Home Made Whole Grain Crackers

Recipe from here. Take a look and be sure to read the comments for some great ideas.

My modified version:

The night before cream in a large bowl:

• 1 1/2 cup of plain whole yogurt
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened

Mix in:

• 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour (I’ve substituted 1 C of oatmeal successfully before)
• flavorings – caraway seeds, black pepper, habanero pepper, chipotle powder, sesame seeds, use your imagination.

Cover and leave in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours (this is the “soaking” part). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using whole wheat flour to dust your surface and dough, roll your dough out thin. Cut into strips and then cut into squares.

Place your squares on an ungreased cookie sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for about 8 minutes and check, keep checking every two minutes until done. They should be browning slightly on the edges, when done. Take off of sheet and place on a cooling rack and enjoy!

Homemade Coconut Milk

I guess I’ve found gold at Mark’s Daily Apple today. Here’s how to make home made coconut milk:

Contrary to popular opinion, coconut milk has to be made. It doesn’t occur naturally. Here’s how to do it at home:

2.5 ounces fresh grated coconut (finely grated – use a food processor if you have to)
1 1/2 cups hot (simmering) water

Pour water over coconut shavings. Let sit for five minutes, and then puree the mixture in a blender. Strain the puree through a cheesecloth or strainer, making sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. For thicker milk, use less water. Use the milk in any recipe that calls for it, or just drink it straight. Enjoy.

Primal Coconut Pudding

Again, from Mark’s Daily Apple. A quick dessert I can’t wait to try:

This incredibly easy pudding recipe is best served hot and fresh.

1 can coconut milk (or use an equal amount of homemade milk)
1 egg yolk
3 or 4 tablespoons almond flour
A bit of maple syrup or honey

Stir yolk, flour, and honey/syrup together to form a paste. Using a small pan, heat it over medium heat for one minute. Add the milk and turn the heat up. Once it starts boiling, stir continuously to get all the lumps out. Once it’s smooth, turn off the heat and serve. A few berries, nuts, or banana slices go well with this. Maybe add a drop or two of vanilla, or even a pinch of cinnamon.

Thai Coconut Soup

I got this from Mark’s Daily Apple. I love Thai food and coconut milk, so I can’t wait to make this:

It’s all too often that we forgo Thai food because rice, noodles, and peanuts figure so prominently in the cuisine. This soup recipe is Primal while retaining the Thai essence.

6 cups chicken stock
2-4 hot chiles (Thai, jalepeno, habanero, depending on your bravery), finely chopped and seeded (or not, again depending on your bravery)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice
4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Chicken (in strips), shrimp, or your favorite protein source

In a medium saucepan, combine broth, chiles, garlic, ginger, zest, lime juice, and 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and season with salt. Bring to a simmer and add mushrooms. After three minutes of simmering, add the meat and coconut milk. Cook the meat through, then add the spinach, letting it simmer until the spinach wilts. Add the cilantro and the remaining fish sauce. Serve and enjoy.

Frittata with chicken, corn, chipotle chili

This is a new favorite – tasty, high in protein and fat, low in carbohydrates.

• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 5-6 cloves garlic, microplaned or crushed
• 2 Tbsp chipotle chile powder
• one big onion,  chopped
• 1 can corn
• 1.5 lbs raw chicken breast, diced
• 12 whole eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 5 ounces Monterey Jack or Colby Jack, grated

Over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan, saute the garlic and chili powder in the EVOO. I use some corn juice from the can for extra moisture.

Hummus with Sesame Oil and Cumin

Ingredients:

* 300 g (2 C) freshly cooked chickpeas (substitute 1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed if needed)
* 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
* 2 tablespoons EVOO
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon salt (less if using canned beans)
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 3 tablespoons sesame oil
* 1-3 tablespoons warm water (adjust consistency)
* Optional (but wow is it good) – 1/2 of a good sized roasted red bell pepper.

Marinade Matrix

From a Men’s Health article:

7 marinades and spice rubs to pack your food with flavor

By: Matt Goulding

Marinades and spice rubs pack your food with flavor without the gut-busting calories of heavy sauces. They also break down tough muscle fibers and seal moisture into your food, turning even pedestrian cuts of meat into succulent feasts. With the help of Food Network chef Tyler Florence, we’ve created this easy-reference matrix for making the most of any meat.

Metabolism Myths–Busted

From a WebMD article:

WebMD Feature from “Prevention” Magazine

By Julie Upton, RD

Learn the truth behind the folklore and use it to your weight loss advantage.

Google the word metabolism and you’ll find nearly 45 million results–advice on how to “speed-up,” “ignite,” “kick-start,” and “boost” your body’s fat-burning capacity. Truth is, there are probably more myths about metabolism than there are about the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot combined. The reality: Your body does burn 2 to 5% fewer calories with each decade after age 40, and women tend to put on about a pound a year as a result, but these changes are not inevitable, says Matt Hickey, PhD, director of the Human Performance Clinical Research Lab at Colorado State University. Simple tweaks to your daily routine can up your calorie burn and compensate for the deficit, keeping you from succumbing to age-related weight gain. Take our quiz and learn the truth about harnessing your metabolism to keep off unwanted pounds.

Your body burns more calories digesting ice-cold beverages and foods (T/F)

True. But before you give yourself an ice-cream headache, there’s more. “The small difference in calories probably won’t make a significant dent in your diet,” explains Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, CNS, founder and director of the UPMC Weight Management Center in Pittsburgh. On the bright side, different studies have suggested that five or six ice-cold glasses of water could help you burn about 10 extra calories a day–equaling about 1 pound of nearly effortless weight loss each year.

Tip Although the metabolism-boosting effects are small, it can’t hurt to pour no-cal drinks–water, tea, coffee–on the rocks to maximize your body’s calorie-burning potential.

Low Carb Swaps

From a Men’s Health article:

Lasagna

Substitute: Zucchini slices for noodles

Slice four to five medium-size zukes lengthwise into three-quarter-inch-thick strips, instructs Lise Battaglia, a New Jersey chef whose past clients include Jon Bon Jovi. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the strips, place them in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet, and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. You want them firm, not crisp. “Then simply make the lasagna as you normally would, replacing lasagna noodles with the baked zucchini,” she says.

Carbs Eliminated: 36 g per serving

The Taste: “Delicious. The zucchini provides texture that you don’t get from noodles alone.”

Mash Potatoes

Great article on eggs

…here. One big keeper from the article is poaching eggs in the microwave. I tried it immediately and it worked great!