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I went to lunch with some of my dearest childhood friends on Friday for a late birthday celebration, and it was a blast. Thanks again, guys! Anyway, we ended up at one of my favorite restaurants, UrbanPl8, and it was amazing, as always! I had the Coconut Curry Shrimp and after eating it, I thought “I have to figure out how to make this!”.

Here’s what their dish looked like:


It actually tasted better than it looked. Anyway, Alice and I attempted to make it today. We started with the spices since they were so memorable. It was fun because we used so many of them, and actually one that we had never used before. We used fresh garlic, cilantro, lemongrass (which this was a first for me!), scallions, and ginger.  Alice had fun helping pressing the garlic and learning about all of the spices and smells.

This is not to say she loved them all of them. She now knows that spices are not really for sampling, as good as they smell.

The lemongrass was new to me and very easy to use, and it adds so much flavor.

This did take a bit more time and work than my typical meals, but that’s because I used about every spice under the sun to make sure I could replicate it, but I think I got somewhat close. Too bad I couldn’t get them to share the recipe. It would have saved time! Oh well. So, this is what I came up with: 

  • Ginger, grated 1 tbsp or more
  • Garlic, 3 gloves
  • Lemongrass 1 stalk
  • Scallions, 1 bunch, chopped
  • Cilantro (optional), 2 tbsp
  • Sesame oil, 2 tbsp
  • Kale, 4 handfuls
  • tomato chopped, 1/2 can
  • 1 lb wild shrimp
  • 2 cups organic chicken broth
  • 1 can coconut milk
Grate, chop or press, your garlic, scallions, lemongrass, cilantro, and ginger and set aside. Pour 2 tbsp sesame oil in large pot and heat. Once heated, add 4 good handfuls of kale. Let cook about 5 minutes. Add in the ingredients that you just prepared. Let cook for a few more minutes. Then, pour in chicken broth, coconut milk, and cleaned and unshelled shrimp. Stir and let cook on low heat for about 5 or so minutes. Make sure to not let your shrimp get tough. Add in spices below and enjoy!
Spices
  • 1/4 paprika
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp green curry paste (Publix)
  • 1 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp curry
  • 1 lime
  • Dash pepper and cayenne red pepper

 

  • Travis Ward - This dish sounds delicious! Your version looks even better than the one from the restaurant, which already had my mouth watering.ReplyCancel

  • April Ledom - Wow! Made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing. Besides the shrimp prep, it was super easy. Matt likes things really hot so for his we added a fresh Thai chili sliced thin. Bravo, Landria!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - YAY! So glad you guys liked it. Thanks so much for your comment!!!ReplyCancel

  • karina - Looks amazing!!! How come none of your recipes have # servings? Can you please specify for this recipe a well as the cilantro coconut shrimp soup? I’d like to make them for friends.

    Thanks!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hi Karina,
      Good question. I never had but may start to. I usually always cook enough for my family of 4, with the hope of some leftovers. This soup probably feeds 4-6 and the cilantro soup probably feeds 8-10. I am looking at the lbs of shrimp for my guess. Ill try to pay more attention to that for the future. Thanks for the comment! Oh and sorry for just now responding but for some reason, your response went to my junk email. I just found it. ReplyCancel

  • GINA - GREAT RECIPESReplyCancel

  • Linda - for the curry coconut shrimp soup, it asks for 1 tsp Publix spice. what is that?
    thank youReplyCancel

    • landriav - Sorry Linda but I don’t see that?? You sure it’s this recipe?ReplyCancel

  • Linda - Hi again…the 1 tsp (Publix) is under the Spices part of the recipe for Curry Coconut Shrimp soup.ReplyCancel

  • Landria - You mean the “green curry paste (publix)”? It just means you can get it at Publix. If you click on the green curry paste, it will send you to a link that shows what the paste is exactly. Hope this helps!ReplyCancel

  • Linda - Hi, i’m new to your site. My sister shared coconut curry shrimp dish. How do I print this so I can make it? I grow kale and lemongrass here in my yard and all the ingredients are my favorites. Help….thanksReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hi Linda, sorry for my delay. We were out of town. I typically cut and paste to print, or you can take a pic of it with your phone. I’m working on a system when you can easily print, and have for some more recent recipes but didnt have it this far back. Sorry! I hope you like the dish! I’m jealous you have kale and lemongrass in your backyard!!ReplyCancel

For my wonderful husband, I wanted to make a special birthday breakfast so thought I would try my hand at pancakes. Thanks to Stephanie and her fun blog, The Health Honey, I got some great ideas on the key ingredients which made this so yummy!

