tuscan kale and sausage soup

I threw together this tasty soup the other night, when I wasn't feelin' so hot. It's super easy, so I don't feel like I can take too much credit for its tastiness. But here ya go.

Ingredients 

• 2 tbl olive oil
• 1 large red onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lb hot Italian sausage
• 3 small sweet potatoes, diced
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 6 cups chicken stock 
• 1 large bunch kale, chopped (5-6 cups)
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium in a large soup pot. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add sausage. Cook over medium until browned. Add sweet potatoes, baby carrots and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are folk tender. Reduce heat and add kale. Cover and let stand for five minutes or so for kale to wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

I'm in the middle of a crazy move, so all of my spices (sans salt and pepper) are buried deep in boxes. GEt creative with spices and such as you like it.

ch-ch-ch-chili!

That glorious chill of late fall is finally here.

My neighbor relentlessly sweeps brown, green, and red leafy intruders falling from the massive oak as they build a crunchy carpet over our shared backyard. His work is never ending, and seemingly pointless, the tree has only begun to shed. So I guiltlessly, stomp my feet through the autumnal piles as I clamor up to my tiny attic apartment.

I precariously balance my overly full grocery bags on the rail as I fumble for my keys. Door clicks and I barely open it and am tackled by two wiggling balls of fur.  My bags rip and soon enough onions, sweet potatoes and and carrots are rolling around my kitchen floor.

overwhelmed by love. I can't actually stay mad. 

My two little furry sous chefs inspect the produce rolling about the floor and are decidedly uninterested. 

Just as soon as they are overly excited, they are crawling back into their respective snoozy spots to sleep.

sigh. animals. 

To celebrate this delightful fall weather, I have decided that I  NEED to make chili. I saw PaleoGirl's recipe for Bison and Sweet Potato chili and I was admittedly intrigued. But I am broke broke, so  grass fed bison is just not in the books. But I take her recipe as a starting point and make my own delicious concoction, like I do.

Sweet Potato Kale Chili

So I give you Sweet Potato Kale Chili. 

I just got back from a four day stint in Hollywood where we pretty much ate out everyday. So as you can imagine, I am dying for REAL FOOD, namely dark leafy green. This chili hits the spot. Packed with hot green chilies, ribbons of kale and spicy ground beef, I am a happy camper (and continue to be, because this batch will feed an army for weeks).


Ingredients

• 3lbs grass fed ground beef
• 2 red sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 tbls coconut oil
• 2 yellow onions
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 8oz organic tomato paste
• 3 tbls cumin
• 2 tbls chili powder
• 2 tsp cayenne
• 15oz can tomato sauce
• 8 oz diced green chilies, hot
• 32 oz crushed tomatoes ( I used some my sister canned, so the seasoning varied)
• 1 bunch kale, cut into thin ribbons
• 1 tsp salt (more to taste)

Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. I use this time to prep all my veggies.
In a large soup pot, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add diced sweet potato and cook on high for about five minutes, stirring frequently.

Check on yo' bouef. If its done, remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside. Pour drippings into pot with sweet potatoes. (If its not done... carefully drain some of the drippings into sweet potato pot anyway and continue to cook)

Reduce heat under sweet potatoes, add onions and cover the pot. Let cook until potatoes are fork tender.

Add remaining, garlic, seasonings, and tomato paste. Stir to coat and let cook for one to two minutes. Add in all remaining ingredients, except kale. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Fold in kale, it will wilt and be delicious. Let flavors meld for roughly ten minutes, add seasoning to taste.

Serve with diced avocado and cheese if you go that route. :)

Paleo chocolate meringues

Yesterday was the most delightful blustery fall day. 

Despite some early morning tidying, manfriend and I lazed about the apartment and cuddled with El Pancho and Moe the Dog. 

The cold, rainy days always put me in the mood to fill my house with baked goods (and subsequently, my kitchen with dishes).

Since banishing gluten from my kitchen last January, any attempt to create something that remotely resembles a delicious baked good, has been decidedly disappointing.  Let me tell you--- there is no good replacement for flour in tasty treats like muffins or cakes. Sorry bout it. 

However.  I needed to bake and I needed some chocolate. But I'm in the middle of this pesky challenge, so no cheating! 

I was perusing Dessert Stalker and came across a few meringue cookies recipes. They looked mildly promising, so I pulled together my own little recipe. 

I give chocolate meringue kisses. Totally Paleo, totally only 4 calories a cookie.  

Yes I am that good. 

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tarter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 single serve packets Stevia (I like stevia because its natural, and not scary chemical. If you are of the sugar eating kind, sub a 1/4 cup granulated sugar here)
• 3 tbls unsweetened cocoa powder.

Preheat the oven to 300F and cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In your fabulous KitchenAid mixer, beat on high, the egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt and until the mixture starts to form soft peaks. Add in the stevia or sugar and continue to beat on high, until stiff peaks form. You can tell its ready when you lift the whisk out of the mixture and the meringue doesn't fall. On low, stir in the cocoa powder until fully incorporated. 

Drop tablespoon size drops onto the parchment paper. 

Bake for 24-30 minutes at 300F or until dried out. 

Serve with delicious cocoa :)

Balsamic grilled eggplant

Do you ever go to the store, pick up some produce and say to yourself "I need this. I will make something excellent with this." and then proceed to let it slowly die in your fridge?

Welcome to my life.

Eggplant

I always have GRAND ideas for this spongy, purple vegetable (fruit?).

But inevitable  it ends up staring me down each time I open the fridge. "What are you going to do with me?" "Stop neglecting me?" "I'm starting to go bad.... what a waste...."


UGH.

Okay. fine Eggplant. I will make something shmancy with you this time.

This is all part of my no-waste meal-planning, August.


Chowstalker has been a great resource for creative meals and happens to be how I discovered Life is Still Sweet's Balsamic Grilled Eggplant.

This recipe is everything this woman describes and more. The balsamic caramelizes, becoming sweet, a little crispy on the outside and soft inside. Amazing.

I actually made this for breakfast this morning paired with some eggs, diced tomatoes, and turkey sausage. Not having a grill readily available, I just fried these up in a pan and it worked just fine.
I altered the marinade a tad, adding 1 tsp of Dijon mustard to act as an emulsifier for the balsamic and olive oil.


I happen to have another eggplant hiding in my fridge... I definitely plan on repeating this recipe STAT.

Bacon Pumpkin Pancakes (Anxious for fall)

I stumbled upon Paleo Parents Pumpkin and Bacon Silver Dollar Pancakes the other day when I was bored    working really hard and simultaneously jonesing for fall. Pumpkin? Bacon? Two things I enjoy. Why not combine them?

This morning was the laziest of Sundays, so seemingly perfect for a lil baking adventure. 

unfortunately it is hotter than hell outside (broke 100F today) so I am still kicking myself for turning on the firey gas range in my 500 sqft apt. I really was just trying to channel fall by filling my apartment with autumnal scents of ginger, pumpkin, and coriander. Sadly I just made it feel like a fucking sauna. 

Admittedly, I did not do the best job on these lil pancakes. Although delightfully savory they were a bit crumbly. I assume this is due to my halving the recipe and screwing the up the wet-dry ratio. 

Still delicious, I paired them with some sautéed collards and tasty grapefruit wedges. 

I altered Paleo Parent's recipe---- I nixed the maple syrup, mostly because I didn't have any. And I added a 1 tsp each of ginger and cinnamon. Also I added in the reserved bacon fat in the mix, just to fully incorporate the bacony flavor.

Pretty tasty.

Paleo meets Vegetarian.

It seems that the fates have spited me by sending me a vegetarian man-friend mere months after I abandoned my vegan ways.... My grain and legume free diet clashes with his pizza-loving belly.
Compromise and creative cooking have been high on the priority list lately, because really I can't afford to go out all the time and I love to cook (but preferably not two meals)!

So I spent a few hours one afternoon thumbing through all my yummy vegan cook books ( I miss you old friends.) for recipes that the veg and the dino can both enjoy.

The Veganomicon and Appetite for Reduction provided some great inspiration for happy tummies!

Last night's creation: Zucchini Pasta with tomato sauce, topped with Grilled Portobello Mushrooms (and a loaf of bread if you happen to be akin to that sort of thing....)

Super simple, healthy and I got the tasty seal of approval from the man who consumes more coca-cola and papa johns than I thought possible.

I'd love to share photos, but it was too tasty to wait for a photo shoot.... but here is the recipe.....


Zucchini Pasta with grilled Portos

Portobellos (adapted from Isa's Appetite for Reduction)

• 2 large portobello mushroom caps, destemmed (keep the stems, dice and add them to the sauce!)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbls tamari
• 3 tbls balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 tbls olive oil
• 1 tsp liquid smoke

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients. Place mushrooms, gill side up, in a small pyrex pan. Pour marinade over shrooms and let sit for 15-20 minutes. (while these guys are doin their thang, you should start the zucchini process)

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add caps, gill side down, into pan. Pour any remaining marinade over the shrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip over. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until center is tender. Remove from pan and cut into strips.

Pasta Ingredients 

• 4 large zucchini
• salt, pepper
• 1 tbl olive oil
• 2 qts water

Using a mandolin or a spiralizer thing (oh you faaaancy), slice your zucchini into long, thin noodley strips. You don't want to use the very core of the zucchini because the squash doesn't hold up well. So slice thinly on one side until you start to see the seeds. Flip to the next side, slice again until you hit seeds. Repeat on all four sides.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add zucchini strips and blanch for TWO MINUTES (no more or you'll end up with mush). Dump into colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Return noodles to pot and toss with salt, pepper and oil. Set aside.


 
Saucey Sauce

So I super cheated and used a jar of Newman's Own Sockarooni spaghetti sauce. BUT my mother did teach me something: jarred spaghetti sauce is never good left alone. So. If you want my cheater recipe, see below.

1 jar sockarooni sauce
1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbls olive oil

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan. Add garlic and onion, saute until onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and turn up heat. Brown mushrooms and onions (5-7 minutes). Add jar of sauce. Bring to boil and then let simmer until the rest of dinner is ready.


Assembly?
Grab bowl. Scoop zucchini into bowl. Pour on saucey sauce. Add portos on top. Eat and enjoy.

Egg Foo YUMMMMMMMMM

Most DELICIOUS breakfast adventure from a few weekends ago was my own rendition of NomNom Paleo's Egg Foo Young-ish. I packed mine with carrots, onion, and chard (and of course some bacon) This blog has gotten so weird.... This falls into the treat category of paleo land... coconut flour is pretty high on the calorie chart....

This is a relatively easy weekend morning adventure.  The recipe makes several egg pancakes, that reheat fabulously. Serve with a little salsa and avocado on top and perhaps some sweet potatoes on the side :) And coffee. Lots of coffee.

Egg Foo Yummmm (Liz style)

Makes enough for you, your friend and your friend's boyfriend. Plus leftovers.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup Coconut Flour
• 3/4 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt (more to taste)
• 2 tbl. coconut oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 carrots, diced
• 3-4 leaves chard, destemmed and chopped.
• 8 strips Turkey Bacon (trader Joes has uncured, nitrate free happy bacon); chopped

Heat 1 tbl coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat until melted (won't take long, coconut oil is magical). Saute onions, carrots and chopped bacon until bacon is cooked through and veggies start to soften. Add in chard and continue to cook until bright green and wilted.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat the living hell out of the eggs. Whisk in coconut flour, baking soda, and spices until thoroughly combined.

Check on your veggie mixture....
Done yet?

not quite?

Try again in a few.... make some coffee in the meantime...

done now?

Good. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.... Use this time to enjoy the coffee you just brewed.

Pour veggies into into egg batter and gently stir to thoroughly incorporate.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Scoop a 1/4 cup of batter and pour into heated pan.  You may have to push down into a pancake shape, depending on the consistency of your batter. Cook for approximately 2 minutes before flipping and cooking for an additional 2min on the other side. Let cool for a hot minute and then eat up!

fashionably late... for work...

I've been neglecting my poor tiny kitchen lately.

Boot camp + Work + Rehearsal = limited cooking adventures

actually limited everything... sleep especially.

ah vell.

All part of the fun right?!

Anyway yesterday morning, whilst poaching eggs and sauteing kale, the ever-blackening pile of bananas in the fruit bowl caught my eye. I needed to do something with the mushy mess before the fruit flies found my stash. Vegan-Liz would make some sort of awesome banana chocolate chip bread cake concoction. Nom. Unfortunately, I am glutarded-Liz these days.
Eying the clock... 7:45 a.m.,  of course a half hour is plenty of time to throw together a recipe, eat breakfast, get dressed, walk the dog, brush my lashes comb my teeth etc etc etc. Yes. I am wonder woman....
Or just chronically five minutes late for work, running in looking like I've been hit by a bus. But I'm smiling!

Based loosely on Make it Paleo's banana bread, I give you.... Banana Coconut Muffins!

Wooo!

Exciting. I know.



Banana Coconut Muffins

Makes 12 delicious breakfast treats (about 150 calories per muffin, not too shabby!)

Ingredients

• 5-6 black bananas, mashed
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 coconut flour
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly oil muffin tin.

In a large bowl, beat the bejesus out of those eggs. Add mashed bananas and mix. Sift in coconut flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir well to combine thoroughly. Slowly mix in coconut oil. Fold in the coconut flakes. the batter should be pretty thick. If it isn't, you screwed up. may as well throw it all out. worthless.

just kidding.

kind of.

Pour batter into tins. These don't rise a lot, so don't worry about overfilling.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until you really have to leave for work. Let cool and enjoy!

Just the Beets, no killer tofu here.

oooeeeeooooo, killer tofu.

No this is not an anti-bean curd post, just childhood reminiscing. Doug, anyone?

I was whistling the lovely theme song as I mandolined my beets in preparation for a tasty afternoon snack.

Stuck in your head yet?


In spite of the ungodly temperature of my apartment, I decided I had no choice but to crank up my little firecracker of an oven yesterday afternoon in order to satiate my need for beet chips.

Luckily, my fantastic Organics to You order arrived and had some beautiful beets ready for my every beet need.

So, I mandolined these beauties (definitely surprised by their candy cane striped innards), tossed them in a few tablespoons of olive oil and finished with a few dashes of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

While they were baking and simultaneously making my apartment hotter than mordor, I lounged in my back yard with a mason jar of gin and lime seltzer. This last part is essential. 

Glorious.

Simple Beet Chips

2 Golden Beets (slightly smaller than a baseball)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Few dashes salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 325F

Using a mandolin, slice beets into very thin rounds and place in large bowl. Soak up extra moisture by squeezing beets in paper towels. 

Drizzle oil and spices over dry beets, and toss to coat. 

Place in a single layer on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crisp. 

Meanwhile, enjoy a beverage of your choice. Perhaps read a book. Play with the dog. etc. 

Remove from oven and let cool for about five minutes before devouring. 

Masters of being F-ing Awesome.

In moderately not food related news, I've decided I have to go grad school. 

Or at least try. 

No, not just try.  

I will go.

If I don't I will probably shrivel up and die from lack of spotlights. Well. I've got the dramatic part down.

WOOOOOT. 

I am super inspired by my friend the singing llama, Danielle, who is blessing USC with her amazing talent this fall. 

I am throwing caution and practicality to the wind and am pursuing the stage. I'd like to start a program, pursuing my MFA or MM by fall 2013 or 2014. I know sure thats at least a year and half away. But really I have work to doooo! So for the next 9-18 months, I am spending all of my extra time, money and energy pursuing this; burying my nose in scripts, scores and taking breaks to go to the dance studio/ gym and being extra conscious of my dietary regimen. 

Boston Conservatory and NYU Steinhardt are at the top of my list, making it very clear that I will have to marry for money to get out from under the mountain of debt I'll accrue.... so I have my work cut out for me, if I even want to get in, let alone get scholarships. 

I am terrified and excited and terrified. but mostly excited. 

Did I mention terrified? 

This will be good. 

Pin Pin Nom Nom

I had the lovely opportunity to cook for my fabulous former roommates, the Suz and Kimkim, the other night. I took a risk and tried out some recipes I'd pinned :)
Pretty tasty (if I do say so myself, but they are probably the ones to ask).

I made Nom Nom Paleo's Chicken Cacciatore in the slow cooker.

