Canada To Cali

A few quick inclusions from the trip from Canada to Cali:

A pretty dialed meal as far as eating while driving goes. Well balanced bursting with flavor and super healthy.

 I am obsessed with these Bombay Curry Kale Chips! They are extra tasty with a bit of spice and all good ingredients. Some yummy big clusters and they remind me a little bit of childhood BBQ Lays.

The Grass Fed-Teriyaki Jerky was pretty good too.

More of the Standing Stone Brewery! I wish I could eat here so many more times to try everything on the menu!

I had to try their in-house kimchee, and it was delicious. Lots of ginger and they use real chile flakes to avoid the preservatives in other kimchee seasonings/peppers. Different (the ginger factor) but quite good. And they let me sub it for the salmon's pub mashers!

Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillet

 So goooood! A quality fish but the highlight was the sauce on top, lemony with a hint of curry/cumin, definitely Thai-influenced. Served over a delicious mix of sautéed veggies.

I can't wait for the Ashland Mountain Challenge in 2012 so I can go here again!

Noodle Tutorial and New Japanese Favorites

It's time for a noodle tutorial. Salads, soups, and stir fry's...

Available at your local Whole Foods! 0 calories, shelf stable until opened, clear, noodl-y, a bit crunchy raw, soft when heated. Nutrients and fiber... (Ingredients=Kelp)

Rinse before use

Shirataki Noodles! Also mostly fiber, made of Mountain Yams (turned into a flour first). Not the sweet kind, more like a daikon or turnip and turned into noodles! More likely only at your Asian grocer, possibly just labeled yam noodles.

I like buying them in these little packages, and then untying the little bundles after rinsing... Soft and noodly from the start! (Ingredients=Yam Flour)

First in a salad, both kinds mixed with some fresh veggies

Tossed with delicious Ginger-Yuzu (Citron juice)-Garlic Dressing

And some Steamed Sesame Squash and Raw Sushi Salmon (Wild BC amazingness of course, couldn't not take a bite before the photo...)

Finally all tossed together with all my other favorite ingredients! They really make me feel like i'm eating wheat noodles/pasta. Quite amazing for the nutrition.

A little break from 'noodles', this is a Gluten Free Seasonal Fruit Bar from the Farmer's Market! Blueberries and Nectarines this time, with crunchy Quinoa Flakes and Apple Juice/Honey Sweetened.

Onto soup!

This 'Miso' was so much more.

It rivaled my favorite Ramen from Izakaya. That's a feat.

Topped with my favorite Kimchee available everywhere in Whistler!

Kale 'Ramen' Miso Soup

This is when they seriously start to act like noodles. Extra tender and full of the broth's flavor. This soup combo is now my go to version for miso!  I consider Enoki mushrooms in here just as good substitutes for noodles as well. 

• 2 Cups Water to 2T White Miso, 1T Ginger, 1T Garlic
• 1/2 Bunch Kale
• 1 Sheet Nori Sushi Seaweed
• Shirataki and Kelp Noodles
• Soft Boiled Egg+2 More Boiled Egg Whites
• Enoki Mushrooms
• 1 Package Plain Natto and 1 Block Tempeh (tempeh toasted first)
• Sushi Ginger, Kimchee to top

The flavors in this soup concoction are so good, and the contents bring them even higher. I am especially pleased with using Natto for the first time, it's almost like having slightly bitter not strong chewy miniature coffee beans in your soup! Soft Boiled Eggs and Nori Seaweed for the win of course...

My other new Japanese FAVORITE: Kabocha Squash. Yeah you guys eat your NORMAL fall pumpkins... I'll stick with Japanese. (and wait for Persimmons!)

 (Japanese Pumpkin)! Just slice to desired size, scoop the seeds, pop it in the oven w/ some cinnamon/cayenne/coconut oil if desired (at least do the coconut oil!), and enjoy, skin and all! Slightly less caloric then a sweet potato and more so than butternut squash.  40 min. to an hour at 400º. Dialed.

Remember when I said I was going to enjoy some Wild BC Salmon Burgers with a legit creamy dill dressing? Well I did it!

 Not fully accomplished yet, but the added dill dressing matched the taste of the salmon and the fresh dill in the herb salad mix! All mixed up, can't wait to use some tahini to make a more mixed up (Coconut Milk doesn't mix with oil so well) Creamy Dill Dressing (like Annie's Goddess gone dill...mmmm).

Settling Routines

Pretty much just posting this to show off the quality Salmon! 

I toaster-ovened it with some leftover broccoli and yam, topped with plenty of coconut butter. It tasted bomb with a hint of dill that I wanted more of so I sprinkled some extra on. I cant wait to properly grill the next one with some creamy lemon dill dressing.

