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!!

Sweet & Chewy Kale Chips! GF, V, SCD, Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

How was everyone's weekend? Things here are going swimmingly! I'm currently learning a song in Spanish for an audition on Wednesday...yeah sooo that's happening:)

So since the weather is getting cooler, it's officially acceptable to start using the oven again! If you're anything like me, I never turn on the oven during the summer!  It's just too dang hot! But now, bring it on, baby!

And just what did I make?

Sweet & Chewy Kale Chips!

Now before you run screaming the other way at the thought of "sweet" and "kale" in the same sentence, just hear me out. Truuust me, this is a winner.

This recipe was my recreation of one of my favorite treats from Hu Kitchen! They make a similar kale chip call Sweet Kale Crunch and it. is. rockin. Again, I can't even begin to describe my love for this SCD-Friendly restaurant, so you'll just have to try them out the next time you're in NYC :)

That's the sign outside Hu:)

Back to the kale treats.

These little guys are addicting! And they're a super healthy sweet treat for lazy Sunday afternoons (or anytime really!) I made them when I was home for myself, my dad and brother to munch on during the Bengals game. They both really enjoyed them! We cleaned the entire tray of them!!

And they're Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly and Paleo!

Here's what you need: (Serves 2-3)

3 large stalks of kale, washed, dried and torn into bite sized pieces
½ cup chopped cashews
½ cup chopped pecans
2-3 Tbsp EVOO (You can use coconut oil -- I haven't tried this b/c we didn't have any, but it would be delish!)
2-3 Tbsp honey (Vegan option: Agave)
½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup raisins

Preheat your oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray it with olive oil. Make sure your kale is bone dry (otherwise it will steam instead of crisp up) and tear it up into bite sized pieces. Put your kale pieces into a large bowl. Drizzle your EVOO and honey over the kale. Then, with clean hands, massage the oil and honey into the kale. Massage for about 2 minutes, making sure to coat every nook and cranny. *This is messy, just embrace it.* Next, sprinkle in your remaining ingredients and massage them into the kale as well. (You'll notice the kale has become much more pliable.) 

Spread your kale out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and raisins at the bottom of the bowl over top the kale on the baking sheet. Bake for 15-16 minutes. *Note: Due to the honey, these chips can burn extremely easily. As soon as you begin to smell the cinnamon and sweet pecans, take them out. They'll crisp up.)

Where to begin on this unconventional sweet treat?! Can I just say, kale is the new black?! ;) But seriously, who would have thought that kale could be so delicious? -- And a DESSERT?!!!

For all the skeptics out there, this recipe truly transforms kale! I know personally, I used to think kale was a hearty, bitter, green that had no business sneaking its way into a dessert. But this recipe will convert you!! It did for me!

These little bites are crispy from the kale chips, but then crunchy, chewy and sticky from the raisins and nuts. They are wonderfully nutty and sweet with a subtle warmth from the cinnamon.

And the raisins were my favorite part. They were intensely sweet, and paired phenomenally with the cinnamon and honey.

I dare you to try this recipe. You'll find yourself making them every week for Sunday football! :)

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

Broccoli & Kale Pesto Pasta! GF, V, BED!

Do you ever just crave pasta? A plate of warm, slurpy goodness that would make your inner Italian grandmother proud?

SO delicious!

I do! And I bet if you’re gluten-free — or even if you’re not — I bet you’ve probably had one of those days too :)

unbelievably healthy and yummy!

Pasta gets a bad wrap. It’s a “forbidden food” — seen as a diet-buster, unhealthy, and “pants-button-busting.” I’m here to tell you, that could not be further from the truth! Yes, it’s true that ordering a plate of fettucine alfredo from Olive Garden, or 4-Cheese Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce — not the best thing for you, and probably deserving of the “sparingly” category of the food pyramid. However, pasta done right – in Happy Tummy fashion – is actually healthy for you!

wait a minute — the pesto is broccoli and kale!?

First of all, I’m using Quinoa pasta – which is gluten free and packed with protein.

want a bite?

And then the sauce — is ALL VEGGIES! In fact, this pasta could be called a Cruciferous Carnival — because the pasta is tossed with roasted cauliflower, and the pesto is a puree of broccoli, kale and basil! Talk about a nutrient dense meal!

what a plate!

And it’s gluten free, vegan, Body Ecology Diet friendly, and 100% delicious!

a cruciferous carnival!

Here’s what you need:

1 box of quinoa pasta
1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets and roasted

Sauce:
1 big stalk of broccoli, broken into florets and steamed
3 stalks of kale, stems removed, chopped and steamed
1 1/2 cups basil
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 big garlic cloves
1 tsp EVOO
sea salt
reserved pasta water

packed with nutrients!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your cauliflower florets on an olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, flipping half way though.

While they’re baking, toast your pine nuts, and steam your broccoli & kale for about 5 minutes, until bright green and tender. Rinse under cold water, drain, and set aside to cool slightly. Then, blend it with your pesto ingredients and about 3/4 cup of pasta water in the food processor until thick and creamy. Adjust salt to taste. Toss with your cooked pasta and roasted cauliflower. Garnish with chopped basil! YUM!

gorgeous crust on the halibut!

With this outrageous pasta, I served broiled halibut from Lobsta Bakes. This wild, ocean-caught fish was so delicious – sweet and tender! I broiled it for 10 minutes with 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder — delicious!

Gluten Free, Vegan, and Body Ecology Diet Friendly!

