Savoury Southwest Breakfast Muffins: super easy & low-carb

May 17 2012

Savoury Southwest Breakfast Muffins: super easy & low-carb

A search on google for “paleo egg muffin” will result in some neat recipes for a very tasty, on-the-go muffin that travels well (unlike the omelet or even hard-boiled egg which can be a bit messy and sometimes stinky too). I have broken out the 12-cup muffin tin and am trying all sorts of sweet and savoury grain-free muffins.

This batch is reminiscent of the a yummy southwestern omelet. You can add anything you want though – last time, I threw in some leftover diced roast beef (grassfed of course) and parmesan cheese. It’s a great way to use up little bits of leftovers.

I brought 3 in a bag to take with me to work for brekky and the scent of them heating up made everyone in the office jealous (cold sugar cereal for breakfast? Pah! I say. Not for this insulin-sensitivity junkie ;)

 

Ingredients for 12 small muffins:

6 eggs (from free range chickens if possible)

¾ cup Sour Cream or Goat or cow’s milk yogurt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp almond flour

6 tbsp salsa

½ cup shredded cheese

5 strips cooked bacon, crumbled or diced

½ tablespoon minced garlic

Pinch of paprika, chipotle chili powder (optional)

Salt & pepper

Lard for greasing

 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375. Grease up that muffin tin. I used lard. Butter would work nicely too.

Whisk egg and yogurt (or sour cream) together til mixed and fluffy. Add flours and baking powder, garlic, spices and salt & pepper. Whisk some more.

Fill each of the muffin cups about halfway. I used a 1/4c. measuring cup to ladle it out.

Sprinkle in a bit of cheese, bacon and ½ tbsp. of salsa into each.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before refrigerating (or you’ll end up with sweaty muffins. Ew.)

Microwave for 30 seconds to reheat in the morning. Serve as is, or with hot sauce. Mmmmm.

 

 

 

 

 

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Chocolate Craving Brownies – glutenfree, sugarfree, paleo-ish

May 14 2012

Chocolate Craving Brownies – glutenfree, sugarfree, paleo-ish

I never use a recipe. The way I make things is to get a craving and then think about how I can manipulate the ingredients I have in the kitchen to satisfy that craving. So, I did use some specific amounts, but the majority of things was just a spoonful of this, a sprinkling of that, a few more spoonfuls of this, if the consistency isn’t right.

So here go this recipe.

3 eggs (free range)

½ – 1 c. sour cream (I winged this based on texture. We’re going for a brownie batter after all, not cement batter. Could substitute non dairy yogurt – coconut? – if desiring dairy free)

¼c. Erythritol (I use Now brand)

3 packets (3 grams) Stevia

1 tsp Vanilla extract

½ 85% Lindt chocolate bar

2 tbsp ghee (grassfed. Ghee has no casein or lactose, therefore is tolerated by majority of people with dairy allergy)

½ c. coconut flour

½ c. almond flour

2 tbsp raw cacao powder

Pinch sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

Ghee or coconut oil (or blend) for greasing muffin pan.

Grease pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whip eggs with 1/2c.  sour cream and sugars. Add vanilla extract. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and ghee together. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Fold ½ dry ingredients into wet. Add melted chocolate/ghee. Add more of the dry mixture as needed until appropriate brownie consistency. I had a very cementy mixture after adding about ¾ of the dry mix, so I added more sour cream. I had about ½ c. dry mix leftover.

Spoon into muffin pan. About 2 tbsp per serving. I used a 12 muffin pan.

Bake for 12 minutes. DO NOT OPEN OVEN. Turn heat off. Let brownies sit and “cheesecake” for another 10 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 min or so before devouring.

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Dec 28 2011

Upgraded: Bulletproof Coffee

Recently received a batch of the brand-spankin’ new Bulletproof Coffee beans, sourced by, of course, Bulletproof Exec Dave Asprey.
In 4 days I have brewed about 8 cups (ya, I <3 m'coffee) and am 100% won over.
No more sinus pressure or brain fog after drinking a cup o' joe. No stomach burning, acidity. Just pure black brew.
I tried it both with grassfed butter and just black to get the full experience. This is not a coffee to dilute with lactose.
The first sip is slightly floral, with a chocolatey aftertaste, punctuated by mellow body. No overpowering bitterness here. No acridity found in over-roasted beans.
Most of all, I love the way my brain feels after drinking: alert and clear!

[although the first batch was sent as a free sample, I am already ordering a 5 pound bag to share with my fellow bulletproofers! Get it here]

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World-Class Fitness in 100 Words

Dec 13 2011

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.

Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch.

Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds.

Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.

Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow.

Routine is the enemy.

Keep workouts short and intense.

Regularly learn and play new sports.
~Greg Glassman, founder Crossfit

 

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Bann-awe-some (aka Mini Bourbon Banana Cream Pies)

Dec 4 2011

Bann-awe-some (aka Mini Bourbon Banana Cream Pies)


This is a very simple recipe for banana cream pudding that is gluten free, not too sweet, and a really nice treat for a special occasion. It can also be prepared dairy-free!

Prepare Tapioca according to recipe (3 tbsps tapioca, 2 3/4 c. Milk, 1 egg, 1/4 c. sugar)
Reduce liquid in recipe by 1/2c.
(may substitute coconut milk for milk, if needed. I used 1/2 milk and 1/2 whipping cream and I substituted 1/2 tsp stevia and 1 tbsp sugar for the 1/4c. sugar)
Once you’ve brought the liquids to a boil,
Add two overripe mashed bananas and dash of bourbon to cooking pot.
Remove from heat.
Dash cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, (more bourbon, if stronger flavour is desired), vanilla (opt)?
Let cool while preparing crust.

Crust:
Approx 2 c. Almond flour (or substitute pecan meal if using coconut oil)
1/2 stick grass fed butter (or coconut oil plus dash of salt, if dairy sensitive)
Tbsp brown sugar (if desired)
2 rolled coconut date treats.

Cut butter into almond flour. Add dates. Mix with hands until a soft dough forms (similar to cookie dough).
Press almond dough into muffin tin lined with muffin papers. Fill about 1/4 – 1/3 of the muffin cup w dough.

Top off with banana tapioca.

Chill for a couple hours til pudding sets.

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Coq au Vin

Nov 23 2011

Coq au Vin

“rooster in wine” (wiki entry here)

Traditionally made with a rooster and wine from Burgundy. As many foodies will tell the tale, venturing upon some “stewing hens” while at their local farmers market and deciding to have a go, only to turn out a nearly inedible dish after 6 hours of cooking, I did not want to follow in these footsteps. As in the online tales of others, my local butcher, from whom we purchase our “pastured” chicken eggs, had some stewing hens (egg-laying hens that have laid their last egg, and now are too tough to prepare using traditional fast cooking methods) which, owing to our desire to fully appreciate our wonderful egg laying hens, seemed like a brilliant idea.

Upon researching the unenviable “stewing hen”, I discovered many MANY failed attempts by other food bloggers had led to the belief that this hen could only be prepared by a generation past, or in France as in the traditional “Coq au Vin”. The rare success story was related to chicken and dumplings,  a dish that I am sure would be delicious, but alas, not “grain-free”.

Enter Coq au Vin. Hen au Vin.

A highly reputable, VERY slowly cooked, French braise made over a course of a few days that turns a tough, stringy bird into a deep and inviting dish, rarely found prepared in the traditional way this side of the Atlantic.

Having read up on the perfunctory Julia Childs, instructables (whose methods for disassembling a chicken proved very useful), and a few “French” cuisine sites, I decided to do what I always do and make it up as I go ;)

 

Tools:

Sharp, heavy knife

Large cutting board

Large Cast iron skillet

SlowCooker (large enough to contain your chicken plus a litre of liquid)

 

Ingredients:

1 stewing hen – pastured. Utterly important here.

2 Carrots, 2 celery and 1 onion or 4 shallots (mirepoix) chopped into 1-2″ pieces

Bacon grease for frying

Bottle of GOOD red wine – I used a local Pinot Noir. Burgundy is recommended.

Can of org. whole tomatoes (796 ml)

Bouillon or broth – I used 1  cube onion bouillon and ½ cube chicken, dissolved into approx. 2 cups boiling water.

Garlic

Fresh Thyme

Bay Leaf

Salt/Pepper

 

Directions:

Separate your hen into wings and legs. I left the breast intact. Separate the neck. LEAVE THE SKIN ON. For goodness’ sakes.

Season with good salt and fresh ground pepper.

Heat up your skillet and add a tbsp. bacon grease. Make sure it is just about smoking hot.

Sear the chicken pieces adding more bacon grease as needed. I did the legs/wings first then the breasts/neck. Turn as needed. Once the skin has crisped & browned all around, remove from skillet.

Into the slowcooker add carrots, celery and onion/shallot. Place your seared chicken atop. Pour ¾ bottle of wine. Pour a glass for yourself. Add bouillon or broth to nearly cover. Add can of tomatoes.

Add the following: a few sprigs of thyme; one tbsp. diced garlic; two bay leaves; more fresh ground pepper.

Cover.

Cook on the lowest cook setting (not “warm” or “serve” setting) for 10 hours. Stir, smell, but do NOT turn off.

Let sit on the “warm” or “serve” setting for another 12 hours.

Carefully remove the neck and as many bones as possible BEFORE stirring or serving. Also remove the thyme twigs and bay leaves.

I served with roasted sweet potatoes.

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Bulletproof Coffee

Oct 14 2011

Bulletproof Coffee

Woweeee! Why has it been so difficult to post about this awesome new craze that has taken over the Toronto glutenfree/paleo community? Because I am more interested in other things! Duh.
But my FUEL for these other things has definitely been a large “bulletproof” coffee in the morning (and sometimes in the afternoon ;)
What the heck is bulletproof?
It is the invention of Dave Asprey, Bulletproof Exec, whose great work on the anti-toxic, high-fat diet inspired me to say Sayonara to calorie restriction for good.

So thanks to Dave for teaching me about mycotoxins and medium chain fatty acids, and here is my synopsis of the best beverage to start the day!

(my only divergence from his recipe is that we don’t have access to unsalted grassfed butter…yet. Planning on whipping some up this weekend though!)

Bulletproof Coffee

1 tsp to 1 tbsp MCT Oil (if I use more than 1 teaspoon it upsets my stomach)
1 heaping tbsp grassfed butter

pinch of super freshly ground, organic cinnamon

12 ounces super freshly roasted, single origin, shade grown brewed coffee

Blend it all up with Magic Bullet (or whatever blending apparatus you prefer).

Enjoy!

Note: Start light. If you’re not on a “high” fat diet currently, this may take some getting used to. I found I had to work up to using the MCT oil. It is totally worth it though. Considering how busy my mornings can be, it is great to start off with something that keeps me sated until lunch time.

UPDATE: Oct. 20, 2011

As BP coffees become more and more popular, we have been getting teased that we should “open up shop” and start selling them ourselves. HA! No way peeps. I swore 5 years ago to my uncle that I wouldn’t start a food service business and I am not going to break that promise now. But! I will detail how you can make up your own BP coffee for >$2.14 a pop (CAD).

Per serving cost:

NOW brand MCT Oil (large bottle) – $0.37

Harmony 35% cream, made into butter at home – $0.50

Coffee – locally roaster, fair trade, shade grown, etc – $1.25

Cinnamon – organic, high quality – $0.02

Total cost per (large) cup: $2.14

Current cost for a “tall” Starbucks whole milk latte: $3.52 (yowza!)

These brands and figures are based on current rates in Toronto.

 

 

 

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Crazy Fattie Smoothie

Sep 11 2011

Crazy Fattie Smoothie

A roommate returned from Burning Man with inspiring tales of futuristic theories and biohacks, some of which I am attempting. Mainly trying to incorporate a more high fat diet. Lately I have been studying “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by Gary Taubes as well, whose science journalism unveils the true cause of obesity to be carbohydrates and low fat diets. At the same time, it is neither financially nor morally feasible for me to eat all grass fed ribeye at every meal…
Bring on the crazy fattie smoothie.

I have included the breakdown of calories / fat grams / protein grams. The MCT oil is NOW brand and the Whey is “Diesel” New Zealand CFM whey.

Ingredients:
1 pint raspberries
5 strawberries
1.5 c almond milk – 90 calories / 5g fat / 2g protein
Cacao powder 120c / 2g / 5g
Maca powder 50c / 0g / 2g
Chia powder 77c / 6g / 4g
1 small avocado – 214c / 20g / 3g
1 tbsp MCT – 100c / 14g / 0
1 scoop whey protein – 120c / 0 fat / 28g
1.5 tbsp maple peanut butter – 180c / 14g / 6g
Total calories 860 / 61g fat / 50g protein

8 oz ribeye
576 cal / 34 fat / 64 protein

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Raw Tiramisu Experiment

Aug 4 2011

Raw Tiramisu Experiment

Tiramisu1Getting myself hyped about raw again means trying some new and awesome dessert recipes. I had a dream about making raw tiramisu and the next day did a quick search and found this neat recipe.
I had to make a couple changes because I couldn’t get all the ingredients right away. For the “Cream Layer” instead of coconut meat and soy lecithin, I improvised by adding finely ground pecans to thicken it up. I also forgot to do the layering and so only had two layers, instead of four, as you can see from the photo. I froze it overnight, couldn’t cut through it, so put it in the fridge, cut a piece to get the picture, then drained off the excess liquid that had pooled and stuck it back in the freezer. Then back in the fridge. I don’t know if any of the back and forth matters, but in the end, it lived in the fridge and was DE-LISH! It lasted for about a week before being offered to, and gobbled up by, the roomies.

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Pesky-tarian? Thoughts on diet…

Jul 18 2011

Pesky-tarian? Thoughts on diet…

There have been many diets, many attempts to find the perfect combination in a diet (ideal weight management, energy, overall sustainability), and I am only one person definitely not claiming to know the solution. After 4HB (Four hour body, or the “slow carb” diet coined by Tim Ferriss), my body and my psyche rebelled. There was absolutely no sustainability there. I couldn’t even fathom another lentil or egg. My inclination was towards macrobiotic: simple, whole grain rice, umeboshi, seaweed and sesame. I healed my very sensitive stomach eating like this for about a week. Since then, I was charged to find a more manageable solution to lose the ten pounds I had gained while doing slow carb. My conclusion? As a small figured woman, you DO have to count calories. Ferriss really missed the mark on this. If I consume “as much pure protein and vegetables as I want,” I WILL gain weight. I don’t know why. Maybe I am like that little fat rat in the lab that had his hypothalamus all screwed up by the guys in lab coats. All I know is I need boundaries. I can eat 2500 calories in a day without batting an eye. I will then proceed to gain a pound a week, as my BMR only requires about 1200 calories.

My next attempt was calorie management. Simply calories in vs. calories out. I think it works pretty well for me. I had to really get myself more sensitized to being “just” sated, as opposed to eating until my brain registered “full” (which could happen a second serving of pasta later). I got one of those calorie tracker apps for my iphone and just started counting everything. It turned out, 1400 calories meant I was a little hungry all the time for the first week. Then my body got used to the restriction and I was actually pretty happy with consuming at this level. After about 4 weeks, I had lost 3 pounds and was able to lay off the counting. I was more able to sense what portions were the right amount of calories. The really MAJOR change that I made was to low-fat and reduced calorie foods. I have NEVER been a skim milk girl. In fact, I have been a very loud advocate of whole fat dairy products, assuming they are more close to the “natural” thing. But trying to keep to 1400 calories a day is really tough when you want quantity over quality. So I caved and got the “reduced calorie” Caesar dressing; the low-fat sour cream; the 5 calorie jello snacks. I even substituted turkey bacon and boneless, skinless (shock!) chicken breast. I have never done these things. My girlfriends, perpetually on diets, always seemed to go for these and I would just laugh and shake my head. After about 6 weeks, I did lose 5 pounds, without increasing my physical activity at all (I was walking about 5km a day, as I always have).

This diet was a temporary solution though. In my heart, I am an all-natural girl. I want real food that has as little negative impact on living beings and the environment as possible. Now, I still am not claiming I know what diet that would be, but I am currently avoiding meat and dairy, for the most part. I am still eating all things from the sea, and the occasional slice of cheese. I find that after eating, I am hungry sooner than when I was eating a lot of meat, but it’s cool. I actually have gotten more comfortable with being hungry and it is definitely preferable to being stuffed and uncomfortable.

We will see how this pans out. Morally and conscientiously, I feel better not eating meat. If I had the means to consume only happy, free-range, pastured, grass-fed animals, then yea, maybe. Right now, that is not reality and I would rather consume more vegetables, fruits, nuts and beans than lesser-quality animal products. What do you think? Which way of eating is the most appealing for you?

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