Onto the real goods: some more protein pancakes, more off of this recipe this time.

• Some Coconut Water
• 1 Scoop Vanilla Whey
• 1t Vanilla
• Blueberries
• 1T Cacao powder
• 1T Coconut flour
• Some coconut shredded
• Some Cacao nibs
• 1T Chia seeds
• An Egg white

The Cacao-Coconut Side

I thought I put too much coconut water but they actually puffed up a bit and made nice thin pancakes!

 Chocolate Chip Pancakes gone protein and primal! (grain free)

 So chocolatey and coconut-y with delicious cooked blueberries, with some more fresh and melty coconut butter on top. Win.

These taste so much like traditional choco-blueberry pancakes! Imagine the coconut butter as completely melted and drizzled all over if you'd like (more like frosting instead of a butter replacement upgrade).

Wasn't going to post this but I had to highlight one thing:

1) I'm loving seaweed in salads, it soaks up the dressing and becomes undried and the flavor is delightful. This was some turkey breast, greens, avocado, and sweet potato with some Flax Oil-Bangkok Pesto-Lemon Dressing.

I followed up the seaweed in salads theme with the most packed Asian Salad Bowl ever.

• Raw Hotate Scallops (for Sushi)
• Kimchee Liquid, Lemon, Flax Oil, Minced Ginger, Minced Garlic Dressing
• Greens, Cucumber, Avocado
• Shirataki Noodles and Sushi Ginger
• Nori Seaweed
• Steamed Crookneck Squash w/ Sesame Oil
• Artichoke Hearts
• Macadamia Nuts and Sesame Seeds

 The scallops, even plain were insanely good: a bit creamy, not fishy at all, the perfect soft texture.  The dressing had plenty of spice from the kimchee with ginger-lemon-garlic flavors. The seaweed and noodles  made some noodly texture. Then some crunchy macadamias and mushy avocado and tasty squash. It lasted forever and never got old!

Noodly Day!

My first time cooking prawns/shrimp, and it's so delicious! I had some kale to use and bought some enoki mushrooms so decided to break it down.

Garlic Ginger Miso Prawns w/ Kale

I knew garlic would be good, and then jazzed it up using coconut oil, miso and minced ginger as well. It turned into an epic stir fry with soo much flavor.

With more goodies...

• Prawns
• Garlic, Ginger, Miso, Coconut Oil
• Purple Kale
• Enoki Mushrooms
• Accompanied by: Kimchee, Avocado, Carrot, Sushi Ginger

Sweetness from the miso/coconut and so much flavor from the ginger-garlic-miso with a hint of coconut! I loved the kale and yummy stringy mushrooms that were like noodles with a kick of spice from the kimchee. bomb.com. For vegetarians I highly recommend this dish even without the prawns!

This dinner got real fancy real fast! I originally just wanted pesto zucchini noodles...(just use a peeler)

Then I threw in every noodle like ingredient I had besides real noodles! Sautéed in garlic/olive oil/TJ's Everyday Seasoning with the chicken (and the less noodly zucchini pieces) and voila! 

 Some baba ghanoush/avo with my gluten free bread from before and some of the best thai bangkok pesto (non-dairy version with coconut milk instead of cheese).

 Thai Chicken 'Noodle' Pesto

The most extravagant chicken veggie noodle pesto dish ever! Best way to eat pasta grain free!

• Chicken Breast, Olive Oil, Garlic, TJ's Everyday
• Enoki Mushrooms
• Bella Mushrooms
• Yam Noodles! (thank you Japanese influence all over Whistler)
• Peeled Zucchini
• Carrots, Olives, Avo, Baba Ghanoush
• Gluten Free Bread
• Thai Bangkok Pesto Sauce (lots of coconut and lime!)

 The baba ghanoush made it like Mediterranean Basil Pesto but the Bangkok made it Thai! The best of both worlds...

Gluten Free Herb Dessert Bread

I'll leave with the last of my bread from before enjoyed as recovery food with a brown rice protein-brazil nut milk-vanilla shake! Toasted w/ hazelnut butter and drizzled w/ coconut butter and it's insanely delicious! I was so pleased. (it is fairly sweet from the date and agave despite it's herb flavoring so the butters go perfect). 

I hope you try either one of these dishes for your own benefit! Even without the meat if that's your thing.

What's your favorite fusion food?

Turkey series?

After a good experience with my first baked boneless skinless turkey breast, I was down to go for it again.

Andronico's only had half turkey's so the butcher de-boned/skinned it for me and I ended up with a huge quality piece of meat. 

I busted out a grill pan instead of baking it and used coconut oil again, and then a little Turmeric/Cumin on one half and TJ's Everday Seasoning and Lemon Pepper on the other. 

