Ginger Garlic Grilled Salmon Recipe

May 20, 2013 By Sarah Leave a Comment

Ginger Garlic Salmon

 

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about a Ginger Garlic Sauce. I’m for sure obsessed with the combination of fresh garlic and fresh ginger, but this is the most addicting version to date. (Although I have a slow cooker version in the works, stay tuned!). Adding this sauce to a classic grilled salmon recipe is a home run for weeknight dinners or weekend cookouts with company.

Our family is trying to incorporate more heart-healthy salmon into our diets lately.  It is important to buy wild salmon vs. farmed because farmed salmon can be infected with lice (!!) and treated with antibiotics. Wild is definitely my choice if you can find it. Almost all grocery store fish is flash-frozen, so don’t worry about buying your salmon from the freezer case.  Just enjoy all the heart-healthy Omega-3s!

When I make grilled salmon, I use 1 6-oz salmon fillet per person, because it’s so delicious everyone eats a whole piece. This recipe works for 4-6 fillets 6-oz fillets. This is a great dish to make for company because it tastes like a restaurant dish but can be made in less than 20 minutes! I like to serve it with some brown rice and lightly sauteed snow peas.

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp molasses
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Wisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Ginger Garlic Sauce

To prepare the salmon:

Using a brush, thoroughly coat your raw salmon fillets (both sides). Reserve some of the sauce, and use it to baste the salmon with while it’s being grilled. Grill time is approximately 6-8 minutes per side. The salmon should just be cooked through but NOT overcooked.  Salmon is delicate so make sure to keep an eye on it.

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Almond Butter Chocolate Banana Boats | #Paleo #Glutenfree Snack

May 6, 2013 By Sarah 1 Comment

Almond Butter Chocolate Banana Boat

I’ve talked a lot on here lately about the Paleo way of eating. One of the tenets of going Paleo is that since you’re theoretically eating filling, nutritrious meals full of healthy fats and protein, snacking should be a non-issue.

According to my new favorite book, Practial Paleo, if you “plan your meal around protein first, make sure you also add good fat,followed by carbs,” you should remain sated until your next meal time.

And mostly, I’ve been able to adhere to the non-snacking rule. But occasionally I just NEED a snack. Maybe I was eating on the go and just didn’t eat enough at mealtime, or maybe life happened, or maybe I just had PMS, but there have definitely been times that I’m searching for a small snack that won’t completely derail my Paleo way of life.

I came up with Almond Butter Chocolate Banana Boats first for my kids, but now I’ll make myself one when I’m having a sweet craving. The only rule here is to use high-quality ingredients. I like Maranatha brand Almond Butter and Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder. Both have minimally processed ingredients.

Here’s what to do:

Slice 1 banana in half

Slather 1 tbsp of almond butter on each half (so 2 tbsp total)

Using a sifter or a fine mesh strainer, lightly sprinkle about 1 tbsp of cocoa powder over the top.

Enjoy! My kids like to split one of these for a mid-morning snack, but you could also pack these in a reusable snack bag or Pyrex container to take along with you!

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Flourless Chocolate and Red Wine Torte | #Paleo #Glutenfree

April 25, 2013 By Sarah 5 Comments

Flourless Chocolate Red Wine TorteEver since doing the Brightspring 10 Day Detox, I have been working to eliminate sugar, grains, and wheat from my diet. The health benefits to me personally have been huge. Since eliminating processed carbs, I feel better, have more energy, and am more lean.

If you want more information about WHY I am cutting out my sugars and carbs, you can see my thoughts (and boy, do I have them) about my no-sugar, no-grain Detox here.

Want more information about eating Paleo? Read Paleo 101: An Intro to the Basics of the Primal Way of Eating.

BUT — I have always been the person in our family to make desserts for family gatherings. So when we had company last week, and I realized I needed to make a dessert, I really had to sit down and figure out what dessert item would be at least low-sugar, wheat-free, and still taste amazing.

And I found it. Boy, did I. Rich, melty, oozing with decadent dark chocolate. This Flourless Chocolate Wine Torte has everything you love about a warm brownie – without the wheat flour. I won’t go so far as to say this dessert is strictly paleo, but it is certainly an acceptable treat that you can enjoy occasionally without completely screwing with your blood sugar.

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Flourless Chocolate Wine Torte

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 6 squares dark chocolate -- I used this Ghirardelli Bar with 86% Cacao - it is very low in added sugar
  • 1 stick butter - grass-fed is best - Kerrygold is a great brand
  • 1/4 cup sugar -- I know the sugar is not paleo, so if you want, you can use organic honey instead.
  • 1/3 tsp sea salt
  • 3 organic eggs
  • 1/4 cup red wine - any kind
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder-- Frontier Organic makes a high quality, fair trade unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. 1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate squares on medium heat.
  2. 2. Add in the sugar and salt and stir until all sugar is absorbed into the mixture.
  3. 3. Slowly, beat in each egg individually. Take the pan off the heat.
  4. 4. Add the red wine and mix in.
  5. 5. Add the cocoa powder, using a sifter to be sure there are no lumps. Mix it up well.
  6. 6. Pour into a greased 8" tart pan
  7. 7. Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes. Be sure not to overbake. It should still look a little glossy on top. A fork poked in the middle should come out clean.
  8. 8. Serve warm.

And  try not to let anyone catch you doing this:

Eating Flourless Chocolate Red Wine Torte

Oh yeah. I’m eating the crumbs out of the empty pan. It’s that good.

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Five Spice Shrimp – Easy Stir-Fry Recipe

March 18, 2013 By Sarah 3 Comments

Five Spice Shrimp

 

I love stir fry because I can throw in anything I have that needs to be used up. But sometimes it’s nice to elevate the stir fry from a receptacle for bits and scraps of leftover veggies and meat to an  harmonious blend of ingredients that actually meld well together.

The great thing about this recipe is that even if the shrimp is in the freezer, this meal can be on the table in under 30 minutes if you make the rice and the stir fry at the same time. Just run cold water over frozen shrimp for 5-10 minutes to thaw it out before you start.

If you don’t have Chinese Five Spice on hand, there are a few substitutes you can use. For this recipe, a combination of 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a dash of black pepper, and a splash of anise extract (if you have it) works well.  Chinese five spice is so named because it is said to contain all five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and hot or spicy. My substitution falls short of all five tastes, but it still works well with this recipe.

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Five Spice Shrimp

Ingredients

  • 2-lb bag of large cooked shrimp
  • 1 tsp chinese five-spice or substitution
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and brown sugar. Wisk together and set aside.
  2. Lay out the shrimp on a towel and pat dry. Sprinkle with five spice mixture.
  3. In a wok or large saute pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
  4. Add the shrimp, peas, and soy sauce mixture. Bring to a low boil then reduce to simmer.
  5. Simmer for 5 minutes on low.
  6. Serve with rice.

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Bunny Tails – Fun Spring Treat

March 13, 2013 By Sarah 2 Comments

Bunny Tails

I am the first one to admit that uber-cute holiday-specific treats aren’t exactly my thing. But now that I have two preschoolers, and they get such a kick out of those cutesy holiday-themed treats, well, I cave in.

If you’re looking for a spring- or Easter – themed dessert or classroom snack, these “bunny tails” fit the bill.  This is not a healthy or natural recipe. This is purely a treat, full of refined sugar and other not-so-nice things. But man, they’re yummy!

And they’re no-bake — only about 20 minutes of hands-on time to make a full batch of these.

First, we need to whip up some rice krispies treats. :) But we’re going to mix it up a little with peanut butter!

1. Combine 1/2 cup light corn syrup and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1/2 cup peanut butter and stir until everything is melted and combined. Then add 3 cups Rice Krispies:

Bunny Tails

Mix the Rice Krispies in until they are thoroughly combined with the peanut butter mixture.  Scoop out (using a cookie scoop) onto a piece of wax paper and let cool for 5 minutes:

bunny tail 2

Now here’s the trick: When they’re still warm but cool enough to handle, gently shape the rice krispie treats into balls. Put them on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. This will make them easy to frost.

When the Rice Krispie balls are frozen, frost with your choice of vanilla frosting and sprinkle with shredded coconut. There you have it – fluffy, sweet, bunny tails. ;)

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Bunny Tails – Fun Spring Treat

Ingredients

    For the balls:
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
  • 3 cups Rice Krispies
    • For Decorating:
  • Vanilla Frosting, any brand
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

  1. Combinelight corn syrup andsugar in a saucepan.
  2. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Add peanut butter and stir until everything is melted and combined.
  4. Add Rice Krispies and stir gently until thoroughly combined.
  5. Using a Cookie Scoop, scoop out the rice krispie mixture onto a piece of wax paper.
  6. When cool enough to handle (about 5 minutes), shape into balls, then place in freezer for 30 minutes.
  7. After the balls are frozen, frost carefully with the vanilla frosting and sprinkle with coconut.

 

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Coconut “Green” Ice Cream – St. Paddy’s Day Treat

March 5, 2013 By Sarah 1 Comment

Coconut Ice Cream

So mid-March isn’t exactly PRIME ice cream season, but when I was trying to come up with a fun St. Paddy’s Day treat for my kids, I just loved the idea of making ice cream. And if we’re friends on FB, you know that I have had some — issues — with making coconut macaroons. I’ve made at least 3 attempts, all unsuccessful.

Macaroon attempt #3 turned out looking like this:

Picture 9

I decided to take my own advice from this post: Cheap & Green in 2013 #9: How to Save Less-than-perfect Cookies, and used my ruined macaroons to make ice cream.

And what an ice cream it is! Creamy, decadent, bursting with coconut flavor. It’s definitely one of my absolute new favorite desserts. The touch of green food coloring gives it a spring-like feel that works for St. Paddy’s day, too.

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Coconut “Green” Ice Cream – St. Paddy’s Day Treat

Ingredients

    Coconut Mixture
  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup honey (agave works too)
  • 8 drops green liquid food coloring. I like India Tree
    • Ice Cream:
  • All of the coconut mixture (ingredients above)
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup sugar

Instructions

    Make the coconut mixture:
  1. Combine coconut milk and honey in a small saucepan. Mix on medium heat until combined.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut and the food coloring.
  3. Add the milk and honey mixture to the coconut mixture and combine. Set aside until cool.
    4. Make the Ice Cream:
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 cup milk with 3/4 cup sugar until all the sugar is dissolved.
  5. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and coconut mixture. Stir together until combined.
  6. Add to an Ice Cream Maker.
  7. Top with toasted coconut and serve immediately.

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