Seattle's Best - Arriving in Lake Tahoe

Let the California blogging begin! I know it is super weird that I am starting my California blogging with a Seattle company. But it's my blog and I will do what I want! :)  We pretty much drove straight through from Denver to Lake Tahoe. We stopped in Salt Lake City at a place called Squatter's Pub which was very good and rejuvenated my image of SLC nightlife and 'hipness'. The presentation of our sandwiches were rather uninspiring, though, so I neglected to take photos. I do recommend the place though...fine beer and sweet potato fries, a winning combo. Then we stopped to sleep in the car for a bit at a park in Reno...kind of sketchy. I digress....so we got in Lake Tahoe too early to check into our hotel so we walked around the main street. This cup of coffee was my first big splurge of the trip...white chocolate mocha. Amazing! The barista took extra time to make the chocolate and caramel look beautiful and added a chocolate stick. A warm cup of coffee on a drizzly Tahoe morning...this is going to be a great vacation.

Guest Recipes!

Happy Friday!

Jeff and I are leaving today for California!!!! I am so excited. I will not be posting next week, so hang tight until I return.

Jenny's Egg Bake

Egg Bake

• 1 tube sausage
• 1 dozen eggs
• Milk
• Hash browns
• Salt/pepper
• Cheddar cheese
Bake ½-1 hour at 350°F

Apple Sauce

Apple Sauce

• 2 qt casserole dish
• 6 apples
• ¼ water
Microwave 9-10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes
Put in blender:
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• ⅛ tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves



City, O' City - Vegitarian

Take a look at that picture.... Burger and fries, standard bar fare. Would you believe me if I said that this was all vegetarian? For those of you that think vegetarian food is boring, look no further...City, O' City in Denver is where it's at! That is the 'Maximus burger' ($10 with the fries) quinoa and pinto bean burger, lettuce, tomato, onion, special sauce, cheddar jack, sweet potato kaiser. The texture is so spot on that it is scary. The taste is not quite like beef, but I prefer the taste of this quinoa and pinto bean burger more anyway. Bonus: packed with protein. The 'Ranch' on the side was even vegan...which gets me thinking, what the heck is it made out of?!

Jeff ordered the Gaza Grinder ($9.50) hummus, greek salad, french fries, feta, sriracha aioli, flat bread and the soup of the day which was coconut curry.

What a beautiful little soup!

Here is a look at the inside of my burger. You also get a great view of the toasted sweet potato bun (YUM!)

The food here is awesome! They have a large variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free food including 'chicken' wings, 'meat' lovers pizza, wraps, sandwiches. One of the best things on the menu (not pictured) the fried PB&J on banana bread (quite possibly the best sandwich I have ever tasted).

The great thing about this place is everything is at a minimum vegetarian. It is really nice for my vegetarian friend, Kori, to be able to go into a restaurant and order ANYTHING off of the menu.

And the drinks....great selection of beers and a variety of 'not your average' cocktails. My favorite is a Ginger-Lime cocktail.

Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad

So I call this one Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad. Here was my plan...open the fridge, grab everything that needed to be eaten...and throw it on some pasta. Brilliant! I am a regular Betty Crocker :)

Here is the veggie base: carrots, onions and tarragon ( I added, spinach and turkey as well)

I drizzled the whole wheat pasta and veggies with olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar (who am I kidding? I tipped the balsamic too fast and had a little mess on my hands) and tossed in some fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Ahh how I love easy cooking. Don't you?

Black Bean and Cilantro Ravioli with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

So I went a little crazy and had a ravioli bananza! Although these are fried again, I am definitely looking forward to steaming them in the future. The body can only handle so much fried food. So without further ado...cilantro black bean ravioli. Pretty much the same idea as the cilantro and shrimp ones....

Chop up some cooked (or canned) black beans and mix with chopped fresh cilantro, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Heat up the bean mixture a little in a sauce pan and place on the egg roll wrapper square putting egg on the edges to seal.

Fry the little guys up in some oil until golden brown

MMM so good!

Here is an internal view

To add a creamy touch I put together a lemon yogurt sauce. I can't remember exactly what I did, but I think this is the general idea...
-1/4 stick of butter
-1 cup Greek yogurt
-splash of almond milk
-fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
Heat on low-medium heat until smooth and creamy. Top the ravioli with sauce and then smile a little because dinner is done :)

Shrimp and Cilantro Ravioli

I gained inspiration for this recipe from checking out FoodBaby. She made sweet potatoes ravioli, which sounds like a delicious fall meal. I, of course, made took the recipe idea and made it more unhealthy....fried ravioli. I did fill them with shrimp and cilantro to make it semi-healthy, but I am sure the frying ruined the attempt. So at the store pick up some 'egg roll wraps and let your imagination cook wild. You can make Chili rellanos, egg rolls, steamed ravioli, fried seared ravioli. Then you can fill them with; meat, sweet potatoes, beans, cream cheese and peaches....the possibilities are endless, literally. (Bonus: Chili Rellano recipe on bottom)

So for the Shrimp and Cilantro ravioli, I chopped up some fresh cilantro.

Then chopped up some cooked shrimp and placed both on an egg roll wrapper square

Then I put a little egg around the edges and topped it with another egg roll wrapper square. Press hard on the edges with your fingers to be sure it is sealed.

Added a small layer of olive oil in a frying pan and cooked them on each side until brown (medium heat)

Don't those look amazing? I took a big bite and the fresh flavor rushed my mouth. Please be creative and try to make something delicious with egg roll wrappers!

Bonus Recipe:

Crispy Chili Rellanos (from Jennifer)

• Wonton wraps (Sold in produce section of grocery. Also called egg roll wraps.)
• 1-2 eggs
• 1 can of Whole Green Chilies (sold either in the canned food isle, or the Mexican food isle)
• 1 block of Monterey Jack Cheese
• Vegetable oil

Prep: The can of whole green chilies will need to be opened, and you will have to take out each individual chili to give a rinse. Most times, the canned chilies come lathered in vinegar, and so as not to take away from final product, this should be rinsed off.

While chilies are drying, take the 2 eggs and beat them in to a bowl as if you were preparing scrambled eggs. You will use the egg as paste for the wonton. Also, you will need to slice the Monterey cheese. The more slices the better!

Cook: When ready, take a single wonton wrap and lay it down on flat surface (cutting board is perfect). Slice one side of the whole chili, and open up on top of the wonton. Put cheese on top of chili…be generous. Then fold the wonton so that it takes the shape of a burrito. Each time a side is laid down, be sure to “glue it” with egg. This will help the wonton stick to itself. Repeat this until ingredients are used. I like to make about a dozen or so. When ready, get out skillet and turn heat up to medium-high. Pour in enough vegetable oil to cover the entire surface of pan. As soon as you can hear sizzling from the pan, place your rellanos in and fry until golden brown. NOTE: this will not take long. Only 2 minutes on each side should be enough.

Sauce for a Cause

How does your ketchup taste? Does it taste like high fructose corn syrup, tomato paste and Red #5? If you would like to have your ketchup taste like honest to goodness tomatoes check out Sauce for a Cause. This company, created by Alex Mitchell, produces four sauces that are natural, gluten-free and gourmet. Fifty percent of the proceeds are split up between five causes: Life Straw, Friends of the World Program, Leave no Trace, Cancer and Flight for Life Colorado. Sound good so far? Plus the packaging is eco-friendly and easy to store in small places (great for camping or hiking).

I tasted each of the sauces….

Not Your Traditional Ketchup - Guess what? It tastes like tomatoes! Also has that vinegary ketchup taste we all love

Mango Mint - Sweet and fresh with a hint of spice. This sauce is great to cook over chicken and shrimp

Tangy Tangerine BBQ - A light citrus BBQ that has just the right balance of smoke and sweet

Gourmet Mustard - Swimming with whole mustard seeds, goes great on sandwiches, wraps and hot dogs

Sushi Den

I am having a lot of trouble sticking to the Candida diet this go around. I suppose though that cheating with sushi is a lot better than cheating with a greasy burger or pizza. Jeff has been wanting to try Sushi Den in Denver for a while now and we decided to make a date of it and boy were we happy little fish! We sat at the sushi bar so we could watch all of the action. For anyone in a 'newish' dating situation, you should really consider doing a sushi bar date. It is fun, yummy and romantic...the trifecta!

So we sat right here watching the chefs do their work. It was pretty amazing to see how quick and accurate they were. It looked so simple, but I realize that if I tried it myself, I may want to have a box of goldfish crackers on hand for my eminent failure. To get the 'tube' form they used bamboo 'placemats' to wrapped around the rice.



My favorite way to start dinner? A cocktail. This cocktail did not disappoint. It was 'ginger plum' flavored and had the right balance of flavor and strength.

We also got this cute little plate of cucumbers, ginger and wasabi to add to our sushi...my wasabi remained untouched...

Pork egg rolls. These were very good and the presentation was beautiful but a word to the wise. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into! I had heavily dipped an egg roll into the innocent looking mustard sauce on the side and had just put it in my mouth when Jeff (who had taken his first bite seconds before) tried to yell STOP to me. I am not good with am the biggest wimp possible with spicy foods. The roll was already in my mouth...no turning back. Imagine taking a huge chunk of wasabi and throwing it down the hatch...miserable. I never thought the a date with Jeff at the Sushi Den would induce tears. So I sat there, crying my eyes out trying to wash down the spice with water. Lesson learned...be cautious eaters!

Okay so I am a wimp with spice...and I am also I wimp with seafood. I didn't eat a lot of seafood growing up and everything still has that 'fishy' taste to me, so I opted for the extremely daring and unique shrimp rolls and avocado rolls. I know...don't you envy my bravery? Both were amazing though and were enough to fill me up. The presentation here is just gorgeous! The only tough part is they bring out all the food on one plate so if your server runs off in a hurry without explaination, you have to guess which is which. It adds to the fun though!

Jeff was much more adventurous and took the advice of the nice women next to us who could see that we were sushi newbies. She recommended the eel as her top pick. Oh my God! Never in my life did I think that I would try eel. Granted I took the smallest sliver of a bite (after Jeff begged for 5 minutes that I try it) but it was actually really good. For Jeff, it was love at first sight.

He also got some tuna because he is a sucker for tuna and was loving it.

Last, Jeff got the tuna rolls which were just as tasty as everything else.

I am not sure if the orange 'after dinner snack' was special service for sitting at the bar or if they do it for all guests but I can't complain when they bring out complementary, perfectly ripe oranges. And look at the presentation!

So the Candida diet naturally has given me a wicked craving for sugar and I couldn't deny my feelings any longer. I am not generally a chocolate gal...but tonight my body was ready for some chocolate! We got the fried bananas and green tea ice cream. YUM! The bananas tasted as though you would imagine fried bananas to taste....amazing. Dipping in the chocolate sauce really hit the spot.

The green tea ice cream was something else. Just imagine sipping on a nice cup of green tea and that exact flavor is transferred to the ice cream. So good! I wish I could have had more but my teeth are sensitive to cold. Jeff monopolized on my weakness and finished the ice cream.

The meal was fabulous, the service was quick and friendly (sans an abrupt hostess, which is becoming a theme whenever we go out) and the atmosphere is very chic.  I would love to go back. The price is a little up there but it is completely reasonable for the quality of food you get. The fish is flown in fresh daily. The girl sitting next to us said she travels for work all the time and has had sushi in a lot of different places but Sushi Den is her very favorite. Our meal was about $80 for drinks (2), appetizer (1), sushi items (4), dessert (1) tax and tip.

Tomato-less Caprese Bruchetta

My dislike of tomatoes is really putting a damper on my photos! This is my take on caprese bruchetta. Most would argue that the tomato is an integral piece of the caprese...but my taste buds beg to differ. Although these photos are lackluster, there is an upside (there is always an upside) these are Candida safe! See recipe below.

Tomato-less Caprese Bruchetta

• 2 slices spelt bread
• extra virgin olive oil
• fresh garlic
• goat cheese
• fresh basil
• And by all means...add tomato if you like it!

Cut each slice of bread into 4 squares and coat with extra virgin olive oil. Top with a little fresh chopped garlic and a small hunk of goat cheese as well as a fresh basil leaf. Bake until the bread starts to crisp on 350.

Dinner with Dad: Avocado and Caramelized Onion Burgers

My Mom is out of town, so I thought it might be a good idea to go feed my dad and sister so they didn't have to starve to death. Or actually they would have had popcorn and PBJ sandwiches...but still, not a great dinner. I tried to very nonchalantly sneak healthy food into their diet. They eat good when my Mom is home but on their own...they are hopeless. There was some resistance...but I held firm! And the best part? This meal is Candida safe! Grass-fed, organic, Colorado ground beef with caramelized onions and avocado with 'healthy' fries and garlic organic green beans. What a tongue twister!

So here are the wonderful caramelized onions that topped the grass-fed burger. They may have gotten a little crispy...but no complaints here.

The complete burger. Grass-fed, organic, local Colorado ground beef topped with an avocado and caramelized onions. And since I can't eat buns right now and my dad and sister don't like them anyway; the burger was served sans the bun. My dad said the beef tasted normal, but my sister was not as happy. She noticed a difference in the flavor and couldn't finish hers. I will say that grass-fed isn't as sweet as corn-fed beef and that may account for a taste difference. I tried to get her to push past the new taste and think about how much healthier the beef was.

It seems that you can't eat a burger without some kind of potato; these are 'heathy' fries though. First of all, I used little red potatoes that are approved for the Candida diet. Second, I coated them in egg instead of oil. Third, I baked them instead of frying them. Add a little salt, pepper and garlic and oh gosh...heaven! Leave the skins on for the nutrients.

 

Egg-Pepper Breakfast

Happy Monday Morning! I hope the week is a good one. I thought I would start out this week by sharing a very yummy Candida safe breakfast idea with you. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it is important to eat well :)

Egg-Pepper Breakfast (for 2)

-4 eggs

-1/2 orange pepper

-1/2 green pepper

-splash almond milk

-1/4 cup goat cheese

-1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

-salt and pepper to taste

-2 slices spelt/sprouted bread

-butter

Cook the chopped peppers, salt and pepper in extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes in a sauce pan on medium. Mix the eggs and almond milk in a bowl then add to the peppers.  Let the eggs cook and add the basil and goat cheese at the last minute. Toast up a slice of spelt bread and top with butter.

Who says you can't eat a big Candida safe breakfast? Not this gal....

The Peach

Happy Friday!

As they has been in season lately, I hope you have been eating a lot of peaches! Here is a beautiful peach from my Grandma and Grandpa's backyard. Which I love because it is organic, local and REALLY fresh(P.S. this is only a small cheat from my Candida diet). I hope that someday I can have a backyard so I can plant to my hearts desire of fruit, veggies and spices. Until then....I shall enjoy my beautiful 'backyard' or as it turns out an alley with some parked cars. Thank you to my grandparents for some fine produce!

What do you grow at your house?

Pesto Shrimp

Here is an old Candida safe dinner I had a while back. And per usual, it was easy and ready very quickly. Just cook up some shrimp in a basil or cilantro pesto with a little garlic in a sauce pan on medium heat. Add a whole wheat tortilla on the side for good measure and then sit there and feel really proud of yourself for the culinary expertise you have just tackled.

What pesto recipes do you have?

Basil Shrimp and Rice

First Candida safe dinner. Brown rice with basil and shrimp. Now this dish was pretty simple (which is kind of a theme for me). Cook up some rice, toss in some fresh basil and throw in the already cooked shrimp from the grocery store....I feel totally lazy. For the record, they only had two kinds of shrimp; the cooked ones and then uncooked ones that had weird little leg things. Ugh! I hate cooking with animals...one of these days I may get used to it.

Candida Breakfast: The E & E

It is that time again. Time to put away the foods that I love so dearly and get my gut to a good place. I am going back on the Candida Diet. Jeff and I are taking a trip to California in three weeks and I would like to actually enjoy the trip and not be sick or doubled over in pain the whole time. My lack of discipline has resulted in the Candidas reforming their battle fronts and reeking havoc on my body. So here it goes! Three weeks of healthy eats.

The easiest change you can make to your diet to start to combat Candida is The E & E (Egg and Ezekiel bread) in the morning for breakfast. Ezekiel bread is a brand of spelt bread, but any spelt or whole grain bread will do that does not contain yeast or sugar. So the instructions are really pretty easy...toast the bread, cook up an egg and there you have it; a quick and easy way to be nice to your tummy.

So you start with an egg...

And then you cook it and put it on the bread. Simple! Now try and tell me that the Candida diet is too hard ;)

There are many more posts to come in the following weeks with fresh Candida diet ideas.