Coconut Oil, Star Fruit Cake, and Yoga
February 22nd, 2010
This Sunday Yoga on the Beach held a brunch in addition to a fabulous morning yoga class led by Céline. Class was great, the weather was beautiful and brunch was delicious. It was a perfect event to test out a fun new variation on my upside-down fruit cake. Here in Key West we are fortunate to get starfruit from a local grower, and it makes for such a beautiful cake! If you try this out, and are interested in making the starfruit upside-down cake dairy-free I replaced the yogurt in the recipe, with mashed avocado. It came out perfect!
If you have been following my blog, you will have noticed that I often use coconut oil in baking. I have been using coconut oil for a few years now, and definitely recommend that if you have not tried coconut oil yet, you should consider taking the leap. Coconut oil adds a sweet natural coconut flavor to baked goods, and you can use less of it than you would other oils or fats, therefore saving on the fat content of your sweet treat. It is also one of the few oils that maintains its quality at high heat so the quality of the food that you consume is also maintained. Don’t think that the benefits of coconut oil end there…check out Meghan Telpner’s blog to find out more.
When shopping for a coconut oil it is important to purchase a quality coconut oil that is unrefined, organic and extra virgin. I recently was fortunate enough to receive a sample of Tropical Traditions Extra Virgin Gold Label Coconut Oil. How exciting to receive a no-obligation sample of a product that I am so excited about! I tested out their extra virgin coconut oil in my starfruit cake and was very happy with how it came out. Everyone else at the brunch was pretty happy with it too!
Let me know if you get a chance to try out the Starfruit Cake yourself, and if you join the bandwagon of coconut oil lovers, I would love to hear about your experiences.
Tags: avocado, coconut oil
Posted in dairy free, dessert, fruit, gluten-free, vegetarian, wheat-free 1 Comment »
Lemon Ginger Cookies
February 8th, 2010
These cookies quickly became a favorite in our household. I have been wanting to try baking with almond flour for months now and finally was able to test out some recipes when my partner bought me a bag of almond flour for Christmas. This may sounds sort of silly, but you will understand a little better knowing that almond flour costs $12.99/lb on our little island. Of course once my partner fell in love with the cookies, the cost of the flour was justified!
The inspiration for these cookies came from Elana’s Pantry recipe for Lemon Lavender Cookies. I have been admiring her recipes for months now, and was excited to try something out. Since I didn’t have all of the ingredients to replicate her recipe, I made modifications, and am pretty happy with the results. The ginger and chocolate are a really nice mix too!
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Tags: almond flour, chocolate, ginger, lemon
Posted in alternative grain, cookies, dairy free, dessert, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 4 Comments »
In memory of Grammie
February 7th, 2010
I know I have been away for a bit. I have so many recipes that I want to share, and a few food discoveries as well, but those will have to wait. Today I want to honor the woman who has had the greatest influence on my kitchen adventures. Last week my grandmother passed away, and although I will miss her greatly, I treasure every lesson that she taught me and all of the love that she gave me.
My grandmother loved food. She loved eating food, she loved talking about food, and she loved sharing food with others. Her love for food was contagious, and we all knew that the dishes she created in the kitchen were filled with love. Whenever we went to Grammie and Papa’s we knew that we were going to eat well and eat a lot!
You could not enter her house without being offered something to eat or drink, and she remembered everyone’s favorite food. Even my favorites, which changed rapidly over the years as I became vegetarian, lessened my sugar intake, and eventually gave up gluten. She would always have the pantries filled so that everyone was fed, and would make our favorite meal when we returned from a time away.
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Posted in inspiration 3 Comments »
Roasted Beet and Green Bean Salad
January 14th, 2010
Roasted Beet and Green Bean Salad
Thank you so much to everyone who left comments on my blog and facebook congratulating me on my anniversary! All the love…and the truffles, made it a great day. I am also enjoying hearing from all of the new readers who are enjoying Well Being in the Kitchen too!
For those of you who love salad even in the cold months, here is a great recipe that will keep the soul warm but not weigh down the belly. C. and I have made this salad in so many different versions over the years, but I think this is the most simple. I just wanted to pull together something healthy and delicious for lunch today, and shazam! Roasted Beet and Green Bean Salad. Apart from roasting the beets, it really takes very little time and effort to make.
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Tags: beets, green beans, salad greens
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free No Comments »
Anniversary, Makeover and Truffles!
January 12th, 2010
Happy Anniversary Well Being in the Kitchen!
Raw Cacao Truffles
It is officially 1 year to the day that I wrote my first recipe on this blog and I am loving it. Looking back at this past year I have had the pleasure of sharing some of my favorite recipes with you like Falafel (2 Ways), Gluten-Free Pizza, and Nectarine Upside-Down Cake. More importantly this blog has inspired me to test out new recipes and share them with pride like the Roasted Vegetable Tart, and the Cornicopia Rolls. Best of all, I was able to share my travels with you too, as I explored the markets, fairs and restaurants of Europe. I feel very fortunate to have had such a wonderful “foodie” year!
I am also excited to unveil the new “look” of Well Being in the Kitchen. I have been wanting to personalize the style of the site for a while now, and finally found a little pocket of time to “renovate”. As a designer, you can bet that this is only the beginning. I am sure there will be more tweaks and touches to come…but I hope you find the design welcoming!
Lastly, in celebration of my anniversary, you might have noticed that I made some truffles. I have been experimenting with raw cacao in the past few days which has been great fun, and voila, truffles! They are super easy to make, have no added sugars, and even have a little kick! I hope you get a chance to try them out too.
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Tags: cacao, coconut, dates, walnuts
Posted in dairy free, dessert, egg-free, gluten-free, indulgent, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 5 Comments »
Passion Fruit Pudding
January 3rd, 2010
Sunday in Key West.
