Yellow Coconut Curry Chicken with Paleo Coconut Rice
Thai food is my favorite but it’s not always the most paleo-friendly. The spiciness of this curry finds its perfect balance with the smooth and sweetness of the coconut cream. The delicious dish is served over delicately paleo rice infused with a hint of coconut. If you’re a nut lover, add in ¾ cup of cashews!
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup coconut cream (skimmed from the top of 1 refrigerated can of full fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced sweet potatoes
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp thai yellow curry paste (or curry powder or garam masala)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- fresh chopped cilantro to garnish
- 2 cauliflower heads
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- Clean chicken and dice into 1 inch cubes.
- Sauté onions and garlic in coconut oil in a large saucepan over low - medium heat for 2 minutes then add the chicken cubes and continue to cook until chicken has slightly browned.
- Mix curry paste (or curry powder) with coconut cream and chicken broth and pour over the chicken.
- Add the tomatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes and stir.
- Stir in salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Cook on medium heat with the lid on for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Top with fresh cilantro and serve!
- Wash and chop cauliflower heads then grate in a food processor or with a cheese grater.
- Add grated cauliflower to a pot with ¼ cup chicken stock, ¼ cup coconut milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Cover and let steam for 7 minutes over medium heat.
- Uncover, stir and serve!
Doggy-Doodles
Snickerdoodles are my boyfriend’s world’s favorite cookie and my dog thinks it’s unfair that he gets to eat them all. The only solution to this snickerdoodle injustice was to make a dog-friendly healthy version of the classic cookie for him to enjoy like his daddy!
Please
Pretty Please
God Please
Holy!
Surprisingly, dog treats are extremely simple to make at home and also healthy for your dog. You can tailor the recipe towards your dog’s diet for any special diets or preferences. The most popular add-in ingredients for dogs are pumpkin, sweet potatoes and apples so don’t hesitate to throw any or all of those in in a puree form. The brown rice flour used in the doggy-doodles gives them their crunch, doesn’t contain gluten, is hypo-allergenic and aids in doggy digestion. Brown rice flour is also high in protein and vitamin B…as well as fiber and selenium which helps prevent cancer! A few key benefits of other popular homemade dog treat ingredients are as follows:
Pumpkin – Pumpkin has been known to improve digestion, urinary health and even assist in weight loss for pets. It’s high in Vitamin A, potassium and fiber and can help keep your dog’s immune system strong as well as remedy upset stomachs, constipation and diarrhea.
Sweet Potatoes – Sweet potatoes are as healthy for your dog as they are for you! They are packed with antioxidants that aid in cancer prevention, healing and anti-aging effects. They’re high in fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, beta carotene, manganese, copper and iron…a true superfood!
Apples – Apples contain Vitamin C, Vitamin A and plenty of fiber. They will make your dog’s coat shine with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, not to mention they are a naturally delicious sweet treat.
Natural Peanut Butter – Natural Peanut Butter contains Vitamin E, niacin, phosphorous, magnesium and fiber. It contains protein, carbohydrates and omega fatty acids that can even reduce bad cholesterol in dogs. Peanut butter is Harley’s all-time favorite…one lick from a spoon and he’s drooling for days.
Whole Grain Oats – Beta-glucans in whole grain oats can improve cholesterol which reduces risk of heart disease. They also contain a high level of fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, zinc, Vitamin B and selenium. Oats can assist in controlling blood sugar levels which is beneficial for any dog with diabetes.
Harley and I made these doggy-doodle treat packages to send to his buddies with a note saying “I made you these dog-friendly treats because I miss you and hope you can come play with me soon. I promise I won’t growl or attack you. Love, Harley”. They’re too tasty to not to share!
- 2 cups brown rice flour
- 2 cups oat flour
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2½ tsp cinnamon
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- dash of salt
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix the brown rice flour, oat flour, eggs, water, honey, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Roll dough into small balls about 1 inch in diameter.
- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet, pressing slightly on each ball as you place it.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Spaghetti Squash with Arrabiata Sauce and Spicy Italian Meatballs
When I was vacation this past September in Italy, I ate pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Literally. I couldn’t and still can’t get enough. Now that I’m back in California and back to reality, I still have pasta occasionally but can’t help but feel guilty about the belly full of carbs and starch weighing me down as I’m waddling out of the restaurant. Voila! I present to you a guilt-free Italian indulgence substitute for chewy squash “noodles” drenched in a spicy and flavorful tomato arrabiata sauce with tender, zesty, mouthwatering meatballs. Mangia!
