Steak Tacos with Grain-Free Tortillas & Guacamole Broccoli Slaw

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Remember that trip to Portland, Oregon that I keep raving about? Well here’s another recipe inspired by that trip! This one comes from our amazing lunch at Cultured Cavemen, a Paleo restaurant in Portland. This meal is specifically inspired by my lunch of carnitas, complete with grain-free tortillas and slaw. I took a different spin with my recipe, however, and did steak tacos instead. Plus a guacamole broccoli slaw that is the easiest thing you will ever whip up (you’ll wonder why you never thought of it), and grain-free tortillas for an amazing Taco Tuesday (or Taco Errrryday). Every element of this recipe is a star in its own right. The steak tacos are seasoned to perfection, and made with grass-fed steak which makes it wholesome and nutritious on top of being delicioso. And not to mention a great way to get that Vitamin B12 in, a critical member of the Vitamin B complex family! No need for store-bought seasoning with the added sodium and preservatives. This seasoning combo is easy to throw together with spices you likely already have in the cabinet! Then we have the guacamole broccoli slaw. A spectacularly easy way to get in the veggies without even realizing it, in perfect combination with the must-have guac. Oh and then the tortillas. You know, just a grain-free, gluten-free tortilla that is pliable, roll-able, fold-able, hold-able, and delectable. Stupid Easy Paleo nailed it with this one, so I’ve just ever so slightly adapted her recipe to complete this taco night meal. So on that note, who’s bringing the margs? I’m ready to eat!

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Steak Tacos with Grain-Free Tortillas & Guacamole Broccoli Slaw

  • Taco Meat:
    • Approximately 0.75-1 lb of grass-fed steak (I use Sirloin) cut into cubes that are about 0.5-0.75 of an inch
    • About 1 tsp each of dark chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cumin
    • Salt, black pepper, and cayenne to taste
    • Avocado oil to coat the pan
  • Grain-Free Tortillas (from Stupid Easy Paleo):
    • 4 eggs
    • 1/2 cup of your choice of starch (arrowroot, tapioca or potato)
    • 2 tsp of coconut flour
    • 2 Tbsp water
    • 2 tsp grass-fed butter, melted (I use Kerrygold)
    • 1/4 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper
  • Guacamole Broccoli Slaw
    • about 2 cups of broccoli slaw (I get the pre-made bagged kind, with broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage)
    • about 0.5-0.75 cups of your favorite guacamole (if I don’t make my own, I love the one Whole Foods makes)
  1. Start with the tortillas. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your tortilla ingredients. Use an electric mixer to combine the ingredients, in order to most effectively eliminate the lumps from your mixture, until very smooth but not to the point of frothing the eggs.
  2. Use an 8-inch, non-stick skillet to make the tortillas. Heat the skillet on medium heat. Once heated, pour about 1/4 cup of the tortilla batter onto the skillet, and roll the batter around in the skillet so it is evenly coated (like making a french crepe). Cook about 1 minute on each side, until lightly browned. The edges will curl away from the pan. If you have any issues with this process, you can refer to the original recipe and instructions for these tortillas here. This will make 6 tortillas. Allow the tortillas to cool, or keep them warm in a warm oven.
  3. Next, prepare your guacamole broccoli slaw by combining your broccoli slaw with your guacamole in a medium sized mixing bowl. That’s it!
  4. Now, prepare you taco meat. Coat a large skillet with avocado oil (1-2 Tbsp) and heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is heated, add your cubed meat. Stir the meat in the skillet, coating the meat with the oil. Add your taco seasoning spice mix, and stir until it coats the meat and combined with the oil to make a taco sauce. The meat will cook very quickly when cubed! You only need to saute for about 1-3 minutes total, in order to keep the meat nice and tender.
  5. Assemble your goodies, evenly distributing your meat and slaw over the tortillas. Eat up!

Makes 6 tacos.

