Low-carb: Cauliflower Mashed «Potatoes»

You know those recipes that are extremely healthy but taste like…well…like sand in your mouth? This is not one of them. This recipe is really yummy and has actually no potatoes in it. I love to use it as a side with roasted chicken or a steak and best of all, I can eat this at dinner time.

Cauliflower is very versatile, remember this cauliflower pizza crust and the paleo flatbread?

Ingredients (serves 2 hungry people or 3 not so hungry ones  🙂 )

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 whole leek (green part included)
• 1 garlic head
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat your oven to broil. Chop the cauliflower, the leek and the garlic heads. Boil the cauliflower until tender. Set aside and let cool. In a pan pour 2 tbsp. olive oil and sauté your chopped leek with the garlic until semi-golden. Set aside to cool.

Pour your egg , egg whites, almond milk, sautéed leek with garlic and the remaining olive oil in your blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend lightly for 1 min. Don’t over-blend because then it gets very liquid. Pour your mix in a Pyrex and cook in the oven until the top gets golden.

🙂 I like to sprinkle it with some paprika.

Quick italian dinner: pasta al pomodoro

I was reading my past posts and realized that I am always in a hectic situation.

I have to sit down and learn to breathe. Between the recording, filming and writing my social life has gone down the toilet. But who am I kidding? I love being busy. The point here is that I have to squeeze in time to do other stuff and relax a little.

That being said, I am going to share with you guys a recipe that is quick, easy and once you learn it, it never fails. So when you find yourself in a busy (or lazy) day, this is your solution.

I made this and Jimmy loved it. This is my no-fail, fool-proof recipe. Let’s take out some tomatoes and let the magic begin!

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup tomato puree ( I was feeling kind of lazy and used the canned version and I also had half tomato which I grated and added it too)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• handful of chopped basil leaves
• salt
• Pasta of your choice (I used glutten-free)

 

Instructions: 

• In a pan saute the garlic with the olive oil.
• Chop the cherry tomatoes in half (easiest way to do it) and add them with the tomato puree in the pan. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the salt and the chopped basil.
• In a big pot boil enough water for two portions of pasta, and add salt to the water. Once the water is at bowling point, add the pasta an let cook as instructed on the packaging. Once the pasta is cooked drain it and serve with the sauce.
• Easy, breezy… pasta al pomodoro. Enjoy!

Carrot cake: crowd pleaser

I try to always take the healthy road when I post recipes in my blog but sometimes I like to make not-so-healthy ones too (Jimmy insists on it with passion).

So today I want to share this carrot cake recipe that always makes me look good when I have guests over and since my mother-in-law is coming to visit, it is absolutely a must.

If you would like to find a healthier version of this recipe I posted one last February here.

I used this recipe and added 1/3 cup raisins but I didn’t add the frosting (yes, I’m such a rebel). Feel free to add the frosting if you like.

Enjoy! 🙂

 

Basics: homemade almond milk

I remember the time when I couldn’t stand the taste of almonds; for some reason it didn’t do it for me. Now, after all this intolerance nonsense that cause my migraines, I have come to good terms with it since it’s a fantastic alternative to normal milk (which I don’t like the taste of per se).

Back in Caracas I used to make my own almond milk because it was impossible to find it in stores but when I moved to Madrid I found in the «natural» stores sugar-free almond milk. When I tasted it it seemed kind of…well kind of non natural. The taste was very artificial and the texture did not seem right. After I took a look at the ingredients it said 7% almonds. Say whaaaaat? What about the other 93%?

So to make a short story even shorter, I now make my own almond milk at home and I’m very happy with it. I mix some dates and vanilla with the milk other times I add some cinnamon it all depends on your personal taste…

Ingredients:

• 1 cup blanched almonds (soaked at least 8 hours or overnight)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3 dates or 2 tbsp stevia sweetener (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional)

The most important part here is to soak your almonds for at least 8 hours, 12 hours max. Once they have been soaked, you drain the almonds and put them in the blender. For each cup of almonds you add 2 1/2 cups water. I used to add 3 cups but the milk turned out watery and I like it foamy and thick. Then, if you like, you can add the dates and the vanilla.

Blend for at least three minutes then pour your mix into a cloth strainer and squeeze all the milk into a clean bowl. If you want you can set aside what remains inside the stainer and make some almond flour later. (I’ll leave the simple steps at the end of this post.) 

Refrigerate your milk: it lasts for about 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Almond flour: Set your oven on broil. Take out you oven’s tray and add a parchment paper. Take what’s left in the strainer and spread it on the tray. Leave in the oven for 15 min. Turn the oven off and let the flour cool inside the oven so it dries off. Once the flour is dry strain it in a sieve so you now have a fine type of almond flour. 🙂

June: 5 things that make this month amazing

For me May is an exciting month because I know that June is going to arrive soon with my birthday in it and the lovely warm weather. I am excited to spend my birthday in Greece and that I get to travel not only for business but also for pleasure.

May has been packed with tons of work and new exciting projects. My parents and my sister are coming to visit! I just can’t sleep counting the days until they arrive!

I can’t be more grateful for all that is happening: I finally finished the first draft of my book! I have been working so hard on it and finally it has some kind of structure. I battled with ideas and got inspired with a new ending. It’s a fiction novel that I have been working on in the past two years. I have really no idea when it will come out (or if it will ever come out) but I have my hopes high that someday it might.

1) Celebrating my birthday on June 5th.

I have to go to Greece to start an exciting project that we are working on (more details in the next couple of months) and I will get to spend my birthday with my family in Greece. How fun is that?! I have never spent a birthday there and I think it is going to be amazing having my grandmother and my family next to me.

2) Finishing the first draft of my book.

It may sound crazy, but I have developed a very strong relationship with my main character Thomas. So when the last page was being written I felt I was loosing something very close to me (I tried to explain this to Jimmy but he looked at me like I had lost my mind).

3) Finally going to the beach. 

We managed to squeeze in a little weekend get-away to Valencia last week since the weather was getting warmer. Unfortunately when we arrived the water was really cold but we got to soak in some sun and unplug ourselves from work for two days. I am thrilled for my trip to Greece because I will definitely make time to go to the beach and swim a lot!

4) Mastering my paleo bibimbap recipe. 

Jimmy loves this dish and after reading tons of recipes, I finally found the one that we both like. I make his with rice and I make mine with cauliflower rice so it’s paleo. This month I want to master the recipe and invite some friends over to try this veggie filled plate. Obviously the recipe is coming soon to The Golden Limoncello!

5) Flowers everywhere. 

We went to see the annual rose contest at La Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste. It was spectacular and breath-taking. I think this is officially my favorite place in Madrid.

May you all have a lovely month! 🙂

 

Paleo cinnamon-carrot muffins

Since last week was Valentine’s Day, I needed (read carefully I said «needed») to make some muffins to celebrate. I tried several paleo recipes but they didn’t work out for me. I still have to master the recipes that require almond flour.

These are the ingredients that I used for mine: 

– 2 cups almond flour

– 4 tbsp. coconut flour

– 3 egg whites and 1 yolk

– 4 tbsp. melted coconut oil

– 3 tbsp. homemade applesauce

– 4 tbsp. raw stevia powder

– 1/3 cup grated carrots

– 1/4 cup almond milk

– 1 tsp. vanilla

– 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

– 1 tsp. baking soda

– 1/3 cup walnuts (add more if you wish)

Instructions:

– Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

– Beat the egg whites to a meringue-style mix.

– In another bowl mix all the ingredients except the carrots and walnuts.

– Add the egg white mix to your bowl with the carrots and walnuts.

– Add the mix to 6 separate muffin linens (I bought mine at Tiger)

– Cook for 20 min (or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out dry).

– Let cool and enjoy 🙂

 

 

 

Fruit pies: 3 yummy recipes

There is a magical thing about pies that make me happy every time I bake them. I love making the Paleo version, the sugar-free one and also the gluten-free pie, but today I want to share with you three delicious recipes I found on Pinterest that I am excited to bake for my loved ones. I tried to look for the «healthy» version of the pies, you’re welcome.

1) Lighter lemon meringue pie (you can find my version of the lemon pie here)

2) Strawberry pie

3) Healthy blueberry pie

 

Favorite three healthy recipes from my blog

Just in case you didn’t get to see them I want to share with you guys some past recipes of the «Culinary Tuesdays» posts. These are easy and healthy. I always make them and I love them!

Enjoy!

