PALEO INDIAN INSPIRED FRIED CAULI-RICE

Indian inspired fried cauli-rice can be served with so many different dishes!


I will get right to the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 Head cauliflower
2 chopped green onions
2 carrots peeled and sliced thin
2tbsp coconut oil for frying
2 tbsp tumeric  
1 tbsp cumin
1tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cardamom
salt
pepper

Instructions:

Chop cauliflower into small florets and add to food processor
Pulse until caulifower takes on a rice like appearance (about 2 mins)

In a large frying pan or wok melt coconut oil
Add the green onions and carrots, fry until tender
then add the riced cauliflower on medium high heat
stir in all spices and keep stirring!  

Fry until the riced cauliflower is just tender

Thats it!


  

PALEO TILAPIA CURRY!

I have really been craving indian inspired and flavoured foods lately!


I recently made my Paleo Butter Chicken Recipe and the other day I tried a paleo beef curry which I will share soon!  

But this was the first time I have attempted a fish curry.  I must say it turned out pretty darn well!!
A little spicy, buttery, and went really well with my Indian Inspired Fried Cauli-Rice!

This Curry recipe was easy to prepare and includes simple ingredients that you can find at any local grocery store.

Ingredients:

2 Fresh or Frozen Tilapia Fillets cut into chunks
5 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp medium curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
salt
pepper
2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup peeled and chopped rutabaga

4 canned plum tomatoes chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
coconut oil 


Instructions: 

In a large saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of coconut oil and add the carrots and onion to the pan
Fry for approx 5 minutes until carrots are starting to soften.
Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes
Add the vegetable broth, fish sauce, coconut milk, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper and stir well.
Bring to a boil and add the rutabaga and plum tomatoes
Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until rutabaga is tender
Add the tilapia chunks and simmer 10 minutes stirring often
Mix the arrowroot powder with a little water then pour into the curry and stir well.  Turn heat off and keep stirring until the curry thickens nicely.

Serve over my Indian Inspired Cauli-Rice!

 

 

 

PALEO PEACH AND BACON FRENCH TOAST BAKE

I must admit, I have been coming up with some pretty spectacular stuff lately! 


Peaches are everywhere!  I just love local fresh peaches, and peaches with bacon.....OMG.


After our trip to the local farmers market (2 bushells of peaches on hand), the kids and I were trying to think of the many ways we could enjoy these delicious fruits.  I thought.......baked peaches with carmelized peacans and coconut whip, grilled bacon wrapped peaches.....and then......my 13 year old said "can you put peaches on french toast"? Ummmmm ya!  After a couple of attempts I can now share this recipe:)


The recipe is very simple if you have pre-made paleo bread on hand.  I have tried a few different paleo bread recipes and this is the one I prefer the most for french toast from Living Healthy with Chocolate Here they use greek yogurt which I tolerate well in small quantities.  You could use any version of paleo bread that you wish.


Ingredients:

1 loaf paleo bread broken into large chunks
7 slices of cooked bacon chopped
6-8 peeled and sliced peaches
175ml full fat coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
5 eggs beaten
pinch of salt
a few drops of liquid organic stevia leaf extract (or any other natural sweetener)   I tried honey once and it worked well.

Instructions:
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Using coconut oil or grassfed butter, grease a 10 inch round baking dish.
In the baking dish combine the paleo bread loaf chunks and the chopped bacon
In a bowl combine the coconut milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and steivia or sweetner
Pour liquid mixture over the bread and bacon
cover with sliced peaches

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the batter has shrunk away slightly from the sides of the dish and the peaches look carmelized.

Drizzle with pure maple syrup!  

This would also be delicious with some mapled pecans on top.....


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW SURGEON, NEW HOPE, NEW ME!

After 3 months of anxiously waiting......I finally had my second opinion for breast reconstruction revision.


