Welcome! This is a way for me to share about my experiences as they relate to myself, family, health, compassionate cooking, baking and yoga. Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Italian Dream

If you have ever had the pleasure of reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, then you understand how reading about the glorious foods she experienced while in Italy caused me to salivate at the mere imagery of all the ingredients.  I do not have one ounce of Italian blood running through my veins, nor have I ever visited, but that does not mean I can't appreciate all the amazing creations coming from that, oh so important, part of Europe.  I mean, who doesn't love a meal of pasta, sauce and veggies?  Don't even get me started on all the possibilities, forgive me while I day dream about my magical trip to Italy.

Okay, back to reality.  Unfortunately for me, and many family members, eating traditional pasta comes with a price.  In how we pay, would be through bloating, headaches, rashes and severe abdominal pain.  Not much fun, I assure you.  So what to do?  If you have Celiac, gluten sensitivities, or if you just don't want traditional noodles, you can find grocery shelves stocked full of choices.  Nowaday's, it's easy to find pasta made from corn, quinoa, rice, and even legumes.  Texture and flavor preference will determine what you may want to use.  I like the bean pastas because it is one ingredient and is full of satiating protein, but we have used the others as well.  Here are some of our favorites: Jovial, Ancient Harvest, Trader Joe's (you get a big 16 oz. bag and it's super cheap, only $1.99!) and Explore Asian.  The trick with gluten free is to follow the directions exactly and, for most, rinse well so you get perfect noodles without tasting starchy or mushy.  My girls really enjoy the pasta and we all feel so much better using them, the best part is we still get to enjoy all the recipes we love.

Do you think I could stop at gluten free noodles?  Uh, no, of course not.  See, the problem was, the cleaner I ate, the more whole foods I craved.  I wanted to still have the feeling of eating pasta dishes, but wanted the fresh taste of whole ingredients.  Well, now what?  I bought a Spirooli, that's what, and I started roasting spaghetti squash.  My girls eat pretty healthy, but after doing this numerous times, they started asking for the veggie noodles or spaghetti squash themselves, in addition to their pasta.  The fun thing about the Spirooli is that is comes with different plates that you can change out to create various shapes and lengthens of "noodles".  My kiddo's get a kick out of making their own noodles, which then makes them even more inclined to want to eat them ;).  Spaghetti squash is just another bonus from nature.  Come on, the name says it all, right?  After roasting the squash, using a fork you get these perfect stringy "noodles".  Oh Mother Nature, I love you!  Does this mean I will stop buying and eating pasta?  Don't be silly, the gluten free pasta is delicious, nutritious and the kids like it. Now on to the recipes.  You didn't think I would say all this and not share a recipe or two did you?

Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 Spaghetti Squash
1/2 Tbsp. Avocado Oil (divided)
1 tsp. Himalayan Pink Salt (divided)
1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper (divided)
1 tsp. Dried Thyme (divided)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash off squash and then place the entire thing on the cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool, or using oven mitts, proceed to the next step.
3.  Step 2 allows the squash to soften enough to cut it without the struggle.  Slice through the squash from stem to root base, being mindful of your fingers.  *Scoop out seeds.
4.  Lightly brush the inside of each half with oil and sprinkle each with the salt, pepper and thyme.
5.  Turn squash over and place on cookie sheet.  Bake an additional 45 minutes.
6.  Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, or using oven mitts, gently scrape the inside of squash with a fork to create the stringy "noodles".

*Save the scooped out seeds to plant so you can have a supply of spaghetti squash at your disposal.

Creamy Tomato Sauce
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 c. Raw Cashews
1 c. Water
28 oz. BPA free can of crushed tomatoes, with juice
1 tsp. Himalayan Pink Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Dried Basil or 1 c. Fresh Basil
1/2 Tbsp. Avocado Oil
heaping 1/2 c. Sweet Peppers, chopped and seeds removed
heaping 1/2 c. Sweet Onion, chopped
2 tsp. Minced Garlic

Directions:
1.  Place cashews, water, tomatoes with juice, salt, pepper and basil in a *high speed blender.  Let sit while prepping the peppers and onions.
2.  Heat a medium skillet over medium/high heat for one minute, add oil, heat an additional minute.  Add chopped peppers and onion.
3.  Reduce heat and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute.  Turn off heat, leave on burner.
4.  Blend the cashew mixture until smooth.  Serve over noodles, spaghetti squash or veggie noodles and top with the sautéed mix.  Alternately, if you want the sauce hot, pour blender contents into a small pot and heat on medium until reaching desired temperature, since it is a thicker sauce, watch for scorching.

*If your blender won't blend nuts into a smooth mixture, soak the nuts for 2 hours or boil them 5-10 minutes, drain, rinse and move to step 1.

Have fun, experiment with different spices and flavors.  Don't be afraid to harness your inner Italian :)




Saturday, April 11, 2015

5 Minute Lunch

It's no secret that I love food and being in the kitchen, but with all this sunshine and warmer temps, who the heck wants to be inside all day?!  We plan on spending our day outside at the Mighty Kindness Hootenanny in Louisville that happens each year around Earth Day.  It is so much fun and offers everything holistic, okay, okay, I know, focus Tiffany, back to the 5 minute lunch.

One of our favorite go-to foods is avocado's.  Why?  Well for starters, they are packed with more potassium than bananas (sorry bananas, I love you, but it is what it is), Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Fiber, B vitamins and healthy fats (which equates to a healthy heart and reduced inflammation).  Beyond all the healthy facts, they are extremely versatile.  This means you can use them for savory dishes, sweet dishes and use them to add a rich and creamy texture to anything from dips to smoothies.  For today, it gets even simpler (is that a word? oh well), we are just going to mash them right in their handy little cup they already come in.  So, what are you waiting for? Get to the kitchen, mash up some avocado, and then get your butt outside!

5 Minute Lunch
Serves 1

Ingredients:
2 slices bread of choice (sprouted, GF, whatever)
1/2 Avocado (pit removed) *see note
Coconut Butter
1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme (divided)
2 tsp. Nutritional Yeast (divided)
1/8 tsp. Himalayan Pink Salt (divided)
1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper (divided)

Directions:
1.  Toast bread to your preference.
2.  After toasted, lightly spread with coconut butter.
3.  Coarsely mash avocado right in the peel.  Divide the mashed avocado between the two slices.
4.  Sprinkle each of the remaining ingredients over the avocado and enjoy.

*Note: Avocado's will brown quickly due to oxidation.  If not using the other half of the avocado within a day, keep the pit in the other half, place in a freezer proof baggie and store in the freezer.  When ready to use, remove from the freezer, place on the counter to thaw and you will have a bright green avocado as if you had just sliced it open.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Cashew Oatmeal, Yes Please!

I am definitely a fan of oatmeal, but the other day I found a way to make the most dreamy, creamy oatmeal EVER!

We make our own milk and are generally well stocked with almond, cashew and, occasionally, coconut milk.  I tend to gravitate towards the almond, but for whatever reason on this particular day I reached for the cashew and, oh my god, am I glad I did!  Not only is oatmeal a versatile, nutrient rich meal, but it has staying power, which translates to less chance of unnecessary snacking for me.  You know, the good ole' stick to your ribs kinda food.  As if oatmeal wasn't powerful enough, I like to add in super hero foods and spices such as fresh fruits, dried fruits (no sugar added), nut or seed butters, raw pepitas, raw hemp seeds, ginger, cinnamon or cardamom.    There is no reason to have the same thing every time, changing it up keeps things interesting, making eating more enjoyable, rewarding and satisfying.  Some days I want things a little sweeter, so I'll add a touch of pure maple syrup, coconut nectar, yacon powder or coconut sugar. See, what did I tell you?  The options are endless.  Okay, okay, on to the dreamy, creamy recipe, but be sure to prepare things quietly so you don't wake the kiddos or fur babies.  I promise, you want to eat this is peace and quiet, enjoying a little moment of delectation for your tastebuds.


Dreamy, Creamy Oatmeal
Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 c. cashew milk (see below for recipe)
1/2 c. old fashioned gluten free oats
1 Tbsp. natural or organic crunchy nut butter
1 Tbsp. coconut nectar or pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. dried unsweetened cherries
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1-2 Tbsp. raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions:
1.  Place small pan over medium high heat, add milk.  Watch and stir constantly to prevent scorching.
2.  Bring milk to a slow boil, add oats and reduce heat to medium or medium low.  Still stirring.  Allow oats to cook according to package directions (I used Better Oats, Raw Pure and Simple Old Fashioned Oats which took about 5 minutes). Add a tablespoon or two of water if it gets too thick.
3.  Once oats are softened, leave pot on burner, but turn off heat.  Add all other ingredients, the residual heat will allow the ingredients (especially if using nut or seed butter) to become fully incorporated.
4.  Additional milk can be added to suite consistency preference.  Sprinkle with a few extra dried cherries, pepitas and serve.


Cashew Milk
Serves 8-9

Ingredients:
2 c. raw cashews
6 c. filtered water
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
1-2 Tbsp. raw agave (or 10-12 pitted dates)

Directions:
1.  Place cashews in a glass bowl and cover with water.  Allow water to cover by 2 inches as nuts will absorb water while soaking (if using dates, soak them as well).  Allow to soak overnight or during the day and have breakfast for dinner :)
2.  Drain and rinse.  Add 6 cups fresh water to a high speed blender (I use a Vitamix).
3.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until well blended and smooth.
4.  No need to strain cashew milk, just pour it right into an airtight glass container and store in the fridge.  Will last 3-4 days.

*Note that homemade milk will separate while stored, just give it a swift shake or stir with a spoon prior to each use.

Making your own milk not only guarantees that you know exactly what is in it, but it also gives you the opportunity to make it as rich and creamy as you prefer.  Now get those ingredients soaking and maybe take a little soak of your own too!