Summer is here….hence why I have been absent in the kitchen lately. I am trying to get outside more and get off of the computer. Don’t worry, I still have lots of recipes in the pipeline!
This recipe is inspired by a recipe from The Joy of Cooking
, one of my favorite cookbooks. The original recipe was made with jasmine rice, but I chose to make it with cauliflower “rice” and loooooved how it turned out. I could have eaten the entire head of cauliflower!
Recipe: Coconut “Rice”
Ingredients
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and washed
- 2 slices of fresh ginger, peeled (about inch in size)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 tbsp toasted unsweetened coconut shreds (optional)
Instructions
- Place raw cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until rice size pieces are formed
- Using a Nut Milk Bag or kitchen towel, drain the excess water out of the cauliflower, set aside
- In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, water and ginger and bring to a boil
- Add the cauliflower and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered
- Remove from heat and discard the pieces of ginger, add in the salt. Do not add it beforehand, it pulls water out vegetables.
- Serve with the toasted coconut sprinkled over top
This could easily be sweetened with something like Swerve and reduce the amount of salt to make it a sweet treat. Another idea is to add protein powder of choice and eat it like a hot breakfast cereal (maybe even add some grass-fed butter). You could also do something similar to my Pumpkin Spice Cream Of “Wheat Recipe and add in eggs.
by Kate on April 23, 2013
Happy Earth Day!!! Asparagus is in season and on sale!!! I love asparagus simply roasted or sauteed with sea salt. The one downfall…why does it have to make your pee smell immediately?? Did you know you either have the gene or not that allows you the pleasure of smelling it? I thought the gene determined if the pee actually smelled, but apparently everyone’s smells. Who knew?
Enough about that!!! Here is a little twist on roasting asparagus if you’re looking for a new way to fix it! I made this about 6 months ago and am just getting around to posting it…I like creating and posting baked goods so much more!
Recipe: Basalmic Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon oil (melted coconut oil, olive oil or toasted sesame oil for a bit of spice)
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Spread oil onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and roll the asparagus in the oil
- Place the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle the sesame seeds over them
- Roast in the oven at 425 for about 10 minutes, check frequently to make sure it’s not getting over cooked and too tender
- While that is roasting, combine the vinegar, coconut aminos and red pepper flakes in a small bowl
- Remove asparagus and drizzle it with mixture and serve
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by Kate on February 21, 2013
I love Whole Foods, wandering around seeing what new products have been granted self space and what local products are new to market as well. I spend a lot of time in Scottsdale, Arizona and a lot of time at the Whole foods there. Every time I go, I have to take some extra time that first trip to the store to see what’s new. Arizona is part of the western region for Whole Foods that includes California, where Colorado is part of the mountain west region, so we get different products. Arizona gets a lot of products that originate from California and if they sell well, we will be lucky to hopefully see them on the shelves in Colorado and vice versa.
There are a couple things I can’t find at my local Whole Foods that I love to get down there. One item in particular, Quite Cheezy Kale Chips made by Alive & Radiant Foods (my Whole Foods only sells two of the flavors as of late and the Quite Cheesy is not one of them). The entire line of their products are delicious. I think I seriously bought a bag every trip I made to the store (that is often) and ate the entire bag! Serving size is 2.2, that’s a joke…I eat the whole bag wishing I had more! After looking at the ingredient list, I knew I could make these at home when I got back to my dehydrator. This recipe is pretty darn close…close enough for me!
I know not everyone has a dehydrator, but you should (in my opinion), since there are so many great things you can do with them and they are reasonably priced (I have this dehydrator
and it works great). I have not tried this in the oven on the dehydrate setting, but if you do, please leave a comment on how they turned out. This spread would be awesome as a “cheese” spread for crackers (I have numerous grain-free cracker recipes) or as a dip for vegetables. So if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can still enjoy this recipe!
Recipe: “Cheesy” Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight)
- 1/3 cup roasted red bell pepper*
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast**
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 bunch kale (I used Dino, but any Kale will work)
Instructions
- Wash the kale, pat dry and tear into pieces, about 1 1/2 inches and place in a bowl
- Drain the water off of the cashews and place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth
- Pour the spread into the bowl and massage it into the kale to cover each piece
- Place kale on dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 125 for 8-10 hours or until desired crispiness
- Store in an airtight container, I prefer glass
Quick notes
*I used roasted peppers for additional flavor. The Alive & Radiant Foods is considered raw, so a red bell pepper is what they used. Either one will work.
**Nutritional Yeast is something a lot of vegetarians use to make things taste cheesy. It is full of B vitamins, some protein and lots of flavor. It can be found in the baking section of a health food store or may be sold in bulk. It looks like yellow flaky fish food to me:)
Variations
To make these a bit spicy, add some cayenne pepper or other seasonings you like.
If you are looking for ways to get more greens in your kids, this recipe will work!
by Kate on January 10, 2013
It seems that most of the west is about to experience a bit of a cold front. I thought this would be the perfect time to share this recipe! I’m fortunate enough to still be in Arizona where a cold front means it’s going to be in the 50′s! I live in Colorado, so listening to the weather forecast here cracks me up!! What these people think is cold is definitely a hot winter day at home!
Even if it’s not cold where you are, this is a delicious soup recipe to enjoy for lunch or dinner. I served it with bacon pieces and used the bacon grease for flavor. If you’d prefer, you can certainly skip the bacon, but who skips bacon? This would also be good with shredded chicken as well.
Recipe: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2-3 pieces of bacon (optional)
- 2 tbsp bacon grease, butter or coconut oil
- 1/4-1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme or 3 tsp dried
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3 cups homemade chicken broth (or canned)
- 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp grass-fed butter (optional)
- sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the pieces of cauliflower in a bowl and coat with the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Place single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 25-30 minutes
- Cook the bacon in a skillet, reserve the grease, cut the bacon into pieces and set aside
- Place the bacon grease, coconut oil or butter in a large sauce pan with the onion. Saute the onions until slightly browned
- Add the garlic, thyme and mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 5-10 minutes
- Add the white wine and de-glaze the pan
- Add the chicken broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes
- Place the soup, coconut milk and optional butter in a food processor or blender and combine until desired consistency
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sprinkle the bacon pieces on top (optional)
I served this tonight and when I told Tom what I had made, this was his response: “If I saw that on the label of a soup can, I would not think it sounded very good.” About two bites into it, he kept telling me how awesome it was! I knew he was going to like it! Butter, bacon and mushrooms, who wouldn’t love this!!
by Kate on November 16, 2012
Some of you may make the same menu every Thanksgiving, and others like to switch it up a bit. I am sure we all have our staples of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes and what ever else is a family favorite. Here is an idea for any of you looking for a new idea for a vegetable to serve. It includes bacon, so it’s sure to make everyone go after a second helping…except those vegetarians out there!!!
I have quite a few recipes to get out before the holiday, so I am going to keep it short and sweet in my upcoming posts. I have a fantastic muffin recipe coming that is perfect to include in your breakfast on Thanksgiving morning and a pumpkin tart dessert for anyone looking to do something different than a traditional pumpkin pie!!
Recipe: Sauteed Shredded Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts (2 bags), cleaned and trimmed
- 4 slices of bacon (US Wellness Meats is a great place to buy bacon that is pasture raised and sugar free)
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2- 1 cup onions, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the brussels sprouts in a food processor and pulse until they are shredded
- In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Set aside and reserve 2 tbsp of bacon grease in the pan
- Add the onion, salt and pepper to the pan and saute until the onions are close to translucent
- Add the sprouts and the garlic and continue to saute until completely cooked (about 3-5 minutes)
- Tear the bacon into pieces and stir into the sprouts
I found myself going back for more of this…it’s that good and such a different way to fix brussels sprouts. I think this would also be good with cabbage if any of you are not sprouts fans.
by Kate on October 24, 2012
One of the most common complaints I hear from clients is, “what can I eat for breakfast now that I can’t have cereal, a bagel or pancakes. I can’t eat eggs everyday!” I can rattle off numerous things other than starchy high carb foods…and something besides eggs. Too many of us have gotten in the mindset that breakfast has to be a “breakfast” food, and that is not the case. Get creative and don’t hesitate to eat leftovers from the previous nights dinner. I personally love my protein smoothie that’s full of fat and spinach (you wouldn’t know it’s in there if the shake wasn’t green!) that I make every morning and look forward to it everyday…and it doesn’t even have fruit in it!!!
I am on a mission to create some low starch breakfast options that will make you think you’re getting the carbs you are so used to eating. The best part is, you won’t be hungry an hour later! There are numerous breakfast recipes on my site that are higher in fat, lower in starch and supply a good amount of protein. Some of my favorites include: Coconut Pancakes and Strawberry Syrup, Banana Bread French Toast, Egg Muffins, Banana Pancakes, Grain Free Thin Pancakes, Almond Nut Joy Granola, Grain Free Banana Nut Granola and Pumpkin Spice Granola. And for all of you cold cereal people, I’m working on a recipe, but the bad news is, it has to be done in a dehydrator. I tried it in the oven and it just doesn’t work. When it comes to granolas, my cookie bites and some cracker recipes, a dehydrator is so worth it!!!
I recently had the idea of making a hot cereal, but didn’t want it to be an entire bowl of mushed nuts. I somehow wanted to incorporate mashed cauliflower with protein in the form of powder. About a month ago, I came across this recipe for Faux “Oat” Meal and loved how she used real eggs for the protein! You would never guess that eggs or cauliflower were in this cream of “wheat” recipe! I did things a little differently and loved what I came up with! There are many flavor options for those of you that don’t like pumpkin.
Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cream of “Wheat”
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, steamed
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (I love So Delicious unsweetened vanilla)
- 4 tbsp coconut cream (The cream that rises to the top of a can of full fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin
- 1/2 tsp maple flavor (vanilla should work too)
- 1-3 tbsp sweetener (I used 3 tbsp of Swerve which is erythritol.)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- couple dashes of salt
- grass-fed butter (optional)
Instructions
- Place the steamed cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it’s “riced”
- Whisk the 4 eggs in a large mixing bowl and set aside
- In a medium sized saucepan, combine the milk, cream, pumpkin and cauliflower and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes
- Remove the pan from heat and add a 1/4 cup at a time to the eggs, whisking the entire time you add the hot mixture. The eggs will start to cook if you aren’t careful. This process makes the eggs safe to eat for those concerned with eating raw eggs
- Pour the mixture back in to the food processor, add the maple extract, spices, salt and sweetener and pulse until well combined
- Serve hot with a dollop of grassfed butter (optional)
Quick notes
Since all cauliflower heads are different sizes, you may want to add milk if it seems to thick or add some almond flour to thicken it up.
Variations
Serve with nuts, coconut or fresh fruit on top. Another variation would be to replace the pumpkin with applesauce and just use cinnamon for the spice. You could also add just cocoa powder or simply leave it as a maple nut version.
I still think adding a vanilla protein powder would work just fine in place of the eggs. Add it at the time you would add in the spices.
by Kate on October 10, 2012
It’s definitely soup season here in Colorado!!! I just returned from ten days in Arizona and can’t believe how cold it feels here now! I’ve decided I prefer the warmth and the idea of never having to scrape ice off my windshield!
While I was in Arizona, I made this soup for Tom’s (my boyfriend) grandmother. She is 93…reminds me of Betty White, love her!! She hasn’t been feeling great and I think dehydration is playing a role in her tiredness. Old people don’t want to drink so they don’t have to go potty. She of course thinks she drinks a ton of fluids. It’s hard to convince her that her coffee with Starbuck’s Ice Cream in it in the morning and her Vodka on the rocks at night just doesn’t cut it!!! Needless to say, I was on a mission to get some fluids in her! I had her drinking coconut water and kombucha along with some homemade bone broth. I figured soup would be a great way to secretly increase her fluid intake. She loooooved this soup and ate it everyday for lunch and raved about it every time I dished it up for her. Hope you enjoy it as much as sweet Verna May did!!!
