New Video!

Hey Happy Tummies!

I hope you're all having a fantastic week!

Just wanted to share another Video with you! This recipe is for my Mango Avocado Flatbread!

Enjoy!!
GlutenFreeHappyTummy Video!

I've got a new recipe in the works! I'll bring it to you by this weekend!

Until then!

Bejeweled Brussels Sprouts! GF, V, SCD, BED!

Hey guys!!

Soooo I have something exciting to share with you….

I’ve been working on a……

GlutenFreeHappyTummy VIDEO SERIES!!

Yep!! Cooking demonstration videos!!

So to kick things off, I’ll share a video for my brand new recipe….BEJEWELED BRUSSELS SPROUTS!!

Oh my gosh this was an incredible salad: Pan seared Brussels sprouts with roasted beats, pistachios, and roasted grapes with a champagne vinaigrette. Sounds luxurious, eh?

And its Gluten Free, Vegan, and Specific Carb Diet friendly with some Body Ecology Diet substitutions!

Here’s what you need: (serves 1-2)

About 15 brussels sprouts, halved
1 beet, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
24-30 grapes
¼ cup shelled pistachios
1 cup baby spinach/per person

Dressing:
3 Tbsp champagne vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 drops pure liquid stevia (SCD use ½ tsp honey)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your beet slices on a baking sheet that’s been lined with tin foil and sprayed with olive oil. Spritz with olive oil, but do not season with salt and pepper yet. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping once at 15 minutes. When you flip them after 15 minutes, add the grapes to the sheet and bake them with the beets for the remaining 15 minutes.

While they’re baking, cook your beets. Heat 2 tsps EVOO in a large skillet. Place them cut-side-down in a single layer in the pan and then let them sit and form a crust for about 4 minutes. Flip and let the other side get golden brown. Finish with salt and pepper and set aside.

Next, whisk your dressing ingredients together and set aside.

After you take your beets and grapes out of the oven, let them cool slightly. Then, cut the beets into matchsticks.

Assemble your salad by placing your Brussels sprouts, beets, grapes, and pistachios on a bed of baby spinach. Top with your dressing and dig in!

Holy cow, this was OUTRAGEOUS!! If you’ve never roasted grapes before, put your laptop down and do it now! They are SO incredible! I’m not even kidding, they taste like candy! They just burst in your mouth with this intensely sweet, “grapey” flavor! You see, when they’re roasted, the sugars in the grape caramelize, creating this fabulous, complex, deep sweetness. That complimented the golden, crispy brussels sprouts, the earthy sweet beets, and the salty, nutty pistachios! And then the champagne vinaigrette bathed everything in this sweet, bright dressing that had the slightest hint of grape!

And it was SO beautiful too!! All the emerald colors made this a regal looking dish. The earthy green brussels sprouts, ruby red grapes, deep purple beets, jade pistachios, and deep green spinach. Picture perfect.

Needless to say, I though this dish rocked! I WILL be making this dish again soon.

So much for a “humble” brussels sprout! This one stole the show!!

BED options: Sub roasted red peppers for beets, Sub almonds for pistachios, Sub lemon juice for vinegar, Omit Grapes. 

You can watch my cooking demonstration for this recipe here: http://youtu.be/vZ4xl-VAPzU

Need a good chef’s knife? Here’s the one I use and love!

This recipe is featured on Healthy Vegan Fridays & Wellness Weekend!

Mango Avocado Flatbread w/ Sweet & Tangy Almond Butter Drizzle! GF, V, BED, SCD!

What. A. Week!!

I don't know about you, but mine was absolutely jam packed! Auditions and interviews...gotta love the hustle! I bought a new pink blazer for an audition....what do you think!? :)

So I have a super exciting recipe to share with you! Brace yourselves, because this one is fab.u.lous! A Mango Avocado Flatbread with a Sweet & Tangy Almond Butter Drizzle!

Yeah. Just let that sink it.

It was so good, it made me literally get out of my chair and do a little dance:)

And it's Gluten Free and Specific Carb Diet friendly with a Vegan and Body Ecology Diet Option!

