High protein muffin: version 3.0 (has dairy)

The latest FabU high protein, low carb muffin.

Eureka! This is one version of my muffin adventures that turned out moist and yummy. The catch? This one is NOT dairy free BUT the batter has 30 grams of protein and 20g of carbs. It serves 4 so each has 7.5 grams of protein and 5 grams of carbohydrates.

FIRST:

*Grease muffin cups with non stick spray & heat oven to 375-400

1/4 cup almond meal
2/3 cup coconut flour
2 whole eggs
2/3 cup cottage cheese (I used full fat)
1 tsp ghee (coconut oil/butter works too)
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt and either 1.5 tbsp of coconut sugar for sweet version OR herbs for savory.
Mix together in blender and pour mixture into 4 cups and bake for 20-25 mins.

How to cook & make everything taste awesome

low carb cooking

Here are a few tricks I’ve picked up that allow me  to feed myself deliciously while keeping it healthy.

1. Choose wholesome and easily found ingredients: I’m no Julia Child so I stick to what won’t be too much of a headache. Sure, I’ll experiment once in a while but that’s good to keep you learning. First things first:  the ingredients are whole foods and the best I can afford. I eat less meat because I like grass fed and organic meat which requires a small bank loan sometimes.
2. Have at least three to 4 Recipe Favorites: Pick a handful of your favorite easily prepared healthy meals  and PERFECT  them and make variations of each.  Curried chicken, baked salmon and soup are just 3 of mine that I enjoy modifying.
3. Keep your favorite spices handy: I can’t make anything savory without sea-salt, thyme, coconut and olive oils. I also keep curry, rosemary, garlic, and onions on heavy rotation ( I smell batter than this implies and I rarely get sick). For sweet flavors it’s all about honey and coconut nectar or sugar in my house. Whatever you’re into, keep it around!
4. Have a healthy respect for the versatility of vegetables:  Don’t throw your vegetables under the bus! Vegetables can be the main dish AND the side, my friend. In my opinion, the secret is NOT to chop them until you’re ready to eat them.
5. Get a Good Knife: Any chef worth their apron will tell you a strong, sharp knife make life so much easier. Mine was part of a set and since I sharpen it regularly, it works perfectly fine even though it is less expensive than some.
6. Invest in a food processor, if possible:  Trust me, it changes the game for everything in the kitchen! Suddenly nothing is impossible in terms of texture and cooking time and effort decreases exponentially.
7. Try a NInja Blender: especially if you can’t afford a food processor. 
8. Crock-pots are magic: You put flavors and foods you like to eat in it, you go away for awhile, you come back and a yummy meal comes out of it. What’s not to love!

The Scoop: What’s hot in wellness news

Here’s what’s (maybe) new and kinda noteworthy this week:

1. Now being fat and healthy is a lie: make up your minds, people!
2. Runners think you can Be a better gift giver
3. Don’t drink? No worries these celebs don’t either.
4. Trust your gut when it comes to relationships.
5. Depression makes Type 2 diabetes worse.
6. Can you OD on caffeine?
7. This stuff is the best coffee replacement I’ve ever had.
8. Ahh that explains it. Men and women’s brains are wired differently!

Nectar of the Gods: High Protein Coffee

Nectar of the Gods: High Protein Coffee

Sometimes things just come together and in this case, coffee met eggs and fell in love! This concoction is basically a combination of a recipe passed on by Zandy Mangold, an acquaintance through NBR,  prepared in the same way My Heart Beets prepares their paleo egg-nog. Did I mention I might be a genius? That coffee so hit the spot that it is all I will be having for breakfast. I used:

1 tbsp Coffee of your choice ( Zandy used Stumptown, all I had was Folgers)

1.5 cups milk of your choice or water

2 eggs

1 tbsp coconut sugar

2 tsp butter

* Use the method My Heart Beets used to temper your eggs IF you like your eggs cooked (I do for safety’s sake). If you don’t care, prepare your coffee first in the liquid (heated) then add everything else and blend.

Enjoy!

The lazy chef’s cauliflower fried rice

As you’ve seen by previous posts, I’m a fan of food porn as much as the next person. This hectic NY hustle can sometimes make cooking a bigger chore than usual but making my own meals makes me feel capable in much the same way physical activity does. Me Tarzjania, me can do for meself. I believe in mastering your own survival by using and enjoying what the earth gives you. Check out this SCRUMPTIOUS no-rice fried rice dish I just made. I refuse to call it paleo because I’m not sure if I want to label myself as a disciple of that team but I will say it was inspired by someone else’s recipe which follows that doctrine. Mine has far less ingredients,
though.
1 small head of cauliflower florets, processed to rice size without stalks
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced.
2 organic eggs
1 onion slice, chopped
1/2 cup peas
1/2 carrot, mandolin sliced
4 tsp coconut oil
1.5 tbsp fish sauce
Sea salt
Black pepper
Ground ginger
Garlic powder
Heat 1 tsp coco oil in small skillet. Whisk eggs in small bowl and scramble. Remove and Set aside.
Season chicken with salt, ginger, garlic and black pepper.
Heat another tsp coco oil and brown chicken slices 3-5 mins. Remove and set aside.
Heat another tsp of coco oil and sauté veggies and peas with fish sauce and lemon juice.
Add processed cauliflower to mixture and the mix further. Cover and cook for 3 mins.
Heat last tsp coco oil in larger skillet and transfer cauliflower mixture to larger skillet. Add chicken and egg and mix on high heat (3-5 mins). Serve hot and enjoy!

My love affair with almond flour: The Pancake edition

So I made the low-carb  almond flour pancakes with nutmeg , cinnamon , 1 egg/1egg whute and packet of Truvia….They came out kinda fluffy/kinda mealy…maybe needed more heat? They could have used some more sweetness too. Do over for sure. *FYI: almond flour isn’t cheap as this bag was $11!!

Is Soul food Slave Food? ( Soul Food Junkie)

This is such a beautiful post on the NPR Blog that I had to share because I know many of us grew up eating these foods and consider them comforting. It begins with the question:

“If you are what you eat, if you change what you eat are you then changing who you are?”

It was written in response to the documentary ” Soul Food Junkies” which premiered tonight Monday (1/14/2013) on PBS. Learning ( or being reminded) that the origins of soul food is rooted in slavery when meals were created with what slaves had access to : cheap food made up of left over foods and meat parts was enlightening. Back then slaves needed the many calories those meals provided and the women that prepared them went on in time to create meals for demonstrators during the civil rights. How times of necessity have changed!..yet many of us are still eating this way.

Healthy foods you’re forgetting to eat

It’s easy to get stuck in a food rut, especially if you’re busy. Bowl of cereal–> salad—> takeout. Repeat. Hello, boring! Nature has provided us with a bounty of vegetables, legumes, beans, and grains that satisfy the palate. Expand your gastronomic horizons with these treats on a regular basis.
Sweet potato/ yam : replace your plain Idaho potato with these beta carotene rich powerhouses. Best in soups, stews, baked or mashed. * quick tip: nuke a medium sweet potato and pair with a cup of fat free tuna salad for a satisfying lunch or dinner option.
Squash:another beta carotene carrier, squashes come in all shapes and types. Butternut squash in soups and stews is great but ever tried it cubed and baked? Yum! Spaghetti squash is a great low carb alternative to pasta and is delicious when cooked with shrimp, garlic and a couple teaspoons of olive oil.
Quinoa : Brown rice isn’t your only option, folks. Try this fluffy grain in all its varieties. It cooks quickly and is packed with protein. Also check out farro, sea rice, and bulgur. Happy eating and let me know what you think!

What I’m eating

It’s Sunday Get it Done day and as usual I’m doing laundry and cleaning my apt. This tasty breakfast of egg whites scrambled with truffle olive oil mixed with arugula and a hot cup of green tea is fueling me nicely. The waffles are in the oven to give me a bit more energy for my chores. How is your Sunday and what are YOU eating this morning?

Save time, save $, save calories

Full disclosure: while I like cooking I don’t love it. What I do love is keeping money in my pocket, eating healthily and saving time. Here are some strategies I use to achieve all 3 goals. A handful of sweet potatoes and a bag of frozen veggies will make sure you have enough sides for your protein on most days. So will brown rice, a box of quinoa, cous cous (whole wheat) and cans of beans. Steam the veggies, pop the potato in the micro and you’re done
I buy one rotisserie chicken, fresh salad mix and a bag of whole wheat sandwich thins to make sandwiches all week. I take the skin off the chicken ( I prefer the SMART hormone free brand) and take it from there. I then take whatever is left over and toss it into a pot with root veggies, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic and a bullion to make a yummy chicken soup. If I’m feeling really Jamaican I toss a couple of dumplings in there to make it heartier. These are just a couple of my tricks. What are yours? Please share!