Egg in a Hole!

Learning to swap out bread is the key to my journey of not consuming wheat products.  One of my favorite morning breakfast items was egg and toast.  So I had to find a way to improvise that was healthier option that provided fiber. 

I had some eggplant in the fridge that I was going to use to fill with the spaghetti sauce I made yesterday but I wasn't hungry after eating the my late afternoon snack of Savory Stuffed Banana Peppers so this morning I thought I would try out this eggplant to whip up a quick breakfast.  BINGO!  Worked like a charm and very tasty.  Actually better than the bread I used to have instead. Who would have thought...

I just cut off a couple of slices of eggplant, cored the middle and cooked it in some coconut oil, a little of my Summer Salt Blend Seasoning (I'll post that soon - just my all purpose seasoning mix I keep on hand with Himalayan Pink Salt) and then I added a an egg in the middle after I flipped the first side.  I put a lid over it to cook it slowly on lower heat to cook the top slightly.  Added some chopped cilantro and a little garlic chili sauce for dipping.  (Got to have a little spice.)

This was very easy to prepare -  low carb, protein and fiber.  Poured a glass of iced coffee with coconut milk hazelnut creme and breakfast was served in less than 10 minutes!  

Out the door for a busy week...Stormy

Savory Stuffed Banana Peppers

Lazy Sunday afternoons...I just love them.  Late breakfast with coffee, reading and resting.  Around 3pm it's always time for an afternoon snack.  Sunday nights I always cook a meal my son adores - so I have to get my fix of something I can eat and I don't dig into what he's having.  Having a teenage boy is challenging - they are hungry every 3 hours, kinda of reverting back to baby days.  Except they eat the entire house!

Since I was making spaghetti for my son this evening, I decided to use ground turkey I had on hand and mix up a stuffing for some banana peppers that were needing to be used up.  I sauteed some red onions, garlic and ground turkey, added some fresh rosemary and diced tomatoes then let it simmer for about 30 minutes on low. 

I cut off the top of the banana peppers and pulled out the seeds.  Then I stuffed it with the meat mixture.  Sprayed them with some olive oil and threw them on the grill until they were charred on each side.  That's it - Sprinkled some crumbled goat cheese on it.  It was super tasty and just the right amount of food late in the day.  

I've learned that cooking healthy doesn't mean you have follow recipes and go out and buy a big list of ingredients.  Use what you've got - make it work!  Learning to cook without recipes is the key to making your life easy.  

Stormy

Grilled Artichoke Pesto Stuffed Baby Portobellas

June is wedding season...times for showers, ladies luncheons and outdoor weddings.  One thing I have learned over the years in catering is that woman like something light, full of flavor and elegant.  These Baby Portabellos are stuffed with a savory flavor packed punch of Grilled Artichoke Pesto.

I love these Grilled Artichokes as an antipasto but I decided to use them to make a pesto and stuff them with these little portabellos.  I've made artichoke pesto before with just artichoke hearts but taking my antipasto artichoke recipe and using them to make the pesto made this dish really stand out.  

This might seem a like a lot of steps but it's really not that difficult and the flavor is worth all the effort.  Make these Grilled Artichokes - Keep them in a jar in your fridge.  Add to salads or a GF pasta dish.

Marinated Grilled Artichoke Hearts

1 lb Artichoke Heart Quarters

1 Garlic Glove, Minced

1/4 Cup Fresh Basil

1 Tbsp Red Onions, Diced

3/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Lemon Juice

3 Tbsp GF Tamari Sauce

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Drain artichokes or thaw from frozen.  Blot dry with a paper towel.

Over a medium high heat grill, grill the artichoke hearts until slightly charred.

 Transfer to a bowl and while still hot or warm, toss in all the ingredients and mix well.  Allow the artichokes to marinate for at least 4 hours.  Serve room temperature.  Toss with other grilled vegetables or add to GF Pasta.

Grilled Artichoke Pesto

1 Cup Grilled Marinated Artichokes

1/4 Cup Fresh Basil

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Cup Pecan Pieces

2-3 Garlic Cloves (Depending on size)

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a food processor, add Grilled Marinated Artichokes, Fresh Basil, Parmesan Cheese, Pecan Pieces and Garlic Cloves.  Pulse LIGHTLY - these don't need to be over processed, you want a chunky consistency.  Once ingredients are combined, transfer to a bowl, then add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, season with Himalayan Pink Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

Stuffed Baby Portabellos

Remove stems from the Mushrooms (toss or add to your eggs the next day).  Toss Mushrooms with olive oil and place in a baking dish.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Remove and stuff with a generous scoop of Grilled Artichoke Pesto.  Bake an additional 5 minutes.  That's it!  No longer and don't stuff prior to baking or you will not experience the full flavors of the pesto.  

For a ladies luncheon, I served these on a bed of lightly dressed baby kale & greens then I garnished it with some pickled red onions.  These were a big hit and I have to say, probably one of my favorite dishes.  It's perfect as an appetizer, salad, side or vegetarian entree.

Stormy

Zucchini Carpaccio

Sometimes don't you want a salad that is more than mixed greens and salad dressing without adding a bunch of calories and fat? Well, I decided to change it up a bit and make a carpaccio style salad with Zucchini, Fried Capers, Arugula and Grape Tomatoes. I drizzled it with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Sherry Vinegar, then garnished it with fresh Basil, Himalayan Pink Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

Zucchini – Is a cucumber like vegetable that is actually, botanically considered a fruit. This slender shaped fruit has many health benefits and one zucchini is 25 calories, ideal stomach filler for those looking to lose weight. Zucchini helps to cure asthma and fight against cardiovascular disease containing Vitamin C which is an anti-inflammatory property.

This vegetable is high in Potassium, Folate, Vitamin A and Vitamin B6.

Capers on the other hand have been used throughout history to promote healthy liver function. They contain two bioflavonoids, rutin and quarcetin which have strong antioxidant properties. They are high in sodium which need to be used sparingly and can be used in place of salt in a dish.

Having an outdoor dinner party?  Serve this as a light first course.  Arrange on a large platter or make  individual small plates for your guests. Super simple with a great presentation!

Zucchini, Sliced Super Thin (I used a mandolin slicer - $10 Tuesday Morning)

Fresh Arugula

Capers

Fresh Basil, Chiffonade Cut

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Sherry Vinegar

Grape Tomatoes

Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Fry capers in olive oil until crispy and transfer to a paper towel to blot dry.   

Slice Zucchini on mandolin and arrange on platter or plate.  Arrange Grape Tomatoes in the corners for color.  Sprinkle with fresh sliced Basil.  Toss Arugula with Olive Oil, squeezed lemon, Sherry Vinegar until lightly coated.

Drizzle Olive Oil, squeeze lemon and drizzle Sherry Vinegar lightly over sliced Zucchini.  Place dressed Arugula in the center, garnish with Fried Caper Berries and season with Himalayan Pink Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

Try it - You'll like it!  Stormy

Pan Fried Tacos

Gluten free living doesn't mean you have to give up everything!  Living in Texas we love our Mexican food.  Fresh Avocados, homemade salsa and hand fried tacos for dinner.  Very satisfying...

Look for all corn tortillas and check the ingredients to make sure that your getting healthy ingredients and not lard.  For this dish  I used ground bison that was supposed be a hamburger patty but I decided to crumble it up and use it as taco meat filling.  I browned it in a cast iron skillet (thank you mommie) and some diced red onions.  Then I added my homemade Sazon Seasoning (which means seasoning in Spanish).  It's a mixture of whole Cumin and Coriander Seeds toasted then ground fresh and combined with Smoked Paprika, Himalayan Pink Sea Salt and Garlic Powder.  Being able to control the ingredients in my seasoning is key.  There are a lot of packaged seasonings that have hidden wheat gluten and extra preservatives that I don't want in my food.  This Sazon Seasoning is very flavorful and better than any little packet of taco seasoning you get at the grocery store.

Then I added some of my homemade authentic Fire Roasted Mexican Salsa that I made over the weekend.  I roasted on the grill some ripe Roma Tomatoes, Onions, Jalapenos and Garlic Cloves.  Then I processed it in my food processor, added some Chipotle Sauce, Fresh Cilantro and Himalayan Pink Sea Salt.  De-lish!  This sauce is great to add a little punch to the meat while it's cooking.

Then to make the tacos, just take a warmed White Corn Tortilla, fill it with the Ground Bison or Beef mixture (you can use ground turkey too if you feel like it) and toss in some dairy free cheese.  If you have to have cheese.  If not, leave it out.  You probably wont even miss anyways!

In a saute pan, add some coconut oil and fold the taco over in half.  Place it in the saute pan and cook on each side until until it's browned.  Transfer to a paper towel too blot off any excess coconut oil.  

Serve with fresh Avocado, Cilantro and more Fire Roasted Mexican Salsa!

Sazon Seasoning

Yields 5 oz Jar

3 Tablespoons        Coriander Seed, Whole

3 Tablespoons        Cumin Seed, Whole

3 Tablespoons        Smoked Paprika

2 Tablespoons        Garlic Powder

3 Tablespoons        Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, Fine Ground

In a small sauté pan over medium heat add coriander and Cumin Seeds.  Toast seeds to bring out their essential oils.  Watch carefully so they don’t burn and move the pan around to keep the seeds moving so they are not exposed to too much heat on one side.  

Once they are toasted grind them in a mortar or coffee grinder.  Transfer to a bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Mix together well and store in a jar in a cool dark place.  This will keep for months.

 Fire Roasted Mexican Salsa

 Yields 2.5lbs

12        Tomatoes (I prefer Roma since they are usually ripe and firm)

3         Jalapenos, Fresh Whole

1         Chipotle Pepper

1 c       Fresh Cilantro, Stems Removed

3         Garlic Cloves

½ tsp   Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Over a hot grill roast the Tomatoes and Jalapenos until completely charred.  Transfer to a food processor and add the Garlic, Chipotle Pepper, Cilantro and Himalayan Pink Sea Salt.  Process until chunky.

Enjoy!..Stormy

  

Thai Omelette

I was surfing around the web this morning and ran across a site called Nom Nom Paleo.  It's a blog about the new diet paleo which is a diet plan that doesn't consume grains or legumes and focuses on grass fed beef, free range poultry and wild caught fish.  I have to say that I don't believe in some of that philosophy on the fats they consume and I believe in eating some grains.  However there are some good recipes I've scouted and put my own spin on them.  This is one of them.  The Thai Omelette. I put my own spin on it by adding some red curry paste, fresh basil and a mixture of freeze dried chives, shallots and garlic that I keep in my fridge.  It was a very flavorful omelette and I will be making it again and maybe stuffing it with some chicken to make it a little more filling.

Here is how you make it:

2 Eggs, Whole Organic Free Range

1/2 tsp Thai Fish Sauce

1/4 tsp Thai Red Curry Paste

Squeeze of Half Lime

1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, Chopped

2 Tbsps  Fresh Cilantro, Chopped (reserve 1 for garnish)

1 Tbsp Freeze Dried Chives, Garlic & Shallots (I use Lighthouse Brand)  or you can just use Scallions

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

In a small bowl, add eggs and mix with fish sauce, red curry paste and squeeze of lime.  Polk the egg yolks and mix well.  Then toss in the fresh herbs and mix together.

In a small saute pan over medium heat, add extra virgin coconut oil and then add the egg mixture.  Let the mixture sit for a second and then move the pan by tilting it one way.  The mixture will move down and when you tilt the pan back, the liquid will run down and start to form adding to the other cooked part.  Then tilt the pan again and more liquid will run, tossing it to turn it over and then take a spatula and turn it over completely.  Transfer to a dish, garnish with remaining cilantro.  Serve with fresh sliced avocado.

The Benefits of Avocado Oil

It's confusing when trying to follow the right steps towards wellness with so many opinions from so many different angles.  What I mean by that is we are programmed by so many different diets out on the market and so many experts convincing us to use this and that.  My rule of thumb is what is natural, organic and has the most nutrients is the best rule.  What value does it bring me to my body to consume it?  That's what you should ask yourself.

One thing I haven't purchased in a few years is salad dressings.  I prefer to eat salads with a dressing that I can control what goes into it.  There are so many ways you can spin a salad dressing by adding different herbs, spices, vinegar and oils.  My friends and family always go nuts over the salads I make and my secret is...the dressing.  Store bought dressing are laced with unnecessary ingredients that don't have any nutritional value what-so-ever.  Plus they don't compare in flavor.  Not even close.

The first I came across Avocado Oil was at a friend of mines house a few years ago.  Her mother lives in Cabo and brought some to her.  I was looking on her table and found this pretty little green bottle.  I asked her about it and she said, "OMG - it makes the best salad dressing."  Evidently the Aztecs have been using Avocado Oil forever.   I was intrigued by it and did some research when I go back home.  I purchased a bottle of Organic Avocado Oil and I have been in love since.  It's rich, full of flavor and has a high smoke point.  

Avocado Oil isn't widely used but its gaining momentum.  In this fat obsessed world we live in, people are looking at every drop of oil they consume and more health enthusiasts are turning to Avocado Oil.  It's more than 50% monounsaturated, extremely high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, and vitamin E, making it a heart rich ingredient.  Which helps reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, high blood pressure, and help prevent many diseases.  

Avocado oil is a great source of lecithin, which promotes fast healing and better skin quality. This yellowing fatty substance acts as a super emulsifier and lubricant. When applied topically, lecithin forms a protective covering on your hair follicles and your skin’s surface, effectively preventing the loss of moisture due to wind and climate damage. Avocado oil is also high in sterolin which can be used as a softener or moisturizer in hair and skin care.

So when you reach for some oil to cook with or add to a dressing, think about adding an oil that is nutrient rich.  Same amount of calories as other oils, but more nutrients.  That's the key!

You can purchase Organic Avocado Oil from Mountain Rose Herbs online.  It's an extremely popular item and they sell out frequently - but well worth the investment. 

Stormy