Recipe of the week: Vegetarian French Onion Soup

• Cooking for my family has become increasingly difficult, earlier this year my youngest daughter, Mackenzie, decided she was going vegetarian.  (For moral reasons, which I can support, if you're just jumping on the vegi/vegan band wagon because of some thing you read on the internet, then spare me.)  Her two favorite soups are broccoli cheese and french onion.  She had a mini-melt down when she found out french onion was made with beef broth the last time she ordered it at Panera.  I promised her I'd come up with a vegetarian substitute and this is what I came up with.  (FYI:  Don't start out with sweet onions, as the onions caramelize they will get sweet and you don't want them to be too sweet.)  Let me know what you think (and you can always make it the traditional way with beef broth).  A Votre Sante!

• 
  
• For the soup:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 large brown onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2-1 tsp raw sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp flour (optional)
• 32oz or 4 cups vegetable broth
• For the topping:
• 1/2 to 1 loaf french baguette 
• Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella or Gruyere (or a mixture)
• Butter, olive oil or oil spray
• 
  
• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cook for about 15 minutes then add garlic, bay leaves, sugar. salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 30 minutes maybe a little longer. Add the wine, bring to a boil, turn back down to medium low. Discard the bay leaves.  Dust the onion mixture with flour and stir.  (Optional) Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the vegetable broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 5-10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• For the topping:  
• When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the cheese/cheeses and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Ladle the soup in bowls and cheese bread on top.
• Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.
• I wasn't sure if my dishes were oven safe so I floated the cheese bread on the top.   Enjoy!

The Top 10 things I love about fall

Autumn or fall is my favorite season, it has been for as long as I can remember.  Perhaps it began with new starts, ie, going back to school, making new friends, getting new clothes etc.  Growing up both my parents were die hard USC football fans, so Saturdays belonged to college football, my mom is famous for screaming at the TV.  Once I got to high school I came to love the game myself  (and I especially love it now that my son plays!!).  So, now you know my number one reason for loving fall....here are the rest.

1. Football season
2. Losing those few pounds I gained during the summer
3. Sweaters, jeans and boots
4. Baking yummy treats
5. Curling up with a good book and a blanket
6. Hot tea (especially when curled up with a good book)
7. My favorite TV shows being back on with new episodes
8. The changing leaves
9. Soups and stews (my favorite dinners are soup, salad and bread)
10. Gathering with family and friends because of "the holidays"

Now you've heard my top 10, what are yours?  Whatever they are, I hope they are filled with love, laughter and beauty!
Ciao

Getting in shape

I was at a friends house the other night and we were talking about losing weight and getting in shape.  There are LOTS of different opinions out there and as I've said before I believe in balance.  I've also done my own research on how and what to eat, which I highly suggest everyone does.  The biggest thing you need to know is how what you eat makes you FEEL.  Pay attention to that, keeping a food journal will help.

Now, having said all that, I think eating the Paleo way makes the most sense for me.  A Christian friend posted a negative comment on something I posted about the "caveman" diet months ago and I deleted the link.  Anyone who knows me should know I do not believe in evolution, in the Darwin sense.  If you go back just 100 years you can see how the evolution of industrialization has made us as a population sicker, and fatter.  And I certainly don't see anywhere in the Bible where they're eating fast food or food from packages.  They ate real, whole foods, mostly that were in season.

I told my friend I could have her in shape in 6 months, maybe for some that's a stretch but I dare you to try this for 30 days and see how you feel.  (75 to 80% of losing weight and getting in shape is diet.)  If you do let me know how you feel!  A Votre Sante!


FastPaleo.com CheatSheet


What is paleo and why should I do it?
Paleo is a lifestyle that emphasizes the parts of Paleolithic life which are healthier for us than typical 
modern life. The first main example is eating whole foods such as meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs and 
healthy fats instead of factory-processed foods and newer agricultural products, especially grains. The 
second is making time for regular exercise and proper sleep. Doing these will make us feel better and give 
us fitter, more attractive bodies.     


Nothing in this  FastPaleo.com CheatSheet should be taken to constitute professional advice or a formal recommendation by any certified nutritionist, physician, or therapist; and we exclude all representations and warranties relating to the content and use of this FastPaleo.com CheatSheet.

How do I go paleo? Tell me the steps!

• Eat a variety of meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs and healthy fats
• Don’t eat added sugars 
• This includes “organic” sugar and artificial sweeteners. Never drink soda
• Don’t eat grains or legumes (This includes soy, rice, corn, wheat, and any grain product like pasta, breads, or cereals)  as well as legumes (beans) and white potatoes
• Don't eat processed vegetable oils (This includes canola, corn, soybean, peanut, and cottonseed oils, to name a few)
• Don’t eat any factory-processed foods (If it comes in a box, most likely you shouldn’t eat it)
• Eat dairy only if it is from grass-fed animals and you digest it well
• Plan one or two cheat meals a week if it keeps you on track (Try to “treat not cheat” by indulging in more decadent paleo foods occasionally
• Exercise regularly and intensely, and rest
• Give yourself rest days throughout the week and extended rest every couple months
• Get a full night’s sleep in a dark room every night
• Drink lots of water
• Don’t drink much or any alcohol, and avoid caffeine late in the day

That’s it?
Yep! But, only if you are consistent. The above paleo basics make up 90% of a 
successful paleo lifestyle, but they must be followed for you to see results. One of 
the biggest keys in doing so is the ability to prepare your own paleo food. The 
FastPaleo.com Recipes page has hundreds of free easy-to-follow recipes you can 
choose from to find paleo foods that you like and can prepare yourself. Check it out 
and as always, Kristin and James and the awesome FastPaleo community are more 
than happy to help out in any way we can.

Recipe of the week: Bellissimo

Several years ago I spent a week at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas and discovered an amazing cocktail.  Sadly, when I was there this past week, it's no longer on the menu.  Good thing I called and asked for the recipe way back when.  I told the bartender what was in it and since he had everything on hand, he was able to come up with a pretty good imitation.  Here's the original recipe (or at least what they told me and how I've been making it).  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!  


1 Shot Red Alize
1 Shot Bicardi Limon
1 Shot sweet and sour mix
2 large dashes Angostura bitters


Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake vigorously until very cold. Strain into a tulip shaped glass or champagne flute, serve with slices of lemon and orange.  Enjoy!

Not an accident

I LOVE this!  I couldn't have said it better myself.  Have a beauty filled day!!

Ciao!

Recipe of the week: Farmer's Market Salad

Last week I had lunch at one of my new favorite restaurants, Mendocino Farms in Marina Del Rey.  I love their food but even more so their philosophy.  They are all about locally grown, farmers markets and eating seasonally (which I'm about too!)  I sampled this salad from the deli case and knew I had to try to recreate it at home.  I did and the results were amazing!  They used pecans in their salad, I had walnuts so I used those.  I didn't have any raspberry vinegar so I used red wine vinegar and some fresh raspberries.  If you end up trying it let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Farmer's Market Salad
1 large plum sliced
1 pluot sliced
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts (or pecans)
3 oz smoked Gouda sliced into small pieces
4 to 6 cups organic mixed baby greens

Place greens, plums, pluots, nuts and cheese in a large bowl, toss with raspberry mint vinaigrette and enjoy immediately.

Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette

Juice of one lemon
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp raspberries (about 6 large)
2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
2 green onions (only the white part about 2 inches each)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put the first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Add salt, pepper and agave (or sugar), taste and adjust seasoning, pulse quickly.  Add olive oil in a steady stream to mixture, a few seconds in the food processor will mix it up nicely.  Toss over salad, enjoy!

Recipe of the week: Healthier "Chunky Monkey"

Well, it's been quite a while since I posted a recipe.  It's been way too hot to cook, so I've been making lots of salads.  I think I've turned the oven on a few times to make sweet potato fries and once for cookies this summer.   It's September and it's still in the high 80's to low 90's here.

On another note, I've been tweaking my diet a bit.  Trying to eat less gluten, dairy, sugar etc.  Last night a friend and I were talking about ice cream and my favorite is Ben and Jerry's....pretty much any flavor will work, some I'm more fond of than others, one of those in Chunky Monkey.  I had some bananas that I'd frozen for smoothies, but no one has used them, so I thought I'd make ice cream out of them.  This is what I came up with. (This is dairy and gluten free so it's Paleo friendly and Vegan)  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

4 large frozen bananas
6 Tbsp unsweetened coconut milk (I got mine at Trader Joe's)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts chopped (I left some whole)
1-2 oz dark chocolate (I used 72%)
pinch of salt

The only thing you need for this is a food processor.  You may have to do small batches depending on the size of your food processor.   Put the frozen bananas in, add the coconut milk one tablespoon at a time, add the vanilla.  (You could also use bananas that aren't frozen and then freeze the mixture later).  Once you have a creamy mixture spoon into a freezer proof bowl.  Add the walnuts, salt and dark chocolate, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until the texture resembles ice cream.  Enjoy!