My appointment was with Dr. Toni Zhong, University Health Network breast clinic.  I met with her at the Princess Margaret Hospital site in Toronto, Ontario.  
My husband and I had been anticipating this moment for months.  I had so many emotions prior to meeting Dr. Zhong.  Anxiety, fear, eargerness, apprehension you name it.  Mainly, I was afraid that Dr. Zhong would take one look at me and say "this looks pretty good, you wont get much better than this". 


There are many options available to women for breast reconstruction around the world, but not all of these state of the art, new techniques are available here in Ontario through OHIP.  
Previous to this appointment, I had received opinions from two surgeons in the United States.   Both of these surgeons had suggested very similar treatment plans.  I wanted to have these outside non/OHIP based opinions prior to meeting Dr. Zhong so that I could ask Dr. Zhong the right questions, and compare her treatment plan (covered by OHIP) with the very expensive option of traveling to the USA for my reconstruction revision surgery.


As my wonderful husband and I took the train into Toronto to meet with Dr. Zhong, there was an awkward silence, yet an unquestionable feeling of being loved and supported.  I can't really explain it but it made me feel at ease.  The surgeon gave us a very realistic picture of what her reconstruction plan would look like.  She was candid, honest and empathetic.  She valued and understood the cosmetic appeal of breast reconstruction as a part of a woman's overall health and wellbeing ..something that other Canadian surgeons seem to have lost.

Her plan is to start over from scratch.  My current breast implants have been placed only partially under the muscle.  She said there are different techniques and that particular technique doesnt seem to be working for me.  She will remove my current implants, and replace them with expanders completely under the muscle.  I will attend her office for bi-weekly fills and roughly 4 months later she will swap out the expanders for permanent high profile implants.  Approximately 3 months after that she will perform nipple reconstruction and tattooing.  The whole process could take 6-8 months.  

She had all the right answers to my questions.  Including what type of bra to wear (she will have me sized at their boutique), what exercises to do, massage and she will be recommending a physiotherapist in the Toronto area.  This is when I was overcome with emotion.  All the questions that I had asked the previous surgeon, to which she really had no answers to were now answered.  By someone with clear knowledge, experience and confidence.   I broke down in tears in my husbands arms.  I felt so relieved, happy and angry all at the same time.  This experience has been so traumatic.  

The surgery will take place in early October.  Dr. Zhong will be using Alloderm to provide additional cushioning and support.  I will require extensive time off work to recover and most importantly to ensure that the transplanted Alloderm tissue is accepted by my body and has an opportunity to survive in my body.  This time around we will utilize all supports available to us through our extended benefits such as homecare, nursing care, physiotherapy and massage.  I don't care if this means I am taking the Go Train into Toronto 3 times per week.  This recovery will be ALL about me this time.  No family drama, no work drama, and no stress.  We now have a very good idea of what to expect and will be prepared!

Major Breast Reconstruction revision #2

Finally

Major Breast Reconstruction revision. 

After dealing with capsular contracture for 10 months and undergoing 2 capsulectomies, finally a second chance at reconstruction.

Removal of the cohesive gel implants and replacing them with high profile becker implants.  Recoval of the capsule or scar tissue surrounding the implants, and more fat grafting.

Most importantly the use of Alloderm accellular dermal matrix to create an internal bra to provide cushioning between the implants and my own tissue, in hopes of avoiding a third capsular contracture. 

I will start a prophylactic regimen of clindamycin and accolate.  Clindamycin to help avoid any bacterial infection and accolate has been proven to be effective against the body over developing scar tissue. 

I have gained back some weight, which was very important for successful fat transfer from my abdominal area to my breast area.  Good abdominal fat in sufficient quantities, is a crucial part of this process.  I have learned this lesson the hard way.  Without adequate amounts of fat cusioning the implants and the use of alloderm, my body will develop scar tissue and form a hard capsule again.

This recovery will be lengthy, 12
weeks of no work, no lifting, no physical activity, no bounce of any kind. 

I have enlisted the help of a nurse for daily bathing, dressing etc along with physiotherapy, and massage.   

We are much better prepared for major surgery this time around.  We have realistic expectations.   We know that I need a great deal of help.  I am not able to do anything.  I cant be reaching into a washing machine or dryer.  I cant be reaching up to get a plate or bowl from the kitchen cupboard.  I can't be vacuuming or cooking meals.  

We have also enlisted the help of a personal support worker.  This means exhausting whatever benefits are available to us through our extended health coverage.  Unfortunately I dont have family living close by, and any family I do have are very busy caring for their own little ones.  

But we are prepared this time and I am determined to have a successful recovery.  This has to be the last time.  My life needs to move forward, our lives need to move on.

When we embarked on this journey, I never imagined that this would be a 2 year process. 

 However surprisingly,  I have become quite comfortable with my breasts as they are.  I really hope that the capsular contracture will successfully be eliminated and my pain and discomfort will subside, but if this is not successful, I am okay with that.  I am proud of who I am and the decisions I have made. 

ITS FIDDLEHEAD SEASON!

Okay, so fiddleheads are simply the best vegetable known to mankind.  If you havent tried these little darlings, then you havent lived.


You can find fiddleheads growing in Southern Ontario along side brooks and creeks.  They like shade and moisture.  The fiddlehead season is very very short lasting sometimes only one week!  


My dad started taking us fiddlehead picking from the time we were able to walk.  We have a secret spot that I CAN NOT share with you!  Lucky for me it is actually on my way to work.  This allows me the ability to pop in regularly to check and see if the little darlings are peaking up through the ground.  You have to nab them right away or you will miss the season.  When we were younger we would go day after day to pick as many bags of fiddleheads as we could until the season dried up.  
I am talking about literally 50lbs of fiddleheads lol.  We ate them daily and my Dad would blanch them and freeze them using one of those wrapping machines that sucks the air out of the packages so that we could enjoy them all year long. 


When you pick fiddleheads, they have a thin brown film covering them that you want to try and remove prior to cooking.  This is not an easy task!  Especially with that many fiddleheads.  My dad would get a blanket and lay it out on a picnic table.  He would then spread the freshly picked fiddleheads out all over the blanket.  They 1 person would grab one end of the blanket by the corners and he would grab the other end of the blanket and we would pick up the blanket and use it to toss the fiddlehead up into the air and then catch them again on the blanket.  If we were lucky enough to have a nice breeze, the thin brown covering would blow off of the fiddleheads!


Then we would bring them all in to the laundry room sink and rinse them really well. 

It is really important that fiddleheads are cooked well.  They can not be eaten raw!  Here is a great link to some information that Health Canada posted for fiddlehead eaters! Fiddlehead Safety Tips 

I love fiddleheads cooked two ways:

for both methods I always boil them first for about 10-12 minutes.

The first is sauteed in a frying pan for about 8 minutes with lots of butter and salt.

The second is BBQ using one of those bbq vegetable trays.  I toss them first in some EVOO and then bbq them about 10 minutes.  Then I toss them again in butter, fresh dill, garlic and sea salt. Yummm!!

This is a great website that provides plenty of nutritional information about fiddleheads http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/fiddlehead-ferns.html 

PALEO ish BUFFALO CHICKEN MEATBALL SLIDERS!

These meatball sliders will please everyone! Not just paleo critics!  Trust me I know:) I served them to my entire gang last night and the response was......"Can we have these in our lunch tomorrow?"

Now, if you have been following my blog you know that I have a very difficult family to please!  So as usual I modified this recipe slightly for hubby and the boys and modified it slightly again for my daughter.  Most people do not have to go through all of this extra work but I really don't mind.  And, I see it as getting them one step closer to healthy!


I call this recipe Paleoish simply because I do allow myself some cheese once in a while and I use Franks Red Hot.  I am lactose intolerant but can handle goat cheese in moderation without any side effects.  Normally I use Daiya Cheese in all of my dishes but from time to time I treat myself with some goat cheese.  Goat cheese has come a long way since I was a kid and my Grandmother was always trying to convince us to try it.  Now there are so many varieties of goat cheese flavours, it is so smooth and creamy as well.  For this recipe I made a Goat Blue Cheese Aioli to serve with my Paleo Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.  Hence the "Paleo ish"  You could substitute the Goat Blue Cheese in the Aioli for a nice cilantro Aioli.


These meatballs could be made ahead, and refrigerated until you are ready to serve them.  I have served my meatballs as sliders on Beet Buns with a Goat Blue Cheese Aioli , but you could serve them alone with toothpicks and have the dip on the side as a delicious Hors d'oeuvre at your next back yard bbq.


The recipe is easy to follow and the prep/cook time is minimal.  It took me a total of 45mins from prep to plate but I move Fast!  I am super organized and can multitask well.  For some it may take closer to 1 hour.  That is why making the meatballs in advance and freezing or refrigerating works wonders.


Ingredients:

2lbs pasture chicken thigh meat
1 egg
1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
3 organic green onions sliced thin
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Dill
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup franks Red Hot Sauce plus 1/4 cup in a separate small bowl
2 organic Jalapeno peppers diced (Optional, we like it hot!)
2 large organic beets
EVOO
1tbsp grassfed butter

Find my Goat Blue Cheese Aioli Recipe


Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

For the Beet Buns:

• Wash and slice your beets, you want each slice to be about 1/8 inch thick.  If they are too thin they will crumble and if they are too thick they will take too long to cook.
• Place the beet slices on a non-stick baking sheet or use a non-stick cooking spray
• Brush each beet slice on both sides with EVOO and sprinkle each side with Kosher Salt.  Kosher Salt is important because it gives the beets a nice crust that sea salt does not.  And it has a wonderful flavor!
• Bake in the oven turning once for approx 35 minutes.  you want them to be firm and just starting to brown.  I leave my beet slices in the oven the entire time that my meatballs are cooking.  The timing seems to be perfect!

For the Meatballs:

• Trim all visible fat from your chicken thigh meat
• Using your food processor, grind the chicken thighs (You could use store bought ground chicken meat but I find the meat balls a little dry this way.  You may want to add another egg and cut back on the almond meal if you choose to use the store bought ground chicken)
• In a large bowl using your hands, mix together the ground chicken thighs with all other ingredients except the Jalapeno peppers and the Franks Red Hot.

•  This is where I modified some meatballs slightly for my 7 year old daughter who doesn't like anything spicy.  At this point I separated enough of the chicken mixture to make her 4 large meatballs without the Jalapenos and Hot Sauce.  If you Dont want to make a few meatballs that are not spicy skip this step!

• Then add your Jalapeno peppers and Franks Redhot Sauce and mix well using your hands.
• You will notice that this chicken mixture is gooier and stickier than your typical meatball mixture that contains bread crumbs.  This is perfectly fine, its just a little trickier to form perfect round balls, so I don't stress out about it.  They still look fabulous.
• Wash hands well with antibacterial soap, and use hands to form round meatballs about the size of a small plum.  I find it helps to keep my hands moistened with a little water during this process to help keep the chicken mixture from sticking.
• Place the meatballs on a non-stick baking sheet or you may want to use some non-stick cooking spray.  There isn't a lot of fat in these meatballs so they will stick to the pan if you don't.
• Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes turning them a couple of times.
• In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of franks redhot with 1 tbsp melted grassfed butter and drizzle some of this buffalo sauce over each meatball

Serve the meatballs between the beet buns topped with my Goat Blue Cheese Aioli along with a side of Fiddleheads !

To please my munchkins, I served the meatballs on fresh slider buns and topped them with shredded cheddar cheese instead of the Goat Blue Cheese Aioli.  They were a huge hit!

GOAT BLUE CHEESE AIOLI!

