mia pancia

It's ALL about the Belly!

[panatmansam]

Meditation could be said to be the Art of Simplicity —simply sitting, simply breathing and simply being.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (via celestinevibes)

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Cauli Avo Toast Supreme Yellow cauliflower slightly steamed, riced & squeezed of excess liquid. Add an egg, salt & pepper to taste. Form into patties and brown in skillet with pat of butter. Avocado, ripe, smashed with juice of half a lime and sprinkled with togarashi. Spread a couple tablespoons onto the cauli toast. Add a slice of heirloom tomato and a poached egg. Shown with puréed African Stew as a spicy alternative to hollandaise.

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Ahhhh Bacon.... How do I love thee... In this way there can be only you... This recipe was passed to me from a dear friend who brought this easy delicacy to a party. I amended it slightly. Spiced Candied Bacon 1# thick cut nitrate-free bacon 1/4 cup coconut sugar 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper Turn oven to Bake at 350 degrees. Wearing gloves, hand-mix sugar & pepper in a large bowl. Add bacon & toss to coat evenly. Lay strips of bacon on broiler tray, or use baking rack inside of a pan with sides to catch the bacon grease. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until crispy. Careful not to over cook as the sugars will turn from caramel to burnt offering in a flash! And invite other bacon lovers to share... It's addictive!

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Curried Shrimp Paella Paella isn't a dish I make often & I'm still working on getting a good crust (because otherwise it's pretty much a risotto)... And it's beautiful and tasty just the same. For an August bday party, I took up the challenge again. I made a vegetarian paella first, which did not have its picture taken because the crowd was ready to eat. Suffice to say it was garnished with split asparagus spears and quartered artichoke hearts. As for tray two, shown above, Next time - more Thai red curry paste! And turn up the heat a smidge to crisp the underside better, or, I hear tell... Put the pan in the oven? More research and practice on my part. As long as I don't burn it, I don't think friends and family mind me practicing on them.

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Gagh? Nah! Purple string beans may resemble a Klingon delicacy, but I assure you they are a delectable Earthly in origin. Chopped and mixed with a rainbow of summer-fresh produce and a generous helping of ginger-shoyu marinade, and you have a cool veggie side for the next BBQ. (We had ours with an adobo Tri-tip...Yum!)

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Belated Brunch In celebration of the many ways in which we nourish each other, a group of women gathered on Mother's Day. We toasted with Citrus-Beet Punch, and began a progressive meal of Dairy-free "Cream" of Asparagus Soup, raw veggie pulp crackers, Breakfast Cauli-Flatbread with Pesto Greens & Eggs, topped off with a tea-tray of raw Cashew Cookies and Blueberry Whip, Roasted Brazil nut-butter with cacao drizzle, and a Gluten-free Peach Bread. We each took time to prepare enjoyable foods that our both our taste and digestion would appreciate. We shared the bounty of our meal and our connections with each other.

[justemoinue2-deactivated2018070]

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

Lao Tzu (via justemoinue2)

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Turmeric Latte

It’s cold and creamy and oh so dreamy. Spiced and sweetened just right - This experiment paid off in the taste department!

One finger of turmeric root, grated and soaked in a quart of coconut water for three days.

Strain ½ cup of liquid into blender with ¼ cup coconut milk and 3 pitted dates. Fill blender to the 2 cup line. Blend until smooth & frothy. If additional sweetness is desired, add a splash of maple or coconut syrup. Garnish with fresh ground nutmeg.

Note: blending will take less time, and the latte will stay colder if you let the dates soak a bit.

Additional tip: a little black pepper helps with turmeric absorption for anti-inflammatory properties.

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Making the Most of Time It's been a time-rush lately! And all the more reminder of the importance of self-care & how preparation is key!! This weekend my local fish market had halibut on sale. I bought a rather huge filet and baked it at 350 degrees for 20-30 min, with orange oil, lemon grass, salt & pepper. Last night I made a kale salad with Miso-Citrus dressing. The combination of juice, miso, toasted sesame oil, a little whole grain mustard with a splash of maple syrup... Magical sweet and tangy lip-licking YUM. And so with gratitude, on a busy Monday morning, I had a tasty leftover that required no cooking whatsoever.

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Paleo Lunch Wrap Spirulina wrapper resembles seaweed sheets for sushi, only thicker. Steam for a couple of minutes to make them pliable, then layer in your favorite filling. Pictured above: thin layer of lemon aioli, romaine lettuce, sliced chicken breast, with a crisped prosciutto center.

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Gamberetti Primavera senza Fettucine Living without pasta is easy when the rest of the dish is delish! Sauté spring onion with peppers, broccoli & tomatoes. Add a touch of crushed garlic, white wine & a tablespoon of butter to braise til veggies are tender. Heat shrimp on medium in a touch of olive oil, add sauce to cook through. The sauce shown is Pasta Etc's Porcini (7 oz). Combine with veggies and feed your body & soul. If you share the house with pasta-eaters, try Capello's gluten-free, non-GMO. Use the same prep, but add noodles to their bowls. Buon appetito!

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Paleo Pesto - It's What's for Dinner Not a grain to be found in what appears to be Hickory-Smoked Chicken Linguini. Start by toasting a handful of walnuts, just til fragrant. Add to food processor with bunch of fresh basil leaves, zest of one lemon (Meyer), juice of half the lemon, two scoops nutritional yeast, coarse sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and a quarter cup olive oil drizzled in while pulsing. Scrape sides as needed. Rinse kelp noodles in colander. Bring 6 cups of water to boil in large pot. Heat noodles through (2 minutes) & drain. Turn off heat. Add pesto to warm pot with cherry tomatoes sliced in halves. Stir in chopped chicken. Add kelp noodles, toss to coat evenly. Dinner is served!

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Thailand Meets Iceland Icelandic Cod simmered in Red Thai curry sauce, tossed with sautéed broccoli slaw. Red Thai curry paste, peanut butter, lime juice & zest, rice vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, garlic & Ginger. Start with a tablespoon of everything but tamari (teaspoon), and adjust to your liking from there. Thin with a little broth as needed.

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Cauli-Steak to Soup Not all experiments are created equal! Roasted cauliflower steaks (sliced through stem to hold together) with salsa, roasted chicken & a little cheese... Was suppose to be a kind of paleo pizza or nacho or something. Well, it was something! Good flavor but the texture was all kinds of wrong. So this morning I reheated with a quart of chicken broth, blended in the Vitamix, and "Hello!" Hearty winter breakfast. So glad last night's dinner experiment turned over a creative leaf!

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Variations on a Breakfast Theme BLT transformed into BAKT on torta for one. Crisp bacon. Braise kale with a touch of the grease, caramelized red onion (chopped) and a splash of Sauvignon. Toss with chopped avocado and tomato. Scramble 2 eggs with sriracha, pour into single-serving size pan with a touch of bacon grease. Cover and cook over med heat for a couple of min. Uncover, lift edge of egg to allow wet top to slide into hot pan. Recover to cook another couple of min. Uncover, gently flip to quickly cook bottom side of torta. Plate & top with BAKT mix.

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Paleo Breakfast Wrap New ingredients spark creative gastronomy! These paleo wraps seem dry and leathery straight out of the package, but treat them akin to enchiladas and you've got a new culinary option. In this case I warned the wrap in coconut oil, but a sauce or other liquid would likely do the job of making the wraps more supple as well. My other new find is capers packed in salt. A few of these little gems so a long way into creating flavor bursts in your mouth. I am a huge fan of the brine-packed variety (not so fond of the oil packed- which seemed like a good idea but had lost their punch). The Breakfast Wrap pictured above is filled with: •Flaked salmon (previously baked with tangerines and thyme) •Rainbow chard (previously Sautéd with shallots •Scrambled eggs with salt-packed capers (cooked in coconut oil) •crumbled goat cheese (with lavender & fennel pollen)

[itsallaboutthebelly]

Shrimp Stirfry 2 Tb of your favorite healthy oil 2 C mushrooms, sliced 4 scallions, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 Tb crushed garlic 1 Tb grated ginger 1 Tb Bragg aminos 1 tsp chili oil 2 C shrimp, peeled & deveined, seasoned with seaweed/salt blend Add egg and/or rice if you prefer to serve as fried rice.