Zuppa Toscana for the Soul: how faux-talians solve all their problems. I may not be Italian, but I was a waitress at Olive Garden back in the day. And if there’s one thing I took away from that college gig, it was a dream – a dream to one day recreate the magic of Zuppa Toscana. Rejoice. Because that day arrived. And my version, is 100% dairy-free and delicious. Plus, the base is equally delicious as a seafood chowder. I like to call that a bonus round. If you’re equally giddy about the iconic Zuppa Toscana, read on to recreate this meal of endless soup, salad and breadsticks, any night of the week.

2020 is the year of comfort food and nostalgia. And I dare you to think of one other thing that serves up both better than a classic bowl of Zuppa Toscana. For those of you unfamiliar (gasp!) this soup got its fame as part of the Olive Garden’s endless soup, salad and breadstick promotion. It starts with a decadent, creamy base. It’s studded with salty bacon, spicy Italian sausage, roasted potatoes and tender kale (before kale was cool). I can almost hear the Italian music in the background just reminiscing about it…Back to reality and the dream to recreate this magic. I try to limit the amount of dairy I consume and coconut milk is my go-to for a creamy replacement. For that Chicken Soup for the Soul vibe, I mix the creamy coconut milk with bone broth to add rich flavor. And the rest, is all about the fixin’s!

While this soup is incredibly easy to pull together any weeknight, here are a few tips:

1.) Thickness: use the original recipe proportions for a thicker base. For a thinner base, just add another can of coconut milk and 1 cup of bone broth. This version will be more creamy, but a little less savory. Both are equally good!
2.) Quality Ingredients Matter: while this is a “healthier” version of the OG Zuppa Toscana, don’t skimp on some of the more indulgent ingredients like real bacon. The fat from the bacon will be used to sautee the veggies and adds major flavor, so I highly recommend a good cut of pork bacon (over turkey) without added sugar, if you can find it.
3.) Freeze It: this soup is a great make-ahead meal that will stay in the fridge for 2-3 months. Make a batch, let it fully cool, then store in a resealable container.

Ready to recreate those Olive Garden vibes? Read on for the Zuppa Toscana recipe and a bonus recipe for a Seafood Chowder version! Bon appetit!

“Healthier” Dairy-Free Zuppa Toscana
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
– 6 slices of bacon (ideally no sugar added)
– 1 lb chicken sausage (or ground turkey)
– 1 yellow onion, diced
– 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
– 2 large russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4″ moons
– 32 oz chicken bone broth
– 1 can full fat coconut milk
– 5-6 handfuls of kale, shredded
– salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
– optional: for more broth or thinner consistency, add 8 oz chicken bone broth and 1 additional can of coconut milk

Directions:                                                                                                              Step 1: Cut the bacon into 1 inch strips (I use a kitchen shears) and crisp in a large stock pot over medium heat. Use a slotted spoon to place the strips on a paper towel lined plate and keep the bacon fat in the stock pot.
Step 2: Place the chicken sausage or seasoned ground turkey in the stock pot with the bacon fat. Crumble and brown. Set aside on a plate, keeping any fat in the pot.
Step 3: Place the diced onion in the stock pot and cook until translucent; 5-8 minutes. Add the minced garlic, stirring constantly for 45 seconds until fragrant. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Add the chicken bone broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking covered until the potatoes are fork tender; 8-10 minutes. If you cook too long, the potatoes will turn to mush!
Step 5: Add the coconut milk and browned sausage, continuing to cook for another 5 minutes so the flavors blend together. Then add the kale, season with salt and pepper, stir for a minute or 2 until the kale is bright green and wilted Add the bacon. Taste the broth and add additional salt, pepper and/or crushed red pepper for some heat!

“Healthier” Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
– 6 slices of bacon (ideally no sugar added)
– 1 lb seafood (I used a mix of shrimp, scallops, muscles and squid)
– 1 yellow onion, diced
– 1 C carrots, diced
– 2 stalks of celery, sliced into half moons
– 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
– 2 large russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4″ moons
– 32 oz chicken bone broth
– 1 can full fat coconut milk
– 5-6 handfuls of kale, shredded
– salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
– optional: for more broth or thinner consistency, add 8 oz chicken bone broth and 1 additional can of coconut milk

Directions:                                                                                                              Step 1: Cut the bacon into 1 inch strips (I use a kitchen shears) and crisp in a large stock pot over medium heat. Use a slotted spoon to place the strips on a paper towel lined plate and keep the bacon fat in the stock pot.        Step 2: Place the diced onion, carrots and celery in the stock pot and cook until translucent; 5-8 minutes. Add the minced garlic, stirring constantly for 45 seconds until fragrant. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Add the chicken bone broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking covered until the potatoes are fork tender; 8-10 minutes. If you cook too long, the potatoes will turn to mush!
Step 4: Add the coconut milk and seafood, continuing to cook for another 5 minutes so the flavors blend together and the seafood cooks. Then add the kale, season with salt and pepper, stir for a minute or 2 until the kale is bright green and wilted. Add the bacon. Taste the broth and add additional salt, pepper and/or crushed red pepper for some heat!

The post One Base, Two Deliciously Dairy-Free Soups appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Eat well, move daily, laugh often, sleep lots and love your body. Repeat for life.

Is it really that simple? Maybe. At least it feels a heckuva lot simpler on Day 21 of Whole30. Scientists are still arguing whether 21 days is truly the magic number for forming a good habit, but I’m starting to believe in the magic. Meal prep is the norm, I’ve got a roster of MVF’s (most valuable foods) to save the day and the sugar dragons seem to be hibernating for the winter. Sure, I’m still looking forward to tacos in Mexico in 2 weeks, but I’m also not agonizing over my every meal. Hopefully you’re feeling those good habit vibes, but if you’re still looking for some recipes to shake up the last nine days and tips to surviving social outings, you’ve come to the right place! Read on for the dEATs.

Three weeks in and we are in the home stretch people! Hallelujah. The light is at the end of the tunnel and it feels pretty easily within reach. Meal prep is mastered and the Whole30 rules are incinerated in our brains. Question is, have you been avoiding social outings with…outsiders? You know, the deviants who are gobbling up bread and pasta and chocolate, while you’re on the road to body euphoria. Yeah, I thought so. But now that we’re fully in control of our cravings, we can theoretically go out to a bar, restaurant or party without caving. Yes, you can! And here are a couple of my tricks for staying the course while out ‘n about:

Socializing on Whole30….Yes, It Is Possible

1.) BYOB: Bringing your own (compliant) beverage is the key to survival. Some of my favs: GT’s Kombucha, LaCroix and Spindrift Sparkling Water. They’re all bubbly, flavorful and give you something to sip while others imbibe. And if you want to make your own “mocktail” one of my favorite concoctions is a 50/50 mix of LaCroix Sparkling Coconut Water and Pom Wonderful Cherry Pomegranate Juice. Add some ice, a sprig of mint and you can fake it all night long.

2.) Stash Snacks…Everywhere!: Bringing your own snacks is totally acceptable. Be a pack rat. I like to stash some Cuties, Larabars and even some carrots and a single serve Wholly Guacamole cup. Also, eating a little something beforehand will help. A cup of Kettle & Fire Bone Broth will curb my cravings for something salty and indulgent while an apple with NuttZo 7 Nut and Seed Butter will curb any sweet tooth.

3.) Find Compliant Restaurants or Takeout: Restaurants are buying into the trend with more and more offering compliant offerings. For example, Chipotle has a Whole30 Salad Bowl loaded with carnitas, fresh tomato salsa and more guac than you’ve ever seen. If you’re in Chicago, Kitchfix offers a variety of Whole30 meals that you can order in advance, heat and eat without any subscription. Use this link for $20 off your first order.  True Food Kitchen is another of my favorite “nicer” restaurants. Wherever you live, don’t be afraid to call a restaurant in advance and ask. I promise you won’t be the first person!

It’s totally doable to stay on track and still be a social queen (or king) with the right game plan. The worst thing though, after all this work, would be to call it quits! Just envision how good it’s going to feel to finish…and finishing isn’t Day 27, friends. Cheers to making it to Day 30…the Final Frontier.

Read on for another roster of recipes to help ya get there! These ones are super simple, especially if you’re feeling meal prepped out by this point!

Chipotle Sweet Potato Hash
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
-2 sweet potatoes, diced
-1 bell pepper, diced
-1 small yellow onion, diced
-2 tsp cumin
-1/2 tsp paprika
-4-6 Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium heat on the stove top with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Once sizzling, add all of the ingredients up to the eggs. Stir to combine and cover, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2: Once the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, make 4-6 wells within the hash. Gently crack an egg in each of the wells. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the eggs are set.
Step 3: Serve with some fresh fruit and optional garnish of salsa and guac. Enjoy!

Butternut Egg Nests
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
-1 package of Cece’s Organic Butternut Spirals
-1 jar of Rao’s Tomato Basil Marinara
-6 Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs
-Italian Seasoning
-Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a sheet pan with olive oil then using Cece’s Butternut Spirals, form circular nests with a well in the middle. Make sure the nest is wide and dense enough to hold the egg. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning then place in the oven for 2-3 minutes. This helps to pre-cook the spirals and ensures the egg when you crack it into the nest since the pan will be hot.
Step 2: Remove the sheet pan from the oven and gently crack an egg in each of the nests. Return to the oven for 6-8 minutes. The egg will continue to cook a bit when you take it out of the oven to cool, but err on the side of 8 minutes if you like your eggs more done.
Step 3: Serve 1-2 nests per person with marinara sauce and your favorite fresh fruit.

Coconut Cacao Chia Pudding with Raspberries
Serves: 3

Ingredients:
Cacao Pudding
– 1 can of full fat coconut milk
– 3 T Navitas Organics Superfood Cacao Powder
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– Sprinkle of Himalayan salt
– 1 T date syrup (below; sub maple syrup if Paleo)
-1/4 C chia seeds
Date Syrup
– 1 C of Medjool dates
– 1 1/2 C of water
– 1 tsp lemon juice
Garnish
– Raspberries

Directions:
Step 1: Prepare the date syrup by placing the pitted Medjool dates in a food processor with the water and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth and the consistency of syrup. Place in a mason jar to store.
Step 2: Make the chia pudding placing the coconut milk, data syrup, cacao and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Use an immersion blender or whisk to combine all of the ingredients. Add the chia seeds and mix together with a spoon until combined. Place the entire mixture in a large mason jar and refrigerate, covered, overnight.
Step 3: Once the chia pudding is chilled, serve in small glasses with raspberries on top for garnish.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Coconut Chicken Curry with Cauliflower Rice
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
– 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
– 12 oz of vegetable or chicken broth
– 4 T of Thai red curry paste
– 1 T coco aminos (or soy sauce if not doing Whole30)
– 1 T freshly minced ginger
– 2 tsp fish sauce
– 3 cloves of garlic
– 1 lb of chicken breasts
– 1 butternut squash, peeled and medium diced
– 1 yellow onion, medium diced
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 tsp crushed red papper
– optional red pepper flakes, cilantro and limes for garnish
– option to add your favorite vegetables to the curry such as red bell pepper slices, broccoli florets or zuchinni
Serve with cauliflower rice and your favorite vegetables.

Directions:
Step 1: Add all of the ingredients with the exception of the coconut milk, to a slow cooker set to low heat. Mix to combine, cover and let cook for 3 hours. Note that you’ll be removing the chicken and blending all of the ingredients to create a thick curry, so no need to perfectly dice everything.
Step 2: After three hours, remove the chicken and set aside on a plate. Add the coconut milk to the slow cooker, then use an immersion blender to combine all of the ingredients into a thick sauce. Cover and turn heat to high. Add any additional fresh vegetables you’d like to include such as red bell pepper strips, spinach, kale or even broccoli. While the curry continues to simmer, small dice or shred the chicken. Add to the curry and cover again. The curry should be done at this time, but allow to cook a bit longer for the flavors to meld and/or for the newly added vegetables to cook. Taste and if it’s not flavorful enough, add 1 tsp of curry powder.
Step 3: While the curry continues to cook, heat a teaspoon or two of olive oil in a medium pan over the stove top on medium heat. Add a bag of pre-packaged cauliflower rice to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower rice is softened.
Step 4: Serve the butternut curry over the cauliflower rice with a squeeze of lime juice and optional cilantro garnish. Feel free to top with your favorite steamed vegetables.

Cheers to making it to Day 30, friends!

The post Whole30 Survival Guide: Final Frontier appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Inhale tacos, exhale the negativity. That my friends, is how you Taco Tuesday. Especially before the holidays. These Thai Tofu Tacos are loaded with crispy tofu, crunchy kale, rainbow carrot medallions, strips of red cabbage and bathed in a creamy Thai peanut sauce. That sauce may look familiar, for a reason. I’m embracing the Swedish concept of “Lagom”, which is the idea of “just enough” or finding balancing. For me, balance is cooking once…and finding a way to reinvent those same ingredients. So yesterday’s Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl becomes…tacos! Get all the dEATs on this recipe and the concept of lagom below to find your taco zen.

It’s that time of year where we try to jam pack every type of social event into a span of 3 short weeks – cookie exchanges, holiday parties, ugly sweater gatherings, shopping sprees, you name it. And it can all be a little….overwhelming. I’ll admit that I’ve checked off approximately 5% of my holiday shopping and the clock is ticking with 7 days until Christmas. So in my procrastination, I’ve been reading all about 2019 trends and the Swedish concept of “lagom” or “just enough”. According to Greatist, lagom is expected to be a major health & wellness trend. In fact, it’s touted as the next “hygge” (read my post all about 2017’s cozy Danish trend here).

To get a vibe for this concept, let’s turn to our familiar friend, Goldilocks. She wants not too much porridge (that would be wasteful) and not too little (how would she have the focus for her day?) and it also need not be too hot (again, energy waste). It’s all about balance, moderation, simplification and slowing down. Sign me up!

Here are a few tips to embrace la vida lagom:

1.) Cook Once, Eat Twice: find that coveted work/life balance with recipes that allow you to cook once and eat like a king the rest of the week. This includes crock pot recipes that make large batches so you’ll have leftovers for lunch all week long, or freezer meals for later. You can also find recipes that use common ingredients, like this Thai peanut sauce, which is the highlight for my Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl recipe and these tacos.

2.) Adopt a Signature Look: deciding what to wear should not be a chore, but sometimes its so stressful and hard to keep up with the trends (yes, first world problems). Think about adopting a wardrobe of solid staples (like a white blouse or black turtleneck) that you can reinvent with accessories like a jeweled necklace, handkerchief, bold belt or cozy wrap.

3.) Initiate Walking Meetings: if you can’t fit in that workout and all those meetings, mash it up with walking/talking meetings. It allows you and your compadre to get some fresh air and reinvigorate that mind and body.

4.) Take a Break: self love was all the rage in 2018, and for good reason! We all need a mental refresh and shouldn’t feel selfish for getting our nails done, or just booking a conference room to check out for a few minutes. According to Psychology Today, these breaks can help you more effectively go about your day by resetting your mental track. Ever gone for a run and suddenly found the answer to a problem? Yup, that’s the magic of a mental break.

5.) Balanced Plates Over Fads: lagom is basically the opposite of extreme diets. According to Well and Good, everything in balance is exemplified by Swedish pizzerias, which often serve “pizzasallad”, a punchy cabbage salad, alongside the pizzas. It’s a fresh complement to the pizza and fills up the plate (and your belly) with something other than dough, that will also help with digestion.

Now that we’re all experts on la vida lagom, let’s put it into practice with this recipe!

Thai Tofu Tacos
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Thai Peanut Sauce
– One 13.5 oz can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk like Thai Kitchen
– 1/4 C of red curry paste like Thai Kitchen
– 3/4 C natural, creamy and unsweetened peanut butter like 365 Everyday
– 3/4 C coconut sugar (or white refined sugar)
– 2 T apple cider vinegar
– 1/2 T salt
– 1/2 C water
Taco Fixings
– One 14 oz block of extra firm tofu
– One package of tortillas (like Maria and Ricardo’s Organic Blue Corn Tortillas)
– 1 bag of Mann’s Kale Beet Blend (or chop kale, red cabbage & golden beets)
– 1 bunch of rainbow carrots, cut into thin medallions
– 1/3 C of roasted, salted peanuts, chopped

Directions:
Step 1: Make the crispy tofu by pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Then, place the block of tofu on a bed of paper towels to soak up the liquid. Press another layer of paper towels on top to soak up more of the liquid. If you have the time, ideally you’d let it sit with a pan on top to continue to drain. If not, go ahead and slice into 1-inch cubes. Grease a sheet pan with some olive or coconut oil and place the cubes of tofu in a single layer on the sheet pan; season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes, or at least once midway through to get an even crisp on all sides.
Step 2: Make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to another small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until it comes to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes whisking sporadically to ensure the bottom does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Assemble the tacos by layering the tofu and all the fixings in warmed tortillas (I like to place in the oven for a few minutes as long as you have it on). Dredge it in the Thai Peanut Sauce and set some aside for dipping too!

You’ll have plenty of leftover sauce, so try that Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl too!

The post Living La Vida Lagom appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Sometimes all Monday needs is a splash of color. This Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl was just the spritz of color I needed to put an extra pep in my step for the last working Monday of the year! Let that sink in for a second. Last Monday in the office. Now go ahead and give into that mental “raise the roof”. You know you wanna. In this week’s meal prep, a bed of quinoa gets a burst of color from rainbow carrots, red cabbage, curly kale and spring peas, plus a snap of satay-inspired flavor with a creamy peanut sauce. Get the lowdown on why eating the rainbow matters and sashay to that recipe below.

Take a gander at those technicolor veggies! Pretty trippy, right? Veggies are having a renaissance and now you can find carrots, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower in an array of colors that are pleasing to both the eyes and taste buds. And, it’s not just specialty stores or farmer’s markets that sell these pretty jewels. Just last week I discovered these purple Brussel sprouts at Whole Foods, the rainbow carrots at Trader Joe’s and Broccoflower (or green cauliflower) at Cermak, my (traditionally Hispanic) neighborhood grocery store.

So the question is, are these just pretty on the eyes, or is there something more to eating colorful veggies? Unlike those technicolor poinsettias this time of year, these veggies are not dyed these pretty hues. According to WebMD, they get their vivid array of coloring from phytonutrients that protect the plants, which then offer a multitude of benefits when you consume these vegetables. And according to America’s PhytoNutrient Report, 8 out of 10 Americans are falling short of almost every color in their daily diet. Wondering the benefits from each color group? Check out this blog post I wrote a few weeks ago.

Now that I’ve hopefully satisfied your visual curiosity, let’s get to tantalizing your taste buds. You’ll want to lick the spoon with this creamy peanut buttery sauce that has a hint of spice and just the right touch of sweet. It comes together in 10 minutes or less and only requires 5 simple ingredients – natural creamy peanut butter, coconut milk, coconut sugar, red curry paste and apple cider vinegar. A couple of tips: make sure to get natural peanut butter without any added emulsifiers (the kind where there is a layer of oil on the top) to get the right texture and also pick up full fat, unsweetened coconut milk in a can. Remember that your body needs a little bit of fat to digest the nutrients in these vegetables, so don’t skimp on the good stuff and watch out for added sugars that aren’t necessary.

The beauty of this recipe is that 1.) the most complex part is the sauce 2.) it will make tons of this delicious sauce, which can be used in a variety of other recipes (best dipping sauce for skewers, just sayin’) and 3.) the sauce can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks. While the sauce is simmering, you can get the quinoa going on the stove top. Make sure to always rinse the quinoa beforehand, which removes its natural coating, called saponin. This coating can otherwise taste bitter or soapy. While a lot of packaged quinoa is pre-rinsed, it doesn’t to double down. With the sauce simmering and the quinoa cooking on the stove top, you can multi-task and chop up the veggies for this fresh salad!

Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
Quinoa
– 1 cup of quinoa like Bob’s Red Mill
– 2 cups of vegetable broth like Pacific Foods Organic (or water)
Thai Peanut Sauce
– One 13.5 oz can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk like Thai Kitchen
– 1/4 C of red curry paste like Thai Kitchen
– 3/4 C natural, creamy and unsweetened peanut butter like 365 Everyday
– 3/4 C coconut sugar (or white refined sugar)
– 2 T apple cider vinegar
– 1/2 T salt
– 1/2 C water
Salad
– 1 bag of Mann’s Kale Beet Blend (or chop your own kale, red cabbage and golden beets)
– 1 bag of fresh snow peas, cut in half
– 1 bunch of rainbow carrots, cut into thin medallions
– 1/3 C of roasted, salted peanuts, chopped
– optional cilantro garnish

Directions:
Step 1: Start the quinoa by adding the vegetable broth to a small sauce pan over medium heat on the stove top. After rinsing the quinoa under water, add it to the sauce pan of vegetable broth. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy.
Step 2: Make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to another small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until it comes to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes whisking sporadically to ensure the bottom does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Assuming you chopped the vegetables while the quinoa was cooking, it’s time to assemble everything! Once the quinoa is cooked, put it in a medium bowl and add as much of the kale beet blend, snow peas and carrot medallions as you’d like. Divide into 3-4 portions, then garnish with the chopped nuts and as much of the sauce as you’d like.

Stay tuned for another recipe using this sauce because you will have leftovers!

The post Life {and Food} in Technicolor appeared first on The Shooks Life.