Recipe: Coconut Curry Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp grass-fed butter or coconut oil
- 2 heaping cups of thickly sliced carrots (about 4 carrots)
- 2 thin slices of fresh ginger root
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 cups chicken broth (I prefer homemade*)
- 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 3/4 tsp red curry paste (add more if you want it spicier)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 scallion, sliced
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 chicken breasts (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the butter/oil in a large saucepan and stir in the carrots and ginger
- Cook over medium heat until the carrots start to brown, about 6-8 minutes stirring constantly
- Add the onions and cook until they are translucent
- Stir in the broth, coconut milk and curry paste
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 25 minutes
- If you want to add chicken to this recipe, add it to the simmering soup. Remove chicken once it’s fully cooked and set aside
- Strain the solids so you can remove the ginger root and discard
- Add the solids plus 2 cups of the liquid to a blender and puree
- Add the remaining liquid and process until completely pureed
- Pour soup back into saucepan to add shredded chicken or pour into soup bowls (Use a fork to shred the chicken once it has cooled enough to touch. Add it to the soup and stir)
- Serve with some scallions and cilantro sprinkled on top and additional salt and pepper if needed
Quick notes
*I prefer to use homemade chicken broth for all of the health benefits. Store bought will work, but may be higher in sodium so be careful when you salt the soup. I use this recipe for broth. I also add onion, carrots, celery and garlic cloves to my pot for flavor. I use a large crockpot and let simmer for 24 hours to let all of the gelatin out of the bones.
by Kate on September 27, 2012
Have you ever taken left over mashed potatoes and made potato pancakes the next day? I loved them, but no more potatoes for me so these “notato” pancakes made with cauliflower will have to do…and they do! If you eat white potatoes regularly, these may not do it for you and your starch addiction. Otherwise, give these a try and let me know what you think! You may also enjoy this Mashed Cauliflower Recipe next time you’re craving mashed potatoes!
Recipe: “Notato” Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped and steamed
- 1-2 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil for frying
Instructions
- Pat dry the steamed cauliflower to remove as much moisture as possible
- In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower into tiny pieces. Do not puree it!
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and add the cauliflower, chives, garlic, salt and pepper and stir until combined
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp of oil
- Once the oil is hot, spoon the mixture into the pan and press down into a pancake shape
- Cook until brown and pancake is holding together enough to flip and brown the other side
- You may need to add more oil to the pan for the second batch of pancakes
- If your batter seems too running, add a bit of coconut flour if you’d like. I prefer these to be flourless!
Serve nice and hot!
by Kate on August 15, 2012
I am sure many of you have heard of this idea or already serve cauliflower this way. I have never tried doing this, not a big cooked cauliflower fan, more of a broccoli girl. All I can say…why did I wait so long to do this!!! It really does remind me of mashed potatoes. I haven’t had white potatoes in a very long time, so someone that lives on them may disagree with me! This is a great starch free side dish to enjoy with out the guilt!
If you are someone that is skipping over this recipe because this is old news to you, just wait, I have a unique one coming that uses this as a base!!
Recipe: Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, steamed
- 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp chives, chopped
- 1/4-1/2 cup plain dairy free milk, unsweetened (optional)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the steamed cauliflower, butter, garlic, milk and salt and pepper in a Vitamix or high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a bowl and stir in the chives and additional salt and pepper if needed.
There are many variations to this recipe. Crumbled bacon would be good on top and you can also substitute the chives for green onion if you prefer.
by Kate on August 2, 2012
This is hardly a recipe but I wanted to share it. I am sure you have seen all the hoopla around kale chips. There are so many recipes out there for different variations and now you can find them in the raw food section of many health food stores. I looove them and can eat an entire batch of them in one sitting.
Collards greens make for an incredibly tasty chip as well! I really like using these greens for the ease of spreading flavors and oils on them. Collards are huge flat leaves so they are easier to clean and work with. They are part of the cruciferous vegetable family such as, broccoli, kale and cabbage, I am sure you have heard all of the health benefits of cruciferous vegetables, so add collard greens to the mix for some variety!
Recipe: Spicy Collard Green Chips
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of collard greens
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp hot sauce
Instructions
- Tear the greens into pieces (they will decrease in size as they cook so don’t tear them too small)
- Combine the leaves, oil and hot sauce in a bowl and massage the greens with the mixture so each piece is covered
- Spread single layer onto a parchment lined cookie sheet
- Bake at 350 for about 6-8 minutes or until a hint of brown
- Let cool completely before storing. Do not pile on top of each other to cool, they will retain moisture and become soggy
- Store in a glass container
It’s ok if you eat the entire batch, for reals!!
