Veggie Hash & Eggs

This morning when I woke up, I wanted to do something a little different with my eggs.  When I saw the vegetables we had in the fridge (asparagus and Brussels sprouts), I started to wonder why some vegetables are a common find at breakfast time, while some are not.  Mushrooms, peppers, and onions are often seen as omelette fillings, but Brussels sprouts not so much.

10 Delicious Recipes Paleoified

I am going strong on the fourth day of my Whole30!  I've been taking a look at my recipe index, trying to find more recipes I can tweak to make them paleo.  I like variety, and it can't ALL be about almond flour pancakes and zucchini noodles.  The more dishes I have in my paleo arsenal, the more likely I am to successfully stay full and on track.

This weekend is going to be a big challenge, because I'm heading down to Austin for my cousin's wedding.  It's going to be really hard to say no to tacos and wedding cake!  I'm thinking about relaxing my standards a TINY bit while I'm there...nothing too crazy, but maybe a little barbecue sauce.  Do you guys know any great Austin restaurants where I might be able to get great food without straying too far from my paleo intentions?  If you do, leave me a comment!  I'll take some pictures while I'm out and about and share with you when I get back.

So, without further ado, here are ten recipes from my index along with easy ways to make sure they're paleo.

1.  Gambas al ajillo--this recipe is ALREADY paleo!  It would be great over zucchini noodles.

2.  Baked Eggs with Chives--omit the parmesan and use coconut milk instead of the cream (or just leave that out).  This would be great with some more herbs added in, too.  If you haven't tried baked eggs, get on it!

3.  Berry Coconut Smoothie--leave out the protein powder, or use a paleo version (I just discovered this site and haven't tried their products, but it looks interesting!).

4.  Chocolate Mousse--sweeten with honey to taste instead of sugar.  If you haven't tried this, check it out--there is a secret ingredient and it's SO easy and decadent!

5.  Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Creamy Rutabaga--use coconut milk instead of the milk or cream.

6.  Vietnamese Pork & Vermicelli Bowl--omit the sugar and vermicelli (add more veggies if you like), use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and cook the scallions in coconut oil instead of canola oil.

7.  Garlic Honey Grilled Shrimp--already paleo!  

8.  Spring Salad with Citrusy Shallot Vinaigrette--already paleo.  It would be great with some of the garlic honey grilled shrimp on top!

9.  Jerk Chicken with Avocado & Papaya Salad--omit the sugar from the jerk seasoning.

10.  Coconut Frappuccino--sweeten with honey instead of agave nectar.

If you have any links to paleo recipes you love, leave them in the comments!

Sesame Lime Steak, Zucchini, & Avocado Salad

After all those pancakes, I was ready for some meat.  I cooked this steak on my George Foreman grill which, I'm ashamed to admit, had been riding in the trunk of my car ever since I moved back up from Houston two years ago.  No worse for the wear, the grill worked fine when I finally brought it inside today.  You can also cook your steak on a real grill or stovetop in a grill pan or heavy skillet.

This salad is my first attempt at using zucchini as noodles.  I think in this recipe it really works.  You aren't tricked into thinking you're eating real noodles, but the long, thin noodle shape is the perfect vehicle for the sauce, and the raw zucchini still has a little bit of a crunch to it.

Another ingredient note: this recipe calls for coconut aminos, which are a paleo replacement for soy sauce.  In my opinion, the flavor is very similar.  You won't taste any coconut here.  If you're looking for coconut aminos, I found mine at Whole Foods.  You can also just substitute soy sauce if you're not avoiding soy.

Ingredients (serves 2):

For the steak:

2/3 pound thin sliced top round steak (or another thin cut)
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon red chili paste
Juice of half a lime

For the salad:

2 zucchini, cut or peeled into thin, noodle-like matchsticks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon almond butter
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon apple juice
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
Lime wedges

To make the marinade, combine all ingredients in a shallow bowl and toss with the steak to coat.  Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to two hours.  If you marinate in the refrigerator, take the meat out 30 minutes before you plan to cook it to let it come to room temperature.

Heat a George Foreman grill or a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the steak to your desired doneness.  Set steaks aside on a plate, covered.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, sesame oil, coconut aminos, and apple juice to make a smooth sauce.  Toss the zucchini to coat it with the sauce, and divide the zucchini between two plates.  Slice the steak into strips and place it on top of the zucchini.  Top the steak with the avocado slices and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  Serve warm or chilled with lime wedges.

Paleo Poached Eggs with Creamy Spinach

Okay, big news. A Calculated Whisk is going paleo for one month. There. I said it. Now if I go and try to post some kind of insane ice cream cupcake cookie sandwich, you guys will call me out on it. Right?

Nobody tells you this, but the ugly downside of starting a food blog is you EAT so much of the delicious food you make that your figure kind of falls by the wayside. I love desserts, obviously, but you can only have so much. It's time for a change. In the past I've lost a lot of weight following the Zone diet, but this time I wanted to try something different.

I've been hearing so much about paleo, and it makes sense to me that eating the foods we evolved eating would be the healthiest way to go. I checked out this website for the Whole 30, and thought I would give it a try. I got The 30 Day Guide to Paleo Cooking: Entire Month of Paleo Meals, and I'm ready to go. The book is great, but I always think it's more fun to create my own recipes. So, here it is! My first paleo breakfast. It tastes great, and I didn't feel like anything was missing since it's so filling, rich, and creamy.

Oh, and by the way! I'm on an exercise program, too. I've started barre3's 28 to Great. That's six days of workouts a week (they have an awesome online library of 10, 30, 40, and 60 minute videos) for four weeks. I've done two workouts so far, and they are exhausting. It's really targeted muscle work and I can tell it's going to have an impact.

Phew.  This is a lot of changes, but I hope you guys will support me and try some of the recipes.  Let's start with the most important meal of the day.

Ingredients (serves one):

2 teaspoons coconut oil, plus extra

2 eggs

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups baby spinach (or more!)

2 teaspoons coconut milk or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium low heat.  Add the garlic and saute until it starts to brown.  Turn the heat up to medium high, add the spinach, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook the spinach, tossing frequently, until just wilted, 3-5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk or cream.

Meanwhile, poach your eggs.  See this post about how to do it on Smitten Kitchen, or use an egg poacher.  I greased the cups of my egg poacher with a little bit of coconut oil.

When the spinach is ready, make it into a nest on your plate.  Slide the finished eggs into the nest, sprinkle with more salt if desired, and serve hot.

You might also like:

Baked Eggs with Parmesan and Chives

Breakfast Arepas with Guacamole

Spinach & Parmesan Soufflé

Blackberry, Almond, and Rocket Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

Did you know that arugula is called rocket in the UK?  Arugula is a pretty fun word, but rocket is even better.  This salad has rocket in it, along with all the other delicious things listed in the title.  After making blackberry cupcakes for this month's Get Your Chef On challenge, I wanted to do something else fabulous with the rest of my juicy blackberries.  I dreamed up this salad, and thought about it all day during class.

I was happy to find that it was even better than I had imagined!  The spicy arugula, sweet blackberries, creamy mozzarella, and toasty almonds are the perfect combination.  This is my new favorite summer salad.  Ben loved it, too!  When I served it he said it looked fancy (secret--any salad with blackberries looks fancy!), and then he asked for seconds.  Usually he's a one plate of salad kind of guy.

So, here's what I would recommend.  Go buy a lot of blackberries, make these cupcakes, then make this salad.  A light dinner with a decadent dessert is the perfect thing to have on a summer evening.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 cups arugula
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
1 heaping cup blackberries
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, roughly cubed

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often to make sure they don't burn, until golden brown (less than five minutes).  Set aside to cool.

Toss the arugula with the oil, vinegar, and salt and adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve, line plate with arugula.  Top with blackberries, fresh mozzarella, and toasted almonds.  Enjoy!

