Saturday, June 28, 2014

Cafe Mocha Ice Cream

There are a lot of things I love about living in Florida. Beaches. We have some of the most incredible beaches in the nation. Entertainment is another. We have theme parks...and LOTS of them. Nature. There are beautiful national parks to hike and camp in. Friends and family. Most of mine are in this great state. And it's not called "the sunshine state" for nothing. Florida is well known for its gorgeous weather. I mean hell, people move here all the time for the sunshine. But it can get H-O-T. Today for example, we reached record temperatures for this time of year, 97 degrees with a heat index between 105-110. Ironically, and most unfortunately, our A/C unit has stopped blowing cold air in our house. The repair man isn't able to come until tomorrow. So last night and tonight we're just swirling around warm air in our home. Thankfully, the downstairs isn't unbearable. We live in a two story house and hot air rises (science!) But upstairs? O-M-G. It's a damn sauna. The thermostat is reading 90 degrees IN MY HOUSE. And tomorrow it's suppose to be hotter. Needless to say, I'll be leaving early to get our grocery shopping done in the A/C and then counting down the minutes until the repair man comes. 

Meanwhile, in an effort to stay cool, I decided to make a dessert for my husband and I combining two things I love, chocolate and coffee! Danny's exact words: "Mmmm honey! Like the cuisinart, this investment has already paid for itself! This is delicious" That's my hubs! You can scoop it into a bowl or stuff it between two paleo cookies. That's what I did! Don't judge me. I deserved it. 

Cafe Mocha Ice Cream



Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Special Tools:
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Ice cream maker

Ingredients:
(13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk (Badia is my new favorite!)
3/4 cup of cold brewed coffee (I got mine from Trader Joe's)
1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp of organic raw honey
7-10 drop of liquid chocolate Stevia
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of pink himalayan sea salt
1/4 cup of enjoy life chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Whisk together the coconut milk and coffee and then carefully add the cocoa powder and whisk until well combined. 
2. Then add everything else except the chocolate chips and continuing whisking, making sure the honey is well incorporated. 
3. Add the contents to the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. 
4. In the last 5 minutes, add the chocolate chips. 

Golden Roasted Chicken

This week was brutal at the gym. My husband and I both woke up Friday and were convinced that our arms were just not attached to our bodies. 
Monday we did Fran. Always a torturous, fun WOD. Yes, I used those two adjectives in the same sentence. 
Tuesday we did shoulder press work and a 14 minute AMRAP of 100 doubleunders and 5 deadlifts at 75% of our 1RM. Who needs their calves anyway. 
Wednesday was heavy back squats and a 10 minute AMRAP of Cindy. More pull-ups. Yay! 
Thursday we did a Bear Complex.
This is one cycle:
1. Power Clean
2. Front Squat
3. Push-Press
4. Back Squat
5. Push-Press
We do that cycle seven times for one round and
 5 rounds total. If we put the bar down during any of the seven cycles, we had to complete ten burpees before continuing. Misery. Absolute misery. Props to those athletes that never put the bar down. That damn sure wasn't me! But I finished with a cheer squad around me, which is always nice. 
And we finished off the week with a descending ladder of bench press 10-1, coupled with a 250m run between each set.
But I'm not complaining. I made it through and I know I'm better for it! 

Hard work calls for hearty meals. This chicken turned out so amazingly flavorful and juicy. Sometimes the breast can get dry, but not this bird! By rubbing the seasoning and butter under the skin, and stuffing the cavity, it stayed nice a moist (stop grossing out at that word...lol). I also cut up a few carrots and roasted those with the chicken, but you can make whatever side you want with it.  

