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Melissa-profile This is more than just a recipe blog. I am not a chef. I am not a nutritionist, dietitian, or anything else. I am a mom of a 4 year old daughter with celiac disease, wife of a Crossfit junkie, and healthy food lover. I love learning about and cooking new, healthy and delicious gluten free food. This is simply me sharing the ways I take care of my family by being aware and mindful of the food I feed them and as a result making lots of {Gluten Free Love} by Melissa.

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Chocolate Coconut Dream…

July 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Cold Coconut Fudge

Awww, chocolate  It makes you smile just saying it.  Unfortunate that it always has to be super unhealthy.  Well, not this time…Can you believe that this delectable dessert contains no flour, eggs, vegetable oil, butter, milk or sugar? It’s not even cooked.  In fact this cool treat is practically ice cream (without the cream). Trust me I tried this baby out on my handsome hubby, who is Mr. Choco-holic himself and he loved it! You see it all started when I my hubster’s cousin made this vegan RAW chocolate cake.  It was soooo good, except that my guy did not like the dates that seem to be in every raw dish, nor does he go for the tofu. So here’s what I came up with to make my chocolate love’n man happy and much healthier. Brownie points for me!  (pun intended)
P.S. my kids have inherited the chocolate loving bug as well and I don’t hesitate at all to give them a big helping of this…and an extra one for me too

First you’ll need a good blender or food processor.
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup agave nectar or wild honey

Blend until walnuts and agave stick together and look sort of like crumbs then add remaining ingredients one at a time.  Blending as you go until smooth and creamy.  You’re going for pudding consistency.

2 tbsp organic peanut butter (raw PB if you prefer)
1/4 agave nectar or wild honey (yes another 1/4 cup)
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 can coconut milk

Now you can freeze it by either pouring into an eight inch pan and top with coconut flakes for Cool Coconut Fudge, into a pie pan and call it Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie, or pour it into a plastic bowl, put the lid on and freeze for Chocolate Coconut Ice cream.  Scoop out with ice cream scoop and sprinkle with coconut flakes before serving.   Either way you need to let it hang out in the freezer for at least 3 hours.  I’ve even just put some in the fridge and called it Chocolate Coconut Pudding.  This stuff is so good and versatile that really whatever you can dream up, is what it is!  Store in refrigerator or freezer if by some chance you have left overs.

*Health wise there really is no comparison between your traditional fudge, brownies, or chocolate ice cream to this.  I’ve gone on about agave nectar before and love the fact that there’s no sugar rush after eating it.  I’ve also touted the benefits of avocados. So good for you.

* Organic, raw, unsweetened cocoa (cacao) is the “chocolate” you keep hearing about that’s so good for you.   According to studies, flavonoid rich cocoa (not the milk chocolate kind) can possibly improve health not only by lifting your mood, which any woman could have already told you, but by helping to keep arteries clean and the cardiovascular system running smooth.  It is also a great source of antioxidants which help fight off free radicals in the body, those that cause cancers to form.  http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=8326

*  Coconut has long been known by Pacific and Asian traditional medicine practitioners as a nearly cure-all food.  Now it seems that modern medicine is beginning to come to the same conclusion:  that coconut, it’s meat, milk, juice, and especially oil can cure all this:
“abscesses, asthma, baldness, bronchitis, bruises, burns, colds, constipation, cough, dropsy, dysentery, earache, fever, flu, gingivitis, gonorrhea, irregular or painful menstruation, jaundice, kidney stones, lice, malnutrition, nausea, rash, scabies, scurvy, skin infections, sore throat, swelling, syphilis, toothache, tuberculosis, tumors, typhoid, ulcers, upset stomach, weakness, and wounds.”
Read more on all the amazing benefits of coconut oil here.  It’s worth the read.

Filed Under: Paleo, Sweet Treats

Rosemary Hummus & snack platter

July 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Dsc

This is my kids favorite way to eat lunch.  Throw some food on a platter: pick, dip and eat!  I usually make this simple rosemary hummus to go along with the veggies and pita chips.  The fruit and cheese are just to round things out!

