Life Update!

Hey Happy Tummies!

It has been waaay too long!

Just wanted to give a quick little life update.

No, I have not fallen off the face of the planet, contrary to popular belief! :D

I've been super busy filming and working and enjoying the summer!

I feel a little silly posting acting updates, but you guys are like family and we've been on this journey back to health together, and you all have been so supportive as I'm out here going after it, so I wanted to share my latest work with you guys: I played the love interest in Derek Crider's new country hit, "Girl Walks a Country Mile." I know I'm biased, but I absolutely LOVE the song!

You can watch it below, and catch a glimpse of Yours Truly in action :)





The song follows a couple that is falling in love during the summer time.

Here's another behind the scenes shot!

Derek was such a cool guy. If you live in Philly, you should try to catch one of his live shows!

Next, I just finished shooting the pilot episode of Heroes of the Street, where's I'll be playing Autry Colbert!

We shot in Philly and it was so incredibly fun! It was a jam packed week with filming at several locations, and dodging a major thunderstorm that produced a tornado! It was crazy!

I loved all my co-stars, and by the end of the week we were a little H.O.T.S. family:)

I'll keep you all updated on it as the project moves forward, but for now, here's a link to our FaceBook page.


And finally, the summer would not be complete without our annual trip to the lake home in Wisconsin over the Fourth of July! Good laughs were had, beers were consumed (vodka for me), family time on the water was enjoyed -- just what I needed.

And the very last thing is that I just booked another film! It's a short horror film, but it films at the end of July. Looks like this is officially the #BestSummerEver. 

I hope you all have been enjoying the summer so far! I can't begin to express how much I've missed blogging, and how much I've missed interacting with all of YOU! I have every intent on getting better at posting. I have a delicious recipe that I'm going to post this week -- probably Wednesday night. So check back for that:)

Love and hugs to all my Happy Tummies!

Caralyn

A Busy Girl's Guide to Practical Juicing!

Hey All!

How's everyone's week going?!

It was just a beauuuutiful day here in NYC. It was 70 degrees and just lovely outside. I took an evening walk and captured the sunset. So pretty.

SO. Since we are officially entering the holiday season (read: lots of feasting and drinking), I thought I might dedicate a post to...JUICE!

Now, before you roll your eyes, or change the "channel," just hear me out:

First Things First: I don't personally advocate a juice "fast." I want to be clear about that. My motto is "everything in moderation." But if that's your thing, then more power to ya. I like to think of juicing as a great supplement to a healthy diet!

Treat Yo'Self

That being said: say you had an especially indulgent weekend (*cough* Halloween *cough*), or are feeling a little under the weather, or have "fallen off the wagon" in terms of healthy eating: having a green juice for breakfast is a terrific way to get your body back on track and into health mode!

That's right! Kinda a "no brainer," but green juice is suuuuper healthy. Drinking fresh pressed juice provides your body with a highly concentrated dose of vitamins and minerals. Plus, when you drink it within 20 minutes of pressing, the live enzymes from the juice actively repair the cells of your body! Juicing also strengthens your immune system, builds strong bones, helps with weight loss, and gives you an energy boost too:) What's not to love?

Would ya look at all those active enzymes -- mmm ;) Get In My Belly!! 

Juice can also be great for an afternoon pick me up! When the 3 o'clock slump hits, who needs Starbucks when you can enjoy a green juice!?

Now, you may be thinking ... "enjoy" and "green juice" in the same sentence? This girl has lost her marbles. Well, not quite.

You see, there's a system to making green juice taste great, while still packing in the dark leafy greens.

Enter: the "trinity" of all your juicing needs: GINGER, LEMON, & GREEN APPLE

Yep, just make sure to include half a lemon, an apple, and 1/2 inch nub of ginger in your juice, and you'll be all set!

Additionally, I like to stick to a 70/30 or a 60/40 (if you're new to juicing) ratio of vegetables to fruit. 70% of what you add should be veggies, and 30% should be fruit for the most delicious and nutritious bevvy.

So here's what I had for breakfast this morning:

*Caralyn's Standard Green Juice* (Serves One)

4 Stalks of Celery
2 Carrots
5 Stalks of Kale
1/2 Cucumber
1 Apple
1/2 lemon
1/2 inch nub of peeled ginger

This is my favorite juice. It's sweet and tangy with a "zing" from the ginger. I'm not kidding guys: you can't taste the kale.

You could even get kids excited about drinking this "Shrek Juice!"

Final Tips:

1) Put a plastic bag in the "garbage" part of your juicer -- where the pulp is discarded. That way, you won't have to clean the basket because it's in the bag! (Because, let's be honest: cleaning the juicer can be a pain.)

2) If you're pinched for time, make a double or triple batch ahead of time. 3 Juices -- 1 Cleaning of the Machine. Just be sure to store them in a sealed glass container in the fridge. They keep for up to 2 days. Just be sure to shake before drinking!

3) You can peel ginger with a spoon! Yep! So much easier, and less dangerous too!

4) Be sure to peel the skin off of your lemon -- the skin gives your juice a bitter taste.

5) Even with the "holy trinity," if you still think it needs to be sweeter, you can add a few drops of pure liquid stevia. (Just be sure to use alcohol free).

6) Finally, drink your juice out of a wine or martini glass -- it makes you feel special, and that you're treating yourself -- because you are!! :D


Alright guys, cheers to health!!

Spicy Butternut Zucchini Pinwheels over Cauliflower Rice! GF, V, SCD & Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

I hope everyone had a terrific Halloween weekend! I definitely did! I dressed up as a cheerleader :)

And look at how cute my little niece is! She was an owl:)

What did you dress up as?





Well November is officially upon us! Can you believe it!? And I've decided to rededicate myself to posting more often! SO - I'm officially donning this month: NOMvember! Because I'm going to be making so many delicious things!

You see, next month, I'm going to be in Philly filming the new TV pilot, "Heroes of the Street!" So there will be NO cooking going on. And also, right now, leading up to filming, I've got some time on my hands, so what better to do with it than to share some food love! :D

So lets kick things off with a goodie: Spicy Butternut Zucchini Pinwheels over Cauliflower Rice!

It seems like lately, EVERYTHING is pumpkin this, and pumpkin that! For goodness sakes, Starbucks and their #PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) hashtag is taking over the world! -- Well, I've always been one for the underdog, so I've decided to pay a little homage to the pumpkin's humble, lesser-known cousin: the butternut squash.

Yes, butternut squash: the gourd with a funny name that is a bit cumbersome to peel, but that is equally delicious, and -- dare I say it -- BETTER than pumpkin?! *gasp* "Did she really just...." Yes. I. Did.

So -- let's kick off NOM-vember with this little doosey of a recipe!

It's Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet and Body Ecology Diet friendly, and Paleo!

Here's what you need: (Serves one)

1 zucchini, sliced into ribbons, either with a vegetable peeler, mandolin, or sharp knife

Filling:
1 cup butternut squash, cubed and steamed
1 medium carrot, diced
1/4 cup cashews
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs onion, diced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
<1/4 tsp salt (if you have a salt grinder, about 3 turns)

4 cauliflower florets, riced in the food processor
3 button mushrooms, sliced
basil (garnish)

First, slice your zucchini into thin ribbons. I got 7 ribbons from my zucchini.

Next, in your food processor, rice your cauliflower by processing it until it resembles rice. Remove, place in a bowl and set aside. Reassemble your food processor (you don't have to wash it) - you'll use it again soon.

Steam your butternut squash by either steaming it in a steamer basket or microwaving it in a 1/2 inch of water for about 7 minutes. (I microwaved mine).

Meanwhile, sauté your onion, garlic, carrots, and spices in 1 Tbsp EVOO. Let them cook for about 6 minutes over medium heat, until the carrots soften. Then, add your cooked squash. Let that cook for another 4 minutes, and then remove from the heat. Carefully transfer to your food processor, add the cashews, and process until smooth. You'll need to scrape the sides several times.

Next, grill your zucchini on a grill pan, over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side. You'll need to grill in batches. Lay flat and set aside. Also, grill the mushrooms for about 3 minutes.

Finally, transfer the mash into a ziplock bag. This will serve as a makeshift "piping bag." Snip one corner of the baggie and pipe the mash onto each zucchini ribbon.

To assemble: roll up the zucchini ribbons, and place on a bed of the cauliflower rice. Garnish with the mushrooms and basil.

Goodness gracious, you guys. What a delicious and striking meal! It was tasty, filling, and beautiful to boot!

The flavors were wonderful - warm and spicy from the cumin and chili powder. It was complimented by the subtle sweetness from the butternut squash and carrots. And there was a slight smokiness from the grilled zucchini. Just perfect!

Finally, I loved the colors! The deep green with the burnt orange filling looked so autumn-y! :) Plus- they looked like flowers!

Alright, that's it for now!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Also: a little news: the pilot I'm working on is having a fundraiser "Meet and Greet" with the cast from 6-11pm in Philly! So if you live in the area and have a free Friday night, come on out! Tickets here!

Okey Dokey, that's all for now!!

See you tomorrow!

Tempura Cauliflower Steak w/ Blistered Italian Spring Veggies! GF, V, SCD, BED & Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Alright. It's time for a show stopper recipe. Holy cow you guys this is one for the books, I'm serious.

So while I was in Wisconsin, my family wanted to celebrate my graduation. So we decided to have a BBQ -- a classic Northwoods celebration!

Since clearly I can't eat BBQ fare, I was encouraged to make a nice dinner. Challenge accepted.

So what did I make?? "Tempura" Cauliflower Steak with Blistered Italian Spring Veggies.

Wow wow wow. That's about all I can say. My dad, who has an aversion to all veggies other than corn and Lima beans:) proclaimed that this was the best thing I've ever made.

I'll take that as a win for team GFHT! :)

This treat was Gluten and Grain Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet & Body Ecology Diet friendly, & Paleo!

Here's what you need: (Serves one)


1/3 head of cauliflower 

1 egg, beaten (vegan option: plain almond milk)
1/3 cup almond flour

handful green beans
1/2 zucchini, sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced (BED use shittake mushrooms)

Sauce:
15 grape tomatoes or one large tomato (BED sub one red pepper)
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Fresh basil, chopped (garnish)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1/3 of your cauliflower head. I used the "center cut" that included the root, and saved the outer thirds for snacking and other meals. Set aside and set up your breading station.

Breading process: You'll need a bowl, medium sized plate, and your tin foil-lined, olive oil-sprayed baking sheet. In the bowl, beat your egg and add a pinch of salt (or use almond milk). On the plate, spread out the almond flour with a pinch of salt. Take your cauliflower, coat it in egg, and then place it on the plate with the almond flour and coat it evenly with the almond flour. Then place it on one half of the baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

On the other half of the baking sheet, place your green beans in a single layer. Spritz them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place the entire baking sheet into the oven. You'll bake the cauliflower for a total of 40 minutes. But at 20 minutes, when you flip the cauliflower, remove the green beans and set aside.

Meanwhile, create your sauce. Saute your onions and garlic in 1-2 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, and dried herbs over medium heat. After about 4 minutes, add your red peppers. Let those soften, about 4 minutes. Then add your tomatoes and let them cook for about 4 more minutes. Then, carefully transfer the veggies to the food processor, and process until it is smooth. You'll need to scrape the sides a few times.

Also meanwhile, sauté your mushrooms and zucchini in 1-2 tsp EVOO. Let them brown on one side (about 3 minutes), and then flip and let the other side brown. Set aside.

To assemble, place your cauliflower on the plate. Top with the veggie mixture and sauce, and garnish with chopped fresh basil. I put the majority of the sauce around the cauliflower on the plate to minimize the contact between the sauce and the breading on the cauliflower so it would stay nice and crispy:)

You guys. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing this was. I know I can be a bit of a "gusher" about food...but this is next. level.

The first thing you notice when you bring it to the table is how freaking gorgeous it is. There's something "rustically fabulous" about the "breaded" and substantial steak of golden brown cauliflower, topped with a stately pile of blistered veggies, and bright red tomato sauce. It is regal. It is elegant. It is something to be proud of:)

Then, the taste is just outrageous. The bright and subtly sweet tomato sauce is the perfect backdrop to the nutty and homey cauliflower. The bright basil accents the caramelized green beans and zucchini. So. Good.

And then the textures. This may be the best part. Let me tell you- you've got to cut into that cauliflower with a steak knife! It is still crunchy, but the outsides have caramelized and become a little chewy and have some give. And coating the outside is this sweet and nutty coating of almond flour that give it a richness and butteriness that you've never experienced with cauliflower before. It was cauliflower, transcended :)

And the creamy sauce with the crunch veggies was just delightful.


So all in all, this was a terrific meal to celebrate my graduation. It was special, and seemed a bit extravagant--but in reality, it was just the humble kitchen superstar--cauliflower!

As summer is beginning to wane, we're going to have lots of "special occasion" meals. Give this one a try! 

