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Simple Snacks: Perfectly Hard Boiled Eggs

19 Jan

perfect boiled eggs

Perfectly hard boiled eggs make for perfect, simple protein snack sources.  Recently, I have hard boiled eggs handy for snacking during the day — I just peel the egg, salt and pepper it, and eat it.  It’s easy, tasty, and satisfying.  And I think I have found the perfect boiling method, at least for me.  I like my hard boiled eggs with a kind of “medium” yolk — cooked through but not dried out, still a little orange in the center with a creamy, velvety texture.    The best cooking method I have found is as follows:

Place the eggs in a pot and fill with cold water, enough water to submerge the eggs.  (I like to cook 4 eggs at a time — not really a magic number, rather, so I don’t eat too many all at once, as I love hard boiled eggs!)  Bring the water to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, cook for 4 minutes.  After 4 minutes, drain out all the water.  Let the eggs cool.  Peel, salt and pepper and enjoy!  (Or use for egg salad.)

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Grilled Shishito Peppers

28 May

I love grilled shishito peppers, and am able to eat great quantities of them in one sitting.  Grilled shishito peppers appear to be trending at restaurants these days, which is understandable as they make for great bar snacks.  If you come across good looking shishito peppers (I found some at Fresh Direct recently), it’s super easy to make them at home.

Here’s how I grill them:

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Coconut Kanten w/Berry Compote

19 Mar

Coconut kanten might be an acquired taste… my husband doesn’t care for it, but I love it!  I turn to this dessert confection when I get a sweet craving.

Kanten, also known as agar agar, is extracted from seaweed.  Often used as a gelling agent in Japanese and other Asian desserts, I grew up with kanten in such desserts as anmitsu.  Low in calories and high in fiber, agar agar is a healthy gelling agent — and I recently started using agar agar with coconut milk to make coconut jelly cubes.

Agar agar often can be found in long strips.  I found agar agar flakes instead, which I think are easier to use.  The texture of this coconut kanten is harder than your typically jelly.  While I love the texture, David finds it a little weird.  (More for me, then!)

It’s super easy to make coconut kanten.  I also make a simple berry compote sweetened with Stevia, which goes nicely on top.  I can eat coconut kanten cubes just as they are — they have become my go-to snacks.

Here’s how I make it: Continue reading →

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Egg in a Spinach/Bacon (Ramekin) Cup

2 Mar

Here’s a lovely way to change up your bacon and eggs, and eat your spinach, too!

I recently hoarded bunches of organic spinach, which were on sale… which resulted in finding interesting ways of using all that spinach.  We had some eggs, we had some bacon, so I took out my rarely used ramekins and made these adorable-looking breakfast in a cup (ramekin).  David loved it, and can’t wait for me to make it again.  I can see more vegetable variations coming up….

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Good Snacks: Raw Organic Fudge

30 Nov

Here’s a recipe for raw organic fudge that we love to make when we’re home.  I really miss being able to make this fudge while we’re away in Stockholm — these make great power snacks and helps satisfy a sweet craving.  I don’t have a food processor in our Stockholm apartment, nor have I found Stevia… but I am hopeful that I might find a way to make this fudge.  In the mean time, I will share the recipe here.

RAW ORGANIC FUDGE

BASE (Cashew Butter)

  • 4 cups organic raw whole cashews, no salt
  • 1/4 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup organic creamed coconut

Place cashews in a food processor and process for about 3 minutes minutes. Add the coconut oil and creamed coconut and continue to process until you have a nice shiny cashew butter. (You may want to add about 1/8 cup each more of coconut oil and creamed coconut if the consistency is not quite creamy and buttery.)  This will make about 2 cups of cashew butter.

Divide the base into two bowls, evenly (about 1 cup cashew butter each).

Two flavors we like (per about 1 cup cashew butter base) are peppermint and salted/cinnamon/vanilla.

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FOR PEPPERMINT FUDGE

  • 1 cup organic cashew butter (recipe as above)- 1/2 cup organic cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • Stevia (liquid), about 5 drops (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp organic peppermint extract

In a bowl with about 1 cup cashew butter base, stir in above ingredients — a spatula works well. Spread mixture in a pan and refrigerate for 2 1/2 hours, or until hardened. Cut, serve (chilled) and enjoy.

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FOR SALTED CINAMMON/VANILLA FUDGE

  • 1 cup organic cashew butter (recipe as above)
  • 1/2 cup organic cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • Stevia (liquid), about 5 drops (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp organic cinammon
  • 1/2 tsp salt

In a bowl with about 1 cup cashew butter base, stir in above ingredients — a spatula works well. Spread mixture in a pan and refrigerate for 2 1/2 hours, or until hardened. Cut, serve (chilled) and enjoy.

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Good Snacks: Coconut Sweet Potato Mash

19 Nov

During rehearsal periods, when his work is physically demanding, David requires more calories than usual.  For a healthy,  energizing “power snack,” I make him “coconut sweet potato mash” — mashed sweet potatoes made with coconut oil.  It’s easy, tasty, and satisfying, and David loves it.  I make a big batch of it, and he just snacks on it for the next couple of days.  The mash keeps well refrigerated, and David eats it cold.

To make the mash, bring a large pot of water to boil.  Dice up a 4-5 sweet potatoes (peeled); when the water begins to bubble, put the diced sweet potatoes in the pot.

Bring the heat down to about medium, and cook the potatoes until they are tender and a fork will go through easily.  When cooked, strain the potatoes and put them back in the pot.

Add about 3 table spoons of coconut oil to the sweet potatoes.  With a wooden spatula, mash the potatoes and coconut oil together.  Season with some salt.

The sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the coconut oil pair very well together.  For Thanksgiving (Stockholm version for us this year), I am thinking of making this and maybe adding bourbon to it, maybe some cinnamon.  Coconut sweet potato mash makes a great power snack that is paleo-friendly!

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