You might also like:

Spring Salad with Citrusy Shallot Vinaigrette








Jerk Chicken with Avocado and Papaya Salad








Wheat Berry Salad with Pine Nuts, Raisins, and Pickled Red Onions

Vietnamese Pork & Vermicelli Bowl

There are lots of Vietnamese stores and restaurants in my neighborhood.  On lazy days I do all my shopping at Truong Thinh, the Vietnamese market around the corner, and pick up a banh mi for lunch. One of my favorite places to eat is Pho Hoa, where I love to order the House Special Vermicelli Plate (number 90 in case you're going--Pho Hoa is a chain and there might be one near you!).  It comes with a bunch of delicious things, and rice paper wraps so you can make your own spring rolls.  The first time I ordered it, the waiter brought the rice paper wraps first and Ben and I tried to take a bite of them.  No dice.  They are dry like paper until you soak them in hot water.  Oops.

Anyway, the house special plate comes with those wraps (and a big bowl of hot water to soften them) and vermicelli, herbs and vegetables topped with grilled pork, meatballs, a spring roll, and shrimp & sugarcane.  It also comes with fish sauce on the side.  It's SO good, and the grilled pork is my favorite.  I don't know what they do to it.

This dish is my attempt to recreate that dinner at home.  I have to tell you, it's really good, but it's not QUITE the same flavor I get at the restaurant.  You should still make it, though.  It's super yummy and healthy and beautiful (and lots of fun to photograph, if you're into that).  It has a lot of components, but almost all of them can easily be made in advance.  When it's time to eat, just cook the pork and put together your bowl!

Ingredients (serves 4; adapted from The Culinary Chronicles):

For the pork:

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

2 scallions, sliced

4 inch piece of lemongrass, finely minced

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 to 1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thinly

For the quick-pickled carrots and cucumbers:

1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 small cucumber, cut into matchsticks

4 tablespoons rice vinegar (no sugar or salt added)

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

For the nuoc cham sauce:

Juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons warm water

1/2 teaspoon chili paste

For the scallion oil:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sliced scallions (3-4 scallions)

For serving:

8 ounces vermicelli, cooked according to package directions

1 head of Boston lettuce, leaves separated

Bunch of cilantro

Fresh bean sprouts (I bought them and forgot to get them out!)

Crushed roasted peanuts

To prepare the pork, mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and toss with the pork.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before cooking.

To make the quick-pickled vegetables, pour the vinegar, sugar, and salt over the vegetables and toss to coat.  Let sit at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.  If you make them more than a couple of hours in advance, store them in the fridge.

For the nuoc cham sauce, mix all ingredients together.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

For the scallion oil, heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat.  When it's hot, add the scallions and cook until wilted but still bright green, about three minutes.  Pour off the scallions and most of the oil and set aside.

Take the pork out of the fridge about ten minutes before you want to cook it.  Prepare the grill, or heat up the same skillet you used for the scallion oil over medium high heat.  Cook the pork, with a little marinade spooned on top, on both sides until browned and cooked through.  Brush cooked pork with the scallion oil before serving.

To serve, line a plate or bowl with lettuce leaves and vermicelli.  Top with pickled vegetables, bean sprouts, pork, and roasted peanuts.  Serve with nuoc cham sauce on the side.

Chocolate Cherry Muffins (with a secret ingredient)

For this month's chocolate party, the ingredients are cherries and chocolate.  I really enjoyed the cherry garcia frozen yogurt that I made, but chocolate and cherries are such a great pair that I wanted to try another recipe with them.  Recently I bought frozen dark sweet cherries at whole foods, and they were screaming to be baked into some chocolate muffins.

There is a secret ingredient that makes these muffins super moist.  Have you guessed what it is?  Here are a few hints: it's green.  You can barely see it in the finished muffins.  You might have some growing in your garden.

It's zucchini!!  A grated zucchini keeps these muffins really tender even though they're made with all whole grain flour.  Subbing agave nectar for half the sugar doesn't hurt, either.  The cherries provide a juicy burst of flavor within the rich chocolate muffins.  You are going to love these!  And with fruit AND vegetables, reduced sugar and butter, and whole grain flour, they are practically guilt-free.

Ingredients (makes 12):

1 medium zucchini, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole grain pastry flour
1/2 cup cocoa (I used Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup frozen sweet cherries, halved

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the cooled butter, agave, milk, egg, and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients and the grated zucchini to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Fold in the cherries.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until the muffins are domed and set.  Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pans back to front and reduce the oven temperature to 325.

