Fresh Figs w/ Almond Butter Sauce! GF, V, SCD!

Ok so if you've never had a fresh fig before, consider this your cordial invitation.

Really.

I had never had a fresh fig in my entire time on this earth. And yesterday I decided that it was about figgin' time! (see what I did there?) :)

Soo basically, fresh figs are fabulous. Really and truly!

A lot of people eat then with cheese or honey. Since these options are not vegan, I decided that almond butter would be a great alternative! And not juuust almond butter.....but ginger too!! 

Soo I made figs with a ginger almond butter drizzle! This would be a great appetizer or tapas style dish to serve with dinner. It'd also make a fantastic healthy dessert! (that's what it was for me!)

And it's Gluten Free, Vegan, and Specific Carb Diet friendly!
Here's what you need:


2 figs per person


Sauce: (makes enough for leftovers!)

3/4 cup almond butter
3 tsp raw Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp grated ginger
juice of 1/2 lime
1-3 tsp water
8 drops pure liquid stevia (BED use alcohol free; SCD use 1 tsp honey)

This couldn't be simpler. Choose 2 or 3 firm figs. Quarter them and set aside. Make your sauce by combining the ingredients with a fork. Add water until the consistency becomes "drizzly." Drizzle the slices with the almond butter sauce and enjoy!

These little bites were marvelous. Figs just may be my new favorite food! They're not overly sweet, and the texture was chewy and kinda juicy. It was the perfect vessel for the nutty almond butter. They complimented each other perfectly.

And the sauce was outrageously good. I like to keep some in my fridge at all times. It's a great dip for fruit or carrots! It's sweet and tangy, nutty, and fresh from the ginger. It is the perfect companion for the figs!

There was something so luxurious about the figs. It felt like I was eating something special...and I was!

So do yourself a favor and have some figs with almond butter!

Do you have any fun 4th of July plans?

Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

Sugar Free Vegan Strawberry FroYo! GF, Vegan, SCD, & Paleo!!

Hey Happy Tummies!

My goodness, I am so sorry for not posting in a while.

Things have been beyond insane here. 

I actually battled the flu for the better part of last week/weekend. Being away from home when you're sick is never fun.



Here's what I ate during that time...I may have been hallucinating from the fevers but I was able to whip up some homemade organic vegetable soup! I'm not 100% sure, but I believe there's some zucchini, orange pepper, green beans and garlic in there :) I can't be sure, I was in a daze. I actually slept 8 of the 12 hours I was awake one day. Glad that's over.



So the day after I began to start feeling better, I had a callback for a film. And it's a good thing I willed myself out of bed because.....I booked the role!



Yep, I'm excited to announce that I'll be playing the role of Ally in the film Come On! We'll be filming in August. I can't wait.

 



So one of the "trendiest" foods now a days is FroYo. I swear, I can't walk half a block without seeing someone walking and eating from a pinkberry, red mango, 16 handles, or other frozen yogurt cup. I'd be lying if I didn't say I secretly long for FroYo.

But, a gal that's a SCD Vegan (which includes being sugar free, y'all!) conventional FroYo is not an option. There are "vegan" versions, but they're not sugar free, and there are sugar free versions, but they're not vegan. They must think that if you take out the dairy and sugar that all you'll be left with is air!

Well friends, that is positively NOT the case! How do I know? Because I DID IT!! 

I made Sugar Free Vegan Strawberry FroYo!! And it was INCREDIBLE! I thought it was the perfect cool treat to kick off the summer! I can't decide if I'm more excited about this recipe or the Cauliflower Hamburger Buns from last week!

This recipe is...Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!

Here's what you need: (serves 1)

6 dates

8 whole frozen strawberries

1/4 cup cashews

1 1/2 Tbsp coconut butter

1/4 cup cashews, pulverized (garnish)

Couldn't be simpiler: Put 1/4 cup cashews in to the food processor and blitz until they resemble "sprinkles." Put in a small bowl and reassemble your food processor. Put everything else in the food processor, and process until thick, creamy and smooth! Freeze for 25-30 minutes. Garnish with blitzed cashews!

Oh my gosh where to begin with this amazingness?!? First of all, the flavor was magnificent. It was sweet and fresh and just bursting with strawberry flavor. But it wasn't just "strawberry" like you imagine an artificial strawberry ice cream. Now this was complex strawberry. The coconut butter combined with the dates gave the strawberries a deep sweetness that had some weight to it. Sounds strange but that's the way my brain processes things:)



and then the texture was marvelous! It was super creamy and rich! The coldness was so refreshing on a hot day. I also loved the crushed cashews on top too. They gave a slight crunch that went perfectly with the luxurious and thick ice cream.



This was such a treat. I am so excited to share it with you guys. Hopefully you can enjoy some this weekend!

Just a quick reminder! You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

No Kindle Needed! Just download the free app, here! 

SCD HAMBURGER BUNS! A Portobello Burger Extravaganza! GF, V, SCD, Paleo!

Oh my gosh I literally just ate the best meal of my life.

Hands down, this is the best thing I've ever made.

I know that is quite the statement. And I'm not taking it lightly.

If you didn't know, the East Coast is getting hit by tropical storm Andrea. Soooo, that means that everyone is staying in tonight. So what's a gal to do on a stormy Friday night? --- Invent. Something. Awesome.

Yes. Tonight....I invented something....An SCD HAMBURGER BUN!!!

Yes, you read that correctly, darlings. A GRAIN-FREE HAMBURGER BUN!!