Rosemary Hummus:
1 can garbanzo beans (or any white beans you like), drained and rinsed
1 tbsp dried rosemary or 2-4 fresh rosemary sprigs, leafs stripped
1 clove garlic
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put everything but olive oil in food processor and blend for a minute.  Then add oil a little at a time, blending as you go until everything is incorporated.  Salt and pepper.  To kick it up a notch, use crushed red pepper flakes instead of black pepper. That’s it!  Serve with sliced celery, carrots, bell peppers, pita chips or tortilla chips.

* Beans kind of have it all.  Fiber, check.  Protein, check. Iron, vitamin B, antioxidants and other trace minerals.  Check.  Remember that obnoxious song you used to sing when you were a kid.  “Beans, beans, the magical fruit the more you eat. . .”  You probably know the rest, but as obnoxious as that song was it’s remarkably accurate It’s true that the more beans you eat “the better you feel. So let’s eat beans for every meal.” Enjoy!

Filed Under: Appetizer please, beans and things, Fun Fruits, Veggies and stuff

What’s the big deal anyway?

July 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Hope everyone had a fabulous fourth of July!  I made the yummiest shrimp shish-kabobs, took pictures and then accidentally deleted everything on my camera.  Great :-/ So I decided to let you in on some of the conversations I had this last weekend and some interesting things I keep thinking.
Obviously I’m a bit of a “health nut” (no surprise there).  I enjoy learning about and applying good nutrition and sharing that information with others.  However, I’ve found that some people just do not care what’s in the food they eat or why it’s good or bad, just as long as it tastes good.  So the question is, does it make one a “nut” if you do care?
I’ve read books and health journals that say more whole, organic foods, less meats and fats are the way to keep arteries clean, organs running properly, and lose or maintain a healthy weight.  But there is more to health than just what you eat (although its a major factor).  It’s also your stress levels.
Western society has been dubbed as overweight, unhealthy and overall sick!  Diseases like heart disease, cancer, obesity and its consequential diseases have all become rampant in America and other “developed” countries.  All this despite the fact that we have the best medical technologies and sanitation systems in the world.  Which makes me think that another culprit of American life is to blame.
National Geographic did a documentary on some ground breaking studies of stress and it’s effect on our health.  Its not just a mental thing, they said, its actually physiological.  That fight or flight response (the original stress) found in every living creature has been taken to a whole new level in our society.  Now instead of our heart racing only when we’re being chased by a hungry lion, we lie awake at night with our heart racing, mind working while we stress over family, money, work, school, global warming, whatever!
So how do we combat such illusive predators without adding to the stress.  Here’s some helpful suggestions:
* Limit your meat filled meals to 3 times a week.  You’ll save money and consequently increase your fiber, vitamins and mineral intake naturally.

Fruits and veggies are an essential part of a healthy diet, but many conventional varieties contain pesticide residues. 
And not all the pesticides used to kill bugs, grubs, or fungus on the farm washes off under the tap at home. Government tests show which fruits and vegetables, prepared typically at home, still have a pesticide residue.
You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by as much as 80% if you avoiding the most contaminated foods in the grocery store.
Here’s a quick list of the foods you want to buy organic and those you don’t: http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214
* Not all stress is bad. There is good stress.  The kind that comes from everyday living that keeps you motivated and progressing. The bad stress, the kind that raises blood preasure and weakens your immune system is what you want to deal with. There are lots of different ways to deal with stress and those ways can vary according to the individual.  So here are some general suggestions:
- focus on the positive
- turn stressful circumstances into a chance to develop confidence
- balance your emotions by taking a quiet minute 
Filed Under: Why Such a Health Nut?