Here’s what you need to enjoy a gluten free, protein packed, low glycemic, low sugar, healthy, yummy breakfast:

  • 1 mashed ripe banana
  • 3 free range eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup almond butter (I use Trader Joe’s raw w/ sea salt)
  • 1 /2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp Celtic salt
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tbsp coconut flour (Whole Foods or vitacost.com)
  • Coconut oil
1. First in a medium bowl, mash the banana as best you can.
2. Then add in the eggs, apple sauce, and all the other ingredients and stir.
3. Then, blend everything all together with handheld blender for about 3 minutes until smooth.
4. Put about 1 tbsp coconut oil into large flat pan on medium low or low heat.
5. Put a dollop of the mixture (soup spoon size) into pan.
6. Then, let them cook for about 7 minutes on one side
7. Carefully flip onto other side and let cook another 4 minutes.
8. Add more coconut oil as needed with each new batch.
 
Then you can add blueberries (or any other fruit), almonds and some pure maple syrup (about 1-2 tsp per serving). I did that for the first batch, but for the second, since it is my hubby’s birthday, and he is a total chocolate guy, I added a handful of dark chocolate chips. He said those didn’t need any syrup and were of course, his favorite, but “both were amazing!”.
 
I have to say, they looked and smelled delicious, but until I’m done with the Whole 30, there won’t be any paleo treats for me. To be honest though, I didn’t really (like I usually do!) want any. They smelled heavenly, but the urge just wasn’t there or as strong. And, that’s big for me, and I’ll take every little victory I can get!! Yes! 

By the way, does everyone know the peanut butter or almond butter trick, so you don’t have oil on the top and have to stir it every time you open it?  All you have to do is when you first open your jar of natural nut butter, stir it well with a butter knife, and make sure you get the bottom, drier part. Then, put the lid back on and turn it upside down on the counter. Leave it there overight. The next day, open the container, stir one more time, and you’re good to go. Now you can refridgerate it and not have to worry about the oily stiring again, until you buy your next jar!

  • Drennen - These are yummy! These will be our “pancakes” going forward. I will not tell you how we were making our pancakes – lots of unhealthy goodies for sure.
    We are enjoying all of your recipes – keep sending them!
    Thank you for all of your hard work Landria.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - YAY! You’re making some big changes over there Drennen! Slowly, but surely!! 🙂 Good for you!!!ReplyCancel

  • Ania - I have made these many times over now. Just love them! They taste amazing and considering the ingredients, I have no trouble serving them to the family. Another great recipe from you that has become family staple now. Thank you!!!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - So great to hear Anita!!! Thank you!ReplyCancel

  

I love wild fish, and all of the health benefits that come with it is just a bonus. I made some cod the other night, that I got on sale at Whole Foods, and it was wonderful, and of course, so easy to make. Cod is great because it’s nice and flaky, flavorful, but not overwhelming. Plus, it has omega-3s, B vitamins (B6 and B12) and niacin, so feel good about eating it, and feel even better about giving it to your family!  For some reason, it’s been awhile since I cooked fish and will definitely get back on that track. I would love to hear any favorite fish recipes you could share. I’d like to do salmon next week!

So for this dish you need, all you need is:

  • 1 lb wild cod (I did 1.5 so I’d have leftovers)
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Wash the fish and put in large glass pan. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon all over the fish. Then melted about 2 tbsp of butter and brushed it on the fish. Then add celtic salt, and pepper. Cook on 375 for 20 minutes (15 minutes for the thinner pieces for me) and enjoy!

We had leftovers, as always, and it made for a fabulous salad for lunch the next day.  I just warmed the fish, and then tossed with some spinach, evoo, and balsamic vinegar. I actually liked it better the next day on the salad!!  Oh and by the way, I got a huge rectangle container of organic spinach at Costco yesterday for $1.99. I’m still not sure if that price is right but that’s what the tag said in the freezer and that’s how it rung up, so I’ll take it!

  • Marla-Deen - We love any and all fish! We don’t eat cod very often so thanks for tip!ReplyCancel

  • Shana - I have a great salmon recipe – delicious and sooo easy!

    Ingredients: 1 onion, sliced; 2 med carrots, julienned; 4 salmon filets, skinned; 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger, 1 tsp. sesame oil, and 2 Tbs. seasoned rice vinegar; salt and pepper to taste; fresh spinach.

    Prep: heat oven to 450 (or grill to med-high). Lay out 4 sheets of aluminum foil. Divide onion slices and place in center of each sheet; top with carrots. Put salmon filets on top. Sprinkle with ginger. Drizzle with vinegar and oil.

    Double fold top and ends of foil, leaving room inside for steaming. Repeat 4 times to make packets. Place packets on baking sheet and bake for 16-20 min. Serve over raw or sauteed spinach.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - That sounds awesome! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing.ReplyCancel

So I started my Whole 30 a little early, the day after the chocolate pie post actually. I thought it might be interesting to log my first 7 days on the Whole 30. I am not the kind of person that likes suprizes or the unknown. I will always research anything I’m about to do, to the Nth degree. So, I thought this might help some of you who are thinking about starting the Whole 30. My results probably won’t be quite as dramatic as someone cutting out wheat/gluten for the first time (since I didn’t add gluten/wheat back into my diet). But, cutting out the sugars, and some of the dairy I had added back in, oh, and of the paleo treats was reason enough for me to do the Whole 30, so here goes:

My WHOLE 30 Log

Day 1 – Mentally, I feel SO much better just knowing I’m starting this.  And, no cravings to boot! I think I was still super motivated after my pie eating yesterday. Mental note: cheating the day before a new diet provides motivation. But also, don’t have too much sugar or you’ll have blood sugar issues to deal with the next day.

Day2 – When I woke this am, I had no appetite and was not as tired as I have been lately.  Good start. After lunch I had a craving, so I had an apple and it actually helped.  I am limiting my fruit but if you need a little something, reach for a green apple or handful of berries. They are relatively low in sugar. Fruit is allowed in Whole30. I’ve just decided to my limit fruit, well, try at least.

Day 3 – Still not very hungry. Amazing! I ate when I needed to eat. Believe me that is rare! I think the more you do something like this, the easier it gets. (I just totally jinxed myself, didn’t I???) Also, girls, be sure to not start this, say, a week before cravings are at their strongest point (in your cycle).  I think I definitely started at an optimal time.

Day 4 – Somewhat low appetite again. Yay! Let’s see if it lasts. Slept like a rock, as I have been all week. Clothes are starting to feel better.  Time to cook more.  Still not super hungry but just ate a bag of broccoli and some chili. Feeling so good and happy and strong (mentally and physically)! And I just had one of the best runs I’ve had since early November!

Day 5 – Feeling great.  A little hungrier this morning, and I even have a little sweet tooth (ahh, I may have spoken too soon!) so had an apple after big breakfast. A little harder with the cravings. Went on a bike ride with the family this AM and it helped.  I then had another apple.  It helped with the cravings, then, made them worse. Now, it’s evening and the cravings are tough.  There’s something to be said about accountability.

Day 6 – I woke up hungry so had a sweet potato before exercise because I thought I needed it since I’ve been running more lately. But it does raise insulin levels, so cravings are still here, maybe worse. Thought it would be fine before working out, and, usually eating them before a good workout isn’t an issue for me, but I think that craving thing (monster) in my head still isn’t quite gone. Around lunch time, I had some salted seaweed and nuts so had cravings again. Gave in to 1 apple, then another later in the afternoon. I thought it helped, but again, I learned it only made the cravings worse. The cravings have been there all day so clearly I need to change something.

Day 7 – My goal for today, low salt and no fruit. This morning, I woke up with lower appetite, thank goodness. Felt great and no cravings for sweets, finally!! Great run too. Didn’t eat lunch until late and that is so not me. Blood sugar levels have been great today, and actually all week. Got through the whole day without a single craving. It was very liberating! I think I’m on the right track now.  I know this isn’t the end of it. Cycles will come and go and so will degree of cravings, but hopefully I’m off to a good start.

Day 8, today. So easy to wake up! Easiest day by far, even though it was the earliest.  I had to get up to get the kids ready for school. My mind feels clear, and I feel great. Ready to take on the day and finish writing this post!

I’ll tell you, days 4 and 5 were hard.  I think what hurt was (1) not eating quite enough the days before and then running a good bit more than usual;  (2) the apples, I knew they were not a good idea for me, yet it had been awhile so I tested. Now I know, for sure;  and (3) lots of salty things. I ate some roasted seaweed, and that has a lot of salt and I also had a few of my kids salted pistachios. Again, I think the salt can increase appetite, and also, my body was so use to getting a sweet after salty, and the salt just kicked that craving into gear.

Everyone is different so days 2-4, or  3-5 or whatever might be the toughest. Either way, there are likely going to be some tough day(s) that first week. But you can do it!  By the way, I think the accountability really helped me this time, so please feel free to share. A good friend of mine just called and said she was on day 4 and not feeling as great as she did the first 3 days and wondered why. It turns out she’s not eating enough so she’s going to try to add a couple of different things. Anyway, I think we can learn from each another so please, feel free to post under “comments” so we can all learn!!!

My conclusion after a week on it:  I feel great. Amazing actually!!  I do have to say, cutting out the sugars I was sneaking has made a huge difference. This may, or may not be a bigger challenge for someone who is cutting out some of the other things for the first time, but I can bet you, the overall difference you will notice will be incredible!

With all of this said, I would like to consider if there are good other options besides doing just the Whole 30. I will post on that later this week!!!!

Start clean eating for yourself, and it will eventually, affect everyone around you…
Sorry, just a cheap way to show off my adorable niece. Keep me posted!!!

  • Steph Duford - I like the sweet, salty trigger conclusion. After reading that I also concluded I feel that same way. What I have been doing after a meal, when craving something sweet, is toasting unsweetened coconut flakes. I do it in a pan, no oil, on the stovetop until golden brown. Then I add a small pinch of sea salt, cinnamon, and sometimes a very small amount of vanilla bean. It works for a “treat” for me.
    Are you eating 3 full meals a day? Or just eating when you feel hungry? Is skipping meals bad for our metabolism? Just curious. I always do 3 meals regardless and just eat a little less if not so hungry. Maybe I have it all wrong…I could totally skip meals sometimes and be fine. For me I do find that it at some point back fires on me. Usually at night when I want sweets so bad.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Ohh I love your idea of coconut flakes. I will try that soon for sure! I do eat 3 full meals a day, and some snack in between too. I love my food and I’ve just always eaten that way. I’m not sure I believe about how skipping meals and slowing metabolism as much as I use to, and believe me, I was always a huge believer in that. It could have been more of a rationalization for me to eat 5 times a day though. : ). Have you read much on IF (Intermittent Fasting?). When I first heard about it, I was totally in the mindset of it slowing your metabolism but it’s actually quite interesting. I’m going to post on that soon too but to sum it up, there are many health benefits of going say 15 plus hours, without eating! Mark Sisson is a big believer. Check out his site if you are curious. Thanks for posting Stephanie!
      Oh and regarding the backfiring thing, I’ve done that too and it’s stinks to be hungry late at night but when I do the IF, I would eat a good size meal and be done but say 4:00pm so it’s really not that extreme or hard. Some people will fast for 24 hours or more. I’m not that interested in it!ReplyCancel

  • April ledom - You have inspired me. My husband and I started Whole30 today. I pre-planned the menu for the week and did all of my shopping to make things easier. Results after day 1 – Matt had major headaches and was very hungry all day even with three snacks. I think it was cravings more than hunger. I think the headaches are caffeine withdrawal. As for me, I felt great emotionally knowing that I am doing this for my family’s health, but physically I was so tired all day. Thought I would fall asleep standing up. When I think about it, I’m usually reaching for a caffeine pick me up and sugary snack everyday around 3:30 p.m. This won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.
    Question-Do you think purchasing the Whole30 Success Guide is necessary? Didn’t want to spend the $39 if it wasn’t needed.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey! Good for you guys!!!! Sounds like your body is having some serious withdrawals. If the caffeine helps, I think it’s okay to have some in moderation. As for the hunger, then eat, eat, eat. 🙂 Protein and fat (make sure Matt especially get’s plenty of fat. Maybe add coconut oil or ghee when cooking) will fill you so eat some nuts or meats, and carbs through veggies can help satisfy. Add in carrots or more starchy carbs (like sweet potatoes) in moderation at first if you need a little something extra. It take a real conscious effort to stop yourself from old habits, I know but so much of it’s mental. The next couple of days might be tough but then it does get easier, I promise. And, the good news is you can always eat more if you are lacking energy or are just plain hungry. And as far as the book, I wouldn’t think so but honestly can’t say for sure. I’d rather see you read Wheat Belly or Cordain’s Paleo book. I think education is good additional motivation! Good luck and keep me posted!! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Shana - I started jan 2nd and last night was SO tough! I almost gave it up but eventually just ate a banana and almond milk and just anything else I could find that wasn’t off limits. It helped get me through that and I feel better now. The only thing I’m not sure I like is that it’s forcing me to rely on meat a lot more for my protein when previously I was enjoying more vegetarian dishes. But I’m sticking with it!ReplyCancel

  • landriav - Shana, I’m SO proud of you. That is awesome!!!! And I love how you had a banana instead of giving up. How do you feel this morning? You’re in the throws of it so hopefully in another day or two it will get much easier! Hang in there and keep me posted!!ReplyCancel

  • Shana - Today was much better! I found some Lara bars that have only almonds, cashews and unsweetened cherries, and that got me through the early afternoon, then I realized at dinner that I wasn’t ravenously hungry as usual, just irritable b/c of sugar withdrawal. I’m loving that bison salad and I had a GREAT run today too.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - That just made my day!! Shana! That is SO great to hear! Keep it up, and make sure to drink lots of water. That can help too! Thanks so much for posting!!!ReplyCancel

  • Kathryn - Thanks for sharing your first 7 days! I’ve gone 10 days without anything processed or any refined sugars. I do think I’m turning to fruit a little too much and that seems to ramp up the sweet tooth -in the long run. I probably should cut back on the fruit, but overall I feel so much better. The cleaner my diet, the better I feel and the better my workouts are. I thought eliminating gluten would be hard, but that’s really been easy.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - That is fantastic Kathryn! You really did make up your mind after Christmas, didn’t you? 🙂 And thank you for the comment on the fruit. Glad to know I’m not the only one!! It’s so great to hear about how great you feel, your workouts are, etc. Very inspiring! Thanks so much for posting!ReplyCancel

  • Marla-Deen Brooks - Day 3 was terrible! I was so hungry ALL day and went to bed really hungry! On day 4 I had to add a little more food in and then felt great. Yesterday, however, I had the cravings and had a piece of dark chocolate. Bad. Then I had a huge headache. I should have known better! It was so not worth it! I will say I am not cutting out all the fruit as you are, but cleaning up my act is just what I needed!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Yay, MD! I didn’t know you were doing this. Day three seems to always be the toughest for everyone. And you got through it! 🙂 But, if you’re hungry….eat! This lifestyle won’t work if you’re hungry, nor is it necessary. That’s what so great about it too! And honestly, I don’t think 1 piece of dark chocolate is a big deal (unless it makes you feel bad of course!). For myself, I would just be afraid that if I were to have that one piece, it would turn into 5. 🙂 Thanks for posting, and good luck! Sounds like you’re off to a great start!ReplyCancel

I haven’t made Sloppy Joe’s in awhile and I have to say, Alice was pretty excited about it, hence her quote above.  I made this yesterday and she had it for her snack and then this morning, she had 2 big helpings of it. I should have made more, but good thing it’s easy to make! Here’s what you need for my daughter’s favorite dish:

  • 2 lb grass fed ground chuck (I used chuck, but you can use sirloin or mix it up)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 can organic tomato sauce
  • 1 small 8 oz. can organic tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp celtic sea salt
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar or a few drops of stevia
  • pepper to taste

Put about 1 tbsp of butter in a large pan. Turn on medium heat and add chopped onion and peppers. Let cook about 8 minutes until veggies start to get soft. Then, add meat and cook until brown.  Add in the rest of the ingredients, stir, and let cook on low for about an hour.  Enjoy!

 

  • Rachael - This is definitely replacing my old Sloppy Joe recipe. My family loved these! Thanks for sharing.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - That is SO great to hear Rachael!! Thanks for your comment! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Lindsey - Do you use ground beef in this recipe? If not, how small do you cut up the pieces of meat?ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hi! Yes, I used ground beef. Thanks for asking. I hope you like it!ReplyCancel

  • Megan - This looks great! I am planning to make it for supper tonight. I was wondering, tthough, what size cans of tomato paste and tomato sauce. Thanks and thanks for all the great recipe ideas. I have lots of yours pinned that I want to try!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey Megan! I use the small can of paste and the regular size of sauce. I think 6 oz for paste and 12oz for sauce? I hope y’all like it!! This is a staple around our place. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Rebekah - Hi! I just found your website and love it! I want to try to make these but don’t want to use Stevia. Can I leave it out or will it completely change the taste? Or any other kind of substitute?ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey Rebeka! You could use some coconut palm sugar or touch of honey. Or just leave it out and think it would still be okay. Hope this helps! Thanks for your note!! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Amy - I made this last night and it was SO good. I put it over spaghetti squash and it was yum. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Cindy - Currently eating this deliciousness and feeling fortunate to have found your site and this recipe! I added cumin powder because I like it and no stevia so I used molasses. Just….deliciousness!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Ha, thank you! Love the idea of adding some cumin. I might have to try that to mix it up some. Thanks so much for posting! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Brandi - Can you cook this in the crock pot? If so how long? Thanks!!ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey Brandi, I am not sure how long. Im sure you could. Just cook it like you would chili I guess?ReplyCancel