Category Archives: Cooking

Ginger Glazed Salmon

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Remember a couple of months ago when I went to the Flavors of Aloha event at Tommy Bahama?  At the end of our delicious meal we were each given the new Flavors of Aloha cookbook, and I finally decided to make the ginger glazed salmon recipe that I’ve had my eye on for weeks now (because, salmon).  Not only was this recipe incredibly easy, it was delicious too!

ginger glazed salmonThe key to this recipe’s success is getting really good salmon.  As I’ve mentioned before, I only get my fish at Santa Monica Seafood, and I always make a point to get sustainable wild fish. I hear it’s good for the synthesis of vitamins, and I lowkey hoped that one day I wouldn’t need my Proclear lenses. Lucky for me, Santa Monica Seafood happened to have some wild salmon on sale, so I jumped on it.

The original recipe in the Flavors of Aloha cookbook calls for hoisin sauce, but since I can’t have soy, I swapped in coconut aminos instead, which still yielded a tasty result.  The rest of the ingredients included diced ginger, sake (or rice wine), green onion and garlic.

From start to finish this took roughly 20 minutes, making it the perfect meal to whip up during the week when you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking.

We had our salmon with some roasted potatoes, but I think the wasabi mashed potatoes from the Flavors of Aloha cookbook would be a wonderful side to the ginger glazed salmon.  And if you don’t like salmon, try it with ahi, halibut or even sea bass.

Ginger Glazed Salmon (serves 2, from the Flavors of Aloha Cookbook)

Ingredients:

2 salmon filets

1/4 cup coconut aminos

2 tbsp sake

2 tbsp chopped green onion

2 tbsp diced ginger

1 garlic clove, smashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Set your oven to a broil setting.  Place your salmon filets skin side up on a baking sheet.

ginger glazed salmonIn a small bowl, mix your ginger glaze and set aside.

ginger glazed salmon bowlPlace salmon in the oven for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from the oven and flip over.  Add the ginger glaze to your fish and place back in the oven for another 4-5 minutes.

ginger glazed salmon filetsIf you want your salmon cooked a little further, I recommend keeping in the oven for another couple of minutes otherwise remove from the oven, eat and enjoy!

Paleo Chocolate Doughnuts

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I have a new obsession and it is in the form of the coffee from Sidecar Doughnuts.  I’ve written about their doughnuts numerous times, but it wasn’t until recently that their Forty Winks blend made with Stumptown coffee has stolen my heart.  I get the same order every time; large cup of coffee with some steamed almond milk to add just a slight bit of sweetness.  So what does this have to do with paleo chocolate doughnuts?

Paleo Chocolate DoughutsAs we all know, Sidecar makes delicious doughnuts.  And every time I step into their shop to grab a coffee you can smell the freshly baked doughnuts in the air.  The Englishman and I have now established a Sunday tradition where we pop into Sidecar to get a morning cup o’joe and sometimes a doughnut (gluten-free for me) or two.  If you follow me on instagram, then you probably saw that we also started a birthday coffee and doughnut tradition.

sidecar doughnuts and coffeeDon’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in treating yourself and enjoying delicious things like these doughnuts, but for my wallet and waistline I can’t exactly buy them every time I step into the shop.  So what’s a doughnut-lovin’ gal to do?  Make her own!

These paleo chocolate doughnuts are simple low in sugar, and the perfect accompaniment to my Sidecar coffee.  The great thing about these doughnuts is that you can add nuts or chocolate chips into the batter…or just top your doughnuts with them!

paleo chocolate doughnutsIf you don’t have a doughnut pan, you can easily convert these into muffins as well.

Paleo Chocolate Doughnuts (adapted from The Detoxinista)

Makes 6 doughnuts

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Grease your doughnut or muffin pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together your coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Gently fold in your olive oil, egg, egg whites, water and vanilla until everything is well blended.

Gently fold your batter into the doughnut pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let the doughnuts cool for 15 minutes.

Pair with your favorite cup of coffee (or tea!).

Now serious question: do you spell it donuts or doughnuts?  I always have the “ough” when I write it out but I see the other spelling quite often too.

Chicken with Tahini Sauce

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As I alluded to in my previous post, I’m on a serious tahini kick right now.  My latest creation?  Chicken with Tahini Sauce.

chicken with tahini sauceThe tahini sauce is loosely inspired by a classic schwarma sauce, only there’s no Greek yogurt involved.  Instead, I went for a combo of tahini, coconut aminos and sesame oil with a bit of garlic and lemon for acid.

I’m realizing more and more just how versatile tahini really is.  First off, it’s great for those who have a nut allergy can can’t do a traditional peanut or almond butter sauce.  Second, tahini is neutral tasting enough that you can add a variety of different spices and seasonings and it will still taste great.  And third, it’s really good for you!  Tahini is high in iron, has lots of vitamin E, and is quite alkaline, which makes it easier for your body to digest.  And after success with the cookies and this sauce, I’m officially sold on tahini.

tahinisauceFor this particular recipe, I decided to coat chicken thighs with tahini sauce and then put them in the slow cooker for a few hours.  If you don’t have or don’t want to use a slow cooker, you can just marinate the chicken in the sauce for a couple of hours and then cook in the oven.

And if chicken isn’t your thing, might I suggest trying the tahini sauce on a salad with some grilled fish or with some lamb or pork?

Chicken with Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

3 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp coconut aminos

2 tbsp water

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Place your chicken thighs in a slow cooker.  Coat with olive oil and salt and pepper.

In a small bowl mix all of your tahini sauce ingredients together.  Gently pour your sauce over your chicken until all pieces are coated.

Cook on low for 6-8 hrs, or until the chicken is tender and moist.

Remove and serve with your favorite sides!

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

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This past week was a bit of a rough one.  My dear sweet grandfather passed away at the age of 95, and while we all knew it was coming, it’s still hard to imagine life without him.  So when I’m feeling a little down I go for a run, go to yoga and bake.  And these tahini chocolate chip cookies from the Meals Made Simple cookbook were just what I needed.

tahini chocolate chip cookiesI have been on quite the tahini kick lately.  I made tahini dressing for my Asian slaw, I used it as a sauce for some zoodles, and now I’m using it in cookies!  I’ll admit I was a little skeptical when I first saw the recipe in the cookbook, but Danielle Walker swears that these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever so I was game.  Plus, it’s another recipe to check off for the 2015 cookbook challenge!

When I first made the cookies I handed one to the Englishman to taste without telling him what was in it.  He couldn’t detect the tahini at all! He said they had a slightly nutty flavor (which I agree) but you wouldn’t know it was tahini unless someone told you.

If you are looking for a different cookie that’s grain free and doesn’t use the standard almond butter, try this recipe with tahini!  I modified a few of the ingredients based on what we had, but for the most part followed the recipe exactly.  The original recipe makes 24 cookies, but you can cut it in half if you don’t want that many cookies in the house 😉  I have also found that these cookies freeze really well (and taste good frozen too!).

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies (adaptedfrom the Meals Made Simple cookbook)

tahini chocolate chip cookiesIngredients:

1 large egg white

2 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup cacao nibs

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat well with cooking oil.

Mix your egg white and maple syrup until mixture is smooth (use a hand or stand mixer if you have it!).

Gently fold in your tahini, tapioca starch, vanilla, salt and baking soda and continue to mix.  Add your chocolate chips and cacao nibs.

Place spoonfuls of dough onto your baking sheet.  For crispier cookies, flatten your dough a bit.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Cool and enjoy!

This was such an easy recipe to make and I love that it’s paleo friendly AND uses tahini.  I already can’t wait to whip up my next batch.