Treat your tummy right with these great dairy alternatives

Dairy can be a nightmare for some people's stomachs, me being one of them. Ever since I was little, dairy products have always caused me issues. I've been tested several times for lactose intolerance but I have never gotten a positive reading. The doctors always said that I was probably just sensitive towards dairy. As I've gotten older, I've heard from many new doctors that dairy can really disturb people's digestive systems. Being a dairy food lover, I knew I had to be proactive, because I was being tortured every time I indulged in those foods. 

When I decided to go on the Paleo diet, I knew dairy wasn't allowed, so that was even more reason to discover non-dairy options. I started researching many products and meals that would be good alternatives to some of my favorite treats, those that I'd like to share below. 

Almond or coconut milk

When this beverage is good and cold, you could easily fool me that I'm drinking dairy milk. Almond and coconut milk typically comes in several flavors, usually vanilla and chocolate and then sweetened or unsweetened. I try to stick with the vanilla flavor, unsweetened because its generally sweet enough without the extra sugar. My favorite brand for almond milk is Silk and my favorite coconut milk is SoDelicious, but if the store brand is on sale I’ll buy that too. These milks goes great with cereal, making smoothies, and as an after dinner snack. In fact, when I'm craving something special I get the individual serving boxes of Silk dark chocolate, its a dessert all on its own, just like grown up chocolate milk. If your feeling creative you can try to make almond, or nut, milk on your own. Check out my classmates post here to see how. 

Coconut milk yogurt

On a paleo kick, I wanted a food that was paleo appropriate but still felt like breakfast. I often got tired of eating eggs all the time so I knew there must have been a sweet treat out there that would work with my diet. When I discovered coconut milk my breakfast dreams came true. Again, So Delicious to the rescue. They make individual serving cups of yogurt or larger 16oz containers. 

For the record, I did try almond milk yogurt, but didn't like it! 

Banana "Ice Cream" 

Moving away from the pre-made products listed below, I bring you a fruit turned into ice cream. Who doesn't love ice cream? Its probably my favorite dessert. My husband and I even had an ice cream bar at our wedding. On occasion its nice to have this as a treat, but too regularly and my belly is really update. I was browsing Pinterest one day for Paleo recipes and came across banana ice cream. I couldn't believe it so I had to try it. This honestly couldn't be any easier. All you need to do is freeze some overly ripe bananas overnight. I like to break them into one inch chunks for ease of storage and use. Once they are fully frozen, pulse the pieces in a food processor until they get nice and creamy. As soon as they start to break down you can mix in any additional ingredients to get your desired flavor. I've used chocolate chips, coconut, and even frozen strawberries, each creating their own mimic of traditional ice cream flavors. 

It's worth to note, SoDelicious makes a dairy free ice cream as well along with the products listed above, but I much prefer to save the $5 and just use up my extra bananas. I also prefer the least amount of ingredients in my food as well. 

I hope these alternatives can help provide some relief to you, or anyone you know who is sensitive to dairy. If anything, most of these options turn out to be healthier and more nutritious then most dairy products are, so more the reason to give them a try! 

Vegetables, the new junk food

When trying to eat healthy, vegetables are the first items that come to mind. In a previous post titled "Making veggies fun", I showed you how you can transform every day boring vegetables into a fun treat for your family. I'd like to share a few more tips in this post as to how you can transform vegetables into everyone's favorite junk food... chips! 

Now I know that everyone is used to eating potatoes, which is a vegetable, and makes a great chip, but they are also very dense and full of carbs and calories. Today I'm going to share how you can create delicious, crunchy chips with zucchini, kale, and Brussels sprouts (also mentioned in "Making veggies fun" post). These chip versions are much lower in calorie, contain more vitamins, and they bake very well saving you on the extra calories when frying typical potato chips.

Zucchini Chips

Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables to begin with. It is very easy to cook with and usually very inexpensive. Zucchini is not something I usually see featured on a menu unless it's deep fried into what is called zucchini sticks. It wasn't until I visited my now favorite restaurant Blu Fig (check out my review) that I found zucchini chips listed as an appetizer. Served with Greek tzatziki sauce, this crispy, crunchy, cool delight is a must have. Now the ones served at Blu Fig do have a light breading before they are baked but they can always be sliced and baked just on their own. The trick is to slice them very thin and then just apply a light drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. I normally cook at a higher temp for a quicker time, anywhere around 450 for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them, when they brown they're done. For extra flavor you can throw on a little garlic powder or Parmesan cheese. 

Kale Chips

These don't look like you're traditional chips but when you take a bit out of one you will instantly feel like you're cheating on your diet. Kale chips begin by removing the stalk from

kale leaves, tearing off bite size pieces, and then washing and carefully drying the kale. I use a salad spinner for best results. You don't want any liquid to make these soggy. If you're lazy, you can buy a bag already prepped and ready to go at the food store. Once prepped layer them on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle a touch of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper, or any seasoning of your liking. This time I bake at a lower setting, around 350 for 20-30 minutes, rotation my pan. You don't want black leaves, just a touch of brown. 

Brussels Sprout Chips

If you read my previous post mentioned above, you'll know by now that Brussels sprouts are way cooler then you probably thought.

They are great when some of their outer leaves fall off and crisp up, but this time you're going to cut the bottom off and remove all of the layers to form little round chips. Once you have a nice pile, layer on a baking sheet and drizzle on olive oil, balsamic, sea salt and pepper. Mix with your hands, then bake at 375 for around 10-15 minutes. Some of the bigger chips will take longer to cook so make sure you rotate all of them with a spatula so they don't burn. You can take out the ones that brown first. In just a few cooling seconds you will have little crispy chips that aren't a thing like you're typical Brussels sprouts. 

All of these recipes can be altered to your taste. I like to add the salt for flavor but you can eat these plain. You can add in any additional seasons you'd like to really spice these up. These healthy snacks will become a regular in your household for kids and adults to enjoy!  

Making veggies fun

Do you know someone who doesn't like to eat veggies? 

Maybe it's your husband who is strictly a meat and seafood guy, or a child who can't stand the taste of anything healthy, or a traditional eater that gets bored with the basics. Well if you have any of these people in your life then this is the post for you. I'd like to share with you some classic vegetables that are commonly found in most food stores, yet underused for lack of ingenuity. I'm going to explain how you can transform these everyday veggies into some fabulous food finds that any picky eater will enjoy!

Peppers

Most people use peppers to flavor a dish but did you know that peppers are a great vessel for fillings. Basically you eat what is in the pepper and then the pepper is covered in goodness so you end up eating that too. They look like little bowls with tops; how fun is it to eat your serving dish?

Squash

The name alone turns people down, squash, like get rid of? That's probably why people don't explore the many different vegetables in the squash family. One of my favorite squash members is the spaghetti squash. It is so easy to make and it will wow your diners. Simply slice the squash in half and roast, boil, or even microwave it. When the squash is fully cooked (cooking times vary by method) you can take a fork and run it down lengthwise of the squash. You will see perfect long strands of squash flake off. You can do this for the entire squash and you will end up with a super healthy, low calorie, mimic of spaghetti. It tastes great and the texture is super fun to eat.

Spinach

I love spinach, it adds so much dimension to a dish without a lot of work. Spinach is full of iron, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and E. Spinach can easily be consumed by throwing it into a quiche or dip. By doing so it gets disguised by the flavors of the snack yet you are getting all those healthy greens into you. Hey, if Popeye can eat it so can we!

Potatoes

I know this seems weird but I know many people who don't enjoy eating potatoes because they are boring. When I grew up my mom always cooked potatoes with dinner because they were quick and easy and went with just about everything. With that said, they ended up being a bland boring side dish that was used to fill up our bellies but didn't really satisfy our taste buds. When I began exploring new vegetables I was crazed to see there were different colored potatoes. Did you know there are red and blue potatoes? Yes blue! These potatoes cook just like regular potatoes but are so much more fun to use. They also have a more exotic and earthy flavor than regular white potatoes. You can find these colored potatoes in the chip form as well.

Brussels sprouts

I have to admit, I didn't start liking these until late in the game. Much like many of us, I fell into the stereotype that Brussels sprouts are gross, smelly, nasty tasting little heads of cabbage. All along I was eating them wrong. When properly prepared, Brussels sprouts are a scrumptious side dish. My favorite way to eat Brussels sprouts is by roasting them in the oven. I layer the sprouts on a baking sheets, peeling off some of the outer layers to crisp on their own. I drizzle on some olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. When they cook in the oven they become slightly tender but still hold their round shape. The balsamic caramelizes the sprouts and there is a sweet and salty flavor. The best part is the crispy layers. I swear they are just as good as potato chips! If you're feeling spontaneous you can throw in some chopped bacon for an even saltier, meaty bite!

So what do you think?

Would you make these veggies in a new way to get your picky eaters to give them a try? I know these variations have really helped my family consume a lot more veggies than before because these are really fun, healthy, and easy options!

Plantains, not your average banana

The first time I tried plantains was on my honeymoon in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We ate so much of them we probably turned yellow!

Plantains look and feel like a banana, but must be cooked before eaten. They are a very starchy and dense fruit that can be used in both savory and sweet dishes. Plantains are prepared in many different ways. Most popular forms include fried plantains, plantain chips, and mashed plantains for a dish called Mofungo. Plantains, much like bananas, go through different ripening stages, which affects their texture and taste. Plantains can be used in their initial green stage where they are firm and mild tasting or they can be used when they are dark yellow or black where they are very soft and sweet. 

When my husband and I arrived back to New York, I was determined to replicate some of the fantastic food finds we had in Puerto Rico. I searched the internet for all different recipes and information pertaining to Spanish cooking. I was overwhelmed with the amount of foods that can be made with this one ingredient and how versatile a plantain really is. I just knew I had to try to make plantains now considering I had so many options.

It took a while for me to get it right, but I finally nailed it down. I now love to make and consume plantains on a regular basis. My favorite way to prepare them is fried sweet plantains, also known as Platanos. This is an easy dish to make and whenever we have it, it always takes us back to those sweet days on the beautiful island. 

This makes enough for a four-person side dish:

3 ripe plantains peeled and cut diagonally into 1 inch slices (the blacker the better)Vegetable oil for fryingSea salt for finishing

Fill a medium size saucepan (or a fryer if you have one) about half way with oil. Set your pan to medium-high heat and wait for it to get hot. Take a slotted spoon and place a few slices of the plantains onto the spoon and then slowly lay them into the hot oil. They will cook very fast so keep and eye on them. When you see the plantains begin to brown flip them over, the opposite side will cook even faster. As soon as they get some brown color take them out and lay them on a plate covered with paper towel to soak up the excess grease. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt so it sticks to the hot plantains. Enjoy!

Yes, that's it, just three ingredients. That is why plantains are so fabulous; they are great with little preparation. My husband and I love to eat these with arroz con pollo (rice and chicken), but you can eat them with whatever you'd like. They're even great as a snack!