Strawberry Banana Pancakes

July 23, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

The almond flour pancakes I made a few days ago were so good that I was eager to try another version of paleo pancakes. This time, I was inspired by a cinnamon banana pancake recipe in Easy Paleo Diet Recipes, and added a twist to make them even better.

Do you have a favorite diner? Mine is the Maugus, which is just down the street from my mom’s apartment in my hometown. It’s run by a big Greek family, and the hardest part of being a regular there is when they close for three weeks every summer to go to Greece. They are closed right now and I have to tell you, it has been rough. One of my favorite things to get there is pancakes–their pancakes are HUGE! I’m a big fan of both the strawberry and the banana pancakes. They have nice rounds of freshly sliced fruit cooked right in. They will even make you pancakes with both strawberries AND bananas if you can’t decide. And, if you are not into fruity pancakes (who are you and why are you still reading?) you can get chocolate chip pancakes or cinnamon walnut french toast.

Anyway, inspired by the Maugus, I put sliced strawberries into these banana pancakes. The banana is mashed up with the batter so the pancakes do not have a strong banana flavor, but they are pleasantly reminiscent of banana bread. And if you have never tried sliced strawberries in your pancakes, you HAVE to. They are cooked just to the point of being fabulously juicy, and it is much more exciting than just putting sliced strawberries on top of your pancakes. Trust me.

Since I am doing the Whole 30 for real now, I omitted the honey from the original recipe. However, with the bananas and the strawberries, I thought these pancakes were sweet enough. I ate mine with the extra banana and strawberry slices on top and a little butter, and my boyfriend enjoyed his with some syrup.

Ingredients (serves 2; makes 6-7 pancakes):

1 and 1/2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup mashed banana (about half a medium banana–slice the rest to serve with the pancakes)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons coconut milk
4 eggs
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, thinly sliced, plus extra for serving
Butter or coconut oil for cooking

Combine all the ingredients except the strawberries in a food processor and process until smooth. Heat some oil or butter in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot (a drop of water will dance across the surface), add about 1/4 cup of batter. Place some strawberry slices on top. Cook until many bubbles have formed on the surface (the bottom should be browned). Carefully slide a large spatula under the pancake and flip it quickly. If you flip these pancakes too soon or use a small spatula, you may lose some of your strawberries during the turn. Cook for a minute or less on the second side, until browned and cooked through. Add more oil or butter before cooking a second pancake. Top with fresh fruit and butter if desired and serve hot.

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Asparagus Bundles with Bacon & Poached Eggs

July 22, 2013 By Becky 1 Comment

Can you think of a non-dessert ingredient that isn’t better wrapped in bacon? It’s hard, right? Ever since making these shrimp, I have been wanting to wrap all things in bacon. Here is a great way to start.

This recipe is paleo, and dairy and gluten-free. It’s got a lot of asparagus and some good protein, so I’m calling it healthy. Besides, it’s beautiful, delicious, and easy. The hardest part is waiting for it to roast.

You can make this without the eggs for an elegant side dish that would go well with a steak or almost any dinner I can think of. This would also be great for a weekend brunch, and I just enjoyed it immensely for my Monday lunch. Try it! It looks fancy, and everyone you feed it to will love you for wrapping their veggies up in bacon.

Ingredients (serves 4; adapted from How Sweet It Is):

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
4 eggs, poached or fried (I use these adorable poach pods)
Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, coconut oil, and sesame oil.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and place a rack on top. Divide the asparagus spears into four equal bundles, and wrap each one with a piece of bacon. Place the bundles on the rack with the ends of the bacon underneath so it stays put.

Brush the garlic and oil mixture over the bundles, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp. Top with the eggs, sprinkle with a little salt, and serve.

Paleo Poached Eggs with Creamy Spinach

July 18, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

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.

Vietnamese Pork & Vermicelli Bowl

July 7, 2013 By Becky 1 Comment

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.

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Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

June 25, 2013 By Becky 20 Comments

This dairy-free lemon curd is a lighter version of the classic. It’s still packed with irresistible sweet citrus flavor!

My dad and sister came over for dinner this weekend. It was so much fun–my sister just turned 15, and she had never been to my apartment before! I cooked them a belated birthday/father’s day celebratory dinner.

We had thai shrimp curry with vegetables and coconut milk (so good–recipe coming soon), a salad my dad brought with a delicious dressing (I’ll try to score the recipe and post it–it involves hazelnut oil!) and a berry tart with coconut cream and dairy-free lemon curd. My sister can’t eat any dairy, so I had to make lemon curd without the butter. Good news–it’s just as delicious as the original, and even more lemony.

I wanted to share the whole tart recipe with you, but the crust still needs some work. Anyone have a good dairy-free tart crust recipe? I’m going to work on getting one ready for the Fourth, because this tart happens to be very patriotic. For the topping, we just whipped up some coconut cream with powdered sugar and vanilla, then folded it in to the lemon curd.

Anyway, I couldn’t wait to share this delicious lightened-up lemon curd with you. It’s a healthier way to enjoy my favorite spread! Try it on pancakes or a dutch baby, swirl it with some greek yogurt, or pipe it inside some cupcakes.

If you’re looking for the original buttery version, it’s here.

Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

Name: Dairy-Free Lemon Curd
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 4-6 organic lemons; 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, to taste; Pinch of salt; 2 eggs; 1 egg yolk; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This dairy-free lemon curd is a lighter version of the classic. It's still packed with irresistible sweet citrus flavor!

Ingredients

4-6 organic lemons
 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, to taste
Pinch of salt
 2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

Wash your lemons really well, and zest two of them. Mix the zest with the sugar in a small bowl, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to bring out the flavors of the zest (use 1/2 cup of sugar for a very puckery curd, and more if you want things a little sweeter). Set the lemon sugar aside (if you want to make extra lemon sugar, it's also delicious as a topping for muffins or cookies).
Roll the lemons firmly under the palm of your hand to prime them to release the most juice. Juice lemons until you have 3/4 cup of lemon juice. Strain out any seeds. Add the juice, lemon sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved.
Beat the eggs and egg yolk together in a medium bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm lemon mixture into the eggs. Continue to beat for a minute or so.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla (the vanilla is optional--you won't really taste it, but it rounds out the flavor).
Let the curd cool to room temperature, then transfer to a glass jar or another airtight container. Store in the refrigerator. Lemon curd will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen

Chewy Chocolate Almond Cookies

June 16, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

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.