Golden Roasted Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Special Tools:
Roasting pan
Kitchen twine
Small bowl

Ingredients:
4-5 pound free range organic whole chicken, at room temperature
1 large onion, sliced into thick rings
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 large or 2 small lemons, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 tbsp of grass-fed butter, divided (I like Kerigold) and at room temperature
1 tsp of Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Remove and discard the giblets from the chicken cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken with paper towels. 
3. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Insert the garlic, lemon slices, and thyme into the chicken. 
5. Place the onion slices down into the roasting pan and lay the chicken down on top. 
6. Bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
7. In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of butter with the 21 seasoning salute. Use your fingers to massage this under the skin of the chicken without tearing it. 
8. Rub the other tbsp of butter over the entire surface of the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
9. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 400 and continue roasting, 45-60 minutes, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced. 

Dill-Tarragon Chicken Salad

I love summer! Everything just seems to slow down a little and it gives me a chance to enjoy the things I don't have time for during the hustle and bustle of the school year. And even though I'm finding that I'm waking up around the same time every day, it's giving me a chance to really enjoy my mornings sipping on coffee or chai leisurely, watching Today on NBC. Even going to work doesn't seem like work. I'm able to tackle jobs one at a time without interruptions. But probably my most favorite thing about summer so far has been my ability to get creative in the kitchen. I can't seem to get enough of those smoked grilled chicken burgers, I branched out and tried two new vegetables that I ended up loving, collards (that were crispy, not slimy...I don't do slimy very well) and bok choy (which went into this amazing Vietnamese Paleo pho soup). Those will definitely have to make an appearance on the blog soon, so keep a look out. I also roasted a beautiful chicken last week that came out golden and crispy on the outside and completely moist and juicy on the inside. My husband and I devoured most of the 4 pound bird the first night. I have been craving a good chicken salad though, so I purposely saved some of it and made this wonderful chicken salad the next day. There is something about tarragon and almonds that I can't get enough of, but the fruit and bacon just put it over the top for me! It's really hard to share, so if you're planning to, make sure you divide it out right away or you may end up eating the whole thing right out of the bowl...like I did!


Dill-Tarragon Chicken Salad


Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2

Special Tools:
Mixing Bowl

Ingredients:
2 cups of shredded leftover golden roasted chicken
1/4 cup of paleo mayo (I used a variation similar to this)
3 strips of crispy bacon, chopped
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/2 an apple, diced (I used a pink lady and left the skin on)
2 tbsp of dried cranberries, sugar free
12 grapes, halved
1/4 cup of sliced almonds
1/2 tbsp of dried dill
1/2 tbsp of terragon
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper

Instructions:
1. Combine the chicken, mayo, and bacon in a large bowl and toss with a spoon to mix well.
2. Add the celery, apple, cranberries, and grapes and stir again until coated.
3. Add the seasonings and mix well.
4. Cover and let the chicken salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
5. Eat right out of the bowl or serve in lettuce cups.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Berry Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I spent most of my morning at the dentist office yesterday. Originally I was just suppose to be there for a quick check-up and cleaning. But a couple of weeks ago I was eating dinner and bit down on something hard. Turns out it was a piece of my tooth from my back bottom molar! What in the world?!?! I was eating sautéed cabbage for goodness sakes! CABBAGE! Probably one of the softest foods in the world. My dentist said that over time the tooth enamel can wear down and the slightest thing can be enough to cause it to chip away. It's been super sensitive to liquids, especially cold ones! The earliest they could squeeze me in to repair the tooth was the day of my cleaning, so I've been living with a sensitive tooth for a couple of weeks. Long story short, my tooth is all better and I celebrated by creating a new ice cream flavor that's dairy-free and delicious! I've just come off another sugar detox, so there isn't a lot of extra natural sugar either, but I promise it's plenty sweet all on it's own. 

Berry Vanilla Bean Ice Cream


Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours + 15 minutes
Serves: 4-5

Special Tools:
Blender or food processor
Medium sauce pan
Ice cream maker (or bread pan)

Ingredients:
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup of blueberries
1/2 cup of blackberries
2 tsp of lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, seeded
1 heaping tablespoon of raw honey
2 large egg yolks, whisked

Instructions:
1. Take the first six ingredients and put them into a food processor, or blender, and mix until well combined. 


2. Pour the mixture into a medium sauce-pan on medium heat, and stir in the egg yolks, whisking constantly until a low boil begins. About 15 minutes. Then remove immediately from the heat. 


3. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and then transfer to a covered dish/bowl and place in the refrigerator until it is completely chilled. I let mine chill for over an hour. 
4. Pour the contents into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Mine took about 25-30 minutes to reach the desired consistency. 


5. Scoop out some ice cream and top with a couple of blueberries. Eat up buttercup!
*If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bread pan and put in the freezer for at least two hours. Take it out and use an ice cream scooper to serve. You might need to let it sit out for 5-15 minutes if it is too frozen to scoop. 

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken

The heat and humidity yesterday was absolutely horrendous! Some days I can't believe I choose to work out at 3:30 in the afternoon. By the end of the hour, I've basically taken a sweaty shower, because my clothes are drenched. It's gross. But I wouldn't change it for anything! I love my CrossFit family and how hard we all work together. Lately I've been rowing a lot more before class, because one of our trainers rocked my world with some rowing techniques that are actually improving my stamina. I also committed myself to 100 lunges a day, with at least 75 of them being weighted, throughout this most recent sugar detox. So that was my own personal warm-up. Then we had a fun little mini-WOD as our group warm-up that went like this:

2 20 sec. hold wall climbs
5-10-15-10-5
Kettlebell swings
Sit-ups
Walking lunges with a PVC pipe
Followed by 400m run 

After our mobility session, we completed a 20 minute AMRAP of:

5 hspu on the parallettes (which I scaled down to using plates for my deficits)
10 toes-through-rings (I did SO much better this time because I actually got the hang of the back swing)
15 med. ball cleans

Needless to say, it was a fast paced day and lots of sweaty monsters running around. By the time I finished training and got home, I was famished! Thankfully, dinner was quick and easy, but super tasty. I really enjoyed the combination of the sweet onions with the spicy chicken, and the cabbage was a last minute idea to add crunch and some beautiful color!

Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken



Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Special Tools:
Large saute pan
Splatter screen, optional but recommended
Small bowl

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of organic free-range boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp of bacon fat (or other fat of your choice, but bacon gives it GREAT flavor)
1 medium-large sweet onion, sliced
1/4 of a head of red cabbage, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp of coconut aminos
1 tsp of fish sauce
1 tsp of sriracha sauce
a pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
green onion, chopped to garnish

Instructions: 
1. Heat your fat in a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Season your chicken with salt and pepper.
3. When the fat is hot, add the garlic and ginger and let it sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Lay the chicken top side down in the pan for 5-7 minutes until it gets golden brown and slightly crispy. *Try not to move it around in these first few minutes and use the splat screen if the bacon fat starts to pop.
4. While the chicken is cooking, cut your onion and cabbage. Also, in a small bowl combine the coconut aminos, fish sauce, sriracha, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
5. Flip the chicken and add the onion to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. 
6. Add the sauce from the small bowl and allow it to cook into the onion and chicken for another 5 minutes or so. 
7. In the last few minutes, add the cabbage and cook until it begins to wilt.
8. Top with chopped green onions as a garnish. I served mine with some sautéed butternut squash and zucchini. 
NOTE: I cooked boneLESS chicken. If you still have the bone in when you cook your thighs, it will take much longer, like at least 30 minutes, so you won't want to add your onions and cabbage until much later.





Monday, June 9, 2014

Sweet Potato Ice Cream

Confession. I definitely have a bit of a sweet tooth. Well, maybe it's not a confession. I don't think it's much of a secret. One of my favorite treats is ice cream. Who doesn't love ice cream? Sadly, my stomach doesn't allow me to have much dairy these days without immediately cramping afterwards. I can't tell you the last time I had Nuberri (my favorite frozen yogurt place in town). But it doesn't mean I don't want it! So my latest obsession has been wanting to make homemade paleo ice cream, but my lack of equipment kept me from trying it out (Yes, I know I don't need an ice cream maker, but how much more fun would it be?!). Well, my husband surprised me with one two weeks ago, but I had just started another sugar detox! ARRRGGHH! Luckily though, I came across a recipe that was 100% approved for my detox. I changed it up a bit to accommodate the items I had in the pantry. For those that are not on any sort of detox and would rather this be a bit sweeter, just add 2 tablespoons of honey in with step 5.

Sweet Potato Ice Cream




Prep Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours
Serves: 4-5

Special Tools:
Foil
Ice Cream Maker
Small pot

Ingredients:

For the ice cream:
1 medium sweet potato (about two fists in size)
1 14oz can of full-fat coconut milk (contents should be liquidy, not solid)
1 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp of sea salt

For the topping:
1 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tbsp of cocoa nibs (you can find these at Earth Fare or Whole Foods)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of sea salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 
2. Poke your sweet potato several times with a fork, wrap it in foil so the juices released don't make a mess in your oven, and bake it for 35-40 minutes. The longer it bakes, the sweeter it will be.
3. Remove the foil and let it cool enough to where you can handle it without burning your fingers. 
4. Remove the skin and put the sweet potato and the can in the processor and blend until smooth. 
5. Add the spices and blend again. 
6. Put the mixture into the fridge and allow it to cool for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how warm it is. It needs to be cold when you add it to the ice cream maker.
7. Add the contents according to your ice cream maker's manufacturer's instructions.* (Mine said add it to the freezer bowl and turn it on, allowing it to spin until desired consistency is reached. That was about 25 minutes for me.)
8. While the ice cream is being churned, take out a small pot and melt the oil over medium-low heat. Add the pecans and walnuts and mix them around in the coconut oil until they become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cocoa nibs, cinnamon and salt and continue stirring to prevent burning for a few minutes until everything is coated well. Remove from heat and set aside.
9. Have a scoop or two of ice cream and top with your cinnamon-y nut mixture!

*Note: If you don't have an ice cream maker, when you get to step 6 pour the contents into a bread pan and freeze it for about 2 hours. Jump to step 8 when you're taking it out of the freezer. You may need to let it thaw a bit before being able to scoop it, so this is the perfect time to work on step 8. 

Friday, June 6, 2014

Smoked Cilantro Chicken Burgers

I am a big fan of chicken in all ways. Even prior to becoming such a health nut, I was inclined to order a chicken sandwich over a burger because I thought it was the healthier alternative. However, I've come to learn that most places don't serve very good quality chicken. Don't even get me started about certain places and their willingness to sell us meat that came from headless chickens from all of the junk they're injected with to plump them up! Eww. It's seriously disturbing. So I stick to my homemade creations for the most part. But a plain Jane chicken sandwich can be kind of boring. Well, I started thinking about how I could spice it up a bit. One of the spices in my cabinet that gets overlooked a lot because of it's powerful flavor is smoked paprika. It's really good, but I hadn't quite figured out a good way to incorporate it unless I was making BBQ. Well...You guys! I can't believe how well this worked out. The flavor is amazing and I am really excited to share it with you all. So without further ado, I give you...

Smoked Cilantro Chicken Burgers

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 3-5 (mine yielded 5, but I ate 2 and my husband ate 2)

Special Tools:
Food processor
Big bowl
Grill

Ingredients:
2 organic chicken breasts
1 medium sweet potato, steamed and skin removed
1 tbsp of garlic powder
2 tsp of smoked paprika
2 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of dried basil
1 tsp of fresh cracked pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly chopped
3 oz. of crumbled goat cheese
3 tbsp of fresh cilantro
1 tbsp of chives, thinly chopped
1 lime, juiced




















Intstructions:
1. Put the first 7 ingredients into a food processor and turn it on until the ingredients are well combined. *NOTE: I did this in TWO batches so as not to overcrowd the processor. 
2. Using a spatula, remove the chicken mixture from the processor into a large bowl and fold in the red bell pepper, goat cheese, cilantro, chives, and 1/2 the lime juice. It looks really gross, but trust me it will turn out GREAT!




















