End of the week (I have no produce left) Salad

My dinner plate: Chicken Sausage, Cauliflower Rice and End of the Week Salad

I threw this together with my produce leftovers.  Usually by Friday I don't have any mixed greens or spinach left so I settle for random salads like this delicious one. 

Ingredients (whatever you have in your fridge! but below is a list of what I used)

2 avocados (cut into chunks)

1/2 orange bell pepper (cut into chunks)
1 small red bell pepper (cut into chunks)
1/2 red onion (diced)
2 jalapenos (diced)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sprinkle of sea salt

1. Mix all cut produce in a bowl.  Add olive oil and lemon juice. Let marinate for 30 minutes. Add a sprinkle of salt and serve.

More Wheat Belly Recipes...Flaxseed Wrap

This is a great alternative to pita or any other gluten heavy bread.  The wraps only take a few minutes to make and they hold well in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon paprika

Pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil plus more for greasing

1 tablespoons water

1 large egg

Prep Time: 3 minutes                                     Cook (and Cool) Time: 8-9 minutes

1. Mix together ground flaxseeds, baking powder, onion powder, paprika and salt in a small bowl.  Stir in coconut oil.

2. Beat in egg and water until combined.

3. Grease a microwave safe pie pan with coconut oil.  Pour in batter and spread evenly.  

4.  Cook in microwave on high for 3 minutes. Allow wrap to cool for 5 minutes before using a spatula to loosen the edges from the pan and  peel off the pan. 

I use these wraps for breakfast burritos and yummy lunch wraps.

Wheat Belly Recipes! Hot Coconut Flaxseed Cereal

I used blueberries!

Wheat Belly has a lot of quick and easy gluten-free heart healthy recipes.  This is the first one I tried out.

Ingredients

½ cup coconut milk

¼- ½ cup ground flax seeds

¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

¼ cup chopped walnuts or hulled sunflower seeds ( I add a few chopped almonds as well)

Ground cinnamon (just a pinch)

¼ cup sliced strawberries, blueberries or other other berries

Prep Time: 5 mins            Cook Time: 5 mins

1.       Combine all coconut milk, ground flax seeds, coconut flakes and walnuts (or sunflower seeds). Stir to incorporate.

2.       Cook in the microwave on high for 1 minute.

3.       Add a pinch of cinnamon and sliced berries.  Stir and serve. 

The picture doesn't really do this recipe justice.  It really is a super tasty and healthy alternative to the gluten and sugar heavy recipes found in the grocery store.

Banana Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes

I made up this cupcake recipe this weekend when I was bored. The ingredients are a little bit random because I just used whatever I could find in my fridge/pantry which lead to surprisingly delicious results.

Ingredients

2 eggs

1 banana

1 cup wheat flour

½ cup almond meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 stick of butter (room temp)

½ cup shredded coconut

 ½ 4 oz. semi sweet chocolate bar (chopped)

1.       In a medium size bowl mix together all wheat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2.       In a separate bowl,  mash banana and eggs together.  Add butter and mix.  Add sugar and mix with an electric mixer until smooth. 

3.       Slowly add in dry ingredients to banana mixture, mixing with electric mixer. When combined and smooth, fold in coconut and chocolate chunks with a spatula.

4.       Pour into cupcake tin, dividing the batter evenly.  This recipe should yield 12 cupcakes with a little bit left over.

5.       Bake for 18 minutes at 375 F or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6.       Top with Chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Spinach Egg Bake

I add chopped tomatoes sometimes after I take it out of the oven.

 This is one of my new favorite breakfasts.  It actually doesn’t take very long to make.  I preheat the oven as soon as I wake up and then wash my face brush my teeth, go back to the kitchen to prep the meal and then I cook it while getting dressed and doing my makeup. See! Not so hard to make on a weekday!

Ingredients (Single Serving)

 One small handful of spinach (chopped)
1 tablespoon onion  (chopped)- I keep a chopped onion in my fridge so that I can just grab a pre-chopped pinch as needed

2 eggs

1 Babybell cheese (chopped)

Coconut oil or butter to grease the dish

Also needed- small baking dish or mini crock pot.  Mine is about 5 inches in diameter and holds a little under 1 ¾ cup of water.

Prep Time: 5 mins            Bake time: 12-13 minutes             Oven Temp: 375 F

1   1.Grease the crock pot with coconut oil or butter. Add chopped  spinach.  Next add chopped onion. 

2.   2. Crack eggs over spinach.

3.    3.Bake in oven on middle rack for 8 minutes.

4.   4. Pull the rack out so you have access to crock pot.  Sprinkle cheese on top and put top on the crock pot or baking dish.  Push rack back into oven and cook for 3 more minutes.  My eggs are still a little runny when I cook them this way but if you want them to be cooked through allow to cook for 2 or 3 more minutes

Variations

Double serving:  I made a serving for two when I made breakfast for dinner the other night for Dano and I.  Egg bake and pancakes- Breakfast for dinner is the best! Here’s how I changed the recipe a little

A larger handful of spinach (chopped)

3 eggs

3 slices of bacon (chopped and cooked 75% through)

2 tablespoons of chopped onion

1 Babybel cheese (chopped)

Coconut oil or butter

Follow the same steps as above but sprinkle the bacon over the spinach BEFORE cracking the eggs. Cook the same way as above and enjoy!

Before I put it in the oven: you can see in the pic that the bacon isn't cooked all the way through.  While baking in the oven, the bacon will finish cooking to a crispy texture.

Two Great Books for Those of us Interested in Nutrition and the Science of FOOD!!

You may have noticed that I include a good amount of gluten-free recipes and Paleo friendly recipes.  I have become interested in the advantages of eating this way through advice from my friend Jill.  Now you can all learn about the advantages of cutting out gluten and grains in general by reading two books that came out on Amazon this month.  

FIRST

 Farewell Club Perma-Chub

(Image courtesy of Amazon.com)

Amazon sums it up best: "Jill Escher takes you on a life-changing journey toward permanent weight loss. After years of yo-yo dieting, she lost 35 pounds by giving up the white stuff and recovering from her sugar and starch addiction. In this book, she gives you all the tools you need to do the same. Get ready to say "Farewell, Club Perma-Chub!"



SECOND 

Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health 

(Image courtesy of Amazon.com)

Wheat Belly, written by cardiologist William Davis, explains the adverse health effects we experience from wheat consumption.  He also explains how the wheat of today differs greatly from the wheat from 50,100 or 1000 years ago.  He helpfully provides recipes for a truly heart healthy diet and his idea of heart healthy doesn't mean loading up on the whole grains. The subject matter is more for the scientifically inclined mind but Davis writes in a way that makes the intricate science of food and heart health understandable and approachable for everyone. 

 

I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did and look out for recipes inspired by Wheat Belly.