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Coconut Macaroons Recipe – Lynnette Astaire

Tom Breakfast, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Party Food, Recipe, Snacks, Vegan, Video 0 Comments

Lynnette Astaire’s Coconut Macaroon Recipe

Let’s face it when you get hungry, you gotta eat something… And you can’t just bake a chicken or make a fresh kale salad every time the HUNGER strikes! These coconut macaroons sweet, filling and store well for at least a week. That is if you can resist eating them all at once…

Recipe Inspiration: Lynnette Astaire – LiveLynnette.com

lynnette astaire featured on Eat with Tom chicago food blogFor this post we’ve brought in the lifestyle expert and healthy food queen Lynnette Astaire to help us out with a healthy snack recipe. She is a true health fanatic and loves to share her tips and tricks for a great life on her site www.livelynnette.com. The content is raw, real and super funny! Her recent Beyonce 7/11 parody video had me cracking up as her and a friend lip-sync the song on the beach in Mexico.

This recipe was inspired by one of Lynnette’s favorite snacks from Whole Foods. The only problem was, she loved them so much that the pre-packaged price tag was eating a hole in her pocket. With a bit of ingredient list research and a few Google searches, voila Coconut Macaroons on the CHEAP!!

This recipe includes almond flour (or meal) to keep it gluten free and gives it nice nutty flavor.  This is a new ingredient for me, but it is a fun one!  Angela the Baker first introduced almond meal to me with the Peach Crumble recipe where she combined it with ground up quinoa for a tasty grain-free topping.

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Step-by-Step Coconut Macaroons Recipe Instructions

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Quinoa Recipe with Avocados and Eggs Eat with Tom

Quinoa, Black Beans, Cucumber and Avocado with Eggs

Tom Gluten-Free, Great Left-Overs, Lunch, Recipe, Side Dishes, Vegetables 4 Comments

Quinoa Recipe Healthy Eating Ideas - Avocado Black Beans Cilantro Cucumbers Easy Lunch

Quinoa Recipe for a quick lunch

This dish with Quinoa, Black Beans, Cucumber and Avocado with Eggs is light, but hearty enough to refuel your tanks and support your journey to greatness. The combination of the vinegar, limes and cilantro creates a wonderful freshness that reinvigorates your soul through your daily grind.You never know, a great idea might even hit you over the head after lunch when you are NOT a wandering zombie in an afternoon coma…

Lunch is often a “human maintenance” meal for me. This translates to: I need food that fuels me through the rest of the crazy day, without leaving me ravenous or sleepy an hour later. Since I love to eat, it also kills me to just grab some junk food and call it okay. So I have been on a quest to find a lunch “supplement” that is filling, enjoyable, and healthy.

This recipe evolved from a bean and quinoa salad dish that my mom regularly makes at home. From that inspiration, I added some avocado and eggs to make it a little more savory and substantial enough to call it a meal.  Without the eggs, it can also be a great side dish.

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I like to use organic dried black beans cooked via the pressure cooking method, but you can use canned ones. I recommend spending the additional nickel and grabbing the organic ones if available. The organic version will have fewer preservatives and I usually feel less “musical” after the meal. Even if the upgraded beans are a couple bucks, you are nowhere near the cost of a cheeseburger! Treat yourself!

This is a great meal to partially prepare ahead of time, especially the beans and quinoa. I like to make a large batch of beans and quinoa, and store them (separately) in left-over containers in my fridge. They last for about a week without getting funky. With these prepped, you can pull together all kinds of healthy meals on the quick (and cheap).

Quinoa Recipe with Eggs Step by Step Images

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Chickpea Pizza Refined – Plus Chicken Sausage / Magic Dust

Tom Dinner, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Great Left-Overs, Paleo Friendly, Recipe, Recipes Refined 1 Comment

How to cook Gluten-Free pizza at home - Eat with Tom Chicago

Chickpea Flatbread Pizza Recipe – Gluten-Free

The original Chickpea Pizza with Eggs Recipe has become kinda small-time famous for some crazy reason.  Maybe it’s the eggs on top that get all the attention…   Personally, I dig this recipe so much that I make it nearly every week!  It then becomes lunch and snacks for the next few days.

As I continue to make it time and time again, I have worked out a few new additions that you are sure to love.

I have been integrating more high quality meats into my diet these days and I am feeling as strong as ever.  There is something about incorporating some delicious animal fats that tame my hunger and help me to think more clearly.

It would seem that I am evolving into a P-egan (Paleo-Vegan, borrowed from Dr. Mark Hyman) to get the building benefits of the Paleo diet and the cleansing benefits of lots of veggies.

For the Chickpea Pizza, the refinements include:

  • Spice up the CRUST:  Add 1 tablespoon Magic Dust to the chickpea crust batter
  • Chicken Sausage the Slice:  Add ½ pound of browned Italian Chicken Sausage to the pizza toppings
  • Simplified cooking instructions: “20-20-5”  20 minutes for the crust, add toppings, 20 minutes for the pizza with toppings, add eggs and cook for a final 5 mins for perfect yolks

    Pizza Recipe with Chickpea Crust

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Bacon wrapped dates recipe pictures how to make healthy party food

Bacon Wrapped Dates – Bring a Hot “Date” to Your Next Party!

Morgan Paris Appetizer, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Paleo Friendly, Party Food, Recipe, Side Dishes 0 Comments

Bacon wrapped dates recipe pictures how to make healthy party food

**Guest Post from Morgan Paris Fitness**

Do you love hearing people comment on how awesome the dish you brought to the party is? I know I do!  These delicious Bacon Wrapped Dates will delight your tastebuds with the rich sweetness from the dates contrasted by savory, salty bacon.

I’m exited to share this recipe with you because it’s kinda become my “thing.”  I always bring my ” Dates”   ;)   to parties and secretly I can’t wait to hear, “oh my gosh, these are so good! Who brought these?!”

Now that my secret is out …

Not only are these delicious, they are SO EASY to make! I recommend getting the Uncured Bacon from Trader Joe’s because it is nitrate and nitrite free. You can also pick up a package of their Fancy Medjool Dates there, too. It ends up being analmost perfect ratio (sometimes there are a few dates left over that you can use in another recipe).

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But wait, there’s more! These are also pretty healthy! So they have a high sugar content, but the protein and fat in the bacon helps slow down the absorption of the sugar into your bloodstream allowing it to disperse and digest normally. Dr. Mercola shares these various health benefits:

  • First and foremost, dates are easily digested, allowing your body to make full use of their goodness.
  • Dates contain 6.4-11.5% of fiber which helps move waste through your colon and helps prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol absorption by binding with cancer-causing chemicals in your body.
  • Dates contain iron, potassium, B-vitamins, Vitamins A and K, copper, magnesium, manganese, niacin, pantothenic acid and riboflavin.
  • Together these factors help your body better metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Eating dates in moderation can contribute to many additional health benefits including stroke prevention, protecting against damage to cells from free radicals, as well as less chance of coronary heart disease and the development of colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers.

Bacon Wrapped Dates Recipe

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avocado recipe eat with tom chicago food blog

Limey Avocado and Grape Tomato Side Dish from Lemonade LA

Tom Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Lunch, Recipe, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian 1 Comment

Amazing avocado recipe - vegan meals - chicago food blog

Avocado Recipe with Limey Dressing and Grape Tomatoes

Large chunks of avocados spiked with a zesty lime vinaigrette, smiles are guaranteed.  This dish is a great side or main player for a veggie based lunch.  The good fats in the avocados will keep both your brain and stomach happy all afternoon.  No h-Anger excuses!

(h-Anger defined: the annoyed and dangerous mindset that causes you to turn into a ravenous beast until you get junk food or another meal.  No, coffee does not fix this condition.  See additional details on the Urban Dictionary.)

I  traveled and worked in downtown Los Angeles for many weeks last year.  Of all the meals I ate throughout the city, my favorites primarily all came from this quick serve modern cafeteria restaurant on the basement level of the office building.

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Recipe Inspiration – The Lemonade Cookbook


This mecca of lunch greatness, called Lemonade, seems to exist only in California and the Middle East (go figure…) at this point.  This dish falls into their ‘marketplace portions’ category, consisting of relatively healthy, mostly veggie based, and super flavorful dishes.  I was so excited to find such a truly filling and healthy option for lunch on the road that I ate there nearly everyday.  Oh yeah, and on travel days I would eat it twice… oops.  If you are flying Delta through LAX, you can find it right there in the terminal.

Since I am such an avid fan, of course I had to buy the cookbook.  So now that my days traveling to L.A. are over, I am working through the recipes and plan to share a few more of my favorites in future posts.  Got a few bucks burning a hole in your pocket? Pick up the The Lemonade Cookbook on Amazon.

Avocado Recipe with Limey Dressing and Grape Tomatoes

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The best recipe for gluten free pizza - chickpea flour crust

Chickpea Pizza with Eggs, Spinach and Tomatoes

Tom Dinner, Easy Impress, Gluten-Free, Recipe, Vegetables 10 Comments

The best recipe for gluten free pizza - chickpea flour crust

Gluten-Free Chickpea Flatbread Pizza Crust Recipe

“I want Pizza!!”  We all have the craving, so why fight it?  This gluten-free pizza recipe will leave you not only satisfied, but inspired to create all kinds of pies.  The chickpea crust has a uniquely creamy and hearty taste that will fill you with happiness.  Not to mention, the crust is soooo easy to make, you will never have the urge to deal with a ‘regular’ pizza dough again!

Recipe Inspiration Food Matters, Mark Bittman

This recipe has become a busy evening favorite at my house.  As with any pizza, you can make it as complicated or simple as you like.  I erred on the simple side for this ‘za (as my brother the pizza delivery driver says…) to help you get a handle on this method of creating the crust.  Also, with a pizza this basic, you likely have most of the ingredients in your fridge.

This dish has evolved from the Mark Bitman recipe for Easy Whole Grain Flatbread.  He mentions building the pizza after the bread (crust) is fully cooked, but I have modified the cooking times to accommodate a hearty dose of toppings.

I have baked this off quite a few times and have included a few tips below that will aide you in a perfect pizza on your first try.

Ingredients for the best gluten-free pizza recipe - Eat with Tom Chicago foodblog

Chickpea Pizza Crust Recipe with Eggs, Tomatoes and Spinach

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Grain Free Fried Rice Recipe – Grated Cauliflower and Shrimp

Tom Dinner, Easy Impress, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Great Left-Overs, Paleo Friendly, Recipe, Side Dishes, Vegetables 4 Comments

Eat with Tom makes easy recipes that promote healthy living

Grain-Free Fried Rice Recipe made out of Grated Cauliflower

Seriously, is that fried rice without a grain of rice??  The amazing cauliflower strikes again!  Really, what can’t you do with cauliflower?  Recently I have ran across recipes utilizing this humble plant in all kinds of uncommon ways, such as pizza crust and taco tortillas to name just a few.  Maybe I will have to do an entire series on innovative uses of cauliflower.  I am intrigued.

This fried “rice” experience is so fast and easy to prepare, it will likely go onto your list for weekday dinner meals.  This meal will satisfy even a hearty desire for savory spice without lots of meat.  I have also made this without shrimp and its 93% as good.  Just add all of the spices to the onions and carrots to make a pure veggie version.

This was one of first times putting ancho chiles to work.  The fragrance and color take this dish to the next level.  I picked up some that were already ground up at the Spice House in Old Town.  As I was testing this recipe, one attempt got so spicy that I nearly made my girlfriend cry… and we are not talking about my spicy dance moves either.  So be sure to measure out the peppers in this one or cut them back a bit if are feeling a little less adventurous.

To top off this recipe, don’t forget the squeeze of lime right at the very end.  The touch of acid brightens the flavor and finishes it so nicely.

My favorite thing about this recipe: It’s cauliflower, eat as much as you want.

Let’s Cook!

Cauliflower Fried Rice Step by Step Recipe

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