Food Diary: EASY Mashed Cauliflower

I sometimes miss mashed potatoes.

Let me re-phrase that… I used to miss mashed potatoes.

A few months ago, I discovered the magic of mashed CAULIFLOWER!!  Have you ever tried it?  It is amazing!

I actually prefer the light creaminess of this recipe to regular mashed potatoes.

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Easy Mashed Cauliflower

Chop cauliflower florets off the base of the vegetable (I use two heads of cauliflower so we’ll have some leftovers).

Place in a steamer over boiling water, and steam until the cauliflower is soft (around 7 minutes).

Drain, and dump florets into a high-powered blender (you can do this with a hand mixer, food processor, etc., but I really believe that the secret to the smooth results I get (see picture above) is my Vita-Mix Blender).

Add about 4 TBS of grass-fed butter per head of cauliflower, a dash of salt, and a dash of pepper.

Blend until smooth.

ENJOY!

EASY Sweet Potatoes

We LOVE sweet potatoes.  Like, with a passion. 

They are great in almost every form… sweet potato fries, baked sweet potatoes, boiled sweet potatoes, sweet potato cookies, sweet potato hash, sweet potato pies… I could go on!

However, most of the time I find that sweet potatoes take some effort.  Most of the time they have to be washed, peeled, and then diced/chopped/julienned/speared, etc.  Sometimes I just don’t feel like spending that much time on one vegetable!

Last night I tried something new, and it definitely tops the list as the easiest way to prepare sweet potatoes.

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Easy Sweet Potatoes

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Chop each potato into three equal parts (or 4 if you have a large sweet potato)… you don’t even need to peel them!

Place the potatoes in a pressure cooker with about 1 inch of water.

Seal the cooker, and heat on HIGH until the regulator begins to rock.

Reduce heat to medium, and set a timer for 15 minutes and walk away!

Place the pressure cooker in a sink full of cold water to release pressure.

When the pressure releases, remove the potatoes, top with a generous portion of grass-fed butter, and a little salt.

DELICIOUS and EASY in 15 minutes!

Food Diary: Coconut-Almond Crusted Chicken

COCONUT-ALMOND CRUSTED CHICKEN

Combine 1 cup of chopped almonds with 1 cup of coconut flakes and a dash of sea salt in one bowl.

In another bowl, melt 3 TBS coconut oil.

Heat some coconut oil on the stove in a medium sauté pan.  

In the meantime, dip 4 fresh chicken breasts into the oil bowl (to moisten it), and then into the almond/coconut mixture bowl (you will have to press the mixture into the chicken, and then pile it on top when you put it on the stove). 

Cook (covered) until proper temp is reached. 

So juicy and delicious! Definitely a favorite!

Food Diary: Our Favorite Trail Mix

Trail mix is a great tag-along snack for long car rides (or long work days).  I whipped up this combo over the weekend, and my husband LOVES it.  Since nuts and seeds should not be a huge part of your diet, he only has a palmful or two each day.

I am currently not eating nuts and seeds as part of my gut-healing protocol.

This is definitely the prettiest trail mix we’ve ever made, and my husband says that it is the best-tasting, as well.  Check out the recipe!

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Trail Mix

Use equal parts of the following ingredients:

Roasted Sunflower Seeds

Raw Almonds

Dried, Unsweetened Cranberries

Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Chopped, Dried, Unsweetened Mango

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DELICIOUS (and simple)!

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Paleo Cures for a Stomach Ache (a WHAT?!)

First of all… NO, it is not common to have a stomach ache if you are eating a balanced, 100% Paleo diet.  However, if you are under a lot of concentrated stress, come in contact with some gluten, and do not stay on top of your food habits (including finding balance on your plate), your gut can definitely suffer some damage.

I recently shared that I have been having some digestion issues of late.  Soon after this admission, I explained my gut-healing “protocol.”

I am happy to report that it is working!  Whereas I was having cramping/burning pain in my stomach after almost every meal, I have now only had two minor stomach aches since Sunday evening.  I am so excited!  Being able to eat good food without pain is such a treat!

During one of these stomach aches, I asked the following question on my Facebook Page:

When you are feeling icky, which *PALEO FOOD* soothes your stomach?

I got a lot of great answers, so I thought I would share them with you!  If you have one to add, please comment below.  I will share my own stomach-soothing practices at the end of this post.

Randy: Ginger root. I open two capsules, pour the powder into hot water, and drink it like a tea.

Liz: Chicken that’s been either boiled or roasted. Chicken broth and eggs.

Christine: Ginger tea. Fresh ginger simmered for about 10 min. Lightly (and I mean LIGHTLY) sweetened with raw honey, OR drink plain. It works every time.

Jaq: Camomile tea!

Karie: Scrambled or hard boiled eggs… not sure why, but it satisfies my hunger without adding to a tummy ache. It’s also my go-to food if I find that I need food right away (like when you get so busy that you forgot when the last time you ate was…) Eggs… are perfect.

Jessica: Get a 2″ knob of fresh ginger root, shave off the exterior. Take one half of an organic lemon—scrub the outside anyway—slice into thin slices, rind and all. Place in a tea pot of water that you bring to a whistle. Strain and drink with a bit of raw honey.  Also, bone broth with natural/real salt.

Melissa: Scrambled eggs, and something, anything, with coconut oil.

Kari: I put sea salt on my palm and lick it. Then I don’t eat any food for several hours. It always makes my stomach feel better.

Angela: Greek Avgolemono: chicken stock, chicken, egg, lemon juice (I omit the rice to make it Paleo)

Marci: Goerge’s 100% aloe vera liquid = this stuff works miraculously!

Christie: Broth is number 1 for us. Also chamomile tea and ginger tea. And when we’re starting to eat again, but we can’t eat much, soft-boiled eggs, more broth, and coconut water.

Pamela: A spoonful of coconut oil. It’s wonderfully soothing.

Karla: Broth!

Barbara: Poached eggs with butter melted on top.

Dianna: Ginger tea

HEALth: Coconut water, especially the Taste Nirvana coconut water with aloe.

Why so much ginger?  According to “The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants,” it may help the digestive system as both an emetic–anti-vomiting–and an analgesic–pain killer.  Interesting, huh?

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My Most Effective Stomach Ache Remedy

This is what I do, and it always helps!

1. Down a spoonful of coconut oil.  The oil helps coat the stomach and reduces burning.

2. Drink a mug of chamomile tea with an added blob of full-fat coconut milk.  This is warm, creamy, neutral, and soothing.  It relaxes intestinal cramping, and reduces anxiety.

3. If possible, take a warm bath with scented Epsom salts.  My favorite scent is lavender… it calms nausea and takes my mind off my stomach.  Make sure the bath is not too hot!  That can make things worse!

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Thanks to everyone who chimed in!

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Food Diary: Paleo PIZZA!

Are you wondering why my PIZZA post displays a flash of lightning?  Well, here’s why… Last night I uploaded all of my pizza pictures just before we had a good ol’ North Carolina thunderstorm.  It didn’t sound too bad outside… just rain and a little thunder… so we did not rush around to unplug things.  Unfortunately, my Macbook Pro was plugged into a regular wall outlet, and was the recipient of a power surge. After a full morning at the Apple Store, I learned that the logic-board is fried, and a repair would cost almost as much as ordering a brand new system (which is what we chose).

So… until our new system comes in and we get the hard drive files transferred, I have no pictures of our Paleo Pizza!  Sad, right?  I know… and they were really good pictures, too.

On a happier note, the pizza was DELICIOUS!  I used Sarah Fragoso‘s recipe for the crust, and it came out better than I expected.

Crust:

2 cups almond meal

2 eggs

3 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp garlic powder

1 ½ tbsp fresh rosemary chopped  (I used dried basil instead)

Preheat your oven to 350. Using a spoon mix all crust ingredients together until it becomes very thick.  Using your hands, form the dough into a ball.  Lightly grease a pizza pan or a cookie sheet with olive oil.  Place the ball of dough in the center of your cookie sheet or pizza pan and using your hands, push and pat the dough down into the shape of a circle (or an oval in my case…).  You want to make the dough as thin as possible.  Your pizza will be about 12 inches across.  Bake JUST the crust in your pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

As a sauce, I took the advice of a Facebook Fan and used the Garlic Eggplant Spread from Trader Joe’s (pictured in this post).  I am now in love with that spread… it is full of flavor, and the ingredients are squeaky-clean!  I wish I had some right now.  I’m hungry!  Thanks for the suggestion, Chris Smith!

For toppings, I browned ground grass-fed beef with onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil.  On top of that, I added diced tomatoes, chopped spinach, and some black pepper.

After the crust if done, remove from the oven and evenly spread the  sauce over the crust.  Add the meat and all remaining toppings evenly over the sauce and bake again for an additional 25-30 minutes.

I was really pleased with how it turned out!  I will be honest and tell you that it is not like the Papa John’s pizza that I used to inhale.  The crust is not crumbly, but the slices can’t really be picked up and eaten (well, not gracefully at least).  There is no hot, stringy cheese on top (though goat cheese would have been a delicious addition… maybe next time!).  However, the crust does have a nice, crispy texture, and the toppings piled high made the entire dinner delicious!

Did I miss my old pizza days, you ask?  The answer is no.  While my demented taste buds thought that it was amazing even last year this time, I remember how disgusting a slice of greasy pizza made me feel.  The bloating… the queasy too-much-grease feeling in my stomach… the occasional constipation from too much cheese (TMI? Sorry!)… the feelings of regret after over-eating…  feeling “fat.”  No, I don’t miss any of that!  In fact, after my yummy pizza experience a few nights ago, I am perfectly content with a healthy almond-meal crust, a huge pile of grass-fed beef, and a ton of vegetables.  I felt good about what I ate (mentally AND physically), and I’ll be making it again soon!

By the way… did you know that GLUTEN is what makes a pizza crust so pliable flexible?  It’s like gummy elastic.  Doesn’t that sound yummy to your tummy?  Yikes.