I'll concede that as far as food trends go these days, you're much more likely to see a chia pudding appear on your Instagram feed than a tapioca pudding! You might even say the latter is a little old-school. But to me, this MANGO TAPIOCA PUDDING has a special nostalgia and holds a supreme ranking as far as desserts that delighted me as a child. And as an adult :)
Read moreChewy Sea Salt Chocolate Pecan No-Bake Bars { gf, v, dairy free, refined sugar free }
I had a sudden hankering for something sweet, chewy, nutty with a hit of chocolate and a touch of saltiness......buuut still kinda healthy and definitely not tooth-achingly sweet. After 5 minutes of pantry-diving and another 10 minutes perusing Pinterest for inspiration, this bar was cobbled together in no time at all and boy, did it satisfy every single one of those needs.
So scrumptious. So addictive. I'm already diving into the second batch within a week. I had to...for research purposes.
Read moreBraised Beef Cheeks, Chickpeas, Kale + Lemon Basil Gremolata { gluten free, dairy free, paleo }
The selfish part of me doesn't want to publicly share how ah-mazing beef cheeks are for braising! Beef cheeks are at once lean and tender. When slow cooked or pressure cooked, it is extremely flavorful and yields lusciously to your fork. Or should I say, spoon because that's the utensil to use for this dish. It's how wonderfully tender it is!
Read moreChocolate Cake + Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream
Sometimes a classic flavor combo just beckons. Like this classic chocolate cake with strawberry mascarpone buttercream. The cake itself is more or less a one-bowl situation and the buttercream is the simpler American style (faster to whip up) except made more luxurious with the additions of mascarpone cheese and homemade strawberry puree. I happened to have strawberry puree in my freezer from the end of last summer (strawberries cooked down with a bit of water then blended until smooth) but you can also use a quality, naturally sweetened strawberry jam. This cake just proved to me again why chocolate and strawberries are perfect companions.
Read moreEasy Coconut Curry Seafood Udon { dairy free , gluten-free option }
When I discovered a package of frozen udon in the freezer, I was delighted. My cravings spoke loudly and decisively. I knew instantly that I wanted to enjoy it in this easy coconut curry noodle bowl. Since we limit grains including wheat these days, we rarely slurp down any noodles (made from wheat) at home anymore. I cherished this bowl of udon with my entire being.
Read moreEarl Grey Shortbread Cookies
Due to popular demand, I'm putting up this recipe which is an oldie I found through the Food Network website and have made it again and again. These days we are limiting gluten and refined sugars but I make exceptions when I'm baking for others or just as an occasional treat. Believe me I don't go wasting that 'quota' just on anything. I have to tell you, these shortbread cookies are well worth it.
Read moreBraised Rice Cakes (Nian Gao) with Napa Cabbage, Shiitake and Pork
This BRAISED RICE CAKES WITH NAPA CABBAGE, SHIITAKE AND PORK recipe is an easy one-pot meal that is also total comfort food. The magic happens in the final simmering when the starches released from the rice cakes combine with the liquid cooked out of the cabbage to create a velvety, luscious sauce. Utterly delicious and satisfying!
Read moreHazelnut Dairy Free Coffee Creamer { dairy free, refined sugar free, paleo }
After my theFeedFeed snapchat takeover last week making this Maple Almond-Cashew Iced Latte, I wanted to immediately follow up with this post. This is a game changer, friends.
Read moreMaple Almond-Cashew Nut Milk Iced Latte { dairy free, refined sugar free, paleo }
Currently my favorite caffeinated iced drink (I was obsessed with this horcatta iced latte for awhile too), it beats any iced latte drink you can order at SBux. Although I was thrilled that Starbucks recently started offering almond milk option, it still comes out of a carton. Nothing compares to homemade nut milk. Nothing! Before you think there is no way you have time to make this, think again. Besides the passive time required to soak the nuts (see note below re soaking), it takes about 15 minutes to make a batch which can be savored over a week of lattes. That's a pretty solid ROI if you ask me!
Of course, you can drink the nut milk straight up. It is so, SO delicious! But what isn't improved with a shot (or two) of nice strong espresso? I think you know the answer my friend. Cheers!
Read moreDairy Free Mac + 'Cheese' { dairy free, Gluten-free + Paleo option }
Ever since my family moved to a diet with limited dairy, my girls have been begging for mac & cheese. This is a dairy-free version which satisfies all the cravings for the real thing. They love it so much I literally have to cut them off before they gorge themselves silly on it.
Read moreOkonomiyaki Wraps { gluten free, dairy free, paleo }
Guess what! I have another awesome mash-up for you. OKONOMIYAKI WRAPS
First of all, what is okonomiyaki? Other than that it's fun to say (rolls off the tongue doesn't it), it is a Japanese savory pancake originating from Osaka, Japan. The pancake batter itself is traditionally flour-and-egg based, with finely shredded cabbage mixed right in. The name itself translates to "grill as you like it", meaning you can adapt it by adding to the pancake batter a variety of different ingredients from veggies (i.e. corn, mushrooms, potatoes) to meats (i.e. pork, beef, chicken) to seafood (i.e. shrimp, squid, fish). When we lived in downtown Toronto, we were lucky to be a 2-minute walking distance from Okonomi House, a small Japanese-run restaurant that specializes in - you guessed it - okonomiyaki. It was there that we discovered this ultra tasty food.
Read morePassionfruit + Meyer Lemon Tart { gf, dairy free, refined sugar free, paleo }
If you love a little pucker with your sweet with a little tropical twist, you'll go mad for this tart!
Read moreFluffy! Grain-free Pancakes w/out bananas { gf, dairy free, paleo }
Miso Gochujang Braised Pork Roast
I have been looking forward to sharing this recipe for months...I just had to make it a second time to make doubly sure it was a winner. IT IS. If you know miso's intense brininess and gochujang's savory pungency, then you might hesitate to believe me that using both of these together in this recipe results in a braised pork roast that is deeply flavorful, yet mellow. Wonderfully mellow. Believe.
Read moreTamarind Chicken Banh Mi Tacos { gf, dairy free, paleo }
I'm so happy to kick off the new year with a recipe I'm rather excited about as it uses an amazing and wildly flavorful ingredient that is a relatively recent discovery for me - tamarind. I didn't grow up with tamarind, but I have made up for that lost time by how much I love it now. Are you thinking what even is tamarind anyway?
Read moreTomato Eggdrop Zoodle Soup { gf , paleo option }
I have a dichotomous personality when it comes to food. I avoid processed food in the house, go to great lengths to find products with no added color, flavors, preservatives or emulsifiers (like that insidious soy lecithin). I make a conscious effort to ensure our meals are not heavy with refined carbs and that vegetables & leafy greens are well-represented in general. All measures to eat more clean and healthy.
Read moreA Very Special Unicorn Cake { Vanilla Cake + Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream + Honeycomb Crunchies }
Every celebration cake I make feels special, of course. But this one was exceptionally so, because I made it for my daughter's 6th birthday according to precise specifications ('white cake with chocolate frosting and those crunchy yellow things on top'). It was also extra extra special because we decided to suspend all dietary restrictions (primarily, grain and dairy) to thoroughly enjoy the celebration and all the trimmings that a young girl's birthday celebration should have, including a little magic and a damn good birthday cake.
Read moreCashew Waffles { gf, dairy free, refined sugar free, paleo }
In my previous post, I wrote about my family's (temporary) grain-free and dairy-free diet. Since then, we had our follow up visit with the naturopath and received an 'okay' to consume rice, oats and quinoa in small amounts. I won't pretend to understand naturopathy at all. I don't. As a fairly science-based household (my husband is an intellectual property lawyer with a specialty in biotechnology and medical devices, while I worked nearly a decade at a global pharmaceutical company in a Finance capacity), this venture into alternative medicine is a giant leap of faith. A leap we had not choice but to take since traditional medicine failed to help my daughter beyond full-body topical steroid cream applications to treat her eczema and absolutely nada to diagnose or treat her mild but persistent, daily stomach aches.
Read moreItalian Almond Cookies { gf, paleo, dairy free }
Being prescribed a grain-free diet by my daughter's naturopath just before the holidays is like getting sick right before vacation ... or scoring free drink tickets only to get bar rail liquor ... or finding a hole in your sock the moment you take off your shoes at someone's house ... or dripping yellow mustard on your brand new sneakers (that stuff's like dye and never completely comes off!) ... or getting an unexpected visit from Auntie Flo when you're totally unprepared OK THAT IS GOING TOO FAR.
Read morePear Frangipane Tarts + Earl Grey Ice Cream + Salted Caramel
A cycle that repeats. Healthy, healthy, healthy all week long then BAM the most indulgent of treats to celebrate the weekend! Like these pear frangipane tarts topped with salted caramel sauce & earl grey ice cream I made two weekends ago. Supple pear slices atop a moist and nutty frangipane filling baked inside a crunchy tart. That's an impressive dessert right there. But why stop there? For an off-the-Richter impressive dessert, top it with salted caramel-y love and homemade Earl Grey ice cream because what pie or tart didn't get 1000x better with the a-la-mode treatment? None, that's what.
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