I love this recipe because I threw it all in a pot, left for work and came home to the smell of deliciousness wafting through my apartment. This gave me time to quick do all the dishes I'd ignored the day before.... and also herd the flock of dust bunnies threatening to take over my living room... Living alone and working 12 hour days has its ups and downs.
While it was tasty, it was less like other cacciatore I've had, in that it was more of a soup than saucy chicken business. Nom Nom addresses this at the very bottom of the recipe, noting that people make a roux with flour or tapioca starch. But by the time I read that, it was too late to repair and I felt especially stupid for putting an entire 14oz  can of chicken broth instead of just the half cup Nom Nom called for.... whoops.
I also have this terrible habit of not measuring red pepper flakes... I just throw them in there and hope for the best... I think I nearly sweat Kim out of the apartment. 2 tbls. is far more than 1/2 a tsp. whoops. I like the spice... though I suppose its not for the faint of heart.

Chicken was paired with a hazelnut, pear salad with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette, and mashed ginger-spiced sweet potatoes and free flowing vino.

nom. nom. liz.

The scariest new dish I battled was from Whole Family Fare. I made her amazing Raw Cashew Cheesecake. She has beautiful pictures of this dish (like below!), so I definitely recommend checking out her blog.

I served this with strawberry lemon compote, which lightened it up a bit. 

Sweeeet Kira-line... oh oh oh

Okay Kira, this one is for you.


--------------

I never considered myself to be a SWEETS person. Okay maybe that's false. But I don't think I'd die if I went a week or two without chocolate or gummy bears. Though. I do love Swedish fish... but I digress...

In need of a dessert that wasn't banana ice cream... I was perusing good ol' New Seasons Market for something to hit the spot. I found Laughing Giraffe Goji Cacao And Maca Snakaroon, which have decidedly changed my life, clearly it doesn't take much these days.


But what is EXTRA AWESOME about these bad boys is that they are 1. vegan 2. raw 3. paleo 4. SO FREAKING EASY TO MAKE.

The downside: horrendously expensive. I think the Pope must have blessed the damn Goji berries to justify the 16 bucks a bag (8 treats per bag)

So I did some more perusing... this time on the internets. I found the Queen of Quinoa's recipe to be most fitted to what my pantry held.

I altered a variety of things because of my inability to follow directions that's how I roll.

Just a note: you have to really enjoy the taste of sunflower seeds for this particular recipe... I'll probably sub almonds next time. If you are less than inclined to try the seeds, just use any dust and pulse a little longer.... I also plan on making this a series of different raw dessert recipes... so this is the first of hopefully many!


Chocolate Coconut Sunflower Balls (hah)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hulled, roasted sunflower seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut plus 1/4 cup for topping.
• 8 medjool dates, soaked in warm water for five minutes
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• water

Get yer food processors handy!

Okay. So. 

Throw those sunny seeds (or almonds) into the food processor and pulse 10-15 times until crumbly. Add 1 cup coconut and pulse 5 times to incorporate. Dump that mixture into a small bowl and set aside.

Drain the soaking dates (yeah did you forget to soak those? because I forgot to tell you? whoops. Go soak. five minutes). 

Place in food processor and pulse 10 times to chop. Add in the sunflower seed and coconut mixture and pulse 5 times. Add the almond butter and then press go on the processor and let it work like hell. 

Let it run for about a minute and a thick dough should start to form. 

Test the mixture for consistency. The dough should hold together when you pinch it (like cookie dough). If its too crumbly, add a teaspoon of water and let the processor run like hell again. I ended up having to use 2 tsps of water, but it depends on how oily your almond butter is. 

Once doughy consistency is reached, pulse in the chocolate chips until well combined. 

Roll dough into balls, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Coat them in the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut. Place uncovered in freezer for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

When you fall off the wagon, it may also run you over.

Ouch.

So. I just returned from a whirlwind work trip to Seattle. While, I managed to plan meals for 35 hungry college students with a variety of food allergies, I most definitely left myself out of that equation. whoops.

Sometimes I try to convince myself that my own food sensitivities are all in my head. Unfortunately, my stomach begs to differ. So when my meals consisted of quad tall soy lattes, the occasional bagel with light cream cheese and a beer (or 2) for dessert, my stomach would be so kind as to sucker punch me as a reminder that coffee does not a breakfast make, dairy is not my friend and I really shouldn't hang out with those gluten kids so much.

My body is kind of angry.

So my return home this week to my little safe-haven of a kitchen has been delightful. I took Tuesday off as a recovery day (You spend the weekend chaperoning a choir trip and see if you make it into work the next day...)
With this free day, I took my time getting out of bed, making breakfast, walking the dog, showering, doing dishes,really  doing anything productive  but with laziness came greatness in breakfast form.
Savory pumpkin pancakes, baked kale, and peppered turkey bacon.

The pumpkin pancakes are inspired by another recipe on interwebs, that I have lost.  So no this is not my original work, but yes I made it better. BAM. These are not by any means sweet, but they'd be delicious with honey or maple syrup. I just like how pumpkinny they are.
I threw some kale in the oven while making these pancakes and that made everything all the better.


Savory Pumpkin Pancakes (GF, Paleo-esque)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (make sure it's NOT pie filling)
• 6 eggs
• 3 tbls coconut milk
• 1 tbl oil (coconut if you have it, I used olive because thats what my pantry gave me.)
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey (optional)

In a small bowl, sift together coconut flour, baking soda, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, coconut milk, pumpkin puree and vinegar till smooth. Add dry to wet, stirring well to fully incorporate. 

Spray a lovely skillet with some non-stick spray or oil and preheat over medium heat. 

Pour a quarter cup of batter into hot skillet. The batter is pretty thick, so  you'll have to use a spatula to spread the batter into a thin circle. These also don't bubble like normal pancakes, so watch carefully and flip over when the the edges start to brown. It takes 1-2 minutes per side, depending on thickness. 

Serve with greens and some ghee on top :)

tolerance is overrated or the revolution ceases, but the practice carries on

Sometimes I can't decide on a blog post title, so I make them irrationally long.

Bootycamp challenge ended last week and we sweated till we dropped in a final mountain climber challenge... and then we sweated some more.

Some before and after photos are currently posted on the Portland Fit Body Bootcamp facebook page and if you are looking to be inspired, look no further than to these amazing folks. All together, revolutioners lost more than 400 pounds. Amazing!

While I am super excited to buy new pants (smaller pants- I should clarify), the benefit of the challenge was more than shedding some unwanted pounds. I proved to myself that in spite of torn ligaments, flooding apartments, new found food allergies and anything else that was thrown my way, I could survive, if not thrive. My amazing bootcamp fambly, fabulous friends, and of course my own family, helped me through some crazy ish.

I now have the Wonder Years theme song stuck in my head... Have a little help from my friends...

Call me crazy, stubborn or just stupid, but I only took two weeks off class after I tore my ankle to shreds before I couldn't help but wake up at the ass crack of dawn to indulge in my 6 am power hour.
I am almost back up to speed (hey I held my own in the mountain climbers competition...)

While the revolution has ended, I've picked up some dietary habits that will probably not go away anytime soon. After the initial "AH WHAT DO I EAT ? THIS ISN'T VEGAN" freak out, I have really enjoyed the Whole30 (44) challenge. I appreciate the emphasis on whole foods and going back to basics.
And I feel so much better.
I have energy, I feel happy, I sleep. I don't need 40 cups of coffee a day (just the 3.5). I haven't been sick with a cold or flu since Christmas, a record indeed. And trips to the doctor and ER are now due only to clumsiness, rather than unexplained stomach cramps and vomiting.

I started eating fish and eggs around Christmas, and two months later, in preparation for some fancy solo valentines day dinner, I found myself skinning and boning a chicken.  

Boning. Not my activity of choice. Wait. Well....

Never mind.

I'm sure my poor mother is horribly confused, I don't blame her. We've been having the same "so what do you eat" conversation for years. Its been a variation of "if it has a face, I don't eat it..." and "dairy will kill me" ( flair for the dramatic much? )


But now, while dairy will still wreak havoc on my tummy,  my former grain and bean friends are also stirring up trouble, as my lovely doctor explained to me. Not by any means celiac or gluten intolerant, just sensitive. Awesome. I'm sensitive. Neat.  



In spite of this softer hallmark side of Liz of new found sensitivities, I suppose my mantra hasn't changed all that much. Moderation in all things, know what you're eating and where it comes from, processed foods suck. etc. etc. I'm just avoiding titles like lacto-pesca-ovo-vegfoodatarian.

So what do I eat?

Organic and local fruits, vegetables, white meat and seafood. Please see this glimpse of Portland Reality to understand.

But let me translate...

Food!

I'll show you inconvenient.

So our landlord deemed our  January flooding issue "inconvenient" She's charging us for damages to wall (ie mold) and dirt left behind after we moved out and the fact that the apartment was not pristine upon move-out...

Let's consider that she knowingly rented an apartment that was not weatherproof and described upon move-in that there is a small possibility of a minuscule puddle appearing in one corner if excessive rains came through....

Needless to say, nine months later, I was a little shocked when I came home to 1 to 2 inches of standing water over my entire apartment.... Seems more like a lake than puddle.

Witness the "inconvenience" yourself...

Also I apologize for the inability to operate an iphone camera...

This shit is bananas.

Can I just say how ABSURDLY excited I am about this recipe?

I don't really know why... other than the fact, of course, it is DELICIOUS.
Ice cream. Everyone loves ice cream. Or should. But there is that whole... heavy cream, buckets of sugar thang that really gets in the way....
Lactose and I have never really gotten along. We finally broke up a few years ago. I mean there's been the occasional fling here and there, but I finally said enough is enough. And last night I found something new, better, healthier, happier.


okay this is getting a little weird... to the point!

Ice cream... ish.... No ice cream maker required.

I was trolling the internets and came across a similar banana ice cream recipe. Of course. I can't leave anything alone, so here is my own delicious rendition.... The recipe is totally versatile, the banana is the only thing required. Mix in berries or flaked coconut or whatever your heart desires.


Banana Chocolate Almond Ice Cream 


Recipes makes about 2.5678 cups of deliciousness

Ingredients

3 medium, ripe (freckled!) bananas
2 tbls fresh ground almond butter (optional)
2 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa nibs (choc chips)



Peel and slice bananas into bite size pieces. Layer on a cookie sheet and place uncovered in freezer for 3-8 hours (yes hours, I just threw them in the freezer before I left for work).


Place frozen bananas in food processor with blade attachment and blend until almost smooth (about 45-1 minute). Add almond butter and cocoa powder and blend for another 30 seconds or until well incorporated (or whatever ingredients you run with) Add cocoa chips and pulse 10-15 times.


Scoop and enjoy!

This makes a lot of ice cream, so store extra in a tupperware in the freezer:)

flower power

I was scrolling through the good ol' pinterests the other day, while hard at work, and found an intriguing cauliflower pizza crust recipe.

