Asian-Style Green Beans

March 18, 2016March 17, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

Are Chinese buffets still a big thing? I haven’t been to one in many years, but for a while when I was younger my family and I would go often. It was just easier because everyone could get what they wanted and it was good for my notoriously picky sister because there were always a few things like pizza and chicken nuggets. Which of course are Chinese. Asian-Style Green Beans | Life Healthfully Lived

One of my favorite things at the buffet were the green beans. They were crispy, crunchy, green, sweet, and salty. They had those huge granules of salt and garlic and they balanced so well with the other flavors. I would always get numerous helpings and could have easily made a meal of them.

Of course, they were probably SUPER high in sodium and flavorings that might not have been the best but when compared to the other offerings at the buffet (I’m looking at you General Tso’s chicken and crab rangoon) they were a pretty good choice. The other day I had a hankering for those green beans and decided to make my own healthier version and I’m pleased to say I think I got pretty close! Asian-Style Green Beans | Life Healthfully Lived

Fresh green beans are making their way back into grocery stores so you should be able to find them pretty easily. But if you can’t don’t worry, you can use frozen green beans too. Give these green beans a try at your next meal and I guarantee your family will polish them off. At least, my husband did….

Asian-Style Green Beans

2 cups fresh green beans, ends trimmed (if using frozen make sure to thaw them first)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 to 2 tsp coarse sea salt (if you don’t have coarse that’s fine just adjust the amount so it’s not too salty)
2 tbsp coconut aminos (you can use soy sauce or liquid aminos too)

Heat a little oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and swirl everything around the pan a few times.
Add the green beans to the pan and then add the onion flakes, ginger, and salt. Stir so everything is mixed together. Saute for 5 minutes.
Pour the coconut aminos over the green beans, stir everything together, and cover. Lower the heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes.

DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde

March 16, 2016March 15, 2016 / ktbuchs87

After 2 years of Spanish in Jr. High, three years in high school, and two semesters in college I can say this with certainty: verde means green. Therefore, that means salsa verde is green salsa. Mind-blowing things revealed on my blog today, I know. DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

In my brain I understood that salsa verde had to be made with some kind of green vegetable but I never really thought about it. I just ate my regular salsa and left my green dip needs to guacamole. Then I saw a sale on tomatillos at my grocery store, bought a few on a whim, and then headed home to figure out what to do with them. After a little research AKA Google search, I realized tomatillos are what make salsa verde, well, verde.

I also found out that roasting them was common and helped bring out their flavor. Since I am the Queen of roasting any and everything, I roasted them up, blended them up, and then ate them up.

That’s how simple this recipe is. If you’ve never worked with or had tomatillos before, don’t be intimidated. They come in a papery husk and kind of look like a giant green berry. Like this: DIY Wednesday: Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

All you have to do is peel away the husk, like this: DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

Rinse it off and you’re good to go! I kept this really simple but you could add other things like jalapeno peppers if you want a kick, roasted apples if you want a little bit of sweet, or stir a little salsa verde into your guac for a delicious twist.

Roasted Salsa Verde:

3 to 4 medium-sized tomatillos
1 small onion, about 1/2 a cup cut into quarters
3 to 4 whole cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Peel the husk off the tomatillos and rinse with cool water. Dry completely.
Place the tomatillos, quartered onion, and garlic cloves into a large bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil and toss until everything is coated. Sprinkle with salt and pour everything out onto the baking sheet.
Roast everything for about 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatillos are a little brown around the edges and soft. It’s ok if they explode a little while roasting.
Remove from the oven and let everything cool for about 10 minutes. Then, pour the whole pan into a blender, add the chili powder and blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

This salsa is awesome on tacos, with homemade tortilla chips, and even as a dip for plantain chips! DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Pesto Mac N’ Cheese

March 11, 2016March 10, 2016 / ktbuchs87

I’m having a bit of a thing with cauliflower right now. I buy at least three big heads of it per week and have been experimenting putting it into different dishes. I pretty much look at any recipe and wonder, “Could I do this with cauliflower instead?” Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s kind of how life goes right?

Look, life lessons while making yummy food. Can’t get any better than that. Slow Cooker Cauliflower Pesto Mac N' Cheese | Life Healthfully Lived

Last week I had delicious taquitos (which you should definitely make immediately… after today’s recipe) that had a cauliflower filling and this week I’m doing a little bit of a twist on macaroni and cheese. Spoiler alert: there is no macaroni. Or cheese. There is, however, cauliflower, a delicious cheese-esque sauce, and a slow cooker.

Now, before you Mac N’ Cheese purists come at me with pitchforks and torches this recipe isn’t meant to taste exactly like Mc N’ Cheese it just uses a similar process. And if we’re on the subject of tasting like Mac N’ Cheese, apparently Kraft rolled out it’s new less artificial Mac N’ Cheese and told NO ONE and there were literally no complaints about it. So if we want to get technical, no one really knows what Mac N’ Cheese tastes like so who’s to say my version isn’t right?

Ok, that took a weird little turn but back to this recipe. I love the pesto-cheesy sauce on this and I like that I made it in my slow-cooker so there was minimal effort. You could easily prepare the sauce stuff before hand and then throw everything together in the slow cooker when it’s time to make dinner. It all tastes rich, creamy, and decadent yet you’re still getting a lot of nutrients and a big dose of vegetables. Talk about a win!

Cauliflower Pesto Mac N’ Cheese

1 large head of cauliflower, about 5 to 6 cups, cut into florets
1 batch of No Mozzarella Mozzarella
1 batch of Spinach Pesto
3/4 cup of full-fat coconut milk or any other non-dairy milk you like
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp smoked paprika

Cut up your cauliflower and set aside. Make the No Mozzarella Mozzarella and the Spinach Pesto. You can do this the night before if you want or right before.
Lightly oil your slow cooker with a little olive oil and place cauliflower florets into your slow cooker. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the mozzarella and pesto. It will be really thick but don’t worry.
Add the coconut milk slowly and keep whisking until you have a smooth and pourable sauce. You might not use all the milk and you might need a little more just adjust until you have the right consistency.
Pour the pesto sauce over the cauliflower, making sure to coat everything. Sprinkle the top with smoked paprika, cover, and cook on high for 3 hours or a little longer if you want super soft cauliflower.

Serve up and enjoy the goodness! Slow Cooker Cauliflower Pesto Mac N' Cheese | Life Healthfully Lived

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup

February 26, 2016February 25, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup | Life Healthfully Lived I have been living off of this soup for the past few weeks, it’s that good. It’s hearty enough to make a good meal but not so heavy that you feel like taking a nap after you’re done. I feel like that’s a good judge of a meal. Do you feel like laying in bed for six hours when you’re done? Nope? Then you should eat this meal again or try harder next time.

This winter we haven’t had many days where you just want to wrap your body around a bowl of soup and swim in a giant mug of hot chocolate. I’m not complaining, but I do enjoy those super cold nights where a warm meal is the only way to feel comfortable. I’m probably the only weirdo like that.

On the nights that it is frigid out, try this super simple soup. It’s stuffed full of vegetables and then blended to make it creamy and delicious. No dairy, no cheese, and yet it’s still smooth and wonderful. That’s my kind of soup. Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup | Life Healthfully Lived

What do you guys have planned for your weekend? I’m on my own this Saturday and I’ll probably end up running a few errands and catching up on some work. I know, wild and crazy over here. But that also means that I’ll spend a good portion of my day in the kitchen coming up with yummy things for you. Any suggestions?

My suggestion to you? Make a big batch of this soup on Sunday night and have lunches or dinners set for the rest of the week. Your future self will thank me!

Creamy Broccoli Spinach Soup

1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup celery, sliced
2/3 cup onion, diced
3 cups broccoli, cut into florets (you can also use frozen, just make sure it’s completely thawed)
1 cup roasted red or orange bell peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 cups spinach, tightly packed (I used a whole 8 oz bag for reference)
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth or water
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

To roast your bell peppers: Preheat the oven to 400 and cut the tops off of the peppers. Remove all seeds and place the whole peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning the peppers over half-way through. Take the peppers out of the oven and place them on a cutting board and place a large glass bowl over them so the steam will loosen the skins. After 15 minutes, remove the bowl, slip off the skins, and dice the peppers. FYI: you can do this a few days ahead of time so you don’t have to do it right before you make your soup.
For the soup: Heat a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and add in the carrots, celery, and onion. Saute them for about 8 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the minced garlic, roasted bell peppers, and broccoli florets. Stir everything together and sprinkle with a little salt. Saute for a few minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth or water. You want the broth to cover all the vegetables and about 1/2 inch above. Turn your heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Add all of the seasonings and stir to combine.
Once the soup is boiling, add the spinach and cover the pot. Turn the heat to low and simmer the soup for 15 minutes, stirring once.
After 15 minutes, remove the lid and using an immersion blender, blend everything until it is smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can work in batches with your regular blender. Just return everything to the pot when you’re done.

The best thing about this soup? It tastes AMAZING with a healthy dollop (read: massive spoonful) of my cheesy garlic spread. Yum!

DIY Wednesday: Paleo Porridge

February 24, 2016February 23, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

DIY Wednesday: Paleo Porridge | Life Healthfully Lived Doesn’t the word porridge always conjure up old-timey meals like in Oliver Twist? Or at the very least make you think of Goldilocks and the only three bears on the planet that prefer a hot breakfast over raw carcass?

Just me? Cool.

Porridge is actually any type of oatmeal, grain, or cereal that is cooked with boiling water or milk. Most people go for oatmeal because it’s the most readily available but you can make porridge out of a lot of different things. But for the most part it’s usually made out of some kind of grain and if you happen to be following the paleo diet, grains are a no-go. So does that mean you can never enjoy a warm bowl of porridge on a cold winter morning again? DIY Wednesday: Paleo Porridge | Life Healthfully Lived

Of course not! Not when you’ve got me around.

Not only can you make porridge out of cereals or grains, you can also make it out of meals (as in ground up stuff) and that includes nut meals. Finely ground nuts make a great base for porridge and it is entirely paleo-approved! I decided to go with almond meal because it can be made savory or sweet and it’s what I had on hand. Also, almond meal is fairly easy to find so you won’t have to hunt through a specialty store to make your own paleo porridge.

I have a recipe for a sweet porridge and a savory porridge, both are essentially same, but the seasonings and liquid choices are a bit different. If you’ve been missing your morning bowl of warm, cozy porridge try this easy grain-free version!

Paleo Porridge- Makes two servings

Sweet Porridge

2/3 + 2 tbsp almond meal (go for meal instead of flour because you don’t want it too finely ground)
1 cup almond milk or any other non-dairy milk you prefer
1 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or coconut nectar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt

Savory Porridge

2/3 + 2 tbsp almond meal
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

No matter what version you make, the directions are going to be the same. In a medium saucepan, bring the liquid to a boil.
Whisk in the almond meal and turn the heat to low. Keep whisking as the almond meal thickens. This will take about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add in the sweetener (if making the sweet version) and seasonings as you keep whisking. Once you’re porridge has reached your desired thickness, pour into a bowl and finish it with your favorite toppings.

If you’re porridge is too thin add more almond meal, one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thick add more liquid, one tablespoon at a time. As for topping ideas? How about: