A tray here, a tray there

Wowwwww, where do the months go? Oh! I know. They go into other projects, don’t you see? No? The podcast has been getting my attention, as has Beautycounter (and I just did a write up on my business here!), and recipes have been on the back burner (literally and figuratively). I’m still rocking my air fryer game. The air fryer has been a major source of straight up F-U-N for me in the kitchen. This is something I didn’t even realize I needed! Another source of fun? Who knew adults needed that!!

Want to know about an additional source of kitchen fun for me? The delicious, the easy, the wonderful–sheet tray bake! One tray, one girl, one oven. Don’t get weird about it, just tray with me and call it good.

Neither here nor there

I love being transparent on here, I think that’s the beauty of blogging that made it so darn popular in the first place 15+ years ago. So here is my transparency: my business is growing! Partially in that cute, “omg! wow where does this come from it’s all so eAsY!!!” sort of way but also partially in that “omg!! I am sinking in a boat with my floaties on and what am I doing!!!” way. Ya catch me? I’m upleveling, shifting, sorting, doing the kinds of things that make the box of comfort seem so, so far away.

And it’s awesome! But since it’s still just me around here, that means a calendar full of recipes turns into “I’ll share the recipes that I really want to get out into the world when I can”. You should see all the recipes that I took OFF the calendar to clear up room for the new projects!

Anyway. Don’t worry, I cannot… not… make and photograph recipes. It puts me in this space of calm that feels integral to my personality. Like, it’s needed. But it’s less my job and more my fun, you know?

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Sheet Tray Italian Chicken Sausage Bake

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 pound mild or hot ground Italian chicken sausage
• 1 pound 4-5 small to medium sized new potatoes, cut into quarter wedges
• 1 medium bell pepper seeds and top removed and sliced into 1 inch thick strips
• 1 medium red or yellow onion sliced in half and sliced into wedges
• 1 bulb fresh fennel tops and stalks chopped off (save some of the feathery greens for garnish!), sliced in half and then cut into wedges
• 1 medium lemon sliced into rounds
• 1 head garlic sliced in half horizontally
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed or coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• olive oil for drizzling about 1/4 cup total

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400.
• On a large baking tray, combine the potatoes, onion, fennel, garlic halves and lemon slices. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Season with the fennel seeds, sea salt and black pepper.
• Place the dressed vegetables into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, split the chicken sausage meat in half, then split each half again. From each quarter, roll out three meatballs, for a total of 12 meatballs.
• After the initial 20 minutes, take the sheet tray out, toss the vegetables around a little bit, then snuggle the meatballs onto the tray. Try to get them to touch the tray itself so they all cook evenly. Bake for another 20 minutes.
• After these 20 minutes, take the sheet tray out, turn the oven to broil, adjust your baking rack so it’s at its highest level and place the tray back into the oven to broil for 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on at this time! You’re looking to brown the potatoes and meatballs specifically.
• Take the tray out and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fennel frond, extra olive oil if needed and even a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you like!

On being turned up and tuned in…

This is what Appetite Autonomy is all about. That you, really, TRULY, can eat whatever you desire. And that you, really, TRULY, get to desire whichever foods you want. This may include granola you made at home. Though perhaps it includes granola you buy at the store. Maybe you do less of the food shopping and it’s your partner who does it instead. Or, you live at home with your parents, or with friends. Possibly the most liberating part of food is that you decide, week to week, how you desire to crunch, taste and texture your mouth.

Possibly not.

Anything else? Well… that just isn’t a liberatory food experience. And if you aren’t eating for liberation, if you aren’t eating for yourself… who are you eating for? And can THAT be liberatory? It can sound like someone is talking in circles, but that’s the point. No one can decide what does or doesn’t work for you as an adult. So let’s make our own decisions and rock them. In an air fryer or not.

PS: never used an air fryer before? This is the one I love!

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Air Fryer Gluten-free Granola

Don’t have these exact nuts and seeds? Use what you have! Consider this your granola template. To make this granola grain-free, omit the oats and add another 1 and 1/2 cups of nuts and seeds in its place.

Course Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats gluten-free
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup almonds chopped
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon I LOVE Penzey’s!
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or your favorite dried fruit or granola additions (flaked coconut, chocolate chips, etc.)

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 250 degrees.
• Combine all ingredients except the cranberries in a large bowl—mix to combine evenly.
• Place the granola mixture in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
• When finished, take the warm granola and lay it out on a baking sheet or wooden cutting board (or clean countertop works, too!). Mix in the cranberries, or any other additions, at this point.
• Allow to dry until room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Store in airtight containers.

Where there’s a Will…

There’s a Smith. GET IT?! It’s my favorite joke. I’ve mentioned it before. It holds true, through the ends of time.

Unlike the air fryer. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s really cool. But did anyone else feel like this new cooking contraption came out of nowhere into total popularity? Regardless, I’m totally digging cooking with it. I have a version with a nonstick basket so, I don’t like that part, and so far there’s only one brand that I can find which has a stainless steel basket… and it’s an expensive one. I figured I would dip my toes in for a few months, see what I think, and then upgrade if need be.

Do you use an air fryer? What do you think?

Basically…

Basically, the air fryer is a countertop convection oven. I didn’t fully understand that until I bought one! Iit cooks your foods really quickly using close, high heat and air circulation. It leaves all of the mess inside, and is wicked fast AND easy to clean. Even though I just cook for myself and one other person sometimes, I am so game for this style of cooking. Like, c’mon.

Honestly, though. The last few months? I wasn’t stoked to cook. I felt like everything was too routine. And anything fun I wanted to cook weren’t the foods that fully nourish me. Because again… on this blog, I EAT the recipes I make! So sweets come in here and there, but round after round of baking? It doesn’t feel good for me, economically or gastrointestin…ally.

Time to shine, sprouts!

So here’s my ode to two VERY popular ingredients, tahini (sesame seed butter) and Brussels sprouts (the crucifer darling of the late 2010s.) I hope you enjoy, and air fry, or, bake in the oven.

Will Smith would be proud of both–I’m sure!

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Air Fryer Tahini Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasting veggies with tahini means the sesame seed butter creates a crispy coating that is SO tasty! You've never had anything like these before. Don't have an air fryer? I've got you covered!

Course Side Dish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 2 pounds brussels sprouts ends cut off and sliced down the middle
• 2 tablespoons tahini (tahini is sesame seed butter)
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari (tamari is gluten-free soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lime juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove minced or grated
• 1/2 inch knob of ginger minced or grated

Garnishes

• cilantro leaves
• sliced jalapeno
• lime wedges
• toasted sesame oil

Instructions

• For the Air Fryer, preheat to 360 (for the standard oven option, preheat to 400 degrees).
• Combine all ingredients except the brussels sprouts in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Stir the cut brussels sprouts into the dressing and mix until each sprout is evenly coated.
• Spread the brussels sprouts evenly into the Air Fryer basket (or a metal baking tray for the standard oven) and air fry for 12 minutes, taking the basket out halfway through to toss and flip the sprouts. (for the conventional oven, bake for 22-25 minutes, also taking the tray out to shake the sprouts around halfway through).
• Once finished, plate the fried brussels sprouts in a bowl to serve, and garnish with cilantro leaves, sliced jalapenos, extra lime juice and toasted sesame oil.

Grain-free, eh?

Yep. I’m someone who is grain minimal. I consider myself… grain informed, if you will. So anytime I make a recipe that doesn’t even need a HINT of grains, I’m down! Which is why these Valentine’s Day molten lava cakes are just so dang fun. Beside the chocolate and lava-like nature of the molten center.

You catch my drift!

Air fry, air fry…

I’ve actually totally fallen in love with my air fryer. I finally bit the bullet last week and ordered one (this air fryer, specifically) and have been having a blast trying out different recipes with it. Do you have one? What do you think? They’re really just super high powdered convection ovens, turns out. My main objection while buying was that I wasn’t able to find one that didn’t have a teflon or coated-surface basket. If you know a good brand, leave me a comment, will ya?

Why do I care about teflon or non-stick coated bakeware? This blog post sums it up pretty well (yes, it’s not a scholarly journal. Yes, it’s easy to read and understand.) I just want to minimize my exposure to any material that hasn’t been proven over time. Glass? Fine. Most ceramics? Fine. Stainless steel? Fine. Coated surfaces? No thanks. Plastics? Nah.

SO. My air fryer adventures are fun, but the exposure idea is still in the back of my head. WHICH IS WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE! Because the molten lava cakes are cooked in small ramekins or half-pint mason jars. Win, win, win!

Do you cook in an air fryer? What do you think so far? It’s totally a trend and it’s super fun! It feel like the Instant Pot craze from a few years ago!

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Grain-free Molten Lava Cakes (Air Fryer)

These molten lava cakes come together really quickly and bake in your new favorite countertop convection oven, the air fryer! Make these for valentine's day, garnished with fresh raspberries, mint leaves and some dollops of coconut cream. YUM.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips I like dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup butter I like grass-fed
• 2 eggs I like pasture-raised
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar I like organic cane sugar, but honey and maple syrup work, too
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• dash of sea salt
• cocoa powder and butter for two small ramekins/half pint small mason jars

Instructions

• Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees.
• Prepare your small ramekins by buttering the inside and then placing a small amount of cocoa powder inside to stick to all of the buttered surfaces. Tip the ramekins over in the sink to allow any excess cocoa powder to fall out. Set aside.
• In a small microwavable safe bowl OR in a double-boiler (pyrex or metal bowl set over a pot with a small amount of boiling water in the bottom), gently melt the chocolate chips and butter together. Mix to combine and set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until evenly blended. Then, whisk in the coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt.
• Finally, whisk in the melted butter and chocolate chip mixture into the flour, eggs and sugar until evenly combined.
• Divide the batter between the two prepared ramekins and place in the air fryer.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• When done baking, take the ramekins out of the air fryer and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes. When cooled, gently run a knife along the edges of the cakes so they'll release! Place your serving plate over each ramekin and flip them (you're serving them upside down!).
• Garnish with raspberries, mint leaves and perhaps a dollop of coconut cream. YUM!

Notes

*Don't have an Air Fryer? Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, then bake these for 8-10 minutes. 8 minutes will yield a gooey center!

We so often hear about why stress is bad. Stress is toxic! Stress will give you a heart attack! Stress is the burden you’ll never, ever be able to shake. Ok, yes. Stress can do all of those things and more, but to liberate yourself from the box of “all stress is bad stress”… you first have to learn why some stress is GOOD stress. Like, what does stress offer us? How can we understand the signals in our bodies when we are feeling stressed? Basically, if you’ve ever felt stressed out before or GUILTY for feeling stressed out–this is the episode for you!

Shownotes

Appetite Autonomy

Essential Omnivore Recipes

Brianna Firestone is the founder of The School of Betty, a platform that teaches women how to manage their money, time, and energy so they can build financial freedom, lessens stress and live a badass life. Brianna’s expert advice has been featured in: Mind Body Green, The Financial Diet, Reader’s Digest, Business Insider, Reign, 5280 and on the popular lifestyle blog and podcast, PaleOMG & PaleOMG Uncensored. Listen along with my amazing conversation with Brianna to learn SO MUCH about how your finances affect your health, how your mindset around money needs a serious (and loving) overhaul, and how the heck you can do it! Because guess what–you totally can!! You can find Brianna at www.theschoolofbetty.com or on Instagram at @theschoolofbetty.

Shownotes:

The School of Betty

Follow Brianna on IG!

PaleOMG Uncensored Episode 74

The School of Betty x PaleOMG

The Financial Diet x Brianna Firestone

EO Podcast Episode Achieves

Freeze, please.

Now then. A pea pesto may appear to be a spring recipe. Those fresh peas, straight from the farmer’s market? The delightful one you walk to as soon as the weather permits and the ground erupts with new growth? Yes, yes. I like those too!

But, what do we do when the only thing that’s erupting is the sky and it’s dropping snow down on us? Or, like here in Portland, it’s torrents of rain? I’ll tell you what I do–I open the freezer.

Melt my heart.

The freezer holds a special place in my heart, you see. Maybe because they’re both icy (I kid, I kid…). The freezer, to me, is the utmost in utilitarian kindness. Think of the possibilities of what you can feed yourself from the freezer at ANY time: meats! Fruits! Baked goods! And of course, frozen vegetables. One of my most cherished frozen veggies is the green pea, too. From age five to age 29, peas and I are still buddies. Two peas in a pod, dare I say.

Ok, keep reading.

The frozen green pea is one of my freezer heroes because it can be turned into options like this Green Pea Pesto. Nothing fancy, totally green and nutrient-packed and you decide what you load it up on. Seen here are some gluten-free noodles, the pesto and small tomatoes I had around the kitchen. But you could slice and toast French bread and offer a schmear of pesto atop, too. You could take sliced crunchy veggies and dip them straight in. Maybe you’d even finish a tray of roasted vegetables or a baked potato with dollops of the pesto.

Let it amuse you, this savior of the freezer.

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Green Pea Pesto

Course Side Dish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup parsley leaves roughly chopped (you may also use basil if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon about 2 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted and cooled
• 2 cloves garlic finely grated or minced
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/8 th teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a food processor.
• Pulse to combine, allowing the pesto to be a more coarse texture or smoother paste depending on your preference.

Now that we’re a few weeks into the new year, maybe you’re over the New Year, New You vibes. I know I am! And at the same time, I am definitely holding space for the growth in my life that inevitably occurs during the month of January. The days are getting longer, the holidays are behind us, there’s a new quarter and we can map out each month of our lives for the next year if we desire. On the show I discuss our ability to observe how and why we choose intentions–and what to do to make sure yours are here to serve you in 2019!

Shownotes:

EssentialOmnivore.com

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Detoxing the detox

Come January, who isn’t being bombarded by messages to increase their greens, make juices, spend wicked money on smoothies out with friends who also are declining burgers, fries and anything deemed as less than nutrient-dense by our society?

It’s enough to make my head spin! And yet, this spinning head still wants a salad in January. Let me break it down, because this type of recipe falls into the grey area of wellness. It is a green salad, vegan even, that is being released during an intensive dieting month. Would you like to know why I want to write a recipe for a tasty ass salad and get it out into the universe right now?

And so, why?

Because we NEED these conversations. We need more space in the grey area, in the undefinable part of wellness culture that it seems few really want to talk about. That salads can come in, that burgers can come in (and really, we need another blog post to unpack the idea that a burger is a “bad” thing…), that appetites can be large, that appetites can be different this month than last month and that next month they’ll likely be different again. Who offers this? Who decides what your appetite is, or what it desires?

Oops. I’ll spoil the answer for ya: you! Delightful, ever-changing you, my tender human friend. This month is already half over and really, isn’t this a good time to be discussing the utility of the desire of salads? Like, if you’re two weeks into some sort of detox, and it;’s cold where you live, is a low fat salad what you desire? Is a higher fat one more aligned? What about a warm salad, or a meat-based salad? What about a higher starch salad, would that one make more sense for your needs?

It can feel, to me, that in an effort to push back on diet culture, we decide that we must reject ANYTHING diet culture has touched. We make the process, again, all or nothing. This is still a facet of dieting culture. It’s a subject I am clunky in discussing but I’ll keep showing up to it.

Because you can love salad and hate diet culture.

So here’s a salad I love, myself. One that I’ll eat any time of the year because no matter if it’s hot or cold out, raining or snowing, it provides for me in ways that tire diet culture. And every bite of salad has absolutely, completely, soul-achingly no impact on the next bite of my next meal and the last bite of my previous meal (much to diet culture’s disappointment).

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January Avocado Kale Salad

This salad is way less of a "hey, please diet NOW" salad and WAY more of a "omg, I'm ready for some COLORS in my life!" salad! Full of healthy whole form fats, this is a great salad for people of all different dietary leanings! Add some sliced rotisserie chicken on top for extra protein if needed.

Course Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 heads lacinato kale torn off the stem and roughly torn into 1 inch pieces
• 1/8 th teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 avocados cut into 1-inch chunks
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 a cucumber sliced into half moons

Lemon Tahini Dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini ground sesame seed paste
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove grated
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

For the Salad

• In a large bowl, use your hands to scrunch and work the kale pieces with the sea salt for about one minute, or until the kale becomes glossier and breaks down from the abrasive salt! Set aside while you prep your other vegetables and the dressing. When ready, combine the remaining salad ingredients with the massaged kale and top with the lemon tahini dressing!

Lemon Tahini Dressing

• Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. The dressing will seem thin at first but just keep stirring!

