Food • Photography • Life
Pumpkin Chili
1/4 c. pumpkin purée
1 lb. ground chicken
1.5 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 c. zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 poblano peppers, chopped
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. chipotle powder
2 green chilis, chopped
1 can coconut milk
1 can vegetable stock
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt & pepper
Combine all ingredients in your favorite slow cooker or Instant Pot and set to soup or stew.
Serves 6-8
Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl
1 medium sweet potato, boiled until soft and mashed
Glug or so your favorite milk
Hefty dash cinnamon
Sprinkle salt
Teaspoon or so vanilla
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Purée together until smooth.
Optional toppers:
Nut butter
Ground flaxseeds
Pomegranate seeds
Pepitas
Granola
Coconut flakes
Serves 1
This is a killer low carb bowl of Summery sushi-esque goodness.
gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, keto, pescatarian
Green Bowl of (Salmon) Power
1 salmon fillet, boned and skinned
1 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp black pepper
Cucumber, chopped – measure with your heart
1/2 avocado
2 Tbsp basil, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1 Tbsp pickled ginger, chopped
Spicy mayo
Togarishi
Sesame seeds
Preheat your air fryer to 400C.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder and black pepper.
Cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces and add to the sauce. Coat well.
Add the salmon to the preheated air fryer and set for 4 mins. Cook, shaking a couple times.
While the salmon is working, chop the cucumber, avocado, scallions and ginger. Add to a bowl. Add the salmon and top with the spicy mayo, togarishi and sesame seeds.
Serves 1
This is a nice and light smoothie with all the main flavors found in a Singapore Sling – minus the gin.
Note: As written, this smoothie may be a bit bitter for some. I would suggest adding a date if you are sensitive to that flavor.
gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan
Singapore Sling Smoothie
Big hand frozen cherries
Equal amount pineapple chunks
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 avocado
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 grapefruit, peeled and chopped
1/2 small beet, chopped
Big hand spinach
1 scoop protein powder
3/4 c water
Combine and blend.
Serves 1
This isn’t keto (if you want keto, check this recipe), but it is relatively low in carbs. Like my other recipe, this is just a riff on pad Thai, but it’s glorious.
gluten-free, low-carb, pescatarian
Lower Carb Pad Thai
1 package shirataki noodles
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp tamarind paste or pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp fish sauce (Red Boat is gf!)
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground ginger
1 scallion, sliced
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
2 – 3 Tbsp basil, chopped
2 eggs
Shrimp – use your heart and wallet
Red pepper flakes
Big hand peanuts
First, prep your sauce by mixing the sugar, tamarind or pomegranate, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce and ground ginger. Set aside.
Next, rinse your noodles and set aside.
Grab your proteins and set aside.
Mince the ginger; set aside.
Chop the scallions, cilantro and basil – set aside.
Add 1 Tbsp sesame oil to a large pan over medium-high heat.
Heat till shimmering, then add the rinsed noodles. Stir fry 1 minute.
Add the eggs. Let sit 1-2 minutes or until mostly cooked; stir into ribbons.
Add the garlic and shrimp and stir-fry until the shrimp is cooked 3/4 of the way through.
Add the sauce. Stir fry until the liquid is boiled off by at least 2/3.
Add the cilantro and basil and stir.
Top with a big hand peanuts and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
Note: This would be great with bean sprouts
Serves 1 – 2
This is a bright, fresh salad. A touch salty as written, but pairs perfectly with an added protein – which balances.
gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan
Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water + your favorite stock situation
2 tsp olive oil
2 mandarin oranges, segmented and chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 large scallion, chopped
Hand full salted peanuts
6 leaves basil, chopped
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce or aminos
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
1.5 tsp coconut syrup
1 Tbsp garlic powder
To make the quinoa, add the quinoa, stock/water, olive oil and a few grinds salt to a rice cooker. Cook on the rice setting until finished.
While that works, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, coconut syrup and garlic powder to form a dressing.
In a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients. Toss with the cooked quinoa and dressing. Sprinkle the peanuts over to serve.
Serves 3-4 with a protein
This is another odd combo that just works. Cardamom & mango isn’t totally unfamiliar to me, but the addition of semi-aggressive lime just brings this smoothie over the top. And the addition here of orange veggies makes it really pretty to look at, too.
gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo
Mango Lime Smoothie
1 large mango
4 small limes – zest + juice
3-4 tsp ground cardamom
1.5 c oat milk
1/2 c chopped sweet potato
1 medium carrot
1 avocado
2 scoops protein powder
Blend
Serves 2
Another kinda-weird sounding smoothie that works. I will be making riffs on this one for months to come.
gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo
Thai Smoothie
6 leaves fresh basil (Thai would be best, but Italian is fine)
1 Tbsp lime juice
Big hand full spinach
1 scoop unflavored protein powder
1/2 apple
1/2 avocado
1-2 tsp fresh ginger
100ml pineapple juice
Fill the blender cup up with pineapple 1/2 – 1c chunks
Blend to combine.
Serves 1
This is exactly what it sounds like. I wanted to see if I could just drink a salad for breakfast – and I’m happy to report, this wasn’t half bad. It’s by no means sweet, but has a nice spice that woke me right up.
gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo
Salad Smoothie
1/2 Persian cucumber
Big hand lettuce
1/2 jalapeño
3 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 Tbsp pepitas
1/2 tsp dried dill
2 Tbsp chives
3 Tbsp yogurt (I used vegan Skyr style)
1/2 avocado
1 scoop unflavored protein powder
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 small nectarine
Few cracks salt & pepper
3/4 cup water
Blend to combine.
Serves 1
Salmon and an aggressive amount of Summer fruit sounds like an odd pairing, but the fat in the fish really works well with the sweetness of the fruit.
gluten-free, paleo, pescatarian
Salmon & Fruits Salad
Salmon steaks – I had 2 pre-portioned steaks and used those
Garlic powder
Sweet paprika powder
Dried oregano
Salt & pepper
Lemon juice
A little oil
I preheat my air fryer to 400c for 3 mins, sprinkled the flesh side of the fish liberally with the spices and lemon juice and placed in the heated basket skin side down. I then hit the fillets with a couple blasts garlic oil and cooked for 4 mins. I de-skinned my fillets to serve.
While the salmon was going, I chucked the salad in a large bowl:
1/2 -1 cup watermelon, cut into bite-sized pieces
20 cherries, pitted and sliced
10-12 strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 nectarines, pitted and chopped
2 tsp each of fresh chopped: mint, cilantro & chives
1 tsp dried dill (fresh would be better but I used what I could find)
I tossed all with a dressing from:
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp fruity vinegar (my current is ume plum)
2 tsp sweetener (my current is coconut syrup)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp chili powder
Generous cracks salt & pepper
I finished my salad with sprinkles of flaked almond and my current favorite spicy topper – togarishi
Makes 2 big salads but could stretch with more fish
Gastography 