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Dairy-Free Coconut Ice Cream with Salted Caramel and Chocolate Ganache Swirl (White Sugar-Free): Inspired by Salt & Straw

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First of all, let me express my excitement about us purchasing an ice cream maker: EEEEHHEEEEEEYEAH! This is the one we got, and we love it! Ice cream is definitely, for sure, abso-posi-lutely my favorite dessert. I don’t know what it is, but I have always been an ice cream addict. Which is kind of odd for a lactose-intolerant girl, but I have found dairy-free heaven. Admittedly, my favorite flavor is mint chocolate chip (which, by the way, I have a recipe for that too… we’ve made it at least 5 times already. Stay tuned :)). But we just got back from our vacation in Portland, Oregon, and in my post about our trip I talked about Salt & Straw and how we both fell hopelessly in love with their dairy-free ice cream. So as soon as we got back, I started working on an ice cream flavor inspired by their Coconut with Petunia’s Salted Caramel Bars flavor. Their ice cream had pieces of a vegan/gluten-free caramel cookie, with ribbons of salted caramel and chocolate ganache. While I haven’t had the opportunity to explore the idea of a vegan/gluten-free caramel cookie, I was able to throw together a pretty awesomely delicious (toot toot) dairy-free, white sugar-free coconut ice cream with salted caramel and chocolate ganache swirled in ever so lovingly. And seriously, I can’t believe how good this stuff is. This is a situation where the whole is certainly greater than the sum of its parts (in my opinion). The ice cream, caramel, or chocolate each alone is good, but together they are fantastic. While I’ve never had a Samoa Girl Scout cookie (weird, I know… and I was even a Girl Scout. I have no excuses.) I imagine the flavor profile is the same. In fact, I almost named this “Dairy-Free Samoa Ice Cream,” except I think they’re called “Caramel Delights” now? All updated and modern… I can’t keep up. I can’t say enough about this ice cream (or its Salt & Straw inspiration), but I think I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves…

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Dairy-Free Coconut Ice Cream with Salted Caramel and Chocolate Ganache Swirl

  1. Start with making the ice cream base. In a medium-sized sauce pan, add 2 cans of the coconut milk, the arrowroot starch (this starch helps keep the ice cream creamy and scoopable, even after being in the freezer), the eggs, 1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup, and 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract. Stir to combine, trying to get as many lumps out as you can, and making sure the eggs are broken up and thoroughly mixed in.
  2. Heat this mixture on low, stirring continuously, until it is warm/hot to the touch, but not boiling (you do not want scrambled egg ice cream).
  3. Once the mixture is warm, put the mixture in the refrigerator (I usually just put the whole pot into the fridge so as to not dirty up another bowl) and allow the mixture to completely cool (at least 2-4 hours).
  4. While your ice cream base is chilling, make your caramel and chocolate ganache.
  5. Start with your caramel sauce. I got this caramel recipe from An Edible Mosaic, so if you have any issues, you can also refer to her post.
  6. In a small/medium saucepan, add 1/2 of a can of coconut milk, 2 Tbsp of honey/maple syrup and 2 Tbsp of coconut palm sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and stir frequently for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and turns a nice, deep amber brown. Remove the mixture from the heat, and add 1 Tbsp of grass-fed butter (or coconut oil for dairy-free), 1/2 tsp of sea salt, and 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract. Stir to incorporate, then pour your caramel into a separate bowl to allow it to cool.
  7. Next, make your chocolate ganache. Again, in a small/medium sauce pan, add the remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk, 1/4 cup of dark chocolate/chocolate chips, 2 Tbsp of coconut oil (this will help the ganache set up and become firm, but not crunchy, when frozen), and 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder. Heat this mixture over medium/medium-high heat to melt all of the ingredient together, and allow it to thicken. I let mine simmer, stirring constantly, until it was the consistency of a thick, hot fudge sauce. Once thickened, strain the sauce into a separate bowl to eliminate any lumps of cocoa powder, and to allow the sauce to cool.
  8. Once your ice cream base is completely cooled, add your base to your ice cream maker, straining it with a sieve as your pour the mixture in in order to eliminate all lumps of arrowroot and egg, and process according to manufacturer instructions.
  9. Scoop about 1/3 of your ice cream into the container you will be storing your ice cream in, and then drizzle about 1/3 each of your caramel sauce and chocolate ganache over your ice cream. Use a butter knife to swirl/fold the caramel and chocolate into your ice cream. Repeat this process two more times, with the rest of your ice cream, caramel, and chocolate. Allow your ice cream to harden in the freezer, and serve when ready! Or eat it as soft serve right away, if you’re like me and can’t resist :).

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Items featured in this post:

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Animals On Vacation: Portland, Oregon

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We’re back! For those who don’t know, we spent last week exploring Portland, Oregon. As two kids from Richmond, Virginia, Portland was quite a change of scenery. A BEAUTIFUL change of scenery. And food. Holy moly the food options. Richmond is progressing (slowly) but it’s got a long way to go to be on par with Portland in terms of progressive eating habits (whole foods, paleo etc). But what can ya do, we’re southern by heart and stomach here. We spent our days walking around the neighborhood where we stayed (Nob Hill in the Alphabet District), and also the next neighborhood over, the Pearl District, which is a very nice and popular place to be. Luckily, we also had a car, so we were able to head outside of the city and go hiking. While we were only there for 3 full days, we got a lot in! So here’s a synopsis of our trip. And in particular, a review of our favorite things (mostly food, of course).

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This was the view from the plane as we crossed into Oregon/Washington territory. Mount Rainier and Mount Adams peeking through the clouds.

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One of the first things we did when we got settled in Portland was visit Powell’s Books. A landmark in Portland, this place takes up a whole city block. Why, yes, yes I did say a whole city block. As two self-proclaimed book nerds, we obviously couldn’t help ourselves. Three hours in this place. Three. Hours. And I’m not even entirely sure I saw every section there. Needless to say, we geeked out for a while and it was awesome!

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Image from our Instagram page: youreananimal

Next on our to-do list (okay, MY to-do list, but let’s just say Andrew didn’t drag his feet too hard) was to visit Salt & Straw. This is another well-known place in Portland, which just ever so luckily was only a block away from where we were staying (a super cute Airbnb find… check it out here. We loved staying there! The location was perfect, and Cynthia, the host, was lovely.) Salt & Straw stole our hearts. It’s become relatively famous because of the innovative flavors they offer (right now they have flavors like Summer Sweet Corn Buttermilk, Plum Sangria Sorbet, Pear with Blue Cheese, and Honey Balsamic Strawberry with Cracked Pepper), and also because of the fresh, quality ingredients they use to create an amazing dessert. Many of their flavors are based on items being sold in the local farmers market at the time. Oh yes, it’s love. We got hooked on their dairy-free flavor, Coconut with Petunia’s Salted Caramel Bars. It’s dairy-free because it uses coconut cream for the base, and then they add in chunks of gluten-free/vegan caramel cookies from a local bakery called Petunia’s, and they also swirl in some extra caramel and chocolate ganache ribbons because YUM. We ate a pint of the stuff. Two days in a row. Yes, yes indeed that really happened. And you know what? I feel okay about it. Oh and by the way, I’m in the process of creating an ice cream recipe inspired by this one. YEEUUS. So look out for that!

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We really wanted to get out in nature a little bit (animals, remember?) so we decided to go out to a beautiful waterfall hike called Multnomah Falls. It’s a little bit more touristy than I would typically like a hike to be, but we knew that before hand and were told that even with the touristy vibe, it was worth it. This definitely was true. The waterfall itself is definitely very popular, and there were many, many people milling about at the bottom (where the first couple of pictures were taken). However, there is a trail to hike to the top of the waterfall that is much less populated. So that’s exactly what we did. It was a gorgeous hike, with lots of streams and rocks, and peekaboo views throughout. Getting to the top of the waterfall was a little anti-climatic, but the hike itself was worth it. We were walking pretty quickly, and it took us about 1.5 hours to get to the top and then back down. Definitely a steep hike, though. You can see in the last picture the entire waterfall. There is a little overlook right at the top that you hike up to, so you can tell how high and steep the mountain actually is.

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Image from our Instagram page: youreananimal

We found out that there is a Paleo-based restaurant in Portland, and our stomachs cried out in jubilation. Cultured Caveman started as a food cart, and has now evolved (he. he. he.) into 3 carts and a restaurant throughout the Portland area. We met one of the owners, Heather, and she was SO sweet. We could hardly contain ourselves with the menu, beyond thrilled that we felt comfortable eating any and all of it. I went for the Carnitas with a side of Zoodles, and Andrew had the main dish of Zoodles and Meatballs with a side of broccoli and bacon slaw. Holy holy holy. I’m still excited just remembering it. Not only was it grain-free (yes, those tortillas are grain-free), dairy-free, whole-food goodness, but it was absolutely de-li-cious. Don’t be surprised if a Cultured Caveman-inspired recipe shows up on here soon too.

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For our last dinner in Portland, we wanted to have a nice, sit-down meal, so after two different people’s recommendations, we chose Andina. Andina is a Peruvian-based restaurant in the Pearl District, and certainly lived up to the recommendations. We started with a pitcher of sangria, and after letting the waiter know that we didn’t need any bread, he asked if we were gluten-free and we said yes. So he instead (to our surprise) brought us a gluten-free replacement of fried cactus (tasted very similar to potatoes). I ordered the Pescado Al Rocoto Y Kion, which is pictured above (half eaten… oopsie). It was a deep-sea fish, with mushrooms, bok choy, and ginger slices in a pork broth. Absolutely divine. Andrew had Conchas Del Senor Sipan, which were scallops on top of a parsnip and potato puree, with “cannelloni,” which were thinly sliced beets, rolled and stuffed with crab meat. We finished up with a quinoa flour brownie. Oh boy, so worth it.

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One gem I found for my plane snack were these bars. They are called Betsy’s Best Bar None, and are based out of Portland, but you can also order them through Amazon here.Just look at those ingredients! I didn’t actually believe a protein bar like this existed, and I’m so pleased I was wrong. Plus, there aren’t any nuts, which is great for me because I tend to be a little itchy/sensitive with too many nuts. Usually, I just make my own if I’m in need of a bar that I actually like the ingredients, but in a situation like this, these bars were perfect. I liked the Peppermint Chocolate the best, but she has several different flavors, including Dark Chocolate Chip, Lemon Coconut, Cinnamon Cardamom, and Chili Chocolate Chip.

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Image from our Instagram page: youreananimal

After a 20 hour delay in Detroit (yeah, let’s not talk about it…), we finally made it back to good old RVA. Portland was an amazing place to visit, and I’m so grateful we got to take the time to head across the country and experience something new together! Thanks, Portland, for showing us a good time 🙂

Please note that some of the links in the above post are affiliate links that will take you to an Amazon.com page. If you choose to purchase a product featured in this post using an affiliate link, you will be directly supporting You’re An Animal. Thanks!


Cod Jambalaya

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Oh my my. I could eat this for every meal for a week, no joke. This recipe came from our need to stretch our budget a little bit farther, as money has been a little bit tight. So instead of housing $20 worth of cod in one sitting, we decided to draw it out by putting it in this oh-so-yummy-in-my-tummy jambalaya-esque stew. Now hear me out, you Nawlins die-hards. I say jambalaya-esque because I know it is not a tried and true jambalaya recipe, and I am sure there are rules and regulations that I know nothing about when it comes to cooking a traditional jambalaya. But that being said, the flavors and composition are definitely a solid nod to the Louisiana specialty, so I will leave it at that. This stew though is one of those comfort foods that makes you want to curl up on the couch with a big ol’ bowl and watch a movie with wine and a blanket. Now if that isn’t a cozy thought, I don’t know what is. Warm, hearty, filling, and flavorful. Plus it makes a lot of food, so perfect for a family meal or for leftovers! Both Andrew and I get two full meals out of this recipe. And bonus! This is absolutely one of those meals that actually tastes even better the next day. You can easily substitute any protein in this recipe, or add sausage, chicken and shrimp for that more traditional jambalaya mix, but if you’re like us and want to get some quality seafood and make it last, I would definitely suggest sticking with the cod!

This whole week was devoted to preparing for a little obstacle race we like to call the Spartan Race. And by “little obstacle race” I mean actually one of the most physically grueling events I have ever put my body through. So in an effort to bulk up a little before the race, we ate way more carbs/grains than usual, including rice in this jambalaya. However, we found a sprouted rice trio (link in recipe below) that we loved with this meal, didn’t make our tum-tums ache, and filled us up to the brim, so it turned out well.

So… let’s talk about this Spartan Race. For those who have never heard of such a thing, maybe you should keep it that way. Just kidding, kind of. Yesterday we did the Virginia Super Spartan, which is the middle level of their 3 race options in terms of distance. The catch, however, is that this particular race happened to be at Wintergreen, which is a ski resort here in Virginia. And the race took place on the double black diamond mountains. Which means we spent 5 hours hiking/slipping up and down a muddy (it rained) 7.2 miles of mountains, with challenging obstacles strategically placed throughout. We heard several people saying this race was harder than many of the “Beast” level Spartan races, because while those races are longer in distance, they aren’t usually on mountain sides. Oh and also NBC filmed it. Which to me says it was “something special.” Yeehaw. We made it over the finish line, but just barely. Needless to say, I’m spending most of today on the couch.

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Cod Jambalaya

  • about 1 lb of wild cod
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped (make sure the pepper and celery are chopped to approximately the same sized pieces)
  • 1.5 cups of Truroots Organic Accents Sprouted Rice Trio or rice of your choice
  • 8 oz of chicken stock
  • 2 cups of water
  • 16 oz of tomato sauce
  • approximately 1 tsp each of celery salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder
  • approximately 1/2 tsp each of salt, black pepper, and italian seasoning
  • cayenne pepper to taste (I only use a couple dashes, but I’m not a fan of spicy foods)
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the cod with a pinch of the spice mix.
  2. Cook the cod in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cod has split open. Let rest once cooked.
  3. In a large pot with a lid, saute the onion until soft and translucent.
  4. To the pot, add the water, chicken stock, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
  5. Cover and cook the rice for about half of the designated time on the package (about 15 minutes for the Truroots Sprouted Rice Trio).
  6. Half way through cooking the rice, add the peppers, celery, tomato sauce, and spice mix, and stir to incorporate.
  7. Replace the lid on the pot, and cook the rice mixture for the remaining time based on the package (for the Truroots trio, about 10 minutes).
  8. Turn off the heat, and add the cod, breaking it into large chunks, and folding it in.
  9. Replace the lid of the pot once again, and allow the mixture to steam, without added heat, for another 10 minutes.
  10. Most of the liquid should be absorbed by the rice, but some will remain for a thick, saucy mixture. Once done steaming, stir one last time to fluff the rice and incorporate all of the ingredients. Enjoy!

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Please note that some of the links in the above post are affiliate links that will take you to an Amazon.com page. If you choose to purchase a product featured in this post using an affiliate link, you will be directly supporting You’re An Animal. Thanks!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain-Free, Nut-Free)

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In my opinion, Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies are the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Maybe it’s my history with tub-fulls of the dough (raw and baked), but to me, that is the ultimate comfort food. But now knowing what goes into making those cookies (particularly the mounds of white sugar and white flour), my decision to break up with the Toll House was inevitable. Oh but how I miss those cookies! So I was on a mission: Create the closest flavor profile that I can, while cleaning up the ingredients. And I’ll be honest, I think I’ve come preeetty darn close. The texture is certainly different, but that’s to be expected when you change the flour from a processed, gluteny white flour to a nutrient dense seed meal. But the flavor… yeah it’s gooood. That’s good with four O’s. And the texture is pretty awesome too. Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Butter, vanilla, and my own creation of brown sugar meets all of my criteria for the best minimally-processed chocolate chip cookies around. For the flour, I used a combination of sunflower, pumpkin, and watermelon seeds for a protein-filled, nut-free base. However, you can certainly use almond flour as a replacement. In fact, the first batch I made of these (way too much butter, which is interesting as I was following the Nestle Toll House original recipe for inspiration… goes to show how my taste buds have changed), I used almond flour. Unfortunately, the almonds proved to get the best of me. Apparently I still haven’t gotten over my sensitivity, because for the next few days after eating (too many) cookies, my legs had red, itchy spots on them. Wahhh, I really thought a year would be enough time to recover and my body would get over it. Guess not. Back to non-almond flour recipes. Which is actually just fine, as I have grown quite fond of my seed meal anyway. Take that, almonds! I don’t need you! Even while using more natural, minimally processed ingredients, these cookies should still be considered a treat rather than a staple. Fructose and saturated fat galore… which I am actually not against by any means, but it should be on the moderation side (as with most things). That being said, every so often you definitely need to indulge and enjoy without going completely overboard (ie. whole tub of Toll House cookie dough), and this is the perfect treat to do so!

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Allow the butter to soften, coming to room temperature.
  3. Combine the coconut palm sugar with the molasses in a small bowl to create your “brown sugar.” You can use a fork, but I found it most effective just to use my fingers to combine. Combine until the molasses is completely incorporated, and the mixture is the same texture as regular brown sugar. It should be packable, like wet sand.
  4. Once the butter is softened, use a hand mixer to combine the butter, egg and brown sugar until evenly mixed.
  5. Continually mixing with the hand mixer, slowly add in the nut/seed meal and coconut flour. Add the baking powder and vanilla. Continue to mix with the hand mixer until the mixture is completely uniform. The text of the dough will be slightly less solidified than a “regular” cookie dough, but should form balls when rolled in the palms of your hands.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  7. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes, to allow the butter to re-solidify slightly.
  8. Roll the dough into balls. I got about a dozen 1 Tbsp balls from this recipe.
  9. Place each dough ball on the parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1-2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly so they are more of a disk shape than a sphere.
  10. Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven, and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown and cracked on top.

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Please note that some of the links in the above post are affiliate links that will take you to an Amazon.com page. If you choose to purchase a product featured in this post using an affiliate link, you will be directly supporting You’re An Animal. Thanks!

Cinnamon Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

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Okay, so this is more of a concept than a recipe since it’s so simple, but it’s a darn good concept at that! Vaguely reminiscent of a cinnamon roll (Andrew says my imagination was stretching on that one… maaaybe I just really wanted a cinnamon roll), this sweet treat is easy to whip up by the army-full. Just be careful, dates are only of the most sugar-filled fruits you can eat– about 5 grams of sugar per date. And trust me, it would be easy to go wild with these. These sweet, creamy, spicy bites were part of my post-workout routine a couple of days ago (the other part included a big ol’ hunk of grass-fed sirloin, ohhh yeahhhh), and they hit the spot perfectly. The slightly sour, creamy bite of the goat cheese pairs perfectly with the cloyingly sweet dates, and the cinnamon brings both flavors together perfectly for an addictive, small snack, appetizer or dessert. By the way, have you noticed a theme in the recipes lately? Lots of goat cheese… LOTS O’ GOAT CHEESE. Our fridge and freezer has been filled with it lately, because a friend of Andrew’s went out to a local goat farm and brought us back several tubs. I’m not complaining though, the stuff is amazingly fresh (straight from the source is always the best tasting!), and the exact consistency of ricotta but without the lactose and casein. Plus a lot of good stuff, like calcium. So, hang with me on the goat cheese recipes, I promise they will run out… eventually.

Cinnamon Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

  • 4 pitted dates
  • 1/4 cup soft goat cheese (like Chev)
  • cinnamon for dusting
  1. Using about 1 tbsp of goat cheese per date, use a butter knife to stuff the dates with the goat cheese.
  2. Dust the stuffed dates with cinnamon, or you can alternatively mix the cinnamon into the goat cheese prior to stuffing the dates.
  3. That’s it.

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Wilted Spinach Quinoa with Avocado Pesto (Gluten-Free)

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Oh quinoa. What a trendy little tasty item you are. I know we have all caught the quinoa bug in the last couple of years, don’t even try to lie to yourself. You can’t read any quinoa recipe without attaching the word “healthy” to it, but I know some people would argue against that buzzword. Truth be told, as far as I can tell, the verdict is still out on quinoa. Is it a grain? Is it a seed? Is it here to stay, or just a passerby? Here’s my response: Who cares… it tastes good and doesn’t throw my digestive system into a tizzy. So every once in a while when I need something to throw together quickly for a hot lunch, I’ll grab the quinoa. Fifteen minutes, one pot, good to go. I do opt for the sprouted version (you can read more about sprouting in my watermelon seed post), which is meant to make digestion of seeds/grains easier (technically you’re eating a very infantile plant). So yesterday, when I was driving home and 100% focused what can I make for lunch that was quick, easy, and not a salad (hey, sometimes you can only handle so many salad lunches… I know you feel me on that) I went for the quinoa and whatever we had in the fridge. Luckily, I already had my avocado pesto made (I was serious when I said I almost always have some in the fridge), so all I needed to do was cook the quinoa, throw in some spinach while the quinoa was still hot so it would wilt, and the top it with the pesto and a little goat cheese if you want the extra creaminess and slightly sour bite. And bonus! It fed me for lunch yesterday AND today! Wowee I love when I don’t have to think about making something for lunch. Now, quinoa does have some protein in it (about 6 grams per 1/4 cup, which is one reason the healthfoodie world has rejoiced over the prevalence of quinoa), but if you want to add some more protein I say yes! Chicken or shrimp would be good with this for sure. So there ya go, your next easy meal, ready and waiting!

Wilted Spinach Quinoa with Avocado Pesto

  1. Cook the quinoa according the the package directions.
  2. Once the quinoa is finished cooking and still very hot, throw in the spinach and let the heat of the quinoa wilt the greens. Stir the spinach into the quinoa, and cover the pot if needed to let the spinach fully wilt.
  3. Stir in the pesto, until the mixture is covered in the sauce.
  4. Top with goat cheese if you choose.

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Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Goat Cheese Balsamic Vinaigrette

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This salad is our #1 go-to meal when I need a quick-fix meal. Our jobs often have us working late (trainer lyyyfe), which means I most certainly do not feel like making a big, involved meal when I get home around 9pm on a Monday. It’s so simple, yet the flavors are huge: the perfect mix of salty, sweet, creamy and spicy. I actually stole this recipe idea from a meal I had at Firebirds (thanks, yo!), which uses shrimp. Because of that, I too often use shrimp in this recipe, but I just happened to want seared tuna the other night and voila! It worked like a charm! Sub any protein you can imagine, but so far I’ve really liked it with the seafood flavors. Okay, okay, enough building it up for ya, let me break it down: Starts with the greens, to make you feel especially health-nutty (or maybe just nutty?). Then it gets a nice coat of the most perfectly blended homemade dressing. Goat cheese and balsamic explosion right on those taste buds. Salty, creamy, acidic. Which just so happens to marry perfectly with some sliced strawberries. Sweet to cut the sour and all of that, ya know? And then seared ahi tuna for that tender, lean yet hearty protein. Have I sold it yet? You better just go and make it to find out for yourself what an easy yet powerful meal this is!

Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Goat Cheese Balsamic Vinaigrette

  • 1 Wild Ahi (Yellowfin) Tuna Steak
  • 2 large handfuls of greens (I use a powerblend)
  • 6-8 sliced strawberries
  • Goat Cheese Balsamic Vinaigrette:
  • 3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp of soft goat cheese
  • a pinch each of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried yellow mustard powder
  1. Heat a grill pan on medium high heat.
  2. Place the tuna on the pan once hot, and cook the tuna steak about 2-3 minutes on each side. The middle will still be raw.
  3. Remove the tuna from the heat, and allow to cool. Once cool enough to touch, cut into slices.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the vinaigrette ingredients with a fork until thoroughly mixed.
  5. Add the greens to the dressing mixture, and toss the greens with tongs until all of the greens are coated with the dressing.
  6. You can either toss the strawberries with the greens, or plate the greens and add the strawberries on top separately.
  7. Place the tuna slices on top of the dressed greens, and serve.

This recipe makes two entree-sized salads.

 

 

 

 

Superfood Green Smoothie (Dairy-Free)

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Ah the Green Smoothie. Something that healthfoodies swear by, yet is still so misunderstood. Yes, it looks gross. I get it. But I can promise you, it will surprise you. And luckily, if you use berries it’s not even green in color. HA! No excuses anymore, people! So I’ve been making these for a while, and in fact try to make one almost every day. This is usually my breakfast, so that’s why I’m putting it under the category of “Breakfast.” (See how that works? Organization master right hurr.) On the days that I have to be at work super early (6 a.m., welcome to the life of a fitness trainer) I make this the night before and leave in the fridge so I can grab and go. But of course, this can be eaten any time, anywhere, any day. You all are smoothie champs in the making, I see it now. The beauty of this smoothie is that I’ve given you a base formula, but the flavor is really up to you depending on which fruit you want to use. Again, no excuses! My two favorite flavors, which are pictured above, are mixed berry (purple), and pineapple mango (green).

This smoothie features flax meal for added fiber, chia seeds for the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, coconut water for the electrolytes, coconut oil for some good fat to help the solubility and absorption of the vitamins and nutrients in this smoothie, plus protein to keep you full and not to mention the green leaves and fruit (we all know the benefits of these by now). Oh and if you haven’t heard, I’m slightly obsessed with my blender. If you’re in the market for a new one, I would definitely recommend this Ninja. Now, go on and make your own superfood smoothie!

Superfood Green Smoothie

  1. Combine the coconut water, protein powder, flax meal, chia seeds, coconut oil, and green in a blender and pulse until the greens are slightly chopped and don’t take up as much space in the blender.
  2. Add the frozen fruit. Blend until smooth.

This recipe makes two 16oz smoothies. You can share with someone else, or store the second in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. Or halve the recipe to make one at a time.

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Raw Brownie Energy Bites

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Sometimes my kitchen turns into an episode of Chopped. “I’m hungry, I have these ingredients, GO.” Interestingly, sometimes these spontaneous ventures turn out to be a hit on the first try. Such is the case with these bites. Okay… balls. There I said it… we were all thinking it, let’s move on. I really wanted something sweet, but also filling, and TAADAA. Brownie bites. That are raw. And proteiny. (Read: filling.) Emphasis on the brownie, because yum. Reminiscent of a Lara Bar, or energy bar, these are the perfect snack to throw together to get you over the afternoon hump. I used watermelon seeds to keep these protein-filled yet nut-free, but you can sub any kind of nut or seed you want. DO NOT BE ALARMED BY THEIR APPEARANCE. Just dive right in, the brownie is divine.

Raw Brownie Energy Bites

  • 3/4 cup Watermelon Seeds (or other seeds/nuts)
  • 7 pitted dates
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  1. Add dates, cocoa powder, watermelon seeds, vanilla and cinnamon to a small food processor. Process until finely chopped, like the consistency of wet sand.
  2. Add the tahini and water to the mixture, and process until it comes together in a thick paste/dough. If needed, you can add more water, drop by drop, until the mixture is the right consistency to be able to mold.
  3. Remove mixture from processor, and form into balls. Mine were a little over a tablespoon each.

Makes about 7 bites.

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