These recipes are simple, nutritious and perfect for anyone avoiding –
gluten, dairy, sugar, eggs, grains or legumes 
(almost paleo, however I used sweet potatoes – apparently our paleolithic ancestors cooked meat but not potatoes. whatever.)

Simply omit the animal protein and double the portion size for a deliciously healthy Vegan or Vegetarian variation.

You know what?  I’m shifting the perspective here… Whether you’re avoiding certain ingredients or not –  these are just delicious recipes I know you’ll love, and will leave you feeling nourished, energized and satisfied (not bloated and heavy)!

The common thread here is WHOLE, SEASONAL, ORGANIC ingredients…

• Honey Harissa Salmon ~ Roasted Root Veggies ~ Jalepeno Lime Chimichurri
• Thai Shrimp Skewers ~ Rainbow Veggies & Cauliflowre “Rice” ~ Sweet&Spicy Almond Sauce
• Pecan Crust Chicken ~ Zucchini “Spaghetti” ~ Vegan Kale Pesto

Hello Friends,

So, what in the world makes a pancake “Paleo” ?
They’re dairy free and grain free! Seems almost impossible, right?
(note: I am NOT supporting the paleo diet as a healthy lifestyle choice)

Unlike your typical order of short stacks, which give you a sugar rush that is immediately followed by having to take a nap, these little buggers have just the right amount of fat, carbs and protein to keep you energized and satiated for hours.

I created these light and airy pancakes for our 10 Day Health Challenge Spring Guide and my bet is they become your Sunday staple too 🙂
(you can still get the 40+ healthy recipes here)

So, what’s in them….

Paleo Pancakes 

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
2 T nut butter (walnut pictured)
1 egg
½ t vanilla extract
½ t cinnamon (or more) to taste
¼ t sea salt
1 t coconut oil

Toppings: honey, nuts/seeds & coconut

Directions:

1) Mash banana with a fork and mix in the nut butter and cinnamon

2) Scramble the egg with vanilla and salt and add to the mixture. Combine well

3) Melt the coconut oil in a nonstick pan, pour in half of the batter and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with other half of the batter.

4) Serve topped with a drizzle of honey and slivered almonds

Endless Variations:
you can switch up nut butters
use almond extract in place of vanilla
add blue berries along with 1 T of flaxmeal
pumpkin spice for cinnamon
coconut milk for honey on top
maple & pecans in place of honey & almonds

What’s better than a Simple-Spring-Supper that only takes 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of hands on time!?
Yum, nothing. 

Scroll down or grab my recipe on Mind Body Green today!

And that’s not all – we’ve got 40+ simple recipes and healthy living tips that’ll leave you feeling like a rock star in the kitchen and cleansed for spring – check out our 10 Day Health Challenge guide!

Directions:

Hello Friends,
Thought I’d share with you my current favorite Go-To-Meal:
I roast loads of veggies and #PutAnEggOnIt
(I’d rock that # bumper sticker)

poached on miso roasted veggies
roast kabocha, sweet potatoes, snap peas & kale in miso dressing
serve cabbage & chickpeas with a bit of miso dressing
“Perfectly Poached” recipe HERE

Miso Dressing: 1/4 cup miso paste, 1 T honey, 1 T sriracha, juice of 1/2 a lime, 1 T mirin, 1 T tamari (serving 4)

roasted in a nest of cauliflower & kale
with lemon zest & chili flakes

seriously, less hands on time than scrambling!
checkout my recipe HERE

baked in a portobello mushroom
with fresh herbs (optional parmesan)

this works wonders in an avocado too

“It’s not a fad or a diet, it’s a practical guide to healthy whole living”

The 10 Day Health Challenge includes: a meal plan, grocery list, easy to follow recipes, FREE online yoga/pilates classes, nutritional support and daily inspirations to keep you motivated.

I wanted to share with you a recipe from our Winter Menu so you can get a taste of just how delicious and simple our recipes are!

Hola! Coming at you from Todos Santos….  The little beach town in Southern Baja Mexico I moved to (exactly) this time last year.  I moved here to open a farm-to-table store/cafe on an organic farm (see here & here) and after the hurricane which touched-down on Souther Baja last month, the store and farm were nearly destroyed.  {Which brings me back to Todos Santos to give a little love}.

Since the local organic farms have been destroyed in the hurricane, the only available produce in town comes from farms that drench and drown their produce in pesticides 🙁   

Tips on Healthy Traveling & Choosing NON Organic Produce: 
-Choose fruits and veggies that you can peel, minimizing your pesticide exposure!
(avoid berries and foods that grow IN the ground like carrots)
-I pack baggies of superfoods like spirulina and green tea matcha when traveling – both are loaded with antioxidants {fun fact: Antioxidants help repair damaged cells caused by free radicals in our bodies – free radicals come from pollution, pesticides, smoke, toxins, etc.)
-I also travel with Yogi Super Antioxidant Green Tea and freeze the brewed tea into ice cubes for smoothies
– while we’re on the subject, here are more healthy travel tips
Green Smoothie Recipe:  1 Cucumber (peeled),  Avocado, Lime, Frozen Banana, Spirulina, Green Tea Matcha and Green Tea Ice Cubes (not pictured)

Breakfast was chia seeds and oats cooked with cinnamon, vanilla and coconut oil.  Topped with walnut butter, bananas, hemp hearts and local honey  (I brought everything from SF except for the bananas, coconut oil and honey)

Papaya and Green Smoothie Afternoon Snack

Jicama and Cucumber with Lime and Cayenne

Loving my Klean Kanteen – Powereed by Spirunia and Matcha 🙂 OOOOOMMMM

Here’s to health,
Claudine

recent obsession:
POACHED EGGS!

I don’t know why I’ve been avoiding learning to poach an egg all my life.  Maybe because everyone makes it out to be “so difficult”.   I found it to be the easiest thing I’ve recently learned!  Expect to f**k up a few times at first .  But that’s to be expected, it’s just food, no worries.  Before you know it, you’ll be whipping them up with no troubles at all! Practice makes Perfect.

We could spend a lot of time going into the politics around eggs (which I LOVE doing), from cage free to pasture raised or from cholesterol concerns to the perfect protein source…there are a lot of opinions out there around eggs.
My philosophy is: Enjoy everything from nature in moderation (and sure, an occasional apple fritter is fine too!).

I happen to LOVE eggs.  They’re versatile, affordable (well, kind of. $8 farmer’s market pasture raised, ek!) and not to mention, packed with vitamins, minerals and protein.
(However, I would never eat an egg on the airplane, in a random restaurant or from a place I know does not support the humane treatment of animals…see HERE)

OK, HOW TO POACH AN EGG…

What you’ll need:
a slotted spoon
shallow pot of boiling water
paper towels
eggs from happy chickens
distilled white vinegar

What to do:
bring a small pot of water to a boil
lower to a simmer
add distilled white vinegar
crack the egg into a small cup (I used an espresso cup)
slowly drop the egg into the pot of simmering water (I kind of slide it down the side of the pot)
set your timer for 3 minutes
it’s going to look weird and messy in the water- don’t panic
use your slotted spoon to move the whites towards the yolk, keeping the shape looking somewhat uniformed-ish
in the meantime, place a paper towel on a plate
in 3 minutes the egg is cooked (or when the white part of the egg looks firm and not runny)
remove the egg with your slotted spoon to the paper towel to dry for a bit
season with salt and pepper

(if making more than one, you can add eggs 30 seconds apart)

Recipe for above picture: I roasted a sweet potato, chopped greens and almonds in ONE dish in the oven while I made the egg.  If you can do simple math you can learn to cook entire meals in ONE dish.  Oven at 400.  On a large cookie sheet bake the sweet potatoes (I poke with a fork and wrap them in foil).  When the potato has 12 minutes remaining, scoot them to one side of the pan and add the chopped broccolini and kale (tossed with evoo and sp) along with the almonds. (I feel silly for even explaining this)

ENJOY!

Whipped it up again for a late lunch yesterday.  Earrings off, computer aside… hello deliciousness!!!! Think I’ll make it again today!

Not only is this a delicious salad, but the benefits of the combination will boost your health and slow down aging by reducing cellular inflammation!

Photograph was taken by the talented Eric for my Decadent Detox website – thank you, my friend!

I love learning about foods and their medicinal purposes, and in addition, what foods paired together create an even bigger beneficial bang (than when eaten on their own)!

When I cook for myself, I cook with a purpose and choose foods for their health benefits 🙂 do I always want flax seeds on my yogurt?  No, but I always sprinkle a little on because probiotics (yogurt) need high fibrous foods (flax) to thrive and do their thang’ in our tummies!

When I cook for my clients, it is with these intentions as well…every ingredient I choose serves a specific purpose… I LOVE IT… So fun!

Anyway, I love this combination and have been eating it almost every day down here in Mexico… can making fruit facials….check it out here!

Grapefruits are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that’s been shown to reduce inflammation and prevent cell damage. But when you pair grapefruit with avocado, the avocado’s healthy fats actually help increase lycopene absorption, making it more available for your body to use. says Dr Oz 

Lately I’ve been enjoying making a Lemon Honey Flax oil dressing for this salad.  I like this Flax oil for dressings.  And anything tastes better with chopped nuts on top and fresh greens.

More powerful combinations here on Men’s Health

That’s called passionate about your work! Eric in his element

What to do with a ton of bananas on a rainy Saturday morning?  Make banana bread obviously!