Aimee Suen is the blogger and nutritional therapy practitioner behind small-eats.com! Small-eats.com is an amazing blog where she helps people take small steps towards building the health and wellness they desire. In addition, she is also is the host of the Small Steps podcast where she brings on a wide array of guests and dives deep into the subjects that surround mental health, wellness, body image and beyond. I met Aimee online in the wild world of Instagram this year. We realized a few months later that we were both signed up to be in the same Foundations of Social Justice course, run by Dr. Tee. Listen on to today’s episode where Aimee shares her story on how stress was the catalyst to changing her life–one step at a time.

Shownotes:

Small-Eats.com

Small Steps Podcast

Chrissy King

Lestraundra Alfred of balancedblackgirl.com

Dr. Tee Williams 

Essential Omnivore Podcast

To love a popsicle

Is to know a popsicle. Who doesn’t like popsicles? I’m normally all about hey, you, you do you. But… popsicles? Can you tell I’m a big fan? My popsicle recipes are growing, growing, growing… and fudgesicles fit in PERFECTLY.

Keep it cool

So for this hot chocolate it’s like, ok, hi. Let’s have some maple syrup (or honey) and combine it with full fat coconut milk so we get a nice balance of not too much sweetness. When I’m in doubt… I add fat. Like, honestly. If we’rer talking about the macronutrients, there’s plenty of debate about how when carbs (like maple syrup) and fats (like coconut milk) combine, that it is the WORST thing possible.

And then? We act all human and CRAVE that horrible combination. How dare we! Such heathens!

So, I’m here to say… there’s a great reason you crave carbs, and fats, and carbs AND fats together. It is ok to allow your cravings, because guess what? These, and the other macronutrient protein, weren’t always abundant. And maybe for you, in your lifetime, they haven’t been abundant. Physiologically, the combination of fats and carbs was the double whammy jackpot in terms of easy to use energy (carbs) and caloric density (fats).

All we need to do these days is offer ourselves options. You’re allowed to crave anything, ok? And if you’d like an option that brings carbs and fats together, in a palatable way, and in a way that can both be fun AND respect your blood sugar levels… Hot Chocolate Fudgesicles it is, then.

Break the mold

Now it’s your turn to tell me about your cravings. What has society told you about them? Were you told they are bad? That you shouldn’t have certain cravings and you should definitely have other cravings? Leave me a comment below because the only way these conversations change is for US to change them! And if you want to hear more, listen to the Essential Omnivore Podcast!

Kindness is how we begin to make truthful, authentic change to our wellness. This means offering kindness to our cravings, too. Want to learn more about how you can incorporate kindness into your wellness (*cough* life) practice? Then check out my discussion on Harder to Kill Radio.

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Hot Chocolate Fudgesicles

These popsicles are SO easy to make and are quite the fun twist on a hot chocolate, if I do say so myself. They're vegan, paleo-friendly and would be super fun to make with kiddos!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Hot Chocolate Fudgesicles

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Freeze Time 4 hours hours

Servings 6 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or, you can use honey, too. If using honey, first mix with 1 tablespoon of warm/hot water to help the honey mix easily into the rest of the liquids
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder unsweetened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the can of coconut milk but SAVE 2 TABLESPOONS and reserve them for now.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder, maple syrup and water. Whisk over medium heat until evenly combined, then turn the heat off and continue to gently stir until all the air bubbles are gone. No bubbly fudgesicles, please! Allow to cool briefly.
• Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the reserved coconut milk with the vanilla extract (and a teensy bit of extra maple syrup if desired) until smooth.
• Prepare your popsicle molds, then drizzle the vanilla coconut milk combination evenly into each. Place this in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
• Take the popsicle mold out of the freezer and evenly pour the hot cocoa liquid into each mold. Top your popsicle mold and insert the wooden sticks, then return to the freezer and allow to set up for at least 4 hours or overnight.

In episode 27 of the Essential Omnivore Podcast, I describe why gaining 20+ pounds made me happier over the last year. Tune in to learn more about my top five reasons why weight gain made me happier, and learn the backstory about my reluctance to discuss weight loss, weight gain, and body mass on social media (but why I talk about it with private nutrition clients!)

Do you notice how your body weight fluctuates? What are the drivers? How does society make you feel about your body being a responsive masterpiece? Too often we’re boxed into the category of being a static object. Being unchanging makes the world a neat and tidy place. Like we can Marie Kondo ourselves into perfection. But, ah. We’re always shifting and morphing! So, instead, how can we make sure that we can join WITH our bodies? That we can embrace their changing nature as just that–nature? Listen on for my ideas.

Shownotes:

Work with me

Previous podcast episodes

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A good mocktail? Much appreciated!

This recipe is the brainchild of Diane Sanfilippo, New York Times bestselling author and the author of Keto Quick Start, which releases on January 1st, 2019. I was overjoyed when I saw Diane announce earlier this year that she’d be writing a book on keto, because the ketogenic diet is one that is so. highly. misunderstood. Keto is also the type of diet where you can plug in a whole host of different foods that qualify as keto into it, without discussion on the nutrient density or reasoning behind why certain foods may or may not be wonderful additions. I knew Diane would remedy this issue, and as I flip through my copy of Keto Quick Start, I’m confident in saying she’s achieved this.

What often doesn’t make it into keto recipes? Beverages! Most fun beverages are fun because they either have alcohol, sugar or both! Alcohol and sugars can easily move us out of being in ketosis, so finding beverages aside from plain water, tea or black coffee that are fun for the tastebuds AND fit easily within the scope of staying within a ketogenic framework is tough.

What to sip?

An easy way to bump up the flavors, then, are to look towards herbs, spices and citrus fruits. Oh, and throw in some fruit, too! Yep–you can eat fruit while still following a ketogenic style of eating. Is your mind blown yet? If not, sip this ginger fizz again and then let me know… and while it’s not necessary for everyone to adhere to a ketogenic style of living, simply having the knowledge around why keto works, who it works for and its purpose in supporting a healthful lifestyle is empowerment, plain and simple. If you struggle with imbalanced blood sugar levels, if you experience hangriness between meals, if you are looking to understand how your digestion, skin conditions or energy levels may change by shifting the foods you eat, I suggest you grab this book (and grab it on pre-order RIGHT NOW because you bet your butt the price is right!)

So!  This Ginger Fizz Mocktail is an awesome combination of refreshing lemon juice, zippy ginger and just enough pureed peach to taste the bite out of the sharpness of the lemon and the ginger. And the additional beauty of beverages that fit within a ketogenic framework? They leave you feeling truly hydrated, not more dehydrated (which often happens with many conventional mocktails that load up on sugar to make them taste decent!)

Change = Practice + Consistency

One of the biggest concerns I hear about keto is “will it work for me?” And dang, is that a great question! The only way to know if a ketogenic style of eating will work for you is to try, try, try. And it’s not just a one day ordeal… like any other change you desire to learn from, opting towards a lower carbohydrate style of eating really means offering yourself practice and consistency in order to notice any differences! That’s right. I said it. It takes hard (but not overwhelming), consistency (but not dogmatic) and evolving work. Welcome to life

And if you’re also a fan of Diane like me, she’s going on tour this winter to promote her book! I met her and Cassy Joy Garcia of Fed and Fit at the Minneapolis book signing after our 2018 Beautycounter Leadership Summit. Now that I’m out in Portland, I’ll be joining along at the Portland book signing on Friday, February 1st so if you’re in the area, come say hi to Diane AND me and let’s make it a party! Click the photo to reserve your spot at one of Diane’s many upcoming book tour stops.. and comment to let me know which you’ll be attending!

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Ginger Fizz Mocktail

This keto mocktail is your new favorite way to enjoy sparkling water! A quick blitz of peaches and ginger, topped off with plenty of lemon juice and boom--keto or not, you'll want this refreshing drink any time of the year. And if you don't have fresh peaches? Substitute with frozen, or opt for fresh or frozen raspberries instead!

Course Drinks

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 fresh peach peeled, pitted and pureed
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 teaspoon premade ginger juice or 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and juiced
• Sparkling water
• Sprig of mint for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• In a pitcher, mix together the pureed peach, lemon juice and ginger juice. Stir well to combine.
• Add sparkling water to taste (depending on how diluted you want it to be) and serve with a slice of fresh peach.

Notes

TIPS: If peaches aren't in season, use frozen peaches instead: thaw about 8 slices to be the equivalent of 1 peach. Or, alternatively, use 4 ounces of fresh or frozen raspberries plus 2 tablespoons to make a raspberry puree instead. Ginger People is one great brand of bottled ginger juice, or you may find fresh ginger juice or "shots" locally in smaller juice shops.

In this episode:

Jessica Flanigan works in the unified field of Loving. What is this, you may ask? Jessica has been a clinical nutritionist for 20 years and works privately with clients to support their unique path to health. She often works with clients who experience differences in their chronic or autoimmune health. Today Jessica and I discuss what Loving is, and how this practice, term and experience can support any person as they navigate the path that is their life, and their health. I cannot wait for you to listen to this one.

So often in the nutrition and wellness world we can become divided over the “best” diet, the most healing protocols, or the most pure or clean styles of eating. These divides, and this reductionistic style of thinking when it comes to health unfortunately leaves out one big piece of wellness–heart! Your heart, your soul, these more nebulous concepts DO impact your wellness. Today, Jessica teaches us how this is, and what to do.

Shownotes:

The Loving Diet

AIPlifestyle.com

EssentialOmnivore.com

Tis the season where we’re all thinking about… DIETS! YIKES.

Here are my five questions I need you to ask yourself before stepping on the diet train… and wait for it… listen to the full episode because there’s a spoiler at the end…

• What are my intentions?

• Is this change short term or long term?

• Does this change try to erase my current lifestyle?

• When I am tired, overwhelmed or feel out of sorts, does this plan take those factors into account? (or is it only manageable on perfect days)

• Do I have a support system in place?

Download Appetite Autonomy today to begin to build your ability to learn what YOU want in your nutrition!

Join Know Your Nourishment this January for group nutrition support. Spots are limited and already filling up!

Book your 15 minute free discovery call here.

Emily Field is a registered dietician who teaches women a balanced eating approach. This helps them to finally break up with depriving diet behaviors and nonsense food rules for good. Through flexible dieting and tracking macros, and tailoring nutrition around effective exercise her clients? Well, they’re all enjoying more food, feeling stronger, leaner and more confident than ever before. Tune in today to hear Emily’s personal wellness journey and why she is so intent on changing the lives of others’ through their food, nutrition and beyond! Learn how finding community has been integral in Emily’s health during her life in a new city, why counting macros is a powerful health tool, and how Emily’s thyroid health was the catalyst for positive change in her life.

Shownotes:

Emily Field, RD

Macros Made Easy

Essential Omnivore

On today’s episode, join Lucia as she breaks down just how social media drastically impacts your wellness goals, desires and actions. I mean, you may think it’s insignificant, but our very fast-paced world and hyper-connectivity actually has real life impact on our bodies. And I don’t just mean eye strain. So, listen on for your tangible takeaways on how YOU can reclaim your wellness online AND offline. Drop me a comment on Apple Podcasts about what it’s been like to take control of your social media accounts! Do you feel different? Or, is it useful? I want to hear from YOU!

Shownotes:

Appetite Autonomy

Essential Omnivore

Zoë Levin is an entrepreneur who has leveraged her experience as a professional pooper with IBD to pioneer Bim Bam Boo. Listen up, because Bim Bam Boo is the first toxin-free toilet paper formulated with hypoallergenic bamboo! This is amazing, folx! Today, Zoë and I talk all things stress, butt explosions and how food is a first step towards wellness. And, after that very first step, how there are plenty more to take while on our personal wellness journeys! So, tune in today to learn from Zoë’s story. Plus, check the show notes for her bonus downloadable self-care checklist!

Show Notes:

Bim Bam Boo

Zoe’s Self-care Checklist

Reset Breaths

Turmeric has taken our Eurocentric style of eating by storm. I’d love to pay it more respect than just tossing it into random recipes because of its intrinsic healthful properties. A food blog is a funny thing. Especially one based on health and wellness, where often you’re picking and choosing traditional methods of food preparation, mentioning a vitamin and mineral or two and calling it good at that. It’s not quite enough.

It also reminds me of language. How do we continue to acknowledge appropriation, while also acknowledging the changing tides of word use, vernaculars and trends? Food is a living and breathing concept. It’s changing. Cultures change. Needs change. Language, too.

I don’t have answers. I hiccup and burp and fart everywhere. In the figurative sense. Can I incorporate turmeric into a traditionally Latvian/Lituanian drink? A drink that even more traditionally is made with grains, even though here it’s made with beets? I will today, and I’ll keep mulling it over as the brew ferments in the cupboard, hour by hour, minute by minute.

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Golden Beet Kvass

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

• 1 yellow beet peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered turmeric or ½ inch knob of fresh turmeric, grated
• 1/16 teaspoon black pepper ground (a very small pinch)
• 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
• 4 cups filtered water
• 1 sterilized quart-sized mason jar and lid

Instructions

• Combine the sea salt and half the water in the mason jar, screw the lid on tightly and shake to dissolve the sea salt in the water.
• Take the lid off and place the chopped beets, turmeric and black pepper in the brine. Fill the jar with the remaining water, leaving 1 inch of airspace at the top of the jar.
• Screw the lid on the jar tightly and place the beet kvass in a cupboard to ferment for three days.
• After three days, keep beet kvass in the fridge and aim to drink 1-2 ounces per day.

Can you really just eat in moderation? Can you learn how to eat in moderation? And, does this actually help you with your goals? Listen in on how:

• I think moderation works
• why it’s an important subject to discuss
• my tangible tips to help you understand how moderation will work for you

No matter where you are on your wellness journey, learning about moderation will be helpful!

Did you like this episode? Take three minutes and do me a solid, will ya? Awesome! Please review the Essential Omnivore Podcast on Apple Podcasts. Having written reviews will help my podcast place on the charts, which then gets new eyes and more importantly, new EARS listening to this life-changing information!

Shownotes:

Appetite Autonomy Course

Essential Omnivore

The beauty of a recipe…

Is that it’s just a guide. Sure, making baked goods is guide you’ll need to read a bit closer. But preparing vegetables, proteins, soups, stews, sautes, etc.? Keep it easy. Keep it loose. Try adding in a different spice. Try turning the heat up.

Along a similar line, don’t do dairy? Buy a pesto that is dairy-free, or make your own. I believe in you!

Get used to it, too.

There can start to be some general times you’ll get used to when you hop into the kitchen. These are your recipes, too, in a way. You’ll start to see that chicken thighs + 400 degree oven = about 40 minutes. Or burger patties + hot pan = about 7ish minutes. Or roasted veggies cut into 1 inch pieces mostly + 400 degree oven = about 20 minutes.

It takes repetition. So, you hate being the kitchen? Find something you want to eat, then let yourself make it. It doesn’t fit into a nutrition scheme you think you need to adhere to? So what! Keep making it, until the process fits into your back pocket. Then, move onto your next recipe. Repeat this process until you’re in the kitchen, liking it, making food you like. You can let it be simple like that. I swear.

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Pesto Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken thighs skinless (skin on works, too, though)
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto or, make your own, see notes

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• While the oven preheats, place the chicken thighs in one layer in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover each chicken thigh with pesto until evenly topped.
• Bake the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the pesto is browned and bubbly.

Notes

If you want the pesto to be dairy-free, or simply want to make your own, you have plenty of options!

In today’s episode, I ask you… is it really the food that’s keeping you from your ideal wellness? If so–cool. If not… well, that’s actually really cool, too!

Don’t forget, if you are loving what you’re learn about on the podcast? PLEASE! Please, leave a review on Apple Podcasts for me. Not only is it helpful feedback for me personally, but it helps the show reach new ears and eyes by placing it on the alternative wellness charts over on Apple Podcasts! Do me a solid. I’ll be over here continuing to release episodes every week!

Shownotes:

Appetite Autonomy Course

Essential Omnivore

Today’s episode is all about the foods we crave, why we have cravings and the four different types of cravings I want you to be thinking about this week. What are food cravings? Learn the behind the scenes reasons behind your cravings! Most of the time, they’re totally figure out-able. I promise! It is easy to learn these types. If you’re loving learning from this podcast, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Each review helps the podcast get closer to ranking on charts so more eyes can see and and ears can listen!

Shownotes:

Appetite Autonomy

Essential Omnivore

On soup

I’ll get to the pumpkin creamsicles, but first: I was out with a friend, we sampled soup at a build-you-own bowl bar and I was like whoa, oh wow, this soup was the first hot soup of the seasons and it now officially feels like FALL in my heart.

