Category Archives: Gluten-Free

Green Protein Smoothie

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Once upon a time I visited a magical land called Portland and had a magical green smoothie from Kure Juice Bar.  It had coconut, avocado and kale and was seriously fantastic.  A year and a half has passed since that trip, and after many attempts I have finally been able to create a green protein smoothie that is almost as great as the original one from Kure.

I don’t always love posting smoothie recipes since really all you do is throw a bunch of ingredients in a blender and pour into a glass, but since I spent months trying to re-create the Kure one, I figured this green protein smoothie gets a pass.

green protein smoothie ingredients

The main difference between this smoothie and the Kure Juice bar one is that I added protein powder, but you can still remove the protein powder and it will be quite tasty.  Trust me.

The avocado gives the smoothie a nice creamy texture and the kale is a nice little nutrient punch.  However you look at it, this is a delicious drink that can be enjoyed pretty much anytime.

green protein smoothie pin

Green Protein Smoothie (inspired from Kure Juice Bar’s Envy Blend)

Ingredients:

1 cup almond or coconut milk (coconut water would work too)

1/2 avocado

1/4-1/2 cup chopped kale

2 tbsp coconut butter (use coconut oil if you don’t have the butter)

1 scoop protein powder of your choice

1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Ice

Directions:

Throw all of your ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.

green protein smoothie straw

Pour into a glass and drink with a fun straw.  Repeat.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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The 2015 cookbook challenge is still in full swing!  Last week, I shared the Braised Winter Cabbage and Potatoes from Thug Kitchen, and this week I’m coming at you with another cabbage recipe in the form of Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from Practical Paleo.

While I don’t follow a strict paleo diet, I really love a lot of the recipes in the Practical Paleo cookbook.  The book uses a lot of different meats (like bison!) and offers different meal plans depending on your activity level/dietary restrictions.  I’ve made a couple of things from the book now, and these stuffed cabbage rolls were absolutely delicious.

The original recipe calls for ground beef, but the Englishman and I decided to lighten it up a bit and used wild boar for the meat.  We also omitted the cranberry sauce, but followed the rest of the recipe to a T.

As someone who used to HATE cabbage, I really enjoyed the Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from Practical Paleo.  I will say this was a more time-consuming recipe than I anticipated (probably because it was our first time doing it) and our rolls kind of fell apart in the dutch oven, but it was still quite tasty.

stuffed cabbage rolls

We served this dish with a side of roast potatoes, but it would also be quite nice over rice or even pasta.  The sky is the limit on this one!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (from Practical Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 lb Wild Boar (or other meat of your choice)

1 head green cabbage

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped cauliflower

2 tbsp olive oil

3 shallots

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Steam your cabbage until it is nice and tender.  We technically do not have a steamer, so we made do with what we had.

While your cabbage is steaming, shred your cauliflower into small pieces.  Saute in a skillet over low head with olive oil, your shallots, and salt and pepper.

Place your meat in a bowl and add the cauliflower mixture.  Mix until everything is well blended and set aside.

Remove your steamed cabbage and peel off layers for filling.  Gently scoop your meat into the cabbage layers and roll tightly (like a burrito).

Add your canned tomatoes to your dutch oven (or other deep cooking pot) and gently place your rolls on top of the sauce.  Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy your delicious rolls!

Me Like Bars

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There are a lot of healthy snack bars on the market.  Some are gluten-free, some are vegan, some are paleo, and then you have your old-fashioned Chewy granola bar.  But I have to say, there’s something special about Me Like Bars.

me like bars lineupMe Like Bars is known for being “the ungranola.”  The bars have a similar texture to granola bars, but are grain-free and paleo inspired.  I first heard of Me Like Bars at my crossfit’s spring fling competition last summer, and since then, I can’t get enough.  Plus, how fun is their name?

The thing that sets Me Like Bars apart from other healthy snack bars is their simplicity.  Just nuts, dried fruit, a little maple syrup and honey, coconut oil, cinnamon and sea salt.  That’s it.  In fact, these bars are so natural that the Me Like team recommends you store them in the fridge to ensure maximum freshness.

me like bars closeup

Me Like Bars come in four signature flavors: Blue Cherry, Cranberry, Apricot and Dark Chocolate.  The Me Like Bars team also creates seasonal flavors, and the Winter bar this year included pistachios which I loved.

My personal favorites are the Apricot which includes macadamia nuts (which you hardly find in snack bars) and the Blue Cherry which has a delightful blend of dried blueberries and cherries.

Me like bars trioThese bars make a great breakfast on the go – if you are crunched for time in the AM or have to eat in your car on the way to work (we’ve all been there) they are the perfect thing to pack in your bag.  Since they are full of healthy fats and nuts, I’ve found that they keep me satiated throughout the morning which is great.

I’ve also had these bars as a post-crossfit snack and have frozen them for a nice after dinner treat.  However you choose to enjoy these bars, you won’t be disappointed.

me like bars closeup

So how do you get your hands on these little gems?  Simply order through the Me Like Bars website, and from now until January 31st, the wonderful team at Me Like Bars is offering 15% off your order when you enter promo code SWEETPOTATOBITES at checkout!

Like I said, there may be a lot of healthy snack bars on the market, but if you are looking for a natural, grain-free bar with minimal ingredients and great flavor, then Me Like Bars is the PERFECT bar for you.

Flourless Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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I’m going to let you in on a little secret:  I don’t really love peppermint.  There, I said it.  I’ll pass on peppermint mochas, I’ll never order mint chip ice cream, and we all know that Samoas rule over Thin Mints.  But when the folks at Peanut Butter & Co. asked us to come up with our favorite #candycanehacks using candy canes and peanut butter, I decided to take the plunge and created flourless chocolate peppermint cookies (P.S.- check the bottom of this post for a fun little giveaway!).

flourless chocolate peppermint cookies

Peppermint and peanut butter? I know, the combo sounded weird to me too, but when you pair peppermint with Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, it’s actually quite the delicious combo.

Dark Chocolate Dreams happens to be one of my favorite Peanut Butter & Co. flavors, so I knew I wanted to keep these cookies as simple as possible without messing with the integrity of the flavor in Dark Chocolate Dreams (I take my pb pretty seriously).  Just an egg, some cocoa powder, crushed candy canes and peanut butter and you are pretty much set to go!

dark chocolate dreams jar

I based this recipe off my flourless honey peanut butter cookies from last year with just a few additional tweaks for maximum chocolate goodness.  The best part about this recipe is that the cookies cook super fast, so you’ll have a delicious chocolate peppermint treat in no time!

While peppermint still may not be #1 on my list, I’ll definitely be making these cookies again.

Flourless Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (makes a dozen cookies)

Ingredients:

1 cup Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 cup crushed candy cane pieces

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper so your cookies don’t stick!

Unwrap your candy canes and place in a plastic bag.  Cover the bag with a towel and use a hammer or mallet to crush them (not the most graceful way I know, but it gets the job done).  Pour your candy cane pieces into a bowl and set aside.

flourless chocolate peppermint cookies

In a large mixing bowl add your peanut butter, sea salt, egg, cocoa powder, baking soda and vanilla and mix well.  The mixture will be quite sticky so make sure it is all well blended.

Gently fold your candy cane pieces into your cookie batter and continue to mix.

Place spoonfuls of batter onto your cooking sheet and flatten into a cookie shape (or keep as a cookie ball if you want!).

flourless peppermint chocolate cookies tray

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly brown.  The inside of the cookie will be deliciously gooey from the peanut butter.

Serve with milk or just on their own.  Pro tip: these cookies taste great frozen as well!

flourless chocolate peppermint cookies

Thanks for Peanut Butter & Co. for sending me the pb + the candy canes!  I’m so excited to have a new cookie recipe for the holidays!

Peanut Butter & Co. wants to share the holiday spirit by offering a discount to Sweet Potato Bites readers!  Simply enter code YUMSQUADLOVE at checkout for 25% off! (offer good through the month of December)

AND of course it wouldn’t be a Peanut Butter & Co. post without a little giveaway fun!  One lucky winner will receive a jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams and Old Fashioned Crunchy (my personal favorites), which is perfect for all of your holiday baking!  Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Giveaway open to U.S. residents only and closes on 12/17/14 at midnight.