WIAW - Working from Home

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Hello from San Francisco! Thrilled to be working from home this week, and linking up with Jenn to show you everything that was cooked in my kitchen. These pictures were snapped on Monday.

BREAKFAST

I’ve been on a total smoothie kick recently! This mix had spinach, bananas, plain kefir (probiotics - so important when recovering from a cold!), almond milk, and peanut butter. I’ve been trying to get my body used to more dairy again but it was not so happy after the kefir, even though it’s so low in lactose. Guess I’ll just stick to low-lactose cheeses for now!

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I went to a fun workout class in Pacific Heights at Core40 - I had never used anything like a megareformer machine before. Full body strength plus a hilly walk there and back - great workout.

LUNCH

Lunch was my Mediterranean Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, minus the crispy chickpeas. The greens, eggplant, and bell pepper were all from my CSA box. I also added in some of Monday’s receipe of Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad with Pistachios on top. I love that I was planning on having this lunch all week and the farm just delivered these items straight to my door! One salad a day going strong.

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SNACKTIME

Hydration was going strong with cranberry kombucha and homemade iced green tea.

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Snack time was a juicy pluot (plum + apricot hybrid). Plus a couple of these Frontier Bites a local Bay Area company sent me to sample. These are awesome and I love that they come in re-sealable bags. Their ingredients are so simple (only 8), and they are akin to chewy granola bites. I can easily eat handfuls of granola but these bites made it easy to keep my portions under control. I especially liked the Macadamia Pineapple Coconut ones shown below, but they sent a bunch of other tasty bites. I had more than just pictured here :).

snack

DINNER

Dinner was leftover recipe testing - these collard wraps with baked falafel and tahini coleslaw are so good. I added cucumber and avocado too. We also had roasted purple potatoes (so beautiful!!), squash, and sweet potatoes on the side. And some red wine. Recipe to come later this week!

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DESSERT

Dessert were some of these extremely deadly dark chocolate coconut almonds. Keep these AWAY from me! And I had a little more red wine as I typed up this post.

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And that was a full day of eats eating from my kitchen! So grateful that I get one week a month working from home - it’s rejuvenating to spend time in my kitchen. And then I doubly enjoy all of the meals I get to have on the road!

5th Cooking Resolution - Baking Falafel!

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Back in January, I set out with 12 cooking resolutions to accomplish this year. Some are easy, some are more difficult, but overall it’s been really fun to work my way through them. So far I’ve done: making homemade larabars, making dried fruit in the oven, making fresh spring rolls, and making turkish stuffed eggplants. I tried making homemade sauerkraut and it was beyond an epic fail - I think Nate sent me a text while I was traveling for work along the times of “there is something ACTUALLY DYING in that mason jar”. We’ll keep working on that one.

Just looking at that list so far, and it’s clear that lots of what I wanted to learn how to cook stemmed from my global adventures last year thanks to Nate’s time abroad. And this falafel is no exception! Last year I visited Nate in Israel for a week, and we pretty much ate our weight in falafel. Our AirBnB was a block away from the most DELICIOUS falafel spot and we somehow always found a reason to get falafel - whether it be breakfast or dinner. They also served fantastic soups, if I remember correctly.

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Being artsy in Jerusalem’s old city

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Homemade, whole wheat baked challah on Kibbutz Urim (another cooking resolution!)

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Hiking in the wadi

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Sunsets in Israel - so special!

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Goofing around in Tel Aviv - my hair was so dark (and Nate’s was so blonde!!)

The thing about falafel is though, is that while the ingredients that compose it are light and healthy, the whole deep frying situation turns it into a heavy, greasy dish. But simple solution here - baking falafel! The texture is still spot on - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.

fal2 Making falafel was a lot like making cookies. You place a bunch of ingredients in a food processor, mince until chopped (but not pureed), and then spoon it out onto a baking sheet. It was really simple, and you just flip the falafel once in the oven. Your whole house will start to smell like a fragrant Mediterranean restaurant. It really brought me back!

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This recipe has a few DCC twists to it, (like adding tahini baked into the falafel) and some extra red pepper flakes. But it retains all of that classic falafel flavor, and you can store the baked falafel in your fridge for about a week, or the “batter” to create fresh falafel up to a week as well. Just note that the fresh herbs here are CRITICAL - you can’t swap for dried! And while I used canned chickpeas to make it easier on myself, tI hear that using dried-then-soaked chickpeas really adds a whole new dimension to flavor and texture. I really enjoyed eating this recipe. Just note that if you reheat for leftovers, I would recommend brushing a little olive oil on each side of the falafel patty to keep them moist. So I hope you enjoy, and benefit from my cooking resolutions and trials and tribulations in the kitchen!

5.0 from 1 reviews
5th Cooking Resolution - Baking Falafel!
 
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This classic baked falafel recipe has a few twists - but still comes out crunchy on the outside and soft and fragrant on the inside!
Author:
Serves: 16 falafel
Ingredients
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ white onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • ¾ cup fresh parsley
  • Juice of one lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Put all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until minced (NOT pureed)
  3. Lightly brush some olive oil on a baking sheet
  4. Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out the batter onto the sheet. Slightly press down to make small patties
  5. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip falafel to their other side
  6. Bake for another 10 minutes
  7. Remove and enjoy - either stuffed into pita, on a salad, or as a larger platter!
Notes
These will keep in the fridge up to one week, just reheat in the oven before serving. I'd recommend brushing with a little olive oil to keep them moist if you remove from the fridge and then reheat. You can also keep the batter on its own in the fridge, and create falafel before serving throughout the week.

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Pistachios

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Roasting beets and carrots brings out their natural sweetness and earthiness. Mixed with a dijon vinaigrette and sprinkled with some chopped pistachios, this is one of those {paleo!} dishes that is so simple to make but so complex in taste.

Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad with Pistachios | danicaliforniacooks.com I am so thrilled to be back home in San Francisco after three weeks away! Honestly, it had felt like forever since I had been in our apartment, after so much travel for work and play. Landing the night before, on Friday morning when I threw on my Uggs and puffer jacket (hi, San Francisco fog) , I pretty much skipped to hot yoga and then grabbed a green juice afterwards and sipped it so joyfully. And I had a great, busy day in the office and grabbed dinner with a new friend on the Embacadero afterwards at Coqueta.

Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad with Pistachios | danicaliforniacooks.com

Saturday I walked to a hip hop class with a girlfriend at Uforia, where we totally sweated it out learning choreography. We grabbed a light brunch afterwards, and then I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, grocery shopping, and getting my nails done. But after being gone from so long for my kitchen, I couldn’t want to get home that evening and rip open my CSA box to whip up something for dinner. One thing I love about recieving a CSA box is that it turns your kitchen into an episode of iron chef. Remember my Extra Fudgy Paleo Zucchini Brownies? They give you so much delicious produce and you certainly want to use all of it up, but you have to get creative because you don’t choose what you get! This week I received a bunch of beautiful beets and carrots. And some gorgeous tri-color corn. And nectarines and pluots and greens and cucumbers and peppers and squashes - oh my.

Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad with Pistachios | danicaliforniacooks.com I’ve found that roasted vegetables are my favorite in all forms - salads, purees, soups. There is something about roasting carrots and beets that totally transforms them into a totally different veg-experience. They become sweet and crunchy and soft and earthy all at the same time, and the fact that these are julienned makes ALL of the difference in terms of getting the right flavor and texture. You really don’t have to do much to them, but tossing them in a simple vinaigrette topped with a couple of chopped pistachios really makes this dish something special. It tastes great hot or cold, looks beautiful, and and pairs great with protein as a side dish. I recommend allow the vegetables to come to room temperature before tossing with the dressing, and this makes it even easier to make ahead and have for leftovers.

car Nate was out of town still this weekend, which meant that my home cooked dinners could be light and veggie-heavy. I paired this with another recipe that I can’t wait to share with you later this week. For the food bloggers out there whose husbands/boyfriends are classic meat-and-potatoes guys - what are some of your favorite recipes to cook for them that still satisfy your health requirements? I could use all the ideas I can get over here!

Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad with Pistachios | danicaliforniacooks.com

5.0 from 3 reviews
Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Pistachios
 
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Roasting beets and carrots brings out their natural sweetness and earthiness. Mixed with a simple dijon vinaigrette and sprinkled with some chopped pistachios, this is one of those dishes that is so simple to make but so complex in taste.
Author:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 5 beets, julienned
  • 4 medium sized carrots, julienned
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp raw shelled pistachios, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  2. Place the julienned carrots and beets on a cookie sheet, and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and the 2 tsp honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
  3. Roast for 15-20 minutes
  4. Remove from oven, and let cool
  5. While cooling, whisk 1 tbsp olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and lemon juice
  6. Once vegetables are at room temperature, in a bowl, place the roasted vegetables and toss with the dressing
  7. Serve with pistachios sprinkled on top

If you like this, you’ll love: Roasted Eggplant Salad with Chickpeas, Feta, and Mint (one of my first recipes!)

handandsalad

Foil Packet Ginger Teriyaki Salmon

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It’s no secret that I adore salmon! This simple weeknight recipe requires no cleanup, and is fresh, light, and flavorful. It pairs easily with all sorts of vegetables and side dishes, and tastes good cold on top of salads the next day!

Foil Packet Ginger Teriyaki Salmon | danicaliforniacooks.com My friends joke that I should really make another Instagram entirely dedicated to my (almost daily) pictures of salmon. But I really can’t help myself - I’m on a mission to eat ALL THE SALMON that exists on the west coast and no decline in Instagram followers who are tired of my fish pics is going to stop me. Here are some of my most favored insta-fish posts..

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#LUNCH was this INSANE tea smoked salmon!! #happydance

A photo posted by Dani Nemzer (@danicaliforniacooks) on

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#lunches in #sanfrancisco continue to be

A photo posted by Dani Nemzer (@danicaliforniacooks) on

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Bah, what a presentation! I want ALL the salmon these days #dinner #instafood

A photo posted by Dani Nemzer (@danicaliforniacooks) on

And I don’t just eat salmon on the road - I eat it at home too. It’s such a versatile and delicious fish, and requires such little preparation, as it is so rich and flavorful on its own. While fresh salmon does taste like a whole different fish compared to frozen salmon, I keep a bag of wild caught frozen salmon from Whole Foods in my freezer for when I need to pull together a quick weeknight dinner. They come in individualized vacuum wrapped packets, which is great to avoid freezer burn. I usually take them out in the morning and place in the fridge to defrost (but not go bad) throughout the day, so when I’m ready to cook dinner they are good to do.

Foil Packet Ginger Teriyaki Salmon | danicaliforniacooks.com

The greatest thing about this recipe is that there is no clean up, or the smell of fish lingering in your kitchen after you cook it. You simply put the sauce on the fish, wrap them up in foil, and then pop into the oven. I like to sprinkle some sesame seeds for flavor and crunch, and chopped green onions for a little freshness, and then you can serve. It takes less than 20 minutes to throw together, and you have a healthy and oh-so-versatile protein to add to a variety of dishes. Last time I made this, I prepared it with my Sesame Vegetable Soba Noodle Salad, and I was in heaven.

Foil Packet Ginger Teriyaki Salmon | danicaliforniacooks.com

Anyways, this recipe is by no means a masterful kitchen accomplishment, but I can promise you that this technique and easy preparation will soon become a staple in your kitchen as well. Let me know if you try it out!

5.0 from 4 reviews
Foil Packet Ginger Teriyaki Salmon
 
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This easy salmon recipe requires no cleanup, and is super light and flavorful!
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 salmon filets
  • 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce (I used a gluten free brand)
  • 2 tsp soy sauce (I used gluten free Tamari)
  • 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tbsp chopped green onions
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • Optional - lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Rip two sheets of aluminum foil, large enough to enclose each salmon filet entirely
  3. Place each filet individually on their own piece of aluminum foil
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, teriyaki sauce, and soy sauce
  5. Using a spoon or a brush, pour evenly over each filet
  6. Close up the foil packets around the salmon like you're wrapping a present
  7. Place directly in the oven, and bake for about 10-15 minutes, depending on how well done you prefer your salmon
  8. Remove from foil packets, place on a plate and sprinkle with the green onions and sesame seeds
  9. Serve with lemon wedges!

If you like this, you’ll love: Salmon Bowls with Miso Dressing

Salmon Bowls with Miso Dressing | danicaliforniacooks.com

WIAW - Traveling to Olympia Edition

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Some weeks we change it up on my project and I travel to Olympia for work! Although the hour-and-a-half drive from the Seattle airport isn’t ideal, and the downtown is kind of seedy, the seafood there is fantastic, there are very pretty views of the water which makes for good runs, and you can walk just about everywhere. I’ve shared before my daily eats in Spokane and when I work from home, so today is featuring Olympia! I snapped these photos last Thursday, which also happened to be a business travel day when I headed out to NYC. Linking up with Jenn to show the eats!

BREAKFAST

After a hot and sweaty run around the Washington State Capitol (we were having record highs here in the Pacific Northwest last week!) I picked up a couple of scrambled eggs from Budd Bay Cafe. This restaurant is right across the street from our hotel, and boy am I lucky that it is there. I think they make the BEST salmon. They also will deliver right to your hotel room, so no mediocre room service here in Oly! I thought it was sweet that they tried to fancify my simple scrambled eggs with a piece of kale. I ate the garnish.

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I also picked up an iced coffee from Batdorf and Bronson. Speaking of the best things, they make the absolutely BEST coffee. Omg. It gives me the greatest buzz and is actually delicious. It’s the only coffee that I can taste and know that it’s special. Other than that, I’m just happy to get some caffeine in the morning!

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LUNCH

I was driving to the airport right at lunchtime, so I needed a hands-free lunch. A perfect day for a smoothie lunch! From Peace, Love, and Raw I picked up a kale, banana, blueberry, raw almond butter smoothie made with their homemade hemp/oat milk. I also added in their “super greens mix” which the hostess described to me as a “tasty powder with alfalfa sprouts and wheat grass”. It didn’t sound so tasty, but I figured that more nutrients couldn’t hurt so I went with it. I definitely tasted the powder, but overall this smoothie was great. I sipped on it during my long drive to Seattle, and finished right before I got to the airport.

smoothie

SNACK

After waiting in line after line at the airport (FML holiday travelers) I snuggled up on my plane with a pre-proportioned bag of cashews, almonds, and cranberries from Trader Joes. I love these individualized packets and I carry them around with me in my big work bag for when I need a snack. Nuts are usually a last-resort option kind of snack for me, since I prefer to have three large meals a day, but I needed a pick me up after all of the waiting around! Also, I am absolutely LOVING my hair tie bracelet. See the thing on my wrist that looks like a black/gold bracelet? It’s really a gold bracelet that fits a hair tie! I always have a hair tie on my wrist in case of emergencies, and this is such a fun way to wear it. You can remove the hair tie from the bracelet whenever you need it, and it still looks like a cool bracelet. The brand is called Bittersweet.

food

HAPPY HOUR

Since I was headed out to for a vacation weekend after a long week of work and client presentations, I decided that I was due for a glass of white wine! I love that they give you these individualized mini bottles that you can keep fastened to avoid any spillage when turbulence hits. You can read some of my (slightly drunken) ramblings on Sunday’s post.

wine

DINNER

Dinner ROCKED. This is when I get super crafty when it comes to my travel meals. I had picked up a raw kale and avocado salad from the Peace, Love, Raw place, but I also had ordered an extra piece of Applewood Smoked Salmon from dinner the night before from Budd Bay Cafe. (Our hotel has mini fridges, so leftovers are a possibility!) I put that piece of fish on top of the salad in its tupperware, and it made it all perfectly portable. I also picked up some sauerkraut to accompany the fish. So yes - I was that person on the plane eating fish and sauerkraut. Thankfully my seatmates didn’t seem to mind!

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I landed in NYC around 10pm east coast time, and cabbed to the hotel to meet up with my family. I’m glad I got so much kale in because we certainly indulged over the weekend!

July 4th Weekend in NYC!

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My parents and I visited my little brother in New York City for the long holiday weekend! We enjoyed family time in the city with long walks in Central Park, people watching, Broadway plays, pizza, stunning skylines, diving into closing subway doors, popsicles and frozen yogurt, and sweaty runs. On July 4th, we snuck our way up to the rooftop top of the Standard hotel to watch the fireworks with the Empire State building in our view.

view THE EATS

We ate a ton of great food, and some mediocre food as well. I think I’ve been spoiled by the SF food scene :). Some highlights included lunch at the Gansevoort Market - a super cool space with lots of different (mostly healthy) food vendors in Chelsea, and pizza at Franny’s in Brooklyn (no pictures of the pizza - too busy stuffing our faces). I also LOVED that the little deli downstairs from our hotel sold juices and green smoothies - so convenient and unexpected! Turns out my little brother is pretty much subsisting off of bagels and kebabs during his intern summer in NYC, so we tried to get him to eat a vegetable or two, to no avail. We definitely had a great mix of indulgent eats and healthy meals throughout the entire trip.

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Snacking on specialty mini nut milks!

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Green smoothies to start some days!