1) Greek salad recipe

2) Breakfast omelette

3) Fresh salad mix

 

 

 

My small summer bucket list: 7 things I want to do

No beach for me this summer, just the plain old city. But I will make the best out of it and stop complaining. Last Friday I told you guys I would share my summer bucket list. It’s small and achievable. So here it is:

1) Swim at least once a week. My dad is on vacation and he left me in charge of his business. So that means coming to the office really early in the morning from Monday to Saturday. Yup, Saturdays too. So I am planning on spending my Sundays swimming at my parents pool.

2) Finish my screenwriting script before August 15th. I am extremely loving this new chapter of my life: learning how to make scripts. From dancer to singer and from singer to screenwriter…I am like a little Swiss Army multitool!

3) Have a picnic. I used to have so many picnics before. I seriously don’t know what happened. I plan on dusting off my little basket, add some yummy snacks and use my new polka dot blanket. (I will try this recipe too).

4) Read J.G Ballard’s «High Rise» novel. I want to read the book before the movie comes out next year. (Yes, Tom Hiddleston, I am eagerly waiting).

5) Make these fresh popsicles. I found this recipe from «Gimme Some Oven» blog. Fresh and easy! Healthy too!

6) Try blue makeup. Here is some lovely inspiration with its tutorial.

7) Finish the «August Photography Challenge». I think I just made that up. But it consists of taking a daily photo of all August.

What are you guys planning to do this summer?

 

 

 

 

 

Paleo Flatbread

The first time I tried this recipe it came out pretty awful. Really, it did. It tasted like… well it tasted nasty. So I changed some ingredients and now I am happy with the results.

After it was ready, I cut the pieces into tiny squares and kept them in the fridge in an airtight container. They last approximately 3-4 days. When I was ready to eat them I tossed them for a couple of minutes in the oven. You can make mini sandwiches! They are low carb too.

Ingredients: 

– 1 cup cooked cauliflower rice. (Make the cauliflower rice as in this recipe. Make sure to drain all the water with a cloth.)

– 2 egg whites

– 1/4 cup flax food

– 1/4 cup almond flour

– 1 tbsp. ground oregano

– 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

– Pinch of salt and pepper

Pretty cool right? 🙂

Directions: 

– Pre heat the oven at 450 degrees. Mix everything in a bowl and using your hands, pat out your flatbread on waxed paper.

– Bake until the edges are brown. It depends on your oven, but I usually leave it in the oven for about 30-45 min.

Stuffed red peppers

In Greek «gemistes piperies» means stuffed red peppers (or any other color peppers but these taste sweeter). They also have «gemista» that are stuffed tomatoes and peppers. My grandmother made these with rice but I prefer the low carb version.

Feel free to add a cup of rice to this recipe, I did so in one so that Jimmy wouldn’t complain.

Ingredients:

– 3 big red peppers

– 3 cups lean ground meat

– 1 small onion

– 1 cup broth

– 1/4 cup fresh and minced  parsley

– Olive oil

– Salt and pepper to taste

Try to choose big peppers so you can fill them properly. 

Start by cutting your pepper’s tops, those are going to be your «hats» to close the peppers once they are ready. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. Pour one small teaspoon on top of each pepper with a little salt and broil in the oven for 30 min.

– Mince the onion and the parsley together. In a medium pot heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the mix from the onion and the parsley and stir for approximately 5 minutes. Toss in the meat and add salt and pepper to taste. Slowly add the broth little by little. Leave just 3 tablespoons in a small bowl to use later.

The meat will be ready when all the broth has evaporated.

– Fill your peppers with the cooked meat. If you want you can add a little rice to the mix as I did above. Take your 3 tablespoons of broth and add one to each stuffed pepper.

– Close the peppers and broil for 10 minutes.

 

We love it: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I crave pizza all the time. I have it from time to time but not as often as I would love to. I found many recipes to substitute normal crust with cauliflower crust and I told you guys I would try some of them in this post.

One small warning: your kitchen is going to smell nasty when you are boiling and draining the cauliflower…but it will be all worth it at the end!

Here is the recipe I followed from «Eat.Drink.Smile».

I changed a little the toppings. I drained the cauliflower «rice» and put it in a clean cloth. You have to squeeze all the liquid out. I also didn’t use the microwave I just boiled my rice with enough water and a bit of salt. After many crusts gone wrong, I learned that it comes out pretty crunchy when you drain all the water from the cauliflower.

So let’s begin!