cauliflower mashed "potatoes"

It's fall. Comfort food is a must. Compromising your health is not.

I love taking traditional comfort food favorites and putting my own healthy spin on them! These mashed "potatoes" are all the deliciousness of regular mashed potatoes and none of the digestive disaster - especially for all you fellow gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free peeps out there. 

I know I joke about my diet being "fun free" as well, but really - with simple substitutions - it doesn't have to be. You can have your cake and eat it, too! Or should I say your potatoes :)

Without further ado, I present to you:

cauliflower mashed "potatoes"

what you need:

- 1 head cauliflower

- 1 onion

- few cloves garlic

- chicken broth (or veggie broth)

- coconut oil (or olive oil)

- salt, pepper, dried (or fresh) herbs

what to do:

- rinse cauliflower

- chop (can be messy/doesn't have to look pretty)

- place cauliflower into pan

- add some broth

- cover with lid

- simmer on medium-low heat until cauliflower is soft

- meanwhile, chop onion and garlic

 - add to pan with coconut oil, salt and pepper

- sautee until golden brown

(You will probably use about half of these with your cauliflower. I usually serve the other half with another part of the meal - on top of a burger, etc.)

- place cauliflower & sauteed onion/garlic (about half) into your Vitamix (or blender/food processor)

- add a splash more broth (you can eyeball this. adding more as needed - depending on how thick you like them)

- season to your liking with salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice (I like a little oregano, thyme, and even some rosemary)

- blend

- serve

- let this warm, wintery goodness warm your heart and soul

Happy fall y'all! - M

chocolate macaroons

If you like coconut and if you like chocolate, then you will LOVE these gluten-free, dairy-free, guilt-free chocolate macaroons!

chocolate macaroons

They are super quick and easy to make. You only need 5 ingredients:

1. shredded coconut (1 cup)

2. cacao powder (5 T)

3. coconut oil (1/4 cup)

4. maple syrup (1 T)

5. vanilla (1 t)

Blend all the ingredients together. I use a Vitamix - the stick that pushes the ingredients down comes in handy when making recipes such as this one as the "dough" is pretty thick.

Then, using your tablespoon, scoop out "half circles" of the dough mixture. Press the dough firmly into the tablespoon to solidify, then gently slide it out (and quickly - coconut oil tends to "melt" pretty fast).

Place the "half circles" onto parchment paper and store in the fridge for an hour or so until they harden. At that point you can remove your macaroons from the parchment paper and store them in an air tight glass tupperware container for best keeping. They should last about a week in the fridge!

Indulge. Share. Enjoy!

simply guacamole.

I'm a Texas girl. I love me some guacamole. There's nothin' like fresh table-side-made (you know what I mean) guacamole from a great Mexican food restaurant. But it's just as delicious and easy to make at home! 

Here's my easy homemade guac recipe:

simply guacamole.

ingredients:

-avocados

-limes

-salsa

-dried herbs

instructions:

wash and dry avocados and limes.

slice and dice avocados.

squeeze lime juice onto avocado.

(I use a 1:1 avocado/lime ratio)

cover with salsa of your choice.

sprinkle herbs of your choice.

(I use pepper, dill, and oregano)

using a knife and fork, slice and dice mixture (I prefer this to mashing it) until it reaches your desired consistency.

garnish with lime.

simple. fresh. easy. healthy.

enjoy!

apricots with coconut butter and cinnamon

So, it's Monday. I don't know about you, but on a Monday - and a Monday after a holiday weekend no less - sometimes I need a little something sweet to brighten my day...  or bright to sweeten my day. See what I did there?

There's nothing better than fresh fruit from the farmer's market in the summer. Okay, so I didn't actually make it to the farmer's market. I got these apricots at Trader Joe's. Sue me. But hey - they are organic.

Anyway, I just randomly concocted this sweet, simple, summer snack and wanted to share! So without further ado...

apricots with coconut butter and cinnamon.

ingredients:

- apricots

- artisana coconut butter (Whole Foods carries this)

- ground cinnamon

instructions:

 wash and dry apricots.

 slice apricots in half.

 remove the pits/seeds.

 fill centers with artisana coconut butter.
(please do not ruin my concoction and use any other coconut butter. okay, thanks :) once you taste this little dollop of heaven, you'll know why.)

sprinkle with cinnamon.

and voila!

a sweet, simple, savory, summer snack.

 enjoy!

chocolate chip cookies: gluten-free, dairy-free

I am constantly trying to find great gluten free, dairy free desserts. These chocolate chip cookies - which are both of those things - are so incredibly delicious, and so quick and easy to make!

They are courtesy of Elana's Pantry. Check out her website - she has some amazing recipes for all sorts of foods and for all sorts of dietary restrictions!

gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chip cookies

ingredients:
(makes 24 cookies; I usually cut this in half to make 12!)
2 1/2 c. almond meal/flour
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 c. agave nectar (you can mix in a little honey here as well)
1 c. chocolate chunks (Whole Foods carries this Enjoy Life brand that I love)

instructions:
1. put dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl (I whisk them together with a fork)
3. mix wet ingredients into dry (again, whisking with a fork)
4. form 1/2 - 1 inch balls and press onto parchment paper lined baking sheet
5. bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes

Trust me, you will not miss the gluten or the dairy of traditional chocolate chip cookies. In fact, I challenge you to a taste test to see which you prefer. Yes... They are that good.

And the best perk? Since there are no eggs, you can safely eat as much dough as you want... which, trust me, you will want to do.

Enjoy!

vanilla bean coconut ice cream with carob powder

I just came up with the most simple, delicious concoction.

vanilla bean coconut ice cream with carob powder

I'm not a huge fan of vanilla ice cream, but my boyfriend had bought me some. So, I decided to get creative and try some toppings.

mashed sweet potatoes

So I pretty much just made up this recipe. I love sweet potatoes in every form, so I decided to experiment with making mashed sweet potatoes! Not only did they turn out so delicious, they are super hell so healthy, and so easy to make!

mashed sweet potatoes

ingredients:

• sweet potatoes
• salt, pepper
• garlic powder
• coconut milk

basil chicken, roasted carrots, and raw zucchini "noodle" salad

I am all about quick, healthy dinners. Everything I make is gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, and I always buy organic when I can. Sometimes if I go to Trader Joe's, I will literally walk through and just get whatever they have that is organic and make it work for dinner! That's what I did this week.

basil chicken, roasted carrots, and raw zucchini "noodle" salad

This is what I came up with. Not gonna lie - I pretty much just make up recipes as I go! Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. This one did!

vegan chocolate smoothie

So, my first recipe post on this blog was for my original chocolate protein shake. I have since learned that whey protein is full of dairy, and dairy is not great for me. (It is also not great for a lot of people, although they may not even know it.)

Since I have been on this journey of healing, I have drastically changed my diet. Turns out all the dairy I was consuming was completely depleting my immune system. So, no more dairy for me.

But I couldn't give up my favorite way to start the day! I know, super cheesy, but I really am obsessed with these.

coconut chips

Coconut water, coconut milk, coconut sugar, coconut flour, coconut flakes.

There is no shortage of coconut products out there these days, and they are a great alternative for the gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan conscious!

One of my favorite things to make are coconut chips. They are delicious by themselves, but you can also use them as a topper on a variety of other foods such as salads, sweet potatoes, and smoothies. And depending on how you flavor them, they can either be a salty or sweet snack!

Of course there are a variety of brands of coconut chips you can buy in the store, but I like to make my own. It's cheaper and healthier. Here's how I make mine:

toasted cinnamon-sugar coconut flakes

1. You only need four ingredients:
coconut flakes, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, and sea salt.