Here's what you need:

Crust:
3/4 cup almond flour
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)
1/4 tsp salt

Toppings:
1 avocado, mashed
juice of half a lime

1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced thin on a mandoline
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 mango, cubed
1 green onion, chopped
cilantro, chopped

Almond Butter Drizzle:
1/3 cup almond butter
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
20 drops pure liquid stevia (BED use alcohol free)
healthy pinch of salt
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1-3 Tbsp water (to get a drizzly consistency)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix your almond flour with your eggs and salt. Put the dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place another sheet on top and "smoosh" it out, making a crust. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, prep your veggies. Also, make your drizzle by mixing everything with a fork until drizzly. Also, mash your avocado with the juice of 1/2 a lime and a healthy pinch of salt.

When you take your crust out of the oven, spread your avocado in an even layer, leaving a 1 inch border. Top it with your veggies and mango, sprinkle with cilantro, and drizzle liberally with your almond butter sauce!

Note: You will have extra veggies and sauce. What I did was save the veggies and sauce in separate containers, and made them for lunch the next day as a yummy salad! The sauce also makes a great dip for fruit and veggies!

Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen, because this meal was SOOOOO good!! Oh my gosh, I don't know where to start! Lets start with the looks...because, you eat with your eyes first! The colors were absolutely jumping off the plate! Red, Green, Yellow, Orange! It was just gorgeous!

And then the flavor! Wow oh Wow. The buttery avocado was the perfect backdrop for the sweet veggies, and salty, nutty crust. There was a slight bite from the green onions, and then BAM you got this intense sweetness from the mango. And the drizzle was slightly tangy, but wonderfully sweet and nutty, all highlighted by the fresh pop from the cilantro!

And then the textures were amazing. The crust was crunchy and nutty -- you could actually pick it up like a pizza! The avocado was creamy, the veggies were incredibly crunchy, and the mango was juicy and sweet.

A perfect 10 if I do say so myself:)

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Until next time!

A mandoline and a good knife were key tools for this recipe. Here are the one's I use and love:

Spinach & Artichoke Cabbage Rolls! GF, V, BED, SCD!

Who's watching the Grammy's tonight!? I know I am!

I love awards shows. My favorite part is definitely the red carpet. I love seeing the stars all dressed up.

Well. I was inspired by the red carpet with dinner tonight. I "dressed up" the humble cabbage with these FABULOUS Spinach and Artichoke Cabbage Rolls!

These were beauuuutiful! Deep purple with a vibrant red topping. Simple gorgeous. And it tasted as good as it looks too!

And it's Gluten Free, Vegan, Body Ecology Diet and Specific Carb Diet friendly!

Here's what you need: (serves 1)

7 large cabbage leaves, blanched

Filling:
1 cup frozen artichoke hearts
2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 7 mushrooms) (BED use shiitake)
1 cup baby spinach
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper

Sauce:
1 tomato, chopped (BED omit)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Blanch your cabbage leaves by putting them in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes -- until soft and pliable. *Note: I like mine a little "al dante," so I only boil for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown your mushrooms in 1 tsp of EVOO. Do not salt them yet. Let them brown first. I do this by putting them in a single layer in the pan, and then let them sit (read: do NOT touch them) for about 4 minutes. Then I flip them, and let the other side brown. Then, I add the garlic and spinach and wilt it. Finally, I add the artichoke, and let them cook for about 5 minutes, until thawed and cooked.
I then transfer this carefully to the food processor with the pine nuts, and pulse it until it is finely chopped. You don't want to puree it, you want it to still have texture.

Then I assemble my rolls! First, I line a caserole dish with tin foil and spray it with olive oil. I then take a cabbage leaf and place about 1-2 Tbsp of the filling in the bottom of the leaf, near the stalk. I then roll it like a burrito, folding in the sides as I go. I then place it seam-side-down in the dish. Makes 7 rolls. Before I put it in the oven, I spritz the top of the rolls with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes.

While it's baking, make the sauce. Saute your onion and garlic in 1 tsp EVOO with the spices, salt and pepper. After it has softened, add your pepper. Let it soften, and finally add in your tomatoes. Let those warm through. Then, carefully transfer this mixture to the food processor and process until chunky-smooth.

To serve, top each roll with a dollop of sauce and garnish with fresh basil if desired. And dig in!!

Boy, oh Boy were these fantastic. The first thing that strikes you about the dish is its beauty. That purple color is seriously stunning. And then bam! The red just jumps off the plate.

And then you take a bite...and you're just taken on a taste vacation! The spinach and artichoke filling is earthy and a little briny, and totally satisfying. And then the bright tomato sauce chimes in with the perfect flavor compliment.

And I loved the cabbage. It was chewy and the perfect vessel for this flavor explosion!

Big week coming up!! Have a great night!

My food processor was the star of this recipe. Here's the one I use and love:

Nemo Noshes!

Hey Hey Happy Tummies!

Who’s ready for NEMO!?! OK…I seriously want to have a word with whoever named this snow storm….Nemo is an adorable little fish, NOT a panic-inducing blizzard!

But I digress. Chances are, we’re going to be snowed in….which only means one thing…

It’s time to snuggle up on the couch, watch some classic chick flicks, and have some cozy snow day eats!

Bring on the recipes!

Fennel & Asparagus Soup! (GF, V, SCD, BED)

Sugar Free Almond Pillow Cookies! (GF, BED)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes! (GF, Maker's Diet)

Alfresco Bites! (GF, V, BED, SCD)

Veggie Curry Over Millet! (GF, V, BED)

Hassleback Red Potatoes! (GF, V, BED)

Sweet Cinnamon Millet Chips! (GF, V Option, BED)

Carrot Cake Bites! (GF, V, SCD)

Well, I'd say THAT should get us through the blizzard!

I hope you're all staying warm during the storm! I bought some ingredients to create a new recipe while I'm cooped up! So keep a lookout for that! 

Until next time!

Here are some of the essential tools I used for these recipes:

Artichoke Towers! GF, V, SCD, BED opt'n!

Super Bowl Sunday!! Wooo!!

Who's watching the game?! Right now, you can find me at a bar surrounded by 49ers fans. However, let me make something clear...I am *not* a 49ers fan. In fact, I am wearing black...mourning the loss of my Bengals and Packers:)

I've got a confession...I'm watching for the commercials:) And Beyonce's half time show. Since my teams aren't in it, I don't care who wins!

Anywho, yesterday, I made an AMAAAZING dinner. We're talking D. Lic. Iious! Stacks of tomatoes and a fabulous artichoke puree, garnished with browned mushrooms. MMM!!

And they're Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, with a BED option!?

Yep! And super quick to throw together too! We're talking 30 minutes tops!

Here's what you need: (Serves 1)

2 slicing tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

2 1/4 cups frozen artichoke hearts, steamed and excess water squeezed out
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper

5 button mushrooms, sliced and browned
1 cup baby spinach

Toast your pine nuts in a sauce pan. (I used the same pan I was going to steam my artichokes in). Then, steam your artichoke hearts for about 8-10 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, slice your tomatoes and brown your artichokes in a spritz of olive oil. Here's how I did it: Spray a big pan with olive oil spray, and place your slices of mushrooms in a single layer. Don't salt them yet and don't disturb them while they're browning. Then, after about 3 minutes, flip them over and let them brown on the other side.

After your artichokes have steamed, allow them to cool slightly, and then wring out the excess water in a paper towel. You don't want all the liquid gone, but most of it.

Place your artichokes, pine nuts, salt and pepper in the food processor and process until creamy. You'll need to scrape down the sides several times. It will be the consistency of tuna salad.

To assemble, place one tomato round on your plate. Place about 3-4 leaves on spinach on top. Top that with about 2 Tbsps of the artichoke puree. Top with another tomato, a dot of artichoke, and garnish with mushrooms. Serve on a bed of spinach.

For a BED option, omit the tomatoes, use shiitake mushrooms, and serve with my Garlicky Buckwheat Chips!

Wow. Wow. Wow. What a treat! This little guy was briny from the artichokes, and earthy from the mushrooms, and then had an amazing, bright - sweetness from the tomatoes! Combined with the spinach, it was unreal!

And the textures were fabulous! The artichoke puree had the consistency of tuna salad, which sounds kinda weird, but trust me, it was so good. That, complimented by the chewy mushrooms and the juicy tomatoes made for one dynamite bite!

And they were so pretty too! So colorful. I love the red. And the mushroom on top was picture perfect. :)

Hope you're having fun watching the game!

Until next time!

My food processor and olive oil mister were MVP's in this recipe (get it?! Super Bowl joke??? hahaha oh brother...)...Here are the ones I use and LOVE: