Quinoa Greek Breakfast Basket

We just celebrated my daughters 5th birthday this past weekend and we ended up having some left over crudités. I wondered what I could make, using up those veggies & some other things I already had in the fridge so I wouldn't have to waste anything. 

I had some feta I was going to use for another recipe, but ended up not making it. I always have eggs on hand, since I'm a BAKEAHOLIC. And I almost always have puff pastry on hand, cause I just love that stuff! Broccoli, tomatoes, eggs.... Yes, I had to make breakfast!!! Although, this recipe would be great for brunch too! 

So I got to thinking... There's this amazing local coffee shop here on the North Shore, Haleiwa Coffee Gallery. They make super awesome breakfast pastries. AND, they make these yummy egg baskets from time to time. You could say this recipe is inspired by them. Same concept, different flavors, but still. OH. SO. YUMMY!!  

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family & I did! 

RECIPE SERVES 8 

What you'll need:

Sheet Pan

Bakers Cooling Rack

Two, 6 Count Cupcake/Muffin tin for large cupcakes

Foil

Ice Cream Scoop

Large mixing bowl & spoon

Pam Baking Spray

Ingredients:

1 Two count package of Puff Pastry sheets, thawed. 

**You can find puff pastry in the frozen food section of your grocery store. 

6 Strips of bacon, cooked & chopped. 

1c Blanched broccoli, chopped.

1c Ready made quinoa. I just used some leftovers I had.

1c Halved cherry or grape tomatoes. 

**If your your tomatoes are on the larger side, cut them in quarters.

8oz. Block of feta cheese, crumbled. 

**You could buy the one that's already crumbled. I was just using what I already had.

6 eggs

Thyme **I used about 5 sprigs. You can use more or less. I love thyme! To take the leaves off, grab the sprig at the top, then take your other hand & use your thumb & pointer finger to gently pull down and take the leaves off the sprig. 

Seasonings:

Garlic Salt

Pepper

Smoked Paprika

Step one cook your quinoa & your bacon.

Quinoa: 1 cup quinoa, to 2 cups of water. Place in a small pot, bring to a boil then simmer till all liquid is absorbed. About 15 minutes, remove from heat when done & fluff with a fork. Be sure that the quinoa is completely cooled before adding it to you other ingredients. I actually cooked my quinoa the night before & used the leftovers from dinner. **Tip: Instead of using water, you can use chicken or veggie stock to give it more flavor.  

Bacon:

**Again, be sure that the bacon & quinoa is completely cooled before adding to the rest of your ingredients. 

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

Step Two: In a large mixing bowl, add your broccoli, tomatoes, feta, eggs, thyme leaves (roughly chopped), and your cooled bacon & quinoa. Mix and season to your liking. Don't add too much salt, as the bacon & feta is fairly salty. Set the bowl aside and work on....

Step Three: Lightly spray your muffin tins with Pam & set aside. Now take your puff pastry & unfold it on to a floured counter or large enough chopping board. To flatten, you can use your hands or a rolling pin if you have one. Cut both sheets into 4 pieces, and you'll end up with 8 squares. Use one square per round to line the muffin tins.

Step 4: Using your ice cream scoop, scoop and evenly distribute your quinoa/egg mixture into the lined muffin tins. 

***Topping them with cheese is optional. Its totally up to you. Like I was saying earlier, I was just trying to use up whatever leftovers I had. 

Step Five: Place the tins into your preheated oven & bake between 30-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking so they can cook evenly. Check them at 30 minutes, if they seem a little wet and you see the sides bubbling with liquid, put them back in for another 5 minutes. You'll know they're done when the bubbling is very little to none & the pieces of pastry that are sticking out are golden brown. I had mines baking for about 38 minutes total. Every oven is different, so just keep an eye on them towards the end of your cooking time. 

When they're done, place them on the counter & let cool for about 5-10 minutes before taking them out. After they have cooled for a bit, use a butter knife & carefully run the knife between the puff pastry & the muffin tin to gently release them from the pan. Lift them out carefully & place them on a serving dish or plate & ENJOY! 

Pork Tofu Soup

Living in Hawaii we don't get much cold weather, but when we do, I love to to get my comfort food on. The other day I made this super yummy Pork Tofu Soup and posted it on Instagram. To my surprise, so many people wanted me to share the recipe. So here it is! Enjoy! 

Pork Tofu Soup

Ingredients:

1-2lbs. of ground pork

1 Large Onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, diced (**I love garlic, so you could actually use more or less.) 

1 Tray Extra Firm Tofu, cubed

1 32oz. box low sodium Chicken Stock

Fish Sauce (**Can be found in most grocery stores, in the Asian section.)

Sugar or your favorite sweetener. I used an organic Coconut Syrup. 

Salt 

Pepper

3-4 Stalks Green Onion, sliced 

2 bunches of Bok Choi, chopped

1 bag bean sprouts (optional)  

Heat your stock pot on medium while you prep your veggies & tofu. When your pot is ready, add your ground pork, season with salt, & pepper. I don't use any oil in this recipe since the pork has a lot of fat. When most of the meat is brown, add your diced onions & garlic. Continue to cook till the onions are translucent. Add your tofu & a few teaspoons of fish sauce. Stir & cook for a few minutes. Now add your chicken stock. Season with more salt, pepper, & fish sauce to desired taste. Bring to a boil then add sugar or your favorite sweetener two teaspoons at a time, to balance out the flavors. Once your happy with the taste, add your green onions & Bok Choi at the last minute & remove pot from heat. Stir & let cool for a few minutes and serve. 

Serve with some Siracha & garnish with fresh bean sprouts. Enjoy!! 

**Note: You can substitute with ground chicken if you'd like. However if you decide to do so, you'll want to use some oil. Sauté the onion & garlic first then add the chicken & continue to cook as described in recipe. I also like to use organic ingredients whenever possible. 

Coquito's a Hidden Gem on The West Coast

After a beautiful morning at the beach yesterday my husband & I were in search for lunch. Puerto Rican food to be exact. We've been watching a lot of FoodNetwork's Tripple D with Guy Fieri and he's been featuring a lot of Latin food lately. So that was the reason for our quest to find an authentic Puerto Rican eatery. I searched for places on Yelp, and since we were hanging at the Lagoons at Ko'olina I decided to see if there were places near by that served authentic Latin cuisine. This is when I stumbled upon Coquito's. 

I actually remember my girlfriend posting things about this place on her Facebook page. She is also married to a wonderful man who is of Puerto Rican decent. So naturally, if they go there... It must be 

good! Right?!

Coquito's is located on the west side of Oahu deep in the heart of Waianae. There's is only one way in and one way out of this town, so you can't miss it. You'll find it towards the end of Waianae, diagonally across from the second McDonalds Restaurant on the right & Coquito's will be on the left coming In from town. It's a really cute place, and truly a hidden gem on the west coast. 

As you walk up the stairs of this cute little place, you'll find a few tables for seating outside. Then when you get inside you're welcomed to a sunny place with yellow walls, and beautiful tropical art. I've never been to Puerto Rico, but if I did go, I'd imagine it would be a place that's warm and cozy like this. 

We had our two children with us, so the first thing to order was their food. They have a very kid friendly menu, but not your typical French fries & chicken nugget type of deal. We order the keiki's grilled ham & cheese sandwiches. Not your ordinary grilled ham & cheese. They served it up on their specialty bread, pressed on the grill, panini style, & served with plantain chips. The kids tore that apart, they loved it! 

There is a popular Puerto Rican dish here in Hawaii, which is Pastele's. It's plantains seasoned &  mashed to almost a paste, mixed with seasoned pork, olives, wrapped in Ti leaves & steamed. My favorite by far! However being that my husband & I are total foodies we were in search of Mofongo! We've seen it on the FoodNetwork quit a few times and have always wanted to try it. And finally, we have! 

Mofongo is made in a wooden mortar, they mash up plantains with Latin seasonings, ours had bacon in it too. They ball it up & serve it with your choice of meat. As you can see the Mofongo here has been made & shaped into a bowl with our choice of meat in it. My husband had the marinated steak, & I got the shrimp. The shrimp was sautéed in butter & garlic. Placed in the Mofongo bowl with some of that wonderful melted butter. OMG, my husband & I were in heaven!!!! We were so stuffed as we had ordered some appetizers too. We had the Colombian Empanadas. That was tasty as well. Even though we were stuffed, we couldn't leave with out dessert! 

We had the Tres Leches cake. A vanilla cake soaked in three milks & topped with whipped cream. We also had, I'm not sure what it was called, I chose it from their dessert case up front. It was a strawberry cake with flan (custard) on the top. The kids loved it! The desserts were simple, yet so amazing! 

Coquito's offers a wide arrange of things on their menu, like:

Caribbean Jerk Wings

Cuban Sandwiches

Pastele's

Argentinian Flank Steak

Just to name a few. Check out their website here to see their menu & hours of operation. My family & I will definitely be back for more! I encourage you to check it out, try something new. You won't be disappointed. Also note to self, they do not serve alcohol there, but we did see a couple next to us that brought their own. So I'm definitely bringing in a bottle of wine with me the next time I go! 

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Like many out there, I have a sweet tooth that likes to be satisfied all the time! Though since I've been on a healthy kick, I managed to put this recipe together for a semi-healthier version of a chocolate cupcake. And let me just say, I think this is the best chocolate cupcake I've ever made from scratch. So decadent & flavorful, it's out of this world! You'd never know that there are healthier choices in this sweet treat.  Recipe as follows.... 

For the cupcakes, makes 24: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two 12 count cupcake pans. 

**If you can find all organic ingredients, fantastic! However, it is not mandatory. 

DRY INGREDIENTS

1&1/2c All Purpose Flour

3/4c Organic Sprouted Wheat Flour

2c Organic Coconut Sugar

1/4c Organic Cacao Powder

1/4c Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Powder

1&1/2 teaspoon baking SODA

1 teaspoon baking POWDER

1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt

1 scoop of Purium's Rice Bran Solubles

1 scoop of Purium's LOVE (Live. Organic. Vegan. Energy.)

WET INGREDIENTS

1c Purium's Organic Tropic Oil

1c Organic Buttermilk

1c Strong Brewed Coffee 

3 Organic Eggs

1 teaspoon Chocolate Extract 

***NOTE: You can find a good chocolate extract on line or at a local specialty cooking/kitchen store. If you can't find any, you may substitute with pure vanilla extract. 

Optional: 60% Cacao Chips (Ghirardelli Brand)

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add all of the wet ingredients, then turn the mixer on low. Gradually turn the speed up till well incorporated. You'll notice the batter will almost be like a soupy consistency. Do not be alarmed, this is exactly what you want for fluffy chocolate cupcakes. 

You can spoon the batter into your lined cupcake pans filling each cup 3/4 of the way or you can easily use an ice cream scoop to fill them uniformly. If you have some cacao chips available, you can place about 8 chips in each cup. I like to do this after because the batter is so soupy. 

Bake for 20 minutes till an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then take them out of the pan, place them on a wire rack & let them cool completely before frosting. 

*You may have some batter left over. You can line a few more cups in a 3rd cupcake pan & bake them up after your initial 24 cupcakes are done. 

FOR THE FROSTING:

3 sticks of butter just at room temp

1 block of Philly Cream Cheese

3c SIFTED Organic Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Place butter, cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar & vanilla extract into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Turn on low & gradually increase speed till mixed well. Add another cup of sugar, start on low & increase speed till incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape sides, add your last cup of sugar & repeat steps till mixed well. Scrape the bowl down one last time & whisk till nice & fluffy. Done.

**NOTE: I actually made a salted caramel flavored frosting for the cupcake pictured. To do that I substituted the vanilla extract for a gourmet caramel extract & added 1/2 teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt. Caramel extract can be found on line. 

Frost the cupcakes by hand or with a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. You can garnish with some gold sprinkles & slivered almonds. Ultimately, I would have wanted to top these off with some crushed salted pretzels & a drizzle of chocolate ganache, but I didn't have those things on hand. 

However, if you have those ingredients on hand, I'd love to see your final product! Follow me on Facebook: Kapakahi Me or on Twitter: @GiveMe_10days, would love for you to share your pic with me. For more info on Purium products or to purchase, you may click the link at the top right under "My Favorite Finds...". If interested, prior to purchasing, email me & I'll give you a $50 gift card to try some products. Thank you so much for stopping by! Aloha & ENJOY! 

Email: giveme10days@gmail.com

Sprouted Wheat Flour Buttermilk Pancakes

I awoke this morning and like any other foodie my first thought was, What's for breakfast? I thought, how about pancakes? I was at Wholefoods the other day & picked up some Organic Sprouted Wheat Flour for another recipe which I'll share later. I decided to make these pancakes with the left over flour I had. This is an awesome recipe for a Sunday family breakfast or brunch. Super easy to make! 

For this recipe I made plane as well as cacao chip pancakes. You can also replace the chips with bananas or blueberries if you'd like. Feel free to doctor them up anyway you want. I like to eat the cacao chip pancakes by its self or with some fresh berries & whipped cream. My daughter likes the plane ones like a PB&J sandwich. 

Recipe as follows

2c Sprouted Wheat Flour 

1 Scoop Purium's Creamy Vanilla Meal Option

1 Scoop Purium's LOVE Super Meal

1&1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

A Pinch of Kosher Salt

2 Cups Buttermilk

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons Agave

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then in another bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients a little at a time till all is incorporated. Do not over mix. The batter should not be runny nor too thick. 

You can use some coconut oil to cook your pancakes in a large skillet. Because this batter is delicate, you will want to cook it at medium to low heat. I have an induction range so my heat was on number 3. Keep in mind that all stove tops are different. Utilize your heat accordingly. And like I said, this batter is delicate, not like your normal pancake batter. You won't see the middle bubble to know when it's time to flip. 

After you've added your cacao chips, bananas, or blueberries, you may immediately flip your pancake. Let the other side cook for a few minutes then take it out & place on a plate or serving platter. Repeat steps to cook the rest of your batter & enjoy! 

For more information on Purium products or to order, click the link at the top right under "My favorite finds...." Follow me on Instagram: @GiveMe_10days and Facebook: Give Me 10 Days. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!

Everybody needs love.... Live. Organic. Vegan. Energy. 

Vegan NO-Bake CHOCOLATE Cake-Pops

A few years ago I used to run my own baking business. I was well known amongst the local community, & people loved my cupcakes, cake pops, & cakes. I'd get orders and be booked almost every weekend catering birthday parties & events. I loved what I did, but wished I could make a healthier version of baked goods. 

Since I'm now walking down a healthier path, I decided to try my hand at making a healthier version of chocolate cake pops, packed with nutrition. I'm so happy they turned out fantastic! Kid approved as well! Chocolaty goodness!! 

Recipe as follows.

You'll need - A food processor, a small ice cream scooper, a tiny wire whisk, 24 paper lollipop sticks, 1 or 2 styrofoam blocks to fit 24 cake-pops. You'll need those blocks to stand the pops up so the chocolate can set. 

For the chewy chocolaty inside:

**Please be sure the dates are pitted. And if dates are dry, soak them in some warm water for 10 minutes. Then drain. 

Plus for some added nutrition I used some of my favorites from Purium Health Products:

1 Scoop Creamy Vanilla Meal Option 

1 Scoop Rice Bran Solubles 

2 Teaspoons CarobMint Spirulina

1/4c Organic Tropic Oil (*not pictured)

And lastly, add a pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt & 1 teaspoon instant coffee. Place all ingredients in a food processor & blitz till well combined. 

After your mixture is done. Take a small ice cream scooper & use it to make uniform balls. Scoop some of the mixture, place it in your hand, squeeze & mold it into balls. This recipe will make 24 pops. 

Place them in the freezer for no more than 15 minutes before dipping in your chocolate. Of you leave them in longer, when you dip them, & your filling starts to thaw, it will expand & make the chocolate shell crack. 

Now, let's get to the hard chocolate shell. Here's what you'll need: 

4oz. Cacao Butter (can be found in most health food stores, in the baking section)

3 Tablespoons Cacao Powder 

2 Teaspoons of Purium's CarobMint Spirulina 

*This chocolate recipe will cover 12 cake-pops. I made another batch of chocolate to cover the other 12. You can double the recipe to cover the full 24 at one time, but since this was my first time making this, I didn't want to make more than needed & because cacao butter is expensive, I didn't want to take the chance of waisting any. 

Sift the dry ingredients together & set aside. Chop the cacao butter into small pieces so that it'll melt faster. Then take your cacao butter & place it in a deep glass bowl or I used an 8oz. mason jar. Now you're going to make a water bath to melt your cacao butter. Place the mason jar in a small pot. Then fill the pot with water so that the bottom of the mason jar is covered about 1 inch. Heat on low till the cacao butter is completely melted. It'll look like melted butter when it's done. 

Using a tiny metal whisk, add the dry ingredients to the melted cacao & mix till well incorporated. Let cool till you get a thick melted chocolate consistency. It may take 25-30 minutes before it gets that way depending on your environment temperature. But if you don't want to wait that long.... Yes, I was a little impatient. I put my mason jar in the fridge & checked on it every so often, stirring each time till I got the right consistency. If you forget that it's in the fridge, like I did, and it has hardened, just heat in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds. No problem. You might have to wait for it to thicken again as the cacao butter is very tempermenatal. 

Anyway, as soon as you get the right dipping consistency. Take your balls out of the freezer *again, make sure they've only been in ther for about 15 minutes. Start by dipping the tip of the pop stick into the chocolate. Then insert 1/2 of the way into one of the balls. Now hold on to the stick & dip the ball into the chocolate. Remove & gently tap the excess chocolate back into the jar. Stick the pop into a styrofoam block to let the chocolate set. Do this for all 24 pops. *You can use the remainer of the chocolate to drizzle onto the pops for an awesome finished look. 

Serve as is. Makes a great favor for small gatherings with friends. You can also omit the pop sticks and turn these into truffles. Once you get the hang of it, you can dress them up with a sprinkle of nuts, or shredded coconut. Wrap them up as a gift and give them away. If you can bare to part with them! =) 

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family & I have. For more info on Purium & to order Purium products click the link at the top right of my blog, under "My favorite finds..." 

Follow me on Instagram: @GiveMe_10days and

Facebook: www.facebook.com/giveme10days

Berry Vegan Ice Cream Pie

 

I've been on a healthy kick since last November. I'm 31 pounds lighter & I'm loving it!!! I haven't completely changed my eating habits, just change the mentality of how I eat. Yes I still have the occasional slices of pizza from time to time, but I have this amazing tool I can always rely on. Its so fabulous & I totally love it!! Since my huge accomplishment in weight loss, I've been trying to cook & eat healthier. With that said, I'd love to share this wonderful recipe inspired by a few pins I've encountered on Pinterest. 

As you can see, the pic above looks amazingly delicious. And let me tell you, IT IS!!! My whole family loved it, especially the kids! I also bumped up the nutrition level with some fabulous finds from Purium Health Products. Recipe as follows....

Berry Vegan Ice Cream Pie 

FIRST: Line the bottom of a 9" spring form pan with parchment paper & set aside.

The Crust

2c Raw Almonds soaked overnight

1/2c Pitted dates. *If the dates are dry, soak them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, then drain. 

1/4c Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

3 tablespoons  Purium's Organic Tropic Oil

(Purium products can be found by clicking the link at the top right of my page, under "My favorite things...")

Blitz all ingredients in a food processor, till nice & gritty. Crust like consistency. Turn out into your lined 9" spring form pan, spread out & mold to form your crust. 

Slice strawberries & line the walls of the pan to give a pretty finished look when done. Then place in the freezer to set while you make the next layer. 

Creamy Cashew/Banana Filling

2c Cashews 

2 Bananas

1c Dates

1/4c melted Organic Tropic Oil

1/4c Purium's Activated Barley

1/2c Purium's Creamy Vanilla Meal Option

*Non-dairy milk of your choice, as needed (unsweetened) 

Blend ingredients together till smooth & creamy, adding splashes of milk along the way. *1/4 cup should be ok, more or less. When done blending, spoon the mixture into the pan & spread out for your second layer. This will help to push the strawberries out to line the wall. Use a spatula to smooth out the top. 

Berry Topping

1c Frozen Strawberries

1c Frozen Blueberries

6 Dates

1 Banana

*Non-dairy milk of your choice, as needed (unsweetened)

Blend till smooth & creamy adding splashes of milk along the way. Spread over previous layer. Place in freezer to set for 2-3 hours. 

Garnish with the left over frozen blueberries. *Optional: Drizzle with vegan chocolate! YUM! 

Cut & serve. *Let thaw for a few minutes before eating, it'll be creamier if you can wait a few minutes. =)

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as much as my family has. Please follow me on.... 

FACEBOOK: Give Me 10 Days 

and

INSTAGRAM: @GiveMe_10days 

For more info on Purium & my tool I use to stay on track with my weight. Visit: www.mypurium.com/LisaDeniz You can also text the word PURIUM to the number 55678 for a video tour on the products, the business, & their mission. 

Happy aloha Friday!