Who says we have to make granola bars just for the kids? So I made these grain free granola bars, all grown up! Now, don't get too excited, they're not soaked in whisky or anything. They do however, pack a bit of punch with just enough curry powder to leave a little tingle on your tongue. The truth is, your kids just might love these too. Mine ate them up about as fast as I could pull them
Chewy Grain Free Granola Bars: Sweet Coconut Curry
Who says we have to make granola bars just for the kids? So I made these grain free granola bars, all grown up! Now, don't get too excited, they're not soaked in whisky or anything. They do however, pack a bit of punch with just enough curry powder to leave a little tingle on your tongue. The truth is, your kids just might love these too. Mine ate them up about as fast as I could pull them
Roast Garlic, Olive & Ricotta Tagliatelle
Roast Garlic, Olive & Ricotta Tagliatelle
A delicious and very easy to make mid week meal! The smell of the roasting garlic is amazing.
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
6 plump cloves of garlic, left whole
100g/3 ½ oz stoned black olives
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, extra for drizzling
40g/1 ½ oz pine nuts
½ lemon, zest & juice
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
150g ricotta cheese
300g/10 ½ oz tagliatelle, cooked as per packet instructions
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.
2. Place the garlic and olives in a roasting tin, toss in the olive oil until fully coated. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes turning occasionally.
3. Add the pine nuts to the roasting tin and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Drain the cooked pasta reserving some of the cooking water in the pan with the tagliatelle. Add the lemon zest and juice, stir in the contents of the roasting tin. Season with salt & pepper and add the ricotta cheese.
5. Divide into two pasta bowls, season with pepper with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve straight away... enjoy!
Tomato and Chilli Jam
Tomato and Chilli Jam
Perfect for cheese & biscuits or even bacon butties... this is delicious, a great homemade gift too!
Makes 2 x 500g or 4 x 250g jars
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
2 red onions, finely chopped
400g/14 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
400g/14 oz plum tomatoes, quartered
3 large red chillies, deseeded & finely chopped
5cm/2 inches fresh root ginger, grated
250ml/9 fl oz white wine vinegar
300g/10 ½ oz soft light brown sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
Method
1. Sterilise the jars by washing them in very hot water. Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3. Place the jars upside down on a baking tray and let them dry in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
2. Heat the red onions and tomatoes over a very low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add the chillies, ginger, vinegar and sugar and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until you have a very thick mixture.
3. Add the fish sauce and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Spoon into the sterilised jars.
Depression -- The Hidden Disease
The beginning of each new year always seems to be a time of reflection, contemplation, and renewal.
In the past year I've been more personal on this blog than I have since I started writing in 2007. I've talked about food addition & my struggles with jealousy, dealing with alcoholism in my family, my struggles with accepting my body & being overweight, admitting that I often eat through my feelings, admitted how it took me over two years to give up gluten completely...
But one thing I haven't shared quite as much about is that I struggle with depression and anxiety on a daily basis. I've dealt with severe anxiety as long as I can remember. I remember dreading tests in school as young as 5 years old.... as an adult I struggle with things like weekly meetings at work. I dread them. I know nothing will happen to me... but I struggle with the thoughts that I may not know something I should, that I will be called out, that I will get reprimanded for something I'm not doing correctly. Often these negative thoughts swirl around me throughout the day. When that happens depression can set in.
I've always been introverted. I become overwhelmed easily. I am the one to stand against the wall and watch the party taking place instead of joining in. It takes nearly all of my energy just to be in the room and process everything that's going on. It's not that I'm rude, excruciatingly shy, or a snob... I just don't function well in that type of setting. I express myself best through writing and re-writing. It takes me a long time to discover why certain feelings arise (anger, frustration, sadness, even joy, etc...) and then why I feel them.
And this year, as with all years has been a challenge. I've delved into those thoughts and feelings, shared them openly. Worked with a life coach to learn how to make goals, to learn how to prepare myself for stressful situations, and to accept myself exactly where I am.
My co-worker and dear friend Jennifer wrote a post this morning sharing about her own journey through depression and anxiety and she shared a few paragraphs of a recent post by Jenny of The Bloggess.
Jenny's post spoke volumes to me. I applaud her for her honestly. Depression, anxiety... they are silent diseases. They affect more people than you know. I hope you'll read her post.” When cancer sufferers fight, recover, and go into remission we laud their bravery. We call them survivors. Because they are.When depression sufferers fight, recover and go into remission we seldom even know, simply because so many suffer in the dark…ashamed to admit something they see as a personal weakness…afraid that people will worry, and more afraid that they won’t. We find ourselves unable to do anything but cling to the couch and force ourselves to breathe.When you come out of the grips of a depression there is an incredible relief, but not one you feel allowed to celebrate. Instead, the feeling of victory is replaced with anxiety that it will happen again, and with shame and vulnerability when you see how your illness affected your family, your work, everything left untouched while you struggled to survive. We come back to life thinner, paler, weaker…but as survivors. Survivors who don’t get pats on the back from coworkers who congratulate them on making it. Survivors who wake to more work than before because their friends and family are exhausted from helping them fight a battle they may not even understand.” Read More.
I'm thankful I had a doctor several years ago who was able to convince me that admitting and taking medication for my depression and anxiety would not make me a bad person. It would help me to function in life instead of constantly being afraid. Even though the stigma of mental diseases and disorders is not as prevalent as it once was... it's still there. We still judge. We assume that people who are "depressed" are simply too weak to deal with their problems. And these thoughts are just not true. These disorders are real, they are serious, and they are treatable.
To learn more about depression and anxiety please visit: The Anxiety Disorders Association of America and the Anxiety and Panic Disorders Help Center at WebMD.
Marinated Shrimp
Instead of making the usual shrimp cocktail, try this!
It's a great appetizer.
Serve chilled.
First, boil the shrimp using my easy no-fail recipe.
Cover the shrimp with at least 2 inches of water.
Add vinegar and Old Bay seasoning and salt.
You can add more spices if you like.
Place on high heat and stir occasionally.
When 1 or 2 shrimp float to the top they are done.
The water may not come to a boil.
Immediately pour into a colander to drain
and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Ingredients for the marinade.
Mince the garlic. I used cilantro here,
but you can also use fresh flat leaf parsley, or both.
Combine the marinade/dressing ingredients in a jar.
Shake to blend.
To the shrimp add: sliced celery, chopped green
onions and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.
onions and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.
Pour the marinade over all and toss well.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Sprinkle with additional green onions and parsley.
Set out with toothpicks at a party or serve in small
glass dishes as a dinner appetizer.
Or do what we did tonight and share with a
glass of wine and good warm crusty bread.
Easy No-Fail Shrimp Boil
1 lb large or extra large shrimp
1 T Old bay seasoning
2 T cider vinegar
1 t salt
Add shrimp to pot and add water to cover
the shrimp by 2 inches. Add the Old Bay,
Salt and vinegar. Start cooking on high,
stirring until 1-2 shrimp float to the surface.
(water may not come to a boil)
Drain immediately in a colander and
rinse with cold water to stop the cooking,
Peel and chill.
This method works any amount of shrimp.
Marinade
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t sugar
1 T Dijon mustard
1-2 T horseradish
3 T tarragon or basil vinegar
1/3 C olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake.
Enough for 1 lb of shrimp.
Marinated Shrimp
1 lb cooked shrimp
Green onions, chopped, about half a bunch
Celery, thinly sliced or minced, 2-3 stalks
Fresh Parsley or Cilantro, or both chopped
to taste about 1/2 C
Place cooked shrimp in a bowl and add the
celery, green onions and parsley, as much as you
like. Pour over the marinade and toss.
Cover and let marinade at least 4 hours or
overnight in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
Apple, Pecan & Bacon Butternut Squash Hash(Gaps/Paleo/Vegan options)
Apple, Pecan &Bacon Butternut Squash Hash
Ingredients:
About 2 cups diced butternut squash (fresh not frozen)
1 cup diced tart apples (about 1 large apple, use Granny Smiths for 21DSD)
4-5 strips Bacon
1/4 cup or more chopped green onions
1/2 tsp coarse ground salt (or to taste)
fresh cracked pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to broil
After prepping the
the Best Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala
A great British favorite! If you love curry you will absolutely adore this dish!
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes (plus 24 hours marinating)
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
For the Tikka Masala
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of salt
1 tsp fenugreek
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mild chilli powder
2 tsp hot chilli powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cloves
1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
For the Chicken
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp hot chilli powder
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
500g (1 lb 2oz) chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
2-3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled & finely chopped
400ml coconut cream
Salt & pepper for seasoning
Handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Basmati rice & Indian breads, for serving
Method
1. Mix together all the spices for the tikka masala.
2. To make the chicken, mix together 2 tsp of the tikka masala, a pinch of salt, smoked paprika, chilli powder, 5 garlic cloves, soy sauce and olive oil in a large bowl. Coat the chicken pieces in the spices, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
3. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan until it begins to smoke. Add the chicken until browned. Remove from the pan and place on a warm plate.
4. Add 2 large tsp of tikka masala to the oil in the frying pan with the onions, garlic and tomatoes, fry for 2-3 minutes, until the onions have softened.
5. Add the coconut cream, mix through and add the chicken. Cook the chicken 15-20 minutes whilst bringing the sauce to a simmer to allow it to thicken, season to taste.
7. Serve the chicken tikka masala, basmati rice Indian breads and a sprinkling of fresh coriander... Delicious!