And lo, it has been soup season ever since. I’ve made three, and that’s saying something for just a week.

But also…

Soup season does NOT negate the end of popsicle season.

I repeat: soup season and popsicle season are not mutually exclusive.

…do with this information as you please.

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Pumpkin Creamsicles

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Freeze Time 4 hours hours

Servings 10 people

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups canned coconut milk
• 1.5 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Prepare your popsicle mold.
• Blend all ingredients together.
• Pour into the popsicle mold, place sticks and lid on and freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• When ready to serve, remove the popsicles from their mold.

In today’s episode, we chat all about:

• projecting health and wellness goals onto each other
• why your health is so damn personal and NO ONE’s business
• how our culture influences this hyper-sharing
• what to do about all of the above!

YOU, dear friend, have so much autonomy over your wellness. If you’re here listening and reading along, it’s because you’re interested in growing that autonomy even more. Don’t you worry, because you can do it. I’m here to help and offer questions, thoughts and ideas along the way! And remember, if you’re liking this show, please do me a favor and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! It takes only a few minutes and has lasting impact on the health (pun intended) of this show. More reviews help the show reach new audiences. I want as many people as possible to reclaim their wellness, ASAP!

Shownotes:

Appetite Autonomy eCourse

Essential Omnivore

Ever feel like:

• you’re spinning wheels when it comes to meal prep?
• like you try SO hard but never get anywhere?
• that you meal prep all this food every week and it’s the LAST thing you want to eat when you open the fridge?

I’ve got you covered! Listen to today’s episode and learn simple strategies to assess how and why you are using meal prepping and meal planning to best serve you and YOUR life. Drop me a review in Apple Podcasts to help the Essential Omnivore Podcast reach new ears so more people can take the fear out of food! It only takes a few minutes of your time and has a lasting, positive effect on the show!

Shownotes:

Appetite Autonomy eCourse

Essential Omnivore

What are the defaults of our dieting society when it comes to changing, seeking or shifting our wellness? Do you know how to define your health? Do these defaults make sense for YOU and your needs, or are you falling back on them because you don’t know where else to turn? Listen to Lucia describe a few ways you can question what you’re doing and then PIVOT and make the real changes you need in order to both better understand your definition of health as well as the steps you need to take in order to achieve that health. Please subscribe in Apple Podcasts and leave a review! It helps this podcast grow and reach new ears!

Shownotes:

Appetite Autonomy Course

Essential Omnivore

On balance

Balance in life is, to me, a worked up lie of sorts. A white lie, a stretch of the imagination, a word that could use some brevity, levity and balance itself instead of the hyper concerns we place all over and in it, hoping for the best by simply labeling our needs with it.

And, as with anything, we can come to terms with the lie, see that even lies aren’t so all or nothing; they crop up for reasons, perhaps short-sighted but still, there they are. They’re informed by histories, by woes, worries, clung to for safety.

Balancing, instead.

So in our modern lives, in our long days and short weekends, do we find balance? Probably not. Can we be balancing, instead? Well, I for one, like the sound of that. It’s in the actions, anyway.

And it can be in our foods, too. Hence a muffin with fennel and black pepper in it, or frosting on top of it, or both, because you know? Move towards what you desire, even when the world says it’s the most unbalanced desire out there. It’s likely just part of you, trying to be balancing. We may not be able to be balance, but balancing? Sounds like it has that levity we keep saying we desire, huh?

So, the recipe(s).

On this subject of balancing, this is exactly what Aimee and I figured we could gastronomically muse on and give ourselves a recipe project for. Aimee’s Delicata Cornbread is a wave of balancing, with hinting sweets, savories, a nod to the fall and its invitation into slowing down and warming up. Because these seasons, we’re creatures created from them. What happens when we stop powering through and start powering up with what is already around us?

Dunno, really. But I’d guess… balancing.

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Five Spice Delicata Squash Muffins

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

For the Five Spice Powder:

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seed or 1 star anise ground
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

For the Muffin Batter

• 1½ cup grated delicata squash seeds removed before grating
• 3 cups brown rice flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar
• 3 bananas fresh or frozen
• 1 cup coconut milk or milk of your preference
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil butter or ghee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/3 cup honey

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin tray with muffin cups, set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the brown rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, five spice powder blend, coconut sugar and sea salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mash the bananas, coconut milk, coconut oil and vanilla extract until combined.
• Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, then fold in the grated delicata squash until evenly distributed.
• Fill the lined muffin trays with the batter, then bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are browned evenly.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring the muffins to a cooling tray.
• When fully cooled, frost with the honey butter frosting.

For the frosting:

• Mix the honey and butter together until smooth. Keep at room temperature before frosting the muffins (and if you don’t want to frost, just keep this honey butter out on the table so people can help themselves as they’re eating their muffins bite by bite. But who wouldn’t want to frost?)

Rebecca Hass is a teacher, musician, creative and coach for creatives living in Minneapolis, MN. Rebecca is on the podcast today talking about her experience as a creative and performer with anxiety. Learn how the journey towards reclaiming her relationship with anxiety has created space for her to continue to grow in the ways she desires. Plus, learn how that’s a moving target… and what to do about it! Like what you’re hearing? Great! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, this is the fastest and easiest way to support the podcast and help it grow. By leaving a review, you encourage the show to chart. This means new eyes and ears have the chance to listen!

Show Notes:

www.RebeccaHass.com

Appetite Autonomy Course

Essential Omnivore

A quickie episode on why habituating rest in this current culture is counter culture and revolutionary. Learn why resting helps you lose weight. AND. Why resting is counter culture and revolutionary, and just why our diet culture doesn’t ever want you to slow down. Like what you’re hearing? Great! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, this is the fastest and easiest way to support the podcast and help it grow. By leaving a review, you encourage the show to chart. This means new eyes and ears have the chance to listen!

Show Notes:

Appetite Autonomy Course

Essential Omnivore

Today’s post is a guest post from Rebecca Hass. Rebecca is addicted to Brazilian rhythms and bringing joy to others through music. Her brand-new debut album of original compositions and arrangements in Brazilian styles, Florescer (Bloom), will be out October 24, 2018. She supports other musicians and artists in their creative habits through wellness and mindset coaching and blogging about these topics at rebeccahass.com. Can’t wait for you all to read Rebecca’s five tips below! – Lucia

Wellness and creativity. Creativity and wellness. They’re friends, right? I would even dare to say that they’re one and the same. But I also know that as someone working in a creative field (I’m a musician), it’s easy to get caught up in the requirements of daily life and lose sight of both of them, especially if you’re self-employed! If you struggle to make wellness a priority, you’re definitely not alone, and you’re in luck: I have five helpful tips for you to bring more wellness back into your life.

1) Ask yourself what you need.

This sounds really basic, but when I’m super busy, I can go for days without asking this question. We creatives, especially the self-employed and/or Type A ones, can have a tendency to work ourselves into the ground. So, we have to get intentional and make a practice of it. I set a daily reminder on my phone for 7am that simply says “What do you need today?” It’s actually not always easy to answer, but I attempt to untangle my brain and find an answer on my morning walk each day. (Shout out to Mara Glatzel  (for inspiring this practice – Mara’s podcast Needy, about identifying, honoring, and advocating for your needs, is amazing.)

You can also check in with yourself regularly to see how things are going. My weekly check-in is really simple, only three questions:

1. What’s working?
2. What’s not working?
3. What did I learn?

I’ve discovered that if I try to do a lengthy regular check-in, I just won’t do it, but this short one seems to work well, and most importantly, it allows me to change things that aren’t working.

You have permission to do wellness any way that you need to, however it works for you. It’s really easy to read about what we “should” be eating/exercising/doing, but if that serves to make you feel overwhelmed and worse about yourself, it’s not helpful! What works for me might not work for you, and that’s totally fine.

2) Practice self-compassion.

This one has been a total game-changer for me – when it comes down to it, whenever things seem difficult, it’s usually at least partially because I’m being too hard on myself. When we have really high expectations of ourselves, it’s so easy to fall short, and then to beat ourselves up about it, but we don’t have to. I really love the self-compassion meditations from Dr. Kristin Neff, which are available on her website and on the Insight Timer app.

There’s even a 5-minute meditation on there – we’re all busy, healthy habits can be very small, and they still work!

3) Rest is not only allowed, it’s required.

As the descendant of Midwestern farmers who also went through music school (where everyone bragged about how much they were practicing, and how little sleep they were getting), hard work is a value that’s baked into my DNA. But, as many of us have found, working all of the time leads to burnout! I’ve experiences burnout enough times to make rest a huge priority. Resting used to feel like losing time, but now I know it’s a critical part of the human energy cycle – we can’t work (or live) as well if we don’t rest! Even when things get very busy and I have to work more than I want to, I allow for breaks when my energy is waning, and I actually schedule rest times on my calendar. (Mine say CAT/COUCH DAY, but do it however it works for you.)

4) Make time for your creative habit, in a way that’s just for you.

On paper it sounds like creatives get to have fun and make stuff all of the time, but in my experience, it’s really hard to carve out time for our personal creative pursuits, the kind without the pressure that may accompany doing that for work. Maybe you’re a graphic designer who wishes they had more time to draw, or a music teacher who wishes they had more time to play music… whatever it is, you can make time for it. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Try starting by scheduling a small block, like 10-15 minutes. Maybe you’ll be inspired to do more, or maybe not, but it doesn’t matter, because you showed up and did something enjoyable, just for you.

5) Make an “ideal day” list and try implementing one (yes, only one) small change from it.

It might seem funny that I mentioned this one last, but that was intentional. I’ve done many an ideal day exercise and decided to completely overhaul my life, only to fail days later, because making change that way doesn’t actually work. We don’t even have to change more than one thing at once, and it can be a tiny change. This might feel insignificant, but it’s not – last year I did 100 days of writing 8 measures of music a day (usually about a 15 minute commitment), but I ended up finishing many pieces over that period of time. Consistent small bits of work add up to big things.

Want to talk more about balancing wellness in your life as a creative? Rebecca offer Virtual Office Hours appointments, a free 30-minute chat that could help you get some new perspective, and she’ll be launching coaching offerings starting October 2018 as well. Rebecca also has created an amazing free resource to share – The Habit Tracker For Creatives. Grab it now from her site!

Fat

Is to be feared. Is that what you learned? That you needed to fear fat? That it would make you fat, and lo, if you were fat, you were bad? The ramifications and underpinnings of that ideology alone are bunk. To be fat is not to be bad, it is to be free, to be yourself, to be a human body in all its shapes. And, let’s extricate the assumption, the erroneous, harmful and race, gender and class infused that to be fat is to be something wrong. Fat is not wrong. And fat on our plates is not wrong. If you enjoy your brain, eat fat. If you enjoy skin that does not break, eat fat. If you prefer eyelids that readily blink and hormones that readily flow, eat fat.

Oh, but wait.

Here we are again, scared. Why is this? Because we’re not in a vacuum. Because we’re told sure, do what you want, but just know you’re still being watched. Time to take comfort in being watched, take to recognize it’s human nature and no matter which way we go about, insults will always be flung your way. So, time to stretch past what you were taught, if you’d like. Time to create a relationship with fat. It’s yours.

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Chive Butter Basted Pork Cutlets

Course Main Course

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Resting Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 to 4 pork cutlets
• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee
• 1/4 cup finely minced chives
• sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat either a medium (2 cutlets) or large (4 cutlets) baking pan over medium heat. Melt to butter into it.
• While the butter is melting, season the cutlets with sea salt liberally.
• Place the cutlets in the pan, making sure there is space between each one. This helps them brown and sear, not just steam.
• Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, until nicely browned. Flip each over.
• While the cutlets cook on the second side, add in the chives. With a spoon, start to stir the herbs around and gently life the butter over the cutlets while they cook for those two remaining minutes.
• Take off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve as is, or with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, too.

On being a salad

Hi. Hello. Aren’t we all just salads? This apple fennel salad hazelnut vinaigrette thinkso. Just jumbles of ingredients that go together? That go together in different shapes and sizes and textures and mixtures and sometimes we’re hot? Or, sometimes we’re cold? Perhaps sometimes we feel oddly about our flavors but mostly we’re all just totally spot on? And if we’re not then like, choose a new dressing, ya know? Make sure it isn’t made from toxic vegetable oils, too, ok?

On eating a salad

Sigh, perhaps you do not know. Perhaps you do not think of us as salads. Perhaps this is my caffeinated brain, simply wishing for extra salads or for salad inclusivity. For salads to be us. For us to be them. I think we are. And I think a fried hazelnut vinaigrette is just one of the best ways to remember that salads are what you make them–not the other way around.

This apple fennel salad hazelnut vinaigrette combo pack is surely the way to go from here. Just sayin’.

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Apple Fennel Salad with Hazelnut Vinaigrette

A fun and quick play on a raw salad, the apple and fennel slices stay raw while the dressing is warm! A play on the transition from summer to fall. Enjoy!

Course Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 apple cored and thinly sliced
• 1 bulb of fennel sliced into quarters with the core removed and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup raw hazelnuts chopped roughly
• 1 small shallot peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove peeled and smashed
• 1 teaspoon smooth mustard of your choice
• juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• extra lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to dress the apple and fennel slices

Instructions

• Place your apple and fennel slices in your serving bowl and gently toss with the extra lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in order to prevent sticking and browning. Set aside.
• In a small pot or pan, add the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the hazelnuts, shallots and smashed garlic clove. While stirring, allow to cook until the shallot is fragrant and the hazelnuts have begun to brown, about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and while stirring, add the mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt and black pepper.
• When ready to serve, simply add the warm hazelnut vinaigrette on top of the dressed apple and fennel slices and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

For the tired brains

Some days, the brain has made many decisions. Perhaps these days are frequent. Perhaps decision fatigue has ruled the roost once again, and by the end of the day, there’s less desire to make one. more choice.

Enter, sheet pan dinners. Or really, meals!

Take back the tray

Sheet tray dinners are large and in charge this year and I couldn’t be happier. It marries a few on my culinary loves: using the oven (sorry, Instant Pot. I still like you, though), using a minimal amount of dishes, letting ingredients get really cozy and infuse one another with their flavors, and cooking up lots of food for many servings or mouths to feed.

Go forth and bake (and broil)

The key for many sheet pan dinners is a quick broil at the end. Sure, high oven temperatures do most of the heavy lifting but to get some good texture, a little crunch, that delightful caramelization we all desire… set one of your oven racks high (or, low) and get ready to watch the broil for a few minutes at the end of the bake time. It’s worth the step!

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Chorizo & Potato Sheet Pan Dinner

All you'll need to clean after this meal is the sheet tray, one knife and a cutting board. Need I say more?

Course Main Course

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Broil Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 pound chorizo meat
• 4 medium yellow potatoes sliced thickly
• 1 and 1/2 red bell peppers sliced
• 1/2 poblano pepper sliced
• 1/2 red onion peeled and sliced
• 1 head garlic sliced in half
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Garnishes

• 1/4 cup olive tapenade
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• While the oven preheats, arrange the sliced potatoes, bell pepper, poblano pepper and garlic on a large sheet tray and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil. Using your hands, toss to combine and coat the vegetables evenly.
• Sprinkle the smoked paprika and sea salt on the coated vegetables.
• Then, place tablespoon sized pieces of the chorizo over the vegetables to evenly distribute all the sausage.
• Place the sheet tray in the oven for a total of 40 minutes, removing at 20 minutes to toss the vegetables and chorizo for even cooking.
• After baking, turn the broiler on high, move the tray to the highest rack and broil for 3 minutes until the potatoes develop color and everything is browned nicely. Just keep your eye on the bake so nothing burns! Every broiler is different.
• Garnish with the green onions and dollops of the olive tapenade.

Learning, slicing, shredding…

This recipe is a quiet riff on a recipe we learned in class while I was getting my Nutritional Therapy Practitioner certification in 2014. That recipe was for a Gallbladder Slaw–and don’t fret, we weren’t eating real gallbladders (as much as we all mostly delighted in recipes for livers and tongues!) We we instead learning about how to support the health of our own gallbladders.

Beets are integral to this health, or reclaiming this health if we start to notice some difficulty in digesting our dietary fats (stools floating? Low energy on a higher fat diet? Digestive distress soon after fattier meals?). Raw beets? Even better.

Raw riff, spiced

Alls this riff is, then, is the addition of the raw onions and the ground coriander. Why? Ah. They’re both for flavor, always, but to lend a extra, extra helping hand to that digestive system. Any time we can get in a deeply, purple-ish hued vegetable, we’re getting a packed punch of antioxidants and phytonutrients. Coriander seed? It’s been associated with having an antispasmodic effect on our digestive systems, so, think of it as hushing, cooing, a lullaby for the gut.

And no golden beets in sight? All is good, use what you find at the market. My preference for golden beets only comes from a desire to not stain my hands, cutting boards or splatter on my shirt. Your desires may, and likely are, different in nature.

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Golden Beet Slaw

Ready to boost your upper digestion? Coriander and raw beets are the superheros of this dish, and shh... anyone will like this combo, regardless of digestive need!

Course Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 large golden beet or two medium size beets, peeled and grated
• 1 medium green apple cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium red onion peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• sea salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Soak the sliced onions in the bottom of a large bowl with the lemon juice while assembling all the other ingredients.
• Grate the beets, slice the apples and throw it all together in the large bowl over the sliced onions. Add the olive oil and coriander seed, toss, and taste. Adjust the seasoning using sea salt and black pepper.

The seasonal pattern of diets may be making you feel like you’re off your rocker–and guess what? It ain’t you, baby. Like, it’s the start of the fall! Hello, September! Hi, school for some! Bonjour, end of summer! Welcome, diets? Hello, strict protocols? Hello, shame and hurting yourself? Wait, what? How did we even get THERE? I mean, if you’re starting a “new” protocol for the fifth time, this episode is for you. Because really, your new recommitment to the same protocol you’ve tried before, even when you feel great while doing that protocol, probably speaks to a pattern that isn’t serving you. Yep, that’s right. I said it and I’m going there!

Shownotes:

Essential Omnivore

Appetite Autonomy course

On creativity

How many loops have you been in regarding what you like? What you dislike? Before you start to blame yourself or go down a shame loop, too, hold up. What if instead you congratulated yourself for being in those loops? For being unsure of what you wanted and for staying comfortably uncomfortable.

Lemme tell you what carrots and creativity have to do with this. Next paragraph!

Further down the rabbit hole…

Ok, so. The reason I’m thinking about loops and patterns is because roasted carrots are super sweet. But, if we ate them as a dessert straight up, would we really feel all that satisfied? Probably not. Our conditioning would be like ugh, yo, no. Do NOT try to fool me like this, ok?

But, if we insert a little creativity, then, does this do the trick? Does the whirl of a blender and the addition of some fat (yum) then render a carrot into a sweet thing due to its new form? Probability has increased. Doubters may still doubt but if you weren’t so sure of that loop you happened to be in, maybe it’s suddenly easier to step out of it briefly.

And, if we’re really just messing up all these damn spirals and circles and paths today, what happens if we invite some even more confusing flavors of licorice? Unsweetened? Untreated? Given nothing but a crush, those fennel seeds.

What would happen to the loops we stepped out of? Did our creativity win us over?

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Roasted Carrot Pot de Creme

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 2 cups carrots sliced into 1 inch rounds
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup honey or omit for whole30 or 21DSD
• 1 teaspoon gelatin bloomed in 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Whipped coconut cream or heavy whipping cream
• crushed fennel seeds for garnishing

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400, and roast then carrots tossed in the olive oil on a sheet tray for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the custard by combining the coconut milk, egg yolks and honey in a medium sized pot over medium low heat. Allow to cook while whisking intermittently, making sure the temperature under the pot stays low and does not scorch the custard as it cooks. Cook for 15 minutes or until thickened.
• While the custard is cooking, remove the carrots from the oven and place in a blender. Blend with the bloomed gelatin in the water and vanilla extract. If this is too thick to blend into a smooth paste, feel free to add around 1/3 cup of the cooking custard to the blender while processing.
• Once the carrots are blended and the custard has cooked for about 15 minutes, add the carrot puree to the custard and whisk to combine evenly.
• Pour 1/2 cup of the carrot custard into small ramekins, then move to the fridge and allow to set for at least 90 minutes.
• When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and garnish with whipped coconut or heavy cream, and sprinkles of crushed fennel seeds. Don’t be scared of the fennel! It’s not as intense as you may imagine. Try it and see what you think.

On gut feelings

So often what we come back to in a nutrition practice is the gut feeling. The literal and the figurative. What is your gut telling you? Which of the following come up:

• pain
• fear
• tightness
• bloating
• numbness
• lack of breath
• disconnection from movement
• burning
• heat
• coldness

All of these are indications of something. We might call the symptoms, we might call them signs, we might call them fleeting, we might call reoccurring. At the very least, to notice is to begin to pave a road to the signs.

Well, then…

So then, what the hell happens when our gut feelings change? Have we paved a road wide enough to allow for new traffic? Have we distanced ourselves from the old bottlenecks that always used to happen during this time of the day?

If you’ve been in a wellness incubator for a while, you may be frustrated when your needs change. All of a sudden, that strict style of eating that felt freeing now feels restricting. All of a sudden that high energy and clear skin are replaced by a lackluster affect and dullness all around.

This isn’t your body betraying you. This is your body sending you signals, this is your body trusting the road you’ve built enough to keep sending information down the highway. The road may just need a little maintenance, that’s all. Why wouldn’t it?

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Whole Roasted Head of Cauliflower

Ready to take your dinner party to the next level? This two step head of cauliflower first gets a gentle dunk in boiling water to pre-cook it, then it marinates in the fridge until you're ready to roast! So simple with a huge whallop of flavor. Omit the honey for Whole30 or vegan.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower leaves removed and a 1 inch hole cut into the stem from the bottom

Marinade

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup scallions
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems roughly chopped
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional, but helps it stick)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 medium jalapeno keep the seeds or leave them out, depending on how much spice you prefer!

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Once boiling, add the whole head of cauliflower, bring heat down to a medium boil and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your cauliflower. You want the majority of the cauliflower covered by the boiling water.
• Meanwhile, make your marinade by combining all the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.
• Remove the cauliflower from the boiling water and allow to drain and cool rightside up for about 10 minutes on a plate or in a colander. This is to ensure that the marinade sticks to the cooled cauliflower; if it's too hot, the marinade will just slide off. Not so fast!
• Slather the whole cauliflower in the marinade and evenly coat it.
• Either store the cauliflower in the fridge until ready to cook (up to two days ahead of time), or start cooking! Preheat the oven to 425 and when ready, place the marinated cauliflower on a baking tray and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until browned.
• Remove from the oven, allow to cool briefly and serve over a bed of greens or alongside your favorite starchy side dish. I like to drizzle extra olive oil, sprinkle flaked sea salt, black pepper, extra cilantro leaves and even a crumbly white cheese like feta or queso fresco. Up to you! Serve by slicing large wedges, similar to a cake.

Today Anthony Ongaro joins Lucia on the show for an amazing conversation. If you’ve ever told yourself that THIS is the time you’re going to stick to a new habit? Yeah, and then two weeks later that habit is nowhere to be found? Well, this is the episode for you. Anthony Ongaro runs Break The Twitch, an intentional living and minimalism blog which helps you reduce the distractions in your life. This helps you do more of what matters. Catch my drift? In the show we chat about Anthony’s relationship to food and exercise, and how he has built solid and enjoyable habits. This change in habit is very intentional, as you’ll learn.

Show Notes:

Break The Twitch

Youtube: Break The Twitch

Break The Twitch Member Community

Break The Twitch Podcast

Strong Lifts

Essential Omnivore

Appetite Autonomy course

What’s up! Here’s my quick minisode, solopod, whatever you’d like to call it. 15 minutes of a discussion on how and why we can build boundaries around diet culture.

Show Notes:

Did you hear the homework? Great! Go do it this week and report back to me, I’d love to know what you find out and notice.

Well, wow.

The best purchase I’ve made in a long time is a popsicle mold. I bought it for myself this May for my birthday and I’ve got to say, it fits pretttty well into the kitchen, even during a cross country move. While I’m not a big fan of single use kitchen gadgets, I think the utter variety you can reap from popsicles makes this $20 investment well worth it.

Use it up.

What is “it”? Anything you like! I’m finding popsicles to be an awesome way to add an extra twist on any flavor you’re used to. Have a lot of blueberries from berry picking? Great! Roast them up, blend them with some basil (why the hell not, right?) and pour into the molds. A leftover half melon? Cool–blitz it to oblivion with a whole peeled lime (trust me). They’re a great initial step into playing with new flavor combinations, because you just need about two cups total of liquid, so it’s low stakes, y’all.

Get creative and comment below what you try out. Think of sweet and savory combinations, or sweet and herbal combinations. Tea, juices, fruits, spices, herbs, baking classics like cocoa powder and vanilla extract… they all can work in a popsicle.

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Cantaloupe Lime Popsicles

A refreshing and quick batch of popsicles at your service! Now it's melon season so quick, use your own melon and make some melon magic with those fruit salad leftovers, you hear?

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Freezing Time 2 hours hours

Servings 10 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups diced cantaloupe
• 1 lime peeled

Instructions

• Blend both ingredients together until smooth.
• Pour into your prepared popsicle mold, place the lid on and get the sticks inserted.
• Allow to freeze for at least 2 hours, or until the popsicles have hardened.
• Enjoy with abandon!

A drizzle of this, a drizzle of that…

It’s all in the sauce, ok? When you’re switching to more whole foods versus more packaged foods, they can feel a bit bland, a little sad, kind of… dull. This is often because your tastebuds haven’t changed over. Our tastebuds literally change over and renew about every 14 days. Those 14 days can feel like an eternity before the newest littles buds find their way to the tip of your tongue. In the meantime? It’s all in the sauce, ok?

Basic basil

Since the summer is close to beginning its initial wind down, guess what? It’s primo time to start making a bunch of flavorful sauces, dips, dressings and beyond from fresh ingredients. Enter, basil. Enter, basil that’s super cheap at the farmer’s market. Enter, basil you don’t know what to do with. Enter, basil aioli drizzle.

Oh wait. You want something to drizzle that sauce ON? Damn, tastebuds. Lemme deliver. Because right along with that basil there’s also summer peaches, yeah, grab one of those.

Ok. Now we’re cooking.

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Peach Turkey Sliders with Basil Aioli Drizzle

These peach turkey sliders with basil aioli are a simple twist on a weeknight classic—burgers! Make them smaller to feel more festive, add the peach inside and drizzle a good amount of the aioli and you’re good to go to flavor town.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 peopl

Ingredients

Peach Turkey Sliders

• 1 pound ground turkey white or dark meat, your preference
• 1/2 a large or 1 while medium peach finely diced
• 1/4 medium onion finely diced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Basil Aioli

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise either make your own or use Sir Kensington’s, Chosen Foods or Primal Kitchen
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 clove garlic peeled

For Serving

• Butter lettuce or buns of your choice
• Extra peach slices
• Avocado slices
• Sliced jalapeños
• Anything else you desire!

Instructions

• Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat, and add either a little coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil to melt.
• In a medium sized bowl, place all ingredients for the turkey sliders and use your hand to evenly mix everything together.
• Form two-inch sized patties of the ground turkey and peach mixture, making about 12-15 burgers. You should be able to fit for to five sliders on the pan at one time.
• Allow each round of sliders to cook in the pan for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and the diced peaches have slightly caramelized.
• While the sliders cook, make the basil aioli.
• Combine all the basil aioli ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. This makes a looser aioli; if you’d like an aioli that stands up on the burger, increase the mayo to 3/4 cup.
• Once all your slider patties have been cooked on both sides, serve the sliders on cups of butter lettuce, or on your favorites buns or bun-style options (baked rounds of sweet potatoes are also delicious!) and dressed up with the basil aioli and any other burger fixings you desire!

Does your food let you feel?

Or do you let yourself feel when you’re eating food?

Is it a numbed experience? Is it dull? Is it rushed? Do you let yourself salivate?

No? That’s cool. Let’s check that out and address it because sometimes I can’t believe we live in a world where this is needed, but I think it’s so, so needed: you deserve to enjoy your food. You deserve to enjoy food that isn’t complex.

So, what DO you feel?

What do you do that does make you feel? Is it listening to music? Is it a certain hobby? Is it being with a certain person? Great. Join it with food, if you like. Play your favorite song you close your eyes to and nod your head with and shake your tight Minnesotan hips (no?) to while eating. See what the experience is like. Very Pavlovian, in a cool and unassuming way.

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Pan Roasted Apricots with Ginger Pistachio Crumbs

It’s a long title but I have to show you all the flavors and textures that go together otherwise what, will you really make it? Can I trust you to make this quick dessert? The pistachios are luxurious, but the crumble goes a long way and stores well in the fridge for your next round. Because you’ll be making these again, oh yes! And did you notice? No sweetener added—we just don’t need it here. Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-free and SCD, use coconut cream option.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

Pan Roasted Apricots with Ginger Pistachio Crumbs

• 4 apricots cut in half and pits discarded
• coconut oil for sautéing

For the Ginger Pistachio Crumbs

• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the Whipped Cream

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream or canned coconut milk

Instructions

• Preheat a medium sized pan over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of coconut oil in it to melt. Once hot, add the apricot halves cut-side down into the hot pan. Place either a clean, heavy small pot on top of the apricot halves to push them down onto the hot pan even more, or use a small plate and a can of beans or something on top of it to get the same effect. Let the apricot halves cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, make the pistachio crumble by toasting the pistaschios in a dry pan over medium heat for about 4 minutes, moving the pistachios around here and there so they don't burn. One toasted, combine the pistachios, ground ginger and sea salt into either a blender or a food processor and pulse the processor until a fine, sand-like texture is created. Scoop the crumble into a small bowl and set aside.
• Finally, make the whipped cream. If you’re using canned coconut milk, the trick is to store the can in the fridge the night before so the cream solidifies. Open your can up upside down as well and drain off the coconut milk to use for a different recipe (like saving for a smoothie). Then with the vanilla extract, whip with an immersion blender, blender or food processor until fluffy. Same goes for the heavy whipping cream.
• Take the small heavy pot off the apricots, and remove them from the hot pan into your serving dish, cooked side up.
• Garnish each apricot half with a dollop of whipped cream and a generous handful of the pistachio crumble.

On dinner minimalism

Hey everyone, Eilise (aka Dinner Minimalist) here! I’m excited to be guest blogging for Lucia today and share with you one of my favorite one-pan meals. If you can’t tell from my name, my dinner “minimalism” is kind of my thing — this meal is all about being as quick and efficient as possible while still tasting like you were in your kitchen for hours!

High stakes…

Ready to be a wiz kid?

The method? Broiling! With broiling, concentrated heat comes from the top of your oven’s inside. Broiling steaks allows for more temperature control and also, at least for gas broilers, an actual flame is involved. Since I absolutely love slightly-charred, caramelized deliciousness from flame cooking, but don’t have a grill (#apartmentlife), broiling is a complete win-win in my book! Bonus: the cook time for this method is just under 15 minutes, veggies included.

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Sheet Pan Broiled Balsamic Steak and Vegetables

Course Main Course

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 13 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Author Eilise Bonebright (AKA Dinner Minimalist)

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 2 beef sirloin steaks each about 1-inch thick
• 2 bell peppers any colors, sliced
• 1 red onion sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced
• Sea salt to taste

Balsamic Sauce

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil I use coconut oil for it’s high smoke point
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat your oven’s broiler at 500°.
• Sprinkle some salt on both sides of the steak before placing in the center of an oven-safe broiler pan.
• Slice the bell pepper and red onion into bite-sized wedges and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Place the bell peppers, red onion and cherry tomatoes in the pan around the steak.

For the Balsamic Sauce:

• Whisk together cooking oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, black pepper, and salt in a small container.
• Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables, reserving a little for later use.
• Place the pan on an oven rack about 3 inches from the broiler for 5 minutes. Take out, flip steaks, coat the uncooked sides with the remainder of the sauce, and pop back into the oven for 2 to 5 more minutes until the steak reaches your desired level of doneness and the veggies are tender with slightly charred ends (yum).
• Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving. Bon appétit!

]]> https://essentialomnivore.com/sheet-pan-broiled-balsamic-steak-and-vegetables/feed/ 0 3854 https://essentialomnivore.com/avocado-peach-summer-salad/ https://essentialomnivore.com/avocado-peach-summer-salad/#respond Thu, 19 Jul 2018 19:18:31 +0000 http://www.essentialomnivore.com/?p=3835

Oh, salad…

I go in waves with salads. Like, buh, what a bore. Do not force me to find salads intriguing (hello, rebel tendency…) until I want to find them intriguing.

And then lo and behold, nothing will captivate me more than a damn salad.

Because beauty, it comes in the most simple of places, doesn’t it? A salad can be complex, and a salad can be simple. Today–it’s simple.

It’s your job to drool

And not at this salad–cool if that happens, but listen… I have homework for you. If your guts feel weird, if you feel like you never feel settled after meals, your job is to find fresh foods that make you drool. That get you excited. Because your drool is your first step towards deep digestion. You have the right to love the foods you do, and you can let your drool guide you.

Scary concept, I know. I hear a lot of “but Lucia”s, a few “no fresh foods make me drool like processed ones” and everything else that gets provoked. I hear it. I feel it! And there’s no right or wrong way to approach this. But if getting digestion understood is a goal in some tangible way for you, way not start with joy first?

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Avocado Peach Summer Salad

A gorgeous salad that is SO quick to throw together, especially with the abundance of peaches coming into season! Nix the sunflower seeds and mustard for AIP.

Course Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

Avocado Peach Summer Salad

• 2 avocados pitted and sliced
• 2 peaches pitted and sliced
• 1 large head butter lettuce leaves torn off the root
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds toasted in a dry pan and cooled (omit for AIP)
• 2 scallions sliced thinly on the diagonal

Classic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon favorite mustard (omit for AIP)
• 1 clove garlic peeled and grated
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (omit for AIP)

Instructions

• Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar, securely place its lid on a shake to combine well. Set aside.
• In your serving dish, arrange the leaves of butter lettuce, then tuck the sliced avocado and peaches around, within and peeking through the leaves!
• Dress with the vinaigrette, then garnish with the sunflower seeds and sliced scallions.

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve larger crowds.

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Hey everyone! You’re listening to episode 10 of the Essential Omnivore Podcast. Today I’ve got Jackson Gillies on the show, a musician based out of Santa Barbara. Jackson advocates for more awareness about Type 1 Diabetes and Hidradenitis Suppurativa (also known as HS), and we’ll be speaking more in-depth about his own journey towards discovering what wellness looks like for him.

Show Notes:

http://www.jacksonsings.com

Jackson’s Youtube Channel

Ted x Santa Barbara

Facebook

Instagram: @jackson.gillies

HS Diet Connection Group

The Hidden Plague

Summertime, and the living is muggy

…so hush, little tomato, don’t you… do anything except hop into this gazpacho? Because I need you. I need your cool soup vibes, I need your sunshiny nature in a bowl, ok?

Golden gazpacho?

Yeah! Embrace those different colors this time of the year. Vegetables that have vivid yellows in them are good for your soul. Do I need a nutrition fact in here? Nah. I just want you to get to the recipe, already. 

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Golden Gazpacho

Loads of summer tomatoes? We've got gazpacho to help us out! Make a big batch and let it hang out in the fridge for up to a week, and the flavors just get better over time. Plus, if you're sensitive to nuts, this recipe uses sunflower seeds in place of the traditional almonds.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds yellow tomatoes about 5, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 cup cucumber peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove peeled
• 1/2 small onion chopped
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds toasted
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Garnishes

• sunflower seeds
• basil, cut into a chiffonade
• black pepper
• sliced tomatoes
• sliced jalapenos

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients in a blender together, pulsing until almost smooth but some texture remains.
• Pour into a serving dish, then allow to sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour to let the flavors marry.
• Serve in small bowls or cups, garnishing as desired.

Building, building, building

I think marinating meats is like roasting vegetables. You spend about 5 minutes prepping, then the heavy lifting is really accomplished by time. If you have the time, or the desire to plan out time for a marinade to do its thing, I really don’t think it will disappoint. There’s just too much flavor to be had within each marinated piece of goodness.

Can you tell I’m digging on this recipe?

Soak ’em real good

These kebabs are about as multi-step as we get around these here Essential Omnivore parts. Soak the skewers while the chicken and veggies are marinating, when ready to assemble get another pair of hands to help pierce and make the process flow along smoothly and look, they’re all set! 

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Herby Marinated Chicken Kebabs

SCD, Paleo, Keto, Whole30 and AIP compliant! If AIP, simply switch out the vegetables for non-nightshades. I recommend onions, sliced fruit (peaches would be delicious) and cubed jicama.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 cup basil leaves packed
• 1 cup cilantro leaves packed
• 1/2 cup mint leaves packed
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic peeled
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the kebobs

• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs or breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 bell peppers cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 onion cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes whole

Equipment

• wooden skewers soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
• grill or grill pan of your choice

Instructions

To make the marinade

• combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Marinate the chicken in 2/3rds of the marinade for at least 2 hours, or overnight, covered in the fridge.
• Marinate the chopped vegetables in a large bowl with the remaining marinade, for the same length of time.

To make the kebobs

• Take each soaked skewer and place a piece of marinated chicken followed by bell pepper, onion and cherry tomato until the stick is filled up! Repeat until all chicken and vegetables have been used.

To grill

• Following your grill’s instructions, bring the grill or grill pan up to heat, then place skewers on the grill and allow to cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 5 minutes or until charred and the chicken is cooked through. Repeat as needed until all kebobs are cooked!

A cold love affair

I may not understand why, but for me, this summer has been the summer of popsicles. I finally bought a popsicle mold for myself for my birthday in May and lemme tell you, molded plastic has never treated me so good (and now that I say that–do I need to be worried about the plastic residues from the mold itself even with that BPA-free title? Another thing to think about…)

SO. All the popsicles to be made, and all the summer to make them. Best part of popsicles, aside from the flavors? They wait for ya in the freezer, they’re not going bad any time soon and you can make as many flavors as you desire in the mold, too! Have a few oranges left over? Cool, squeeze ’em into a liquid measuring cup, add some coconut cream and boom, creamsicle pops. Have some leftover celery juice (don’t we ALL) from your morning’s nutritional conquests? Wonderful, muddle a little mint from the overflowing plant in the backyard, add a squeeze of lemon juice and look, your nutrient density goes in the freezer versus down the drain!

While we’re in the freeze aisle…

You know what else can be frozen? Bacteria. Good bacteria. So let’s raise a pop to the funky, to the fresh, to the effervescent and to the freezer. Because it’s a combo ya can’t deny, and take advantage of the trends we have these days, a bounty of probiotic drink options. Which I’m doing. Thanks Farmhouse Cultures!

Or, you could deny the combo. Work that autonomy!

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Cherry Cola Probiotic Popsicles

Take advantage of the heat outside and the freezer inside and let your popsicles sing this summer!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Freezing Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Cola Gut Punch see notes
• 1/2 cup pitted cherries

Instructions

• Place two tablespoons of the Cola Gut Punch with the pitted cherries in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Add the remaining Cola Gut Punch to the blender, stir, and allow the foam to settle, about 2 minutes.
• Prepare your popsicle mold if needed, then pour the mixture into each mold, place the popsicles sticks in and get the mold into the freezer! 
• Freeze for a minimum of 2 hours, then serve!

Notes

For the Cola Gut Punch, check out Farmhouse Culture's Store Locator!

Can't find their cola locally? That's cool! Make a batch of kombucha (or buy a bottle of plain) and with the homemade batch, add a teaspoon or two of root beer tea to the second ferment, or for the bottle of kombucha option, steep an tablespoon of loose leaf (or three tea bags) root beer tea in 1/2 cup of boiled water to make a very intense tea to then mix with the bottled kombucha. Proceed with the recipe from there!

No big show notes for today! A 15 minute episode about how the popularity of the ancestral health movement can catch the eye of diet culture, and how business will market products (which is awesome!) and then push products on us–whether we actually need those products or not is up to us to decide… not business! So if you haven’t been sure whether to believe the hype behind collagen peptides and fish oil, this episode is for you. And drop me a review in Apple Podcasts when you’re done! Your effort is so appreciated as I continue to grow this podcast.

Shownotes:

Essential Omnivore

EatWild.org

Through the looking glass

An upside-down shortcake??

I mean… sure! Why not? What is there to lose? Who is watching? Hell, if everyone is watching, still go for it. Play around. See what happens. Make a mess. Get tired. Try it again. Win some, lose some.

A fine crumb

Seriously though, these little upside down shortcakes didn’t turn out how I expected them… and instead of it being a flop (which really, it could have been. Nothing wrong with flops happening!), I tasted them and realized whoa, they’re shortcakes, not cake cakes. Can one make an upside down shortcake? Is it blasphemy?

Probably.

Onwards!

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Plum Upside-Down Mini Shortcakes

Have you ever made your shortcake.. upside down?

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons ghee butter or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake

• 4-5 small to medium sized plums I used red plums
• 1.5 cups brown rice flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil butter or ghee, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons golden flax meal

Supplies

• muffin tin
• muffin liners

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• In a small pot over medium heat, melt the honey, ghee and vanilla extract for the sauce, and stir until combined.
• Drizzle a heaping teaspoon of the honey sauce into each lined muffin tray spot.
• Slice each plum into about 4 discs, taking care to remove the pit. Trim off the ends so that each disc has two cut sides. Place each plum disc on top of the honey sauce that has been drizzled into the lined muffin spots. Set aside.
• Mix the water and golden flax meal in a small bowl and allow the flax to take in the water, about 4 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, baking powder and sea salt.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flax “egg”, coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract. Mix to combine well.
• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, gently folding until the batter is evenly combined.
• Using a tablespoon, measure out a heaping spoonful of the batter on top of each nectarine slice in the muffin tray, then gently push the batter down to fully cover each slice.
• Bake the mini-cakes for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. If making ahead of time, simply allow the cakes to cool complete in their liners and transfer them to the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, place them in their muffin tray back in the 350 oven (or a microwave) for 4 minutes to allow the honey sauce to melt again.
• When ready to serve, flip the cakes upside down and peel the liner off, so the plum slice is on top!

Mint Mayhem

If you’ve ever had a garden, a garden with a few herbs, you’ve likely planted a little mint planty, excited to muddle some in drinks here and there or simply wanted to be able to brush your fingertips against it while weeding to pick up the invigorating scent.

And then, if you’ve ever had a garden, a garden with a few herbs, you’ve likely planted that little mint planty only to find that wait, that little mint planty has become a very LARGE little mint planty in that long weekend you took off to go up to the cabin. And you find that wait, that little mint planty definitely has a little mind of its own because now you don’t know where your other herbs have gone in the urban garden sprawl, mint leaf biceps bulging. Sorry not sorry, it’s how it works. I worked on a farm once, for a few months. I’m an EXPERT.

…an EXPERT MINT USER! Because when you’ve been bestowed copious amounts of mint, it’s time to find new and fun ways to use up big bundles of it in the kitchen! So here, today we have a sparkling and probiotic mint lemonade, perfect for sipping while looking over the garden and deciding that next year, next year will be the year the mint gets its own pot. By itself.

Can’t wait!

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Sparkling Probiotic Mint Lemonade

A fun take on the best summer drink! Don't let the idea of fermentation scare you--all that happens is that you get some good bacteria in your gut and the lemonade becomes gently sparkling!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 3 cups filtered water
• ⅓ cup honey raw and local is awesome here
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons whey* or powder from 1 probiotic supplement capsule** see note
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 litre flip-top bottle cleaned
• Small sieve or strainer
• Funnel

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, combine the water and honey over low heat until water is just warmed and honey is thoroughly dissolved. 
• Take the pan off the heat and add the lemon juice and whey (or probiotic powder).
• In a blender, combine 1 cup of the liquid with the mint leaves and blend for 1 minute or until smooth. 
• Set up your flip-top bottle with the funnel and sieve on top, then pour in the mint-infused liquid as well as the remaining honey lemon water to fill the bottle, leaving 1 inch of airspace at the top of the bottle. Cap the bottle and let sit out on the countertop for 2 days or until slightly effervescent. 
• Transfer to the fridge and serve over ice.

Notes

Want to use whey, but don’t know where to get it? Yeah, you can’t buy it, but you can make it! Take 2 cups of whole milk yogurt, and place in a colander or strainer lined with a clean dishtowel. Put the colander over a bowl big enough to catch the liquid that drips from the straining yogurt. Put the whole thing in the fridge, and allow to strain for at least 2 to 4 hours, or overnight. Save the liquid that drains away from the yogurt, because this is the whey! You can put it in a mason jar with a lid and it should keep in the fridge for up to 6 months. The strained yogurt is now what you would consider Greek yogurt–extra thick and creamy! Eat it as you would any normal yogurt.

 

Dairy-free and don’t want to use whey? Take one capsule of your favorite probiotic, open it up and use the powder in place of the whey.

Scooping spoonfuls

I kept trying to write a blog post talking about blood sugar levels, about guilt, and shame. And they need to be discussed, but for today, with this happy little Rhubarb Curd, those subjects just seem heavy. Because this post is a celebratory post, you know? It is celebrating our ending spring crops, it’s celebrating a curd that’s made with honey instead of refined white sugar (making it have all the more potential to both be made from completely local fare and SCD-friendly).

My favorite joke…

Inside joke. Inside joke with… myself. Ready? Where there’s a will, there’s a smith. OK BOOM UNFOLLOW UNFOLLOW NOW!

But don’t! Because it’s basically just a little motivational quip I say to myself because a) Will Smith is motivational and b) when you set your mind to things, you can make them happen. This 100% applies to the curd, folks. Because it’s 100% honey, and I wanted to make that work, and lo and behold, it does. And it 100% applies to business, from anything and everything I’ve gathered over the last 3+ years of working for others and then working for myself. Want something? Make it happen. Be consistent with it, and love yourself that you’re making it happen. It’s tender and tiny day by day and once in a blue moon, it’s big. But it’s mostly those tiny steps day after day, and little pivots, too. Be proud of yourself for those because what I’ve also learned is that any time you put yourself out there, it’s actually so much easier to expect a certain amount of backlash (versus hoping there won’t be any that seeps in)–and I think negative opinions are a large reason we don’t, and I sure haven’t, put myself out there in more ways. But if you just accept that there’s going to be a percentage of discontent from other parties every time you do something, isn’t that sort of freeing? I found liberation in it.

So, what I’m saying is… there’s no vegan substitute for this curd. I found a will and a smith for the honey, and that’s cool just the way it is.

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Rhubarb Curd

A gorgeous twist on the classic lemon curd! If you’d like a more rose-colored hue to this, choose the bright pink ends of rhubarb stalks, or cook in one strawberry with the rhubarb!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound rhubarb about 6 stalks, chopped
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 egg yolks
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons butter cut into chunks (or ghee if SCD)

Instructions

• In a medium sized pot, combine the rhubarb, water and honey over medium heat. Allow to come to a gentle boil, then turn the heat to low and cook until the rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes.
• While the rhubarb is cooking, set up your double boiler. To do this, Fill a medium sized pot with 3-4 inches of water and set over medium heat. Then, place a large metal or pyrex glass bowl over this--this bowl is where you'll finish the curd. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water as it boils; the aim is to only have the steam of the boiling water be able to heat the bowl.
• When the rhubarb looks soft and the water has reduced, either allow to cool briefly and blend in a blender, or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth right in the pot itself. Set aside.
• Into your prepared double boiler, add the egg yolks, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest over medium heat, whisking until all are evenly incorporated. Then add 1/3 of the warm blended rhubarb, continuing to whisk. Repeat until all rhubarb has been added to the egg yolk mixture.
• Cook the curd over the medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until thick and glossy. Work the curd through a fine mesh strainer to catch any fibers from the rhubarb stalks or overly cooked egg yolks--or skip if you prefer a more rustic looking curd!

Back to variety, again

Variety is the spice of life. Spices are a variety of tastes and nutrient bursts in our foods. Herbs get lumped into the spice category often. Therefore, herbal variety is the spice of life? Yes. Yes. Herbs are life-giving!

Salad salutations

Really though, what I’d like to say today is this. When you feel in a rut with foods, when you find yourself leaning away from fresh foods towards more processed, more hyperpalatable foods, this can be nothing more than a gentle cue from the body that says “hey, I’m looking for something else right now”. When this occurs, see what happens when you pick something novel from the herb, fruit or vegetable department. How can a new flavor, or a flavor in a new way, add variety back into the kitchen?

For me these days it’s been assessing the salad dressings in my life. As soon as I make one I’m excited about boom–all the veggies, cooked or raw, I want ’em all! So this Dill Dressing is exactly what made my week when I came up with it on Saturday. It goes well on any salad you prefer!

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Dill Dressing

The next time you're in the store or at the farmer's market, keep your eyes peeled for big, bountiful bunches of dill and bring one home to whip up this easy dressing! It keeps all week and is great to have on hand for salads.

Course Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise see notes
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or less depending on mayonnaise
• 1/2 teasooon black pepper
• 1 cup packed dill roughly chopped

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!

Notes

Homemade or store-bought mayonnaise made with avocado, olive, macadamia or other non-rancid oils (I'd stay away from soybean and canola oil!)

Hey everyone! You’re listening to episode 8 of the Essential Omnivore podcast. Today I’m talking with Genevieve Blair, an aesthetician and professional make up artist and owner of Sparkoal Beauty, a safer wellness product company. Genevieve is joining me today to share with us not only her own health journey, but also the unique health journey of her two children and the diagnoses and almost-diagnoses they have. Find out how they came to choosing a high fat, ketogenic style of eating to support their varying wellness needs. Let’s dive in!

Show Notes:

http://www.Rebelheartradio.com

http://www.youtube.com/gennybbeauty

@gennybbeauty on Instagram

@rebelheartradio on Instagram

Sparkoal Beauty

Cries for cilantro

Seems like those cries can go two ways–ya love cilantro, or you simply don’t, tears of joy or tears of pain. I’m in the love camp, and I especially love the stems, finely minced and thrown into whatever I can throw them into as much as possible! So (cilantro non-lovers, cover your ears), this is my rendition of the most cooling and refreshing summer salad I can muster.

Well…

The most cooling and refreshing summer salad, minus however many slices of hot pepper you decide to cram in there, too. I think it’s a theme for this week, with Tuesday’s Mint and Serrano Granita waving hello and toying with our taste buds.

So, may you go forth and get refreshed. With a little kick. Do as you do, kind soul. Bring your merriment, your love for appetites big and small and your love for cooling down on hot, humid summer days.

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Cucumber Noodle Salad with Tahini Cilantro Stem Dressing

After a quick sprinkle with sea salt, cucumber noodles release their extra water and make for a great refreshing and crunchy noodle option, perfect for hot summer evenings.

Course Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Cucumber Noodles

• 4 whole cucumbers
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Tahini Cilantro Stem Dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini ground sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup packed mint leaves
• 1/4 cup cilantro stems save leaves to garnish
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup leftover cucumber innards if any
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 inch knob of fresh ginger
• 2 whole scallions

Garnishes

• scallions bell peppers, cilantro leaves, mint leaves, black sesame seeds, sesame oil, jalapeños or other peppers.

Instructions

To make the cucumber noodles:

• Using either a spiralizer or a serrated vegetable peeler, begin making noodles with the cucumbers. Once you hit the seeds, you can stop as it will be difficult to make noodles from the core of the cucumber.
• Place the cucumber noodles in a strainer over a bowl and quickly mix with the sea salt.
• Allow the cucumbers to drain and the salt to pull the excess liquid out of them while making the dressing.

To make the dressing:

• Blend all ingredients together until a smooth dressing is achieved while the cucumber noodles drain.

Putting it all together:

• To make the salad, first gently squeeze any remaining liquid off of the cucumber noodles.
• Place the noodles in a serving bowl, then dress with the dressing.
• Garnish with additional scallions, bell peppers, black sesame seeds, mint leaves, cilantro leaves and jalapeños, as desired.

Cool your tears with, tears…

Ok, not many tears. But I implore you to add just enough of a serrano pepper to this (or any pepper you desire) to make each bite of the finished granita thoroughly remind you that yes, it is spicy. And yes, you want another bite. C’mon, live on the edge a little…

Graceful granitas

Granitas aren’t new to this ol’ blog! The first granita to grace Essential Omnivore was the Mulberry Granita, another recipe I loved because I could forage those mulberries right from a tree on my block (although for the recipe, I went about 15 blocks down my street to a friend who said her tree was heavy with ’em. I was glad to pick a whole bunch from that tree because later that summer, it was cut down to make their yard sunnier! Ah! The temporal nature of all.)

I hope you give this easy dessert a go. All it takes is time in the freezer and a bit of curiosity to check in on the ting while its freezing over. Heck, keep the fork you scrape the top of the dish with right in the freezer for even easier visits. And try serving this sweet treat the next time you’ve got friends over and you’re all looking to beat the summer. Leave them with the feeling of both cooling off and spicing up their lives. Be that person. Ok?

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Mint and Serrano Pepper Granita

One of my favorite dessert yet! Frozen icy goodness, cooling minty refreshingness, yet zippy biting hints of heat from the serranos—too good!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Freeze Time 6 hours hours

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 cup mint leaves packed
• 2 cups filtered water
• 1/4 cup honey raw and local if possible
• 1/4 of a serrano pepper use more or less depending on how hot your individual pepper is, and how hot YOU want this dish to be!
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for one minute or until quite smooth.
• Transfer the liquid to a wide baking dish, then put in the freezer.
• Allow to freezer for about 45 - 60 minutes, then remove from the freezer and gently scrape the top of the surface of the granita until you start to get a sand-like texture. Scrape until you can’t anymore, then place back in the freezer.
• Repeat this process even 20-30 minutes or so until all the frozen liquid resembles a sand-like texture.
• Once finished, cover the granita and keep it in the freezer until ready to serve and to keep it fresh!

Notes

That cool mint and that hot serrano play well together when they’re all frozen! Granita needs a little eye on the clock while its freezing, but it’s pretty darn forgiving, especially when honey is the sweetener as it helps the liquid not freeze too hard. It’s also a superb way to use up that extra mint that starts taking over the garden this time of the year!

Sitting by the stove

Back in the day, one of my favorite dishes my dad would make were chicken tenders, coated in flaked cereal and fried on the stove. My dad has always been a fan of keeping spices fresh in the cabinet, purchasing them in bulk at local stores. If you can’t smell a spice, it’s ok to toss it and load up on some new stuff. Good thinking, man.

There’s no reason these chicken tenders couldn’t be fried, and if you do, I suggest a fat like lard or coconut oil to get the job done. These tenders aren’t here to be a version of a dish that somehow feels more saintly or “better”–let’s not play those games here!

To be specific, specifically

This little recipe instead is provided as an option. As the wiggle room, and, as you may perhaps have guessed by now, to fulfill my desire to be a little hands off when it comes to a food. Baked, because frying is messier than I want to deal with on a weeknight (weekends are a different story). Chickpeas, because I tolerate them well and I was intrigued by the package of Watusee Chickpea Crumbs at the store. Egg-free, because for the most part, I opt away from eggs because my body says for now, that feels nice. If these are my parameters, what are yours? Do they align? Are they different? Does that feel ok? I hope so. We’re all too unique for recipes that claim “healthy”, “skinny” or “guilt-free” to apply to anyone, let alone everyone, at the table.

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Chickpea Crusted Egg-Free Chicken Tenders

Do you opt away from eggs? Me too, for the most part! Here’s an easy weeknight protein that is egg-free and quick to prepare. Double or triple the recipe for an easy batch cooking session or if feeding a family or crowd!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds ground
• 3 tablespoons filtered water
• 1 cup chickpea crumbs (see notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle power optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and place a baking rack over a baking tray. In a medium sized bowl, combine the ground flaxseeds and water, stir and allow to combine for a few minutes. These are your egg replacers!
• Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine the chickpea crumbs, sea salt, cumin, cinnamon and chipotle powder until well mixed. Set aside.
• Dip the chicken tenders into the bowl of flax, then once evenly coated with the flax mixture, transfer to the shallow bowl of the chickpea mixture and coat each tender evenly. Place each completed tender on the baking tray with the baking rack on it.
• Once all tenders have been evenly coated in the flax and chickpea mixtures, place the tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• Allow to cool, then serve.

Notes

I love using Watusee chickpea crumbs for the coating! Otherwise, you can use leftover roasted chickpeas, quickly pulsed in the food processor to make a coarse crumble.

Miso, a beautiful ferment

Isn’t it funny, the things we tell ourselves? As I whipped up this dressing I found myself being like wait, this shouldn’t go on the blog. Even though it’s something I eat (and enjoy!). Why? Because it has a soybean product. Soy fear is so 2014, Lucia! But also, it’s so current. Lemme explain…

Taking time with soy

While many people may discover they do not tolerate soy as readily as they may have initially assumed, I find that there’s a bit more investigating that can happen before people need to feel like they have to write it off for forever. The use of soy is just too steeped in tradition for me to believe that all instances of it are off for most people (as something like a strict Paleo protocol may lead us to believe!) Here are the factors that can be considered:

• Is the soy in question organic? Are we reacting to what the soy may be carrying on its surface or due to chemicals its been in contact with as it was developing?
• Is the soy from a GMO crop? Has it been declared Round Up Ready?
• Is the soy processed with harsh alkaline processes that do not consider leaching of aluminum, therefore increasing the potential for the soy product to contain high levels of aluminum?
• Is the soy traditionally fermented? Natto, miso paste and tamari are all forms of soy that have been allowed to be broken down by natural yeast and bacteria, rendering the products more readily digestible by a larger group of people.

I fall into the camp of people who say hey, try a food out and get to know it. Know where you purchased it from (companies can answer many of the questions above!), know how it was prepared (ingredient lists can be useful here) and know how you’re using the food (are you trying a small dose during a time when you can notice any reactions, positive, negative or neutral from it?). Get to know the food, its background, and how you want to engage with it and it’ll probably have a lot of information ready and just waiting for you to learn from it!

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Strawberry Miso Dressing

A super quick and fun new dressing to add to your arsenal!

Course Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh strawberries tops removed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon miso paste any type is fine, look for brands that offer traditionally fermented versions
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately on your favorite salad, or store in an air-tight container for 4-7 days in the fridge, shaking the container before using again!

(Not) getting eggy with it

If you’re new around here, this ol’ blog is mostly just based in real food fascination. Different dietary protocols may be called out specifically, and others may be alluded to or substituted in order to pursue. Why? Well, while I wish I could say there is one style of eating that fits for every simple one of us darn humans, I just can’t quite see to find one that physically and emotionally fulfills all of us. What feels abundant for one person may be restricting for another. What is restricting for someone else may be the place another person is trying to get to. And if we factor in time, and histories, and any of the other factors one finds… factored in… then hey, variety is where it’s at!

That’s where this cake comes in. It’s 100% not paleo, and yet, it’s 100% egg-free. Why? Honestly, it’s because I wanted to eat an egg-free cake and feel good about its crumb and texture. I didn’t want a gloopy egg-free remake of a cake because that sounds downright abysmal. And the egg was the only thing I felt I needed to focus on, as someone who eats them pretty minimally.

Save it

And, success! A cake that rises without eggs, totally keeps its shape and form, is utterly sliceable and is just waiting to be paired with a hot cup of coffee (or tea or warm beverage of your choice).

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Orange Marmalade Honey Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is egg-free, gluten-free and even vegan if you replace the honey with maple syrup and butter with coconut oil! Bake it up for a crowd, and it freezes so, so well if you happen to have any leftovers.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Resting Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 3 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar unrefined
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds soaked in 4 tablespoons water
• 1 and 1/2 cup coconut milk or nut/seed milk
• 4 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup applesauce unsweetened
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade

Coffee Cake Crumble Topping:

• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/3 cup organic granulated sugar unrefined
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons cold butter or chilled coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 10 inch springform pan.
• In a medium bowl, combine the brown rice flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, sea salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the honey, ground flaxseeds and their liquid, coconut milk, melted butter and apple sauce. Stir to combine.
• Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir just to combine. Place 2/3rds of the batter into the prepared springform pan. Then, dollop the orange marmalade over, evenly distributing as best as possible.
• Dollop the remaining 1/3rd of the batter on top of the orange marmalade, smoothing it over to create a flat top with the back of a spoon.
• Sprinkle the coffee cake topping on the top of the cake, then transfer to the oven and bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Allow to cool for 20 minutes, then release the springform and serve!

Coffee Cake Crumble Topping

• Combine the brown rice flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl, cutting the butter into the flour and sugar mixture with the back of a fork or your fingertips quickly—you’re looking for a sandy-textured topping, and we work quickly in order to keep the butter cold

Oh sheet! tray.

I’m definitely crushing on sheet tray bakes these days. Just like last week with the Honey Mustard Turkey Drumsticks, any time I can pop something on a tray and into the oven, I’m way more inclined to prep more food. Same activity, more food to either feed more mouths, or feed oneself throughout the week. Is it laziness? Sure. Is it efficient? Definitely. Is it time to make this? Why, sure.

Where there’s a tray, there’s a way…

So far, I don’t know anyone vehemently opposed to hash browns. If you are, let an omnivore know, will ya? This take on hashbrowns reduces some of the babysitting that happens with the classic, generously sauteed version. There is everything good and amazing about the classic! However, the few times I’ve wanted to cook hashbrowns for more than just me (and for more than just a small portion), it’s a big ol dance in the kitchen! Either multiple rounds of browns in one pan, or multiple pans going and needing attention. This version bakes the potatoes, gets them crispy (!) around the edges and is an awesome base for any toppings, really! Mix it up!

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Sheet Tray Hash Browns Breakfast Bake

Get your potatoes crispy and your veggies in one fell swoop with this breakfast bake for a crowd!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 4 cups grated rinsed and dried shredded white potatoes
• 1 cup sliced bell peppers
• 1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 1/4 cup caramelized onions see notes for link
• 1/2 pound favorite breakfast sausage
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 3 tablespoons butter coconut oil or bacon fat
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

Bell Pepper Dressing

• 1/2 cup red yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 dried chipotle pepper optional
• 1/4 cup tomatoes sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons lime juice or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Hashbrowns

• Preheat oven to 400, line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Melt the butter and combine it with the sea salt and black pepper. In a large bowl, toss the shredded white potatoes with the butter mixture to evenly coat the potatoes.
• Spread the potato mixture on the prepared baking tray and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
• While baking, make the Bell Pepper Dressing (see below)
• After 15 minutes, take the baking tray out and arrange the bell peppers, tomatoes, arugula, caramelized onions, scallions, breakfast sausage and red pepper flakes over the top. Return the baking tray to the oven for an additional 15 minutes.
• When done, an optional step is to briefly (1 minute or less) let the hash browns get even more color under the broiler—up to you!
• Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then dress with the Bell Pepper Dressing.

Bell Pepper Dressing

• Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a blender, blend for 20-30 seconds until smooth.
• While blender is running, slowly stream in the olive oil until your dressing is emulsified.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Notes

Have a big batch of these caramelized onions ready in your fridge!

So radishing…

A little summer refreshment? A light sip? A drink replete with fruits and vegetables?

Well.

Be still my heart!

Getting nosy

Here’s my general food philosophy: take out the stuff that is really NOT FUN for your body. Keep it up, or test it every once in a blue moon. Bring back the foods that are maybe foods on occasion. Mainly fill up on foods that offer nutrients, and prepare them in such a way that you’re compelled to eat them. Does a food get in the way of a goal you’re set on achieving? Pivot, assess, pivot, assess.

SO. When I think of a drink that I’d want to drink, which aren’t too many these days (and really, never were, if we’re being honest), I want my fill of fresh fruit, some vegetable, and oh yeah, add in a little organic vodka. I mean, really. I’m going to be picky because I’ve worked darn hard on this gut getting stronger and calmer!

So, summer, check. Fruit? Check. …vegetable? Check?

YEAH! Check! If you’ve never considered juicing or blending up a radish before, lemme just say, this year is yours, bebe. Refreshing and peppery, raw radish is also a beautiful dose of some of the nutrients that alcohol requires from your body in order to be processed. Why not combine?

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Radish and Watermelon Cape Codder

The radish in this drinks lends a slight spiciness! I like to grab red skinned radishes since they lend beautiful color to the finished drink, but you can play around with whichever ones are in season for you! I mean, there are such things as watermelon radishes, so… If you don’t drink alcohol, you could easily top off the juice with a sparkling water of your choice.

Course Drinks

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 4 cups watermelon chopped
• 4 large radishes roots and tops removed, chopped
• 4 ounces vodka I like Prairie Organic Vodka
• extra radishes and watermelon cubes for garnish!
• ice

Instructions

• In a blender, add the watermelon and radishes and blend until smooth, then strain through a sieve into your serving pitcher.
• Add a handful of ice cubes to the pitcher, as well as the vodka (I use Prairie Organic Vodka). Stir to combine.
• Grab four tumblers, and fill with ice. Pour the radish and watermelon cape codder over the ice and you’re all set!

Notes

This recipe easily doubles or triples, depending on the crowd you’re serving.

Drumroll, please

Spoiler: honey and mustard together create a sum greater than its part. Logic goes out the window, glaze goes in the oven and we’re all better for it 60 minutes later.

As much as it may seem that a 60 minute bake time isn’t a weekend affair type of dinner, I will argue that it’s one of the most hands-off ways to get proteins cooked up with a ton of flavor that requires minimal utensils and gives you texture. Because I shan’t get down on any pressure or slow cookers, because I love those tenderly, too, but a perfectly cooked piece of meat with crispy and succulent skin? Where you literally have only dirtied a sheet pan and a bowl (because I just know you can eyeball measuring the mustard and honey) in the process, and you can either hang out, catch up with others or on life for those 60 minutes while the oven does all the heavy lifting?

Yeah, count me in.

Doubled, tripled, same effort

My last two cents when it comes to roasting up a lil meat: as long as you’re not overcrowding the pan, double or triple the recipe for leftovers and some unintended meal preparation! Your future self will thank your past self and all your selves will be well fed. Talk about a party.

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Honey Mustard Turkey Drumsticks

Let the oven do alllll the work for a mega reward! Double or triple the recipe depending on how many people you're serving--think one drumstick per person. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 2 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 1 lb turkey drumsticks (about 2 drumsticks)
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard or combo of yellow and whole grain
• 1/4 cup local honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Pat turkey drumsticks dry with paper towels.
• Mix the mustard, honey (I use Ames Farm), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and black pepper together in a large bowl.
• Add the drumsticks to the bowl, and using your hand toss to evenly coat in the honey mustard glaze.
• Place the drumsticks on a baking sheet, then drizzle any extra glaze over the top.
• Bake in the oven for 60 minutes.

Basil seeds, basically

I was first introduced to basil seeds after watching the Great British Baking Show and saw Nadiya incorporate them into a blueberry jam for one of her bakes. The basil seeds acted in a similar way to chia seeds–they bloom and take on liquids, gelling whatever they’re mixed with. Love it. Wanna play with it. And it got me thinking ok hey, let’s take a hint from this and dive into what these little seeds are doing.

In addition to being a lovely source of fiber (hence how they swell and absorb liquids), basil seeds have traditionally been used for their antimicrobial properties. Incorporating them can be a nice way to gently, and nutrient-densely (huhu) bring in naturally gut-balancing properties.  That’s not too uncommon when it comes to seeds and herbs, if you step away from our North American stand viewpoint and listen to any people who have been using these ingredients for generations. There’s nothing special or new about them, it’s just to our excitable baby eyes. So let’s do more listening and appreciating when we can find them, eh?

Popsicle points

I bought myself a popsicle mold for my birthday, and I ain’t never been happier for a one-use kitchen gadget! Even while I start my packing up and house disassembling, I think perhaps the popsicle mold will make the move with me? I’ve already made a few batches of different types since these inaugural popsicles, so like, ’tis the season, you know?

A few ideas to whet the appetite:

• Grapefruit Juice and Pureed Cucumber (no recipe link, just what I’ve made so far!)
• Straight up Berries!
• Key Lime Pie Popsicles
• Cantaloupe Mint Paletas

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Strawberry Basil Seed Popsicles

Ready to cool off this summer with some fresh berries, a little nutritional whammy of basil seeds and dreamy coconut milk? Ok great. Look no further!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Freezing Time 2 hours hours

Servings 10 people

Ingredients

• 1 can coconut milk full fat
• 2 cups fresh strawberries tops cut off
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, optional
• 1 tablespoon basil seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine the coconut milk, honey, basil seeds and vanilla extract. Whisk together and set aside.
• In a blender, quickly blitz the strawberries into a rough puree. It doesn’t have to be smooth!
• Pour the coconut cream into a large liquid measuring cup, then pour the strawberry puree in as well. Using a spoon, gently swirl the two liquids together so they marble.
• Prepare your popsicle molds if needed.
• Pour the marbled liquid into each popsicle mold, then add the popsicle sticks per your popsicle mold’s instructions.
• Freeze for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Gently run the popsicle mold under hot water to release them from their mold when ready to enjoy!

Instant love affair

Oh, the Instant Pot. It’s still taking the real food world by storm, it’s a trend that can’t quite be shaken and really, though, I’m here for it. From beans and lentils, to soups, stews and the toughest of meats, the pressure cooker function of the Instant Pot is a totally cool kid we all want to hang with who just makes life more fun.

Aaaaaand, more delicious.

A few tweaks

Caramelized onions are nothing new around here! My personal old standby would be onions caramelized in bacon fat, which really, you could totally do with this recipe most easily. Just sub out the butter or coconut oil, no problem.

The trick here with the pressure cooker is making sure that there is plenty of browning and caramelizing being promoted. Want to know a secret? A little bit of baking soda! Baking soda helps encourage the Maillard reaction, which is quite often why you see easily and evenly browned baked goods that call for it in their recipes, though it’s also being used as a leavening agent in those recipes, too.

So give yourself a break from hovering over your next batch of caramelized onions, and let ye olde Instant Pot or any pressure cooker you desire do the work! I find that making caramelized onions every few months to have on hand in the fridge is a super easy way to add a ton of flavor to almost any dish, from side salads, to main meats or beans, or your next baked potato bar (I’m really only writing that because if I suggest it, will you make it happen??).

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Instant Pot Caramelized Onions

Ready to change your fridge game? I find that having a jar of caramelized onions in the fridge can WAY bump up the flavor profile of almost anything savory you're pulling together. Cheese plate? Add some caramelized onions for dipping. Salad? Add some to your dressing. Pork chops? Better add some onions on top!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

• 4 large onions about 3-4 lbs, peeled and sliced thinly (slice too thin and you’ll end up with more of a paste, which, is just fine, too!)
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil use coconut oil for SCD, Whole30, Paleo and AIP
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda optional
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper omit for AIP

Instructions

• On the saute function, melt the butter or coconut oil in the Instant Pot.
• Add the sliced onions, baking soda, sea salt and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are warmed through and beginning to sweat.
• Place the lid on and set to pressure cook for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, release the steam, take the lid off, and set the onions to saute mode again.
• Stir occasionally uncovered for 10 more minutes, allowing the extra liquid to cook off the onions until you have a nice and deeply hued batch of caramelized onions.
• Store in an airtight jar or container. Will keep at least 2 weeks in the fridge.

Screaming a lot recently

I MEAN CAN YOU EVEN WITH THAT RECIPE TITLE?

This recipe is that one where you think it up one day while out and about in a public space, scream to yourself, scare some pigeons away and then grimace at the delight and sheer hope that you think it can turn out as good as it does in your head.

And then it does.

So then you scream at your dog and make your brother eat a million but he only eats one so then you MUST eat the rest and you realize how good this all feels.

Still screaming TBH

You also may realize that you are screaming a lot recently because you have reignited your love for cold brew coffee and specifically, Chameleon Cold-Brew at that. I know, I know, I worked at a coffee shop. I know how to make the good stuff, I know how to make the economical stuff. I have, I will, and also, I love Chameleon so much. I just do. I just get to and so do you. I don’t love how likely, I’m having a bit of a reaction to both coffee and chocolate, so when I do choose to eat them, they come in together–and then they leave together. I go in waves with them, and it’s been a long enough time riding these waves to know that that is actually what feels best. To ride the wave.

Isn’t that funny? Do you have foods like that?

Life lessons in chocolate cups?

Yeah, I think so. Here’s the lesson I’m gleaning from writing this: things come in waves. That’s cool. Life is seasons, that’s cool, too. It probably applies to business, friendships, romantic relationships, family and health, too. I mean, I know it does. I just turned 29, so I’m really very nuanced in the realm of pondering.

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Cold Brew Coffee Chocolate Coconut Cream Cups

These cups are pretty darn quick to make for a beautiful homemade one two punch of my personal favorite combination… cold brew coffee and chocolate! To make them keto, simply opt for a very dark chocolate, and omit the honey. To make them vegan, replace the honey with maple syrup.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Freezer TIme 1 hour hour

Servings 12 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

Chocolate Cups

• 12 ounce package dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Cold Brew Coconut Cream Filling

• 2 tablespoons cold brew I like Chameleon Cold Brew
• 1/2 cup coconut butter (also known as coconut manna)
• 1 tablespoon honey optional, or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons collagen peptides optional
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coffee

Garnishes

• Flaked sea salt
• Ground or whole coffee beans

Supplies

• Muffin tray
• Muffin liners

Instructions

• Melt dark chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl set over a pot with a few inches of water on the top—you’re making a double boiler. The trick to melting chocolate is to let it take its time. Rush it and heat the chocolate too high, and you’ll be left with chocolate that is grainy and crystallizes when it cools (and loses its shine). Gently stir until the chocolate and coconut oil are smooth. Remove from heat.
• Prepare your muffin tray with the liners, then pour in about 1 tablespoon of the dark chocolate into each. Once all are filled, gently swirl the tray around a bit so the chocolate forms a lip at the bottom of the muffin liner—this will help make the bottom half of the cup “cup” the filling.
• Place in the freezer for 5 minutes to harden.
• While the chocolate bottoms are solidifying in the freezer, combine the coconut manna, cold brew, honey, collagen peptides and ground coffee. If the coconut manna isn’t smooth, combine this in a small saucepan briefly so it mixes together well.
• Remove the cup bottoms from the freezer, then divide the coconut manna mixture into the middle of each cup, leaving a space around each in order to seal the cup with the top layer of chocolate.
• Take the remaining dark chocolate mixture and divide it over the cups in order to finish them! Once completed, tap the muffin tray a few times on the counter to help make sure the chocolate fully enrobes the filling.
• Garnish with any toppings you desire, then transfer back to the freezer to set for an additional 30-45 minutes, or when ready to eat. I like to transfer them to the fridge or room temperature before eating, so you can taste the chocolate better than if they're right from the fridge.

The longest recipe for the easiest assembly

Ok, the recipe seems long but hear me out. This could just as easily be made with bone broth you already have on hand, and the meat from a rotisserie chicken. Ok boom. No excuses to make an aspic now, hah!

This recipe is like the White Yam Spaghetti Pie from 2017. It’s something I’ve wanted to make, it’s been up in my head–just hanging out there like a good dog or friend for quite some time. I finally got the momentum to make it when a friend of mine was utterly horrified to find out that you could make savory Jello.

Welcome to the horror show!

Just think risotto and you’ll be fin–wait, come back!

I think it’s pretty interesting that in our current world of loving up on gelatin, collagen, all things bone broth and the glee that people get when their chilled broths “set” that there’s less desire to enjoy that set up broth! It’s all an aspic is, by the way. A gelled and savory liquid, with bites and treats suspended throughout.

So for this rendition I decided to go for a springtime and light, gentle, kind very of an aspic. Nothing that you wouldn’t find in a find spring risotto, just minus the cream and rice (though, one could riff I suppose).

Thought, and time

What I find lovely in an aspic is the thought that goes into it. As you read the recipe, you’ll see multiple steps, but it’s mostly an assembly line so that come time to put things together, we’ve got all our pieces in place and we’re good to go.

Do you find that calming? I do. It even makes me think about my week, about weeks before and what I’ve done to make them steppable. What do I want final results to be on any given task or action? What are the steps to get there? Can I find peace in those steps, even when the list runs long?

I mean, it’s just an aspic. But if it helps me muse about bigger tasks in my life, then hot damn, serve me another slice, Hazel*!

*Hazel is my dog and I do not let her use knives.

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Chicken and Spring Vegetable Aspic

I mean, why not bring back a mid-century classic?

Course Main Course

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Resting Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

For the Stock

• 1 lb chicken thighs bone-in
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1/2 medium onion peeled
• 1 clove garlic peeled

For the Aspic

• 1 lb asparagus ends chopped off and stalks peeled
• 1/2 head fennel sliced thinly
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fennel fronds finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 5 tablespoons gelatin I like Great Lakes or Vital Proteins

Instructions

To make the stock

• Place the chicken thighs in a large pot and cover with water. Bring up to a boil, then remove the chicken thighs from the water and discard the water. Rinse off the thighs and gently scrub the bones—we’re trying to remove impurities from the bones to help make a clearer stock.
• Place the cleaned thighs back in the same pot and cover with fresh water, at least 6 cups. Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic, then bring up to a boil and turn down to a simmer and allow to cook gently for 60 minutes.
• When done, remove the pot from heat, take the chicken thighs out and allow them to cool separately, and discard the carrot, onion, celery and garlic. If you’d like even clearer stock, put the stock into two mason jars and allow to cool in the fridge. Once cooled, remove and discard the fat caps that have risen to the top of the liquid. If you don’t mind a little fat in your aspic, you can skip this step!

Preparing the vegetables

• Bring a pot of water to a boil with a good pinch of salt in it, then blanch the asparagus for 4 minutes. Remove from the water and immediately transfer to a bowl of water filled with ice to stop the cooking process.
• Repeat this blanching techniques with the peas and fennel (they can be blanched together), blanching for 2-3 minutes and also transferring to the ice bath.
• While the vegetables are blanching, shred the chicken thighs off of the bone and discard the bones (or save them for making soups later).

Preparing the aspic

• To make the aspic set, gently heat up 4 cups of the chicken stock. While those are heating, bloom the gelatin in 2 cups of the cool stock. Once bloomed (takes a few minutes), pour the cool stock with the gelatin into the warming stock and whisk to combine evenly and to gently heat the gelatin throughout. Remove from heat. You'll have 6 cups of stock total.
• Pour in the lemon juice and sea salt and whisk to combine. You’re now ready to assemble the aspic!

Assembly

• In a serving dish of your choice (be creative!), start to layer the vegetables, lemon zest, fennel fronds and chicken. I started with a layer of asparagus, lemon zest, peas, fennel fronds, chicken, lemon zest, asparagus and then finished with the fennel, but do what you’d like! This is the fun part!
• After arranging all the vegetables and chicken, gently pour the lemon-flavored and gelatin-bloomed chicken stock over them. I like to do this with the dish already on a shelf in the fridge so I don’t need to worry about trying to walk around with a dish very full of liquid!
• After gently pouring in enough liquid to cover and fill to the brim, cover the dish with plastic wrap and allow to set for 12 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, first get some hot water going in the sink, and plug that sink so you get a few inches of a hot water bath ready!
• Take the aspic out, discard the plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 30 seconds in the hot water—you’re trying to warm the dish briefly so it slips out easily.
• Get your serving plate ready, then turn the plate upside down to place on top of the dish with the aspic in it. Moment of truth now—swiftly flip the whole thing upside down and unmold it! Woohoo! Nailed it.
• Slice to serve.

]]> https://essentialomnivore.com/chicken-and-spring-vegetable-aspic/feed/ 2 3605 https://essentialomnivore.com/four-ways-our-liver-health-affects-our-skin-health/ https://essentialomnivore.com/four-ways-our-liver-health-affects-our-skin-health/#respond Fri, 04 May 2018 13:00:01 +0000 http://www.essentialomnivore.com/?p=3595

When I first started learning about my nutrition and trying to help myself feel better, I really didn’t think too much about my liver. I was never a big drinker of alcohol, not much of a partier, didn’t smoke cigarettes, etc. I was that cool kid that loved a good night’s sleep so I could wake up early the next day–realllllllly cool kid! So while initially teaching myself about wellness, it didn’t occur to me that perhaps some of the difficulties I was experiencing could actually be tied to a liver that needed a helping hand.

All of that changed a few years ago, when I started experiencing a new onset of skin eruptions! While I had struggled with childhood eczema, I had pretty quickly figured out the food and chemical triggers that caused those flares by the time I was a teenager and enjoyed mostly clear and happy skin. These new skin issues were a brand new bag, baby! Luckily, or perhaps ironically, they came about as I was finishing up my nutritional therapy practitioner training. I was in class, learning about the signs of a burdened liver… and showing many of them! How is that possible? Turns out that even while I was mostly abstaining from alcohol, wasn’t choosing smoking (those two biggies we hear about when it comes to the liver!) I was most definitely encountering the following:

• Processed sugars (hello, sweet tooth)
• Low thyroid function (hello, Hashimoto’s)
• Heavy metals (hello, unfiltered water)
• Stress (hello, environmental toxins, poor relationship dynamics and double school workloads)

…all of these can majorly impact the function of our livers!

Well! Holy smokes. I took a deeper dive into how I could support my whole body after learning about those factors, and since then I’ve noticed some really great connections between what our skin is showing us–and what our livers are telling us. If we can love up on our livers, more times than not I see a major reduction in the skin eruptions someone may be presenting with. The next time you or someone you know is trying to figure out what’s going on with your skin, I highly encourage you to give a little thought to the liver!

Let’s dive in!

Four Ways Our Liver Health Affects Our Skin Health

Decreased Phase Two Liver Detoxification

When our livers are overburdened by toxins, this often means that the phase two pathway for detoxification is occurring less readily. What are the phases of liver detoxification, you ask? Ah, good question!

• Phase one eliminates water soluble toxins. These are primarily excreted by sweat, stools and urine. We don’t detoxify as well if we have any barriers up against these, such as chronic under-hydration, constipation, poor circulation or pores that are not open and ready to sweat. Low thyroid function also can impact one’s ability to sweat.
• Phase two eliminates fat soluble toxins. These toxins must go through a process of conjugation, meaning they are in essence turned into water sobule toxins by the process of being bound to another molecule, and then are able to be excreted by the same pathways as phase one (again, only if those means of excretion are working in full swing!). Conjugation occurs on a few different pathways, including glutathione, sulphate, glycine and glucuronide conjugations.

What is special about the phase two detoxification process is those different pathways! We need adequate supply of foods and inputs that provide us with glutathione, sulphur, glycine and glucarate. When these levels are low, our body will be less able to adequately detoxify and we may start to see either sluggish detoxification and a reuptake of toxins via the bowel–getting those toxins again? Yikes. Over time this can lead to those skin irritations and inflammation, increase histamine reactions and generally make us feel more sensitive and backed up on all fronts–including our skin!

What do we do, then?

What to do to increase phase two liver detoxification? First step is to bump up those pathway cofactors! My biggest tip to start this immediately (since I recommend taking supplements while working with a knowledgeable practitioner) is to cook up those smelly, sulpher-y veggies and foods in the kitchen! You know the ones–cruciferous vegetables! Broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and if you tolerate them, some glorious free-range and pasture-raised chicken or duck eggs. Smell like eggs in the kitchen? Perfect!

Overflowing Liver Glycogen Stores

Having liver glycogen stores that are replete isn’t quite the problem itself–our liver stores carbohydrates in their usable form (glycogen) for good reason! It releases that glycogen when we need it, such as between meals or during exercise for energy. Problems arise when we have full liver glycogen stores and keep bringing in the foods that add to the glycogen stores (i.e. by grazing throughout the day, eating a high sugar diet and not engaging in exercise) without ever using them up–now we’ve got an overflow effect occurring!

This inability for the liver to use enough of its liver glycogen stores means that it is constantly trying to figure out what to do with the extra carbohydrates (especially fructose, which in general makes up 50% of processed sugars [glucose makes up the other 50%]) since it can’t store them in the liver. While this is happening, our body has the potential to become less sensitive to the increased and constant insulin levels within our systems. Insulin is a hormone, and imbalanced hormonal levels play a huge role in the development of skin eruptions, especially acne, due to the hormones being our master regulators within our bodies that signal how, when and why different functions should occur.

What do we do, then?

Working on choosing an eating style that allows blood sugar levels to come into balance, and liver glycogen levels to be used efficiently via breaks between meals and exercise are two major, major steps to take to reduce the load on our livers immediately. This alone is a big reason why many people experience clearer and more hydrated-looking skin while shifting to more real food styles of eating that emphasize the inclusion of natural fats for that satisfying feeling between meals.

Stagnant Bile, Poor Fatty Acid Absorption

Our livers make bile, give that bile to the gallbladder, and the gallbladder releases the bile into our small intestines when we eat foods, especially fatty foods. Bile acts as a detergent, and when it’s in contact with fats with help emulsify and break those fats down into their small fatty acids. When this process is working well, this means we’re both eating quality fats (and staying away from rancid and highly processed vegetable and grain oils) as well as absorbing those fats since they’ve been broken down into small enough molecules that we can take them into our systems with ease.

However, if the liver is overburdened, or we’ve chosen to eat too few fats either in quality or quantity, our bile status can start to falter. Bile can become too viscous and be difficult for the gallbladder to excrete. This is doubly unfortunate because the bile is where toxins from the liver go as they’re excreted! A backed up gallbladder means more toxins hanging in our system, and like we learned above, more toxins in our systems can increase our inflammatory process, which our skin will show as it tries desperately to eliminate those toxins (to no great avail).

Finally, when the bile is not free flowing and when we’re consuming too few quality oils (quality oils can include options like extra virgin olive oil, butter and/or ghee for those who tolerate, fats from happy and healthy animals like pastured bacon fat or lard, virgin coconut oil and fats in their whole forms from avocados, nuts, seeds, eggs and beyond) and too many grain oils (canola, soy, vegetable, corn and rice bran oil are a few names to look for), we’re also very likely exposing ourselves to too many omega-6 essential fatty acids and too few omega-3 essential fatty acids, since those grain oils are naturally high in the omega-6 essential fatty acids, and those omega-6 essential fatty acids are some of the most delicately structured fats around! This means they’re most susceptible to being rancid from processing techniques that use heavy force, high heat and chemicals to extract.

Why we can about those processed omega-6 essential fatty acids coming in levels that are higher than what our bodies are used to from a historical standpoint is that those omega-6s play a large role in pro-inflammatory prostaglandin formation. Our bodies are trying to do their jobs using these malformed omega-6 molecules, and one of the main influences omega-6s have in our bodies is helping us to get inflamed! Normally, this is a great option, since just like we need anti-inflammatory pathways (hint: omega-3s!), we also need pro-inflammatory pathways (acute inflammation, like what happens when we skin our knees or scrape our arms accidently, is an adaptive and healthy process). However, the point to be made today with our skin is that if we have an overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids, not enough omega-3 fatty acids, and they’re all coming from processed and rancid grain oils, our skin will reflect the heightened state of inflammatory pathways within our systems–especially when the gallbladder is having a difficult time even sending out quality bile to process all of these.

What do we do, then?

Opt for those sources of lipids that are unprocessed or very minimally processed, at home and in restaurants. Encouraging a quality balance of omega-3 to omega-6 essential fatty acids will also encourage our bodies to return to a more natural level of appropriate inflammation regulation, which our skin will reflect. Consuming quality fats that we can digest by appropriate bile flow will also mean that those fats can zoom along to our brains, which can have an anti-stress effect, and the fats will be more highly digestible, meaning our skin will have better building blocks to be able to create supple, strong and healthy skin. I suggest making and consuming beet kvass to support bile flow.

Overexposure to Exogenous Toxins

Our  final party animal today in talking about how the liver really influences what our skin reflects is the fact that these days, in our modern world, we are exposed to, and choose to expose ourselves to, a plethora of chemicals, physical stresses and exogenous toxins that our bodies likely simply never encountered historically. Plastics? Didn’t have them. Windex? Never needed it. 40 hour work weeks? Those probably looked a bit different. Air travel? Likely fewer airplanes and more climbing trees.

I’ll be writing a series soon that will include a huge outline about all the different areas of life in which we authentically can have autonomy to drastically lower our exposure to chemicals and toxins that are knowingly being added to products we choose or be exposed to use every day. When we think about the connection between liver and skin health, it’s a two-way street regarding what we put in our bodies. If the products are high in chemicals and endocrine (hormone) disruptors, you can bet that this will put an additional burden right back on our livers! All the while, perhaps we’re using these products to try to minimize the signs of a stressed liver! Woof!

What do we do, then?

Luckily, it’s a cycle we can break out of, either by replacing products with those that we can feel comfortable eating (have you heard of the 75+ uses for coconut oil and apple cider vinegar?), or from companies that are only using ingredients that have been tested for safety. While this trend is growing in the wellness and beauty industry, it’s still a fairly alternative practice, and it’s not widely accepted yet in mainstream U.S. dialogue that there are hundreds of chemicals and toxins knowingly being added to skincare products that, in essence, put the burden on our livers and continue this cycle of misinformation.

Actions steps I recommend to people are to tally up the brands and types of personal care products used on the daily. Which are the options you’re choosing to put on your skin? These are a great place to start, because it can be easy to control which ones you’d like to opt to instead! Once you have your tally, go ahead and take 10 minutes entering the brands into the Environmental Working Group’s’ Skin Deep Database, and see how (and why) they rank in terms of safety. Once you have this knowledge, I hope it feels incredibly reassuring to know that you have both every right to a) continue to use the products you love, and b) choose products that you feel safe using on yourself and loved ones. Companies I trust are:

• Beautycounter
• Primally Pure
• Desert Essence
• Dr. Bronner’s

While there are more companies that seek out safe active and inactive ingredients, I personally don’t use a ton of products, so I stick to the above brands since they do me well!

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The above considerations have been personally useful for me as I started to really hone in on what was making my skin show me that it was unhappy. Considering the impact on my liver and how it can best function helped beyond my skin, but that’s a story for another day. I hope this post is informative, educational and also not fear-mongering. We simply have choices to make, and that’s such a good thing! There are more choices than meet the eye, and when those choices start to align with what our bodies need–they’ll show us. They always do!

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Keeping the kitchen kalm

Kitchen gadgets? Drawers full of tools? Attachments up the wazoo? Those are fun to look at, but for me, any recipe I can get away with using the tools I already have in my kitchen and I’m like, there for it. This is why no churn ice creams get me so happy! I mean, aside from the bright, fruity flavors and sweetness from (or at least, in this recipe) local honey. Ice cream happiness can be multitiered, you know?

The sesame seed paste and a small amount of tapioca starch are the combination one-two punch that help this ice cream set up to be scoopable without any additional tools. Take the ice cream out of the freezer 20 minutes before you’d like to serve (so, during a last course or just… take it out when you’re having dinner!) and leave it out at room temperature and your countertop will do all the work needed.

I find this incredibly nifty.

Tamarind treats

While I list the tamarind paste drizzle on top as optional (and it totally is), I highly encourage going out and buying some! I find it similar to molasses in that it will last for quite a while in the cupboard, and it’s loaded with tangy, tart flavor and is full of nutrients, too.

Tamarind is a deliriously beautiful source of fiber, and it’s touted as being a wonderful gut support for this reason. Additionally, the tart flavor helps to stimulate saliva production, meaning whatever you’re pairing it with gets that much more readily digested. Thanks, tamarind! Additionally, because of its dark color (the more vibrant or dark the color in a natural product or ingredient, likely the higher the nutrient value is!) and the amount of vitamins tamarind houses, studies are looking at how tamarind may influence the insulin levels of people with type 2 diabetes. Pretty cool, right?

Blissed out

So today… let’s see what we can make using what we already have! Don’t have tahini? Use almond butter! Don’t have a mango? Use raspberries! Don’t have tamarind paste?

…ok… maybe go buy some tamarind paste. You won’t regret it!

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No Churn Tahini Ice Cream with Mango Swirl and Tamarind Sauce

No ice cream maker? No problem! The sesame seed paste, known as tahini, helps create softness in this ice cream. Add in the mango and a drizzle of tamarind paste and hey, gimme a spoon! SCD, omit the tapioca starch and before serving allow ice cream to thaw for an additional 5 minutes. Vegan, replace honey with maple syrup.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Freezer time 2 hours hours

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Lucia Hawley

Ingredients

Ice Cream Base

• 1 can coconut cream
• 1 can coconut milk
• 6 tablespoons sesame seed paste tahini (if you don’t like the flavor of tahini or you tolerate nuts, use unroasted cashew butter instead)
• 1/2 cup honey (vegan: use maple syrup)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (omit if SCD)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mango Swirl

• 1 mango peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

Drizzle on top

• Tamarind Paste (optional!)

Instructions

• In a medium pot, combine the coconut cream, coconut milk, sesame seed paste, honey, tapioca starch, vanilla extract and sea salt. While whisking, bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about 15-25 minutes.
• Make the mango swirl by blending the mango with the honey until smooth in a blender.
• When the coconut cream mixture has cooled, take turns spooning it and the mango swirl into a medium baking pan of your choice. Once layered, cover with cling wrap, allowing the wrap to touch the ice cream so it doesn’t form a film as it’s in the freezer.
• Freeze the filled and covered pan for 12 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, allow the ice cream to first thaw for 20-25 minutes (take it out while you’re eating dinner and it’ll be ready!) Serve with a drizzle of the tamarind paste as desired!

A brain block

Before making this galette, I had been going back and forth with myself for some time about what I presented on this blog. Because… we all know blogs, like social media, are cultivated presentations, ya? Hopefully helpful ones. Hopefully funny ones… I strive for the recipes to be ones that light me up in someway, because otherwise why share a recipe? It’s like sharing a meal–let me offer something special that I know either you love, or that I love, and I want to show you why there’s that love there.

So the mental block was surrounding the types of foods people can eat! I offer dietary tags such as keto, paleo,  specific carbohydrate diet, autoimmune protocol, because if we can keep those options open for people who are choosing to align with them, then dang, the more, the merrier!

A galette, unlocked

But what was getting me was that feeling of restriction, of pigeon-holing myself. There’s a fine line between creating structure in which creativity can ping pong around and flourish, and structure that is no longer warranted or doesn’t quite… hit the mark! Which is what I realized was happening so quick! Pivot and find what makes you smile real quick.

What was that today?

A vegetable galette, made with a dough that’s 100% brown rice flour–no binders, no paleofying, nothing grain-free here but for those who choose to omit gluten, and desire flexibility to make a dough and get their hands in the flour (and butter…)

Well then, here we are. Together.

Delicate and doable

I knew that setting out to make a dough without some sort of binder, for a gluten-free bake, would yield a pretty tender crust.

A) Delicious!

B) Eeeeeek, delicate!

But never fear. The only way to play is to get your hands dirty, and this crust is totally manageable! Plus, once baked, it is so flaky and browns so nicely… one may find themselves hankering to make another spring galette quite soon. I mean, there are plenty of spring vegetables to choose from… use this as a structure and don’t feel pigeonholed. See? 

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Spring Vegetable Galette with Pumpkin Seed Crema

This gluten-free galette is a special way to pay attention to the tender greens gracing our spring kitchens! Switch out the chard for any greens you prefer, and play around with asparagus, endive or other vegetables that catch your eye in the market.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Dough Chilling Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1.5 sticks chilled butter cut into tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/2 cup ice water

Galette Filling

• 3 cups Swiss chard leaves stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced fennel root
• 3 large garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

Pumpkin Seed Crema

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds not roasted
• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut milk thinned with a bit of water
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• grind or two of black pepper

Garnish

• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fennel fronds

Instructions

Dough

• In a large bowl, mix the brown rice flour and sea salt. Then, add the chilled butter and begin to work the butter into the flour quickly with your fingers. You’re looking for a sandy texture.
• Add the apple cider vinegar and ice water to the bowl, stirring with a spoon until it begins to come together. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball, flatten slightly into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until thoroughly chilled. You can also make this earlier in the week.

Galette Filling

• In a pan over medium low heat, melt the butter. Add in the sliced garlic and gently stir, then add in the Swiss chard, fennel, sea salt and black pepper. Sauté gently over medium low heat for 5 minutes, until the chard cooks down. Goal here is to not burn or brown the garlic, only to soften it. Set aside vegetable filling and allow to cool briefly while you make the pumpkin seed cream.

Pumpkin Seed Crema

• In a blender, combine the pumpkin seeds, coconut cream, water, sea salt, black pepper and lemon zest. Blend on high until a smooth crema is made, then transfer to a small bowl. Set aside.

Making the Galette

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grab a baking tray.
• Take the dough out of the fridge and remove plastic wrap. On a piece of parchment paper, gingerly begin to roll out the dough into a 12 inch oval. The dough, because it is gluten-free, is very delicate, and this is ok. We can patch anything that needs patching.
• Once the dough is rolled out, place the baking tray over the dough and using the parchment paper, flip the dough on the tray.
• Spoon the pumpkin seed crema onto the dough, leaving 1.5 inches along the edge of the dough uncovered.
• Add the vegetable filling on top of the pumpkin seed crema, either piling it high for a real rustic look, or allowing just a thin layer. Up to you!
• Begin to pull the edges of the dough up to slightly cover the filling, creating the crust of the galette. Again, patch areas that crack.
• Brush the thinned coconut cream onto the crust—this will help it brown while baking. If you like eggs, you can also use a beaten egg in place of the coconut cream for brushing the crust.
• Bake the galette for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
• Combine the zest, parsley and fennel fronds in a small bowl. Garnish the finished galette.