choisis la joie

i’m just a girl in my mid-twenties, trying to find the beauty in every day life and working my way to a sustainably healthier lifestyle, one day at a time. this is where i record my recipes, motivations and inspirations. any photos not otherwise attributed are taken by me. please do not re-use them without giving proper credit.

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[choisislajoie]

chocolate banana (green) smoothie

ingredients

1 frozen, sliced banana

1.5+ cup coconut/almond milk

greens

2+ tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp honey

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

directions

start with the milk & banana. blend.

add in the greens. blend.

add in the powders and honey. blend.

enjoy!

[choisislajoie]

packet-grilled radishes

ingredients

16-20 oz radishes

2 tbsp butter

2-4 cloves garlic

salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste

directions

slice radishes; dice garlic cloves and butter (into small pieces)

place all ingredients onto a double layer of foil

sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and mix

fold foil into a secure packet

grill for 20 minutes or until radishes are tender

[choisislajoie]

toffee sauce

ingredients

1 can (full-fat) coconut milk

2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

dash sea salt

splash vanilla extract

directions

add coconut milk and brown sugar to a medium saucepan

heat on medium to high heat until boiling, whisking occasionally

once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer

simmer for 30-40 minutes, whisking occasionally

turn off heat and add vanilla and salt

whisk in and let cool

ladle generously over desired delivery device, then pour the rest into a glass jar for the fridge

notes: recipe adapted from here. i lived in london once upon a time. they have sticky toffee pudding there. i have missed that dessert so, both because it is hard to get in america and because it is so far from healthy. but now? i think this sauce on my vanilla mug cake may just be the ideal, clean{ish...bad brown sugar!} and still deeelicious answer to my sticky-toffee-pudding woes! this sauce, though - i'm thinking pancake syrup, coffee, you name it! 

[choisislajoie]

my mama grew these beauties on her roof deck and boy howdy are they delicious. and this is coming from a tomato-averse individual, who wouldn't, couldn't! eat tomatoes up until about two years ago. seriously, i didn't even manage salsa until college. and i still prefer them slow roasted in olive oil and copious amounts of garlic, and poured over burrata cheese and garlic toast. but these? these i could eat all day...fresh, pure, sweet, home-grown tomatoes. it's enough to make a girl want to start a garden...

[choisislajoie]

vanilla mug cake

ingredients

2 tbsp coconut flour

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp honey

1 egg

dash salt

1+ tbsp coconut milk

1/4 tsp baking powder (optional)

directions

grease your microwave-safe mug

add all ingredients to mug

mix thoroughly

microwave 1:30-2 minutes

notes: people. seriously. this might be the best mug cake i've made yet. and it was all off the top of my head, because i can't handle how many ingredients other people use. if you don't use the baking powder, this is only SIX ingredients and it is full-on delicious. and with the berries? oh man, it was like strawberry shortcake but without the guilt. love. you could also use pretty much any topping you'd use on a white cake...this baby is versatile! also, on another note - the greasing of the mug is a crucial step i have been unfortunately skipping. it makes a world of difference in the clean up. use butter, coconut oil, cooking spray, whatever.

[choisislajoie]

gingerbread mug cake

ingredients

2 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1 egg

1+ tbsp almond milk

directions

combine all ingredients in a mug

mix thoroughly

microwave for 2 minutes

notes: i seem to have a thing for gingerbread and molasses at the moment, so i figured why not indulge that? this is drier, more like a bread than a cake, but delicious. might be even better with a lemon icing, because what gingerbread isn't made better with lemon icing? but so yummy on its own.

[choisislajoie]

molasses spice cookies 

ingredients

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 tsp celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut oil or other shortening

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

directions

combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl

add in wet ingredients, mix well

scoop onto lined baking sheet 1 tbsp at a time, gently press

bake at 350f 6-10 minutes

cool and serve

notes: recipe adapted from elena's pantry. i had no baking soda on hand, so per google i used 3/4 tsp baking powder. if you're not a big fan of blackstrap molasses, just use one of the milder forms!

[choisislajoie]

smoothie tips

Commenting on a post by a blogger who had a bit of blender trouble, I realized I haven't posted much about smoothies lately.  Probably because I'm still working on the whole getting-up-early-enough-to-make-smoothies deal... but that's another story for another day.  I wanted to share here the tips I gave in the comment:

"I have made more than a few smoothies in the last year and a half, and there are a few key things I have learned in that time.

- Many recipes online or in books assume you have a Vitamix or other equally powerful blender, that can make quick work of nearly anything.  If you are working with a normal - or even an old! - blender, you may have to adapt those recipes by chopping things up, and possibly even adding ingredients in stages.

- Normal and older blenders can sometimes struggle blending greens - they'll get wrapped around the blades.  If you find that happening, try placing a different ingredient at the bottom. 

- Another way to deal with blenders that struggle with greens is to puree a bunch of greens in a food processor, then freeze, and just pull out a portion of the greens for each new smoothie.  I know this sounds like extra work, but I find it makes for a smoother smoothie and helps cut the bitter taste some greens have when freshly cut, which can help if you're trying to convince kids/partners to try it out.  Also, this allows you to more effectively plan smoothie greens into a budget (or take advantage of a sale!)."

Hope those help!

[choisislajoie]

egg & avocado

ingredients

1 haas avocado

2 eggs

garlic powder

salt & pepper

directions

spray a pan and set it on the stove on low heat

crack the eggs and mix them in a separate container 

slice the avocado in half and throw out the pit

slice the bottoms off each half of the avocado so they rest flat

place avocado halves in pan

pour eggs into center of avocado halves - and yes, they will pour over into the pan. this is okay. 

season with garlic, salt and pepper

cover pan and cook for 5+ minutes, until egg is cooked and avocado is slightly soft

notes: i only used one egg. that was a mistake. poor egg to avocado ratio. also, i cringed when the egg spilled out of the avocado, but it wound up being a decidedly good thing. (unless you like your eggs runny, in which case i would recommend putting the avocado in the pan for 5 minutes, and THEN adding the egg for another 2-3. also if you prefer your whites and yolks separate, skip the step where you mix the eggs in a separate container.) this was a perfect - and delicious - late dinner and i am excited to have it in my arsenal of quick-meals.

[choisislajoie]

FDA comment request re: proposal to add aspartame to milk without labeling

There are five days left to comment on the FDA request for comments on a proposal by the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producer's Federation. The proposal is outlined on the comment request page, but in short, the IDFA and NMPF "have filed a petition requresting that the [FDA] amend the standard of identity for milk and 17 other dairy products to provide for the use of any safe or and suitable sweetener [including aspartame] as an optional ingredient."  And because it's not enough to "amend the standard of identity for milk", the IDFA and NMPF, arguing that "nutrient content claims such as 'reduced calorie' are not attractive to children", state that "milk flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners should be labeled as milk without further claims so consumers can 'more easily identify its overall nutritional value.'"

Please take a few minutes to review this comment request and consider adding your voice to the discussion of whether milk should be further altered from its natural state, and altered without notifying the consumer.

All quotes are from the FDA comment request page, which can be found here:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/02/20/2013-03835/flavored-milk-petition-to-amend-the-standard-of-identity-for-milk-and-17-additional-dairy-products

[choisislajoie]

coconut flour mug cake

ingredients

1 heaping tbsp coconut flour

1 heaping tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp - 1 tbsp honey

1-2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 tbsp milk (almond, coconut, regular...)

directions

mix all ingredients except milk together in a microwave-safe mug

add milk and mix well

microwave 1:30-2 minutes

enjoy! {with a big dollop of peanut butter if you're as obsessed with the pb/choc mix as i am}

notes: i created this recipe as a smaller, coconut-flour alternative to the almond flour mug cake i had been using previously. win. i adore it. it's - thankfully - closer to a single-serve size than other recipes i've found online. the vanilla and honey are really to-taste, but if you reduce them you need to make up the moisture with more milk thanks to coconut flour's thirsty nature. when i'm feeling fancy and indulgent, i add some dark chocolate chips for a little extra flavor. if you care, the math on this is about 210 cals {unless you add chocolate chips and peanut butter...}. my ingredients aren't pure paleo but with some raw honey, pastured eggs and home-made coconut milk you could probably call this a paleo win too? 

[hllwdhrts-deactivated20171021]

[choisislajoie]

primal "fudge"

ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup peanut/almond butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

directions

with a fork, mix together vanilla, peanut/almond butter and cocoa powder. it will take a while, so just consider it a forearm workout ;)

pour in melted coconut oil. mix until smooth.

add in honey/syrup, mix until smooth.

spoon into ice cube trays, leaving a small space at the top 

squeeze a bit of honey/syrup into each cube

place in freezer to set

notes: recipe adapted from here. i added a little sea salt in the ice cube trays before pouring the mix in, and i think i like it! if you prefer the honey more integrated, feel free to follow the original recipe by adding it to the mix and blending before pouring into molds. edit 3/25: integrate the honey. seriously. the pour-it-in-after technique resulted in honey spilling out of the top of my candies, causing them to all stick together. 

[choisislajoie]

sunbutter spice bread

ingredients

1 cup sunbutter

3 eggs

3 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

dash sea salt

dash vanilla extract

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

directions

combine all ingredients except vinegar using a food processor

add in vinegar and mix well again

pour into lined or greased loaf pan

bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit

notes: this was my first experience with sunbutter. while i'm not a big fan of the slightly bitter aftertaste it has, the spices and honey masked it well enough in the bread. also, it clearly rises a whole lot better than walnut butter, so that was exciting to see! getting near sandwich size... haha. regardless, i will keep experimenting with different nut/seed-butter breads and reporting back :)

[semiluminous]

[choisislajoie]

cinnamon walnut bread

ingredients

1 cup walnut butter

3 eggs

3 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

dash sea salt

dash vanilla extract

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

directions

combine all ingredients except vinegar using a food processor

add in vinegar and mix well again

pour into lined or greased loaf pan

bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit

notes: recipe adapted from here. the walnut butter was homemade, and honestly not nearly as smooth as a nut butter should be, but that didn't seem to negatively impact the bread!