Got Rainbow Chard?

R A I N B O W    C H A R D

I have been getting rainbow chard from my produce box subscription so I have to come up with a variety of how I prepare them, especially to lure my kids... and this is how I roll...















Rainbow Chard Rolls - paleo or vegan options, topped with tomato sauce

Rainbow Chard Smoothies

2 cups of chopped rainbow chard, loose
1 cup of coconut water
4-5 ice cubes
1 banana
1 avocado or 1 mango
Chia seed - optional
This time I don't have mango, so I tried avocado. Avocado is creamier and less sweet. I tried mango, it's a sweeter than... and has a tropical twist in it. I like them both.



Sautéed Rainbow Chard with garlic, shallot, and toasted raw cashews

Noodle Soup with Rainbow Chard
With typical Asian rice noodle soup dishes, we usually put flash boiled greens like ong choy (water spinach), Chinese broccoli (which taste very close to rainbow chard), baby bok choy, pak choi (Chinese flowering cabbage), etc... Rainbow chard works well with this.

Cleaning-out Refrigerator Soup with Rainbow Chard

Strawberry Milkshake Fudge Ice-cream [paleo, primal, vegan, raw, dairy-free]

I was looking for healthy Valentine's treat and came across this recipe of wallflower girl. It's so delish!
I have only a few heart baking cups. But if you have heart-shaped ice cube tray (like original recipe), you can make a lot of hearts and it would be nice for valentine's.... but i would say, this is good treat any occasions. It was a hit, even my husband who does not care much for strawberries.

Ingredients
8-10 large strawberries, hulled

6-8 Tablespoon raw maple syrup or sweetener of choice, adjust it depending on the taste of your strawberries. This time I put only 5 Tbsp, and it's fine and my strawberries not even very sweet since it's not in season yet. I like less sweet. You can taste the mix at the end and adjust it. [Warning!!! It's yum and adicted, not even when frozen!]

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
8 Tablespoon melted coconut oil, if you don't like strong smell, opt for expeller-cold pressed instead of extra virgin.
1 cup raw cashew meal
2 Tablespoon raw coconut flour

Instructions
- In a high powered blender, create  a strawberries to puree.
- Mix in the maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Pour in the melted coconut oil and cashew meal and blend until a smooth like milkshake mixture.
- Add the coconut flour and blend again until the mixture blend thoroughly.
- Taste and adjust sweetness, if desired.
- Spoon the mixture into an  ice-cube trays, silicone baking cups or molds, or chocolate molds.
- Let it set in the freezer until it become hardened.
- Pop out of the molds and enjoy!

Adapted from: http://wallflowergirl.co.uk/strawberry-milkshake-fudge/

Stuffed Delicata Squash [Paleo, Vegan/Vegetarian option]

INGREDIENTS
squash:
2 delicata squash, halved and seeded
Lightly rubbed with coconut oil (or other fat) and sprinkled with cinnamon if you want to do nut version.

Stuffing:
Regular version
3/4 cup or 6 oz ground quality meat   (you know what they are.) or cooked quinoa.
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoons cold-expeller coconut oil or bacon grease or grass-fed butter/ghee
2 cups of chopped raw greens (kale, spinach, etc..) or 3/4 cup of cooked/frozen greens
2 tablespoons any stock or water (optional, if your stuffing is dry or stuck to the pan.)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated raw cheese or bacon bits
Nut version
3 Tablespoons cold-expeller coconut oil or grass-fed butter/ghee
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chopped pine nuts
(or any nuts combined)
2 Tablespoon of real maple syrup or raw honey
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage optional
A pinch of sea salt to taste

** Ignore the sweet potatoes. i was cooking for dinner on that day as well. :-)**

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare squash, preheat oven to 400. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side up. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft.

While squash is roasting, prepare filling. In a saute pan, heat fat, then put in onion and garlic until they are lightly golden. Add ground meat (or your choice of protein), cook until meat is cooked through and onions are soft about 10 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except cheese or bacon bits, cook until everything is cook and well mixed. Remove from a stove and let cool down.

For nut version: In a saute pan, melt butter/coconut oil medium-high heat. Stir in sage and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in nuts until they are well mixed. Turn off a stove and pour in maple syrup or honey. keep stirring for a minute. Set aside.

Split the mixture among the 4 divided squash and top with grated raw cheese or bacon bits. If making a nut version, sprinkle some cinnamon powder. Put them back in the oven about 20 minutes or until filling is heated through.

Delicata Squash Fun facts:
- Other names: sweet potato squash or Bohemian squash, taste similar to that of sweet potatoes
-  Featuring  stripes on an oblong shape. 
- Winter squash
- Easily chopped and sliced and the outside peel is soft enough to eat when it's cooked.

Kiwi Vinaigrette - Paleo/Primal/Vegan/Raw

4 kiwi fruit, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 Tablespoon coconut oil (I used expeller-pressed, instead of extra virgin coconut oil so its aroma doesn't overpower the kiwi's) or avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil (but I do not like the smell of kiwi and olive oil together; however, it's good if you want to keep it in a fridge since coconut oil becomes solid. Though I kept mine and it became solid. I warm it to the room temperature before serving)

2 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 Tablespoon (or to taste) raw honey - optional if you do not like very tangy or your kiwi is not sweet enough for you. i didn't put this in mine.

a pinch of sea salt (Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt if you eat Raw)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a serving container and serve over salad.

It also works very well with mixed fruit salad. I had some leftover and I tried to dip it with apples. It was yummm...

Enjoy
piyuthai

Adapted recipe from http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/dressing/kiwi-vinaigrette.html

Easy Paleo Candied Nuts

I do not usually have a taste for sweet but it sometimes comes in handy during holidays and that time of the month. J

I have a fond memory doing this as a child but we used palm sugar back then. I altered the recipe and have a few variations of flavors.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Raw Nuts (This time I used raw cashew from my Indian friend bringing for me from there.)

1/4 Cup 100% Pure Maple Syrup, or 3 Tablespoon of Raw Honey

1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil (if vegan), or Grass-fed butter /Ghee

A Pinch of Sea Salt to taste

Optional Ingredient :
(Pick one or two or all – whatever aromatizes you!)

1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

A Pinch of Nutmeg

A Pinch (or more if you like it like mine) of Orange Zest

Sprinkle of Sesame Seed

Directions:

Preheat a dry sauté pan over medium heat. Add fat. When it is heated (not burn), add the nuts, maple syrup (or other sweet liquids), and salt (and other spices you like) and keep stirring until the maple syrup (or other sweet liquids) caramelizes. Remove from the heat and place the nuts on parchment paper to cool. Sprinkle sesame seed at this step if you like before they cool down.

Enjoy and don’t over-nutting!

Recipe Note:

* If you know me, I cook with my own concoction and no measurement; almost every is to taste J

** Follow me on Facebook.