grain free

January 27, 2017

Whole30 Pho

One thing I’ve always wanted to make was Pho and during my 4th Whole30 was the first time!

I had a large batch of bone broth that I made the weekend before that had to be used so this was the perfect time.

Instead of rice noodles in traditional Pho I used zucchini “noodles” to make this Whole30 compliant. Of course you can use rice noodles if you are not following Whole30. I use a spiralizer but if you have a julienne peeler that works great too!

Whole30 Pho

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 Chunk (thumb size) fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced into chunks
  • 3 Garlic cloves, sliced in half
  • 3 Whole star anise
  • 2 Whole cloves
  • ½ Cinnamon stick
  • 10 Peppercorns
  • 5 Cups Bone broth or whole30 approved broth
  • 12oz cooked, thinly sliced pork sirloin (alternate chicken or beef sirloin)
  • ½ Cup Shitake mushrooms, chopped (alternate white or brown mushrooms)
  • 1 Cup Bok choy, chopped (alternate kale or spinach)
  • ½ Yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ Jalapeno, thinly sliced (seeds removed if you don’t like spicy)
  • 1 Medium Zucchini, spiralized or julienned
  • Cilantro and lime for garnish

Method:

  1. Place ginger, garlic, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and peppercorns in large pot with a splash of broth and cook over medium heat until fragrant about 3-5 minutes. Add remaining broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  2. Thinly slice your pork or protein of choice (unless you have some already cooked). I seasoned mine with a little salt, pepper and ground ginger.
  3. Strain the broth removing all the spices and return broth to medium heat. 
  4. Add mushrooms, bok choy, onion and jalapeno and cook for about 10-20 minutes until veggies are soft and flavours develop. 
  5. Spiralize or julienne your zucchini and place into serving bowls.
  6. Ladle soup into bowls over “zoodles” and top with fresh cilantro and lime. Optional add some bean sprouts too!


Hope you enjoy as much as I did. I had leftovers for lunch!

June 6, 2015

Coconut PB Chocolate Chunk Muffins

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I love seeing pictures of food and trying to recreate them, this is what I did with these muffins. Coconut, peanut butter and chocolate muffins was the verdict! They looked very similar to the image I seen and the taste is amazing! Working with coconut flour can be tricky but with the right ratios of other ingredients it can turn out amazing!

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Baked fresh for breakfast.

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They turned out so good, I’ve had my fails with coconut flour before. So happy how these turned out, not dry at all. Yummy!

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Let cool slightly before taking liners off. Or be courageous and just peel it hot you may be licking the liner though …

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Here is the recipe:

Coconut PB Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Ingredients:

•6 eggs, room temperature
•1/2 Cup natural peanut butter
•2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
•2/3 Cup scant coconut palm sugar
•1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan salt
•1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
•1/2 Cup coconut flour, sifted
•1 tsp baking powder
•1/2 tsp cinnamon
•1/3 Cup shredded unsweet coconut
•1/3 Cup dark and white chocolate, chopped into chunks (save extra for topping)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line or grease 12 muffin tin. With electric mixer beat together eggs, peanut butter, coconut sugar, salt and vanilla until well combined then while still mixing add melted coconut oil. Sift coconut flour, baking powder and cinnamon into separate bowl. Add into batter and mix until smooth. Stir in chocolate chunks and shredded coconut. Pour into prepared muffin cups coming up about 3/4 of the way. Decorate the muffin tops with extra chocolate chunks and shredded coconut if desired. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly. Yield 12 muffins.

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You can use muffin liners, silicone liners or just grease your muffin tin.

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I only have 3 left after distributing some out to my friends and family that were around today 🙂

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The one I sliced open for the picture didn’t have many chunks of chocolate inside but the others did!

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Spread with ghee.

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Hope you enjoy!

February 15, 2015

Lemon Coconut Truffles 🍋

A yummy little lemony treat to share with you.

