Protein Recipes

Cashew Milk

March 24, 2013 Leave a Comment

One of the best tasting items on the juice fast I recently did was the cashew milk! I would put it in a martini glass at the end of the night and savor it slowly. The cashews make for a perfect creamy milk alternative. Cashew Milk + Sunbutter and Jelly sandwich = smiling happy face

Cashew Milk

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

Yield: 5-6 servings

Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients

2 cups raw cashews
2 tbsp maple syrup
1tsp natural vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
Blender or Ninja
Nut Milk Bag or Cheesecloth
Fine Mesh Strainer

Instructions

1) Soak the cashews in water overnight or at least 4 hours
2) Drain and rinse the cashews well before blending
3) Place cashews in a blender or Ninja
4) Fill the blender up to the top marking. It should be about 6-8 cups of water.
5) Add maple syrup, vanilla and salt
6) Blend well for about 2 minutes.
7) Drain cashew mixture through a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to catch the milk
8) Rinse blender completely, and filter milk through the nut milk bag or double thickened cheesecloth back into the blender to catch and small pieces of cashews left over
9) Pour milk into an airtight container and refrigerate. Lasts for about 5 days. Enjoy!

For a Picture tutorial, visit http://www.tiffanystrimtreats.com/2013/03/21/cashew-milk/

http://www.tiffanystrimtreats.com/2013/03/24/cashew-milk/

Continue Here for Picture Tutorial:

1) Soak 2 cups cashews overnight or at least 4 hours. Drain and rinse well. Add Cashews to blender or Ninja. Fill with water up to top measurement on blender cup. Add 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp salt. Blend for 2 minutes.

Strain cashew mixture over a fine mesh strainer. Make sure to drain it into another bowl to catch the milk.

Rinse out blender well. Strain milk back into blender through a nut milk bag or a double thick layer of cheesecloth to get any fine cashew pieces out of the milk.

Place milk into an airtight container and refrigerate. Will last up to 5 days if it has not been devoured before then

Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: Dairy Alternatives, Flour Free, Gluten-Free, Make and Take, Paleo, Protein Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: cashews, dairy free, milk alternative, vegan milk

Dozen Bread

March 6, 2013 1 Comment

I think small things are super cute. Like babies. You know how people are always googling over a cute little baby? I do that with all kinds of small things. “Awww, look at that cute little sweater!” or because I work in a radiology department, “That six month old’s skull xray is adorable!”

Sticking with the theme of small cuteness, when I decided to post my recipe for dozen bread, I could’ve easily made it one big loaf. But who wants that when you can have a bunch of cute baby loaves? Plus, when starting out with a smaller portion, we tend to eat less. These baby loaves are so versatile because you can wrap them up in foil, thrown them in the freezer and pull them out to thaw when you are craving some dozen bread. When I say craving, I mean it. This bread was an overnight success with my coworkers. In fact, more than any other recipe I am frequently asked, “Do you have any of that bread with you today?”

This bread is great because it doesn’t require any fancy flours to make. And boy does it pack a protein punch! Dozen bread gets its name from the fact that it takes a dozen eggs to make one batch. Eggs have taken on a bad rep through the years as a cholesterol raising culprit, but new research begs to differ. They are one of the best natural forms of protein available. In fact, they may help raise HDL (good cholesterol) in the body. From my personal experience as a person with outrageously high cholesterol levels, I can tell you that eggs have not increased this number. In fact, as my egg intake went up, and dairy went down, so did my cholesterol numbers. I can happily say I am in a normal range today due to my natural food diet changes. Click here to check out more on eggs.

Dozen Bread

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 5 mini loaves or 1 large loaf

Serving Size: 15

Dozen Bread

Ingredients

2 cups almonds
2 cups unsweeted coconut, shredded
2 cups oats, gluten free, plus more for sprinkling
12 large eggs
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sea salt
5 mini loaf foil pans (optional: 1 large loaf pan)
coconut oil for greasing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°.
Place 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup coconut, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Add remaining coconut, oats and almonds to food processor. Blend for 1 minute.
When mixture is done blending, it should appear more like a meal, with the almonds in very small pieces. If there are any large chunks of almonds, remove them from the bowl.
Add the blended mixture to the unprocessed oat/coconut mixture and mix well.
In a separate bowl, crack open 12 eggs. Add honey to eggs.
Whisk with a fork until blended well.
Pour egg mixture into “flour” mixture.
Stir until all ingredients are blended.
Prep 5 mini loaf pans by greasing generously with coconut oil.
Divide bread mix between all 5 mini loaf pans. Sprinkle the top with oats.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown on the outside. You should be able to push on the top lightly and it will feel firm.
Once bread has cooled completely, cut into thin slices. You can speed up this process by placing warm loaves wrapped in the foil and put in the refrigeraor until cool. Store any unused loaves in the freezer. Wrap in foil and place in a freezer bag before freezing.
If you decide to make one large loaf instead of mini’s, generously grease a regular sized loaf pan. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Place in pan and then pour mixture in . Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until the bread does not give when pushed lightly in the middle.

For more on ways to use Dozen Bread and a step-by-step picture tutorial, visit http://www.tiffanystrimtreats.com/2013/03/06/dozen-bread/

http://www.tiffanystrimtreats.com/2013/03/06/dozen-bread/

CONTINUE HERE FOR PICTURE TUTORIAL:

Place 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup coconut, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Add remaining coconut, oats and almonds to food processor. Blend for 1 minute.

When mixture is done blending, it should appear more like a meal, with the almonds in very small pieces. If there are any large chunks of almonds, remove them from the bowl.

Add the blended mixture to the unprocessed oat/coconut mixture and mix well.

Crack open the dozen eggs in a separate large bowl. Add honey to eggs.

Whisk with a fork until blended well.

Pour egg mixture into “flour” mixture.

Stir until all ingredients are blended.

Prep 5 mini loaf pans by greasing generously with coconut oil.

Divide bread mix between all 5 mini loaf pans. Sprinkle the tops with oats.

They are so cute…fits right in your hand

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown on the outside. You should be able to push on the top lightly and it will feel firm.

Once bread has cooled completely, cut into thin slices. You can speed up this process by placing warm loaves wrapped in the foil and put in the refrigerator until cool. Store any unused loaves in the freezer. Wrap in foil and place in a freezer bag before freezing.

If you decide to make one large loaf instead of mini’s, generously grease a regular sized loaf pan. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Place in pan and then pour mixture in . Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until the bread does not give when pushed lightly in the middle.

So once you have your dozen bread, what do you do with it? You can obviously eat it plain, but I love making little snacks out of mine. Here are 5 ways to shake up snack time using dozen bread:

1) A slice of pepperoni with a small wedge of manchengo cheese (manchengo is from sheep milk, not cows milk)

2) Almond maple butter with banana slices

3) Almond cheese with a homemade garlic pickle spear (click here for recipe)

4) Toasted dozen bread topped with Bruschetta (recipe coming soon!)

5) Dip bread in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Italian spices. Yum!!

There are sooooooo many ways to use this bread! How would you use your dozen bread?

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: Almond, Coconut, comfort foods, Flour Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Protein Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: bread, coconut, dairy free, easy snack food, eating small amounts, gluten free bread, healthy food, healthy snacks, low carb

Italian Deli Roll-up with Homemade Garlic Pickles

March 1, 2013 1 Comment

I am not a fan of processed foods (Obviously! If you missed this, check out my bio). I feel the best possible flavor and health benefits come from cooking with whole foods. There are times though, when the only way to make a specific recipe is to use something that has been processed. When that happens, instead of completely avoiding the dish, I choose to make better choices in what processed food I would like to use. I don’t think people should have to avoid something completely. We just must decide whether or not we are making a healthy choice when deciding on using an ingredient. Fortunately, there are so many good options and alternatives out on the market today! In a sense, we can have our cake, eat it too, and not have the horrid after effects that regular sugar laden cake does to our bodies.

I absolutely LOVE Italian subs. It’s kind of hard to get the full effect of a sandwich like this one without some tasty deli meats. Fortunately, this tasty treat is so delicious, you won’t even notice the bread is missing. Seriously!! Now a major controversy surrounding deli meats is the fact that they contain nitrates. I choose to buy nitrate free products, such as Applegate, however, there are very few studies to show that nitrates are damaging to the body. In fact, nitrates are produced naturally in many vegetables and fruit we eat every day. However, I do recognize the fact that so many people have a sensitivity to added nitrates (myself included) and choose to go with the healthiest brands available. Another great brand I recently discovered is Troyer. You can check out their product info here. For a full list of healthier deli meats, click here.

Anyhoo, back to Italian sub talk. This gluten free, low carb version is awesome. It is super easy to make, and has a special homemade touch with the delicious pickles created by my step-mom Lana. She was kind enough to share her recipe so that I could share it with all of you

What you’ll need:

1 slice turkey deli meat

2 slices pepperoni

2 slices salami

1 homemade pickle

2 tsp natural brown mustard

For the pickles:

12 pickling cucumbers, thoroughly washed

2 tbsp coconut sugar

5 tbsp sea salt

2.5 tbsp safflower oil

5 tbsp vinegar (I used white distilled)

2 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tbsp pepper

Kitchen Equipment:

Large Jar for Pickles

Knife

Measuring spoons

Toothpicks (optional)

Directions:

Make the pickles a day ahead. Make sure you wash them thoroughly as the crevices tend to hold dirt.

Cut each cucumber in half long ways, then cut that half in half again. You should have 4 long spears from one cucumber.

Place all cucumbers in a large jar.

Add sugar, salt, oil, vinegar, garlic, and pepper.

Place lid on tightly and shake well, coating all the cucumbers. For the next day, every time you walk in the kitchen, take the jar out and shake it up. Eventually, the cucumbers will release water and the juice will grow in the jar.

These are what they should look like the next day. Ready to eat! They are seasoned with a slight crunch. Delicious!!

Onto the italian roll-up…Lay out one piece of turkey and evenly distribute mustard.

Lay 2 pieces of salami, next to each other, on top of the turkey and mustard.

Lay 2 pieces of pepperoni on top of the salami.

Take a pickle and lay it across the the meat stack perpendicular to the long side of the turkey slice. Make sure it is all the way at the end.

Gently fold the meat over the pickle and continue to roll away from you.

Hold roll up in place with a toothpick to hold it in place as a snack for later. Or eat it right now. You know you want to.

Italian roll-up served with a side of Way Better Snacks’ Gluten free Simply Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips

These are soooooo good. I honestly don’t even miss the fact that it doesn’t have cheese or bread. The combo of flavors from the pickles and good quality deli meat make this roll-up an instant favorite. Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: Flour Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Make and Take, Paleo, Protein Recipes Tagged With: easy snack food, eating frequently, healthy, healthy lunch meat, healthy snacks, homemade, italian sub, low carb, lunch ideas, make and take, meat roll-up, paleo, pickles, roll-up

Easy Peasy Trail Mix to Go

February 17, 2013 Leave a Comment

We have a staple in our household: trail mix. It’s one of those things I know my husband will go for when he is past the point of starving to hold him over, and is a healthy alternative to what he could grab instead. Don’t get me wrong…he is a super healthy eater, but you know how ravenous someone can get when they past the point of no return with an angry tummy. I’m pretty sure I would start eating the plants on my patio if I had to. No regrets either. Except that we forget to water them, so it would be a pretty dry snack…

This is probably the easiest trail mix you could ever throw together. I make it about every 2 weeks and takes me no more than 10 minutes to mix and separate into individual portions. I use what I affectionately call my “trail mix bowl” for measuring, mixing and storing. When it is empty, the hubster puts it out on the counter and I make some more. This version is not only pretty dern tasty, but also allows you to customize based on what you like. It’s really that simple.

What you’ll need:

A mix of nut varieties, dates, raisins, healthy chocolate chips, banana chips, dried fruit…whatever you like in a trail mix. Buy enough to fill your “trail mix” bowl

3 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp powdered maple sugar

Kitchen Equipment:

“Trail Mix” bowl

wooden spoon or a long kitchen spoon

measuring spoons and cup

sandwich sized ziplock baggies

Directions:

Step one: Find a large bowl that you don’t use for cooking all that often. It will become your trail mix bowl This is what mine looks like.

Fill your trail mix bowl until you only have about 2 inches left on the sides without any mix. Use a combo of your ingredients. For this mix, I used banana chips, dates, almonds, walnuts and cashews. If all of your stuff won’t fit, just set it aside for next time.

Add cinnamon, maple sugar and mix well with a big spoon. This makes the trail mix so tasty! You can also add apple pie or pumpkin pie spice around the holidays to mix it up a bit.

Using a 1 cup measuring cup, portion the trail mix out into sandwich baggies.

Keep portioning the mix out until you have no more. See, all gone Rinse and dry your trail mix bowl.

Put your portioned baggies back into your trail mix bowl. I usually get about 13-15 baggies. You could get more with a smaller portion size if you want.

Place your trail mix bowl in a very obvious place in your pantry. Mine is in the front of the other stuff I have crammed in there lol. Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: Almond, Light Bites, Low-Carb, Make and Take, Paleo, Protein Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: easy snack food, easy snacks, nuts, trail mix

Greek Chicken Skewers with Cashew Tzatziki Sauce

November 15, 2012 1 Comment

My husband and I have a special place in our heart for greek food. In fact, during one period of our lives, we frequented the local greek restaurant at least once a week (or one made the other one pick it up as take out on the way home). Sadly, our beloved greek restaurant vanished one day. The good news is it didn’t close; it had only moved to a new location. The bad news is that location was a little farther than we are able to go on a weekly basis. So alas, our greek food fixes do not occur very often anymore without a 45 minute drive north.

Recently when I was planning out our lunches for the following week, I got a little craving for something greek. But it needed to be easy to throw in a bag in the morning, so after giving it a little thought (while still drooling over the prospect of eating something greek very soon) the Chicken Greek skewers were born. They combine a great spice combination with a new twist on the usual dairy based Tzatziki sauce. These skewers are lean, dairy free and packed with a nice little protein punch! As with many of my recipes, I make these in bulk, and freeze out portions so I can grab and go in the morning. They make a great lunch and an even better afternoon snack!! Nothing like a little mid-day protein to power your brain so you are ready to conquer the second half of the day

What you’ll need:

For the skewers-

1 tsp black pepepr

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pink himalayan salt (or sea salt)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 medium cage free chicken breasts ( I use Harvestland)

2 large zucchini

1 container cherry tomatoes

1 jar kalamata olives

For the sauce-

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup water

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 of a cucumber

6-8 mint leaves

1/2 tsp salt

Kitchen Equipment:

Food processor, Ninja, magic bullet, or coffee grinder

cutting board

1 plate

4 bowls

2 baking sheets lined with foil

aluminum foil and freezer bags for storage

Directions:

Soak 25 skewers for at least 30 minutes before starting to bake so that the wood doesn’t splinter when you are eating it (ouch!). If you are soaking them for more than 4 hours, make sure they aren’t becoming too flexible under the water.

Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Put all spices (black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt) in food processor and blend for 20 seconds to grind all the ingredients together.

Place ground spices in a small bowl.

Add 1/4 cup olive oil and mix well.

Take out chicken and place on a large plate.

Coat chicken well with all the spice marinade. This works best if you use your hands. Set chicken aside.

Cut zucchini into 3/4 inch slices and then cut each slice again into 4 pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside.

After zucchini is diced, cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Set remaining marinade aside for later.

Rinse the tomatoes and leave them in the container they came in. Place kalamata olives in a bowl (for easy handling) and set out all 4 skewering ingredients next to each other: chicken, tomatoes, zucchini and olives.

Drain skewers. Put skewering items on the stick one at a time, making sure you have done one of each item before rotating another layer. Depending on how close you put them together, you should be able to get 2 or 3 of each item on one skewer. If you run out of one item, just use more of the other items until you have run out of ingredients. You can mix and match what you place on your skewers as well if you have someone that doesn’t like one of the ingredients that you do.

Set all skewers to where the ends are resting on the long sides of the baking trays. If the baking sheets are too large for this, spray the foil with olive oil and place the skewers directly on the trays. Fill up both trays and space skewers out evenly.

Brush skewers with remaining marinade.

Place baking sheets in the middle of the oven side by side and bake at 350° for about 20-25 min or until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is soft.

While skewers are cooking, place 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup water in food processor and blend for 2 minutes until creamy.

Add lemon, cucumber, mint leaves and salt to cashew mixture and blend for 1 minute.

When skewers are done, take out of oven and let cool for a few minutes before eating. The tomatoes are extremely hot!!! It’s like liquid fire inside that little red ball!

Serve skewers 2 at a time with a little bowl of tzatziki sauce

Wrap up the remaining skewers using aluminum foil. Place 2 skewers in a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap up tightly, concentrating on the ends so that the skewers don’t poke through the foil.

Or you can just keep eating them instead…

Enjoy!!! To get more recipes like these sent directly to you, sign up for a subscription to Tiffany’s Trim Treats (the box at the top right corner of this blog) or you can “like” me on Facebook or “follow” me on Twitter

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: comfort foods, Flour Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Make and Take, Paleo, Protein Recipes Tagged With: chicken skewers, dairy free, eating frequently, eating small amounts, grab and go snack food, greek, healthy, healthy food, healthy snacks, low carb, paleo, protein, zucchini recipes

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog Pops

November 7, 2012 2 Comments

I have always loved this time of year. The cold weather, the holidays, and something special that I will always hold near and dear to my heart: the Volusia County fair! There is something about the fair that gets me every time. I think it all comes back to the smell….yes the wonderful smell of fried fair food. I have given up most of the rides years ago, but the smells keep me coming back year after year for a night of shameful snacking. I usually always leave with a stomachache from the binge eating, but it’s a traditional that has become an annual happy outing. This year, I was unable to make it to the fair due to my work schedule. Instead of missing out on the food…I decided to create something that was a much more healthy but none-the-less fair worthy treat to enjoy throughout the week.

I always get a sampling of many different treats, but the fair food I never skip is the corn dog. It’ s kind of my go-to snack. This is probably one of the worst foods I could consume, not just because it is deep fried, but also because it contains a hot dog that is loaded with nitrates and who knows what else! Rodents come to mind… Anyhoo, I searched for quite a while before I found an acceptable hot dog for my healthy version of the corn dog. I chose to use hot dogs from the company Applegate. Not all of their meats are organic, but these specific hot dogs are organic, nitrate free and grass fed! YAY!! No added soy feed or fillers. This is probably the least processed hot dog you could find right now. Click on the picture above to search where you can find these in your area.

This recipe can also be done meatless using vegan approved hot dogs and bacon if you don’t want to use actual meat. I suggest choosing an organic variety that has as few ingredients as possible. The less processed the better!

What you’ll need:

3 packs applegate organic hot dogs

2 packs nitrate free bacon

2 packs wooden dowel rods (found in the craft section of Walmart)

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup water

Kitchen Equipment:

pencil sharpeners

2 baking sheets liked with foil or parchment paper

small saucepan

basting brush or spoon

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°. The first step involves prepping the dowel rods. You can skip this step but they may not push into the hot dogs too easily without it.

Sharpen one end of the dowel rod until it has a slight point to it. It doesn’t have to be super pointy, but it needs to have enough of a shape so it glides into the hot dog without a lot of resistance.

Slide the dowel rod about 3/4 of the way into the hot dog.

Trim the dowel rod down to a shorter length if desired using a wire cutter. Or you can keep them long for a fun fair effect. Just make sure they will fit on your baking sheet.

Take one piece of bacon and wrap it around the hot dog, starting at the top and twisting it down to the bottom.

Place all the hot dog pops on the baking sheet and make the sauce to coat them.

To make sauce, place 1/2 cup honey and 1/3 cup water into a pan and bring to a boil. Take pan off of heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

The next step can be done in two ways.,#1) Baste the hot dog pops with honey sauce, coating completely or…

#2) hold hot dog over the sauce and coat using a spoon.

Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is cooked through.

When hot dog pops are done, grab some honey mustard and enjoy!

I make lots of these so I can snack on them for awhile. Once they are completely cool, wrap each pop in saran wrap, put in a freezer bag and place in freezer. Pull them out one at a time for a yummy healthy carnival inspired treat!

They are great with ketchup, mustard, honey mustard, or plain. Delish!!!

What is your favorite fair food?

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: Bacon, Low-Carb, Make and Take, Paleo, Protein Recipes Tagged With: bacon wrapped hot dog, carnival foods, corn dog, fair foods, hot dog, paleo, snack food, why you should eat small amounts

Chilly Chili

October 30, 2012 1 Comment

I am so excited! Today is the first fall day in Florida where we have had really cool weather (in the 40′s!). I know, that is probably mild to some of you, but when 40 degree weather rolls around here, we all pull out our winter jackets. This is, sadly, usually a combo of a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie layered together lol.

For being born and raised in the sunshine state, I really enjoy my cold days. I don’t know if it’s because we get so few of them, or the nostalgia of happy wintery memories that come flooding back, but they always makes me smile! Whether you love or hate the cold weather, almost everyone agrees: chilly days make warm foods taste amazing! A piping hot dish just doesn’t taste the same on a sweltering humid day.

I really like chili when it gets chilly. Because our winter days here are so sporadic, you kind of have to plan in advance with weather forecasts if you want to make a fresh warm bowl on a cold day. So, in an attempt to get a one-up on the weather, I started making large batches and freezing them in individual baggies. I can pull out a bag to snack on without going through the process of starting from scratch, and possibly missing my winter weather opportunity window. I can have my chili anytime it gets chilly…no extra fuss.

What you’ll need:

6 strips nitrate and hormone free bacon

1 large sweet onion; roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 organic steak

1 lb organic ground beef or sausage

1 cup organic red wine

1 cup corn

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (omit for paleo)

1 cup tomato sauce

3 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cacao powder

1/2 – 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like it hot)

Kitchen equipment:

Large deep skillet (or electric skillet)

cutting board

sandwich bags

freezer bags

Directions:

Fry bacon until brown and crispy.

When bacon is done, chop roughly into pieces and set aside.

While bacon is cooking, chop onion and set aside.

Mince garlic and place in bowl with onion.

Slice steak into 2 inch strips. Slice strip in half again and dice into 1 inch cubes.

When bacon is done, add onion and garlic to the same pan. Do not remove bacon grease.

Saute for 5-7 minutes or until onions start to become translucent and soft.

