LEMON POPPYSEED BREAD WITH SUGAR FREE LEMON GLAZE

I’ve always loved poppyseed bread; I mean sometimes I go to Starbucks just to get a dose of that moist and yummy poppyseed bread slice, coated with that powdered sugar glaze? Omg….heaven.com! But of course knowing that it racks up a significant amount of negative calories and sugar, it doesn’t always feel good to have a craving for something so sinfully delicious, so I needed to healthify this recipe, you know, Valerie style 😉 This recipe uses organic coconut palm sugar and stevia and won’t raise your blood sugars like the regular Starbucks versions do, and don’t get me wrong, I do love my Starbucks! But I’m glad I’ve been able to make a healthier version of one of my favourite breads 🙂

I actually made this bread for my dear friend and lifestyle blogger Janu because her sweet self came over to my apartment to cook me dinner! So of course I had to make her something yummy and healthy which she could easily have for breakfast before running out to catch the bus for work!

Yup, she was my chef for the evening, and did I also mention that my dinner was yummy? Well there you have it. She loved the bread, and I did too, (I nibbled on a few slices before she got there). The sugar free glaze was also an experiment that worked really well! It is also very versatile so you can use it to glaze anything you want (doughnuts, cookies, cinnamon rolls, etc). At the end of the day, it brings me pleasure to know that we both made something for each other that we both devoured and enjoyed.

Recipe for Bread:

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice flour (or 2 ½ cups almond flour to make it paleo)
½ cup organic coconut palm sugar
¼ cup poppyseeds
1 tsp. gluten/aluminum free baking powder
½ tsp. gluten/aluminum free baking soda
¼ tsp. sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

2 organic cage free eggs
Zest and juice of 1 organic lemon (seeds removed)
¼ cup organic virgin coconut oil (melted)
½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or dairy free milk of choice)

Glaze:

1/4 cup arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1-2 tbsp. organic baking stevia
1/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil
1.5 tbsp. lemon juice (squeezed from 1/2 a lemon)
1/4 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9/5 loaf pan with coconut oil.

Combine wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, then combing both mixtures together and mix until well incorporated. If you find the batter a little too sticky, you can add ¼ cup almond milk to loosen it up a little bit, but you don’t want the batter to be too watery so start of with a few tablespoons and use your discretion.

Pour batter into the greased loaf pan.

Bake for 35 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

When ready, take the bread out of the oven and let it cool in the counter. Start prepping your glaze while the bread is cooling.

Mix all the glaze ingredients together until a thick mixture forms. It may be a little lump at first, but the hot water helps with making it smooth. If you still find it too lumpy or watery, add more arrowroot powder to thicken it or more hot water to loosen it up.

MORNING REVITALIZING JUICE AKA “CLEANSE THE WEEKEND”

Good morning guys! After a fun night of UFC with my ladies and seeing Bones kick some ass, I decided to cleanse my yummy bar indulgences with this Morning Revitalizing Juice, aka “Cleanse the Weekend.”

I’m a huge UFC fan! I try to watch most of the fights (particularly the main cards), I’ve seen the fights live, and I’ve also met some of the fighters. I met Jones (who fought and won last night) twice! UFC fight night is always good times 🙂

This juice contains:

2 organic celery sticks
1 organic gala apple
1 organic pear
A handful or organic cilantro leaves (you can use parsley as well)
3/4 cup organic baby carrots
Half a large cucumber
1 organic zucchini
A handful of organic strawberries
1 organic lemon
Half a small ginger

Throw all ingredients in a juicer and juice away, this also yields 2 servings.

Have a great Sunday!

QUINOA AVOCADO EGG MUFFINS

It’s Friday! Whoot whoot! These egg muffins were quick and easy to make because I already had some leftover cooked quinoa sitting in my fridge, so I whisked some eggs and dumped those bad boys in it. These were definitely a lunch party in my mouth, but you can also have these for breakfast as well depending on what you are craving. Have an amazing weekend!

Recipe: yields 10

¾ cup cooked quinoa (unseasoned)
5 organic cage free eggs (whisked)
4 organic baby carrots (grated)
2 organic scallions
1 tbsp. jalapeño (diced)
A handful of: onions, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes, chives, and basil leaves (all chopped and diced)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. Mrs. dash all spice blend
(Spices/seasonings of choice)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well incorporated.

Scoop portions into a muffin tray lined with parchment cupcake liners. If you don’t want to use paper or silicone liners, you can grease your tray with coconut oil or butter to prevent it from sticking.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until eggs are set.

BROWN RICE SPINACH PENNE WITH GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMP

Hey guys! It’s lunchtime! As much as I love pasta, I usually try to indulge in it once a week or once in two weeks, whether its gluten free made with brown rice or regular pasta on a cheat day with extra shrimp, extra sauce and extra cheese! (Yes…I am indeed a fat kid on the inside, and all my close friends know the not so secret love affair I have with yummy food). The “butter” in this recipe is actually coconut oil seasoned with garlic and spices that creates a buttery flavor, but you can also use grass fed butter if you prefer, I just didn’t have any. You can also season it however you prefer to make it taste like the regular penne you enjoy, or make a cheat day and enjoy some authentic penne/pasta at your favorite Italian restaurant. But always understand what your body needs and follow a lifestyle that works for you, because everyone is different. Cheers guys!

Recipe:

½ cup brown rice penne
1 cup organic baby spinach leaves
8 pieces raw shrimp (peeled)
1 small garlic clove (diced)
A handful of red bell peppers
1.5 tbsp red onion (diced)
2 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil
A dash of sea salt
A dash of black pepper
1 tbsp low sodium coconut aminos
A dash of cumin
Organic extra virgin olive oil (for sauté)

Fill a saucepan with 1 cup or water over medium heat. When boiling bubbles start to form, gently immerse penne in boiling water. Cook penne for 10 minutes, then when ready, drain boiled penne in a colander and set aside.

Place shrimp in a bowl with coconut oil, aminos, garlic, and remaining spices. Place shrimp in the refrigerator and let it marinate for 5-10 minutes.

When ready, place a skillet over medium-high heat with a dash of olive oil. Place the spinach first in the skillet until it’s withered, then add shrimp, bell peppers, and onions into the skillet and cover the top. Let it simmer for about a minute.

Drain and add cooked penne into the shrimp sauté and mix until well incorporated, then turn off the heat and transfer pasta into a ceramic plate or dish.

When ready, top with parmesan cheese or any toppings of choice and enjoy! I topped mine with a little bit of lemon zest and it was good.

PALEO BLUEBERRY RASPBERRY SCONES

Hey guys!! I hope everyone is having an awesome Easter weekend. I made these yummy scones for my family as a breakfast treat, and you bet they had it with tea 🙂

I also had some happy giggles when they told me they loved them, so I guess this recipe is a win!

Feel free to play around with your choice of fruit; you could use blackberries, strawberries, peaches, or even mix in nuts if you’d prefer. I would probably add in peaches next time I make this recipe. Have a fun and festive weekend everyone!!!

Recipe: Modified from eatgood4life.com : yields 8 scones

1 1/2 cup almond flour
1 organic cage free egg
1/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup organic coconut palm sugar
2 tbsp. arrowroot powder, or cornstarch
1 tsp. organic pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh organic blueberries and raspberries
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9 inch round baking pan with unbleached parchment paper all the way up to the sides of the baking pan and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the egg, sugar and coconut oil. With a hand mixer beat until combined. Add the remainder of the ingredients except the blueberries and raspberries and mix through. Add the blueberries and raspberries and gently with your hands incorporate them into the batter.

Press the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Let the scones cool for at least 15 minutes. Pulling from the parchment paper, lift the scones up from the pan and cut into 8 pieces. You can store them on a cake stand for up to two days.