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Ingredients:

🍋1 Cup unsweetened desiccated coconut plus 3 Tbsp for coating
🍋1/2 Cup almond meal
🍋2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
🍋2 Tbsp Canadian maple syrup
🍋1/2 large lemon juiced and zested (about 1Tbsp of zest)
🍋1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
🍋Pinch pink Himalayan salt

Method:

➡In food processor combine all ingredients until you can form dough. Using your hands form balls.  In separate bowl combine the extra coconut, toss balls until well coated. Place on parchment lined dish and set in fridge for at last 30 minutes. Makes 12 truffles. Keep stored in fridge.

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January 20, 2015

Tex-Mex Casserole

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Wowzers this was a hit! I love easy dinners and this was pretty easy to make.  I adapted the recipe from Popular Paleo with few alterations. My version below.

Ingredients:
•1lb grass fed ground beef
•2 large handfuls baby spinach
•1Cup carrots, diced
•1Cup parsnip, diced
•1-1/2Cups zucchini, diced
•1-1/2Cups green bell pepper, diced
•4 mushrooms, sliced
•1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•14oz can organic diced tomatoes
•1Tbsp bacon fat
•1/4Cup homemade taco seasoning
•5Cups shredded sweet potatoes/yams
•1/3Cup coconut oil, melted
•1/2tsp onion powder
•1/2tsp chili powder 
•1/2tsp ground coriander
•Salt and pepper
Garnish: Cilantro, avocado, hot sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Chop all veggies, melt fat in large saucepan over medium heat and add all veggies except spinach. Sauté until just tender then add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Remove veggies from pan and set aside.
3. In same pan cook ground beef with taco seasoning until well done.
4. While ground beef is cooking peel and grate sweet potatoes (I used my handy food processor with the grating disk). Immediately pour melted coconut oil over potatoes and toss with hands. Sprinkle the onion powder, chili powder, ground coriander and S&P over potatoes and toss until well combined. Set aside.
5. Once beef is done add the vegetable mixture and diced tomatoes to pan and cook for few more minutes to let flavors develop.
6. Transfer the veggie/meat mixture to a large baking dish (I used my dutch oven-you will need a pan at least 9×13″ big). Top with seasoned sweet potatoes.
7. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 30min. Remove cover and broil for 5min. Let stand 10min.
8. Serve and garnish.
Serves 6-8
Enjoy✌

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January 17, 2015

Mashed Yam, Sausage and Egg Bake / Sausage recipe

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So I’m on day 17 of whole30 and am thinking about different ways to eat eggs as I have them every day. Last night I was planning today’s meals and came up with this idea spreading mashed yam on the bottom of a dish then adding a sausage patty in the centre then adding two eggs on top and bake. I originally thought of doing in muffin cups but knew the eggs wouldn’t fit so thought of using large size ramekins. I decided to do both ways and to leave the eggs out in muffin cups. There were a few steps to get this done but it is definately worth the wait! See below for the details.

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Ingredients:

Bottom:
•2 medium Yams, peeled and cubed
•1Tbsp coconut oil

Pork sausage:
•1lb ground pork
•1tsp Dried Sage
•1tsp Dried Thyme
•1tsp Dried Oregano
•1/2tsp Onion powder
•1/2tsp Garlic powder
•1/2tsp red pepper flakes
•1/4tsp paprika
•1/4tsp pink Himalayan salt
•1/2tsp fresh ground pepper

Topping:
•5 thin slices Zucchini, chopped
•1/3 Bell pepper, chopped
•4 Eggs

Directions:
1. Boil cubed yams until just tender about 10 minutes once done mash with coconut oil.
2. While yams are boiling combine pork and all seasonings together in bowl until well combined. Preheat frying pan to medium heat and make sausage patties the size round of your dish you are using (I used 2 – 4″ ramekins and 9 square muffin cups). Fry few minutes per side, it’s ok if still pink you will be baking.
3.Chop your zucchini and pepper into little pieces and set aside. Preheat oven too 400°F. Grease your dishes and place on baking sheet, I used coconut oil. Now you can assemble it.
4. First place dollop of Yam in dish, using a spoon spread yam up sides and creating a well in center, repeat with remaining dishes. Take sausage patty and place in centre of each dish then bake in oven for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, sprinkle chopped bell pepper and zucchini over each dish.  Crack two eggs in your ramekin size dishes and bake again 10-15 more minutes until eggs are cooked to your liking.
6. Remove from oven, let stand 5-10 minutes. Enjoy.

○Serves 2 plus mini muffin size bakes can be used for snacks or other meals for the week.

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March 1, 2014

Vanilla Blueberry Tofu “Cheesecake”

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This tofu cheesecake is completely raw, vegan & gluten free! My latest creation for dessert diaries challenge on instagram. Recipe as follows→

Yields: 2 mini springform pans

▶Ingredients:

Crust:
•1/4C almonds or nuts of choice
•15 pitted dates

Filling:
•1 package medium-firm tofu (350g)
•1 scoop vanilla bean vegan protein
•1tsp xantham gum
•1tsp vanilla
•1  ripe banana
•1/4C agave
•2Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
•1C blueberries

▶Directions:
1. Pulse nuts in food processor until small bits, add dates and process again until you can press together with your hands. Press into springform pans, set aside.

2. Drain and dry tofu with paper towel, process in food processor with rest of ingredients except blueberries, blend until smooth.

3. Pour half of mixture on top of crusts. Add blueberries to other half and process once more until blueberries well incorporated. Pour remainder on top between two cakes. Refrigerate at least 8 hours.

4. To serve open pan and use butter knife around sides to loosen from sides, I used spatula to lift onto plate. Top with more blueberries. Enjoy♡
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January 25, 2014

Almond Flour Pancakes with Berry Compote

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I am so craving pancakes after 24 days of whole30 so I comprimised and came up with these puppies! I had this for my dinner♡ Recipe below↓

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▶Pancake Ingredients:
•1C Almond flour
•1Tbsp coconut flour
•1Tbsp maca powder (optional)
•1/4tsp nutmeg
•1/2tsp cinnamon
•1/2C unsweetened applesauce
•2 eggs
•1/4C almond milk
•Coconut oil for pan

▶Directions:
Combine all dry ingredients in bowl (use sieve for coconut flour). Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl and add to dry, mix until well incorporated. Heat pan with coconut oil over medium-low heat (if pan is too hot the cakes may stick and burn). Spoon 1/4C of batter into heated pan, flip once sides are dry and sturdy enough to flip and cook for another minute or two. Repeat with remaining batter,  add more coconut oil if needed.

▶Compote ingredients:
•1/2C raspberries
•1/2C blueberries

▶Directions:
I used frozen berries, place berries in saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5-10min. That’s it. Start this before pancakes.

Serve pancakes and top with berry compote and extra fresh berries if desired ♡

Makes 8 small pancakes

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Day 24 done … on the homestretch♡♥♡

January 17, 2014

Coconut Banana Cream Tarts

 

Oh heavens! These little gems came to me in my dreams, I guess I just am missing chocolate so much I need to find another way to satisfy my cravings. Halfway done whole30! Recipe as follows: Serves 16-18

 

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Tart ingredients:

  • 1/4C Cashews
  • 1/4C Hazelnuts
  • 1/4C unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 8 Dried apricots
  • 32 Pitted dates
  • Dash cinnamon

 

Directions:

Chop nuts in food processor until little bits, add coconut, apricots, dates and cinnamon. Process until well combined or sticky enough to bind together.  Line mini muffin tin with liners, roll mixture into approximately 16-18 little balls and plop into muffin liners. Now the tricky part, press down the center of the balls with something round (I used a wooden spoon end) and create a cavity in the center (about 1/2″ deep), set aside.

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Filling Ingredients:

  • 1/2C Full fat coconut milk (coconut “cream” only)
  • 1 Banana
  • dash cinnamon

 

Directions:

Scoop out the cream from the coconut milk (Full fat coconut milk – refrigerate-top layer will be thick cream), in food processor or blender process cream with banana and cinnamon until creamy.  Spoon cream mixture into tart crusts. Voila. Keep refrigerated.

 

 

 

 

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