Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer View RSS

Overnight Peanut Butter Protein Oats (GF/DF-Adaptable) 19 Jan 3:57 PM (2 months ago)

Image courtesy of Zoe Francois

Who knew that eating enough protein for breakfast could change not just your whole day, but your weight and your health?

That’s a bold claim, but it’s turned out to be quite true.

People who eat a protein-rich breakfast make more nutritious, lower-calorie food choices all day long, without having to expend much willpower.

And that’s good news because the truth is, we’re terrible at fighting our brains. It’s exhausting! Who wants to spend their entire day resisting cravings?

Not me.

Most people abandon their New Year’s resolutions by the second Friday in January, known as Quitter’s Friday, for just this reason. We need our brainpower and discipline for our work, for parenting, for relationships, for conflict resolution, for planning our next bold moves.

It’s one thing to spend brainpower on finding nutritious food – do that, for survival and health and all those good things  – but to spend it on resisting eating too much? What a waste, especially because it just doesn’t need to be that way.

So, how do you turn off energy-stealing cravings and food thoughts so your brain can focus on doing cool shit with your life?

Like maybe writing a book? Or taking a dance class? Or going on a trip with your kids? Or hiking with your partner? Or recording your grandparents telling their life stories? Or learning to sketch? Or learning Italian – and then going to Italy?

Or how about learning to cook simple, healthy meals instead of resisting or regretting eating things you wish you weren’t?

Here are some suggestions for turning down your appetite and food thoughts and getting your brain back for what actually lights you up:

• Eat a protein-rich breakfast that includes fiber, some carbs, and colorful veggies and/or fruit too
• Do it again for lunch
• If you enjoy an afternoon snack, do it again but in half
• Then do it again for dinner
• When you cook, make double so you have lunch or dinner for the next day
• Batch cook a protein or two on the weekend especially for the meals that trip you up (if breakfast is a struggle for you, make these Overnight Oats)

I meet with badass midlife women every day to map out personalized plans for eating enough protein and nutrients per meal to be full enough to naturally start to lose weight.

As you can imagine, lots of barriers come up that have nothing to do with food: picky kids, health challenges, food sensitivities, travel for work, aging parents, divorce, moving, retirement, getting married, new jobs, perimenopause, cancer recovery, gut health, autoimmunity, depression.

It is my honor to problem-solve together and come up with delicious solutions that match my clients’ schedules, cooking skills, food preferences, fitness goals, and desired outcomes and then send them on their way to live big lives without cravings or confusion. The plans we create are much more than a diet – they’re a lifestyle.

If you’re not following me on Instagram, make sure that you are. I post lots of tips every day, especially in my stories.

Image courtesy of Zoe Francois

If you love these overnight oats, I have a whole printable PDF of 30 Grams of Protein Breakfast recipes available for free here.

And if you’d like to begin your own customized journey, for all the meals, for all the days, you can work with me here (or try a one-hour Power Hour session here).

I wish you all the best in 2025 – LFG!

xoxo Stephanie

Overnight Peanut Butter Protein Oats
Serves 4

Note: as the name suggests, make the oats the night (or day) before you plan to serve them. They can be eaten up to 3 days after making them. For flavor variations, blend berries or ripe peaches into the yogurt mixture and use almond butter and a little almond extract (then top with the same berries and/or
peaches). In the winter, top with sautéed apples or other warm fruit seasoned with cinnamon.

For the oats:

1 1/3 cups Greek yogurt
1 1/3 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)
1/4 – 1/2 cup maple syrup
4 scoops collagen peptides (optional)
1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3 teaspoons chia seeds
Toppings:
Peanuts (or other nuts or seeds)
Banana slices

Make the oats:

1. Add yogurt, milk, peanut butter, maple syrup, collagen, and salt to the bowl
of a blender. Blend on medium-high speed until smooth.

2. Add oats and chia seeds to the yogurt mixture and just stir with a spoon (no
need to blend it).

3. Pour oat mixture into a large glass container with an airtight lid. Refrigerate
overnight.

4. To serve, spoon into bowls (or jars for on-the-go) and top with peanuts and
banana slices.

Per serving without toppings: 315 calories, 28 grams protein, 11 grams fat, 40 grams net carbs, 6 grams fiber

The post Overnight Peanut Butter Protein Oats (GF/DF-Adaptable) appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

“Creamy” Cauliflower Soup (GF/Paleo with DF/Vegan/AIP options) 4 Feb 2024 1:31 PM (last year)

Hey look, there’s been a bit of a backlash against cauliflower because it’s showed up in so many low-carb, lower-calorie foods like cauliflower rice, cauliflower crust pizza, cauliflower tortillas, mashed cauliflower, even cauliflower crackers.

I get it. While some of these substitutions taste great, others are…less great.

I myself really like caulirice (I roast it!) and the cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s is pretty bomb too (also best when roasted!).

One reason cauliflower shows up as a replacement for flour and starches (other than it’s low-carb and low-calorie) is that it has a lovely, creamy quality to it when pureed.

That’s what makes this soup so smooth, even though it has no cream in it.

Another reason is that its mild-yet-savory flavor is complemented by such a variety of herbs, spices, cheeses, meats and fish, nuts and seeds, on and on.

Below is a basic recipe for “Creamy” Cauliflower Soup, which is simple to prepare and can be frozen for future fast meals. (The best combo, right?)

It tastes fantastic on its own, but it’s super fun as a canvas for all sorts of delicious topping combos. I’ve served this as a starter at several dinner parties and even as the star of the show at a ladies’ luncheon.

Let’s talk about protein – with my coaching clients, we work with a very specific satiety formula for creating meals that turn appetite way down. Each meal includes a combination of protein, some starch, some plants (veggies/fruit/herbs), and healthy fat. When you get that ratio right, cravings diminish and it gets easier and easier to eat healthfully and to naturally eat the right number of calories.

This soup for sure falls into the vegetable camp and provides some healthy fat too. To round out a meal with protein and carbs, have alongside a couple of tacos, an open-faced sandwich, an omelet with potatoes, or a salad that includes chickpeas or black beans. So delish, so nutrient-dense, and super filling for hours.

“Creamy” Cauliflower Soup
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Sea salt
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons butter, divided (can sub vegan butter)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
Several grinds of black pepper

So many fun garnish options, get creative:

Shredded gruyere with teeny bit of freshly grated nutmeg
Ginger scallion sauce and bacon
Chili crisp
Buttery croutons and lots of black pepper
Favorite pesto
Chopped toasted nuts with a drizzle of olive oil
Shards of crispy prosciutto 
Salted whipped cream with minced chives
Small cubes of fennel sausage and boiled potato

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. Spread cauliflower evenly across the baking sheet and drizzle with 2
   tablespoons of the oil. Turn cauliflower pieces to coat evenly with oil. Sprinkle
   with salt. Place baking sheet in the oven and roast cauliflower for 15 minutes.
   Turn cauliflower pieces over and roast for another 10 minutes or until the
   cauliflower is tender and browned in spots. When done, remove from oven and
   set aside.
   
3. While the cauliflower roasts, add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to a Dutch
   oven or large saucepan and set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the
   onion and a couple of pinches of salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion
   is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, then stir in the
   broth.
   
4. Add roasted cauliflower to the Dutch oven. Bring soup to a boil, then turn
   heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
   
5. Working in 2 batches (do not fill a blender more than half full of hot liquid
   because steam will cause overflow), add half of soup,1 tablespoon of the
   butter, and 1tablespoon of the lemon juice to blender. Puree soup (hold the
   blender cover on tightly, then start on very low speed and increase speed
   slowly). When soup is perfectly smooth, transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the
   remaining soup, butter, and lemon juice.
   
6. Season soup with salt and black pepper. Serve hot with garnishes.

The post “Creamy” Cauliflower Soup (GF/Paleo with DF/Vegan/AIP options) appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

Butter Board…But Better (Gluten-Free) 1 Dec 2022 11:26 AM (2 years ago)

If you’ve dined in my home, you’ve been offered radishes with a little butter and flaky salt as a snack. It’s delicious, nutritious, and simple to set out – win, win, and win in my book (and here on this blog).

If I’m hosting a party, I like to up the ante a bit and bake a crispy gluten-free flatbread, spread it thinly with butter, and layer it with sliced radishes, fresh herbs, chopped pistachios, and salt. Broken into crispy, buttery shards, it’s always a hit (and particularly delicious with champagne or a light kombucha – something sparkling to counter the richness of the butter).

So when the butter board trend hit Instagram/TikTok, I was unsurprisingly…on board! (That pun was on purpose, for those of you know my accidental punning ways.) If you’ve missed the trend, it’s basically soft butter spread generously on a board (or platter), seasoned with salt and herbs, and surrounded by crackers and crudités. The goal is a fast and pretty appetizer.

It’s fair to say that I am a huge fan of great – salty! – butter (Kerrygold, Roros, and cultured French versions are my faves) but a little goes a long way health-wise (and calorie-wise), so if I’m serving butter as an outright spread, I love to combine it with canned tuna or smoked salmon, as well as a bit of onion, olives or capers, and plenty of fresh herbs.

The end result is seriously divine – big, big flavor – and less rich and more nutritious than just butter alone. Below I’ve included recipes for both tuna butter and smoked salmon butter.

The tuna butter is particularly memorable with hard-cooked eggs, olives, and plenty of chives.

The salmon butter shines with dill, pickled red onions, and capers (I recently taught a smørrebrød class where the group assembled open-faced sandwiches made with this combo and they were a hit).

My apologies for not getting these recipes to you before Thanksgiving but there is plenty of holiday celebrating ahead of us over the next few weeks! Whether you’re hosting (or attending) a cocktail party or dinner party, either or both of these spreads/boards will shine, I promise.

I recently made both, spread them on the same platter, surrounded them with an assortment of gluten-free crackers, and took them to a party. The group loved both. It’s fun to try them side-by-side and decide which is your favorite!

For Thanksgiving, I fried small triangles of gluten-free bread in olive oil (drained on paper towels) to make crunchy crouton-toasts, spread them with tuna butter, topped each triangle with thinly sliced radish and salt and pepper, and set them out as a snack while I cooked and chatted away. Marvelous. (If you do this, and you should, make the triangles small/bite-sized since the bites are rich.)

Alright, I’ll stop there, that should give you several serving ideas! (Before you ask, I have not tested with vegan butter because I know I would not like the result. Vegan butter can be a great dairy-free sub when baking, but in this case, the deliciousness of the end product relies too much on the taste of high-quality, dairy-full butter.)

SMOKED SALMON BUTTER
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Note: pickled red onions, in addition to the capers, taste GREAT as a garnish.

8 ounces smoked salmon
8 tablespoons room-temp Kerrygold salted butter (perhaps a bit more for creamiest texture)
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons minced scallion (green & white parts) or 1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 cup fresh dill fronds (more for garnish)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
2 tablespoons drained capers (for garnish)

Combine all ingredients except capers in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. If needed, add a bit more butter so texture is very smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using. To serve, spread on platter and top with capers and fresh dill.

TUNA BUTTER
Makes about 1 cup

Note: a couple of tablespoons of chopped fresh dill tastes amazing here too; I omitted because I included it in the smoked salmon butter, above, and if you plan to serve both of the butters on the same platter, that would make them too similar. If you’re making just tuna butter, feel free to include it.

5-ounce can tuna (I like tuna packed in olive oil but water-packed works well too), drained
5 tablespoons room-temperature Kerrygold salted butter (perhaps a bit more for creamiest texture)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped Spanish green olives
1 tablespoon minced chives (more for garnish)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of chile flakes
Several grinds of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)

Combine all ingredients process until smooth. If needed, add a bit more butter so texture is very smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using. To serve, spread on platter and top with chives.

The post Butter Board…But Better (Gluten-Free) appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

Savory Pancakes Part II: Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Savory Pancakes) 2 Oct 2021 7:30 AM (3 years ago)

Savory pancakes > sweet pancakes in my world.

Then again, savory anything > sweet anything in my world, so whatever I say here is colored by that obvious bias. I’m pretty sure the ratio of savory to sweet foods on this blog is 80/20 at best.

What can I say?

The last meal I would choose to cross my lips is french fries, oysters, and champagne. Or braised beef or slow-roasted pork belly. Or foie gras or crispy duck confit.

Or since it would be my least meal, all of the above! Preferably while IN France. OMG yes. I mean, oui.

OK back to savory pancakes, which could also be included in the meal. There is something so marvelously satisfying about piling in a variety of textures – certainly crispness – and temperatures too. I’m all about the contrast of hot-from-the-pan pancakes loaded with cool, crisp vegetables and fresh herbs. This is why I adore fish tacos with crispy cabbage slaw IN the tacos.

With a killer condiment of course.

I’m wandering again. Back to pancakes, these lovelies in particular. They’re a bit fragile, so I like to make them on the small side so that I can pick up them up to eat (inhale). It takes a minute to julienne veggies, but it’s worth it for the flavor-explosion it provides in each bite. A mandoline can make fast work of it.

Please enjoy!

xoxo Stephanie

Originally posted June 14, 2011

Naturally gluten-free, bánh xèo are simple, savory crepes made from rice flour and coconut milk. Served warm and filled with cool, crisp vegetables, herbs, and drizzled with a spicy-salty sauce, they will blow your mind with flavor and texture achieved with very little effort.

Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Savory Pancakes)
Adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Serves 4

Note: The recipe is meatless, and is absolutely delicious just that way, although feel free to add shrimp and/or pork if you like. Traditional bánh xèo are filled with both. I will be making the sauce all summer long to use as a salad dressing—it’s fantastic. I sliced the vegetables on a mandoline, then cut into julienne—fast chopping!

For the pancakes:
1 cup rice flour
1 large organic egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 can coconut milk
water as needed
avocado oil

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamari
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
1 fresh red chile, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed

For the filling:
1 large carrot, peeled, shredded or sliced thin
1 daikon radish, peeled, shredded or sliced thin (I substituted local radishes)
4 spring onions, sliced thin on the diagonal
1 fresh green chili, shredded or sliced thin
1 c. sugar snap peas, sliced thin on the diagonal (I substituted local pea shoots)
handful of fresh cilantro, torn
handful of fresh basil, torn
handful of fresh mint, torn
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts (I substituted local asparagus)
1/2 cup enoki mushrooms

In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, egg, salt, and turmeric. Whisk in the coconut milk. Add a little bit of water if needed to achieve a thin pancake batter consistency. Set aside to rest.

To make the sauce, whisk together all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Adjust the chili to taste.

For the filling, toss the vegetables together in a large bowl.

Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium high heat. Add a small drizzle of oil and when it’s hot, swirl about 1/3 c. of batter into the pan. Cook until set and lightly browned, about 3 minutes, flip and cook for 1 minute, then turn out of the pan onto a baking sheet. Continue the same process to cook all of the pancakes.

To serve, place warm pancakes on a plate. Top with a handful of vegetables, drizzle with sauce, roll up and eat with additional sauce.

The post Savory Pancakes Part II: Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Savory Pancakes) appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad With Chiles & Pecorino (Gluten-free) 25 Sep 2021 6:04 AM (3 years ago)

This is now a classic kale salad, first published several years ago, back when kale salads were kinda new and weird. It’s still one of my very favorites for being simple, clean and bright, and just salty and rich enough to be memorable.

It holds its own next to a beefy steak or humble roast chicken, sturdy enough to mingle and even improve with the juices of either.

Not everyone loves greens soaked in lemon and meat juices BUT I DO. Yum.

This is a rare salad that improves with sitting (hold the bread crumbs for serving) so it works beautifully in a big batch. Therefore…make a big batch!

Lunch it up with tuna salad, grilled or smoked salmon, hard-cooked eggs, baked tofu, or leftover roasts. That makes this salad a total win for you Project Vibrancy Macro Reset peeps.

I’ve returned from my summer adventure out west and am settling back into life in Minneapolis. I have been buried looking for an apartment and working, but I swear I’ll do a recipe round-up post once I get settled.

And I’m gearing up for offering fall batch-cooking classes as well. I’ve missed cooking with you!

I had the great pleasure of co-hosting The Weekly Dish with Stephanie March last week. We talked about my Free Fall Macro Appetite Reset, as well as the lovely dinner we had at Cardamom at The Walker, as well as all the fun fall food happenings coming up in the next weeks. Fall in Minnesota is so delicious! Definitely have a listen right here.

It’s not one bit too late to jump into the Reset if you’re ready to move past Covid comfort eating and desserts and back to healthier eating (and not feeling like snacking all the damn time). Click here to hop in!

Have a fabulous week.

xoxo Stephanie

__________________________________________________________________________

Original post:

I was lucky to receive a particularly lovely cookbook for Christmas: In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark. I’m a big fan of the simple, flavorful recipes in her A Good Appetite column for the New York Times dining section, and this book delivers more of the same. We appear to share a love for topping just about any savory dish with a fried egg—in my opinion, the secret to a happy life.

Eggs aside, I was immediately drawn to this raw kale salad. Lacinato (also knows as black, Tuscan, or dino) kale makes a delicious do-ahead salad. The acid in lemon juice or vinegar actually improves the kale, making it possible to set a green salad on a buffet table and not fret as it wilts.

Not that it will have much time to wilt—trust me, this salad will be devoured wherever you take it. It has enough tang, salt, and bite to chase away chilly evenings and the skepticism of those who wrongly think that they don’t like kale.

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Chiles and Pecorino
Adapted from In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark
Serves 2-4

1 bunch Tuscan Kale (aka black or lacinato), ribs removed, sliced thinly, about 4-5 cups
1 thin slice gluten-free bread (or substitute toasted pine nuts or pepitas)
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino cheese, plus additional for garnish
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the kale in a large bowl.

Toast the bread until golden on both sides. Tear it into small pieces and grind in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.

Using a mortar and pestle or a heavy knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a paste (if using a knife, use the side to smear and smush the garlic once it’s minced). Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine.

Pour the dressing over the kale and using your hands, rub the dressing into the kale. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes (Note: Or up to an hour), then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

The post Raw Tuscan Kale Salad With Chiles & Pecorino (Gluten-free) appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

(FREE) Fall Macro Reset! 17 Sep 2021 6:13 PM (3 years ago)

With a little time and a lot of reflection, I’ve chosen to think of the time at home during the pandemic as one heck of a fascinating experiment.

While some people used the time to cook healthy food and work out…many turned to comfort baking and snacking and I am here to say that there is NOTHING wrong with that.

PANDEMIC Y’ALL. WHATEVER IT TAKES.

While survival mode sucks – by definition – it has its weird freedoms too.

For instance, when you’ve spent a lifetime watching the scale, looking away for a year isn’t all bad.

From the perspective of an experiment, you can glance back over the year and learn a lot about how utterly free-range eating made you feel. Energized or tired? Clear-headed or brain-foggy? Lean or puffy?

If you discovered that left entirely to your own devices, you felt pretty great, then how fantastic is that to know? It’s knowledge gained under duress, but it’s valuable nonetheless.

And if you discovered that you fell into a pattern of being hungrier and snacking all the time, that’s valuable knowledge too.

YOU MIGHT FEEL FRUSTRATED BY IT, BUT LEARNING TO PUT THE APPETITE GENIE BACK IN ITS BOTTLE IS REALLY JUST A MATTER OF MAKING A FEW SIMPLE TWEAKS.

There are foods that increase appetite – perhaps you discovered them during the pandemic – but rest assured there are also foods that are super satisfying, delicious, and filling for hours.

If you want to learn the difference between the two, I’ve created a FREE Fall Macro Reset, to teach you how to choose the satisfying foods, so that your appetite shows up only when needed.

And so that you don’t have to spend all day wasting your precious willpower battling hunger!

Here’s how it works. Sign up for the FREE Fall Macro Reset and I’ll send you:

1. Three detailed email lessons that teach you to easily understand what you’re eating now and what tweaks to make to keep yourself pleasantly full and nourished.
2. Loads of suggestions for filling meals and snacks that are super simple to pull together, at home and/or on the go.
3. My favorite resources for deep-diving on the science of appetite and nutrition.

DURING THE RESET, I’LL TEACH YOU TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONAL APPETITE EXPERIMENT.  

By learning to make a few easy adjustments, you’ll bust you out of a frustrating snacking and over-eating rut and clear the path to losing pandemic pounds.

It is such a relief to not be in a constant battle with your own appetite!

Click here to join the Free Fall Macro Reset, then check your email to get rolling right away.

See you in the Reset!

The post (FREE) Fall Macro Reset! appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

Baked Fruit Crepe (Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free) 11 Sep 2021 1:21 AM (3 years ago)

Funny story, I’m currently in Aspen visiting my sister Etta and my brother-in-law Ian. I made them breakfast yesterday, thinking I was making this crepe. I know my sister loves it, and it’s still berry season, and I want to be a polite guest!

I pulled the crepe from the oven, added a pat of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, and served it on plates with a couple of chicken and sage breakfast sausages.

We all took a bite…and realized I had forgotten to add the GF flour.

In effect, I baked us a pan of diluted eggs with fruit. Um…no one thought it sounded delicious.

Except Charlie, the brown cocker spaniel. (His nickname is Charlie Bear, so I couldn’t help but snap a pic of him next to this bear rug.)

Then again, he enjoys grasshoppers and elk poop so…

When you make it, add the flour! There’s not much of it, but boy does it make a big difference LOL.

In all seriousness, I absolutely LOVE this baked crepe recipe and my family does too. It’s a great boost of protein, especially when you add the collagen peptides and serve it alongside a couple of sausages.

I’ve doubled and even tripled the recipe for a crowd and it’s very forgiving. You end up with a thicker crepe, which is really nice too. (Just add extra baking time.)

Enjoy!

xoxo Stephanie

Originally posted on August 24, 2019

You know when you have fresh fruit that was gorgeous yesterday but won’t be tomorrow?

Or, you wake up on the weekend feeling a little brunch-y, in a warm fruit/maple syrup sort of way, but you don’t want the total gut-bomb of pancakes or waffles because you fully plan to go for a long bike ride or hit a yoga class?

Or, you’re craving breakfast for dinner but you want to keep the carb count to a dull roar?

That’s when to make this stunningly simple crepe.

I’ll warn you right off the bat that this is a pretty egg-y crepe, because my goal is always to use as little flour as possible. If you want it to be pancake-ier, then I’ll let you make the decision to add a bit more flour. But if you make it as written, know that egg > flour, and the whole goal is to gently bind together the real star: warm, juicy fruit topped with a little butter and a drizzle of syrup (or honey).

God, it’s so delicious, ha. I just love simple food like this.

I have to tell you, I was at a party last night celebrating the visit of my dear friend Tracy Morgan, in town from New Orleans. It’s been so much fun having her here and it’s been a fantastic excuse to see many, many other friends as well.

It’s a little ridiculous that it takes a catalyst like someone here from out of town to get everyone together when the rest of us all live here, but such is life. And no matter, not really, because maybe the fact that we have to work at it a bit is what makes it so special.

Anyhow, at the party last night were several Project Vibrancy Meals (PVM) meal plan clients who I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting in person. Sometimes, you put your work out into the ether and hope it’s doing its job, making dinners healthier, easier, and more delicious, but I don’t always get to know, at least not in person.

So it was utterly delightful to talk with people about how much PVM has gotten spouses cooking together, and how great they feel eating such nutritious food, and how they look forward to amazing meals each night at the end of a long day.

It meant the world to me.

If you missed my last post, I’m giving away a free week of PVM and it’s still available for you to grab. Souvlaki skewers with green yogurt sauce, stuffed zucchini, and fish tacos with roasted pineapple salsa can all be on your menu this week. Print out the shopping list (or use your phone), hit the store, and get cooking! (All recipes are paleo/Whole30/autoimmune protocol compliant.)

And then let me know what you think of the plan!

To grab your free plan -> click here!

For this week’s Facebook Live, I did a demo for you breaking down my formula for creating delicious green sauces like chimichurri, pesto, and salsa verde.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1000 times that with even just one great condiment in your fridge, you can turn disparate ingredients into a truly memorable meal in no time flat.

Condiments are life, for real.

(My apologies for the blinding sun reflecting off my fridge, I couldn’t tell…because of the blinding sun. Ha! If you want to catch the video on YouTube, click here. Also, please take a moment to appreciate my impressive wingspan – I howled when I saw it! I do forget how tall I am.)

If you eat eggs, maybe this baked crepe can be your breakfast this weekend! If you want to double the recipe, just make it in a bigger pan and perhaps add a bit of extra baking time.

Happy cooking!

xoxo Stephanie

Baked Fruit Crepe (Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free)
Serves 1

Note: I add collagen powder for an extra protein boost. You can skip it if you don’t have any available. A non-stick pan works really well, the crepe will slide right out. I love to eat this with a couple of Applegate Organics Chicken & Sage Sausages; perfect combo.

Spray olive oil or avocado oil or a bit of extra oil
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour (substitute cassava flour for paleo/grain-free)
1 scoop collagen (or 1 heaping tablespoon; I use Vital Proteins collagen peptides, optional)
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon avocado or olive oil

Fruit of your choice (berries, cherries, plums, peaches, etc.), I used:
1 nectarine, sliced
2 tablespoons blueberries
1 tablespoon sliced strawberries

For serving
1 teaspoon butter or ghee (skip for dairy-free)
Maple syrup or honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Either spray or lightly oil an 8-inch, oven-safe, non-stick skillet.

In the bowl of a blender, combine egg, water, flour, collagen, salt, and oil. Blend until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Arrange fruit over the top of the crepe. Bake for 10 minutes or until set.

Slide crepe onto a plate. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup or honey.

The post Baked Fruit Crepe (Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free) appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

Caesar Salad Dressing Two Ways (Paleo, AIP, Whole30) 28 Aug 2021 9:59 AM (3 years ago)

I’m wrapping up a whole summer spent in Montana and reflecting on how incredibly lucky I have been to be here with my family, doing what makes me the happiest: cooking for people that I love.

It’s been a dream. (Or as my dad would say, It’s been a slice of heaven.)

We entertain a lot here, so while I don’t usually bake much at home, I bake like crazy here, because there is a steady stream of guests coming through to devour all of the treats.

Everything I baked was gluten-free, from brownies to cakes to tarts to souffles. I posted several of the recipes over on Instagram, so make sure you’re following me over there.

Here specifically is the link to the marvelous Blueberry Lemon Cake pictured above.

It’s so easy to make, I think I made it three different times. Definitely a crowd favorite! Yogurt in the batter keeps it very moist, plus juicy berries, plus lemon glaze…

…plus “whoop cream,” the term of the summer, gifted to us by two darling little nieces who came to stay for a week. Boy do they love whoop cream!

Sugar aside, I also made a bajillion salads, which is much more my usual groove. I so love summer salads, with endless opportunity to explore peak-season crunch, color, saltiness, sweetness, juiciness…all the best things. We ate so much spinach and arugula, I’m surprised we’re not green.

And so many condiment, I made a new one almost every day. Almost all show up in Kickass Condiments, my $12 steal of a cookbook (e-book), including the cucumber yogurt sauce pictured below with lamb chops. I added fresh mint to this version because of the lamb (mint + lamb = true love).

We ate a lot of romaine too, almost always grilled.

The recipes and suggestions below in my original post don’t mention grilled romaine but it’s such a treat and would work with either recipe. Split it lengthwise, brush lightly with olive oil, and grill on a searing hot grill for about 1 minute. Maybe 2 minutes. Just enough to char at the edges. That’s it!

Bring it in the house, chop it into 1-2 inch pieces, and toss with your favorite dressing (and salt and freshly ground pepper, of course).

I’ll round up my favorite recipes from this summer in the next couple of weeks. Today, I need to pack! My sister Etta and I hit the road tomorrow at the crack of dawn to drive to Aspen, Colorado. From there I drive to Denver to visit my son and his girlfriend.

Salad forth, my friends, and enjoy those last tastes of summer. Grilled corn would be incredible on romaine with Caesar-ish dressing.

Especially if you include that bacon.

And then, you might as well add perfect (warm!) cherry tomatoes too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I sign off, I want to say THANK YOU and WELCOME to my new Project Vibrancy Macro Reset members. We are going to kick ass this fall, with plenty of protein, nutrient density, batch cooking, weekly live Zoom calls, and (easy) weekly assignments. It’s not too late to join, I’d love to have you in the group.

xoxo Stephanie

Originally posted May 23, 2019

Do you remember the first time you had Caesar salad? I do because CROUTONS, which as a kid I could eat by the pound. Fry me some bread and I was one happy child, so much so that I was willing to look past the cheese, eggs, and creamy dressing, all of which I loathed.

(It’s a miracle that I not only learned to like food but to LOVE it and work with it.   Or is it? I have a theory that picky children are super tasters and they actually go on to have great palates. Have you noticed the same? If you’re a parent with a picky child, take heart and hang in there!)

Over time, I grew to love the fishy-garlicky dressing, shower of Parm, loads of cracked black pepper, and crisp romaine. When made right, Caesar salad is basically a giant umami-bomb – plus my mom added bacon to it, for the love of god – so what’s not to adore?

“When made right” is the key phrase, by the way. As you well know, plenty of restaurants serve pretty terrible Caesar salads, basically flaccid romaine topped with goopy dressing, stale croutons, and sometimes even dry chicken…such sadness.

Let’s set those bad memories aside and get ready to make our own total wow of a Caesar at home.

I’m offering two dressing recipes here, one for the AIPers among you (autoimmune protocol followers) and one for those of you who can eat eggs. I do this, by the way, throughout Project Vibrancy Meals meal plans. There are instructions for those in the first elimination stages of AIP, but also instructions for those who can eat (or have reintroduced) ingredients like eggs, nuts/seeds, and dairy. If you’re cooking around food allergies in your household, or following an elimination diet yourself, all of your bases are covered.

If you’ve been meaning to jump into Project Vibrancy Meals, now’s your chance – I’m having a Flash Sale starting right now! I thought you’d appreciate being able to transition into fresh, healthy meals post holiday. It’s not terribly warm in Minnesota right now, but summer IS on the way and we’re all ready for lighter, faster meals and a system that makes them actually happen!

So, back to Caesar dressings: the AIP version has an avocado base. It’s one of my favorite salad dressings ever so even if you don’t follow AIP, you should totally make it.

The second version is a super fast cheat, based on store-bought mayo. I’ve been making it this way for years and am a bit surprised, given 13 years (!) of blogging here, that I’ve never shared it before. Kind of gives me hope that I haven’t entirely emptied my brain onto these “pages.” Apparently there’s more to come!

For the Caesar salad itself, you can play it 100 ways. Here are some suggestions:

• Classic with torn romaine, plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and fried GF croutons
• AIP-style with roasted bacon and brussels sprouts as the “croutons”
• Either of the above with added grilled (or crispy) chicken or shrimp
• Salad Nicoise style with tuna or grilled salmon, green beans, potatoes, and medium-cooked eggs
• Beefy steak salad with tomatoes, blue cheese, and crispy potato “croutons”

I recorded this Facebook Live video today talking through entertaining for Memorial Day. I gave several recipe ideas and mentioned these dressings specifically (for the steak salad idea above that would be killah for a small gathering). See what you think! (Catch it here on YouTube if you don’t have Facebook.)

Avocado Caesar Dressing (Egg Free)
Makes 3/4 cup

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 anchovies, mashed (or 2 teaspoons fish sauce)
1/2 ripe avocado, mashed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (skip for AIP)

Add lemon juice, anchovies, avocado, and garlic to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Puree and with the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and add more salt (if needed) and several grinds of pepper (skip pepper for AIP) and blend again. Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate.

Quick Caesar Salad Dressing
Makes 1/2 cup

Make dressing up to 1 day ahead and at least 15 minutes ahead, so the garlic clove can steep.

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (or 4 mashed anchovies)
Sea salt to taste (several pinches, taste as you go)
1 fat clove garlic, smashed well

Whisk all ingredients except garlic together in a small bowl. Add garlic clove (it’s OK if it breaks into a couple of pieces) and let steep in the bowl for at least 15 minutes (can be made a day ahead; cover and refrigerate).

Whisk dressing again before using.

The post Caesar Salad Dressing Two Ways (Paleo, AIP, Whole30) appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

Condiments are Life! 14 Aug 2021 11:27 AM (3 years ago)

Did you already grab my 3 FREE Kickass Condiments recipes? If you not, you should. Click here and you can have 3 free recipes in about 1 minute.

I love giving those condiments away – and 15 quick meal ideas to MAKE RIGHT THIS VERY DAY with the condiments – because it gives people a peek into my food mind.

It’s not all unicorns and rainbows in my brain, but it’s a mostly healthy-delicious-seeking mind and I do get pretty excited about teaching people how to 1) cook food they love, 2) stick with healthy eating long enough to really change their lives, 3) show their loved ones that vegetables are, in fact, yum, 4) squash their appetites into something manageable so they can drop a few pounds, and 5) enjoy the “side” benefits of things like great skin, better energy, better sleep, and better mood that go along with eating a nutrient-dense, real food diet.

If you did already grab my 3 free Kickass Condiments and you want more, more, more then you should grab the entire Kickass Condiments E-Book and keep going with your healthy self.

Condiments are life!

They make everything taste amazing, they’re loaded with nutrients in their own right, they make kickass hostess gifts, they last for weeks in your fridge, they keep you from ordering crappy takeout and wasting money and calories, and they keep you sticking to the autoimmune protocol or other healthy eating interventions.

They deserve a damn prize.

If you need more ideas for how to use condiments to change the way that you eat – in addition to the more than 60 ideas included in the book – see my demos below.

xoxo Stephanie

This post originally ran on February 25, 2020.

It’s (almost) here!

The e-book that I’ve been promising for months is FINALLY happening. Kickass Condiments: 20 Little Recipes That Change Everything is available for pre-order. It will be delivered via email on February 25!

UPDATE: IT’S HERE! Kickass Condiments was officially released on February 25, 2020. You can grab your copy here – upon purchase, it will be delivered to your email.

The book includes 20+ recipes for zingy – dare I say drinkable? – condiments to build whole meals around. These are the condiments at the heart of what makes Project Vibrancy Meals meal plans so delish and are hand-picked by my clients as their faves.

I’m writing suggestions to accompany each recipe for how to USE the condiments to make fast meals. I’ve recorded two quick demo videos this week to give you a sense of how – and how fast – it all works.

In this first little demo, I show how to turn a potato, some mushrooms, spinach, and an egg into a flavor-bomb and super fast meal. Having even one great condiment in the fridge can be the difference between eating a healthy meal at home or ordering in. That’s why I say they change everything – once you’re eating real food meals at home, you can start meeting your health goals. For real! (See it here on YouTube.)

In this second demo, I show how to use a combination of chimichurri and maple-ginger vinaigrette to made a fast meal of brussels, gnocchi, and salmon. Part of the video is missing – I have no idea why – so just know ahead of time it’s where I explain that I combine chimichurri with some maple syrup and spoon it over the salmon before running it under the broiler for 4 minutes. So good. I finished the brussels with the maple-ginger vinaigrette, and tossed the gnocchi with a bit of chimichurri. Layers of flavor and ready in 20 minutes with about 5 minutes of prep. (See it here on YouTube.)

I’ll end with a call to step out of your comfort zone. January is a pretty blah month in Minnesota and ennui can settle over us all. The antidote is to do something new, make some new moves.

I’ve been doing cold-water submersion in Cedar Lake a couple of times per week. It’s something that scared the heck out of me to try, but I was curious because of all of the health benefits, namely it’s powerfully anti-inflammatory, a mood booster, and boosts longevity. (Read an article about the group who introduced me to it here in the Star Tribune.)

If cold submersion isn’t your thing, then I suggest cooking at home more often! It’s toasty warm and a proven path to better nutrition, losing weight, feeling great, bonding with family, more romance, creativity, saving money, and teaching children a vital life skill.

I mean, how great is that? If it were a pill, it would be worth billions.

What I can offer to help you up your home-cooking game:

1. Kickass Condiments!
2. Project Vibrancy Meals meal plans. The whole week is laid out for you: shopping list, batch cooking recipes and instructions, and 15-minute recipes for pulling meals together during the week. The recipes are beloved and the system makes cooking at home – and meeting your health goals – actually happen, EASILY. It’s my way of spreading joy in this world and I’d love to spread some to you.
3. Private Batch Cooking Sessions. Want to cook with me? It’s super fun! We map out recipes, I create a plan for you, and we spend 1 1/2 hours on Zoom batch cooking enough food for 3 days worth of dinners for you. You get a real sense of how a batch session works and all of my tips for working quickly and adding lots of flavor. We usually end up talking about how to order in restaurants, gut health, favorite shortcut…and knives. LOL. Send me a note here if you’re interested.

The post Condiments are Life! appeared first on Fresh Tart by Stephanie Meyer.

Zucchini Fritters (Gluten-Free/Paleo-Friendly) 8 Aug 2021 7:49 AM (3 years ago)

This recipe gets a lot of love in August and then not much the rest of the year.

Hmmm, I wonder why? (Ha.)

If you’ve maxed out on your usual rotation of zucchini recipes, a savory pancake/fritter situation is deliciously worth exploring.

The original recipe, at the very end of this post, is for a true pancake, with a higher batter-to-zucchini ratio.

I tweaked it a bit recently and made more of a fritter, with a higher-zucchini-to-batter ratio, and decided I should give you two options.

I love them both, but I’m feeling the fritter right now. It’s more of a vegetable experience than a bread experience.

Fresh out of the pan, I topped one with a schmear of Greek yogurt, a slice of tomato, and salt and pepper for quality assurance purposes. Mmmph. Summer lovin’ right there.

Other aggressive garden plants you can pack into these fritters: plenty of chives and mint. We have loads of both growing here, even at altitude (I’m in Montana), and while we happily enjoy the mint in gin and tonics, and the chives in Ginger Scallion Sauce (sub in chives for scallions), it’s nice to use them together so they can lend zucchini some of their sass.

Minced chiles would be great too! Gosh I miss all of these treats in the winter – sorry for that aside, but it just hit me as I was typing that these recipes celebrate the simple, fresh essence of summer.

And that makes me realize that a spoonful of pesto, whether basil, arugula, or roasted red pepper, would be amazing spooned atop these. Ditto chimichurri. Do you own Kickass Condiments: 20+ Little Recipes That Change Everything? You should!

I’m roasting a chicken for dinner tonight. I’ll definitely be enjoying fritters and a fabulously drippy condiment right alongside. And I’ll be using cold fritters for a marvelous chicken-and-tomato sandwich for lunch tomorrow.

xoxo Stephanie

Zucchini Fritters
Makes about 20 fritters

2 pounds zucchini, trimmed, coarsely grated
Sea salt
4 large eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 cup gluten-free, all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (or mint or combo of the 2)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive or avocado oil for frying

Set out a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Add zucchini to a colander and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let colander sit in the sink while you prepare the batter.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, flour, herbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper.

Press down on the zucchini to squeeze out some of the liquid, then transfer zucchini to a clean dish towel (choose a dark color if you have one, the liquid is green). Roll up the towel and twist off the ends, then twist-squeeze the crap out of the zucchini while standing over the sink. Really twist the towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Add zucchini to the egg mixture and stir to combine.

Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add oil to 1/4-inch deep. When oil is hot, add I heaping tablespoon of batter to the pan and pat it out a bit so it’s even and about 1/2-inch thick. Add a couple more fritters to the pan and fry until golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip and fry until other side is golden brown. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Fry remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.

Serve warm or at room temperature topped with yogurt sauce, below, or plain yogurt and tomato, or pesto or chimichurri, or eat them plain. Enjoy!

I first posted the recipe below in 2010, and then again in 2013 with GF adaptations. This recipe is more of a pancake than a fritter. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which of the two you prefer.

Zucchini bread is a family favorite, but if you’re looking for a new twist, savory to boot, add zucchini pancakes to your manage-the-bounty rotation.

Studded with fresh herbs and salty bits of feta cheese, the pancakes pop hot off the griddle tender and eggy, with beautifully crispy edges. Make them larger for a satisfying main course, or silver-dollar size for a pretty appetizer. Like my other favorite savory pancakes socca (chickpea flour pancakes), they’re filling and addictive topped with a simple salad of fresh greens or rolled around hot-off-the-grill sausages. However you devour them, serve the pancakes burning hot, tempered with a cool garlic-yogurt sauce. (A fresh tomato sauce would be delicious as well).

Turkish Zucchini Pancakes

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, January 1996
Makes about 20 3-inch pancakes

1 lb. zucchini, trimmed, coarsely grated
1 c. chopped green onions
4 eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 c. GF all-purpose flour
1/3 c. chopped fresh dill (or mint)
1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon or 2 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
2/3 c. chopped walnuts, optional
Olive oil or avocado oil for frying

Garlic Yogurt Sauce
1 c. Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced dill
1/2 tsp. salt

Place zucchini in colander. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and let stand 30 minutes to drain. Squeeze zucchini between hands to remove liquid, then squeeze dry in paper towels.

In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, garlic, dill, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine zucchini, chopped green onions, 4 eggs, herbs, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Mix well. Fold in crumbled feta cheese. (Zucchini mixture can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Stir to blend before continuing.) Fold chopped walnuts into zucchini mixture (if using).

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place baking sheet in oven. Cover bottom of large nonstick skillet with olive oil. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop zucchini mixture into skillet by heaping tablespoonfuls. Fry until pancakes are golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of pancakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Serve pancakes hot with yogurt sauce.

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