Paleo Cauliflower Broccoli Mash and Ground Beef Bowl

Funny lookin' bowl of food eh?  Yep, sure is.  And you know what- who cares?  It's tasty, it's easy, it's chock full of veggies, and it is FAST!

I was rummaging through the freezer yesterday, trying to locate my frozen bags of cauli, when I

thought- ugh how boring, cauli mash again.  Why not switch things up a little and make a cauli/broccoli mash?  It will be bright green and a totally new flavor.  Sounds fun right?

This is not even a recipe.  You throw a bag of steam-in-the-bag cauliflower and a bag of broccoli in the microwave and then get your stick-blender and mash it all up in a bowl with butter and salt and you're dunzo.  Cook your ground meat and spoon it over the top and you are good to go!  Obviously this side would be totally appropriate for whatever protein you have on hand, but I thought this sounded appealing and it was already defrosted so there you go.

The best part is that leftovers are perfect for my twin one-year-olds.  This is a great meal for little eaters as it is soft and easy to chew.

So next time you are considering cauli mash for the hundredth time, swap in some broccoli for some green mash that will give you and your kiddos the giggles.

Paleo Faux-tato Salad

I cannot take credit for this recipe whatsoever, but holy sh*t it is fantastic!  If you are a paleo peep like myself you must try this out for your next shindig or BBQ.  Super easy, you can throw this together in just minutes.  If you miss traditional white potato salad, then please give this a try.

Thanks to the fabulous CupcakesOMG for coming up with this gem!

That is all folks- just a friendly PSA to make this shizz as Labor Day weekend approaches.  You won't be disappointed!

Paleo Cauliflower French Fries, or Cauli with Nooch

Do you desperately miss the taste of a crispy french fry?  If so, you are IN LUCK today peeps.  These cauli fries are in-cred-ible.  They have an amazing french fry flavor, are super easy to make, and are baked, not fried, so no messy grease spatter all over the kitchen.  And they are super nutritious to boot, made with nutritional yeast.  Don't have any?  Get some.  It's inexpensive, and packed with vitamins and tons of protein.  It's not like regular yeast, and it imparts a savory, almost parmesan-ish flavor.  In this recipe, it just tastes deep and salty like a good ol' french fry should.  

Cauliflower French Fries, or Cauli with Nooch

 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
couple tablespoons EVOO
1 tbsp garlic powder
kosher salt, to taste
2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Put your cauli florets into a very large mixing bowl.  Preheat your oven to 400.  Toss your cauli with EVOO, start with 2 tbsp and see if that's enough, and then add in your garlic powder, about 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt, and your nooch.  Combine well and taste.  Adjust seasonings accordingly.  You may want them saltier, more garlicy, and more noochy.  This makes a nice coating on the cauli and after baking for about 40 minutes the fries will be crunchy and have an almost breaded texture to them.

Seriously, double this recipe.  You will want to eat the entire thing all by yourself.  No joke!

These make a great side dish to any meal.  I baked mine off at the same time as some noochy chicken thighs.  Easy and no muss no fuss.

What else is going on?  Not a whole lot.  I am doing a two-week trial at Pure Barre right now, which I first learned about earlier this year on our Aspen trip.  It's similar to Bar Method, but a little less stuffy.  Not as "formal" if you catch my drift.  I'm liking it, though not as much as my beloved Fusion.  You don't really sweat much, though it is hard as f*ck, and I often feel like I need to go home and hop on the treadmill afterwards.  But I'll keep at it until the two weeks are up and make my decision then!

In other food news, have you ever made shakshuka?  It's an israeli dish that basically is just eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.  Easy and yummy, especially if you can get your hands on some clean arrabiata sauce.  You simmer your sauce until it's warmed through, drop in your eggs, and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.  Easy!

I'm thinking of making my thai chicken soup again, but this time with shrimp.  And snow peas. Sounds good eh?

Alrighty folks.  I'll leave with you some goofy selfies from this week.  I am enjoying super bright nail polish and clashing weird outfits lately.  Anything to spice up cold and dreary January right? XoXoGFG

Paleo Breadsticks and Homemade Pizza Sauce

By now we've all made cauliflower pizza.  And if you are one of the last people on earth who hasn't, hello! What are you waiting for???  But for the paleo folk out there who don't do cheese, but still want the pizza like texture/flavors, and my fave, pizza sauce, here is a great substitute.

Paleo Breadsticks
1 small head of cauliflower
2 eggs
3 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper

In your cuisinart, pulse your cauliflower until it's riced and transfer to microwaveable bowl.  Microwave 9 minutes, stirring halfway through, to reduce the moisture.  Refrigerate for an hour or so.  When you are ready to make the breadsticks, preheat your oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment.  Mix your cauli with your eggs and seasonings and stir well.  Spread mixture out onto parchment lined sheet and use a spatula to make a nice uniform layer, about 1/6th of an inch thick.  (like that? 1/4 is too much, 1/8 too thin) and bake until it is just starting to brown on top.  At that point, remove them, cut them into strips carefully and spread them out on the pan, and put back in the oven until they are browned but not burnt.  Serve with some EVOO on top and some homemade pizza sauce!

No Cook Homemade Pizza Sauce- No sugar
1 6 oz can organic tomato paste
one can-ful water
1 tsp minced garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
3-4 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together, adjust seasonings to taste, refrigerate an hour-ish before serving for best results.

Grain-Free PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is there anyone alive that doesn't like pizza?  I'll admit, even before adopting the GFG-lifestyle, I stayed away from pizza because it was just one of those off-limit foods to me, but oh man, I sure liked it!  I'm a Chicagoan so a nice slice of deep dish pizza will always make me salivate.  Lou Malnati's, you know what's going on. 
So, ok, my pizza above may not look like the aforementioned Lou's pizza, but I'm telling you, it is a very very good approximation of some seriously good thin-crust.  MAKE THIS PIZZA ASAP PEOPLE!  It is crazy good.  There are lots of grain-free pizza crust recipes floating around the interwebs.  And plenty more of gluten-free crusts.  You need to buy several different flours, combine them in the right amounts, knead them, add this and that, proof 'em, etc.  Not this recipe.  Even better, this is a great way to "hide" veggies.  The crust is cauliflower.  No kidding.  It does NOT taste like cauliflower either, yummy as it that little white veggie is, if you didn't make it yourself you would have no clue it was cauli.  Try it.  You will LOVE it.  Promise!  And google this recipe, you'll see there are quite a few variations.  I think my technique proved superior, but the ingredients are all roughly the same.

Grain-Free Cauliflower Crust Pizza (Gluten-Free, of course!)

1 head of cauliflower
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can of pizza sauce, like Muir Glen organic
1 bag of part-skim mozzarella
toppings, like turkey pepperoni, sauteed mushrooms or spinach, tomatoes, olives, green peppers, whatever!!!

Preheat your oven to 450 and spray two cookie sheets with non-stick spray.  Cut your head of cauli into florets and throw them in the cuisi.  You will probably need to do this in two batches.  Pulse the cauli until it's at the "rice" stage and transfer to a glass microwave safe bowl.  Microwave the cauliflower for 10 minutes or so.  You want to cook out some of the moisture and get the little grains a bit drier so your crust isn't watery.  Don't skip this step!  You'll probably have about three cups of cauli rice at this point.  If you use all three cups of it, you can probably make 9 individual pizzas, 2 per person.  Depending on how many you're feeding, make all 9, or save the third cup for another time.  I sauteed one cup and will give it to S for lunch.

With the other two cups, I added a tsp of  garlic, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp oregano, and 2 eggs.  Mix thoroughly.  Using a large spoon, drop even amounts of the wet crust onto your cookie sheet.  (Warning- do not used a parchment-lined baking sheet unless you want to start a fire in your oven... yeah...)  This made 6 individual pizzas for me, three per sheet.  Spread the crust out evenly using the spoon and try to get it as flat and thin as you can.  Bake the crusts for 25-30 minutes until the edges are crisp and the whole pizza is brown.  Other recipes tell you to make one big pizza, which leaves the centers underdone and soggy.  This technique works muuuch better.  While the crusts are baking, sautee up some veggies or chicken or whatever toppings you want.  Once the crusts are nice and browned, pull 'em out and set the oven to broil.  Spread pizza sauce onto the crusts, then top with about a 1/4 cup of cheese, and your preferred toppings.  Get creative and try funky combinations, like goat cheese and thyme, feta and red peppers!  Or stick to the basics like pepperoni.  Put your baking sheets into the broiling hot oven for just a couple minutes, until the cheese is melted.  That's it!

Don't worry if your edges are burnt, that's ok!  It'll be great, and that way you know the bottom is well-cooked.  You CAN pick these up and eat them like a regular old slice of pizza!  If you choose to make one large crust, I don't think you can. 

I promise, these do not taste like cauliflower.  It tastes like pizza.  Maybe a floppy pizza, but a damn good floppy pizza.  And instead of a bunch of starchy gluten filled carbs, you're eating veggies!  Yeah buddy!  Great recipe for those tough to please toddlers.

I have to say, this is one of those recipes that has really gotten me excited!  Every once in awhile you make something that just totally blows you away, and this is one of those recipes.  Please give it a try!  You'll be so glad you did!

Totally on a different subject, last month I mentioned I was going through a rough patch.  The last six weeks have been pretty trying.  I don't want to bore anyone with the deets, it was work related, and I'll leave it at that.  But I am so so so so so pleased that things are really looking up.  I am so grateful to this goofy little blog of mine for giving me purpose, giving me a positive outlet, and giving me something to do that was rewarding for me and always makes me smile.  Some days, when everything is going wrong and you feel like a failure, at the very least I know I can get in the kitchen and create something healthy, wholesome, and GFG-approved that I can be proud of.  If nothing else, I know that is one thing I am good at.  Sharing that with whoever is out there is a privilege and a joy.

In my little fantasy-world I've concocted, I have a small nutritional empire comprised of a brick-and-mortar store selling all manner of goods for all of us on special diets, whether its a diabetic diet, grain-free, primal/paleo, gluten-free, SCD, GAPS, anti-candida, etc, where you can get quality ingredients at a fair price (can you believe what they charge for "gluten" free products in that sad little gluten-free aisle at the grocery-store?  UGH!) maybe some cooking classes for the newly initiated, and nutritional counseling from holistic nutritionists, that can shop with you, cook with you, clean out your pantry if needed, and just work with you on your new lifestyle.  Maybe this blog is the first step in my little fantasy, maybe not, but it's fun to dream, right?

Do you have any business ideas you'd love to make happen?  However goofy our outlandish?  What are they?  Any tips for a risk-averse wannabe entrepreneur like myself?

Thanks for reading, and thanks for eating!  XoXoGFG

Sweet Potato Pie and Two No-Recipe Recipes (Cauliflower Puree and another yummy steak marinade)- Plus tips for navigating the holiday dinner table

The blogosphere abounds with pumpkin pie recipes right now- vegan ones, paleo ones, low-carb, high-carb, no sugar, unrefined sugar, you name it.  I wanted to make one myself but have also had some organic sweet potato puree in my pantry for some time, thinking maybe I'd give it to S one day in a pinch, and I thought it was time to use it.  So GFG Sweet Potato Pie was born!

No Sugar Sweet Potato Pie
2 1/2 cups nuts (I used a mixture of blanched almond, walnut, and pecan)
4 dates
2 tsp coconut oil
pinch of salt

1 can sweet potato puree
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
40 drops vanilla creme stevia
1 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor until mixture is starting to come together but still crumbly.  Press firmly into pie tin.  You'll want to make sure you get the crust up the sides of the tin.  Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.  While crust is baking, beat eggs in a bowl and add milk, and stevia.  In separate bowl, mix puree, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until well incorporated, then add wet mixture and combine well.  When crust is finished, pour filling into crust and bake for about 50 minutes or until the middle is just starting to set.  Let cool for at least two hours before eating.  If you're in the mood for a fall-ish dessert and are tired of pumpkin, this is a great alternative.  I can't eat very much, as sweet potato is kind of a carb train-wreck, but it's great for a party and can be dressed up with pretty pecans, some coconut whipped cream, or regular whipped cream.

Another recipe making the rounds right now is mashed cauliflower.  This time of year many of us have a hankering for mashed potatoes.  I can't say I miss mashed potatoes too much, I miss french fries and potato chips much more, but if you want that creamy, buttery taste, this is an awesome option for you, and is incredibly easy.  You really can't call it a recipe.  Steam a whole head of cauliflower until very tender, then mash with whatever you have on hand.  Pour in some whole milk and a tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper, and you're golden.  Great for babies too!

We have become big fans of top round steak.  Number 1, you can't get much cheaper, and #2, very very lean.  You do need to marinate these suckers because they are pretty tough.  My latest marinade consisted of:
1 1/2 tsp Vietnamese garlic chili paste
1/4 cup Worcestershire
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 green onions, chopped finely
1/2 tsp black pepper

After 4-6 hours marinating you'll have a very tender steak.  All it needs is 4-5 minutes per side on the grill/stove top and you're dunzo. 

With Thanksgiving only days away, I'm reminded of the usual weird mix of emotions it used to stir up.  Excitement to see my family and go home, looking forward to all the yummy home-cooked dishes and annual "I'm thankful for..." game we played at the table, the craziness and utter chaos of my entire enormous, ridiculous, neurotic, and utterly insane Jewish family all at the same place at the same time, but also, trepidation and anxiety about the food, overeating and feeling gross, gaining weight, etc.  Last thanksgiving I was nursing so didn't much care what I ate or how much because it hardly mattered, but in previous years it was always a minefield.  I'm sure many of us still feel like that.  In fact, any event where eating was the main attraction used to make me go a little nuts.  Too many obstacles, too many opportunities to overindulge and then deal with the requisite guilt that surely followed.  Ugh and that god-awful overstuffed feeling, ick!

Is this ringing any bells?  Who else has felt like that?  Have you found a way to deal with it?  There is no right or wrong answer.  I know that for me, I never ever have those anxious, fearful feelings anymore.  Doesn't matter what the occasion or how many temptations there will be.  I have finally found what works for me and can breathe easily in these situations now.  Eliminating grains and sugar has literally saved my mind.  Many people just don't get it.  One of my friends in particular cannot get it through her head that I just don't eat grains, sugars, and starches.  The idea is totally unfathomable and she thinks that I subsist on lettuce and chicken.  And even though I eat more now than I ever have in the past, some people are convinced that I starve myself.  A lot of people are just never going to understand.  And that's fine, who cares!  Here is how I navigate the shark-infested waters of an EATING EVENT.
-If necessary, do some preparation before-hand.  I do it for S anyhow so it's no extra trouble.  Do you need to bring any extra veggies?  Dip?  Cheese?  Nuts?
-If possible, try to figure out what will be served to ensure there will be a couple options for you.  If you truly have to avoid certain foods like wheat/dairy/gluten/soy/eggs or have blood sugar issues, perhaps a few minutes on the phone with the host would be best.
-Offer to bring a dish that you know will be a crowd-pleaser but is also appropriate for your diet.  For instance, if you are helpless against dessert, bring your own GFG-approved delicacy to share.
-I prefer to arrive hungry so I can enjoy eating a nice big meal just like everyone else.  I know a lot of people will conversely suggest you have a snack before arriving so you don't risk chowing down on a bunch of crap you shouldn't eat, but this is counter-intuitive to me.  I want to feel like a normal person and I don't like drawing attention to my special diet.  The fastest way to ensure people are hounding you about your diet, asking stupid questions, and making uninformed remarks, is to stick out like a sore thumb and nibble on celery all night while everyone else is indulging.  So I prefer to go in with a big appetite and go in for seconds if I feel like it.
-The key to going in with a big appetite is creating a game plan once you see the spread.  Thanksgiving is actually super easy if you're grain/gluten free or on a primal or modified primal diet.  Duh, as much turkey as you want.  There is usually a couple green veggies to choose from, you may have to eat around some of the accoutrements  (fried onions, croutons etc) but for the most part, you should have some decent veggie options.  Certainly squash and sweet potatoes aren't off limits (unless you've got glucose issues) and you may even get lucky and have some kind of salad available too.  Usually there will also be nuts and cheese as hors d'oeuvres that you can load up on as well.  That is quite a lot of food.  So check out the spread, and visualize your plate from there. If you eat until you're satisfied, you'll have less temptation to "try" a bunch of sugary shit afterwards.  And honestly, most of it you've had a million times before.  It's not like this year's cheesecake would be mind-blowingly spectacular and unmissable.

Of course you cannot control how every single dish is prepared.  The sweet potatoes may have brown sugar on them, the cranberry compote will have some sugar too.  You cannot control these things.  You are going to have to decide for yourself how important those indulgences are.  I think you'll find that once you're accustomed to not eating sugar, that sugary foods you used to like don't taste the same anymore.  Now, the sugar is overpowering and it's all you can taste, yuck.  You might not care if you don't eat the sugary stuff.  Or you might really miss it.  So have a little.  Will it kill you?  Nope.  It's up to you to decide.  I know I used to loooooooooooove stuffing.  I was a carb addict, and that was a biggie.  Thinking about it now- ew.  All those starches turning into glucose instantly- no thanks.  But we all have to weigh the pros and cons and be accountable.  All I can say is that you have free rein to load up on turkey and veggies to your heart's content.  Do that, and you probably won't have room for anything else. 

Tell me how you cope with the holidays and abundance of carby, stachy, sugary treats?  What are your tricks?  And by all means, put links to your recipes in the comments!  Have a great holiday and enjoy!  We all have much to be thankful for.  XoXoGFG

Greek Inspired Roast Chicken with Cauli Rice

Chicken gets pretty boring if you don't switch up your flavor profiles- and as much as I like to use powerful spices in cooking, especially with chicken, even that can get tired if you're always doing the same thing.  I was looking through an old Real Simple for inspiration for yet another chicken recipe and came across a souvlaki recipe with tzatziki.  I love chicken souvlaki so decided to make my own interpretation.

Having a whole chicken to use, and no indoor grill- I was stoked to use the convection oven.  I had never used the convect feature for a whole roast chicken and had heard they come out so much juicier and more evenly browned.  Yay! Another win for my convection!

Greek Herb Roasted Chicken 
1 whole chicken, marinated in red wine vinegar, lemon juice, S&P, rosemary, and oregano for a few hours. (I cut out the backbone and butterfly it, roasting it on a cooling rack over a tin foil lined baking sheet to catch all the grease.)
1 tbsp EVOO
additional S&P to season the skin
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Arrange your butterflied chicken on the rack and make sure legs are both facing outwards and wings are tucked under for more uniform cooking.  Slather EVOO over skin then sprinkle with salt and pepper (I used sea salt) and rosemary, oregano, and garlic.  I roasted mine for 50 minutes in a 425 degree oven.  Make sure to let it rest for at least an extra 10 minutes!  Serve with TJ's tzatziki!  So delish!  I contemplated making my own but reading the ingredients on the store-bought version, I didn't see any reason to.  The ingredients seemed natural and fairly unprocessed.  I served this with plain slices of cucumber, and cauliflower rice.

Cauli rice is a super popular recipe on all the food blogs.  I was happy with it's couscousy texture and it was super easy to prepare.  And no steaming or boiling either!

Cauli Rice
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 med onion
1 tbsp EVOO
S&P to taste

Cut cauli up into large chunks and place in bowl of food processor.  Pulse until it looks like small grains of couscous.  In a large saute pan, brown onion in EVOO and season to taste.  After onion is nice and brown (maybe 7 min) add cauliflower.  By now you've noticed I rarely cook with garlic, I really cannot stand it, but feel free to add at this point.  Stir cauli regularly and cook until starting to brown.  This took another 7 minutes or so.  Since S was going to be eating this, I didn't add anything spicy.  But some red pepper flakes would be awesome if you aren't concerned with spiciness.  This makes quite a lot of cauli rice.  We all ate large portions and had more to spare.  Perfect for babies too.

Are you an NY Times reader?  If not- you must check out the Food & Drink Issue of the Times Magazine.  It is amazing.  It has fun interactive features and answers some very interesting questions.  Play around with it.  There's an even a separate link to stress-free dinner party recipes.  I really applaud the NY Times' effort to familiarize more people with the business of agriculture, and the sad state of food policy in the U.S.  Rather than being completely downtrodden and pessimistic however, they encourage readers to become their own food advocates and seek out locally sourced, non GMO and organic foods.  The more we buy from these sources, the more available higher quality food becomes.  One person really can make a difference.  And for gods sake, start reading food labels and ingredient lists!  Don't just look at the calories, look at what you're actually eating!  Is sugar the first ingredient? DON'T EAT IT!  Are there ingredients that aren't actually food?  DON'T EAT IT!

I could go on and on but I won't- just read the piece instead, and enjoy!  I'm contemplating sharing a non-GFG pancake recipe- I feel like it wouldn't be appropriate to post it since it's mainly oatmeal- but S eats oatmeal for breakfast most days and I wanted to switch things up a little.  It wasn't quite what I was imagining, so perhaps once I perfect it I'll put it up.  Have an awesome day, XoXoGFG