Parsnip Fries a.k.a. Parsnipples

I love Spring. I don’t think I could be any happier about the warm weather and the bright colors everywhere. I dusted off my bike on Monday after a long (2+ year?) hibernation. I remember when Mal and I used to bike 12-15 miles every morning before work up the steepest hills in Stamford, and it feels like a lifetime ago. I am dabbling with the idea of training for a triathlon this year for some added motivation with my workouts. It has been four crazy years since my last race, and I would love to get back into it and beat my time now that I am an old lady. I will never forget that dreaded “swim” flailing for my life like a lunatic in open water – I would have to think things could only improve after that ridiculous performance. I will share my training plan (once it exists) and keep you posted on my progress.

I am thrilled to announce that I am almost 50% through my kickstarter campaign, and my project has surpassed its initial funding goal and is climbing over $11,000. The outpouring of support has been incredible, and I am so excited to continue the momentum and pre-sell as many copies of the cookbook as possible. I am just over 130 backers, and I hope to get over 200 by the end of the month! You can pre-order a copy of the cookbook and check out the campaign at http://kck.st/1fMYQDo. Huge shout out to my photographer Erica Gannett who has created gorgeous images for the cookbook and campaign. Check it out!

Today’s recipe is a staple in my kitchen: parsnipples. I really have no idea where this name comes from, but I am pretty sure we can blame Ryan for it. Parsnipples (or parsnip fries) are one of the easiest roasted vegetables to make, and they come out incredibly every single time. The sweet/salty flavor combination is irresistible, and they go great with every meal. I am making less and less roasted veggies these days as the weather gets warmer and I turn to salads, but this is a great staple to always keep in your back pocket.

Parsnip Fries: Serves 2, Prep time: 5 min, Cook time: 20-25 min

Ingredients:
- 2 parsnips
- 1 Tbsp (or less) olive oil
- Sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Peel your parsnips and slice them into pieces that look like your favorite french fries
3. Arrange the pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet
4. Spray or lightly toss the parsnips with olive oil 
5. Season with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once

Yellow Mango Salsa

Happy Cinco de Mayo! It is 68 degrees and sunny, and I am counting down to my 5-mile evening walk with Chloe. Walking season is officially underway, and I am trying to get in at least 20 miles a week. I decided a long time ago that I love exercising, but walking will always win as my favorite. My ultimate dream is to be the 90-year-old woman in a head-to-toe matching warmup suit walking all around the neighborhood pumping one-pound hand weights. I figure it is never to early to start reaching for your dreams, and I think I am on my way in more ways than one!

Speaking of reaching my dreams, the Kickstarter campaign for my upcoming cookbook Bowls of Love has been insanely successful! The campaign is only on day 4 of 28, and it crossed the 75% funding line today! The whole experience has been incredible, and I cannot thank my backers enough! 

Now, I am off to tend to the guacamole!   

Yellow Mango Salsa: Serves 4-6, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: N/A

Ingredients:

- 1lb. mini yellow tomatoes (or any other variety of tomatoes), diced

- 2 yellow ataulfo mangoes (or 1 large regular mango), peeled & diced

- 2 small orange bell peppers, diced

- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

- 1 lime

- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1/8 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients in a bowl

2. Stir well to combine, and then refrigerate for a few hours (if possible) - the longer it sits, the better the flavors taste!

3. Serve on top of your favorite Paleo tacos or as a fresh side dish all Spring and Summer!

Primal Meatza w/ Caramelized Onions & Goat Cheese

What a weekend! I officially launched the Kickstarter project for my upcoming cookbook Bowls of Love. Thanks to the incredible generosity and support of my backers, I have already raised over $6,000 of the $10,000 goal in the first 3 days! I have been reaching out to people like crazy spreading the word, and the response has been spectacular. I am so grateful for the interest in my project, and I am incredibly thankful to reconnect with old friends and meet new people with similar interests. I am so passionate about creating beautiful healthy food for the people I love, and now that mission is spreading like wildfire! The rewards for contributing to the project are great and include signed copies of the cookbook, cooking lessons, cooking parties at your home, and an opportunity to get a recipe in the book dedicated to you! You can check out the campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alirak/bowls-of-love-paleo-soups-for-the-seasons

Tonight's recipe is a paleo pizza known as "meatza" that uses organic, grass-fed ground beef as the crust. I made this for Ry, and he loved it! He is a big cheese lover, so I topped his meatza with some fresh goat cheese. If you stay away from the dairy like me, I recommend adding extra veggies of your choice. These are so easy to make and are incredible delicious! Give them a try folks ;)

Primal Meatza w/ Caramelized Onions & Goat Cheese: Serves 2-3, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients:

- 1lb. organic, grass-fed ground beef

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 1 Tbsp. italian seasoning (rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, etc.)

- 1 large red pepper, sliced

- 1 large sweet onion, sliced

- 1 tsp. olive or coconut oil

- fresh crushed tomatoes or small can of tomato paste or sauce

- 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium heat

3. Add onions and cook until lightly browned (about 10 minutes)

4. Add peppers and let cook another 10 minutes until cooked through

5. Meanwhile, mix the ground beef and all spices/seasonings in a bowl

6. Press the meat mixture into two pie dishes - the meat "crust" should be very thin

7. Bake the meat pies for 10 minutes

8. Remove the dishes, drain the excess fat, flip the meat, and reduce the oven temp to 375 degrees

9. Top with crushed tomatoes, onions, peppers, and goat cheese

10. Cook for another 5-10 minutes

Note: The meat crusts will shrink a lot when you bake them, so don't be surprised!

  

  

Unbeatable Beet Chips

Today did not turn out as expected. Though I may think I am the most organized human on the planet, I did not realize that Kickstarter campaigns have to be reviewed and approved before launching and that it can take "a few days." I discovered this Tuesday afternoon and worked like a madwoman for 5 hours on finalizing the campaign. I submitted at 10pm on Tuesday and am now waiting to hear back for final approval. My dream of launching on May 1st crumbled, but I have a feeling that May 2nd (or 3rd or 4th...) will be just as exciting. I am so incredibly excited to share my project with the world and give everyone a taste of my upcoming cookbook. It is my first time focusing all of my creativity and ignoring my math brain, and it has been incredible! I am even getting more active on social media to generate the buzz. I am not an expert tweeter by any means, but my goal is to at least triple my followers (@sooopaleo) by the end of the campaign! Stay tuned for updates - I will share all of the information as soon as it's available!

Tonight's recipe is a simple snack or side dish that really is incredible. I just started eating beets about two years ago, and there is no turning back. You can make these for kids in all different colors (using yellow and golden beets as well), and they are so crispy and flavorful. I would've added garlic powder as well (that should go without saying), but I have to admit that I ran out.

Give these a try, and let me know how they come out! Enjoy :)

P.S. If you have disposable rubber/latex gloves, you may want to wear them while peeling and cutting the beets - the juice will stain your hands!

Unbeatable Beet Chips: Serves 2, Prep time: 5 min, Cook time: 25-30 min

Ingredients:

- 1 large beet, washed and peeled

- 2 tsp. olive oil, divided

- fine sea salt
- pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice beets into thin, even slices

3. Lay all slices on a foil-covered pan

4. Brush the beets with 1 tsp. olive oil, and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper

5. Flip beets and brush the other sides with the remaining 1 tsp. of oil and salt and pepper

6. Cook for 15 minutes

7. Flip beets and then cook another 10-15 minutes until they reach your desired crispiness

  

Individual Berry Crumble Cobblers

Happy Spring everyone! It is pouring like crazy in CT, but it is a good night. For the first time in 4 months (a.k.a ever), I am handing over the reigns in the kitchen and allowing a guest chef (Ryan). I am surprisingly calm which is pretty impressive given my OCD control-freak personality :)

It turns out that sometimes I do need a little help, and I am glad to have it! I have been prepping like crazy for my Kickstarter campaign to launch, and the official countdown is on. I was planning to launch early tomorrow morning, but the approval process is taking longer than expected. I will keep you posted, but it may be a Friday/Saturday launch instead. The Kickstarter campaign is for my first cookbook "Bowls of Love: Paleo Soups for the Seasons" and I could not be more excited! I have been writing recipes and working with an incredible photographer Erica (www.ericagannett.com). A lot more information is to come, so stay posted, and follow me on twitter @sooopaleo to get all the updates!

The blog has been resting for a while, so I figured it was only right to bring it back with a delicious dessert. You can easily adjust this recipe to make more or less depending on how many people you are cooking for. If you don't have ramekins, you can bake this all together in a bread pan or small square baking dish. If you are really feeling crazy, you can even make a single serving! Enjoy and stay tuned for more news on my cookbook Bowls of Love!

Individual Berry Crumbles: Serves 4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:
- 2 cups berries (I used half blackberries, half blueberries)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup cashew flour
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

- 1-2 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/8 tsp. salt

- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

- 2 Tbsp. organic grade B maple syrup

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients other than the berries in a bowl
3. Distribute the berries evenly among 4 ramekins
4. Top each ramekin with the crumble mixture
5. Bake for 30 minutes until berries bubble and crumble is lightly browned

  

  

Parsnip Soup w/ Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Great news, followers! My blog is not dead. It was simply hibernating for a bit while I figured out some pretty monumental life decisions. I wasn't feeling as creative with my cooking (and time was limited), so I remade a ton of my old recipes to make things quicker and easier. In the midst of the craziness, I quit my job at McLagan and accepted a new position at PepsiCo! It is going to be a huge change, and I am thrilled to start this next chapter. I have this week off before I start to get things organized, so I am hoping to share some great new recipes with all of you.

I was feeling very jealous of Grace and my other Boston friends who visited the Sunday SOWA market today because the farmers market here in Stamford just doesn't even compare. I go and support them every week, but I am pretty convinced that a lot of the fruits and veggies are not local. There wasn't a parsnip to be found yesterday, so I went to the grocery store to pick some up so I could experiment with a new soup. I try to make a new soup every (or every other) week in the Fall/Winter to have ready-made meals handy. This recipe is incredibly flavorful with amazing fall tastes, and the spiced pumpkin seeds add the perfect crunch.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Parsnip Soup w/ Spiced Pumpkin Seeds: Serves 4-5, Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 75 min

Ingredients:

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1 large sweet onion, chopped,

- 6 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 bunch green onions/scallions, chopped

- 1 bunch celery, chopped

- 1 XL carrot, peeled & chopped

- 3 XL parsnips, peeled & chopped

- 4 cups organic chicken or veggie stock (no sugar added!)

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1/2 cup raw organic pumpkin seeds

- 1 tsp. olive oil

- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. paprika

- 1/2 tsp. cumin

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat

2. Add onion, garlic, and scallions and saute about 10 minutes until fragrant

3. Add celery, carrots, and parsnips. Stir well to combine and cook another 5 minutes

4. Add stock and bring to a boil

5. Cover and reduce heat. Cook for 1 hour

6. Meanwhile, heat 1tsp. olive oil in a small pan over medium heat

7. Add pumpkin seeds and toss to combine

8. After 1-2 minutes, add cinnamon, paprika, and cumin

9. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant and then let cool

10. When soup is done, let cool slightly and blend with immersion blender or food processor

11. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I just added some pepper)

12. Serve piping hot with ~1Tbsp. of spiced pumpkin seeds on top! Happy Fall :)

  

  

  

Vermont Balsamic Maple Turkey Meatloaf

Well hello there. Today was a big day with my blog hitting over 100,000 hits and my health coaching certificate and card coming in the mail. I am now officially a board certified health coach, and I am thrilled! It has been an interesting journey of self-reflection throughout my studies, and my life is completely different (in so many wonderful ways) than when I started. 

I have been a bit MIA from blogging over the past few weeks with some major things going on. Luckily in the midst of the craziness Ry came home from Dubai and we had an amazing getaway in Vermont. We celebrated Heather and Kenny's wedding and had tons of adventures along the way. I wanted a souvenir from the trip, and I ended up with some special Vermont-made food products to experiment with. One of the treasures was maple flakes which basically looks like brown rice krispies. The only ingredient is dried maple syrup, and they are crispy and sweet. I figured I could sprinkle a few of them on tonight's recipe instead of covering my meatloaf with the more traditional sugary ketchup concoction. It was just a hint of sweet mixed with the tangy balsamic, and it came out great. Enjoy!

Vermont Balsamic Maple Turkey Meatloaf: Serves 4-5, Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:
- 1.25lbs ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1+ tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. basil
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Vermont maple flakes

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft
4. Add carrots, celery, salt, pepper, garlic powder (more is better!), basil, and thyme and cook for another 10-15 minutes until soft
5. Mix turkey, egg, almond flour, and veggie mixture in a bowl
6. Form into a loaf on a foil-lined pan
7. Brush with balsamic vinegar
8. Sprinkle meatloaf with Vermont maple flakes (if you don't have these you can use a mixture of balsamic and maple syrup for the topping)
9. Bake for 20 minutes
10. Brush the meatloaf with the leftover balsamic

11. Bake another 15 until cooked through (no pink in the turkey)

12. Cover the meatloaf and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving