Vegan Chipotle Aioli Dipping Sauce for Yucca Fries!

If you have swapped french fries for the lower carb and lower glycemic paleo version the yucca fry (recipe here on my website) then you MUST make this dipping sauce!

Ingredients

1/2 cup of veganaise

1-4 dried chipotle peppers ground in coffee grinder OR a tablespoon of previously ground chipotle powder.

Directions

In a mixing bowl blend the above ingredients with a spoon. Add the chipotle slowly as you taste so you achieve the level of smoky/spicyness that works for you.

Done.

Really.

That's it.

Now go dip your yucca fries in your awesome, easy, vegan, gluten free chipotle aioli.

Mini Egg Frittatas

These mini egg frittatas (paleo, gluten free) can be made on Sunday when you do food prep then breakfast is ready to grab and go all week. Cook once, eat 5x! My whole deal is to spend less time in the kitchen and spend more time living! Food prep is the awesome way to have healthy things ready to go, easy breezy! The cool thing about these egg frittatas is you can literally make them from whatever you have in the fridge that's about to expire...did you recently roast veggies or have some meat you would like to add...toss em in! This recipe is simple, easy and fast which is the name of the game. Spend 30 minutes chopping and cooking and breakfast is done for the week! These are also a great post work out snack to refuel! Here is my fave version....

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs for 12 frittatas (enough for 2 peeps for 5 days)

1/2 bag of frozen organic spinach

1 organic zucchini

1 small yellow or sweet onion

 handful of fresh basil

1 jar of Trader Joes Tomatillo Sauce. (delish w/out too)

muffin pan or individual disposable muffin tins.

Directions:

Cook your spinach according to directions on bag followed by straining well to remove excess moisture.

In a non stick pan add olive oil or ghee and saute your finely diced sweet onion until translucent.

In a large bowl prefarably with lip for easy pouring break all eggs.

Add to the eggs finely diced zucchini, finely chopped basil, and half a jar of tomatillo sauce, now add your spinach and onions.

Mix well. Salt and pepper if you so desire.

Pour into greased muffin tin or disposable tins (I prefer these as they are so easy to transport through out the week.)

Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes. They are done when you slide a knife into the frittata center and it comes out clean.

Let em cool before you transfer to an airtight container or zip lock baggie.

Enjoy!

Easy healthy breakfast.

Paleo Bannana Muffins (gluten free!)

My favorite jewelry designer, Flavia Cardoso is known for her "delicate edgy" 14k gold pieces seen in everyone's ears in the fashion biz. She is one of those people who can turn a carrot and sarong into a gorgeous glamping tent on the beach. She has now applied that talent to paleo baking. These muffins are so fluffy and naturally sweet and insanely easy to make.

I love to suggest a paleo baked good to anyone who is breaking up with sugar. Why? Cuz all flours made from grains spike your blood sugar, increasing your insulin and causing you to store belly fat. Your body thinks flour is sugar. By saying #nobetch to flour and #yesbetch to almond or coconut "flour" (literally blanched and dehydrated and ground almonds or coconut) your blood sugar stays stable, you get lots of protein and good fat and you don't gain an ounce.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas (the ripper they are, the sweeter they are)

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp vanilla

• Pinch of salt

• 2 eggs, whisked

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

• Optional: dates for extra sweetness.

• Galadriel's options : I added raw, unsweetened cacao nibs and unsweetened coconut as well as sliced almonds to mine.

Instructions

1. In a small bowl smash the bananas

2. Next add the eggs, vanilla and coconut oil to the bananas and stir until combined

3. In a larger bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda and salt)

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture bowl – stir into a batter

5. Next add the chopped nuts or raw cacao nibs and stir well (save a couple of tablespoons of the nuts or coconut to top the muffins)

6. Pour batter into a muffin tin lined with baking cups – fill each cup about 3/4 full

7. Sprinkle remaining nuts or coconut on top of muffins and place in oven

8. Bake at 350º F for about 22-25 minutes (oven times and temperatures will vary – test done-ness by inserting a toothpick, if it comes out clean, they're done)

9. Store covered in fridge, or you can freeze these to enjoy later

zoodles with tomato sauce (dinner ready in 15 minutes)

View fullsize

When my clients break up with sugar and flour they ask me mournfully, what about pasta? Sure, gluten free pasta a few times a year is a nice treat. However, this plant based, whole food staple is something you can make once a week. I serve it at most of my dinner parties. The more you crowd out processed food with veggies, the healthier you will be...the happier your waist line will be, your skin will have fewer zits and less wrinkles, your joint issues will reduce and your energy and mood will improve. My credo is: every meal, every day is at least 80% plants. This dish of zoodles and tomato sauce with ground turkey is a great example of that. The meat isn't the star, the veggies are.

Zoodles

First spiralize your organic zucchini to create your raw zoodles. I suggest one zucchini per person. You can find a sprializer for under $40 on Amazon or your local kitchen store.

Sauce

Now prepare your sauce. If you wanna do homemade I will worship you but if you are a busy person like me, an organic jar one will do. I personally like the Whole Foods brand because it has NO SUGAR added, contains no hydrogenated weird oils and hello it's only 2.99.

 Saute onion, garlic, carrots (optional) in olive oil until the onions are translescent. If you want to add a lean protein like organic ground turkey this would be the time. Now add your sauce and dried or fresh oregano and basil as well as salt. You could even add a splash of red wine if you want.

Serve

Place a large handful or two of spiralized zoodles into individual serving bowls. (side note I usually cut them a bit as some zoodles can be up to 9 inches long)

Pour the hot tomato sauce over the raw, vegan, gluten free zoodles. Top with fresh basil. I also top mine with nutritional yeast which contains all the B vitamins and gives it a cheezy flavor. B vitamins fight depression and give you energy. Many of my dinner guests like to top theirs with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

As you know I love fast healthy meals and I love an easy swap, such as swapping pasta for zoodles. This meal is so hearty and filling you will feel so inredibly satisfied without feeling overstuffed.

side note: I hope you have leftovers cuz you will probs crave this the second nite too. In which case, store the sauce and zoodles seperatly. If you store them together they turn to slop.

Enjoy!

cauliflower mash (you will never want potatoes again)

This awesome, easy side dish completes any Sunday dinner. It is so good I am even going to serve it to my potato loving in laws during the holidays! I suggest swapping out your potatoes for cauliflower because potatoes are a very high glycemic food that can spike your blood sugar. The higher your blood sugar, the more insulin you make, the more insulin you make, the more fat you store.

Roughly chop one head of Cauliflower

Steam it for 7-10 minutes until tender.

Toss steamed cauliflower into a blender/Vitamix or Cuisnart

Add 1-2 tablespoons of Ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I also like adding in roasted garlic.

Blend.

Pour into a serving bowl.

Top with chives and more pepper.

three minute meal!

In a blender or vitamix toss:

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted

1 organic cucumber, peeled

1 huge handful of raw greens, I like spinach

Juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt

Fill 1/4 of the way up with fresh, cold water

BLEND!

Pour in a bowl and top with hot sauce and raw pumpkin seeds! Voila! Your new favorite raw soup is ready!!