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Picking up awesome vegan dinners for the plane ride back!

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Shrimp curry at Red Farm

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Brunch in Chelsea Market

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Vegan salads at Feel Food in Gansevoort Market

THE ACTIVITIES

We walked SO much that I coined the term the “ongoing death march” which is only mildly accurate. Walking around is the best way to get to know the city, and there are so many fun neighborhoods to explore. We tracked more than 10 miles a day though, and that didn’t include workouts in the AM. Every day we went to bed swearing that we wouldn’t walk as far the next day! Some highlights of our activities included exploring the new Whitney Museum downtown, seeing Fun Home on Broadway (we all LOVED it), and meeting up with my college roommate for a stroll through SoHo.

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Citibiking from Central Park back to our hotel - dodging taxis left and right!

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I swear I was much more excited about this blackberry lemonade popsicle than this picture lets on…

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Pretty snapshots in Greenwich Village

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Got a paparazzi shot of Mom and Isaac at the Whitney Museum

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Me and the the little brother posin’

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Fun Home is performed in a circular theatre - not a bad seat in the house

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A relevant snapshot :)

Now I’m back to Spokane for a week of work and then finally headed home to San Francisco! Been a wild back-and-forth west coast/east coast ride these last few weeks. That’s summertime for you!

Roasted Corn, Basil, and Feta Salad

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Just what the blogosphere needs right now - another corn salad! But this sweet, savory, and herbal side dish will fit into any BBQ party menu this summer and is SO, so good.

Roasted Corn, Feta, and Basil Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com CHEESE! I’m incorporating some CHEESE back into my diet! And oh my lord, the tangy, umami, delicious flavors of cheese have never tasted so good. Just a little bit goes a long way! If you’ve kept up with DCC for a while, you’ll know that I’ve learned to quell my rheumatoid arthritis joint pain through nutrition and healthy habits. So when I’m feeling good and the inflammation is down, I try to incorporate those foods back into my life again. Granted - I’m still feeling the arthritis in my right wrist and shoulder, but I just really wanted to have some cheese on my salads again. So there.

Roasted Corn, Feta, and Basil Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com Also, remember the gigantic basil plant that’s been sprouting itself up in my kitchen? Well I have yet to manage to kill it (score!) so we’ve had basil recipes up the wazoo. There’s something about summer produce that just over produces (nice pun there) and by the end of summer you’re like I CANNOT HANDLE ONE MORE ZUCCHINI. I’m hoping that doesn’t happen with me and my basil plant, or me and corn. It’s certainly not going to happen with me and cheese.

Roasted Corn, Feta, and Basil Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com The two best things about this salad are that a) it comes together super quickly and b) it’s a huge crowd-pleaser. We ate it on the sailing trip and it held up super well over several days, and is served best at room temperature. I even made this easier on myself and use the pre-made fire roasted corn from Trader Joe’s, but I provided directions in the recipes if you’re feeling more adventurous and want to roast your own corn (also super easy). This is a great healthy side dish for burgers or hot dogs, but it also works well next to Mexican dishes, or kebabs as well. Depending on your type of 4th of July soiree! Roasted Corn, Feta, and Basil Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com When you read this, I’ll be finishing up work in Olympia, driving to Seattle, and hopping on another cross-country flight - this time to NYC! Have a great fourth of July holiday, and in honor of America’s great appetite, cheers to many a delicious holiday!

5.0 from 2 reviews
Roasted Corn, Basil, and Feta Salad
 
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This simple corn salad is dressed up with tangy feta and fresh basil. It's an easy and crowd-pleasing summer side dish!
Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 4 ears of corn, roasted and kernels cut off (I cheated and used pre-made fire roasted corn from Trader Joe's this time around!)
  • ¼ cup chopped basil
  • ½ cup crumbled feta
  • 1 small shallot, diced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Place corn ears in oven (husks removed) for about 30 minutes
  3. Let cool completely before using a knife to remove kernels
  4. Mix kernels with chopped basil and shallot
  5. Sprinkle on the feta and drizzle the olive oil
  6. Toss lightly with a little salt and pepper, and serve!

If you like this, you’ll love: Warm Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts

brus2

Weekend on Chincoteague Island!

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This past weekend felt like SUMMER. Full of s’mores, mosquito bites, warm weather and tropical storms, hush puppies, lazy beach days, and long car rides.

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We spent the weekend on Chincoteague Island, VA with Nate’s family for a 30-plus family reunion. It’s about a 3 hour drive from DC, so after a quick overnight trip back to my old stomping grounds, I was picked up in Dupont Circle and we caravaned out to the eastern shore! I had a really nice time meeting lots of kiddos and spending time with Nate and his family.

Just 1/4 of the group!

Just 1/4 of the whole group!

Vacation cheesin’

A photo posted by Dani Nemzer (@danicaliforniacooks) on

We had lots of good eats, and tons of seafood! I ate scallops and salmon and shrimp and clams and mahi mahi. I think my favorite meal was actually when we grilled out at the hotel, and made shrimp kebabs and squash alongside some pizza. And then we made s’mores and drank wine, all while fighting off some veeeery determined mosquitos.

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I tried my first hush puppy!

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This crab was really staring me down…

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Fresh clams at the local farmer’s market!

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Salmon and pickled beets for dinner! Plus a baked potato - yum.

We also did a bunch of solid vacation activities - beach time, biking, visiting the local NASA facility for a big anniversary outing, and we got a couple of good runs in there. I think I PR’d on my mile time when I was being chased by a herd of mosquitoes. Nate’s sister said she never saw me run so quickly before! Guess I just needed some serious inspiration…

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Beach time

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Casual group bike rides around the island

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Cheesin’ at the NASA facility

chinc lunch Back to Seattle/Olympia for work, and then headed out to NYC on Thursday to visit Little Brother Dani California Cooks and the rest of my family!

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Just in time for the fourth of July!

Paleo Peach & Ginger Muffins

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These nutty, spicy, and slightly sweet muffins use flax meal and almond flour as their base. Fresh peaches and ginger add bright flavor and color! It’s healthy baking using summer’s finest.

muffin3 Everyone has one or two great stories of childhood summers and eating wayyy too much ripe fruit and (usually) loving every minute. My dad, to this day, refuses to eat watermelon because once he ate an.entire.watermelon. I have visions of my childhood where Mom picked up the juiciest fruits from the farmer’s market in late summer and you could only eat the peaches either standing over a sink or at the beach, and then dive right into the ocean afterwards you were so covered with sticky sweetness. Or when I studied abroad in Panama in high school and we peeled and ate this local tropical fruit next to the dirt soccer field and all came down with some mysterious illness. Or when our plum tree decided to overproduce like crazy and we had to fend off the squirrels from eating our beloved homegrown fruit! muffin4 Well sometimes we prefer to eat our summer fruit in a little more civilized of fashions - or it’s just so, so ripe the only thing to do is bake! I thought that my soon-to-be-overripe peaches would be the perfect thing to experiment with some paleo muffins since they are so naturally sweet and juicy, there wouldn’t be a need for much added sugar at all. These are a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack while you’re sailing. Packed full with healthy and filling almond and flax flours, mixed with some spicy ginger (great for digestion!) and ripe peaches and topped off with some crunchy pecans - it’s a winning summer combo that won’t leave you using a whole roll of paper towels to clean your entire face off.
muffin The peach and ginger flavors are a classic, spicy/sweet combo that’s just adult enough to feel like you’re enjoying a sophisticated treat but the fact that each muffin is so chock full of roasted peaches bring back serious summer memories. I used a significant amount of ginger and cinnamon because I love it, but feel free to use a bit less if you’re less interested int the spice. If you want these to be overflowing with peachy goodness, you could easily add in another diced peach. I think topping them off with pecans adds the perfect amount of crunch and prettiness (important!!), but you could certainly leave it out if you don’t have a quarter cup of pecans lying around. Last but not least - don’t forget to store in the fridge!

muffin5 Hope you enjoy these as much as we did. I can’t wait to experiment with all of the fruit my CSA box is going to bring me this summer!

5.0 from 2 reviews
Paleo Peach & Ginger Muffins
 
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These nutty, spicy, and slightly sweet muffins use flax meal and almond flour as their base. Fresh peaches and ginger add bright flavor and color!
Author:
Serves: 10 muffins
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup flax seed meal
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, softened
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 fresh peaches, diced
  • Optional: ¼ cup chopped pecans, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Whisk all ingredients (but peaches) together thoroughly
  3. Fold in peaches
  4. In a lined or greased muffin tin, spoon in mixture until a little more than ¾ of the way full
  5. If topping with the crushed pecans, sprinkle evenly over the muffins and press lightly into batter
  6. Bake for about 250 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean
  7. Allow to cool before eating - they will be soft!
  8. Store in the refridgerator

If you like these, you’ll love: Green Eggs (no ham) Muffins

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Mediterranean Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

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Healthy Mediterranean flavors and textures abound in this vegetable-filled salad. Crispy chickpeas take the place of croutons, and it’s all tossed with a super simple tahini lemon dressing. I could easily eat this everyday!

salad I’ve made a pledge recently to eat one salad a day. I would say that I do this 90% of the time anyways, but on the days that the entire office orders the most delicious curries for lunch (ahem, Tuesday) or we all go out for sushi, I’ve been choosing salads for dinner. I was kind of inspired by Oh She Glows to do this, who has been having a smoothie and a salad every day. I feel like I’ve been meeting that vegetable servings requirement and I really prefer having lighter dinners in general. It’s actually been an awesome, super easy thing to “check mark” at the end of the day. Granted, if I didn’t get my salad in, you won’t find me eating handfuls of lettuce in front of the fridge circa 9pm (maybe chocolate chips).
salad2 This weekend we will be in Chincoteague, Maryland for Nate’s family reunion. I have no idea what the food situation is going to be like there in the hotel or the surrounding restaurants, and I’ve just told myself to go with the flow. I’ve blabbed before on the blog about how I often take on the planning/organizing role when it comes to food and events and outings. The trip to Big Sur where I had to put the food planning in someone else’s hands was a real trying moment for me. And everything turned out fine! (Surprise, surprise). I’m just hoping I can continue my salad pledge! Especially since I’ll be HOPEFULLY in a bikini 90% of the weekend, chasing lots of babies around the beach. salad3 Anyways, on to the salad! This beautiful, beautiful, oh-so-healthy, oh-so-many flavors salad. This salad made my day. I’m sorry I just said that a salad made my day, but it did. I’ve written more than one post in my tenure as a blogger as to how much I love Mediterranean/Turkish/Greek foods, but I honestly think if there is one cuisine I could live happily on, it would be that. It is so naturally vibrant, delicious, and nourishing (granted, when you skip the baklava and moussaka). This salad is truly inspired by that region - roasted eggplant is tossed with chicken, tangy feta cheese, bright red peppers, and mixed greens. It’s topped off with crispy chickpeas and a couple of olives, and then all tossed in a super simple tahini-lemon dressing.
salad75 It’s light, filling, and there are zero grains! I highly recommend roasting up a big batch of chicken, eggplant, and chickpeas on Sunday to have this to take to the office all week. The dressing will also hold up well in the fridge, and can be made ahead of time as well. Just toss together before eating and you have one transporting lunch! I ate this for lunch, and then the leftovers on the sailboat the following day, and it was delicious even with the chicken and eggplant being cold. It’s one of those recipes that I’m dreaming about eating when I back in San Francisco again. Oh - that won’t be for three weeks! I have a crazy amount of travel that started on Monday - up to Seattle/Olympia for work, then out to Chincoteague, back to Seattle/Olympia, then out to NYC for the fourth of July, then back to Spokane, and then home. Can’t wait to share this crazy ride with you!

salad67

5.0 from 2 reviews
Mediterranean Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
 
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Mediterranean flavors and textures abound in this vegetable-filled salad. Crispy chickpeas take the place of croutons, and it's all tossed with a super simple tahini lemon dressing
Author:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of mixed greens
  • 1 small chicken breast, pre-cooked and cubed
  • ½ cup cubed eggplant
  • ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 5 olives
  • ¼ cup canned chickpeas, drained
  • 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 tsp tahini
  • 1 tsp olive oil, plus extra for roasting
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Dash of paprika
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
  2. In a baking dish or cookie sheet, place the eggplant and chickpeas. Coat or spray with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft and the chickpeas are crispy!
  3. In the meantime, prepare the dressing. Blend the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and paprika in a blender, or whisk really, really well. Add salt and pepper as needed
  4. Remove the eggplant and chickpeas from the oven
  5. Toss all of the ingredients together, including the dressing
  6. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
If you don't want to eat immediately, allow the chickpeas and eggplant to cool a bit before storing in a tupperware with the rest of the ingredients. Keep the dressing separate until ready to eat.

This is a single-serving recipe, but feel free to double, triple, and eat all week!

If you like this, you’ll love: Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pinenuts

Raw Kale and Brussel Sprouts Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com