It brightens my morning to start off with Yoga on the Beach at Fort Zach. Since it was a little chilly this morning (58 degrees) Céline warmed us up with the 5 Tibetans (yoga) and kept us going with sun salutations to greet the morning sun.
Next we headed in search of vibrant sustenance. It has become a tradition for us to go to the Help Yourself Farmer’s Market after yoga on Sundays. I am so appreciative that they have brought this market to the island, because Key West has really been missing a great source of fresh, organic foods. Personally I just love the atmosphere of farmer’s markets. Charlie, the owner, has created a beautiful setting of fresh produce, smiling faces and acoustic music.
The tropical fruits were what caught my eye this time, and I am excited to share a recipe that I created from these sweet treats. Passion fruit, start fruit, and avocado star in this delicious, and naturally sweet pudding.
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Tags: avocado, banana, coconut oil, passion fruit, star fruit
Posted in breakfast, dairy free, dessert, egg-free, fruit, gluten-free, indulgent, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free 4 Comments »
Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
December 30th, 2009
A cup of warmth
Today is a perfect day for soup. Not only is it a chilly day in the tropics, but after all of the holiday festivities, and the food that goes along with it, I have been yearning for some hearty, healthy soup! This morning I put all other plans on hold long enough to whip together this delicious batch of soup, and quickly proceeded to eat a nice big bowl of it.
Soup is one of the staples of our diet because it is delicious, easy to make, and lasts for a few days if you make a big batch. Consequently I realized that it is strange that I have not shared any soup recipes on this blog, so I am happy to finally have the chance.
If you can find them, I definitely recommend using French lentils in this soup. Often lentil soup is made with red lentils which become mushy and are better for a puree. The French lentils hold their shape and crunch and therefore add some hearty texture to the soup. You might have to look for them in a specialty food store. I recently purchased mine from Atlantic Spice Co.
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Tags: carrot, celery, cumin, curry, garam masala, lentils, sweet potatoes
Posted in dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, soup/stew, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free No Comments »
The Homies 2009 Contest
December 28th, 2009
As I approach the one year anniversary of my blog, and celebrate all the fun that I have had in writing, photographing, and sharing with my followers I was excited to enter the Homies 2009 contest. I chose to enter not specifically with goals to win something, but as a way to say that I am loving what I am doing, and proud to share it with others! So if you get a chance to vote that would be great! You do need to register to vote, but I checked it out myself and it is a neat site. You can also opt to subscribe to their publications or not, so no worry about unwanted mail, etc.
While you are there, check out the Green Home category too, and although who you vote for is entirely up to you…be sure to consider blog.shak-shuka.com. That is my favorite!
I wish you all a wonderful week and hope to share some photos and recipes with you very soon!
Tags: contest
Posted in awards No Comments »
Creamy Squash-Gingered Quinoa
November 30th, 2009
Butternut Squash "Quinotto"
Thanksgiving morning I woke up with a big chunk of time before joining my extended family for our Thanksgiving meal, and still no clear plan of what I wanted to “bring to the table”. It is odd for me not to have a plan of what to cook…a recipe that I have been looking forward to testing out on just the right occasion. I guess I was a bit preoccupied though. Lots going on lately! Packing, moving, planning to move again soon after the first move. Living in cold weather, packing for warm weather, and who knows what else. So, in the mix of it all, I was sort of lost for inspiration on this Thanksgiving day.
The next thing that happened was a welcome distraction from it all. My neighbors invited me for a morning walk, and I was quite happy to have some company and get out of the house. A release from all of my worries for a 1 hour walk…which turned into more. By the time we got back, I realized that I had left myself very little time to actually come up with a recipe and prepare a dish to bring to my aunt’s house. So, I quickly googled up a few ideas and then decided to go with my own.
Quinoa is a very easy grain to cook. It is one of the fastest, and personally I find that it is pretty difficult to mess up. Perfect! Normally I make a simple “naked” quinoa to accompany other dishes, but this time I decided to be adventurous and try something new. A little ginger, and a creamy dollop of butternut squash, and voila – quinotto. (At first I thought I might be making up this term, but after googling it to be sure, of course someone else had come up with it first.) A creamy version of quinoa that resembles risotto.
This turned out to be so easy to make, and absolutely delicious. I was even surprised that everyone who tried it really liked it too. Even the ones who had never heard of/seen quinoa before! So, don’t be shy. Step up to the “plate” and try it yourself…and let me know what you think.
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Tags: butternut squash, ginger, quinoa
Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain side, vegan, vegetable side, vegetarian, wheat-free No Comments »
Butternut Squash Flan with Pecan Crust
November 19th, 2009
Butternut Squash Flan
Fearless Creativity. Funny, I definitely don’t think of myself as fearless, but I will say that when it comes to cooking and baking, I get the closest to this sense of fearlessness. Maybe that is why I love cooking. Usually when I am feeling overwhelmed and stuck, I retreat to the kitchen to lighten my heart and work on releasing what binds me…
This week, I have been in serious need of some fearlessness, so I have been adding creativity here and there between the kitchen and my studio. I guess here is where I can fearlessly plug my newest jewelry designs which you can see in my etsy shop and get a preview of at the bottom of the page…
But back to the kitchen… This recipe was super easy, and I hope you will try it out! It was a total experiment and I will surely tweak it for next time, but after rave reviews last night (from my mother) I know it is ready for the world to taste!
Continue reading “Butternut Squash Flan with Pecan Crust”
Tags: butternut squash, eggs, pecans, rice milk, rosemary
Posted in alternative grain, dairy free, entree, gluten-free, indulgent, vegetarian, wheat-free 2 Comments »