or anyone

When I am feeling motivated, I like to prepare a whole bunch of snack type foods, or fillings to use as snacks so that I have easy finger foods on hand for days when I just don't feel up to the ordeal of preparing and cooking every. single. meal.  Which, you know, is most days.  But I only get this benefit when I think ahead.  So here are some easy ideas for those types of days.  Being prepared also helps healthy eating the easiest option.

Option 1:

Kale Chips

This is a super easy and very nutritious snack.  Kale is loaded with vitamins, phytonutrients, and antioxidants.  If you aren't crazy about greens, this is a great way to incorporate them in an easy way.  If you still don't like them, crinkle them up and sprinkle them over some other foods.  But I seriously can't stop eating them!

 

 

All you do is put some oil/butter/etc on a baking sheet, put the kale (with the thick ribs removed) on the sheet, and toss slightly to coat the kale.  Sprinkle with salt, and stick them in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Slightly longer if you want them to be extra crispy.  Be very careful not to burn it though. Burnt kale will stink for days!

For some variation, sprinkle with different toppings, such as garlic or onion powder and cayenne pepper, or sesame seeds.  You could also try this with other greens.  You can make up a double batch and store them in an air tight container for a few days too.  If they last that long....

Option 2:

Zucchini "Chips" with Curried Lentil Dip

Making this requires a little planning, but just so you know lentils freeze pretty well.  Especially if you are just eating dip.  I usually soak and cook a big batch of lentils and freeze a bunch of it to use as needed.  I tend to get a little bored of lentils pretty quick, but Nick likes them a lot, so they are nice to have on hand.  And a really inexpensive source of protein, fiber, and a ton of other really important nutrients.  Yes, another power food!

For this batch, I cooked the lentils with a curry mix (coriander, cumin, tumeric, ginger, mustard, chile pepper, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, red pepper, cinnamon, black pepper, saffron), with a dash of cayenne pepper, since Nick actually likes a little spice.  Then I pureed the lentils with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.  Just cut up a bunch of zucchini or other veggie, and there you have it! Carrots would work well with this, but Nick can't chew them very well. 

Option 3:

Granola Bites

These by far take the most amount of effort, so I usually make as many as I can and store them in the fridge for as long as they last.  Which usually isn't very long, especially since J loves them so much!

This is another "use what's in the pantry" type dish.  There is no right or wrong way to make these.  But they are super yummy and portable.  This particular batch used almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, tahini, peanut butter, agave, coconut flour, cinnamon, vanilla extract, raisins, dates, and prunes.

Just cut up the dried fruit, add a bunch of crushed nuts, then add about a tablespoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, then enough of the peanut butter and/or tahini and agave (I usually like to use local honey, but I ran out :( Oh well!) to make the granola balls stick together.  You can experiment with the consistency to see what you like best.  I put them in mini muffin papers, and it works really well for me.  Then I pile them up and stick into an airtight container in the fridge.  Then it's just grab and go!

Happy snacking!!!