• Cafe Del Soul Remix Salad
• Tomato, Artichoke Hearts, Sweet Potato

It lasted through a couple of meals... First time with Cafe Del Soul (had to before I leave) take out salad, supplemented with a little tomato, artichoke heart, and sweet potato. The turkey is crisp and tender at the same time and the sweet yet savory salad did not let down at all. The Hummus is amazing but balances out with a sweetish Tamarind Ginger Dressing.

• Turkey
• Mixed Greens
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Heirloom Tomato
• Avocado
• Bella Mushrooms
• Lemon, Flax Oil, Cumin, Paprika, Turmeric
• Cashews

I've been loving summer salads with flax oil dressings and also wanted to do the avocado w/ cumin/paprika combo so this big salad really satisfied. Tons of goodies and plenty of flavor. Incredibly clean and healthy!

View from the Top

Getting there

• Turkey
• Sweet Potato
• Sun Dried Tomato
• Cafe Gratitude Kim Chee
• Mixed Greens
• Cucumber
• Cherry Tomatoes
• 2 Olives
• Avocado
• Lemon, Flax Oil, Ginger Juice
• Pepper

This ended up being another never ending bowl with just a bunch of random ingredients! More Omega-3 packed flax oil dressing thrown together super easy for the win. With lemon and ginger juice in the fridge on hand a quality dressing is so easy!

• Grilled Turkey Breast
• 2 Carrots
• 2 Zucchini Squash
• Bella Mushrooms
• Cashews and Almonds
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• Mozuku Seaweed
• Sun Dried Tomato
• Pickled Sushi Ginger
• Nori Sea Weed
• Chile Powder, Granulated Garlic+Onion, Garlic Gold, Basil, Lemon Pepper
• Kim Chee Juice, Canola Oil, Lime Juice, Ginger Juice
• Sunflower Seed Butter, Water, Ginger Juice
• Sesame Seeds

The grand finale of the turkey: an epic Stir Fry. I planned on making extra with tons of veggies but ended up eating it all! Quite filling.

I definitely used a few too many nuts but beyond that this was dialed (and I was missing the classic broccoli factor).  The flavor was bomb from both the stir fry mix and the super easy to make nut butter-water-ginger or lemon combo sauce. My favorite part is probably the mozuku seaweed that turns into delicious noodles through out. I ended up using a sheet of Nori Seaweed to make little wraps/use as tortilla chips. 

Sweet Potato for Days

Sardines sound gross but 1 can=convenient healthy protein for one, packed with omega 3's/calcium! You sort of become accustomed to the taste. My classic tahini mixture along with sauteed kale gone stir fry.

Pop the sweet potato in the oven and saute the kale with garlic/lemon/olive oil and then added the other ingredients to turn into a stir fry. Some favorite ingredients in this one all around:

• Sweet Potato
• Tahini, Ginger Juice, Reduced Sodium Temari, Lemon, Water
• Garlic Hummus
• Kale, Olive Oil, Garlic, Lemon, Carrot, Sardines, Olives

Making a batch of sweet potatoes as usual leads to some damn quick but mighty breakfasts.

Blueberries actually go with sweet potato amazingly! Trust me.  And yes that is purple skin with yellow flesh: A Japanese Sweet Potato. They rule butt. Sweeter once refrigerated and slightly chestnutty/flowery. It's quite hard to describe the difference but I am definitely a big fan. I used a little All spice on part and also had some ready to go hard boiled egg whites w/ Avo and Matcha Salt too accompany. Such a good savory protein/fat combo at breakfast.

More sweet potato breakfasts! This one was a real pleasant surprise. I could eat this combo all die. Grains, even granola, are just lame in comparison. Yeah, I just went there.

All mixed up, it's so sweet all around with some nuttiness and all the best textures. Reminds me of cotton candy for some reason.

• 1/2 Sweet Potato
• 120g Plain Coconut Yogurt
• 1 Scoop Tera's Bourbon Vanilla Whey
• 1 spoon More AB
• Blueberries
• Pinch of Allspice (optional, i'm out of cinnamon!)

I think the yogurt combo sans sweet potato may become my go to dessert/after dinner snack. Amazing.

One more thing foreshadowing of things to come: Chocolate Chip Pecan Vegan Oatmeal Cookie from the Farmer's Market.  I wanted to give it a shot so I got the last one. It's vegan via avocado instead of butter/eggs, and my god that's genius! Surprised I haven't tried or come across it yet. Can't wait for my own.

Have you ever used avocado for baking?
Does anyone else pretty much always get to eat their favorite foods or am I just special (i.e. sweet potatoes)?