Garden Tilapia

What I'm eating NOW!

No, this fish isn't from a koi pond-- but the fresh herbs are from my backyard garden. This is a fast, easy, and satisfying meal that I've been eating quite frequently lately!

THE RECIPE:

1 fish fillet- I recommend tilapia
~ 4 large fresh basil leaves
~10 fresh lavender leaves
1/2 tsp capers (~6-10)
~1/2 tsp lemon juice
~1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Warm olive oil in skillet over medium heat until just hot enough-- "enough" = when an herb thrown in sizzles. While it's heating, roll lavender into basil and chiffonade. Add a dash of salt.  Place fish fillet (thawed) into oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic powder. Throw in herbs. Dump in a bit of lemon juice. Cook until fish has turned mostly opaque (the center can still look a bit raw), then flip. Sprinkle on capers. Cook for a few more minutes, then eat! Use the herb-infused oil as sauce. :)

5-Minute Fudge

yummo.

 FUDGE!
I may or may not have gained ten pounds from eating two batches of this in four days. (The uncertainty comes from the fact that I refused to get on a scale!) No worries though, it was worth it!

Now, you may think that the name (5-Minute) comes from assembly time, but that's not entirely the case-- it's more like, that's how long it will last before being completely devoured, because it's that deliciously addictive. (I'm only sort of kidding.)

 Can you actually make this in five minutes? Try it and let me know. I probably can't, because I'm perpetually mis-estimating time, BUT it only has four ingredients, and really all you need to do is mix them in a bowl, spread the goop into a pan, and pop that baby into the fridge. (Fridge setting > 5 minutes- it doesn't count!)


THE RECIPE:

1/4 c coconut oil
1 c almond butter (I used raw creamy unsalted)
1/2 c agave
3/4 c cocoa powder

Combine all ingredients, stir until mixed.  Line an 8x8 pan with waxed paper, pour in fudge goo, and place in fridge to set (~30 mins, or until firm), or, if you can't wait- just eat it wet. And then smooth over the area you ate to destroy the evidence! :)

 This stuff is delicious, and super rich. It's kind of like gold, in food form, only chocolate colored instead of gold colored. (Also, you don't have to dig and dig and diggety dig for it.)

Oh, oh, also, this recipe's raw! (provided you use raw almond butter, and whatever cocoa powder you accept as 'raw')

 ~~~~~~~~~~

 Also, I got a new surfboard! Thanks to my mom for a FANTASTIC yardsale find, scoring me my first longboard.

MmmMmmm, beeeeaaaaach....

Raw Chocolate Lavaberry Cakes

This is my new easy indulgence dessert-- soo good, soo fast, and really, not too guilty! It IS raw, after all....

THE RECIPE:

1/4 c raisins
1/4 c walnuts
1 tbs organic cocoa powder (okay so maybe my cocoa isn't officially raw....)
1 dash of salt (scant 1/8 tsp)
                -----> pulse all in magic bullet blender until mixture sticks around side of bowl. (I use the smallest cup for this and it works perfectly)

Transfer to plate by flipping bullet cup upside-down onto a plate. The pre-formed ring of chocolate cake should slide right out (maybe with some crumbs in the middle, too).


The filling:

strawberris/rasperries/blackberries: I've been using either 3 strawberries, or 2 strawberries and 3 blackberries.
5-7 drops liquid chocolate raspberry stevia (or normal stevia if you don't have the fancy)
                ----> puree in Bullet (same cup as chocolate was in is fine; = less cleanup), then dump into the center of the chocolate cake-ring.

Huuge Yum.

It's.... INTERNATIONAL WAFFLE DAY!!! (March 24)

 
and it's time to celebrate!  (I'm posting this a bit in advance, to give ample inspiration for waffley breakfasts tomorrow.)

What a wonderful week. A supermoon, the first day of spring, warm weather, two best friends' birthdays, and International Waffle Day on March 24.

Not gonna lie, I've been waffling all week in anticipation. Monday night I made cinniteff waffle sandwiches with pizza sauce, cheeze, and mixed greens on them. I also came to the discovery that (at least in my belgian waffle maker, with cinniteff waffles) thinner batter makes soft, flexible, moister and lighter waffles, whereas thicker batter (which is what I usually do for breakfasts) makes crispy belgian-style waffles. I liked the lighter option for dinner, when I want proportionally more protein and less carbs. So keep that in mind!

Also, I ran out of teff flour Monday. Which led me to create the above-pictured Goldi-squares Stairway to Waffleheaven #Winning Waffles. We'll just call them #WinningWaffles for short..... (TIGERBLOOD!!!!)

They pretty much are amazing. Light, faintly sweet but still neutral flavor allows for unlimited possibilities. Such as:

PIZZA WAFFLE!!!! huge success. I used Bridgford Turkey Pepperoni, and Prego VeggieSmart sauce. yum.

OMG  it's a WAFFLEDONUT. okay not really, but that's what it tastes like. Just sprinkle on top: Organic cocoa powder, coconut sugar, and shredded coconut. And it tastes like a chocolate powdered sugar donut! Slash some kind of intensely amazing pastry delicacy.


So, for the substrate behind all this madness:

THE RECIPE:

1 egg
1 tbs extra light olive oil  ---> whip together until a bit frothy
up to 3/4 c almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
5 drops stevia
1.5 tbs millet flour
1.5 tbs garbanzo bean flour
1 tbs Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose GF Flour
1 tbs coconut powder (ie, finely shredded coconut/coconut flakes)
scant 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda     ----> mix all together, pour into [belgian] waffle iron and WAFFLE IT UP!

Ghee (or coconut oil) it after it's off the iron.


#WINNING

Easy Instant Spring Rolls

FEATURING:    Blue Dragon Vietnamese Spring Roll Wrappers!! "Rice pancakes for spring rolls. Delicious eaten fresh or deep fried!" (yeah... I'll just pretend I didn't read that you can deep fry them...)

Seriously, this is possibly the easiest meal to make in the world, slash best thing ever to do with leftovers.

How long does it take to cook a spring roll wrap? Fifteen seconds. In hot tap water.
How long does it take to make spring roll filling? Zero time, if you use salad leftovers, like I did. (Leftover salad from the Wholefoods deli, to be exact)
How long does it take to make a soy-sauce dipping sauce? Maybe five seconds, if you use rando juice from leftover cooked yellow squash, plus some Braggs Liquid Aminos. Or just zero, if you only use Bragg's.

So, there you go. A fancy lookin meal, for about 15 seconds worth of work. These wraps were super easy to work with, too-- very pliable, and self-adhesive. No struggling to fill them at all.

Awesome!!

Basil Cheesey Eggs

This one isn't too hard a concept. Great for a quick lunch.

THE RECIPE:
1 egg
1-2 Basil leaves
Some soy cheese
Little bit of almond milk.(~1 tsp)

Crack egg on frying pan. Dump in ~1 tsp almond milk (adds fluffiness). Sprinkle in a small handful soy cheese (I used a "mozzarella" variety), or as much as you want. Break up fresh basil, and add that. Scramble it all together. When egg is just-cooked (no clear parts left), remove from pan and consume.