Sunday, 29 June 2014

Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

This recipe was inspired by Kristi, because she mentioned this morning about making a smoothie out of bananas that she had lying around. I think we also discussed that they might be better off for banana bread, but truly the conversation now seems a bit foggy. However, I can tell you usually once I have an idea in my mind - I typically follow through with it. Especially when it comes down to food.

This weekend is the Canada long weekend, except it's not truly a long weekend because I have to work on Monday. And I also have to stick my long run on Tuesday morning, which means I'll miss another CrossFit workout. However, I've been contemplating running all the way to the box...I just would need to figure out how I would get home. Running would not be an option after the fact, but I'm sure I'd figure something out.

So back to food, originally I wanted to make a strawberry banana smoothie. Knowing I had no bananas, I went to the grocery store to pick some up. Upon returning home, I realized I had no frozen strawberries. So there went that plan. But I think I came up with something even better!

I present, the Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Tuesday, 10 June 2014

Beef Meatballs

One of my childhood favourite meals growing up was my Grandma's and Mom's spaghetti and meatballs. I've been pretty fortunate to grow up with good cooks in my family. My Grandma would make her spaghetti and meatballs, but her trademark is her sweet and sour meatballs. The best would be during the Jewish high holidays when a steaming bowl of meatballs was passed around, I'm quite sure each and every time I just piled my plate high and filled up on meatballs before anything else could come out. These meatballs didn't need an accompaniment of pasta or rice, they were just fantastic on their own!

So I bring you - the meatballs that I grew up on, adjusted to be gluten free since both my mother and grandmother used breadcrumbs in their recipe.


Onwards after the jump!

Sunday, 8 June 2014

Friday, 6 June 2014

Tofu with Sweet and Sour Sauce (not strict Paleo)

Back on the blog wagon I come, I've been neglectful. My conscious goal is to get some recipes posted here at least twice a week for consistency sake.

In a home with multiple allergies and food restrictions makes cooking and baking difficult. For example, I can't eat wheat. But my husband can. However a lot of Paleo/Gluten free recipes for baking call for almond products such as flour, not a problem for me but a big problem for my husband.

At the same time, knowing that my husband misses out on all types of tree nuts he shouldn't be subject to gluten free stuff all the time because he can process gluten. Also he shouldn't be subject to the Paleo diet if he chooses to not go in the same direction, so I always provide a starch option to my meals or something else.

That's where this Tofu with Sweet and Sour Sauce came out of. Mainly because I had no chicken on hand. You could easily make this recipe and swap the protein to one that you prefer. The sauce is completely paleo, the tofu part...not so much. I ate mine (pictured below) without rice, and my husband had rice with his.

 

Recipe after the jump

Tuesday, 3 June 2014

Paleo Coffee Smoothie

Yesterday after the WOD and Gymnastics, I was absolutely starving. But I knew that at 10:30pm I didn't want to eat. But I wanted something a little more than my usual protein shake afterwards. I saw PaleOMG post on Instagram a picture of her iced mocha. So I decided that I was going to kick that up a notch!


Recipe after the jump

Sunday, 1 June 2014

Gluten Free & Tree Nut Free Granola

Another Paleo Challenge begins and I bring you a totally not Paleo recipe. As some of you know, I actually won the last Paleo Challenge at CrossFit Vortex - largely to my surprise. I had good losses and gains physically, but where I really gained was in my physical conditioning. I performed the same WOD with a whopping 117% improvement. Yes, simply put I killed it. Yesterday marked the first day of No Pain Paleo and CrossFit Vortex's Paleo Challenge.

My husband and I live in a household of foods we do not and cannot eat. Which is as follows:
- pork (choice, religious reasons)
- seafood (choice, religious reasons)
- tree nuts (husband - allergy)
- gluten products (me - intolerant)

Also understanding that I have to be respectful of my husband's choice not to participate in the Paleo challenge, I also need to prepare foods that he can eat too. Everytime we go to the grocery store, my husband tries hard to find a granola or granola bar that doesn't have any tree nut (almond, cashew, pecan, walnut etc) in it. Simply put, it doesn't exist. See, my husband's allergy only began in his late teens - so up until that point he enjoyed anything and everything that had tree nuts in it. Until one day he had a reaction and that was it. So, he certainly misses granola and many treats that have tree nuts in it.

Therefore I bring you, Tree Nut Free Granola!