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 head of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 8 oz. can tomato paste
- ½ cup organic red wine
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1½ pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup almond flour
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half then scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Place the 2 squash halves on a foil lined baking sheet face up.
- Spread the slices of garlic inside and along the walls of the squash halves.
- Season with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil over the squash, making sure that the inside of the squash halves are covered entirely.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until squash separates easily from the skin.
- Remove from oven and cool for 25 minutes.
- Use a fork to pull the squash strand “spaghetti” out of the squash.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over low heat and sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the organic red wine, honey, dried basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, dried basil, thyme, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Let sauce with meatballs cool before serving.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat eggs in a small bowl.
- Mix the ground beef and ground pork together in a large mixing bowl and beaten eggs.
- Stir in minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Add the almond flour and combine.
- Roll mixture with hands into 2-inch meatballs.
- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add meatballs to arrabiata sauce, simmer and cool before serving!
Spa Day at Burke
I’m not a fancy ritzy spa day girl. Not that I don’t enjoy the luxuries of pampering (I sure do), but it’s more about the ludicrous cost versus benefit for me. Disregarding the ambiance factor, I would gladly choose a $20 full body massage at an Asian “foot” massage parlor over a $200 massage at a fancy shmancy spa. Nevertheless, I had a certificate for Burke Williams so I happily made an appointment to see what the fuss was all about.
Harley at Swami’s
I started the day with an early morning run with Harley to get my cardio out of the way. He’s sticking his tongue out at the camera but he’s having fun and he loves to check out the waves. After we successfully avoided all dogs for Harley attack, I whipped up a batch of my paleo huevos rancheros style eggs and began the trek to LA.
I found my way easily to the spa and entered the lobby behind 3 other women before me. I only had to wait five minutes or so before I was given a key to a locker and led into the women’s spa. Of course, the first thing I noticed was a table with small tasters of a smoothie, beautiful bananas and apples and watermelon-lemon infused water. Delightful! I had a sample of each…a couple samples. 
Inside my locker was a soft cotton robe with rubber slippers which I contently slipped into. I grabbed a complimentary aromatherapy towel and headed to the steam room. I will say that the combination of the aromatherapy towel over my face while lying in the hot steam was pretty amazing. Every breath felt refreshing, reviving, and cleansing. I could still smell and feel the aromatherapy essences well after I left the steam room. I headed to the (non-silent) Jacuzzi after drinking some infused water and soaked for a few minutes before I lost interest and headed back to the changing area to shower and prepare for the grand event. I was a fan of having any toiletry openly available for use at your disposable – razors, shaving cream, facial moisturizer, body lotion, hair mousse, hair spray, even hair straighteners and curling irons!
I put my robe back on, headed to the waiting room and sipped on some apple spiced green tea while I waited eagerly for my name to be called. Finally an older Swedish woman came into the room and announced that she was “looking for Melody”, me! She led me up the stairs to my massage room and asked me what I would like her to focus on and to which I responded “everything”. The room was nice and dimly lit and I snuck a few pumps of the lotion before I slipped under the blanket and onto the table. I reveled in every muscle she soothed and all of the knots she worked out. I tend to carry a lot of tension in my neck so it was much needed! It was the perfect pressure, with just enough so you don’t feel like you’re only getting lotion rubbed on your back yet not enough to feel like you’re getting murdered via table pounding. 
I dreaded the final smooth down and towel pat but eventually all good things come to an end and I was left with the tingly calm sensation that they call relaxation. My massage was amazing and I enjoyed every second of it but I couldn’t help thinking about the fact that I could have gotten the same end result with paying 10% of the price. My mom takes me to these Asian foot massage spa parlors (found anywhere near large Asian populations – we hit the ones in San Gabriel) where you pay $20-$25 and the place you in large, plush recliners and give you a foot soak/massage then recline you flat for a full body massage for 1 hour…neck, shoulders, back, arms, legs, feet…the works! You won’t get the waterfall trickle and saunas that you’d find at a high-end spa but if you’re looking for a no-frills massage, this is the way to go. Depending where in LA I am, I tend to frequent these parlors (yes, I have a frequent customer punch card):
Southbay Foot Massage – 2421 190th Street, Redondo Beach, CA 90278; phone: (310) 379-3668
Lucky Foot Spa – 1039 E Valley Blvd, Ste B113, San Gabriel, CA 91776; phone (626) 572-0588
After showering with four shower heads and an unlimited supply of conditioner (and swiping a razor in my bag because that’s how I roll…and hey, I paid $200 for it), I headed to Venice to meet some girlfriends for brunch at the Sunny Spot, one of my favorite lunch spots with magical décor and a killer outdoor patio.
