Category Archives: Healthy

Chicken with Tahini Sauce

Leave a reply

As I alluded to in my previous post, I’m on a serious tahini kick right now.  My latest creation?  Chicken with Tahini Sauce.

chicken with tahini sauceThe tahini sauce is loosely inspired by a classic schwarma sauce, only there’s no Greek yogurt involved.  Instead, I went for a combo of tahini, coconut aminos and sesame oil with a bit of garlic and lemon for acid.

I’m realizing more and more just how versatile tahini really is.  First off, it’s great for those who have a nut allergy can can’t do a traditional peanut or almond butter sauce.  Second, tahini is neutral tasting enough that you can add a variety of different spices and seasonings and it will still taste great.  And third, it’s really good for you!  Tahini is high in iron, has lots of vitamin E, and is quite alkaline, which makes it easier for your body to digest.  And after success with the cookies and this sauce, I’m officially sold on tahini.

tahinisauceFor this particular recipe, I decided to coat chicken thighs with tahini sauce and then put them in the slow cooker for a few hours.  If you don’t have or don’t want to use a slow cooker, you can just marinate the chicken in the sauce for a couple of hours and then cook in the oven.

And if chicken isn’t your thing, might I suggest trying the tahini sauce on a salad with some grilled fish or with some lamb or pork?

Chicken with Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

3 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp coconut aminos

2 tbsp water

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Place your chicken thighs in a slow cooker.  Coat with olive oil and salt and pepper.

In a small bowl mix all of your tahini sauce ingredients together.  Gently pour your sauce over your chicken until all pieces are coated.

Cook on low for 6-8 hrs, or until the chicken is tender and moist.

Remove and serve with your favorite sides!

Spring Reset Week 2

3 Replies

Happy Monday!  We are officially in week two of the spring reset and this week was definitely a lot more challenging that week 1 to say the least.  While I’m all for clean eating and resetting, I definitely could not do a diet like this long-term.  And spoiler alert: this week definitely included some slip ups.  So let’s dive straight into the spring reset week 2 recap.

So after week 1, I still wasn’t feeling super awesome.  Digestion was off, and I was feeling low in energy so I made sure to have sweet potatoes at every dinner.  I went to yoga on Monday and while class was awesome, I just wasn’t feeling myself.

EKAM Yoga AsanaI started my Tuesday off with a run and then went to make my 21 D2D approved coconut flour pancakes to have for breakfast.  And honestly after breakfast?  I just felt awful.  Sick, dizzy, nauseated, the works.  I had a smoothie with banana for lunch and still didn’t feel great (also, bananas tend to not sit well with me).  It was about that time that I accepted the fact that this was not just detox symptoms but instead some icky stomach virus that appears to be making the rounds.

When I’m sick, the last thing on earth I want is meat or raw veggies.  When I had my terrible bout of food poisoning last year all I wanted was brown rice pasta and tapioca pudding.  So I caved and had some homemade gluten-free granola bars.  And buckwheat toast with some butter.  Anything to feel better.

I’ll admit I kind of beat myself up about this at first – but then I realized, hey I’m sick, I’m human, and it’s JUST FOOD.  I spent Wednesday still feeling awful and the only thing that sounded good was toast and butter.  So I rolled with it.  I know these “challenges” are put in place for a reason, but like Joelle wrote last week, you have to do what works for you.

And honestly?  It’s not like I went spiraling face first into a bowl of ice cream (although that does sound good).  Once I was no longer feeling like death, I made a few 21 DSD friendly recipes like some zoodles with tahini sauce and ground turkey.

turkeytahinizoodles

I also made some plantain tortillas from the Zenbelly Cookbook and these were so flippin’ easy that I must share the recipe.  All it includes is 3 mashed plantains, 2 egg whites, and 3 tbsp of an oil or fat of your choice (I used olive oil).  Mix, spread spoonfuls of batter onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.  So simple and so tasty.

plantain tortillas

So where does that leave me now?  I’m still sticking to my clean eating plan for April (and let’s be honest, life) but I’m not going to beat myself up if I have a few gluten-free grains here and there or some fruit.  The whole purpose of the spring reset was for me to clean up my eating and drinking, and I know that I can survive without added sugar no problem.

Has anyone else done the 21 Day Sugar Detox or something similar?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Asian Peanut Slaw

2 Replies

The spring reset is officially in full swing!  I have to admit it hasn’t been too bad so far aside from a few nights were I really wanted a glass of wine and some cheese.  Thank goodness for La Croix water with frozen fruit as a stand in.  Anyway, before the spring reset officially kicked off I made this delicious Asian Peanut Slaw over the weekend for a dinner party with some friends and I can’t stop thinking about it.  Plus it was from one of my favorites, the Thug Kitchen cookbook so it qualifies as my 2015 cookbook challenge entry for the week!

asian peanut slawI modified the recipe a bit to accommodate my allergies (swapped coconut aminos for the soy) and added some diced peanuts at the end for an added crunch.  This was super simple to whip together and was a nice change of pace from your traditional slaw made with mayonnaise.

If you don’t like peanut butter or have an allergy, you could definitely swap in almond butter instead.  I happen to love almond butter and am already planning on creating a version using almond instead of peanut.asian peanut slaw and pulled porkWe paired this with some slow cooker kalua pork and roasted vegetables, but I think it would also make a nice side salad or even as a filling for some Asian fusion tacos.  The possibilities are endless…

Asian Peanut Slaw (adapted from the Thug Kitchen cookbook)

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

3 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp warm water

3 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp coconut aminos

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Salt, to taste

For the Slaw:

2 cups shredded red cabbage

2 cups shredded green cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot

1/3 cup diced green onion

1/3 cup peanuts, chopped

Directions:  

In a small mixing bowl mix together your dressing ingredients and set aside.  In a larger bowl add all of your slaw ingredients (except the peanuts) and toss together.

asian peanut slaw dressingGently pour your peanut sauce on top of your slaw and continue to mix until well blended.

asian peanut slawAdd your chopped peanuts for garnish and enjoy.  This tastes best on the day it is made.

This is such an easy recipe and one I know I’ll be making again, especially with summer BBQ season around the corner…

EKAM Yoga

4 Replies

I’ve had a complicated relationship with yoga over the years.  I always loved yoga and my body definitely reaped from its benefits, but I had a hard time finding a studio that I could call home.  When I lived in LA, Liberation Yoga was my go-to for a while but when I moved to back to Orange County 5 years ago, I found myself bouncing from studio to studio but never really feeling a connection.  Until I stepped into EKAM Yoga.

EKAM YogaEKAM Yoga is a small studio located off PCH in Newport Beach.  The studio is small with just one room to practice in, but the warmth and friendliness you feel when you walk in can’t be beat.  One of EKAM Yoga’s main objectives is to foster a strong sense of community in all of their classes which I love.

When I practiced yoga in the past, I always would go maybe once a week, maybe skip a week here and there and then go again, but since I started taking classes at EKAM, I’ve been craving my weekly yoga sessions.  I’ve even been going 2-3x as week, which is totally unheard of for me.  But honestly, I feel SO much more grounded and relaxed after practicing at EKAM, which I love.

EKAM Yoga AsanaI also think that yoga has been a great compliment to running and crossfit.  I love the intensity of those workouts and I think having yoga to balance that is great.  Besides, a lot of the vinaysa classes have been kicking my butt!

If you are an OC local, I can’t recommended EKAM Yoga enough.  The instructors are lovely and the classes are appropriate for anyone at ANY level (believe me, I’m not flexible at all and I feel comfortable there).  And if you are not in OC and haven’t found your “yoga home” yet, keep looking!  The right studio is out there and when you find it you’ll be so grateful that you did.