Roasted Beet & Fennel Pesto Pizza! GF, SCD, BED & Paleo w/ Vegan opt'n!

What up Happy Tummiesss?!!

How was everyone's weekend? Did you watch the World Cup finals? I watched it with my friends in Harlem. What a fun day.

A double rainbow on the way to the airport in Wisconsin.

So yep, I'm back from Wisconsin, and boy do I miss my fam. It was so great to be with them, especially my little niece, Baby A. She turns one on Thursday. Such. A. Cutie. :D My mom loves being a gma:)

It is definitely a different kind of summer here in NYC. It is seriously muggy and humid here on the East Coast, but that was NOT the case in Wisconsin! It was so cold in the Northwoods that on a couple days, that I had to wear a ski suit when we went boating!! And at the lake home, we have all our old clothes up there -- as the "cottage wardrobe." So let's just say I looked pretty sweet in my mom's 80's ski outfit! haha

Yep, it was a high of 63 degrees some days, so lets just say it was f-f-f-freezing on the water! Quite the change from NYC :D

One night in Wisconsin, I decided to make one of my favorite meals: a Cauliflower Flatbread Pizza!

Flatbreads are a standby for me. They're so delicious, filling, easy to make, and seriously good eats!

And you did read that right: it's made out of Cauliflower! Cauliflower and almond flour to be exact:D

This particular flatbread was a Roasted Beet and Fennel Pesto Flatbread! And it's Gluten and Grain Free, Specific Carb Diet and Body Ecology Diet Friendly, Paleo, and has a Vegan option!

Here's what you need: (Serves one)

1/3 cup almond flour
2 egg whites (Vegan option: 1 flax/chia egg)
1 cup cauliflower florets (riced in a food processor)
3 pinches salt

1 beet, cut into 1/4 inch rounds (BED sub red pepper)
1 bulb of fennel, half cut into wedges, and half shaved on the mandolin

Pesto Sauce:
1 cup, packed fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
juice 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
3/4 cup green peas, microwaved for 2 minutes
1-2 Tbsp EVOO

Garnish:
fresh basil, chopped
sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Rice your cauliflower in the food processor. Then, place your riced cauliflower in either paper towels, cheesecloth, or a clean kitchen towel, and wring out all the excess liquid. (This is a really important step!)

Combine the riced cauliflower with the egg, almond flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (NOT wax paper!) Place your "dough" in the center of the parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top, and "smoosh" out the dough to about an 8 inch circle. Leave the top paper on, and bake as a "parchment sandwich" for about 30-35 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown.

Next, scrub and dry your beet, and slice it into 1/4 inch rounds. Place them in a single layer on a tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil. Set aside.

Take your fennel bulb and remove the two outer layers. With half, cut into wedges, keeping the button intact, so the wedges stay together. Place these wedges in a single layer on the baking sheet with the beets. Spritz with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the fennel off the baking sheet and set aside. Flip the beets, and return the baking sheet to the oven for another 10 minutes.

With the remaining 1/2 fennel bulb, carefully shave it on the mandolin into paper-thin slices. These will be scattered raw on the pizza.

Meanwhile, make your pesto by combining all the pesto ingredients in the food processor and blitz until smooth. You'll need to scrape the sides several times.

To assemble, place a thin layer of the pesto sauce on the crust. Top with slices of the beets, the roasted fennel, and raw fennel, and garnish with basil and sunflower seeds.

Oh my goodness this pizza was SO GOOD! Holy cow, what a treat. For those of you who are skeptical of a crust made out of cauliflower, I assure you, you do NOT taste the cauliflower at all. No kidding. I passed it around the table for my family to try, and they all couldn't believe that there was cauliflower in it. Even my dad --- and that's saying something!

The textures were so great. The crust was chewy and bready, and a little crispy/crunchy on the edges. The creamy pesto, chewy beets and roasted fennel went perfectly with the crunchy sunflower seeds and raw fennel.

And the flavors were fabulous! The pesto was so bright and fresh, and the beets had a wonderful earthy sweetness to them that paired perfectly with the sweet and licorice-y fennel. There's something magical about fennel when you roast it in the oven -- its inherent sweetness comes out and caramelizes. SO good! And the sunflower seeds gave a nice nutty and salty *pop* to it.

Finally, it was a stunning dish with the bright green and deep purple. Just beautiful.

Alright, I'm off to watch the Bachelorette! More great recipes coming later this week! Be sure to check back!