Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free » Salads & Sides

My Favorite At Home Salad Bar (and postpartum weight loss…)

Amy — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:10:15 +0000

I packed on 46 pounds when I was pregnant. Yes. That’s right. Everything I ate clung to my body. I still exercised and ate well. But my body clearly wanted that extra weight to help grow a healthy baby.

Giving birth took away 16 pounds and I’ve lost 10 more since then. So, I still have 20 pounds to go. I’ve heard about women who are able to get back in their pre-pregnancy jeans in two weeks. I secretly envy them.

I haven’t had 20 pounds to lose in over 8 years.

I’ve never had to think about losing weight with a 12 week old baby to care for either. Everything is different. I used to love getting up early and going for a long power walk with the dogs. Now Nate eats first thing in the morning. And, I haven’t slept through the night since he was born. Sleep deprivation makes morning workouts a little less appealing.

The other big challenge is time. So much of my time is spent caring for Nate. And there’s just more to do – feedings, dishes, laundry, diapers, cleaning.
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Raw Kale Salad with Apples, Carrots & Purple Cabbage

Amy — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:58:55 +0000

I had my first kale salad at a raw restaurant right before I found out I was pregnant. Honestly, I wasn’t too keen on eating raw kale before I had that salad. It was full of flavor contrasts, texture, and just plain goodness.

Once I got past the first 3 months of my pregnancy, I craved that salad. (I couldn’t even look at spinach during the first 3 months…) The restaurant was way too far to stop by for dinner so I ended up getting hooked on Whole Foods’ salad bar. I love their assortment of yummy greens, especially the chopped kale. It’s packed with vitamins K, A, C, some B vitamins, calcium, and so many other nutrients.

Life in the kitchen is so much different now that Nate is here. Cooking is just not the same with a little one by my side. So, I started practicing with my Moby Wrap. It took a while. (Yes…those things have a learning curve!) Once I mastered that long, crazy thing I was able to get around with so much more ease. And, oh how I love it!
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Simple Vegetarian Meals

Amy — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:00:08 +0000

When Nate was born, I started reading books about how to feed your kids well. It’s my current obsession. Can you blame me? I know how important food is to our health and I am completely determined to make sure Nate gets nothing but the best.

My favorite book so far is Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Dr. Joel Furman. He talks about eating a plant based diet – not vegetarian or vegan, but plant based because of the powerful disease protecting properties inherent in plants.

Yea, plants. Especially greens.

So, I’m slowly (very slowly) moving my diet to include more and more plant based foods. The truth is I’ve never loved cooking proteins. My favorite cookbooks are vegetarian. That kind of cooking has always appealed to me on a deeper level.

So, I thought I’d share some of the vegetarian meals that are already here at SS&GF.

Do you have any favorite vegetarian meals? I’d love for you to share them in the comments.

Ratatouille with Chickpea Pancakes

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Berry Recipes that Scream Summer!

Amy — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:00:43 +0000

Berries are nature’s perfect dessert and mark the beginning of summer for me.

This time of year I always start craving the fresh berries I haven’t had for months – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. They’re perfect plain, in a parfait with Greek yogurt, baked in a cobbler, or topping off a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream.

Whether you eat berries all year long or wait until they’re at their seasonal peak, here are some of my favorite berry recipes to help you celebrate the warm months ahead.

Fresh Fruit Tart with Pastry Cream

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Sweet Potato & Kale Hash with Curried Quinoa

Amy — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:59:04 +0000

It’s Week 4 of A Gluten-Free Holiday hosted by Hallie at Daily Bites. You’ll want to check out this week’s event and the *give-away* – more at the end of the post….

Pregnancy sparks some interesting cravings. I haven’t had any that are massively outrageous – are there really pregnant women who want pickles and ice cream? But, there are times when a certain foods come into mind and, well, I’m just not satisfied until I eat them.

It’s a drastic change from how I used to eat. My diet was always so predictable and measured. My body was so very happy on mostly fresh foods, a little meat, some dairy, and a some healthy carbs.

Now, my body loves carbs. And I mean love in every sense of the word. Growing a baby definitely takes different fuel than I was accustomed to.

One afternoon, I got a huge craving for sweet potatoes and kale. Together. I’d never thought of pairing them before. It’s really a great balance of taste and texture – the sweet, creamy potatoes and the slightly bitter, crunchy kale. Throw in some quinoa and I’ve got a protein, too. I call that a meal.

After eating all of it (not in one sitting thank goodness – it took a couple days!) it occurred to me that this would be a much healthier alternative to those sugary sweet potato casseroles that are everywhere through the holidays, which is why I’m sharing this for Week 4 of A Gluten-Free Holiday.

Had I made the connection before I took the pictures, I would have presented the in beautiful red Le Creuset stoneware surrounded by holiday-esqe decorations. But, I was just a very hungry pregnant woman who just wanted the photos done.

At least I’m being honest, right?

I can promise you that this dish is oh-so-good and not just a crazy pregnant woman’s creation. I used Coconut Secret’s Coconut Aminos to add some flavor. It’s a healthy substitute for soy sauce and is gluten-free, soy-free, raw and contains 17 naturally occurring amino acids.

Sweet Potato & Kale Hash with Curried Quinoa

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: serves 4 - 6

A nutrient-dense sweet potato and kale dish. Quinoa adds protein so this can be eaten as a side or main dish.

Ingredients

For the Curried Quinoa:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, grated on a microplane
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
pinch of ground ginger
1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

For the Sweet Potato & Kale Hash:

3 cups diced sweet potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, grated on a microplane
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups chopped kale
1 tablespoon coconut aminos

Instructions

Make the Curried Quinoa:

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Sautee the onion for 5 - 8 minutes, until soft.
Add the garlic and stir for one minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the curry powder, salt, tumeric and ginger. Stir for a minute or two, until the spices are fragrant.
Add the chicken or vegetable stock. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
Stir in quinoa. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

Make the Sweet Potato & Kale Hash:

Set up a steamer and steam the sweet potatoes until tender, 10 - 15 minutes. Set aside once cooked.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick saute pan. Add the garlic and stir for one minute, until fragrant. Stir in the curry powder, ground yellow mustard seed, and kosher salt.
Add kale to the saute pan. It should still have water clinging to its leaves from being washed. This will steam the kale.
Cover and cook for several minutes until tender.
Stir in the steamed sweet potatoes. Add coconut aminos. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Serve sweet potato and kale hash on a bed of curried quinoa.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/sweet-potato-kale-hash-with-curried-quinoa/

A Gluten-Free Holiday Week 4!

Stop by Daily Bites and share your holiday side dish then browse the other recipes there. You might just find the perfect dish to add to your Christmas menu.

Hallie is also giving away a copy of her new (fabulous!!) gluten and dairy-free cookbook, The Pure Kitchen.

I’ve got a copy of her book on my shelf. It’s a must-have.

Much love,

Amy