Eat Your Veggies

if you are a gardener then, like me, you might have more zucchini than you know what to do with. since i haven't done any recipes for a while i thought that this might be a good time to do so. of course zucchini can be used in many different recipes-sauteed with onions, in many baked goods, raw and as pasta.
    pasta? yes and very quickly too. it does help to have a spiral cutter (you can cut by hand but it does take longer) and the trick is just to put your favorite sauce that is hot right on top of the zucchini pasta. this way, after a few minutes, the zucchini will be al dente and not turn into mush.
    listed below is  another favorite summer recipe. it can be served as is or with a side of sour cream or plain yogurt. fairly simple, you can create your own flavor combinations by using different herbs and adding grated cheese and/or bread crumbs.

zucchini fritters-makes about 2 dozen depending on size

3 TB fresh parsley
salt/pepper
1 small chopped onion or scallions
2-3 TB flour. can use coconut flour if gluten free. amount will vary depending on how wet your mixture becomes and the type of flour used
2-3 eggs lightly beaten
2-3 cups grated zucchini. squeeze out the extra liquid with clean dish or paper towel
vegetable or coconut oil for frying

mix everything in a large bowl (except for the oil)
heat small amount of oil in sauté/ fry pan. add more oil as needed with each batch
drop mixture by tablespoon (or you can make small pancake sized ones) into the hot oil and fry on    each side until golden brown.
as you take each batch out drain on paper towels
enjoy

Recently Reported

here are some of items that recently caught my attention in the news. i use the term "news" loosely. the news used to be about important happenings around the world- "all the news that's fit to print"* -such as the terrible tragedy in nepal and not that madonna tripped during a performance. so....

• many pro athletes are going gluten-free for better performance.
• dr. oz-what to make of this? not sure. is it mostly about the non-gmo labeling issues and big business or something else? chipotle mexican grill is big business but they just announced that they are going totally non-gmo.
• coaches giving their college athletes  low fat chocolate milk as the perfect (unless one is lactose intolerant and/or doesn't do dairy) after workout recovery fuel. most of the colleges mentioned own their own milk cows.
• sandra bullock as one of the most beautiful people but some people complained how that could not be possible as she is over 50!
• in regards to the above-not the beautiful part but the age part-jeb bush who is also over 50 and will most likely be running for president against some much younger men is currently on the paleo diet, so far having lost about 30 pounds. good for him-we all know how hard it is to lose weight  although i would remind him to be careful with his favorite snack-almonds-as they have 530 calories in a cupful
• spanx is a $400 million a year product line in the shape wear area but is running into trouble as it seems that trends are shifting to the line of clothing called athleisure that is much less constricting, more about comfort and the diversity of women's bodies. too thin fashion models may be banned from the paris runways. how about healthy bodies being beautiful?
• a harvard neurosurgeon, scientist, neurologist, whatever states that the single, most simple thing we can all do to keep our brains healthy as we age-you guessed it-exercise

to end-i have never worn spanx nor do i think that madonna or sandra has-did you see her in gravity?- they exercise. jeb also knows that besides diet he needs to exercise-he runs up stairs-but there is a line of spanx for men, just in case. i am gluten free and upon the rare occasion that i crave chocolate milk its chocolate almond milk. are those college milk cows non-gmo?

*the new york times tag line

Gluten Free Better Breakfast Muffins

this is a quick, easy breakfast muffin recipe that is low sugar, gluten free and has protein. make a double batch and freeze some for those days when you need a quick, but healthy breakfast. i like them with some almond butter and/or some fruit jam. they also make a healthy, balanced afternoon snack.

GLUTEN FREE BETTER BREAKFAST MUFFINS

1 1/2 cup almond flour plus ( if this is too complicated for you just use 2 1/2 cup of almond flour. muffins will still have some protein as almond flour has more than wheat flour )
 1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal
2  tbl. hemp protein powder or protein powder of your choice
1 1/2 tbl. shredded coconut (unsweetened)
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1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or nut of your choice
1/4 cup raisins or other dried fruit
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1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 350 degress.  line muffin pan with cup cake papers or lightly oil.  in a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. stir. in a separate bowl lightly whisk the eggs then combine with the rest of the wet ingredients. pour into the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon. drop by tablespoons into the pan. i usually get 10 muffins out of this recipe. bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. let cool on a rack . if freezing make sure that the muffins are cool before you wrap and store them.

gluten free better breakfast muffins