Cool for a few minutes in the tin, and then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Want to participate in this month's chocolate party by sharing a treat with chocolate and cherries? Here's how to participate:

1. Blog about your chocolate treat. Your recipe must include the two ingredients we choose (chocolate and cherries for June). It can be a simple no bake treat or a sophisticated layer cake, the complexity level of the recipe is totally up to you.
2. Include a link back to a monthly round-up or the Chocolate party page. Optional, add the Chocolate Party logo in your blog post or on your sidebar. 
3. Your recipe must be published during the current month. Please do not link old recipes, they will be deleted.
4. Add your link on this post.

Chewy Chocolate Almond Cookies

Guess what?  In only 20 minutes, you can have rich, chewy chocolate almond cookies with no gluten, no butter or oil, no egg yolks, and no dairy!  It sounds too good to be true, but these cookies are really delicious!

You'll end up with a couple of egg yolks, which you could save for ice cream.



The bad news is that my bag of almond flour is now almost gone!  I'll definitely be buying more.  From financiers to mocha brownies to these cookies, it's my new favorite healthy baking ingredient.  Go get some and make these today!

Note:  You won't taste the coffee in these cookies--I just added it to bring out the chocolate flavor.  You can leave it out if you want a decaf cookie :0.

Ingredients (adapted from Heather's Dish):

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 rounded tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon finely ground coffee (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.  Add the egg whites, vanilla, and almond extract and stir until the dough comes together.

Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the parchment paper, and flatten the tops slightly with your hand or a spoon (the cookies will not spread much at all while cooking).  Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crisp on the outside but not burned on the bottoms.  Cool on a wire rack.

Penne with Cilantro Edamame Pesto

Have I mentioned how much I love pasta?  And pesto?  They are the best, and a great combination.  I'm into making pesto with whatever I have on hand, and experimenting with the colors and flavors I get from using different ingredients.  For example, the cilantro avocado pesto I made was great for a cool pasta salad.

This time, I used cilantro again (but you could also use basil) and added edamame for color and some extra protein.  The pesto ended up a beautiful shade of mint green.  And don't worry, it doesn't taste like pasta with soybeans.

You have to try this!  It's quick and satisfying, and I really can't get over the color!  Also, I'm sharing it at this week's Thursday's Treasures.  Go check out the great stuff everyone is posting!

Ingedients (serves 4-6):

1 pound penne or other cut pasta
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
3/4 cup olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided, plus extra for serving
Sea salt to taste
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Blanch the edamame by cooking it in boiling water for 3 minutes or until tender.  Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving one cup of the pasta water.  Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the edamame, garlic, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, cilantro, and a pinch of salt.  With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream.  Taste the pesto to see if it needs more salt.

When the pasta is done, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  Stir in the pesto, and add pasta water as necessary to thin out the sauce.  Serve hot with additional parmesan for sprinkling.

Cherry Garcia Frozen Yogurt

When I was a kid and we were getting ice cream, my mom ALWAYS wanted Cherry Garcia.  And I was always like, well, we could get that, OR WE COULD GET OREO!!  I wasn't really a fruit-in-your-ice-cream kind of kid.

Times have changed!  As evidenced by the strawberry ice cream I made last week, I now willingly put fruit into my own ice cream.

So, I've been brainstorming all things chocolate and cherry to get ready for this month's chocolate party.  I wanted to make something fancy.  I was thinking about making a chocolate panna cotta and topping it with a layer of cherry curd and some whipped cream.

But, it's too hot!  I can't even heat up a pot of cream.  Instead I whipped up this super delicious frozen yogurt, which has the benefit of being sort of guilt-free since there's no sugar added.  I'll have to save some for my mom!  I think it's even better than the original.

Ingredients (makes about a quart):

3 cups Greek yogurt (I used Fage Total, but you could try lowfat, too)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cream (or use more milk)
4 tablespoons Agave nectar, or to taste
2 teaspoons stevia, or to taste
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
3.5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Mix the milk and cream in a large bowl, and stir in the stevia until dissolved.  Add the yogurt and vanilla.  Check to see how sweet it is and add agave nectar until it's sweetened to your liking (you could try all agave or all stevia, but stevia sometimes has a funny aftertaste if you use too much of it).

