A Calculated Whisk - Page 6 of 34 - Creative paleo and gluten-free recipes

Pitaya Peach Smoothie

September 21, 2017 By Becky 16 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This pitaya peach smoothie has quickly become my go-to power breakfast because it’s easy, healthy, gorgeous, and delicious. What more can you ask for in the morning?

Thank you to Rodelle for providing products for use in this post!

Big news: Ben and I are married! We started dating almost six years ago, before the idea of starting a food blog had even crossed my mind, got engaged almost three years ago, and tied the knot on Saturday. I’m so happy and in a way amazed that we are finally married, mostly because we’re not the best at planning big events. However, we somehow pulled it off (with a huge amount of help from our families and especially my mother, who put together all the little decorative elements and details into something better than I’d ever imagined) and are so thrilled to be husband and wife. Also, Ben’s sister and her husband threw us an outdoor rehearsal dinner that was so fun I worried the wedding itself couldn’t top it, complete with a gorgeously decorated tent in their driveway and a late-night fire pit. I could go on and on about our wedding weekend, but should probably save it for a separate post since I also have lots to say about these smoothies. If you’re interested, though, here are a couple of photos from our first look shot by my dear friend, bridesmaid, and photographer extraordinaire Lindsey Lowe.

So, smoothie time! I have been making smoothies all spring and summer long, and this pitaya peach smoothie is my very favorite. I shot a cookbook written by someone else this summer (more details coming!) for the first time, and had 60 photos due just over two weeks before my wedding date. As if photographing a cookbook and planning a wedding wasn’t enough, I also continued to work 30 hours a week as a speech therapist and took on several other freelance projects. To say I didn’t have time to cook breakfast would be an understatement. This is such an easy breakfast, especially if you use an immersion blender like I do–you can make your smoothie in a big jar and drink it from there, too!

Pinchos de Pollo from Latin American Paleo Cooking + Giveaway

September 5, 2017 By Becky 17 Comments

These pinchos de pollo (Puerto Rican chicken skewers) from Latin American Paleo Cooking are a snap to make, packed with flavor, and super healthy.

So, hi! I’m back from what I think was my longest blogging hiatus ever, and I have really missed you. I have a post coming up soon with details on what I’ve been up to in case you’re interested (spoiler alert: planning our wedding and lots of freelance work!). From now on I’ll be sharing recipes more regularly again, and am really excited to get back in the game with this amazing and super simple recipe from Amanda Torres’ new cookbook, Latin American Paleo Cooking. Amanda is the brilliant recipe developer and writer behind the blog The Curious Coconut, and she wrote the cookbook with her mother in law, Milagros Torres, who grew up in Puerto Rico and has been cooking since she was ten.

The book is full of tempting recipes for family dinners, party food, quick and easy meals, sides, cooking essentials like sauces, and desserts from many different Latin American countries. Since I’m trying to slim down for my wedding (it’s in less than two weeks!), I have not even looked at the dessert chapter. However, I’ve been poring over everything else and have a huge list of what I want to make. Empanadas are at the very top of my list (and the top of the cover of the book–don’t they look amazing?)!

Pineapple Peach Margaritas

July 18, 2017 By Becky 6 Comments

These creamy, frozen pineapple peach margaritas are just the thing for hot summer evenings.

Somehow a whole month has passed without me sharing a recipe, and it’s felt like no time at all! I didn’t intend to take such a break, and I’ve been sitting on these scrumptious margaritas for quite some time, but one thing after another kept piling up. I’ve been hard at work on some exciting freelance projects that I can’t wait to tell you about as soon as I’m able!

For today, though, I’m offering a simple, sweet, and creamy libation. These pineapple peach margaritas are made with ripe summer peach, frozen pineapple, fresh-squeezed orange and lime juice, and a splash of cream or coconut milk. I like a mix of sea salt and raw sugar for the rim, which helps strike an ideal and refreshing balance between sweet and salty tastes.

Appalachia Food Photography & Styling Workshop

June 30, 2017 By Becky 18 Comments

Beautiful galettes made by Linda Lomelino and Hannah Messinger and styled by Julián Ángel.

Over Memorial Day weekend I had the opportunity to help out at a First We Eat food photography and styling workshop held by Eva of Adventures in Cooking and Carey of Reclaiming Provincial. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may recall that I attended a similar workshop with Eva and Carey a couple of years ago on Cape Cod. That first workshop was a huge turning point in my styling and photography and a wonderful way to spend the weekend of my thirtieth birthday, so I was thrilled to get to join them again almost exactly two years later, here in my new home state of Tennessee.

We stayed in two cabins adjoined by a giant figure-eight wrap-around porch and tucked into the woods of Beersheba Springs, a small town at the edge of the Appalachian Mountains. Linda Lomelino, Maggie Pate, Hannah Messinger, and Lauren Michelle were in attendance to teach food styling, natural dyeing, food writing, and working with plaster, respectively.

Bolognese Stuffed Zucchini with Pesto

June 14, 2017 By Becky 36 Comments

This post is sponsored by Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties.

These bolognese stuffed zucchini with pesto are a satisfying and summery Whole30 meal made with organic tomato basil sauce, ground beef, and plenty of fresh pesto on top.

How is summer treating you so far? Here in Chattanooga it’s been nice and hot (just the way I like it!) and we’ve been getting in a lot of swimming. I’ve also been working on my tan while doing my farm share work, and loving the first rounds of summer produce showing up, like zucchini, basil, and even a few tomatoes.

I used my early squash to make these bolognese stuffed zucchini with pesto, which combine seasonal vegetables and a few pantry staples to make an easy but hearty paleo dinner.

And no, I’m not suggesting you make a true bolognese sauce that needs to simmer away for hours in this heat. This is a bit of a cheater’s bolognese, because we’re letting Uncle Steve’s do the hard work for us. Their organic tomato basil sauce is so flavorful that all we have to do is brown the ground beef with a little onion, and stir in the sauce. The resulting filling will fool all your lucky dinner companions into thinking you worked all day to handcraft an authentic Italian sauce.

Roasted Beets & Sweet Potatoes

June 5, 2017 By Becky 4 Comments

These roasted beets and sweet potatoes are a paleo and vegan-friendly side dish that goes well with almost anything.

I know–it’s June, and I’m suggesting cranking up the oven to roast some vegetables. It may not be the most summer-friendly cooking method, but to me it’s worth it. Beets just started appearing at local farmers markets and in my CSA box, and my favorite way to enjoy them is roasted alongside the last of fall’s sweet potatoes (or perhaps the first of summer’s crop!).

To make this dish extra colorful, I opted for a mix of orange and purple sweet potatoes and chioggia beets, which are striped inside and won’t stain your hands nearly as much as regular beets. The sweet potatoes end up tender inside and satisfyingly crispy along the edges.

The beets don’t crisp up, but their earthy, springy flavor is a great counterpoint to the sweet potatoes. A little thyme adds herbal freshness and savory notes, but can be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.

Strawberry Avocado Salad with Candied Pepitas

May 25, 2017 By Becky 30 Comments

This post is sponsored by Cavit.

This refreshing strawberry and avocado salad with candied pepitas is a perfect way to enjoy spring produce, perhaps alongside a glass of crisp pinot grigio.

Guess what? Yesterday was my birthday, and tomorrow is the very first National Pinot Grigio Day! With so much to celebrate, I decided a really fun salad was in order. This strawberry and avocado salad is loaded with sweet and salty candied pepitas, vibrant radishes, fresh romaine, and a cumin-lime dressing. I’ve been making various iterations of this salad for a few weeks now, and when I have them on hand I also like to add thinly sliced scallions and sugar snaps and a handful of fresh cilantro leaves.

This salad pairs incredibly well with Cavit‘s pinot grigio, which is light and refreshing with a hint of fruity flavors and only a tad bit of sweetness. It’s cold-fermented in cutting edge thermo-conditioned tanks, which make it taste extra fresh and springy. I recommend enjoying a glass of well-chilled pinot grigio on your porch or in your backyard alongside a big plate of this salad.

Mango Jerk Chicken + How to Cook Rice on the Grill

May 22, 2017 By Becky 31 Comments

This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market.

Marinated Jerk Chicken + How to Cook Rice on the Grill

This mango jerk chicken is extra delicious thanks to mango juice in the marinade, and the whole meal is super simple because the rice is cooked on the grill, too!

While it technically won’t be summer for another month, it’s already felt like summer here in Chattanooga for several weeks. Ben and I got the grill set up at our new place, and I’m eager to cook as many meals as possible entirely outside. It’s so much easier to keep the kitchen clean and cool when you make your whole meal on the grill! For this dinner, we’re marinating chicken breasts in jerk seasoning and a generous glug of mango juice, and pairing them with rice cooked on the grill and then mixed with fresh mango, cilantro, and peas.

I always have so much fun shopping at Cost Plus World Market Hamilton Place–since there are so many gourmet food items, beautiful linens, kitchen essentials, and tableware all in one spot, it is pretty hard to get me out of there once I walk in. And of course, they have everything you need for grilling. They’re also often sampling something delicious to sip or nibble on while you shop. Thanks to the samples, I got to make sure this mango juice was super tasty before I bought it! You can find your local Cost Plus World Market store here.

15 Naturally-Sweetened Cocktails for Summer Celebrations

May 21, 2017 By Becky 18 Comments

These 15 delicious drinks are made without refined sugar to help keep your summertime soirées a little healthier without missing out on any of the fun. If you have favorite naturally-sweetened cocktails for summer, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Watermelon Gin Cooler from A Calculated Whisk: This refreshing drink is made with honey-basil simple syrup and botanical gin.

Grilled Mango Habanero Margaritas from Wicked Spatula: This sweet & spicy cocktail is sweetened with honey. Grilling the mango adds a little bit of smoky flavor!

Eggs in Purgatory with Sausage and Kale

May 18, 2017 By Becky 30 Comments

This post is sponsored by Uncle Steve’s Italian Specialties.

Eggs in purgatory with sausage and kale is a hearty and delicious breakfast that’s Whole30 compliant and perfect if you like to start the day with a little heat.

How do you feel about a little spice in the morning? Personally, I’m a big fan. A spicy breakfast helps me wake up, kick starts my day, and makes me feel ready for anything. So as soon as I got my hands on a jar of Uncle Steve’s Organic Arabbiata, I started dreaming about pairing it with eggs for an Italian power breakfast.

I was so excited to discover Uncle Steve’s sauces because they’re made with organic Italian tomatoes and short list of other clean ingredients: organic onions, garlic, basil, and spices plus sea salt. There’s no sugar anywhere in sight! If you’ve ever done a Whole30, you know how frustrating it can be to peruse labels in the grocery store aisle and find that most prepared sauces and stocks have cane sugar or other off-plan ingredients. Uncle Steve’s sauces are all vegan, gluten free, and paleo with no added sugar, so there’s no need to worry.

Strawberry Prosecco Lemonade

May 8, 2017 By Becky 26 Comments

If you love a light and refreshing spring cocktail, this strawberry prosecco lemonade is for you!

It’s strawberry season! In case you couldn’t tell from my Instagram profile, I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve been picking strawberries at my CSA work share each week, throwing sliced ones onto salads, blending them up into smoothies, snacking on them plain, and making them into this strawberry prosecco lemonade.

I’m going to be sipping on this all spring and summer–it’s so refreshing and flavorful. VOVETI prosecco is made from 100% prosecco grapes and has a tempered acidity, but it’s not to sweet. In other words, it’s a perfect match for sweet strawberries and tart lemons. VOVETI has hints of pear, green apple, melon, and peach, which is another reason it goes so seamlessly with the fruity flavors of this drink. And of course, with the popping corks and fizzy bubbles, drinking prosecco always feels like a celebration.

Mango Curd Ice Cream

May 2, 2017 By Becky 34 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This mango curd ice cream is rich and refreshing at the same time, and perfect for taking advantage of peak mango season!

Have you spotted any champagne mangos (also known as ataulfo or honey) in stores recently? They’re my absolute favorite. They’re the smaller, golden-colored mangos, and I find their flavor sweeter and cleaner than their larger, red-skinned counterparts. (I didn’t take a picture of the whole mangos this time, but you can see what they look like in the photos for my stuffed avocados with shrimp and mango.) Their flesh is also less fibrous than other mangos, which makes them an ideal choice for whipping up a smooth curd that will eventually become mango curd ice cream.

Making mango curd is easy, and it’s a wonderful addition to my relatively large collection of fruit curds. I start by pureeing mango chunks to yield the golden nectar you see below (an immersion blender makes cleanup super quick). The mango puree goes into a saucepan with raw sugar, a few egg yolks, a couple spoonfuls of lime juice, a splash of vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Next, I whisk it over medium heat until it’s cooked and thickened a bit. Since the mango puree is so thick to begin with, the change isn’t as dramatic as with other curds, so I like to use a thermometer to keep track. When the temperature is between 150 and 155°F, it’s done. If you don’t have a thermometer, watch for plenty of steam rising from the edges of the pan, but don’t let it actually start to bubble.

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