I topped these little warm loaves of heaven with organic ricotta, warmed honey and toasted coconut.  Good Mornin!

I LOVE  baking….I have so much fun experimenting with alternative flours and substitutes for sugar (honey, apple sauce, maple syrup etc).  Anyone who knows me, knows I can not follow a recipe for the life of me… so I used this wonderful  recipe here and included coconut flour and Bob’s Redmill biscuit flour for a little extra lovin fluff!

I think the bananas were plenty sweet to I did not bother adding the honey to the recipe.

Paleo Banana Bread:

3 mashed bananas (1.5 cups)

3 large eggs

1 T vanilla

1/4 cup butter

1 cup almond meal

3/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup Bob’s Redmill Baking Flour

1/2 t celtic sea salt

1 t baking soda

Blend first 4 ingredients.

mix in dry ingredients

scoop bater into a greased loaf pan  (I used minis)

Bake at 350

55-65 minutes for loaf pans, about 35 minutes for minu loaf pans

Nori Rolls are a great healthy lunch option for while on the go.

If you haven’t tried making Nori Rolls before, I suggest you give it a shot… once you get the hang of rollin, they are super simple and you can fill them with practically any vegetable and grain!  Roll them  right into a piece of aluminum foil and just turn over the ends.  Perfect for a for easy grab-and-go lunch and you can enjoy like you would a burrito – pulling down the sides of the foil as you munch down.

Limy Miso Ginger Dressing:

These are a few ingredients I always keep on hand – they last for ages in your fridge and you can have fun playing with the ratios….

Miso Paste (made of chickpeas, soy free gluten free), Organic Honey, Rice Wine Vinegar, Amino Acids, Crushed Ginger, a little Sesame Oil and Fresh Squeezed Lime.

Easy Peasy!

Just back from a wonderful week of Bed & Breakfasts with Ben on the coast of Mendocino County.  Oh man, we could get used to that!  A light knock at 9am, followed by the secret bookcase-door creaking open and in comes our 3 course farm-to-room breakfast!  (We stayed at Glendeven in Mendocino).

What better way to transition into the week back than enjoying a “healthier” version of the most important meal of the day with a few of mi favorite ladies (been watching too much Downton Abbey).  Sarah hosted, Molly and I puttered around the kitchen and Melanie popped in with Andrew and their precious Zoe for a surprise visit.

Sarah served with warm organic syrup, strawberries and fresh orange juice HERE

I’ve been wanting to find and perfect a healthy and fast pancake recipe.  Seeing as I am a gluten free chef and not big on breakfast (I know it’s bad, but a pot of coffee, fruit and a spoon full of almond butter is all I want until 12) I have not taken the time (nor am I interested in) making pancakes.  That is until now.  This are great and the dry ingredients can be combined ahead of time and kept portioned in your fridge/freezer.

I combined a few recipes and here we go. (ps if you are looking for a present to get me 🙂 look no further than here)

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (I used a combination of almond and coconut because I had 1/2 cup of coconut milk that needed to be used), 1 cup water, 2 eggs, vanilla and 1/4 cup oil (I use almond or walnut), 1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup sweet rice flour, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup sorghum flour, 1/4 cup tapioca starch, 1 t baking powder, 1/2 t salt, 3/4 t xantham gum,

Optional added flavors: cinnamon, raisins.  Lemon zest, cardamom and pomegranate seeds.  Berries.

Mix the wet ingredients.  In a separate larger bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  form a well in the middle and pour in the wet ingredients.  beat well to incorporate.  Should be silky.

Make on your griddle or non stick pan.  Flip when bubbles form.  These are best served hot off the pan, otherwise keep warm in the oven.

yum!

Hola Friends! I hope you all are well.  It sure has been a whirlwind since I moved here (I used to say “world wind” up until a week ago).  The first month was a week of catching up and acclimating to my new environment, followed by a week of looking for a new place to live while dodging scary dogs and ended with a week of finally getting the ball rolling on the farm-to-table concept (the reason for my move down here).

A month ago the “cafe” was, well, 4 brick walls and a roof.   Seriously, that’s it.   Today, I am proud to say that our hard work is showing and by December 21st we will be open for business!

First, I’d Like to clear the air a bit, because as my grandmother thinks, I moved down here to live on a beach 🙂 I am living on a dirt road, I brush my teeth with bottled water and my “shower” is dripping cold water.  Dinning out is an uphill battle as everything is fried and garnished with a sprinkle of micro organisms.  The stray dogs are terrifying, vicious and rabie-infested.  There’s only 2 paved roads in town.  I live on a beach and have out on my bikini once.  To my surprise the locals do not understand when I speak to them in Italian.  On Sundays Todos Santos turns into a ghost town. Expecting to  FaceTime over stolen wifi is like expecting to leave Whole Foods spending less than $50- it’s just not gonna happen.  Anyway, despite the norms (of living in Mexico), I am really enjoying being here and grateful for this opportunity to team up and learn from some of the best organic farmers!

Life in Todos since I arrived November 1st, 6 weeks ago (with a 2 week break in SF)

The soon to be cafe and farm-to-table store

When I arrived 6 weeks ago it was an empty brick building.  Our new tables to display produce

Day of canning – with the labels and logo I designed – Organic Farm Girl yah

Recovery Smoothie and Coconut Banana Muffins

I believe the food we put into our body should come from the earth, not a factory.  Replenish and Nurture your body with whole foods (meaning without the additives, preservatives and nasty crap) so that your body can spend it’s energy on rebuilding, repairing, rejuvenating and recovering not digesting Skippy and Fried Chicken 🙂  

I was inspired to make a healthier version of Banana Bread when a client told me it was a favorite of his.  I absolutely LOVE taking people’s favorite old school comfort foods and by making just a few simple swaps turn them into healthier pieces of deliciousness!  Every ingredient I choose, I choose for a reason.  Every ingredient has medicinal and health benefits, and particularly helps with post workout recovery.

For Example the Banana Coconut Muffins: I used coconut and almond flours because they are higher in protein, fiber and vitamins than wheat flour.  I sweetened with honey and coconut milk.   I added Tera’s Organic Whey Protein for extra full protein

I believe that if you can not pronounce an ingredient on a label, and you don’t keep it in your pantry – do not put it into your body!

For Example, my Post Workout Smoothie:  Banana, Spinach, Almond Butter and Coconut Water.  As simple as that.  But lookie here, I choose every ingredients for their health and medicinal benefits, not just because they taste great.  Read HERE.  Aa oppose to Odwalla and other packaged drinks that have additives and ingredients that you wouldn’t even find on your own pantry.

Health Benefits:

Banana: high in potassium..balances electrolytes

coconut water: natures Gatorade minus the added shit

almond butter: high in vitamin E, helps prevent muscle soreness

spinach: contains natural plant base “steroid” phytoecdysteroids” .. “can increase muscle growth by 20%”

Add ons

Berries: vitamins and antioxidants steve off soreness

yogurt: choose organic plain and greek for protein

Coconut Banan muffin Rcipe:

note:  when i am baking I just throw ingredients together until I reach the consistency I am looking for… so this is not exact… but you get the idea 🙂
wet

• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 Bananas Chopped
• 2 egg whites
• 1 eggs
• vanilla
• 2 T coconut oil
• canned coconut milk

mix in 1/2 cup Organic whey protein powder

dry

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1. 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 t baking soad
• 1 t salt

I forget  (it was 3 days ago) but think I baked at 375 for 15 minutes… sorry guys…. I’m such a “go with the flow, don’t make it technical” kind of chef 🙂

enjoy – guilt free 🙂

xoxo,
Claudine

Seriously, you could have these for breakfast.  I use Apple Sauce and Honey to Naturally Sweeten.  Almond Meal in place of wheat flour and flax meal for added nutrients fiber and omegas.

They are SO moist and delicious, and healthy enough that you do not have to feel guilty for having a cookie before noon.

It has taken me a couple tries to nail it – but I think this is a winner. So moist and delicious! (ps: i hate the word “moist”)

wet

• 3/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup ground flax meal
• 4 egg whites
• 2 eggs
• vanilla and cinnamon to taste

dry

• 2 cups oats
• 2 cups almond meal
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t salt

…and why you”re not invited.  Monday trail runs in China Camp are where some of my best business ideas are generated; my mind is clear and there’s not a soul to be seen or an industrial sounds to be heard.  I mean, if this doesn’t inspire creativity and clarity what the hell would?  It’s what I also call “trail-therapy” and a time when things on my mind are identified, processed, labeled and stowed away.  Not  only are there wonderful mental and emotional benefits to being outdoors, but when we’re connected with nature and our body, specifically during physical activity, we release endorphins creating the “happy” feelings.  Added bonus, your skin “glows” (foods for the glow here)

2 Miles to the top…  Eye spy 3 bridges and SF

Now that you’ve been trail blazing, it’s time to nourish and replenish your body. My favorite post workout snack(vegetarian and gluten free):

Banana, Almond Butter, Chia Seeds and Hemp Hearts

While down in Todos Santos, Baja this summer I was enjoying this snack every morning post run with banana’s from Logan’s orchard.  Look at them hanging over the creek!

A few shots from my run in  Paradise!

CLICK ON THE LINK FOR THE VIDEO BELOW….AND HEAR COW BELLS 🙂 AH!

CLICK HERE Todos Santos Farm Animals

Trail run, or really just the road…

Passing a farm

5 minutes later, arrived

nope, no one on the beach