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. 

Grilled Vegetable Medley

Finding news ways to keep vegetables exciting is important to me. There’s really only so many ways to cook them…boiled, roasted, sautéed, steamed, and grilled. I’m a fan of grilled veggies, I just don’t do it that often because the carcinogens cooking into the food from the char isn’t exactly super healthy for your body, and neither is the smoke you're inhaling from the grill. That being said, the flavor from grilling is delicious! Go figure. Here’s a recipe for a quick vegetable medley that went along so well with my Grilled Tangy Burgers. 

Grilled Vegetable Medley

Prep Time: 10 minutes (longer if your veggies aren’t purchased pre-chopped)

Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Special Tools:

Grill

Vegetable grate for the grill

Large bowl

Tongs

Ingredients:

1 pkg of precut butternut squash (Trader Joe’s)

1 pkg of precut asparagus, mushrooms, and onions  (Trader Joe’s)

2 tbsp of ghee

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 tsp of coarse sea salt

12 tsp of fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the grill to about 415.

2. Toss all of your ingredients into a large bowl and mix well with your hands to combine and coat the vegetables.

3. Place the vegetable grate over the heat and allow it to heat up for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the vegetables and spread them out.

Close the lid for about 4-5 minutes. 

5. Using tongs, turn the veggies over and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.

6. Turn the veggies again, making sure one side isn’t burning. Finish cooking for 3-5 more minutes or until desired doneness is reached. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I did it! I finally found a way to cook brussels sprouts and not have my husband turn his nose up at them. I don't know what's wrong with him, I LOVE brussels sprouts and I can eat them prepared just about any way possible. My two favorite ways to date have been at two restaurants, The Front Porch here in Tallahassee, and Flip Burger in Atlanta. Sadly, the Front Porch doesn't have their sautéed maple bacon b. sprouts on the menu all the time, so if that's what you're after, then check the menu before you go! Worth the wait though, I promise. Anyway, back to the way I am preparing them these days so the hubs will eat one of the world's healthiest foods! I've found that if I send them through the food processor using the slicing blade, they come out in a combination of cute slivers and shredded-like slaw. Then I just mix them in a bowl with some ghee, olive oil, and spices, bake for about 15-20 minutes then voila! He loves them! I guess the thin stringy texture has a less bitter taste than biting into a half of one. 

Note: As you prepare the brussels sprouts to go into the food processor, you'll lose some of the outer leaves. Don't fret! Save them for making brussels sprout chips! I have kept mine in a plastic resealable bag for up to two weeks before using them and they were still crisp and delicious.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25-30 minutes

Special Tools:
Food processor
Large mixing bowl
Foil lined baking tray

Ingredients:
1 lb of brussels sprouts
3 tbsp of melted ghee
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp of coconut aminos
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp of paprika
1/2 tsp of ground ginger
1/2 tsp of garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Cut the bottoms of the brussels sprouts off and discard. *Save the leaves that come off to make chips later!
3. Stack 3 or 4 sprouts on top of each other in your food processor feeder tube and turn the processor on. This ensures you get slices and not just all tiny shredded pieces. Repeat until all the b. sprouts have been sliced. 
4. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients into a large bowl. 
5. Dumb the b. sprouts into the bowl and toss to combine and then spread them out on a foil lined tray. 
6. Place in the oven. Take them out every 5 minutes for 20 minutes and move them around to make sure it all cooks evenly. 

Mango Avocado Salsa

There are few things I love more than this salsa. It is absolutely bursting with flavor and stands out on any table with its vibrant colors. It makes me think of the Skittles tagline, "Taste the rainbow." This is nature's rainbow in terms of flavor for sure! I get more requests for this recipe than just about anything else. Believe me, it's worth the effort of using fresh ingredients. Do not try and use canned diced tomatoes as a short cut. The result is tragic. Next time you're having a get together and you think chips and salsa is a good idea, make sure this is the salsa you use! I also love this salsa for my salads. There is enough juice from the fruits that any sort of additional dressing is just not necessary. 


Mango Avocado Salsa

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Special Tools:
Cutting board
Chopping knife
Large bowl

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 large mango, peeled and diced
1/2 large red onion, diced (or sweet onion if you prefer)
1 ripe avocado, diced (should give just a little when you press into the skin, but not too much)
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and diced
1/4 cup of packed cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp of sea salt

Instructions:
1. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and stir.
2. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. 
3. IF there is any left, cover and keep refrigerated. Should keep for a few days. 

Tasty Guacamole

I must give credit where credit is most certainly due. Marrying into a Hispanic family opened up a whole new world for me in terms of bold flavors in my cooking. Up until about 6 years ago, I really did not venture a lot out of my comfort zone with food. However, my husband and in-laws introduced me to several flavor profiles over the years that I simply cannot live without now! 

I remember around the time that I started opening up to avocados and guacamole. I was participating in a Paleo challenge at my CrossFit gym back in 2011. I needed a way to get some healthy fats into my diet other than eating nuts all the time. My husband loved avocados and I would buy them regularly for him, so one day I decided, That's it! I'm going to eat avocados whether I like them or not! Surprisingly, with a little salt, they weren't half bad. I kept eating them throughout the entire six week challenge. Then I ventured out later and made guacamole. With the right ingredients, guacamole can change your whole world. At least it did for me. I love it now and usually make it at least once a week!

Tasty Guacamole

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
1 large over-ripened avocado (outer peel should be dark green and should easily give when you press gently)
1/2 large vine ripened tomato, diced into small pieces
1/4 medium red or sweet onion, diced into small pieces
2-3 tbsp of cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Run your chopping knife through the avocado so it traces around the pit. Twist the avocado until it comes apart. Jab the pit with the knife and it should pull right out. 
2. Take a spoon and scoop out all of the avocado into a medium mixing bowl.
3. Use a fork to mash it up into a clumpy paste consistency. 
4. Add your diced tomatoes and onion. Mix well, but don't mash anymore. 
5. Add the cilantro and lime juice. Mix again.
6. Add a little salt and pepper at a time. Start with about 1/4 tsp. of each.

Notes: To take this guac to another level, fry up two strips of bacon until crispy, drain on a paper towel, then chop and mix into guacamole. I'm telling you, it's incredible! 

You can also roast a corn cob in the husk for about 25-30 minutes on 400, then use a chopping knife to separate the kernels from the cob. Add the corn to the guacamole with a tsp of melted ghee or grass-fed butter. It's not paleo with the corn, but it is pretty delicious! You might want to double the recipe above so the corn doesn't overpower the guacamole. 

Here's a batch I made: