DF, GF Potato Soup

Dairy Free/ Gluten Free Potato Soup

I created this soup yesterday on a whim when I needed to use some carrots before they went bad and my husband came home with a bag of white potatoes, (which we rarely eat).  So, I thought with it being the end of winter and soup season almost being over for us, that I would make one last "comfort" food for lunch.  The kids loved it too, they each had 2-3 bowls that day.  Let me add here that they are not 100% dairy free, so they did add some shredded cheddar to the top of their bowls! 

This cream cheese you could add if you are NOT dairy free or the light laughing cow cheese wedges.  I would use about 3 TBSP cream cheese or 3 laughing cow wedges.  The consistency is what thickens up the soup and gives it the creamy texture! I chose to suggest "light" versions of dairy because this soup is higher in carbs, so it should be lower in fat!  Reason being using one source of fuel (carbs) for energy.  

If going for Dairy free, what I did was open this can and scooped off the cream that is naturally on top.  There was about 1/4 cup of cream on the top and I used it all!  I didn't have a light version of this coconut milk, but usually the light versions do not have the cream on top!

I'm using my ninja foodie on the pressure cooker and saute function today to make this soup super quick and also to allow it to stay warm so the family can graze on the soup all day as they desire.  Once I had everything ready and the lid locked, I cooked everything on high for 10 min and let it naturally release.  Then I added the creamy coconut milk and stired to combine, adding about 2 tbsp nutritional yeast and salt to taste.

So for starters, I washed and diced about 6 medium sized white baking potatoes and about 1/2 a small bag of organic baby carrots.

Use 2 cubes of this garlic and saute in about 3 tsp olive oil on high till melted.

using the saute function on the ninja foodie

Next I added my diced carrots and sautéed them with the garlic for about 1 min.

This is a freezer MUST HAVE to keep on hand.  I start so many of my recipes off with this!  I buy mine at Walmart.  

I added this frozen mixture to the carrots and garlic and sautéed for about 2 min.

I used this bone broth from Walmart next and added the potatoes in, turning off the saute function.

Lastly, I added about 2 tsp salt and the sealed the lid shut, pressure cook function on high for 10 min!

After it is done cooking you could manually release the pressure, depending on how much time you have. I let mine naturally release on its own.  After removing the lid, add your cream (whatever you choose) and stir well.  You can add more salt and even pepper too if you desire. I added 2 TBSP nutritional yeast giving this soup more of a "cheese" flavor keeping it dairy free.    

Toppings that would be good include, bacon crumbles, green onions, chives, sour cream and cheddar cheese (use dairy free versions if you're dairy free)

ENJOY!

 

Build your own gourmet salad at home for much less

A greek gourmet salad at home

 

I know it sounds weird, but I hate to eat lunch!  Most people hate to eat breakfast, but I find that I struggle with lunch!  My kids are creatures of habit and tend to eat the same things day after day.  I do not like to eat the same thing 2 times in a row.  My husband jokes that in the 12 years we have been together I have never cooked the same thing twice.  This is not entirely true, but I probably only have 5-8 things I will cook more than once.  I love food and recipes and am always creating new ones to try and share.  I get bored easily so I like variety! 

I buy my veggies from a local farm at the farmers market once a week.  They are an organic and non-GMO farm and provide my family with more than enough veggies to feed us for a week!  Pictured is my salad that is my "go to" lunch when I need to pack something while I am on the go! 

 

Gourmet salad recipe:

Lettuce of your choice (preferably not iceberg because it does not have any nutritional value)

cucumber sliced

bell pepper diced

grilled chicken shredded

feta cheese crumbled

artichoke hearts chopped (I have a artichoke spread I buy at Trader Joes that I love and it's what's pictured here)

black olives

salt and pepper to taste

homemade dressing (optional)

 

*the dressing I like to make that's quick and easy is:

olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried parsley flakes, lemon juice

combine and shake well 

 

 

 

 

Eggplant Pizzas

We have been getting LOTS of eggplant from our CSA (community shared agriculture) and so I've been trying to find different things to make with it.  Especially things that the kids will eat too!  I am happy to say that I have successfully made little eggplant pizzas that I tested on 3 kids and they gobbled them down! 

Eggplant Pizza
1 med sized eggplant, sliced into 1/4-1/2" thick slices
organic baby spinach leaves
fresh mozzarella sliced
organic tomato diced or sliced
olive oil for drizzling
Italian spices for seasoning

place the sliced eggplant on a cookie sheet and generously drizzle with EVOO (olive oil), and sprinkle with salt.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 min. 
Top each with one spinach leaf, slice of mozzarella, tomato, and spices.  Put back in the oven until cheese melts!  Eat them up while warm! 

After school/Pre-workout Snack

If you follow this blog then you know that my kids are competitive gymnasts.  I am a RYT (Registered Yoga teacher) and we are pretty active!  So fueling our bodies is very important to me.  This is a quick and easy snack to fuel anyone before a workout.  I easily mix this up in  a disposable bowl and have it in the car, ready for my girls to eat on the way to gymnastics after school.  Our days are so jammed full that it is very easy to fall off the wagon and not have the right nutrients for proper fuel and nutrition.  This is why planning ahead and being very structured is key for me to be able to always be prepared.  (Well, most of the time! LOL)

This is so easy, even the kids can make this themselves!
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 Tbsp almond butter
1 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder
Mix till well combined!
Eat with a spoon!

Breakfast Pizza

I use a medium small cast iron skillet for this recipe.  It makes the perfect personal size pizza for me, although with all the toppings I use, I can only eat half of one pizza in one sitting. 

Recipe:
Ghee or coconut oil (enough to grease the bottom of the skillet)
3 eggs, scrambled
cooked sausage
homemade marinara sauce
diced fresh tomatoes and bell peppers
diced onions (optional)

heat the oil on the stove top in the skillet
pour in the scrambled eggs and let set until the edges are set
gently loosen and flip the "crust"
top with toppings and place in 350 degree oven and bake for 12 min till all is heated through.

optional toppings: salsa, avocado slices, shredded cheese or goats or feta crumbles

Healthy School Lunches Part 2

 1. Applegate Farms Organic all Beef hotdog (chopped), stick of Sargento Colby jack cheese, banana chocolate chip oatmeal cookie, baby carrots with homemade hummus, and jello jigglers.

 2. Watermelon chunks, gluten free Rudi's wrap with Applegate farms Turkey Bologna and sliced Colby jack cheese (rolled up and halved), homemade hummus and carrot coins.

 3. Another wrap, except with Applegate farms ham this time.  Again with Colby jack cheese and I heated it to melt the cheese and then rolled and halved it.  Gluten Free pretzels (I found at Aldi) and fresh raspberries.  Celery from our organic and non-GMO farmer with homemade hummus.

4. Leftover dinner from the night before.  Spaghetti squash with meatballs baked into a nest from PaleOMG.   Sourdough rolls that I made, which are gluten free.  And organic strawberry Trader Joes' yogurt cup.

Again, keep in mind these are not just for the kids!  These lunches can also be used for the office too.  Incase you missed it... also read my previous post Healthy  Lunches for School (and the office too!)

Healthy FRIED veggies? And some game day food!

 Hand cut organic and non-GMO potatoes

Jalapeno peppers stuffed with herb infused goats cheese

 

 

I am lucky enough to have access to an organic, non-GMO farm that I am a CSA (community shared agriculture) member of in which I pick up a weekly share of 8-10lbs of fresh veggies at my local farmers market.  Since it is football season and we LOVE college football, we entertain quite often and host football parties on most Saturdays.  To keep the party foods to my standards and pleasing to our guests, I have come up with a delicious way to use our veggies and copy some of the traditional appetizers. 

 

At COSTCO, they sell a large container of coconut oil for $16.99.  I buy 2 of these and we fill our outdoor commercial grade deep fryer with this MCT oil which is actually good for you!  After heating the fryer to temperature, my husband does all the frying.  I am the one who cuts all the veggies and gets them ready to be cooked. 

Some things we fry:

okra, all I do is simply cut each piece into bite sizes and we fry them till crispy, that's without anything coating them!

Yellow squash, again, all I do is slice each one into rounds and fry them until crispy!  No breading!

White potatoes and sweet potatoes, I do not peel them, I simply slice them up into "Fries" and cook until desired doneness.

 

For the jalapeno poppers:

cut each pepper in half and remove seeds

using herb infused goats cheese and shredded grass fed cheddar (kerrygold, I shred myself) mixed

stuff into each pepper half and bake in a 375 degree oven until the pepper is soft and the cheese has begun to lightly brown.  (I cooked mine for 15 min)

ENJOY!!!



Jello Jigglers

 This is the brand of gelatin that I use.  I order it on Amazon.  This is the only brand that I am aware of that is from grass fed cows.  Gelatin has protein in it and also has many beneficial properties that we should be consuming daily!  www.hollywoodhomestead.com  has lots of interesting info on gelatin and the benefits for you.

 Using juice such as this, is low in sugar and tart cherry has beneficial properties as well for reducing inflammation.  Juice that is not from concentrate is the best choice. 

I heat 1 cup of water to boiling and then remove from heat.  I then add 5 TBSP of gelatin sprinkled over the top and let dissolve.  Once it is dissolved, I add 2 cups of the juice and 1/2 cup of raw honey and whisk until combined.  Then I pour into a glass 8X8 casserole dish and put in the fridge until it is set up.  Cut into squares and eat!  Store in a container in the fridge!

Hummus

 When I get my veggies from my CSA at the farmers market, I always wash them and chop them up for easy access to the kids for lunches and snacks!  They love to dip them in hummus!

 I use organic garbanzo beans and drain about 1/2 the can, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1-2 garlic cloves, 1/8 cup raw sesame seeds, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin and salt to taste.  I put everything in my vitamix and blend until smooth.  You could use your blender or food processor also.

I portion out the hummus into individual serving size containers for lunches.  Also my kids double dip and this way they can double dip in their own container without contaminating anyone else's!

*adding a few roasted red peppers would also be a nice addition and a different flavor and color hummus!

Bacon Wrapped Veggie & Egg Muffins

I am once again embarking on another 21 day food challenge.  The one I did back in November was very successful for me in that I lost almost a whole 7% Body Fat.  Since then there was Thanksgiving, Christmas, a trip to Punta Cana, and well...I gained back 3% of that lost BF during that time.  Not too bad, but its quickly approaching time for bathing suit season, and I am challenging myself again to lower the BF 4% this time and tone up as well as lean out!  I am adding some new recipes, and also incorporating a workout program.  I will be following Jamie Eason's Live Fit Trainer which you can find for FREE at www.bodybuilding.com


Follow me on Instagram daily for exactly what I am eating.  If you didn't request it last time, I can still email you the original 21 day jump start diet plan if you are eager to get your body ready for swim suit season!  (@alicia_trotter is my instagram username, so come on aboard and follow along!)


Bacon Wrapped Veggie & Egg Muffins
6 eggs (farm fresh is best)
chopped broccoli (leftover steamed from dinner works well)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
6 pieces of bacon (nitrite free and uncured)
fresh basil chopped
salt and pepper to taste


Chop the veggies, this doesn't have to be done very small because we will be blending these in the blender with the eggs.  Sautee the veggies all but the tomatoes, and basil in 1 TBSP of coconut oil (buy this online at Vitacost.com )  Once the peppers are tender, remove from heat and add to blender.  Crack the 6 eggs into the blender, salt & pepper and puree the mixture.  Take the 6 pieces of bacon and on a microwave safe plate, lined with paper towels on top and bottom, cook only long enough to start the cooking process but still be plyable enough to curve inside the edge of the muffin cup.  (I did  3 min)
Grease the bottoms of the muffin tin with butter, coconut oil or bacon fat.  Wrap the outter edges of each muffin cup with one piece of bacon.  Then fill with egg mixture, and top with tomato pieces and basil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min until eggs are set.
(my computer is on the fritz, so for pictures of this recipe, see my instagram account!  Sorry for any inconvenience.)

Fried shrimp "pasta" Alfredo

Unfortunately I don't have a wonderful picture to show you my delicious dinner from tonight. We were so hungry that we scarfed it down so fast before I thought of it. Sorry about that, but I will share the recipe with you now!!!

Ingredients: 

Uncooked deveined and no tails frozen shrimp

Cashew meal

Gluten free all purpose flour

Plain unsweetened almond milk

Coconut oil

Heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup

4 TBSP butter

6 TBSP farmers cheese (it's the cheese like you get when you drip all the whey off yogurt) 

1tsp crushed garlic

Salt & pepper

Spaghetti squash

Directions: 

Take a knife and pierce the skin of the spaghetti squash about 4-6 times around the squash. Put it on a plate and microwave for about 15 min. You will know it's done when you can easily pierce the skin with a fork. Once it's done, cut in half long ways and let set to cool a bit. Once cooled some, scoop the seeds and pulp out and discard. Then take a fork and shred the "meaty" part of the inside into noodle like strings. Toss with butter and season with salt.

Dip thawed shrimp into gluten free flour first, then almond milk, then cashew meal and then add to a skillet of hot coconut oil. Cook till browned and flip and cook other side. You will have to do this in batches. Once cooked, remove to a paper towel lined plate. 

For the Alfredo sauce, melt butter over med low heat in a sauce pan. Once melted, add cream, and cheese. Stir to ,melt, then add garlic. Season to taste with salt & pepper. 

Serve squash "noodles" topped with shrimp and Alfredo sauce. Serve along side a salad!

Enjoy!

Grain Free Thanksgiving 2013

So I know that Thanksgiving is over and I'm just now posting pics of my menu, but these are also recipes you could serve for Christmas if you so desire!  Better late than never I say!  My sister and her family were gracious enough to host my entire family this year for Thanksgiving.  My family (husband & kids), my parents, and my aunt, her kids, and their families.  All together we had 21 people.  My sister is so understanding of our dietary needs and concerns, that she graciously agreed to let me plan most of the menu.  Together we shopped, prepped, cooked, ate, and cleaned up.  Thanks also to our parents who watched all the kids while we prepared the feast, and then gave us a date night too as a reward for our hard work.  I have an AWESOME family!

My sister & Me

So I just want to state up front that none of the recipes I cooked were originals, I found them all on line.  I will give credit to where I found them so that you may find and use them if you so desire.
Here is the line up:
Turkey, which my hubby deep fried in peanut oil.  He brined it in salt water for 24 hours, then dried it completely, then rubbed the whole thing down with spicy brown mustard, and then cooked it at 350 degrees oil temp for 4-5 min per pound.
Pork Tenderloin, was bought at Publix and it was pre-wrapped in bacon and seasoned Cajun.  We smoked it in an electric smoker.  Can't remember the times, but you can look it up on line if you are interested. That's what we did.

Dressing: Recipe from www.againstallgrain.com

Green Bean Casserole: Recipe from (Don't hate me but I cannot find the recipe!)

It was homemade cream of mushroom and mixed it with green beans, then battered in coconut flour and arrowroot powder and fried in coconut oil, onion rings.  Assemble as normal and bake at 350 for 30 min.  We used home canned green beans and drained the liquid.

 

Deviled Eggs: Recipe from deliciouspaleo.wordpress.com

 

Sweet Potato Casserole: Recipe from cupcakesomg.blogspot.com

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon: I just quartered them, tossed in bacon fat, and roasted in a 400 degree oven for 30 min.  Then topped with crumbled cooked bacon.

Dinner Rolls: Recipe from paleospirit.com (mine didn't rise like they usually do, because I kept opening the oven too much while they were baking.)

Apple Tartlets: Recipe from paleOMG.com (I also added dairy free caramel to the tops of mine.  Simply melt 1/2 can of coconut cream concentrate from Trader Joes and add 1/2 cup honey and a 1/2 tsp salt.  Then whip it until creamy and formed.  Store in Fridge!

Fruit Salad : Made by my sister.  Fresh fruit of your choice, covered in fresh pressed orange juice and topped with chopped pecans.

We also had some other items that were not grain free or Paleo friendly, so I did not include them here.  If you are looking for a good pumpkin pie recipe, I recommend everydaypaleo.com
Hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones as well!  ENJOY!

Italian breakfast

this morning I decided that I was in the mood for something a little different, so I looked in my fridge to see what I needed to get rid of and this is what I came up with:

ITALIAN BREAKFAST

1 can stewed tomatoes drained

1/2 small yellow onion chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

1/2 small zucchini diced

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms chopped

1 tsp oregano dried

1tsp thyme dried

1/2 tsp rosemary dried

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

2 eggs

1 Tbsp fat (I used ghee, bacon fat or coconut oil would be fine too)

In a oven safe skillet, melt the fat and sautée the onions and garlic till translucent.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Then add in the zucchini and mushrooms. Continue cooking till zucchini is tender, not mushy. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Stir to combine. Then make 2 holes in the veggies for the eggs. Crack your eggs into the holes. Place the entire skillet I'm the oven and bake about 5-8 min until the egg whites are set. Longer cook time will also cook the yolks if you prefer that. 

Serves 2

I also served mine with 2 slices of bacon. 

Challenge results

Today is day 22 and my results from the challenge are in.  

Before.                      After

117.5 lbs.                  112.5 lbs 

25% BF.                      18.7% BF

Goal was 10 inches.       8 3/4 inches

Inches lost were measured at chest, stomach, waist, hips, quads, and calves. I ate very strict but was never hungry. I worked out minimally and mainly did yoga. All of my meals are photograph posted on Instagram if you're curious. I am willing to help anyone who also wants to give their weight loss a jump start. I am currently helping 3 followers and would love to help more. This is not a diet, it is a lifestyle change for better health and better you! 

Many thanks to all who follow and read along! Blessings to you and yours this thankful season!