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker.  When it's almost done, add the chocolate and cherries and let the machine swirl them in.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2 hours before serving.

Want to participate in this month's chocolate party by sharing a treat with chocolate and cherries?  Here's how to participate:

1.) Blog about your chocolate treat. Your recipe must include the two ingredients we choose (chocolate and cherries for June). It can be a simple no bake treat or a sophisticated layer cake, the complexity level of the recipe is totally up to you.

2.) Include a link back to a monthly round-up or the Chocolate party page. Optional, add the Chocolate Party logo in your blog post or on your sidebar. 

3.) Your recipe must be published during the current month. Please do not link old recipes, they will be deleted.

4.)  Add your link below! 

Wheat Berry Salad with Pine Nuts, Raisins, and Pickled Red Onions

Ever since I saw this post on Foodie with Family, I've been wanting to make some pickled red onions.  And, right now I'm really into making healthy grain salads like this one.  I noticed a while ago that there was a bag of Bob's Red Mill Organic Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries in my cupboard, which had gone unused until today.

Have you tried wheat berries?  What other fun grains do you like?  Next I'm hoping to try quinoa (I've eaten it but never cooked it myself), barley, and teff.

This salad takes a little bit of work in advance, but is easy to put together and so worth it!  We topped ours with grilled shrimp for a delicious and nutritious summer dinner.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

For the pickled red onions (from this recipe on Foodie with Family):

1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the salad:

1 1/2 cups uncooked wheat berries (or 3 cups cooked wheat berries)
1/2 teaspoon salt plus extra to taste
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup raisins, plumped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey or 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar, or to taste

To make the pickled onions, place the sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the vinegar and salt until boiling, the pour over the onions.  Cover and let sit, stirring every 20 minutes or so, for an hour or more.  When the onions have softened, transfer to a jar and refrigerate until chilled.

Combine the wheatberries, 5 cups of water, and the salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover.  Simmer for an hour or so, until tender.  Drain and set aside.

To toast the pine nuts, place them in a small skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until browned and fragrant, 2-4 minutes.  Don't turn your back on them!

To plump the raisins, place them in a heatproof bowl and pour in boiling water to cover.  Let sit at least 10 minutes, and drain before use.

Combine the wheat berries, pine nuts, raisins, and drained red onions.  Add the balsamic, olive oil, honey or agave, and salt to taste.  Chill until ready to eat.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Blueberry Avocado Breakfast Cake

Cake for breakfast!  That's what it's all about.  Did you read Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen when you were a kid?  Mickey has to fly all over the city looking for "milk for the morning cake".  I think morning cake is totally legit, and something we should all have more of.



My mom got me a bunch of organic blueberries when they were on crazy sale at Whole Foods.  I came across a recipe for buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake on Alexandra's Kitchen, and really wanted to try it.  Then I remembered (sigh) that the blog and I are supposed to be eating healthy.



So, I decided to try an experiment.  In Gaby Dalkin's book Absolutely Avocados, she has several dessert recipes (brownies, cookies, pound cake) where she substitutes avocado for half the butter.  I wanted to see how that would go in this morning cake.  I also reduced the sugar a bit and added some cinnamon.



The results were wonderful!  I would recommend this to anyone who wants to have their cake (for breakfast) and their avocado, too.

Ingredients (serves 6-8; adapted from this recipe on Alexandra's Kitchen):

1 avocado, peeled and seeded
1/4 cup butter (4 tablespoons), at room temperature
Zest of one lime or lemon
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup buttermilk*

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the avocado, butter, lime or lemon zest, and 2/3 cup of sugar.  Cream with a fork or mixer until well-blended.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Toss 1/4 cup of flour with the blueberries.  In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the remaining flour with the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing by hand just until combined.  Fold in the blueberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar on top.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

* Make your own buttermilk!  Place 1 tablespoon vinegar or fresh-squeezed lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.  Add milk (I used 2%) until it reaches the 1 cup line.  Let sit for five minutes.  Use half your homemade buttermilk in this recipe and save the rest for something else!