This is a very simple easy recipe for a Goat Blue Cheese Aioli.  

I am aware that some do not consider dairy to be paleo.  However, I follow a paleo lifestyle for health reasons not because I am following a trend or fad.  I am casein and lactose intolerant.  I can tolerate goat milk cheese in moderation and therefore choose to include this as a part of my paleo lifestyle.

I was going through the effort of making my own paleo dairy free mayo, until I came across this product which is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and non-GMO. Follow Your Heart Veganaise .  I use this in many of my dips and dressings.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Creamy Goat Milk Blue Cheese 
1/2 cup of Follow Your Heart Veganaise or Homemade Paleo Mayo
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions:

• Mix everything together in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve this aioli over my Paleo ish Buffalo Meatball Sliders

vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-gmo, soy-free

(vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-gmo, soy-free) - See more at: http://followyourheart.com/products/soy-free-3#sthash.GDa4GeR4.dpuf

(vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-gmo, soy-free) - See more at: http://followyourheart.com/products/soy-free-3#sthash.GDa4GeR4.dpuf

PALEO COCONUT CARROT LEEK SOUP!

Spring has sprung!  Time to enjoy some of the freshest flavors of the season!  This soup is so creamy and smooth!  It has a light coconut taste that does not over power the flavor of the carrots and leeks.  

I am officially soup obsessed.  I love hot soups and even cold soups or gazpacho this time of year!

This soup satisfied the toughest critics, my kids! There can't be any large chunks of vegetables or over-bearing flavors.  Everything has to blend perfectly and each spice has to compliment one another.

The soup is very simple to make with just a few fresh ingredients.  Total prep time 15 mins and total cook  time is 15 mins.  I divide my batch of soup evenly into glass storage  bowls and freeze them for my lunches.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coconut milk
2lbs organic carrots rough chopped 
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 dried bay leafs
3 tbsp grassfed butter
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 large organic wild leek chopped whites and light green part only
2 cloves minced garlic
4 cups organic chicken broth
1/2 cup water
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Instructions:

• In a large stock pot over medium heat add the butter, leeks, onion and garlic and saute until tender
• Turn up the heat, add the chicken broth and carrots and bring to a boil then reduce back to medium heat
• Add the bay leaves. thyme sprigs. and 1/2 cup water and continue to heat until the carrots are tender (about 15 mins)
• When the carrots are tender, discard the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme
• Add the coconut milk and stir
• Remove from heat and allow the soup to cool

Transfer in batches to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth

Garnish with fresh basil and serve!






                                                                                                                 

BBQ GREEN BEANS AND MUSHROOMS WITH A GARLIC BUTTER DILL SAUCE

It's that time of year again when the farmers markets are beginning!  My favorite time of year.  Nothing beats fresh local Ontario produce! 

If you haven't noticed, from April to December, I prefer to cook everything I possibly can on the BBQ.  Everything just tastes better that way!  Vegetables are firm and crisp and retain all of their delicious flavour.  

This recipe is terrific and can be served along side anything!  I chose to pair my green beans and mushrooms with a tossed garden salad and bbq'd chorizo sausage.

The beauty is the prep time which is about 5 minutes and the cooking time which is about 8 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 large handfuls of fresh washed green beans
2 cups of whole washed button mushrooms
EVOO
Kosher Salt
1/2 cup fresh chopped dill
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp grassfed butter

Instructions:

• In a large mixing bowl, toss the green beans and mushrooms in EVOO, just enough to coat (approx 2 tsp)
• In a separate small bowl melt the butter, then add the dill, garlic, kosher salt (to taste, I used 1/2tsp) and mix together well
• Then place the green beans and mushrooms on one of those bbq pans (you know the ones with the holes in the bottom)
• BBQ for approx 8 mins stirring often
• Remove the vegetables from the bbq and place in a the large mixing bowl.  
• Drizzle in the garlic butter dill sauce and coat well, serve on a platter!