I've been craving pizza.  I think its moving that brings out that specific desire?  BUT in spite of all the crazy shit that's been happening I've managed to mostly stick to my paleo guns for my bootcamp crew (minus hospital turkey sandwich, can you blame me?)
So I was especially intrigued by this flourless crust that could play host to pizza like toppings...

The original recipe called for lots of cheese and some milk, so I hit my vegan recipe sources (what what) and managed to find a vegan cauliflower crust recipe.

I doctored it and such for consistency sake. Now I need to be really honest. This isn't a fantastic, hands down I will never eat real pizza again, kind of recipe. It's okay. I mean it's fine. Wow I am really selling it.

I have to say that I didn't set myself up for success when attempting this recipe. The much needed cuisinart is living at a friends house momentarily, so I riced my cauliflower with the immersion blender. I really don't recommend doing that. Ever. Also. I used my pizza stone and floured it with almond meal... This concoction does not get "doughy" like dough. its mostly like a paste.... So I burned the damn crust to the stone.... I still maintain it was fine...

The recipe made enough for two eight inch crusts, so the second time I just baked on a cookie sheet and it was again, equally, fine.

The topping combination was ROCKSTAR DELICIOUS though.

So here is the recipe. Play. See if you can make it happier.

Cauliflower Crust

1 cup almond flour
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
3 flax eggs or 3 regular chicken eggs
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 450F

Pulse cauliflower in a food processor (SERIOUSLY), until riced (does that even make sense? Basically itty bitty crumbly cauliflowers..)

In a large bowl combine riced cauliflower and eggs. Add almond flour in quarter cup increments and mix until throughly combined.

Okay here is where it gets weird. This is your "dough." Spread half of it on a greased baking sheet into a 1/2 inch thick circle.

Chuck this concoction into your preheated oven and let it bake for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare your toppings.

Sweet Potato Caramelized onion goodness (toppings for two pizzas)

1 sweet potato sliced into very thin rounds
1 large onion roughly chopped
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 cups chopped kale, rough stems removed
1 can tomato sauce
Lightly grease a large fry pan and warm over medium high heat. Toss in onions once pan is hot. Spray oinions with a little olive oil, just to coat and a dash of salt. Stir over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Turn heat to low and cover, allowing the onions to sweat and caramelize, stirring occasionally. Once the onions start to brown (this takes about 15 minutes or so) add the sweet potatoes and rosemary. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Your crust should be about done.

Pull baking sheet out of oven and spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the crust. Sprinkle the chopped kale  on top of the sauce. Layer onions and potatoes  (in a single layer) on top of kale. Bake in oven for another 10 minutes.

Voila. This is more fork food. My crust was too crumbly to eat like a slice.

The more I think about it-- I like this recipe, it just doesn't replace pizza.

Bring it World.

Fair warning: long post. But entertaining. I think. Also. Not food related. Unless you count the references to turkey sandwiches and rotisserie chickens

It has been a ridiculous month. I've abandoned any semblance of even a vegetarian diet. The contents of my refrigerator just confuses me, but really due to events (which will be explained if you decide to keep reading) I've reached the point of not caring. Rotisserie chicken? Sure why not. Hospital Turkey sandwich? If it'll keep the morphine from making me vomit, bring it.

Its not that I don't care..... its mostly that I don't have any energy to care. (I've stayed mostly paleo bootcampers, just fyi)

I've been cycling through bouts of crying, laughing hysterically, and screaming my fool head off in an attempt to process the events of the past three weeks.

Portland is a lovely place and like Seattle, it is subject to lots and lots of rain. I tell people I grew up in a puddle.

However, it is usually my preference that this puddle stay outside of my home....

My roommate and I came home after a very long twelve hour day, to find our apartment under water ---well 1 to 2 inches of standing water covering the entire floor--- and Moe the dog looking horribly guilty "I only peed a little in the corner"

The simultaneous need to laugh, vomit and cry hit me like a bus as I stepped onto the sopping rugs and felt the water disperse on either side of my stocking feet. 

Squish. Splash. Squish. Splash. 

I picked up a sopping pair of boots and the knit gloves I'd been working on for my sister. A little squeeze and water rained down. Just things right?? 

The next few days were chaotic. Danielle and I salvaged as much as we could. Wonderful friends took us in, until we had thoroughly convinced Francine, our landlord, that no our apartment was not tenable in its current state. Yes that was actually brought into question.   No we cannot simply lay some towels down. 

So. We had to move. Don't worry, the timing couldn't be better. January is ideal for moving, I'm rolling in the moolah, and its not like Danielle is leaving for a fantastic month-long dream-achieving adventure. 

Oh wait...

The apartment searched ensued. The Suz helped me search through the lovely North Portland neighborhood on rainy Sunday afternoon...

Apt 1

Description: A cute, cozy studio in the heart of the Kenton neighborhood.

Actuality: a comically small 180 sq ft shit hole, five blocks from the dancing bear.  Plus side? I could stir something on the stove while taking a shower. 

Rent: 695; deposit 1200 (FOR WHAT???), Required year long lease.

Apt. 2

Description: Welcome home to ParkView Terrace (I am already sketched out...). Two br 1 bath pet friendly apartments with access to pool, gym and across from the park. Give us a call and we'll welcome you home! 

Actual: Okay. I didn't make it into the apartments.... We called the number on the GIANT banner out side. 

     Apt. Guy: *grumble* hello?

     Me: Hi I am calling about the the Parkview terrace apartments.

     AG: They aren't open. 

     Me: Excuse me?

     AG: THEY ARENT OPEN, It IS Sunday.... What do you do on Sundays?

     Me: Oh oh I am sorry, I wasn't trying to disturb you, I was just......

     AG: Well I was  sleeping. What do you want anyway?

     Me: Well I did want to view the apartments, but I think I'll go elsewhere....

Apt 3

 Description: Willamette Terrace Apartments, in Cathedral Park area of St. Johns. Cute hood. Sign out front says "Apartment Available"and has a number listed. 

Actual: Again, I didn't get to see the apartment... but another entertaining phone call ensued...

      Little Crazy Old Lady: Hello?

      Me: Hello, I am calling about the apartment available in St. Johns?

      LCOL: Well I don't have any! (sounding very confused....)

      Me: I'm sorry? The Willamette Terrace apartments in St. Johns? There is an apt. available sign?

      LCOL: No no, I don't have any. I just leave that there....

      Me: Oh okay...

      LCOL: But I do have an apt opening up.

     Me: *hits face with hand* okay... great, can you tell me about it?

      LCOL: $695 two bedroom.

      Me: Great. Do you allow Pets?

     LCOL: What kind of pets? We don't allow pets. Well only service pets. But no dogs. So I guess service cats only. You know I have never actually touched a cat?

I can't make this shit up.

In the midst of chaos, I'd abandoned pretty much any semblance of routine. I finally made it back to my early morning bootcamp class a week after the apartment flooded. My little booty family welcomed me with open arms, words of encouragement and offered meals, places to stay and anything I may have needed. Unbelievably blessed to have these people in my life. Feeling great after a kick-ass workout, I started out to my car, with a little bounce in my step.

I took one step off the curb into, what I thought was a shallow puddle but turned out to be a clogged storm drain. Snap crackle pop and I was on the ground, wreathing in pain and swearing profusely. Cue tears and vomit.

One ambulance ride with very attractive men, a shit ton of morphine, vicodin and a turkey sandwich later, I was passed out in the Sunnyside ER. 

Diagnosis: Ripped all the ligaments in my right ankle, bruised the bones in my knees. No driving, no walking, physical therapy in my future. 

Cue insane laughter. 

Danielle rescued me from the hospital and took me home to our swampy apartment. My parents drove all the way down to Portland for the afternoon to make sure my foot was still in fact attached. Suz and Dave took care of me when they could. In spite of all the shittyness, I was reminded I have really wonderful friends and family. 

Barely able to walk, let alone move a couch up the stairs,  my bootcampers and the suz came to my rescue once again,  and moved all of my stuff (and I have A LOT of stuff) in a record 3.5 hours. It was an incredible sign of support. 

I've been sweating along side these folks for only two months and they dropped everything to help a fellow bootcamper out. How did I get so lucky? 

Things are slowly, but surely, getting better, but I'm still having the occasional breakdown in the middle of my kitchen floor.

 Last nights scene: newly-ish single (oh yeah add that to the fun) , strong woman sobbing in the middle of her first solo apartment because her dog ran away and dinner is on fire and shit keeps breaking and there is something living in the wall in her closet. 

Again, I can't make this shit up. 

***Update due to confusion. Things are fine. Moe is back and happy and chasing her tail 

A renewed spirit and a delicious dinner

This whole paleo challenge has been tough for a variety of reasons. Its expensive, the change in diet has made me a grumpy biotch. But the worst is I've  become wary of my kitchen, feeling like I no longer know what to do with those crazy spirals that get really hot.

I am pretty handy in the kitchen, preparing vegetarian  cuisine for the masses (or just me... ), but I have been really thrown, mentally, by the simultaneous addition of eggs and fish and subtraction of grain, tofu and tempeh-- staples in my diet.

So the internet has been my savior for the past week or so. But I got bored (see egg post. )

Nothing tasted like "me" if that makes sense? My kitchen looked like a foreign land.

But tonight, somehow, everything clicked. Ginger is still ginger even if its on fish instead of tempeh. Almond butter probably makes a delicious sauce when paired with tamari, just like peanut butter and soy sauce used to in other dishes I've made.

So tonight I experimented, with a little inspiration from the internets. Spaghetti squash with sesame oil and almond butter sauce and a spicy sesame coconut salmon graced my coffee table dining room table.

Tasted amazing, really reknewed my spirit in this endeavor. That probably sounds dramatic, but it is true!

Recipes below!

breakfast of champions. vom.

I am so tired of eggs.


Seriously.
I've poached, scrambled, fried, killed, fritta-ed and omeletted....

The thought of eating another egg makes me want....to... bleeeehhhhhh. not eating eggy things for almost three years and then consuming them EVERYDAY is a big turn around.

My body is giving me the universal  "whaaaaat the helll" motion (like when someone cuts you off and you throw your arms in the air and go WHAT THE WHAAAAT? And they do the same thing, like its your fault for being your own lane)

I know I know. I'm making things harder on myself by not giving into whatever deep-seeded bacon cravings I supposedly have within.
Whatever.
I've never been a huge egg fan...
Example: The  only acceptable thing to do with a hard boiled egg is dye it and leave it for the Easter bunny.
Great.
Now I'm craving cadbury  eggs... I don't even like those.

But really anything with simple sugars would be nice. 

Ah the fun of sugar withdrawals.

I didn't realize how much sugar my body is accustomed to consuming until cutting it out entirely. I'm not really a big sweets person. Sure I love my juju fish (ghetto Swedish fish), the occasional trip to staccato gelato, but I'm not the I MUST HAVE CHOCOLATE EVERYDAY OR I WILL DIE  kind of gal.

But those sneaky bastards food processors sneak that sugar shite and loads of other additives into everything. What do you mean my canned diced tomatoes have HFC? Why is it necessary to add sugar, carageenan and other 'fun' things to balsamic vinaigrette?

Balsamic vinaigrette= balsamic vinegar + oil + emulsifier (I like mustard seed).

I'll slow my rant... Looking forward to finding some more interesting and less egg-tastic things to consume for breakfast... I found some cool Zucchini frittery pancake-y things that I may doctor to my liking... Who knows.

EggDrop Soup and Curry Tuna

Talk about uncharted territory...

I managed to get creative for dinner tonight....

I made my own version of Paleo Plan's Egg Drop Soup . I wasn't too jazzed about just having soup for dinner, so I threw together a green curry tuna wrap. I'm pretty happy with myself...

recipes below:)


Egg Drop Soup

This is a super comforting, delicious soup. The recipe makes A LOT, so pack for lunches or feed your fam! 

• 1 Tbsp butter substitute (i used earth balance flax seed spread)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced  (optional)
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 1 Tbsp butter substitute (i used earth balance flax seed spread)
• 1/2 head of cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 8 cups of vegetable stock (or chicken broth)
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
• 1 tsp wheat free tamari sauce, low sodium.  
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
•  salt to taste
• 6 eggs, whisked

In a large 4 qt soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and celery. Saute over medium heat, until onions are translucent and carrots begin to soften. Pour in veggie stock and mix in cabbage and sesame oil. Cover pan and bring to a boil.  Let soup continue to simmer, until thickened. In small bowl, whisk together eggs. Once soup is thickened, slowly pour egg mixture into soup. You'll see white egg ribbons throughout the soup. I let mine cook for another ten minutes or so, because I panic about eating raw egg business.


Green Curry Tuna Wrap with Avocado 

Makes a delightful snack or lunch or whatever you desire.
Makes 2 wraps

• 1 can albacore tuna, packed in water, drained
• 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp green thai curry paste (most are paleo friendly, but read those ingredients!)
• 1 tbls coconut milk (not beverage, but the stuff in the can)
• 1/2 tsp lime juice
• 2 green chard leafs (or if leafy greens arent your thing, ya weirdo , you could use a romaine lettuce leafs.
• 1 avocado, diced

In a small bowl mix together tuna, curry paste, coconut milk and lime. Set aside. Remove stalks from chard.  Spoon half the tuna mixture into one of the chard leafs and top with half the avocado. Repeat process (duh...) Roll up mixture like a burrito? and eat!

Upside Down or Paleowaht?

Well, I feel as if my kitchen  whole world has been turned upside down.

As I announced earlier, I started incorporating less-than-vegan options into my diet for health reasons, which to some may seem backassward, but such is life.

I've done some egg experimentation (or eggpermentation... badum psh) , ate some chat-fish (that's for you suz), mingled with some shrimp and taken on a fairly lactose intolerant pescatarian approach to dining. Admittedly (and I'm sorry hard-core vegs), I've enjoyed it. I feel better. A LOT better.

BUT NOW, of course. Its going to get more complicated. Why, you ask? Because, it is me. And I am complicated.  Enjoy it.

For the next 44 days, my writing will take a detour from the typical vegan delights and will chronicle a new crazy journey....

My fantastic workout family at Portland Fitbody Bootcamp  kicking 2012 off with a New Year's Revolution, a six-week fitness transformation challenge. Not like I'm competitive or anything... I just want to say I plan on winning ;)
Not only does the challenge encompass the booty kickin workout five days a week I've learned to love, but also a whole-food diet challenge i.e. PALEO.

---Quick breakdown for those unaware check out Paleo Plan. They outline what to and what not to eat. There is some debate around coffee, booze, and dairy. But basically, from what I understand. Meat, veggies, fruit = good. Everything else (processed foods, beans, grains, sugar) =bad. ----



Now, I have to say. I am SUPER skeptical of paleo. But in my defense its the same skepticism I have of strict vegan diets. Villanizing food groups, grains in the case of Paleo or all animal products in the case of veganism, seems to be detrimental.

I'm a big fan of moderation in all things

Do I think the American diet is FAR too reliant on grain and processed crap? YES ABSOLUTELY
Do I think we eat too much mass produced, factory farmed meat? UHM DUH

Should we completely cut out grain, beans and all meat products? mmmm NO.

Just one girls opinion..

Now, as I've mentioned before, I don't believe there is an end all be all diet (and I don't mean "I need to lose 60 pound by tomorrow diet" but rather lifestyle diet). Different things work for different people. My awesome sister-in-law and I have been debating/discussing the merits and detriments of the paleo diet, as she and my brother have been experimenting.

The one thing I can get behind in paleo (and in most lifestyle diets, for that matter), is the incorporation of more vegetables, fruit and elimination of processed items with ingredients you can't even pronounce. I figure if one of my little nephews can't read it, I shouldn't eat it.

But, I'm sorry the point of all this (there is one I promise), is that I will be putting most of my skepticism aside and challenging myself to eat a mostly paleo diet for the six week challenge. I say mostly because, I sure as hell am not eating cows or pigs or chickens, just fish (Please make a fish face at this point like I did) and eggs. Things may get boring, but I'm a creative type.

I'll be posting recipes (I will mark veg friendly ones with a V), thoughts, rants, raves and anything else I may feel like sharing.