This time I ordered the Diablo Shrimp and Grits (2 eggs any style, spicy rum sauce, garlic butter, herbs) which were good but didn’t quite meet my expectations. The grits and sauce were on the plain side and could have used more spice and flavor but I still managed to consume every last bite. Of course I also had to have a side of their delicious Yucca Fries with their banana basil ketchup which is to die for. I’ve had their Pork Belly Sandwich (garlic aioli, pickled cucumber, cilantro, pineapple, butter lettuce), Half Jerk Chicken (jerk sauce, grilled pineapple) and the MUH-F KN Mofongo and Eggs (2 eggs any style, mashed ripple plantains, applewood bacon, fennel, garlic, rum, cilantro, chili vinegar, ginger oil) which were all mind blowing. For all of you boozers, they also have a $15 bottomless mimosa, bloody mary or sunny rum punch offer until 4:00 pm with the purchase of any main plate!
Diablo Shrimp and Grits and Yucca Fries with Banana Basil Ketchup
Sunny Spot in Venice
I headed east with my full belly to pay a visit to the fam…and also learned the “Little Apple Dance” from my mom. Apparently it’s all the rage in Asia 😉
Paleo Crepes
I love crepes in any and every form. They’re delicious and oh-so-versatile! You can eat them for breakfast slathered in thick and gooey maple syrup, use them as a wrap for meat and veggies in a savory sweet potato and chicken crepe, fill them with berries and coconut whipped cream…the possibilities are endless. Click here for my coconut whipped cream recipe to fill, to top, to eat…a crepe must!
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup almond milk
- 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 3 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- Whisk eggs, almond milk, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, coconut flour, arrowroot powder and salt together in a mixing bowl and place in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium – high heat.
- Whisk batter for an additional minute then pour ¼ cup of the batter into the pan, turning the pan in a circle so that the batter spreads thinly around and covering the pan.
- Cook for 1 minute and flip crepe when the edges start to lift.
- Cook the other side of the crepe for 30 seconds then layer on a plate until no batter remains!
Classic Garlic Sautéed Broccoli
I can’t understand why anyone in their right mind would eat plain boiled broccoli with no flavor when you could simply add a little bit of olive oil and garlic and transform boring vegetables into a savory mouthwatering side! It’s no wonder kids don’t like their vegetables but they’ll sure like these broccoli florets bursting with flavor. This piping hot recipe is a great complement to almost every entrée…get your greens!
- 2 heads of broccoli
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- Wash broccoli and cut broccoli florets in half.
- Sauté half of the garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add broccoli and cook until browned on the bottom (approximately 5 to 7 minutes).
- Drizzle water over the broccoli and cook for an additional 6 minutes until the water has evaporated.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 3 more minutes until the garlic is golden brown.
- Season with salt and pepper!
Panda’s Asian Glazed Mahi Mahi
This is a modified version of my mom’s famous Chinese glazed fish, one of my all-time childhood favorites! The secret to getting thick and flavorful sauce is to add the arrowroot powder/water mixture (cornstarch/water mixture traditionally) to the leftover marinade after the fillets have already been cooked. If you like it spicy, add a couple of dashes of crushed red pepper flakes to the marinade for an extra kick!
- 4 mahi mahi fillets
- 6 tbsp coconut aminos
- 6 tbsp honey
- 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil (plus additional for sautéing)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (plus additional for sautéing)
- 1 tsp scallions, chopped
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- chopped cilantro, scallions and sesame seeds to garnish
- Mix together the coconut aminos, honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic cloves in a small bowl.
- Place mahi mahi fillets in a glass baking pan and season with garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Pour marinade on fillets, cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Sauté additional garlic and scallions in a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Pour fillets and marinade into skillet and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, until fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.
- Mix 1 tsp of arrowroot powder with 3 tsp of water and drizzle into the leftover sauce in the skillet and simmer until thickened to a glazed consistency. Add additional arrowroot powder to thicken if necessary.
- Spoon glaze over fish and serve with chopped cilantro, scallions and sesame seeds on top!
FluGate 2015
2015 – the year of the worst. flu. ever. I’m not a complainer and I have an extremely high tolerance to pain of any type but I can honestly say that this was the sickest I have ever been in my life. Days of fever and muscle aches, nights of chills and cold sweats…I was looking for a medal when I’d move from the bed to the couch, an impressive feat. Here are a few tips you may or may not have known about the flu to keep you from the same fate!
- The flu can be spread to others up to approximately 6 feet away.
- Most adults are contagious beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.
- Children may pass the virus for longer than 7 days.
- Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm
This means that you could be contagious before you even know you’re sick. Don’t be that person in public who’s hacking up a lung and sneezing on everyone. It’s disgusting, annoying and unnecessary. If you’re sick, STAY HOME! We don’t want your disease. This especially applies to those of you in office environments (aka breeding grounds for infestation). To the woman sitting at the table next to me in the coffee shop who sounds like she’s about to keel over and die, I’m not telling you that “you don’t sound too good” because I’m concerned about your well-being…I’m telling you to leave and get the hell away from me.
If you have already fallen victim to the nastiest sickness of the decade, the remedies below might help relieve your symptoms but you are pretty much screwed and just have to ride it out. Also, a warning to those of you sitting on your high horse with your flu shots, word on the street is that this strain is one that is not included in the vaccine (supposedly your symptoms are less severe if you have the flu shot but I got a shot and I’m not sure I’m convinced).
- Stay in bed, rest and sleep!
- Stay well-hydrated by drinking at least 8 cups of water each day to keep your respiratory system hydrated and liquefy mucus build up.
- Drink hot liquids (preferable to cold liquids) to relieve nasal congestion and sooth inflamed nose and throat membranes. Lemon tea with a dollop of honey is my favorite!
- Gargle with salt dissolved in warm water to moisten a sore throat.
- Try nasal saline irrigation or saline sprays to thin mucus and decrease postnasal drip.
- Self-medicate with over the counter drugs. Daytime and nighttime cold relief, cough and throat drops are your best friend.
I’m also convinced that if you sleep with a peeled white onion cut in half in a bowl near your head when you sleep, it will absorb viruses and flu. The next morning, the onion will be black from absorbing the bacteria from your system. This has yet to be scientifically proven but onions were historically used in the early 1900’s in Europe to successfully fight off the plague and are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that help the body release toxins as well as quercitin (a powerful antioxidant linked to prevent numerous diseases). Onions also contain prostaglandin A, a strong vasodilator that aids in regulating blood pressure. They can prevent high cholesterol, break down fats, fight asthma, diabetes and nasal congestion.
Wash your hands often and stay healthy! Good luck and Godspeed.
Paleo Yellow Cake with Chocolate and Vanilla Frosting
My boyfriend’s favorite birthday cake is yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Straight up. I decided I should try and find a paleo friendly way for him to still enjoy his classic treat and this one literally takes the cake. Simply pour batter into a lined-muffin pan to make cupcakes instead of a cake! For those non-chocolate lovers out there (why?!), there’s a scrumptious vanilla frosting recipe option for you…or even better, use both! Be sure to sprinkle any additional dark chocolate chips you have left on top of your cake!
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup palm shortening
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp almond milk
- 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 4 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 4 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish (or line with parchment paper).
- Separate the egg yolks and whites and set aside the yolks.
- Whisk egg whites with the apple cider vinegar for 1 minute.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with honey, lemon juice, vanilla extract and coconut oil.
- Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
- Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl then add to the wet ingredients.
- Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Enjoy with my paleo chocolate frosting or the frosting of your choice!
- Melt coconut oil and dark chocolate chips in a saucepan on low heat until combined.
- Stir in salt and vanilla extract.
- Allow frosting to cool and thicken.
- Mix together the palm shortening, honey, maple syrup, almond milk, arrowroot powder, coconut flour and salt in a small mixing bowl.
- Add the coconut oil and vanilla extract and whip until well blended.
Slow Cooker Paleo Cilantro Lime Chicken
Cooking chicken in a slow cooker is delightful. Cooking chicken that has been marinating in this cilantro lime marinade for hours is mind blowing. Each bite of this chicken is full of flavor, fall-off-the bone tender….and healthy! Pop this bird in the slow cooker in the morning and dinner is ready by the time you get home.
- 1 6 to 8 pound free-range organic whole chicken (without giblets and brined preferred)
- 1 lime
- ½ cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Wash and clean chicken then dry thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, paprika, cayenne powder, cumin and garlic powder together.
- Rub the spices all over the chicken and ensure the entire bird is covered.
- Poke holes into the lime with a fork and cover with additional chili powder. Place lime in the cavity of the chicken.
- Combine lime juice, olive oil, fresh cilantro and garlic in a blender until well blended.
- Puncture chicken a few times with a knife then place in a large ziplock bag.
- Pour blender contents over the chicken, making sure that the marinade covers the entire chicken (including under the skin).
- Marinate chicken overnight in the refrigerator.
- Place chicken with any leftover marinade in slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
About Me
Hi, I'm the paleo panda! Join me on my journey for better and greater in eating, traveling and living. This is a collection of my life’s “musts”.