Add ground beef and steak.

Cook for another 5 minutes or until meat is about 90 percent cooked through.

Add remaining ingredients (including bacon) and stir well.

Simmer for 30 min.

Pour into a crock and enjoy!

Don’t forget your spoon

To store for later (or a good chilly day), place 1 cup portions into sandwich bags and place all bags into one large freezer bag. Pull one out and thaw using the defrost setting on the microwave. You can heat it to the desired temperature at that point or stick it in your lunchbox to enjoy later.

Ok cold weather…keep giving me a reason to heat up my Chilly Chili

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: Bacon, comfort foods, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Paleo, Protein Recipes Tagged With: chili with bacon, chili with chocolate, chilly weather, cold day, food to eat when it is cold, high protein chili, make ahead meals, meat chili, paleo

Grown-up Chicken Fingers with Honey Dijon sauce

October 19, 2012 5 Comments

Did you know that October is National Spinach month? Yup…me neither. Thank goodness for Twitter

What’s the perfect way to honor the month of green leafy goodness?

Grown -up chicken fingers These chicken fingers are unique not only for their green appearance, but because they pack a great nutritional punch with high levels of iron and calcium from the addition of spinach powder. This is a super easy powder you can make at home for much cheaper than purchasing online. If you decided to add the chia powder, you are also getting the additional benefits of fiber, protein, magnesium, phosphorus as well as those wonderful Omega-3′s!

I may say “grown-up,” but these chicken fingers are so tasty that your kids will probably be after your food. Run, hide, and snack before they are gone!!!

What you’ll need:

2 packages chicken tenderloins (I use Harvestland hormone free, cage free chicken)

1 cup pecans

2 tbsp spinach powder (homemade or store bought)

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp chia seed meal (optional)

2 eggs

2 tbsp olive oil

Brown Mustard and Honey to make sauce (see later on how to make individual portions)

Kitchen Equipment:

food processor or Ninja

2 plates

baking sheet lined with parchment paper

multi-purpose plastic mini cups

Directions:

Place 1 cup of pecans in food processor with spinach powder, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder and chia powder. Pulse until pecans are small and crumb-like, and all ingredients are combined.

Place eggs and olive oil on one plate and whisk with fork until combined.

Place pecan-spinach mixture on a plate. Put both the plates side by side and get ready to coat the chicken!

Pull out chicken tenderloins. I use Harvestland. It is hormone free, cage free chicken and it very tender compared to most chicken. You can buy them at Walmart.

Coat the chicken in the egg mixture first.

Take chicken out of the egg mixture and place into the pecan mixture. Coat chicken well on both sides.

Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 25 min. Do not over bake or chicken will dry out. Eat immediately or store for later.

To make sauce, combine 2 tbsp mustard with 1 tbsp honey in a plastic mini cup and stir well to mix. I use the Diamond multi-purpose mini cups that are BPA free and recyclable. They can be found near the plastic wrap/paper plates/foil etc isle at Walmart and are less that $3 for a pack of 50. If these cups are not available, make extra sauce in one large container and pull it out when you are ready to snack.

I hate to brag, but these things are awesome! If you are planning snacks for the week, you can put them in a sandwich bag 2 at a time and place all sandwich bags in one large freezer bag. Pull out one bag at a time and let thaw for a snack. Either reheat in the microwave or crisp them up in a toaster oven. Both ways are fabulous. Don’t forget your dipping sauce!

Go and feel good about yourself. You are a guilt free grown-up-chicken-finger-eating snacker

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Make and Take, Paleo, Protein Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: chicken fingers, spinach, spinach powder

Sweet Pork Potato Stack-Snack

October 17, 2012 10 Comments

I am SUPER excited today!!! The Ancient Olive, and amazing oil and vinegar company announced today on facebook that it will now have products available for purchase online. YAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!! This is so great because I use their products all the time and unfortunately they are currently located only in St Augustine and Winter Park, Florida. Seeing that I live more than 45 min away from each location (and much farther for many of you), this is an ingredient problem for some of the recipes I create that use their products. Well, not anymore. Welcome to oil and vinegar heaven people!!

The Ancient Olive is a company that creates flavor infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars without any added sugars. It is much healthier than using butter, syrups or processed flavors to achieve that specific or unique taste you want to achieve in a dish. Unlike many other “flavored” vinegars, these really taste like the ingredient infused in them. Imagine this: coconut white balsamic vinegar paired with a lime oil marinated over tilapia for a Key West inspired fish dish. Sweet chocolate vinegar drizzled over a bowl of strawberries with no need for added sweetener. Red apple vinegar and walnut oil dressing over a goat cheese salad with candied pecans. Butter flavored olive oil topping your popcorn with the same great flavor. Yes please! If you can manage to make it to one of the “tasting rooms,” the very knowledgeable and friendly staff will let you sample the exquisite flavors and combinations of oils and vinegars that pair well together. For me, it really was love at first taste.

In honor of this glorious day, I would like to share a yummy snack that uses one of the tastiest vinegars I own…Vermont Maple Balsamic Vinegar. I have used it on several things, but it really tastes amazing on anything with pork! This recipe also pairs well with the Strawberry Barbecue sauce from last weeks post.

What you’ll need:

6 microwave ready sweet potatoes (found in the produce section next to the regular sweet potatoes)

1 pork loin (4 or 5 pounds)

3/4 cup Vermont Maple Balsamic Vinegar

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar

Strawberry Barbecue sauce or organic low sugar barbecue sauce (for drizzling)

Kitchen Equipment:

Crock pot

cutting board

12 sandwich baggies and 1 large gallon freezer bag

saran wrap or tupperware to unused half of potato

Directions:

Place pork loin in crock pot. Pour vinegar and maple syrup over pork and rub to coat meat.

Slow cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. When pork is done, it should pull apart easily with a fork. Place pork on a cutting board and pull apart into pieces with two forks. Separate into 12 portions and place each portion into a sandwich bag. Place all 12 bags into one large freezer bag. Place into freezer. (Picture shown below was done with chicken)

Microwave one sweet potato as directed on package. When it is soft and cooked through (test by piercing it with a fork or squeezing with your hand that had an oven mitt on it…don’t forget the oven mitt or you will be really angry at me and the sweet potato) remove and place on a cutting board. Remove the wrapping and slice through the potato lengthwise to make 2 portions. Using a fork, mash one of the halves, loosening the flesh of the potato. Wrap the other half and place in the refrigerator for a snack later.

When you are ready to assemble, thaw one bag of the pork and heat through. Place pork on top of sweet potato half and drizzle with barbecue sauce.

Do I really need to say more….:)

This recipe is DELISH! It is one of those snacks that is super filling with a nice combo of healthy carbs and protein. Plus it uses flavor infused balsamic vinegar and very little sugar so really, how can you go wrong! I once made these as lunch snacks for my family and it was seriously the easiest thing to throw together last minute in the morning.

If you’d like to check out more about the amazing oils and vinegars you that will be your new favorite kitchen companion, click here. They also have sleek and efficient pour spouts available to purchase on their site that fit perfectly in the bottles. I use silver for my vinegar and gold for my oil. Check them out!

Filed Under: comfort foods, Dairy Alternatives, Flour Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Paleo, Protein Recipes Tagged With: barbecue sauce, gluten free, low carb, low glycemic, paleo, pork potato, pulled pork, sweet potato

White Cheddar Popcorn – Hold the Cheddar!

October 2, 2012 11 Comments

Once upon a time I couldn’t eat popcorn. I know, for all you popcorn lovers out there…very sad. I really liked popcorn and decided to get a huge bucket to go along with my movie at the theater one night. About an hour or so after the movie, I wasn’t feeling so good. Long story short…it ended up being a looooong night and the following day recovering from food poisoning. You see, movie theaters will reheat their butter, over and over and over and over and over again. This constant reheating changes the composition of the butter, and increases the risk of it going rancid which is ultimately what led to my popcorn demise. For several years, I couldn’t even stand the scent of buttered popcorn cooking. If any smell could bring me back to a particular moment in time, it was that one. I personally didn’t want to relive the nightmare!

It took awhile, but I finally began to enjoy non-buttered popcorn again (which is better for the body anyway so it was a win-win for me lol). I found I really enjoyed different varieties as well, such as salt and pepper, cheese, kettle, etc. I wanted to be able to make this at home, but they don’t sell any convenient “ready to make” popcorn for the microwave without adding some sort of butter flavor in the packaging. So I set out to do some research and found that it is just as fast and easy to make your own stovetop popcorn. There is also apparently a simple way to make it in a brown paper bag as well, but more on that later…

During my “popcorn research” I stumbled upon a little place that makes non-GMO popcorn called Amish Country Popcorn. They make all sorts of cute popcorn varieties, including blue popcorn (which for come reason I am infatuated this variety all because it is blue… go figure lol). I ordered several varieties and when they arrived it felt like Christmas! I’m still not sure why I got so excited over popcorn. Maybe it really is the simple things in life that make me happy

What you’ll need:

1/4 cup non-GMO popcorn

2-3 tbsp coconut or safflower oil

2-3 tbsp olive oil (for drizzling)

2 tbsp nutritional yeast (not brewers yeast)

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt (or sea salt)

Kitchen Equipment:

Medium size stockpot

Large bowl lined with a paper towel

Directions:

Heat oil over medium high heat in saucepan.

Once oil is heated, add one kernel of popcorn into stock pot.

When the kernel pops, you know the oil is ready. Remove this kernel before the next step.

Add the rest of your popcorn to the stockpot.

Place a lid over the popcorn and gently move back and forth over burner. You should hear the kernels start to pop. Cook for about 30 to 45 seconds or until the popping slows down or stops. Place popcorn immediately into a bowl lined with a paper towel so that the popcorn does not burn in the pan.

Let popcorn sit in bowl for about 1 minute. Carefully remove the paper towel, leaving the popcorn in the bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil. Add nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt. Toss popcorn to coat well.

Separate into portion sized bowls and enjoy!

This literally take me less than 5 minutes to make plus this is so much better for your body than microwave popcorn! In fact, there are new studies emerging about something called “popcorn lung,” a disease causing scarring in the lungs of people who have inhaled a chemical called diacetyl. This chemical is what is used to add or increase the butter flavor in microwave popcorn. Click here to read more about diacetyl and its effects on the body.

Funny, I did a blind taste test on my popcorn with a friend and she really thought it was a white cheddar popcorn! The nutritional yeast gives you all the cheesy flavor without the fat and dairy. You also get the added benefits of B-vitamins, no sugar or gluten, and lots of protein. In fact, nutritional yeast contains 9 grams or protein in 2 tablespoons. This is right around the same amount of protein found in whey powder without all the added dairy and sugar found in many commercial powders. Who ever thought you could enjoy your popcorn and get your protein in at the same time?! I have one warning…this stuff is addictive! Make extra

Still not convinced? Check out this article Scary Facts about Microwave Popcorn

Renal diet exchange: use Safflower oil instead of coconut and omit salt

Xoxo,

Tiffany

P.S. Click here for a link to cooking popcorn in the microwave using a brown paper bag. It sounds really interesting if you hate cooking popcorn on the stove. I am going to check it out soon!

