Plantain Enchilada Casserole

We are deep into self quarantining or social distancing...whatever you want to call it. I'm calling it Introverts Delight.

I'm definitely tired of cooking three meals a day. It seems that my attitude just doesn't want to eat healthy lately. It didn't help that I went straight from a cruise, that took first place in the Best Cuisine category, to cooking at home when getting fresh produce is not really a thing. I'm not risking the grocery store and the closest pickup date was three weeks out when we got back.

Besides, quarantine calories don't count right?! LOL!

This past weekend we had a virtual hangout with #tomboybff and her husband. I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Oreo Brownies and after eating just one, I had reached the end of my "Quarantine Fun Eating."

I'm ready for salads and when I feel safe getting to the grocery store again, I will start a Whole 30.

Until then, I'm eating what we have and making it as relatively healthy as possible. That said, I am eating beans which are neither Whole 30 or Paleo. However, if I'm being honest, I just don't give a damn. Beans have amazing nutrients and as long as I take some activated charcoal and drink some ginger and fennel tea with it I don't get the 'awesome' side effects caused by them.

Plantain Enchilada Casserole
Serves 6 ● Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
4 large semi-ripe plantains
1 T of avocado or coconut oil
2 cans or bags of red enchilada sauce (I like Hatch Organic or Tres Latin Foods Red Enchilada Sauce)

3 cans of black beans
1 cup divided of Mexican Cheese Blend or Vegan Shredded Cheese
1 1/2t of cumin
1t smoked paprika
1t chili powder
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t onion powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1t of chipotle chili powder or cayenne (optional)
Diced sweet onion, cilantro, and guacamole/avodaco for toppings

Supplies:
Sharp chef knife
Cutting board
Parchment paper
2 baking sheets
Large saucepot
Cooking spray
13x9 casserole dish

Process:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Run a sharp knife to 'score' the plantains to make removing the skin easier. Do not cut through the plantain. Gently remove the skins. Slice the plantain longwise into 5 thin slices. Tip: Make sure your chef's knife is super sharp.

2. Spray or brush the slices with avocado or coconut oil, salt and pepper to taste, and spread them out on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cook in the oven for 24 - 27 minutes, switching the sheets halfway through cooking.

3. While the plantains are cooking, prepare the beans. Add the beans to the saucepot with the spices and bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

4. When the plantains are done, reduce the heat in the oven to 375°.

5. Layer in order: enchilada sauce, plantains, beans, and cheese in a greased casserole dish. Alternating layers twice.

6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

7. Top with desired toppings and eat!

We paired ours with a Cuba Libre (the fancy name for a rum and coke) and fresh mint from my new apocalypse garden which I started from grocery store scraps. More on that later if I get some free time to blog again.

My free time has beena bit divided between my 7 month old puppy and entertaining #leohusband. Ha!

Gluten Free Ramen with Creamy Avocado Sauce

Inspiration can strike when you least expect it, or in my case, a moment of starvation.

I had a moment of wanderlust in my local Costco and I stumbled upon Gluten-Free Ramen.

Now, I normally eat grain free, but on the occasion I need to have something more substantial, I tend to turn to brown rice. That's exactly what this ramen was made from, organic brown rice.

I couldn't wait to get home and try it out.

Gluten Free Ramen with Creamy Avocado Sauce

1 T Ghee
1 Avocado
1 t Curry Powder
2 t Minced Garlic
1 T Coconut Aminos
1/4 t Sesame Oil
1 Handfull of Cilantro
1 Cup Bone Broth or Vegetable Broth
1-2 t of Taste of Thai Green Curry Paste (Whole30 and Paleo compliant)
Leftover Green Vegetables (I used zucchini, broccoli, and asparagus)
Leftover Protein from Dinner or Soft Boiled Eggs - How to do Soft Boiled Eggs omit if vegetarian or vegan.

Boil the gluten-free ramen as per instruction. If making eggs start that water as well in a smaller saucepot.

While the water is heating to a boil, in a large skillet on medium high, heat the ghee.

When the ghee is warm, but not smoking, add the garlic and let it come to a warm golden color. Then add the spices, green curry paste, and coconut aminos. Whisk spices together and warm until fragrant, about 1 minute. If using leftover protein, add that to the skillet with the leftover vegetables and saute for 4-5 minutes.

At this point, the ramen and egg water should be boiling so get that started.

Add the broth to the skillet and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Cut open the avocado and mash half to a fine paste. Add to the broth and stir well. Salt and Pepper to taste broth mixture to taste. Thinly slice the rest of the avocado for topping.

When the ramen is done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave the noodles in the sink and work on the eggs if using them in the recipe. Once everything is ready, add your ramen to a bowl, pour the broth mixture over the ramen and top with the leftover avocado, eggs, cilantro, and sesame oil if desired.

Enjoy!

Summer Vegetables and Meatballs

Summer is officially in full swing and I can feel the heat just sitting inside my darkened house. I swear if you didn't know any better you'd think houses in Texas were inhabited by vampires since I keep the blinds shut all day long to keep the house cooler.

In the words of Xander on one of the best shows ever created, Buffy the Vampire Slayer..."You know, our friends, that sleep all day and have no tans..." Yep. Texas looks like it's full of vampires in the summertime.

However, the one great thing about Texas is the variety of veggies that come out. Particularly, zucchini and my new favorite heirloom tomato blends. Yum.

I decided to start a Whole30 in between events this summer. That's after my nephew's graduation from High School and before #leohusband's birthday, even though that means a Whole30 July 4th - American Independence Day for my non-US readers.

I feel confident that my two servings of fruit from a cold watermelon on Independence Day is just fine with me in lieu of peach pie.

Unfortunately, my back has been totally f'ed up since April and I haven't had the chance to sit down and evaluate what I need to do to actually feel better. I've been in pure survival mode hanging on by my fingernails trying to keep up my blog, keep up with my daily 'I need to do this to feel normal' activities, promote my awesome new podcast Chronic Warrior Women with Rebekah Svensson aka #awkwardyethealthy, be social with family and friends, oh, and do my daily responsibilities like laundry and ironing, etc...forget about getting a meal on the table.

By the time I'm done with all that I'm done - stick a fork in me!

Needless to say, I haven't been eating that great, not bad, but not up to my normal standards. In fact, I had to switch my morning affirmations from I love my life, to I love to cook. This is so weird to me because back when I was teaching, I did love to cook, it was my stress reliever. Now, it's my stress inducer. Crazy!

So yesterday was my first Whole30 day. Well, I felt so bad I didn't even start eating until lunchtime when #leohusband woke up and made breakfast for lunch. LOL! Then all I had to do was dinner.


Summer Vegetables and Meatballs

Zoodles:
5-6 Zucchini
2-3 t salt

First, prep the Zucchini. Wash, dry, and spiral about 5-6 large zucchini. Place the spiraled zucchini in a colander, in the sink, and generously salt the zucchini. Set a 20-minute timer and start working on the meatballs.

Meatballs:
1 lb of grass fed ground beef
1 egg
1 T almond flour (as long as it's not the main ingredient this is OK on the Whole30)
1/2 T Italian blend herbs, divided.
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Mix all ingredients in a medium-large bowl with your hands. Wet your hands and then roll the mixture into 1.5-2" balls. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Around this time the zucchini should be finished.

Sauce:
1 T olive or avocado oil
1 t of minced garlic
1/2 small onion, diced
1 lb of mixed cherry tomatoes
1/2 T Italian blend herbs, divided.
1 t salt
1 lemon zested

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic and onions and saute until fragrant and the onions are slightly translucent.

While the onions and garlic are sauteing, slice the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. Add the tomatoes to the pan and salt and pepper the vegetables.

Head to the sink and grab the zucchini and a bar or tea towel. Dump the spiraled zucchini in the middle of the towel. Pick up all four corners of the towel and now you are going to twist the towel to "ring out" the excess water from the zucchini.

Add the drained zucchini to the tomato mixture. Saute for 5-7 minutes.

Around this time the meatballs should be finishing. Check to make sure that they are done in the middle. Temp should be around 165 degrees in the center and juices should run clear. If the meatballs are done add them to the skillet.

Toss everything and top with lemon zest. Serve.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cassava Flour

I hate to bitch about April of 2019 constantly but it was seriously a bitch. Pun intended.
After I got home from seeing #breadwinnerbff at Harry Potter World I was so tired physically from the demands I placed on my body in one day. I didn't really get the chance to recuperate because we adopted a senior pup on Easter Sunday, just 4 days after my trip.

New pup = Nights of little sleep for about a whole week. Friday ended with me desiring some chocolate chip cookies and wanting to work on a paleo recipe.

This is the first batch I came up with, I'm sure over time the recipe will evolve but these were pretty tasty.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cassava Flour
Ingredients:
1 C of Cassava Flour
1/2 t of baking soda
1/2 t of salt
1 stick grass fed butter
1/2 C Coconut Sugar
1/2 t Organic Vanilla
1 egg
1 C of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips or Morsels
1 C Pecans (optional)

Oven to 375 Degrees • Baking Time 9 - 11 minutes

Melt the butter in a large bowl and let cool while you mix the dry ingredients.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the cassava flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add the vanilla, coconut sugar and egg to the melted cooled butter and whisk.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir. Add the chocolate and pecans, if using, to the batter.

Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, create drops of cookie dough on a parchment covered baking sheet. Press down each drop to create a flat cookie base. Refrigerate for 10 - 15 minutes.

Pop into the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Honest Review Simple Mills Chocolate Muffin and Cupcake Mix

One of the things I do miss every once in a while is a good cupcake or brownie. I've tried a bunch of paleo brownies and they are delicious, but as I'm trying to avoid bananas right now (they're not great for adrenal fatigue) I'm looking for a way to get my once in a while brownie or cupcake fix.If you shop through any of my links in this post, you help support this blog at zero cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Honest Review Simple Mills Chocolate Muffin and Cupcake Mix
So I found Simple Mills mixes and thought I'd give them a whirl. A. They're paleo B. They only have 7 ingredients!

Almond Flour
Organic Coconut Sugar
Cocoa
Arrowroot
Organic Coconut Flour
Baking Powder
Sea Salt

How amazing is that?!?!

Directions were easy enough, just add your eggs, milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk) and oil. Volia, paleo dessert. I made these on a high pain day (which was mainly why I wanted the treat) and they were really easy to put together.

The back of the box tells you the different ways you can fix it:
12 muffins, 8" round cake, 12 cupcakes, or 9 brownies.

I went with the brownies style and it turned out delicious. Ok, I wanted cupcakes but I didn't have any liners...oh well, guess I'll have to get another box! HAHA!

If you're looking for a quick treat and don't want to have to figure out all the paleo substitutes then this is a great go-to!

I even tried the frosting which isn't paleo, but it is organic.

It has a bit of a funky taste on its own but tastes great with the cake.

14 Healthier Alternatives to Granola Bars

I was chatting with my sister this past Monday about health and options. She's got a house full of hungry kids and she's trying to make healthier choices for herself and her family. Trying to get away from the S.A.D. diet. The Standard American Diet.

She laughed when she said nothing in her pantry is healthy and didn't want to throw it out. I came up with the idea that when something runs out, buy a healthier alternative.

So she asked me to find healthier alternatives for granola bars first, so let's get into the thick of it.

When I think granola bars I'm instantly transported back to childhood and the nostalgic flavor of the gooey Quaker Oats Chocolate Chip granola bar washes over me.

If I'm going to find healthier alternatives then I'm first going to the Quaker Oats website:

Information taken from Quaker.com

I'm going to bold all the words for sugar.

Ingredients

GRANOLA (WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, BROWNSUGAR, CRISP RICE [RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, MALTED BARLEY EXTRACT], WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED WHEAT, SOYBEAN OIL, DRIED COCONUT, WHOLE WHEATFLOUR, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SOY LECITHIN, CARAMEL COLOR, NONFAT DRYMILK), SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOABUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA EXTRACT), CORN SYRUP, BROWN RICE CRISP (WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE, SUGAR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, SALT), INVERTSUGAR, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, GLYCERIN, SOYBEAN OIL. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SORBITOL, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, WATER, SOY LECITHIN, MOLASSES, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BHT (PRESERVATIVE), CITRIC ACID.
CONTAINS WHEAT, COCONUT, SOY AND MILK INGREDIENTS.
MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT AND OTHER TREE NUTS.

Holy crap that's a lot of sugar. They should call it Crack-er Oats for the chemical addiction your brain must have to them.

via GIPHY

I guess the first question I have is, is this a snack or a meal replacement or dessert? (Hint: These granola bars should be treated as a dessert)

I'm approaching this from the standpoint of this is a snack. The kind of snack you would partake in after a day of school before you sit down to do your homework or run off to your part time job.

Also, transitioning from the S.A.D. diet can be hard so you many want to start with something on the sweeter side and transition to things like veggies and protein snacks.

I'm also approaching this from the standpoint of convenience, price, and ease. My sister is a chronic pain warrior as well so she needs something that is easy to throw together.

If you shop through any of my links in this post, you help support this blog at zero cost to you. Thank you for your support.

14 Healthier Alternatives to Granola Bars
1. 100 Calorie Almond Packs

A Quaker Oat bar boasts that it is 100 calories, but it's empty calories because of sugar. It would be better to invest in the 100 calorie nut packs.

2. Rolled Up Turkey Slices

Everybody needs more protein. Take 2 - 3 slices of a lean turkey or chicken lunchmeat and put your favorite spread on them. I'm crazy for Maille Mustard. Put a small handful of spinach leaves in them and roll them up. Close with a toothpick. Boom! Super simple to make and very cost effective. You can even throw in pre-shredded carrots!

3. Two Clementines (and maybe a handful of nuts to balance the carbohydrates)

Two clementines clock in at 70 calories and they have 60% of your daily recommendation of Vitamin C. They are sweet but they are a natural sugar. Simple to peel and very portable, it's so easy to throw into a backpack or purse. You can get crazy big bags of them at any grocery store!

4. Apples

Let's get fancy ya'll. This is my current favorite snack. A sliced up apple sprinkled with half a handful of bare chocolate coconut chips and another nut, like pistachios or almonds. You get that hint of chocolate but there is no dairy or soy, and they are sweetened with coconut sugar which does not have the glycemic reaction that normal sugar creates. The coconut has a bit of protein to balance it out.




If you really want to get that bar experience in, then I suggest the next two bars:

5. Larabars

Today at Costco I saw a 20 pack for $13.49. That's a great price. Amazon has good prices of Larabars too. Some do contain sugar so read the label. I will put some of my favorites below. Note that for a snack these should be cut in half! Unless it is a meal replacement don't eat the whole thing. They're around 200-250 calories a bar so a 16 pack, is really a 32 pack.

6. RX Bars for Kids

I had to rope #breadwinnerbff into this one. So I gave her a ring and asked what she feeds her kids. Half the price of the normal RX bar and half the size which is good because this is a snack, not a meal replacement. Normal size RX Bars are a meal replacement.


I asked her about KIND Bars and she said, "they're a candy bar."

7. Deviled Eggs (or Angel Eggs depending on where you are from)

Protein is good and so are eggs! According to WebMD, they have 7 grams of high-quality protein, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids. The egg is a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin.

Everytime I bring a platter of Deviled Eggs to a summer BBQ they disappear with in seconds. Why wait for summer BBQ's? Eggs are cheap and some stores even have already boiled eggs in a bag.

You can keep the eggs for up to four days in the fridge. In order to do this, keep the whites and egg yolk filling separate. Wrap the egg white halves well with plastic wrap and keep the egg yolk filling sealed in a Ziploc bag with all the air squeezed out (which is how you mix them anyway). Just fill when your kids (or you) are ready for a snack.

8. Watermelon

Watermelon season is just around the corner. This is a great hydrating snack for the summertime. Watermelon also contains thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, choline, lycopene, and betaine.

According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, watermelon contains more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant with many health benefits, including sun protection, improved heart health and a lower risk of certain types of cancer.

9. Frozen Grapes

These are a delicious snack, just make sure you fill up a small bowl instead of eating straight from the bag. These are great for a good transition from S.A.D. diet because they are a sweet treat but still has health benefits.

10. Unsweetened Go-Go Applesauce

This is an easy to go, mass produced item that actually isn't that bad for you. Amazon has a 48 pack for around twenty bucks!
11. Ants on a Log

Cut up celery or get the precuts in the store. Top with almond butter or peanut butter (read the label and make sure there is no sugar added, check out my post on the different names for sugar) and raisins. You can also get fancy and top them with apple juice sweetened dried cranberries. Just make sure the cranberries don't have added sweetner.

12. Baby Carrots

Carrots are a great end stage transision snack. It's a veggie that does have sweetness due to a higher sugar content then most veggies. However, still a great snack. Especially when paired with my favorite Paleo Ranch Dressing.

13. Bananas

Natural beta blocker and easies anxiety are great qualities as a fruit. Start out by eating ripe bananas when you are making the transation from the S.A.D. diet to your healthier lifestyle.

14. Greek Yogurt with Berries and a Squirt of Raw Honey

Accoriding to all of the new research fat is good for you. I'll tell you to watch Fed Up, a great documentary about the sugar industry and the sugar lobbies in the government, but you may not have 2 hours. Instead watch this short clip from Adam Ruins Everything, which is a great summary of the Fed Up documentary.


So get out there and buy some full fat greek yogurt. Top a 1/2c of yogurt with a handful of berries, strawberries, blueberries, etc. and a tablespoon or less of raw honey.

During this transition phase if you or your kids find themselves still hungry, make sure the snack is eaten in conjuction with 16 oz of water, 2 glasses. Too many people mistake hungriness for thirst.

Let's not forget that boredom can also lead to unnecessary snacking. It is national craft month. Pick up something and learn or get outside and enjoy the weather.

Hell, one of the main reasons I knit and crochet is so I don't snack in front of the TV.