3. Put the mixture in the freezer while you go and heat up your grill on about 400. It just makes the chicken a little easier to work with.
4. Remove the bowl from the freezer and make the patties. My meat yielded 5 patties. 
5. Put them on the grill and turn every 5 minutes for 20 minutes to prevent sticking. Squeeze some lime juice onto the top of the patties every time you turn them. (Ignore the 1/2 eaten one my husband and I were taste testing!)




















6. That's it! Top with whatever you want. I had tomato, avocado, and hot sauce. My husband went all out and put cheese and a bun in addition to what I had. Next time I'm adding bacon and a fried egg!


Thursday, June 5, 2014

Seared Scallops and Hibachi Style Vegetables

I can remember back to the days of being asked "where do you want to go for your birthday?" and the  answer was almost always Red Lobster or Shogun. As I got older, Shogun almost always won out because who doesn't love dinner and a show?! Then a newer place opened a little closer (and cheaper) to us called Sushi Rock and that became a more frequented dinner spot for our family of six...so much so I'm pretty sure the owner recognized us whenever we came to eat! They have this shrimp sauce that is out of this world good, but I know, without even asking, that it's not good for me. Haha. Never mind the quantity of food we would get. I pretty much always left thinking I didn't have room for anything else and I wouldn't be able to eat again for days! Luckily, this recipe is filling, but won't make you feel ill afterwards. It's got lots flavor without the guilt. 

Seared Scallops and Hibachi Style Vegetables




Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minute
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2

Special Tools:
2 large saute pans
1 oil splat screen

Ingredients:

For the scallops:
1 pound of sea scallops
1 tbsp of ghee
1 tbsp of coconut aminos
salt and pepper to taste

For the vegetables:
2 medium zucchinis 
1 medium-large yellow onion
1 large carrot
6 oz of sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1 tbsp of coconut aminos
1 tsp of sesame seeds
1/2 tsp of ground ginger
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Prep your vegetables. Cut the zucchinis in half length wise, and then cut each half into quarters length wise. Then I chopped those into about inch long pieces or so. For the onion, cut the ends off, then cut the onion in half horizontally and chop each half into thick half rings. Then cut the half rings into thirds. For the carrot, peel and cut at a slanted angle. For the mushrooms, I chopped them at least in half or slightly smaller if they were bigger pieces. *You can cut the vegetables however you want. I just liked the idea of making them look like they do in the restaurant. 
2. Prep your scallops. Rinse under cold water and pat dry them with paper towels. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
3. Heat one sauté pan with 1 tbsp of sesame oil on medium-high heat (around 7). When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot and mushrooms and begin moving the vegetables around. Add the ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and coconut aminos and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes. You want the vegetables to still be slightly crunchy, but cooked through. In the last minute, add the toasted sesame oil for some extra flavor. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of ghee into the other sauté pan and allow it to melt on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the scallops to the pan, seasoned side down. Use the plat screen if the ghee starts to pop a little. Cook for about 3 minutes. Flip them over and add 1 tbsp of coconut aminos to the pan and cook for an additional 3 minutes. *Don't overcrowd the pan or you'll steam the scallops. You might need to cook them in two batches, in which case you'll just put 1/2 the ghee and 1/2 the coconut aminos in the pan each time. 
5. Pile the veggies high and add the scallops on top! Devour. It's scrumptious!!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Cilantro-Lime Sweet Potato BLTA Sliders

Living a paleo lifestyle for the last few years has meant giving up bread, something I use to eat more than my fair share of growing up. I can easily name some of the restaurants that had some of the best bread and rolls I loved so much. Quincy's "Big Fat Yeast Rolls" was probably my favorite place until they went out of business in my city. But after giving up bread for such a long time, there aren't many days now where I say, "I wish I had a piece of bread with this." Now I look at it and realize that it's just a filler and isn't providing any real nutritional sustenance. However, there are certain foods that are kind of hard to eat without slapping it between two ends, like a BLTA for example! I suppose a lettuce wrap would do, but using sweet potato rounds adds flavor and cuteness!  

Cilantro-Lime Sweet Potato BLTA Sliders


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Special Tools:
Grill
Grilling tray
Foil lined baking sheet
Small bowl
Sauce brush
12 Toothpicks

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
3 strips of bacon, cut into 1/4 pieces
1/2 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 ripened avocado, thinly sliced
1 cup of lettuce (I used spring mix)
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 and 1/2 tbsp of cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven and grill to 375 degrees. *Put the grilling tray onto the grill about 2-3 minutes before you add the sweet potatoes to give it a few minutes to heat up.
2. Place the bacon on the foil lined baking sheet and bake for 13-16 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and drain on paper towels.
3. Mix the evoo, lime juice, and cilantro into a small bowl.
4. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. I got 12 slices from each sweet potato.
5. Lay the sweet potatoes out and brush on one side with the the oil mixture.
6. Place the sweet potatoes brushed side down onto the grilling tray and on the grill. Grill for about 5-7 minutes, brushing the other side with the oil mixture and then turning and grilling again for another 5-7 minutes. The sweet potatoes are done when you can stick a fork easily through them.
7. Build your sliders with one slice of sweet potato on the bottom, then top with a piece of bacon, tomato, avocado, a piece or two of spring mix, and then another sweet potato slice. Use a toothpick to hold it all together. I served mine with some raw veggie slaw!


Monday, June 2, 2014

Raw Veggie Slaw

It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you can't sleep! I was up yesterday morning before the sun was. Knowing I wasn't going back to sleep, I made my way downstairs with our dog, Lucas, to let him outside. It was so early I had to manually turn my Keurig on, instead of the usual auto start at 7 AM. I spent the next hour or so sipping on Ultra Spiced Chai, watching the sun rise, and planning our meals for the week. Such a great way to start the morning. I've got a few brand new meals I'm going to test out this week and will share if I decide they are share worthy (AKA delicious), and then the other days I'm bringing back some things we've had before like taco salad, and the paleo ranch seasoning on some pork medallions. Those have been getting a lot of great feedback lately. Thanks for that! Keep letting me know what you think. Back to my morning...I was able to make it to two grocery stores and back in just over an hour and we made it to a 10:45 AM showing of Maleficent. By 12:30 I had accomplished everything I had on my Sunday agenda. We spent the afternoon making a beautiful brunch with some friends and then we all ended up napping on our couch! Best Sunday Ever!

Switching gears now...

Coleslaw is one of those side items that my husband will eat with just about anything. He really loves it. I like it to a degree, but it's really kind of boring. I ate at a place called Zoe's Kitchen, which serves Mediterranean cuisine. They had a really interesting coleslaw, which was entirely vinegar based. So this sort of came into fruition from eating theirs. Now before I even start, I will say, the dressing for this slaw is tangy from the vinegar and dijon. But it's mostly because I left the honey out to keep it 21 Day Sugar Detox approved. If you're not detoxing, add a tablespoon or so of honey to the processor or blender and it should cut the tang quite a bit. 

Raw Veggie Slaw




















Prep Time: 15 minutes + 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour + 15 minutes

Special Tools:
Foil lined baking sheet
Food processor or blender
Large bowl

Ingredients:
4 strips of thick cut bacon
1 bag of Cruciferous Crunch Collection from Trader Joe's
1 small carrot, peeled or shredded
10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (Trader Joe's had some beautiful heirloom tomatoes)
1 cup of raw broccoli florets, chopped down to bite sized pieces 
1 cup of cucumber, diced
1/4 cup of scallions
1/2 cup of light tasting olive oil
3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of dijon mustard
1 tbsp of honey (leave out for 21dsd)
1 tbsp of fresh dill
1/2 tsp of celery salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 380 degrees. 
2. Cook the bacon on the foil lined baking sheet for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain the strips on a paper towel and then chop into bits.
3. Place the apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey, dill, and celery salt to the processor or blender. While the motor is running, pour in the olive oil and let it mix until creamy (about a minute or so). 
4. Place all of the other ingredients, including the bacon, into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and use two spoons to toss until well combined. 
5. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow all of the flavors to come together.