Sweet Pork Barbacoa Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

June 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Barbacoa With Chipotle Ranch Dressing
If you’ve ever tasted the ecstasy that is Cafe Rio and their sweet pork barbacoa salad, you’ll know why I crave this…all the time.  I spent a considerable amount of time researching recipes, but I was surprised at the amount of variation (although they each claimed to be Cafe Rio’s recipe).  The best I found was from barbarabakes.com So this is me, mixing, matching and concocting and may I just say…so good!
1 – 3 to 4 lb. pork shoulder roast
salt and pepper
1 can coke (I used the real Mexican coke, made with real sugar-no diet)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped 
juice of 1 lime
Place roast in crock pot, salt and pepper.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over roast.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Pork should begin to shred at this point.  Make your dressing.
1 packet buttermilk ranch dry mix
1 cup mayo
3-4 tomatillos 
1-2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (awesome flavor, and these babies pack a punch)
1 can green chilies
1  clove garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
juice of 1 lime
(add 1/2-1 cup milk if you want to thin it out)
Puree in blender or food processor until smooth.  
Back to the pork, drain half of liquid from crock pot and add a spoonful or two of your dressing to the pork and remaining liquid.  Incorporate it into the meat as you shred it.  Put the lid back on and cook another 2 hours.
Assembly:
Melt some cheddar cheese onto a large flour tortilla.  Top with black beans or pinto, rice (I didn’t do rice in mine, but barbarabakes.com has a great recipe for that), chopped Romane lettuce, sweet pork barbacoa, green onions, avocados if you got em’, and a dollop of the chipotle ranch dressing. Drool…eat… ecstasy! 
* Did you know that spicy food is good for you?  Yep, apparently this compound called capsaicin found in chilies can fight cancer and in some cases actually kill cancer cells.  Eating spicy foods will also alleviate arthritis and psoriasis, chronic pain and a steady diet of this mouth burning goodness has been linked to a lessened risk of heart attacks and stroke.  So burn those tonsils and sweat on, cause it doesn’t just taste good…it’s good for you too.
Filed Under: Pork-tacular, Veggies and stuff

Aloha Mahi Mahi

June 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Aloha Mahi Mahi

It was 107 degrees in my desert home of St. George, Utah and I was dreaming of the beaches of Hawaii.  No, I haven’t actually been there, but a girl can dream can’t she?  In my dream I had fresh Mahi Mahi, cooked in a South Pacific inspired sweet and tangy sauce and topped with {homemade} pineapple salsa! At least part of my dream came true…

4 – 4 oz. Mahi Mahi fillets, patted dry with paper towel
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sesame seed oil

Preheat broiler.  Whisk together honey, lemon juice and soy sauce while oil heats up in a non-stick skillet.  Lightly salt and pepper fish and place in skillet.  With heat on high, pan sear each side until its nice caramel color (just a minute per side).  Don’t worry about cooking completely you’re going to put it in the oven.  Remove from skillet and place in baking dish.  Pour soy sauce mixture over top fish and broil for 3 minutes.   You should probably make this ahead of time so your not too rushed.
 pineapple salsa:

Pinapple Salsa

1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes & green chilies, liquid drained
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sprig cilantro, chopped (or substitute parsley if you not a cilantro fan)

Too easy right! Stir together all ingredients.  Don’t forget to drain the tomatoes otherwise it’ll be too runny.  Top fish fillets with a big scoop of salsa and return to oven for another 2 minutes.  (5 minutes total oven time for fish).

* If you’re not a huge fish eater then Mahi Mahi is the fish for you.  This is the least fishy fish you can find. “A quality Mahi Mahi steak or fillet can be identified by its relative odorlessness as well as by the texture of its flesh, which should give slightly when you press it with a finger, and should be moist to the touch.”
 Since Mahi Mahi is a fish, of course it’s going to be packed full of that all -around good for you omega-3 fatty acids, plus B vitamins and selenium which is another antioxidant cancer fighting nutrient. We like those. Just don’t go over board since, like tuna, it can contain some mercury.  So if your pregnant or nursing, limit your Mahi Mahi intake to once a week. 
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/mahi-mahi/



Filed Under: fish and friends, Paleo
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