Filed Under: Dairy Alternatives, Flour Free, Gluten-Free, Light Bites, Low-Fat, Make and Take, Protein Recipes, Renal Diet, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: dairy free, healthy popcorn, homemade popcorn, popcorn, vegan, vegetarian, white cheddar popcorn

The Skinny Shepherd

September 18, 2012 1 Comment

My husband and I were very blessed to be able to take a trip to Ireland last year. It is and will always be one of the most amazing places we have ever been. This country has spun out some of the best dishes I have eaten in my entire life. One of my absolute favorites is Shepherd’s Pie. This is my Ireland inspired “skinny” version that is to die for! I cook them in small ramekins so I can grab one and enjoy a nice warm afternoon snack while my mind drifts back to the emerald isle…

What you’ll need:

2 lbs ground free range turkey

1/2 lb (1/2 bag) organic baby carrots

1 cup peas

1 small red onion

2 tsp agave nectar or honey

1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp olive oil

For the topping:

1 head cauliflower

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt

3 tbsp olive oil

cracked pepper

Kitchen equipment

food processor or Ninja

medium stockpot

colander or strainer

Large frying pan or Magic green pan ( My favorite pan!)

cutting board

8 lightly greased ramekins placed on a baking sheet

Directions:

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan. Chop white part of cauliflower into medium sized chunks and place in boiling water.

Boil for 20 min or until cauliflower is tender.

While the cauliflower is cooking, place onion and carrots in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large saucepan heated to medium high heat. Saute carrots and onions for 5 min.

Turn heat off on stove. Add ground turkey, peas, agave nectar, salt and nutmeg and stir to combine mixture. You do not need to cook the turkey.

Divide turkey mixture evenly among 8 ramekins.

Drain cooked cauliflower and place in food processor or ninja. Add nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Top the turkey mixture with cauliflower mixture by dividing it evenly among the 8 ramekins. Top with cracked pepper.

Bake on 350 for 30 min. Turn oven to broil and cook for another 5 min or until tops begin to turn a golden color.

Let cool for at least 10 min before eating. These pies are piping hot on the inside!!!

There is something so comforting about these Skinny Shepherds. I’m not sure if it’s the hint of nutmeg, the fact that they are so good for you, or the warm goodness in your belly after eating them, but I never get enough of this snack. It’s a great way to experience an Irish culinary treasure right in your own backyard.

Renal Diet exchanges: Eliminate all salt from recipe, use fresh or frozen peas (not canned) and do not use honey as an option in the meat mixture (agave nectar only).

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: comfort foods, Dairy Alternatives, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Paleo, Protein Recipes, Renal Diet Tagged With: healthy shepherds pie, irish shepherds pie, low fat shepherds pie, paleo, potato free shepherds pie, skinny shepherd

Almond Herb Cheese

September 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

One of the downfalls of having a dairy allergy is not enjoying a simple pleasure of life…cheese. Me and Cheese, we were best friends. We did everything together…pizza, sandwiches, soups, etc. You should’ve seen what we could do with a cracker! Ahhh…good times. But ultimately, cheese betrayed me and I was left alone, overweight, and sporting a puffy face with a daily headache. Enter my friend the almond. It really is one of the most versatile foods and makes a mean cheese spread (without the cheese of course). This is one of my favorite snacks EVER! It pairs well with crackers, veggies, as a replacement for ricotta, or just eating it straight out of the container. Guilty

What you will need:

1 cup almonds (blanched if you want a white cheese)

1 lemon, juiced, seeds removed

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp dried italian herbs

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt

5 or 6 garlic cloves

Kitchen Equipment:

Tupperware container or bowl with plastic wrap (for soaking)

strainer or colander

Food Processor

Spatula

Directions:

Place almonds in a plastic container or bowl and cover with water (make sure container has enough room for almonds to expand). Cover. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.

After soaking is finished, drain and rinse well under cold water.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process for 6 to 7 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Every 2 to 3 minutes stop food processor and scrape down the sides with a spatula.

When mixture is done processing, place in container and chill. If it is still too thick, you may add more olive oil to get it to the right consistency.

Serve with veggies, gluten free crackers or a spoon

The consistency will not be completely smooth if you use non-blanched almonds, but I like it with a little crunch to it. If you prefer a smooth cheese (that looks like cheese), definitely go for the blanched almonds. After soaking, they will have a strong vinegar smell to them (from the blanching process), so rinse well. I hope you enjoyed meeting my new best friend, almond cheese!

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: Almond, Dairy Alternatives, Flour Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Paleo, Protein Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: almond cheese, cheese dairy alternatives, cheese made from almonds, cheese made from nuts, dairy alternative, nut cheese, paleo

Tiffany’s Turkey Meatballs

August 15, 2012 8 Comments

There really is no good way to satisfy a craving for Italian food without just eating Italian food. For me, I start out in complete bliss, surrounded by the gobs of bread, cheese and oooey warm goodness. I shovel it into my mouth with no regard to how I am going to feel in about 10 minutes. And then…the agony! It’s like an Italian slap in the face and it leaves a mark! Plus I want to be in nap city, so doing anything productive is usually out of the question. I decided to come up with a way satisfy that Italian craving without sacrificing my poor sinuses in the process. And so, Tiffany’s Turkey Meatballs were born. I usually make these in really large batches (3 or 4 times the recipe I posted) and freeze them so we can pull them out whenever. You never know when an attack craving will sneak up on you..

What you will need:

1 pound hormone free/cage free ground turkey (Harvestland is the brand I use)

1 egg

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp cracked pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil + more for tops

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup almond cheese, goat cheese or nutritional yeast (not brewers yeast)

Kitchen equipment

1 large bowl

Cookie sheet lined with greased foil or parchment paper

Directions:

Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly with hands (yes your hands…after you have washed them )

Rinse your hands off, and keeping them slightly moist, roll turkey mixture into 9 meatballs and place on baking sheet.

Brush each meatball with olive oil and place in oven. Bake for 25 – 30 min or until slightly browned and completely cooked through. Try not to over bake as it will make them tough.

Enjoy! These are great by themselves, or with a little organic tomato sauce on top. I freeze them by putting 3 in a small sandwich bag and placing all the sandwiches bags in one large freezer bag. They you can grab one out in the morning for a great little protein packed afternoon snack…or morning snack. I’m not judging

Renal Diet replacements: exchange almond flour for rice flour, and dried herbs for 2 tablespoons each fresh basil and parsley.

Xoxo,

Tiffany

Filed Under: comfort foods, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Protein Recipes, Renal Diet Tagged With: dairy free meatball recipe, healthy meatballs, low carb, meatballs, meatballs without parmesan cheese, paleo, renal diet recipes, turkey meatballs

Zac and Cheese

August 3, 2012 Leave a Comment

When you hear the words “Comfort Food” what comes to mind? For me, mac and cheese has to be somewhere at the top of the list. The biggest problem with that is that cheese doesn’t like me all too well. I am very fortunate not to have all the lactose intolerant stomach cramps (and all the other gross stomach issues we won’t go into…), but my sinuses and kleenex will most definitely become best friends after a night of milk binging. What’s a girl to do?! Come up with something better

Putting together a list of ingredients for mac and cheese usually looks something like this: milk, wheat noodles, cheese (usually not hormone free), butter, lots of salt, and more cheese. Occasionally people might add something healthy like an onion to it. And that’s only the healthy homemade version! Boxed mac and cheese (depending on the brand) adds sodium tripolyphosphate, disodium phosphate, and or calcium phosphate as a food preservative. You can find many of these preservatives in household cleaners and corrosion inhibitors. Let’s not forget our friends Yellow number 5 and Yellow number 6, the food colorings that turn mac and cheese a strange fluorescent orange sci-fi color. I don’t even think it even comes close to the color of sharp cheddar which usually is the brightest orange cheese. I once watched a family member consume an entire box of mac and cheese while thinking to myself, “That can’t be good…”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want chemical cleaners or something with a number in my food. Preferably, I’d also like to feel good after eating it as well! This led to my creation of the new and improved “Zac and Cheese”!

What you will need:

For the sauce

2 cups raw cashews

2 cups water

2 cups organic nitrate free chardonnay

2 tbsp nutritional yeast, not brewers yeast

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 lemon

For the “Macaroni”

5 medium zucchini

For the topping

1 cup almond flour

1 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp onion powder (optional, but recommended)

Kitchen equipment

food processor or Ninja

fine sieve strainer

non-stick frying pan or Magic green pan ( My favorite pan!)

cutting board

3 bowls

8 lightly greased ramekins placed on a baking sheet

Directions:

To begin, blend the 2 cups cashews with 2 cups water until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). I love using my ninja for this because it seems to take less time and purees really nice. Once the mixture is smooth, strain through the strainer into a bowl and throw away the chunky pieces left in the strainer. Set cashew puree aside.

Bring wine to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 12 minutes.

While the Chardonnay is cooking, prep your zucchini. Peel using a vegetable peeler (recommended) or a knife. If you want the macaroni small, cut zucchini into 3 pieces lengthwise. If you want it a little bigger, cut in half. Next slice along the length if the zucchini in half moons, about a half inch apart. Place zucchini macaroni aside in a large bowl.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Once the wine has reduced by about half, add cashew puree, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes. Squeeze lemon into sauce and stir.

Pour “cheese” mixture into zucchini noodles and stir well

Divide noodle mix evenly among 8 ramekins.

Place all topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until small pea sized pieces appear throughout mix. Top zucchini mixture in ramekins.

Bake for 30 minutes or until tops are slightly browned. If you are in a hurry, you can turn the oven on broil after 30 min and cook for another 2 min to get the tops browned a little faster.

Let cool for at least 10 minutes because they are extremely hot coming out of the oven (my husband actually burned his mouth!) We enjoyed these as our afternoon snack for the next few days and they were really filling due to the use of almonds and cashew protein added to the recipe. The zucchini worked perfectly as a noodle replacement. The sauce almost resembled a creamy white alfredo cheese. Yum! I also didn’t have a sluggish feeling after eating them so…success! I hope you love them as much as we do!

Renal Diet Exchanges: exchange cashews for 16 oz cream cheese, no salt, exchange almond flour for rice flour, and add 1 tsp garlic powder to both the sauce and topping.

xoxo

Tiffany

Filed Under: Almond, comfort foods, Dairy Alternatives, Flour Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Paleo, Protein Recipes, Renal Diet, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: healthy macaroni, healthy snacks, macaroni and cheese, macaroni and cheese alternative, no cheese macaroni, snacks, zuc and cheese, zucchini and cheese, zucchini and cheese recipes, zucchini recipes

Cashew Milk

Dozen Bread

Italian Deli Roll-up with Homemade Garlic Pickles

Easy Peasy Trail Mix to Go

Greek Chicken Skewers with Cashew Tzatziki Sauce

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog Pops

Chilly Chili

Grown-up Chicken Fingers with Honey Dijon sauce

Sweet Pork Potato Stack-Snack

White Cheddar Popcorn – Hold the Cheddar!

The Skinny Shepherd

Almond Herb Cheese

Tiffany’s Turkey Meatballs

Zac and Cheese

Get Free Recipes Here!

Hungry for More?

About Me

Categories

Follow Tiffany's Trim treats

Get Free Recipes Here!

Stay Connected

Hungry for More?

About Me

Categories

Follow Tiffany's Trim treats