How, you ask?............WITH CAULIFLOWER!!

But don't run away!! Wait! I promise, you CANNOT taste the cauliflower AT ALL! (And trust me, I have acutely discerning taste buds;) )

Yes, friends. I made an SCD Portobello Burger! And it was INCREDIBLE.  ((can you tell I'm excited by the amount of CAPITALS!?))

And it's gluten free, SCD, Paleo, and has a vegan option!

Here's what you need (Serves 1)

BUN:
1 cup frozen cauliflower florets
~3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 big pinches of salt (probably 1/8 tsp)
1 egg white (vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)

1 portobello mushroom (ribs scraped off)
3 spinach leaves
1/2 avocado, mashed with salt
1 slice of tomato
dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Microwave your cauliflower florets for about 2 1/2 minutes, until cooked. Drain water, and then transfer to your food process. Process for about 20 seconds, until it resembles wet  rice. Put the riced cauliflower in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much water as you can. (This is a really important step! You want it as dry as possible!)

Transfer your cauliflower to a mixing bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Then, split the dough in half. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, form 2 "hockey pucks" out of the dough. It should be about 3 inches in diameter and about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Bake for about 45 minutes, until completely golden brown.

Meanwhile, clean and put away your food processor. :) Prep the rest of your veggies. Slice the tomato into about 1/4 inch slices. Also, mash your avocado with about 1/4 tsp salt. Clean your portobello mushroom by scraping off the ribs with a spoon and brushing off any dirt with a damp paper towel. Also, brush the outside with a little bit of olive oil. On a hot grill pan, grill the portobello mushroom for about 5 minutes per side.

To assemble, layer:
Bun,

2 Tbsp Avocado Mash,

Spinach,

Portobello,

Tomato with Salt & Pepper,

Dijon Mustard,

Bun.

Serve with a glass of wine

and DIG IN!! (I highly suggest slicing it in half with a serrated knife for easier eating) :)

OH MY GOSH!! Where to even begin?! I know what you're all probably thinking: Can you actually pick it up like a bun?......and the answer is YES!!! It held together to the last bite! Nothing crumbled, it wasn't cake-y. It was perfectly nutty and chewy. And it had a bit of a crispy exterior that gave way to a soft and chewy center!

And then the burger itself exploded with flavor! There's something about a grilled portobello that is so .... meaty! It had the smokey flavor like it was right off the grill! I mean, check out those grill marks!!

And the avocado gave it such a buttery richness. Truth be told, it was a touch messy, but it was SO GOOD! I swear, avocado is like nature's mayonnaise!

The tomato was the perfect juicy accent, and then the dijon gave this pop of zing!

I cannot express how terrific this was. I will seriously remember this for a long time. I'm going to make this for my family over the Fourth of July! That's how good it is: everyone...even non-SCD/Gluten-Free/Vegans are going to flip out over these burgers.

Do yourself a favor: Make these burgers. I promise, you will be SO glad you did!

What do you like to do when it's stormy?

Just a quick reminder! You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

 

No Kindle Needed! Just download the free app, here! 

Beet & Eggplant Stack! GF, V, SCD & Paleo!

Hey hey Happy Tummies!


How's everybody's week going? I can't believe tomorrow's already Friday! This week has been busy busy busy! Lots of auditions and I shot a commercial!

So I thought I'd share a dinner from this past week that was terrific! Not only is it delicious, but it is quick and easy too!

What is it? My Beet and Eggplant Stack!

Mashed buttery avocado, sandwiched between roasted orange beets and eggplant! So delish!

And this recipe is gluten free, vegan, paleo, and Specific Carb Diet friendly!

Here's what you need: (serves one - makes 2 stacks)

1 beet, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1/2 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1/2 avocado, mashed with 1/4 tsp sea salt

A few grape tomatoes, halved (garnish)
3 basil leaves, chopped (garnish)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Scrub your beet, and then slice into rounds. Place your beet and eggplant rounds on a baking sheet that's been lined with tinfoil and sprayed with olive oil. Spritz the rounds with olive oil and bake for 35 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

In the meantime, mash your avocado and set aside.

To assemble, place one beet round on the plate. Top with 1-2 Tbsp avocado mash. Top with eggplant round. Top with another 1-2 Tbsp avocado mash. Top that with another beet round and garnish with tomatoes and fresh basil.

Wow wow wow. These little towers were just bursting with flavor! There's something about the earthy-sweetness of the beets with the buttery avocado and fresh basil that is just divine!

And the textures were fabulous too! The beets were caramelized and chewy, while the eggplant was soft, and the avocado was luxuriously creamy.

A definite ten!

And my favorite part was that I had this made and cleaned up in under 45 minutes! Perfect!!

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Cookbook Update! And Baby Duckies!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Just a quick post tonight. I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend! Can you believe it's already JUNE?! I know....where did time go?!

So I have an update! My cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy is now available on Amazon for only $2.99!

And no need to have a Kindle! You can download a free Kindle app on tablets like iPad and iPhone or Droid!

Super exciting stuff:) And thank you all for your encouragement and support about the book!

Tonight, I thought I'd share some photos from this weekend...I have a delicious recipe coming up later this week, so be sure to check back!

Baby Ducks at the Park!

Waddle waddle:)

Gorgeous sunset

Sun on the water

And finally, the TMZ bus pulling an "Austin Powers" turn & getting stuck in the intersection. Too funny!

Get outta my 'hood! ;)

Alright! That's all for now! See you later this week!