Tag Archives: recipes

Spring Reset Week One

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So last week, I announced the Spring Reset which is essentially the The 21-Day Sugar Detoxcreated by Diane Sanfilippo.  I decided I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences on the blog, so here is the Spring Reset Week One recap.

I went into the spring reset wanting to clean my diet up a bit.  I already eat pretty clean as it is, but I just wanted to reign in my wine drinking and cheese consumption.  This is actually the longest I’ve ever gone without dairy (with the exception of a minor slip up on Saturday), which is a pretty big deal for me.  I actually had a DREAM about eating a delicious cheese platter mid-week and woke up craving cheese like no other.  Thank goodness this will be over by the time I go to France!  And while I do miss my glass of wine, I do feel pretty fancy with some frozen fruit and sparkling water in a wine glass.

spring reset week oneOther observations of note:

  • Not having fruit is hard for me.  The 21 Day Sugar Detox states NO fruit except green tipped bananas and green apples.  I’ve been having a banana in my smoothies, and I’m not the biggest apple fan and miss my berries like crazy.  I do eat a ton of fruit so it’s a good practice in moderation, but I can’t wait to have strawberries and blueberries back in my life.
  • I don’t miss grains as much as I thought I would.  I already eat a very primal-inspired diet so eliminating my gluten-free bread hasn’t been a HUGE deal, and when I want something carb-y I go for one of the coconut/almond flour recipes from the 21 DSD book.
  • It’s expensive!  I already eat a ton of meat (#carnivore), but with the elimination of dairy and fruit as some of my go-to snacks, I’ve been turning to meat more and more.  I love meat as much as the next girl, but I’m pretty sure the people at Sprouts know me by name now.
  • I miss dairy.  I really like having some Greek yogurt or string cheese as an afternoon snack, and I miss that.  However, Greek yogurt doesn’t always sit the best in my stomach, so maybe it’s better I take a break from it for a bit.  I did accidentally have a bit of dairy in the form of some whey protein in my smoothie and sour cream in some mashed potatoes, but the potatoes were too damn good to pass up.
  • I’m having fun creating new recipes!  The other night I made chicken in an almond butter sauce, and the Englishman and I grilled some salmon over the weekend.  Now granted, a glass of rose would’ve been nice with the salmon but I digress.

spring reset salmonOverall it’s been an interesting experiment and while my digestion still isn’t 100% yet, I’m hoping that will improve as I head into week two.  I should also note that I am following the “energy modifications” in the program since I do workout a lot/do crossfit, and making sure to get plenty of starchy veggies in the form of sweet potatoes, butternut squash and red potatoes.

On to week two!

Tru-Nut Powdered Peanut Butter

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We all know that I love peanut butter.  It’s pretty much a guarantee that there will always be a jar of PB in my house.  So when the team at Tru-Nut reached out and offered to send a sample of their powdered peanut butter, I jumped at the chance.

Tru-Nut Powdered Peanut ButterI’ve used powdered peanut butter in the past, but what attracted me to Tru-Nut’s powdered peanut butter was the fact that it was all-natural, GMO-free and very low in sugar.  Plus, powdered peanut butter is lower in calories and fat than traditional PB.

Tru-Nut Powdered PB JarBut let’s get one thing straight – in my opinion, powdered peanut butter is NOT the same substitute for the real thing.  The texture is different and it doesn’t have the satisfying fat that regular peanut butter does.  If I’m in the mood for peanut butter, you better believe I’ll be reaching for my jar of Peanut Butter & Co. Crunch Time before I grab the powdered stuff.

That being said, powdered peanut butter is a great vehicle for adding a nice peanut flavor to baked goods, and is perfect for making a peanut sauce, which is what I did with Tru-Nut’s powdered peanut butter.

Tru-Nut Powdered PB HoneyThe Englishman and I eat stir fry pretty often, so I decided to make a peanut sauce that can be mixed with noodles or veggies.  The peanut sauce is ridiculously easy to make and is much healthier than buying a pre-made sauce at the store.

This recipe does call for soy sauce, but if you are soy-free like I am, you can use coconut aminos
instead!  I discovered coconut aminos last year and it’s a great soy substitute.

Powdered Peanut Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Tru-Nut powdered peanut butter

2 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos

1 tbsp honey

1/4-1/2 cup water (depending on how thick you want your sauce)

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.

Tru-Nut Powdered PB SaucePour peanut sauce over noodles or vegetables and top with crushed peanuts/cashews.

Tru-Nut Peanut Butter CashewsEat, enjoy and repeat.

Thanks Tru-Nut for sending me your powdered peanut butter!  I’ll have to try the chocolate flavor next!

Do you have a powdered peanut butter recipe I should know about?  Please share!

Pineapple Ginger Quinoa

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Sundays generally are “prep meals for the week” for the Englishman and I.  We update our weekly calendar whiteboard with meals for the next week and figure out how much we can prep on Sunday since we both work long hours and aren’t usually in the mood to be in full on dinner prep mode after work.

This Sunday was no different.  The Englishman got to baking his bread for the week (bread recipes to come soon!), I prepped pasta and butternut squash to make this tasty dish on Monday, and I made a big batch of quinoa that could be used for a variety of meals throughout the week.

Since I knew we were having fresh fish for dinner tonight, I figured I could get creative and use some of the quinoa to make a delicious side dish that would complement the fish.  Enter Pineapple Ginger Quinoa.

This side dish is very simple, and can be jazzed up with some peppers or veggies of your choice!  I kept it pretty basic this time around, but I think for next time I’ll add in some chives or cilantro to kick it up a bit.

Pineapple Ginger Quinoa

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 cups pineapple (I used fresh, but canned will work)

1 large shallot

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh ginger

1 lime, cut into wedges

salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

If you don’t have cooked quinoa already prepped, cook your quinoa until it is light and fluffy.  I tend to add the coconut oil while the quinoa is cooking, but you can add it in later (or omit it) if you like.

While the quinoa is cooking, cut up your shallot into small pieces and dice your pineapple into small chunks.

Once quinoa is fully cooked, pour the tablespoon of olive oil into a skillet and saute your chopped shallot until it starts to turn a golden brown.  Add in the quinoa, pineapple, ginger, coconut oil (if you didn’t cook the quinoa with it) and mix well.  Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Garnish with lime wedges and enjoy either by itself or as a side dish.  Like I mentioned above, this dish pairs very well with fresh fish as pictured below.

Happy Cooking!