Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I have a secret. I’ve only eaten brussel sprouts twice in my life, this being one of them. Gasp! I know! How could such a veggie lover not have experienced such a wonderful vegetable?

Well let’s be honest… up until the past few years brussel sprouts were, well, slightly less than glamorous in the food world. It was like one day they went from smelly and “ew” to totally posh and trendy (thanks in large part to bacon, I think). BUT there’s another reason I never had brussel sprouts before. My dad LOATHES them. I mean totally and completely hates them. They are the bain of his existence, hence they were never allowed in the house despite the fact that my mom didn’t mind them. Pretty funny, huh?

Although there’s something even more peculiar. My dad is the reason I first tried them. One day he apparently got a little spark in him that made him go to Whole Foods (which isn’t exactly his type of store) and buy us dinner from the food counter. Orange glazed brussel sprouts were one of his picks, just to “give them another chance” — he spit them out as soon as he took a bite. I thought they were okay, but not great. A little sulfurous. Now I just think they weren’t cooked right, because these were delicious.

Food Feature Friday: Broccoli

Happy Friday! Today’s post is about a vegetable I’ve always loved: broccoli. Yes, that’s right, I was never one of those kids who had to be told, “Eat your broccoli!” because I did so happily and willingly every time.

Yet another healthy cruciferous vegetable (the same family as cauliflower), broccoli is high in vitamins K, C, and A, and is a great source of chromium, folate, and fiber. It has many anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and benefits your digestion, cardiovascular health, and vision. Broccoli is also a great food to eat while cleansing, as it contains phytonutrients that help the body detox. Better yet, its unique combination of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and detox benefits make it the perfect food to include in your diet for cancer prevention . You can find out more about the health benefits of broccoli here.

Now on to the recipes…

Cinnamon Coconut Pancakes with Coconut Cream Sauce (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Paleo)

Pancakes conjure up memories of my Saturday mornings as a child. My parents would be in the kitchen cooking up a storm on the griddle. Pancake after pancake hit the plate, drowned in butter and syrup. It was something I so enjoyed; I would eat until I could no longer eat anymore. While I still cherish the memory, I also know that Bisquick pancake mix and Hungry Jack syrup aren’t exactly a tradition I want to continue in my kitchen! But when the pancake pang strikes, it’s great to have a healthy equivalent. Enter Cinnamon Coconut Pancakes…

Let’s just face facts for a second: coconut is amazing. I eat some form of coconut every single day, and each time I do it not only makes me happy because it tastes so darn good, but because I know how nutritionally beneficial it is as well. Coconut has some pretty amazing stuff going on — good fats, lauric acid, caprylic acid; supports digestion, fat loss, keeps you full and reduces inflammation… and that taste? So indulgent.

Cucumber Cabbage Slaw (No Mayo, Sugar-Free, Vegan)

Coleslaw comes in many forms, but perhaps the most ubiquitous is the cabbage/carrot/mayonnaise concoction so commonly sold in grocery stores. It seems to be an omnipresent staple among spring picnics and summer barbecues, lurking in round plastic containers between the chips and potato salad, with thick white sauce camouflaging the few vegetables inside . While some folks love that white, mayo-laden side dish, I personally cannot stand it. In my mind, too much mayo = a whole lotta yuck. So when I got a beautiful head of cabbage in my CSA box, I put myself to the challenge of creating a no-mayo, sugar-free slaw that was still packed with flavor.

I used creamy avocado and nutritious cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil to create the thick, fatty flavors of the mayonnaise. Toasted sesame oil adds great depth to the sauce while lemon gives it just the right amount of pop. Add in some salt and pepper, and it’s light, crisp, tangy slaw perfection. I like my sauce thinner so I only used half an avocado, but if you like yours a bit thicker just use the whole thing instead.

Food Feature Friday: Cacao

Happy Valentine’s Day! When I was trying to come up with this week’s post, I wanted to theme it around love. I don’t know about you, but when I think of love I think of chocolate! However, chocolate in it’s modern form is hardly chocolate at all. It has a whole bunch of ick in it, like corn syrup, hydrogenated soy bean oil, and GMOs. No thanks! So instead, I chose cacao.

Cacao is, in essence, chocolate before it becomes chocolate. Virgin chocolate, if you will. And the best part? It has so many health benefits. Most people know that cacao is high in antioxidants that help remove free radicals and fight inflammation. But there’s so much more! Cacao is derived from Theobroma Cacao beans, which literally means “Food of the Gods” — how cool is that? According to Natural News, Cacao contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, iron, zinc, copper, calcium and magnesium, being an amazing source of the latter with 272 milligrams of magnesium per 100 grams. Talk about nutrient-dense! Plus, just one ounce of raw cacao has 9 grams of fiber, 36% your RDA. It’s also thought to have anti-cancer benefits, lowers insulin resistance, reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and stimulates neurotransmitters in your brain to release a euphoric feeling when you eat it. So… do you want some chocolate?

Full disclosure: I must be sick in the head or something because I cannot have chocolate of any kind (including cacao) while I’m on this anti-candida diet. I’ve been all up on Instagram with the #glutenfree and #paleo hashtags looking at all the amazing stuff everyone is making for Valentine’s Day, I want it all! I cannot wait to shove some chocolate in my mouth once this thing is gone. No shame. All glory.

Now for this week’s recipes: