Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Doughnuts Are STILL Evil--More Delicious Recipes

They're back.  Doughnuts are a pervasive office breakfast/lunch/snack, and, as I may have mentioned before, they are evil.  I did some "research" by eating a piece of cake with frosting last night as a comparison.  I can only conclude that it is equally as evil as the doughnut.  Don't do it.  I feel terrible today.  All of that refined sugar in the frosting really did me in, and on top of that, I was starving this morning--a sensation I have not experienced in months.  No more frosting for me.

That being said, I did go out for a lovely dinner on my sister's birthday a few days ago.  I ate a few things I shouldn't have (wheatberries, homemade pasta, a bit of a crepe), had a few beers, and overall I felt okay the next day.  Not fantastic, mind you, but okay.  No carb crash, no grumpiness.

What I can recommend to you are the following delicious recipes.  Make them!  Love them :)  I do.

Shepherd's Pie from Mark's Daily Apple

I have made this at least 3 times in the past few months.  I keep going back to it because I love the mashed cauliflower on top so much.  I may or may not dream about it...  Chef's note:  cauliflower doesn't exactly mash.  The best method is to use a food processor.  The second best is to chop it, throw it in a bowl and then smash it first with a pastry cutter and then a potato masher.  Don't bother trying a hand mixer--it just throws florets all over the kitchen.

Zucchini Pizza Boats from Budget Bytes

These are very simple and surprisingly delicious.  You can adjust the filling to suit your taste.  I have made them once with veggies and once with ground beef.  I replace the bread crumbs with almond meal/flour, but I think you could leave it out altogether and be fine.  I topped mine once with green olive havarti and once with aged white cheddar.  Use a small spoon to hollow out your zucchini.  I owe my sister a huge debt of gratitude for figuring that out and saving me from mangling the first batch of zucchini any worse than I already had.

Radicchio Salad With Lemon and Olives from In Erika's Kitchen

Don't be afraid of radicchio.  Its slight bitterness is balanced by the bright lemon juice and salty parmesan and green olives. 

Clean Eating Tomato Soup from The Gracious Pantry

For one of my lower energy nights I needed a quick meal.  This was perfect.  I used pasta sauce (with no sugar) because it was what I had in my pantry.  I also replaced the chicken stock with water, and the soy milk with heavy cream (since soy, rice and lowfat milk are no-no's).  It was creamy and delicious comfort food.

Healthy All-Natural Ice Cream from A New Bloom

Make this now.  It is seriously amazing.  Pure alchemical kitchen magic!

Scotch Eggs from The Clothes Make The Girl

She isn't lying when she calls them protein pellets.  I used some grass-fed ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper and italian seasoning to wrap my hard boiled eggs.  Yum!

Coconut Almond Pancakes from Eat Love and Train

I've been trying pancake recipes on the weekends since I started eating primal.  This one finally works!  I needed patience to let the pancakes set enough to flip, but other than that they are very simple to make.  I will be adding some additional seasonings next time I make them, sweet or savory.  Cinnamon and nutmeg, garlic and rosemary, the possibilities are endless.  They will make a quick bread substitute as well.

Enjoy these recipes, and please tell me what you liked and if you made any delicious alterations! 

Until next time,
Check Your Neck