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February 24, 2017

Cauliflower Rice Kimchi Bowls

Hey guys! Where did February go?! I feel like I was just celebrating Valentine’s Day and now I’m getting stoked for Spring Break. I don’t have any exciting travel plans yet, but San Diego seems to be a top vacation spot anyway, so do I really need to leave??? Spoiled, I know. If anyone is looking for restaurant recs for a vacay in SD, email me- I have tons of faves!

So even though I’m not jetsetting anywhere this year (unless someone has a surprise plane ticket waiting for me), today’s tasty recipe is my mind’s crazy fusion of some favorite Asian cuisine staples. It’s just a big bowl of yumminess that is perfect for whipping up and chowing down while you catch up on your DVR. Anyone else do this? Just me? It’s the little things in life, like a bowl full of yassss and a DVR full of good shows.

I couldn’t really decide what to call this dish cuz I went all-in with toppings on this bad boy. It’s a mix of everyone’s favorite Chinese fried rice, Korean bibimbap, and Hawaiian/Japanese poke. Ohhhh man do I just drool over a good poke bowl. I never get tired of that one. My favorite thing is going to a poke bar where you can customize it and make your own. DIY is one way to keep it healthy and full of nutrients. Let me explain how I do it when I head to the bar. (The poke bar, that is.)

Building a Better Poke Bowl

–Rice or no rice? This one really depends on your activity levels and health goals. Rice is a dense source of carbs, which are so necessary for your body to function, and unfortunately, they get demonized in mainstream media. If I had a tough workout or need to power through a very active day, I will get a small amount of rice/quinoa (half cup is good for me). Most of the time I skip the rice and do more of a “salad” style and pile up the lettuce.

–Skip the fried and heavy mix-ins – Instead of piling high the fried onion bits or tempura “crunchies”, I like crunch from cucumbers and jalapeños. Keep it fresh not fried. Poke is also notorious for sauces that are mayo-based, which can make the calories add up fast. Try to get fish that is not coated in a mayo sauce (like spicy mayo). For flavor, try cilantro, pickled ginger, or kimchi (helloooo probiotics!). If it’s the creamy factor you’re after, throw on some avocado.

–Sayonara soy sauce– Soy sauce is high in sodium, which can lead to bloat. Not fun. Masago (fish eggs) add a salty, briny flavor and are also packed with omega-3 fatty acids. Try seaweed flakes for a salty and iodine-rich kick. I’m loving dulse flakes lately and just pour that ish on everything!! Missing the “dressing” of soy sauce? Even just a squeeze of citrus and some sesame oil makes a perfect dressing for a poke bowl.

SOOO with this Cauliflower Kimchi Bowl recipe, I really wanted to pack it in with veggies and show a fun way to use cauliflower as rice. Maybe you have seen cauliflower used as rice before, but haven’t tried making it yourself. Don’t be scared!

It’s so simple- you just chop or process the cauli into rice-sized pieces (you can even buy “riced” cauliflower at some grocery stores!). Boom, a low-carb veggie sub for rice. It’s so good and very filling. Plus, cauliflower is a great source of beautifying/oxidative stress-fighting vitamin C and other antioxidants, so get to cooking!

Cauliflower Kimchi Bowl

Makes 2-3 bowls

1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 inch knob ginger, grated

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into rice-sized pieces, or one package of “riced” cauliflower

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup kale or spinach, roughly chopped

Toppings:

fried eggs, 1 per serving

kimchi- I used this brand

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 avocado, sliced

dulse seasoning-love this one (optional)

sashimi (optional)

In a large pan or dutch oven, heat coconut oil or ghee over medium-high heat until melted. Add onions and ginger, and sauté until onions are golden and fragrant. To deglaze the pan, add rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Add salt and pepper, and stir to distribute. Dump in cauliflower, cooking for 5 minutes. Add carrots, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, lifting the lid to stir occasionally. After the 10 minutes, cauliflower should have softened. Remove pan from heat, and stir in kale or spinach, letting the residual heat wilt the greens.

To serve, scoop some of the cauliflower rice mixture into a bowl. Top with a fried egg, kimchi, chives, avocado, pulse, and sashimi, as desired. (or any other toppings you like!) Time to dig in!

Have you tried cauliflower rice before? How do you use it in recipes? Are you a poke/bibimbap fan? I could eat it everyday and be totally happy. #obsessed

Digging into a bowl and catching up on my DVR’d shows as we speak. Who is a This Is Us fan? Ugghhhh that show is amazing. So beautifully written, true-to-life, and definitely pulls at your heart. Keep the tissues handy. 🙂

Let me know if you whip this recipe up for a bangin’ flavorful dinner! Have a fab weekend!

XO,

Alexandra

February 17, 2017

Boujee Olive Tapenade

So today we are talking a super easy, but very classy recipe: tapenade. Tapenade is typically made with black olive varietals, like kalamata olives, along with capers and anchovies. I decided to shake it up and use my fave olive, the castelvetrano.

It is light, buttery, nutty, and almost a bit “green” in flavor. It’s definitely my olive of choice, and quite possibly the up-and-coming “it” olive. We are forgoing the tradish salty capers and ‘chovies, so this tapenade is not a salt-bomb, but really lets the olive flavor shine through.

Castelvetranos make the perfect accompaniment to the secret green ingredient in the tapenade- peppery arugula. So maybe this is kind of like a tapenade/pesto hybrid? IDK, but whatever you decide to call it, you will want to add a dollop to all your favorite dishes to liven them up a bit. Pasta, roasted veggies, frittatas, crostinis, salmon/chicken/filet mignon, are all screaming for this tapenade. Make it rain with the green!!

Here’s a funny (but also a bit embarrassing??) story about how delish this stuff is. I packed it in my lunch one day over some leftover soba noodles. When it came time to eat, I was sitting outside with some friends (shout out if you are reading this and remember that hilarious day lol), and somehow out of sheer clumsiness, I ended up dumping my tupperware of pasta and tapenade into the grass. THE HORROR!! I was so internally conflicted- do I let the tapenade go to waste? Does the 5 second rule apply? Are these people going to be horrified if I eat this?

Needless to say, I was so obsessed with my tapenade, that I could NOT let it go to waste. I asked everyone if they would judge me if I scooped my lunch back up off the ground into my tupperware and ate it… they are true friends cuz they all said “no judgement” and didn’t even bat an eyelash while I finished my dirt-and-grass-covered meal. Probably got an immunity boost from that one- HA! Thankfully I didn’t get sick and we had some major laughs about it. Moral of the story is that this tapenade is so good, you will want to eat it off the ground. (Or at least I would!) #Classy

So why is this tapenade so boujee? Well that would be due to the addition of a few drops of truffle oil. Truffles are one of my deep food obsessions. Right up there with salmon and matcha, truffles make me do a happy dance. That earthy, umami flavor is really hard to describe, but when you taste it, you just know that the flavor is unbeatable. Yes, pricey, but a little goes a long way. Embrace your boujee side and let the truffle oil flow for this one.

Putting on my RDN hat real quick- if you didn’t know, February is National Heart Month. Olives/olive oil are touted for their heart-health properties (Mediterranean Diet, anyone?). Olives and olive oil, which are both in the recipe, are full of monounsaturated fatty acids, specifically oleic acid. Research show MUFAs protect against heart disease and help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood pressure.

Some antioxidant phytonutrients in olives have anti-inflammatory properties, driving heart disease risk even lower. The takeaway is that olives and olive oil are great sources of fat to include in your diet to really reduce heart disease risk. (Plus, it makes you feel like you are dining on the Amalfi Coast…how boujee.)

Boujee Olive Tapenade

1 1/2 cups castelvatrano olives, pitted

1 cup arugula

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon truffle oil

Easy-Peasy Instructions: Add all ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and mix until olives and arugula are in small chunks. If the mix isn’t holding together well, you can add a tablespoon of water or extra olive oil to make a smoother consistency. Serve over pasta, veggies, crostini, as a dip- you really can’t go wrong.

How was Valentine’s Day? I had a fun Galentine’s with my sister. We had sushi, enjoyed some chocolate dessert, and danced around in matching jammies. SO fun! Have you tried castelvetrano olives before?? If so, let me know how you cook with em!

XO,

Alexandra

February 11, 2017

Heart Beet Red Velvet Doughnuts

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and whether you are celebrating solo, with gal pals, or a special someone, a sweet #treatyoself doughnut is in order. Nothing says “I love you” like a delicious, homemade doughnut, am I right?

When I made these, every time I took a bite, I was like “Yasss, slay, you are your own best Valentine. Dough not kill my vibe.” I couldn’t even make myself share them, so if that isn’t the definition of selfless love, I don’t know what is. HAHA!

I got a little punny with the name “Heart Beet Red Velvet Doughnuts since there is a not-so-secret ingredient that adds a dazzling shade of pink/red to the doughnuts: beets! Yup, beets work their magic so you don’t have to mess with any icky food coloring or dyes. Cuz what is red velvet, anyway? Just sugary red? A spoonful of cocoa powder and red? Sugary Red… how appetizing.

With these doughnuts, we are keeping it totally natural and minimally processed. If beets in baked goods freaks you out, I promise you cannot taste any beet-ness; we are just using beet juice here, which has a light, earthy sweetness on its own. Totally undetectable in the doughnuts, like a secret admirer.

These doughnuts are indulgent tasting, but you can totally feel good about eating them. They are low-sugar, gluten-free, and vegan, so all of the loves in your life will be able to enjoy them. They are baked-not fried- and have a dense texture similar to a cake doughnut.

Obviously this recipe is ideal for a dessert, but they are wholesome enough that they can double as breakfast. The healthy fats from the coconut toppings will keep you full and prevent blood sugar from spiking. These not only show your tastebuds some love, but they show your body love, too.

I’m all about balance and treating yourself to a favorite indulgence, but I also love giving a healthy makeover to some fave treats because they keep you feeling good from the inside out. There are foods we eat to keep our health and fitness goals, there are foods we eat to keep our sanity, (pretty sure Gigi Hadid said something similar??) and there are foods that fall magically into both categories. Get yourself a doughnut that can do both. Hint, hint… it’s this one.

Heart Beet Red Velvet Doughnuts

Makes 10 doughnuts

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1 tablespoon cacao

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups milk of choice

2 tablespoons flax seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups chopped beets, or 1 cup beet juice, 1/2 teaspoon reserved for topping

For the toppings:

2/3 cup coconut butter

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon beet juice

To get the beet juice, either buy beet juice (easy), or run 1 1/2 cups of beets through a juicer. Alternatively, you can blend the beets with a small amount of water in a blender, then pour it through a strainer to get out any large pieces. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl (coconut flour through salt) and mix well. Add all wet ingredients except for the beet juice to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Adding one tablespoon at a time, mix in beet juice until desired color is reached. The batter should be loose enough to be squeezed through a piping bag into doughnut molds. To make the doughnuts, fill a piping bag or ziplock bag with a corner cut off. Squeeze the batter into the moulds. (If you don’t have a doughnut pan, you can make cupcakes in a muffin tin!)

Place doughnuts into oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool, and remove from pan. Lay doughnuts on parchment paper or another flat surface you don’t mind getting messy. Drizzle each doughnut with coconut butter. You can warm the jar under hot water to make it easier to pour. To make the coconut shreds pink, toss them with a 1/2 teaspoon of beet juice. Put coconut shreds on a plate, the dip the glazed donuts top-down. Serve up doughnuts on a pretty platter to make your lover swoon.

What are your plans for V-Day? I will be in class all day, and cooking up a storm in my cooking class in the afternoon, so tag along on my Insta story @bouquetsandbaguettes if you want a drool-worthy peek. I’m also doing a little Gal-entine’s celebration with my sissy that I’m sure will involve movies, spa treatments, and some Valentine-y treats.

Have a love-filled Valentine’s Day!

XO,

Alexandra

February 1, 2017

Matcha Crepes with Matcha Cashew Creme

Tomorrow (February 2) is Crepe Day! In France, this holiday is actually called La Chandeleur. In case you are interested in the history and not just the crepes, it’s a religious holiday that marks the day of the presentation of baby Jesus to the temple. There are also some parallels to our Groundhog Day, where there is a French proverb that talks about winter either getting shorter or staying longer depending on whether there is dew or frost on the morning of Chandeleur. Either way, everyone eats crepes, so it’s a win-win, right?

I figured, what better to celebrate than to bless us all with a healthy, but decadent crepe recipe?! These aren’t just any ordinary crepes either- we are going all-out with matcha crepes, matcha cashew creme, and edible flowers cuz we’re feeling extra. These crepes get their gorge, rustic color from buckwheat flower. Contrary to popular belief, buckwheat is actually not wheat, but it is a gluten-free, grain-like seed.

So if you don’t do gluten, buckwheat should definitely be in your back pocket as a healthy carbohydrate option. (maybe not literally in your back pocket, cuz that could get a little messy.) It’s a great source of manganese, copper, and magnesium, which we could all benefit from a little more of.

If you have been following me for a while, then you know how much I loooove matcha. It is full of antioxidants, like EGCGs, polyphenols, and magic L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid that gives a calm, but alert feeling to the body. Matcha is just downright amazing, and I have it everyday. Naturally, it’s upping the nutrition punch of this recipe.

If you haven’t made cashew creme before, you will love! It is delicious with only a few staple ingredients, it’s completely vegan, and is a great source of zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and get this- 100% of the Recommended Daily Intake in copper. Copper plays a role in everything from iron transport to antioxidant defense, to connective tissue formation. Translation? Copper is super important! Cashews got your back! 😉

Here is my twist on a classic French staple- the crepe. Bon appetit! I could see an epic “crepe cake” (so trendy on insta) being made from this by alternating layers of crepes and creme as tall as the Eiffel Tower. It would make for an epic and ‘gram-worthy centerpiece, to say the least.

Matcha Crepes with Matcha Cashew Creme

For the Matcha Crepes:

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons coconut sugar

1 teaspoon matcha powder

1 cup cashew “milk”, or milk of choice- hemp, flax, coconut, etc

2 eggs

1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted, plus 1 teaspoon for greasing the pan

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Fruit and edible flowers, for garnish (optional)

For the Matcha Cashew Creme:

1 cup cashews, soaked 4 hours to overnight

1/2 cup soaking water, reserved

4 dates, pitted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp matcha powder

To make crepes, combine dry ingredients, and mix to combine. Add liquid ingredients to dry, and mix until you have a smooth batter. It should be thinner than a pancake batter. Over medium high heat, grease a pan that has a base the size you would like your crepes to be. Alternatively, if you have a crepe maker, you may use that.

Add thin layer of batter to the pan, enough to just coat the base. Using a rubber spatula after 15 to 20 seconds, you can gently work around the edges. If they do not pry up, the crepe is not ready yet-it can take 30 seconds to a minute. Once the edges come up, you can gently work the spatula under the crepe enough to peel it up and flip it over. The other side only needs a quick kiss from the pan, about 10-15 seconds. Set crepes aside. You can keep them under a warm, damp towel to keep them from drying out.

To make the cashew creme, add all ingredients to a high speed blender. The consistency should be that of sour cream, where it holds a dollop shape and spreads easily. If it’s too thick, add a tad more water, but definitely err on the side of caution- it’s not so simple to fix a too-thin creme.

To assemble, simply spread a layer of creme on a crepe, and wrap or fold however you prefer. Garnish with fresh fruit and edible flowers, if desired.

Are you a Francophile and crepe lover like me? What are your plans for the weekend? Probably something Superbowl related, but in my case, I will be studying, er… cramming for midterms!!

Talk soon, mes amours!

XO,

Alexandra

January 27, 2017

Sweet and Easy Date Paste

Today’s post is a fun one! (I know “date paste” sounds a bit questionable, but bear with me). It’s a quick, easy recipe that literally anyone can make. Honestly, it is next to impossible to make this wrong. All you need are Medjool dates (truly nature’s candy, as they are quite sweet and almost caramel-y), and water. So simple, right?

So, how bout them “all natural” sweeteners? There are so many refined sugar-free sweeteners floating around on the market (agave, coconut nectar, brown rice syrup, to name a few) but it’s so simple to make your own 2-ingredient date paste and keep it in a cute jar in the fridge to use whenever a recipe calls.

Plus dates are a good source of potassium, some B vitamins, and fiber, so they have an added nutritional benefit over white sugar and many other sweeteners in that regard. Really, what other sweetener is going to have some blood-sugar balancing fiber??

It’s important to remember that not all “natural” sweeteners are created equal. That natural halo can actually be misleading. Take agave nectar for example. It is highly processed and has been treated in a way that any beneficial compounds and enzymes are destroyed. Agave Nectar is not a sweetener that I recommend consuming on a frequent basis. Whenever we process a food product, the more likely it is that beneficial compounds are removed by the sheer nature of the processing (chemicals, heat, pressure, etc).

If keeping beneficial nutrients of food up (enzymes, phytochemicals, antioxidants) and the processing down interests you, this date paste is going to be your jam, er paste. Even dietitians like to have a sweet treat, and this is one ingredient that I like to have on hand to maximize the nutritional value of my homemade treats if I have the option. It’s rich, caramel-y, and holds up well in recipes.

Let’s cut straight to it and get to the no-brainer recipe!

Sweet and Easy Date Paste: Two ingredients, Refined Sugar-Free

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and soaked 4 hours or overnight, soaking water reserved

1/4-1/3 cup reserved soaking water

Add dates and 1/4 cup of water to a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. If mix is too thick, add more water, one tablespoon at a time.

Yields about 1 cup

Fave ways to use date paste:

Stirred into tea lattes
Substitute for sweetener in baking recipes (quick breads, muffins, cashew cream)
Sweet element of marinades/dressings
Over banana ice dream
As a raw, vegan caramel sauce sub
Any recipe that calls for honey, coconut nectar, or liquid sweetener

Have you used date paste before? I would love to know if you try adding this to recipes. I’m always looking for recipe inspiration, so tag me on insta (@bouquetsandbaguettes) so I can see how you use it!

Have a fab week!

XO,

Alexandra

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