This meal was delicious! The pasta was so unbelievably yummy! The flavor was bright and fresh from the basil! And the streamed broccoli made it so creamy and luxurious! My parents found it hard to believe that there wasn’t any cream or butter in it because it was so rich and decadent tasting! Thank you broccoli!!

fabulously roasted cauliflower!

And it coated the spaghetti so fabulously! Slurpy, creamy and hearty, but incredibly light! And the roasted cauliflower was nutty and superb. It provided a nice crunch too! It was almost like they were cauliflower “meatballs!”

Broccoli & Kale Pesto Pasta!

This pasta is definitely no “diet buster!”

What’s your favorite pasta dish?

Yay food processor recipes!! Here's the one I use:

GF Cauliflower Pancakes w/ Kale Pesto & 6 Pounds of Nuts!

Thank you all so much for your encouraging comments yesterday. I really appreciate your love and support:) It means a lot!

On another note…

As many of you know, I’m on the Body Ecology Diet. This is to kill Candida yeast. You see, these evil little yeast eat sugar. So, in order to kill them, you have to cut off their food supply. Enter: the Body Ecology Diet. This anti-Candida diet strictly prohibits sugar, and everything that breaks down into sugar. That means NO: sugar, dairy (because of the milk sugar: lactose), fruit, grains, starchy vegetables (like potatoes), sweet veggies (like beets and yams), beans (including peanuts), soy, mushrooms, tomatoes, alcohol, caffeine, or vinegars (except Apple Cider Vinegar). It does allow 4 Gluten Free grains though — quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and amaranth.

So — what does a girl eat?

Well, for the last 2 months, I’ve chronicled my dinners…but what about snacks?

gluten free – check. vegan – check. body ecology diet – check.

Nuts, people. I eat nuts.

A lot of nuts.

Six Pounds worth of nuts.

six pounds!!

And not just any nuts.  Since peanuts, and peanut oil are a “no-no” on the diet, I can’t have nuts roasted in peanut oil — which most, if not all, of the nuts at the grocery store are roasted in.

lots and lots of nuts!

So, my sweet father scoured the internet and found a company that doesn’t roast in peanut oil! So, this was our latest shipment of nuts. Macadamia (my fav), cashews, almonds and hazelnuts. In bulk! Six whopping pounds! That should last….oh about 2 weeks. ;)

studded with green onions!

Anywho, dinner tonight was really delicious! I made Cauliflower Pancakes with Kale Pesto! They were wonnnnderful! Crispy outside, tender inside, and packed with flavor! And, they’re gluten free, and Body Ecology Diet friendly with a Vegan option!

yum x 3!

Here’s what you need:
3/4 cup millet cooked in 1 1/2 cups veg stock
1/2 head of cauliflower – riced
1/4 cup almond flour
3 egg whites ((Vegan option: 3 Tbsp ground flax + 9 Tbsp water –> “flax egg”))
1/2 tsp salt
2 green onions, sliced

Kale Pesto:
1 cup packed fresh Basil
3 large stalks of kale, stems removed and steamed
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1-2 tsp EVOO
salt to taste

healthy never tasted so good!!

Cook your millet until it absorbs all the liquid, about 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, steam your kale for about 3-4 minutes, until tender, and toast your pine nuts on the stove for about 3 minutes. Also, rice your cauliflower by breaking into florets, and then putting them in your food processor. Pulse until it becomes a “rice” consistency. Then, place your “rice” in a clean kitchen towel and wring out all the excess liquid. Then, place in a medium-sized bowl. Rinse out your food processor — you’ll use it again. :)

cauliflower pancakes!

To make your pesto, simply combine all the ingredients in your food processor. Process, scraping down the sides several times, until you get a gorgeously thick and creamy pesto!

After you millet cooks, fluff it with a fork, and let it cool. Once cool, combine it in the bowl with your cauliflower, and add your egg whites, almond flour, salt, and green onions. Mix well. This is your batter.

crispy-crunchy pancake exterior!

Heat a big non-stick frying pan that has been sprayed with EVOO spray. Add 1-2 tsp EVOO to the pan. Once it’s hot, form 2-Tbsp-patties, and carefully place them in the pan.  You should hear a sizzle. Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Be careful when flipping, as they are fragile — it was a “2-hand-job!” It will make about 9 patties.

there’s kale in that?!?

To serve, dollop 1-2 Tbsp of pesto on each pancake, and enjoy! To get the “swirled” look, put your pesto into a ziplock sandwich bag and squeeze it down to one corner. Then, snip off the tip of that corner, and you’ve got a make-shift piping bag!

gorgeous emerald pesto!

With the pancakes, I served Lobsta Bakes‘ wild, ocean-caught grouper! I broiled it in 1 tsp EVOO with salt, pepper, chili powder and paprika. It was so tender and delicious!

This meal was fantastic! The flavors were so bright and refreshing! And my parents had no idea there was kale in the pesto and cauliflower in the pancakes! — That’ll be our little secret ;)

delicious!

The outside of the pancakes were crunchy and golden, while the insides were tender and moist. And the pesto was rich and creamy, which paired perfectly with the cakes! It was bright and fresh from the basil, with a subtle hint of garlic and lemon. So fantastic! We cleaned our plates!

gluten free and Body Ecology Diet friendly!

What are your favorite snacks?

See ya tomorrow!!

I made my pesto in my food processor! it's my favorite. Here's the one I use: