Gluten-Free Dining in Downtown Denver

Dining Out, Gluten-Free Style

There are a plethora of lovely restaurants here in Denver, especially downtown where we live, but I’ve found that few have decent gluten-free menus.  By “decent” I’m referring to a dedicated gluten-free menu with options other than steak or salad (both of which I like, but I prefer to have more options when dining out).  It’s also been a challenge to find restaurant staff that is knowledgeable when discussing gluten-free options.  Most of the time it’s somewhat exhausting explaining what I can/can’t eat and constantly following up to ensure my items are, indeed, safe to eat.  As annoying as I feel at times, I’ve found it necessary to verify that certain dishes are gluten-free once brought out.  There have been plenty of times when the server has forgotten to request the dish be modified or the kitchen staff has neglected to read the special instructions and then I wind up with a big plate of gluten!  So, it definitely pays to be a little persistent, especially when health is involved.  That being said, here are a few of my favorite restaurants in the downtown Denver area with decent (or, in some cases, great) gluten-free menus*:

*Click on the restaurant name to view the menu.

Maggiano’s (16^th Street Mall) – Italian.  They don’t have a gluten-free menu per say, but they can alter just about anything on the regular menu to make it safe for someone with a gluten allergy to eat.  The gluten-free pasta is corn based and takes some getting used to, but bottom line – they will work with you regarding food allergies.

Zengo (Riverfront Park) – Asian Fusion. Fabulous gluten-free menu which includes soups, salads, sushi rolls, rice and noodle stir fries, and a great selection of unique small plates and entrees.   

Root Down (LoHi)  – Trendy, comfort food. Very unique gluten-free offerings and arguably one of the best restaurants in the Denver area.  Both the brunch and dinner menus are phenomenal.  Everything I’ve had is flavorful and perfectly executed.  Just remember to make a reservation!

Vesta Dipping Grill (LoDo) – Spanish, tapas-style. Another real winner.  The staff takes food allergies very seriously and will work with you to create the perfect gluten-free dinner.  They will also bring out a gluten-free bread basket which is actually very good!  Gotta make a reservation with this place too, they are usually packed.

Jonesey’s (Uptown)  – Neighborhood bar/grill. I’m on the fence with Jonesey’s right now.  Due to a recent menu revamp, they don’t yet have a menu explicitely for us gluten-free folks.  Their saving grace? Gluten-free house-made fries, delicious when you want a serious indulgence!  They also have awesome burgers which easily become gluten-free by eliminating the bun.

Little India (Champa Street) – Indian. Most of the dishes here are inherently gluten-free, aside from a few of the breaded appetizers.  Typical menu, but very delicious, and they deliver to the downtown area (hey, some days you just need your dinner delivered to the front door!).

Sonoda’s Sushi (LoDo) – Asian/sushi. I adore Sonoda’s.  The staff is excellent and always friendly.  It’s usually pretty easy to eat gluten-free when going out for sushi, just ask for Tamari and make sure the fish isn’t pre-marinated in soy sauce.  Try the Rainbow Roll, it’s probably the best value on the menu and never disappoints.

Marco’s Coal Fired Pizza (Larimer Street) – Italian/pizza.  The best gluten-free pizza ever.  Period.  Really, the pizza is just to die for and it’s impossible to tell it’s gluten-free.  I know this because Dave eats it too!  They have awesome toppings, services is great, and it’s just a fun place.  Casual, but nice enough for a special date.  It’s a  little pricey, but you get what you pay for.

And, just when I had given up on the thought of a Paleo restaurant concept…

Caveman Cafeteria Food Truck (and Catering)!  - Clearly this is a food truck so the offerings are limited and the schedule unpredictable, but if you see this truck around I seriously recommend checking it out.  I see it a lot in our neighborhood (RiNo/NoDo), probably due to the millions of Cross-Fit gyms taking over our streets.  They serve the kind of food I make for myself at home (e.g. sautéed veggies, sweet potato fries, short ribs, etc.) and if they had a brick and mortar location, I would be there A LOT.  I did notice they are starting to expand their menu and now have things like cheese and buns on the menu (NOT Paleo), so it may not hurt to make sure your order is gluten-free.

Places to stay away from?  I’d avoid most of the pizza places, sports bars, and chains like Cheesecake Factory and Chili’s.  These places simply do not have options for gluten-free diners.  Other options? Mexican restaurants are hit or miss, but The Rio on Blake Street at least offers a few options, sans gluten.  If your friends really want to go to a sports bar you may want to try Wynkoop Brewery in LoDo as they have some “ok” gluten-free options on the menu.  Of course, don’t expect to partake of the chicken wings or nachos with everyone else.  But at least you’ll leave feeling good about what you ate J

Any recommendations from my fellow Denverites? 

Reviving the Blog

I started this blog partly for myself as a way to express my thoughts, but a large part of my motivation comes from the desire to inspire others to live healthy, fulfilling lives.  Upon much reflection and an obvious hiatus from the blog, I've come to realize that my inspiration doesn't always come from food (although, I must admit food plays a large role in my life). Like most of you, I find my thoughts frequently wandering and this is often reflected in my writing.  Over the past several months I haven't stopped writing; in fact, I have close to 20 different blog entries I have started but neglected to finish.  I find that when my life is "cluttered" - whether simply from tangible items taking up precious space in my closet or a messy house that I can't find the time to clean, to more serious issues like toxic people absorbing my time or a job that feels like a deadend - it is easy to lose sight of myself and quite difficult to see anything with much clarity.  In my personal experience, it takes the elimination of these distractions before I can move on to a positive, productive place in my life.  I feel as though I'm making great progress and look forward to sharing with all of you.

Through much self-reflection, I have learned that a large part of living a fulfilling life, for many, involves staying focused on a few key concepts.  Yours may be different, but here are some of mine:

Creating beauty - As a visual person and one who loves to create asthetically-pleasing things, I love the idea of finding beauty in everything.  Food, home decor, nature, our own unique style - these are all places I observe beauty daily. And, while life can't always be attractive, I find the opportunity to brighten things up a bit is constantly awaiting us all.

Staying inspired - It can be incredibly difficult at times to feel inspired, as I know from personal experience.  After working long hours, running errands, and taking care of the family, one can feel exhausted, at best.  I find that constantly reminding myself of goals, ideas, encouraging stories or my own special memories is crucial to my personal growth.  I am inspired when I read, talk to others, listen to music, or even when I daydream.  Once open to the idea of staying inspired, life becomes more meaningful.

Making each moment special - Now, this is a critical concept to living a fulfilling life, but one that requires to be carried out with a great amount of intent, at least at first.  It is often the "everyday" parts of our lives that we go through without much joy or expectation.  A trip to the dry cleaner, vacuuming the house, walking the dog - hardly any of us look forward with anticipation to these "chores."  So, the question is, how do we make these moments count, if even just for ourselves?  Here's an example: I often work from home, rarely leaving the house during the day and sometimes with no human interaction until Dave gets home.  It's easy to get caught up in myself with this type of schedule.  I find that giving myself a few key things to look forward to each day helps me to stay focused and value my days at home.  I look forward to listening to my favorite jazz or classical music while working from my home office, taking a mid-morning stroll with the dogs, preparing myself green tea and a square of dark chocolate each afternoon, and allowing myself some time to journal or simply think for several minutes at some point during the day.  While obviously there are days that are more full, more frustrating, or more exciting, these "small joys" help me appreciate the days that would otherwise seem like they don't matter.

I hope some of these ideas strike a chord with you.  Stay tuned for more food talk, recipes, insights, glimpses into my own life, and more.  Thank you for reading :)

Stuffed Trout - yum yum!

How is everyone enjoying their summer?  We’re having some exceptionally warm days here in Colorado.  Needless to say, Dave and I have been hanging out a lot indoors, working on various projects.  Living in a small space, we’re constantly keeping an eye out for new ways to add storage and keep everything organized.  Dave is in the process of making several custom shelves for our laundry area, front closet, and bathroom.  My current organizational project is a condensed recipe book containing only recipes we use and love.  And, when I finally get around to my sewing project, we’ll have a couple of gorgeous throw pillows and a new curtain to “jazz” up our place.   

After our trip to Table Rock Lake in Missouri with my family this past May, Dave and I realized that we both have a real interest in fishing.  So, without wasting any time, we went to Bass Pro, bought a couple of poles and started fishing!  While we haven’t yet caught anything big enough to keep, we’re having a fun time enjoying nature together. 

Fishing is also an incredibly practical hobby.  I mean, what better way to cut back on the grocery bill than to actually hunt/gather/catch the food yourself?!  We are a very “fish-friendly” household, and buying fresh, good quality fish every week can get expensive!  I know many of you don’t care for the flavor and/or texture of fish or struggle with how to prepare it, so I hope the recipe below will help. 

After being “gifted” a batch of trout from one of Dave’s co-workers, we’ve been able to perfect our stuffed trout recipe.  Hopefully I will get to use this recipe on my very own catch once we get back from our upcoming fishing/camping excursion this week!

Stuffed Trout:

·         4 trout, cleaned, skin on and heads removed

·         Olive oil (for sautéing vegetables)

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         1 green pepper, thinly sliced

·         2 green onions, thinly sliced

·         6 mushrooms, chopped

·         4 tbsp. melted butter

·         2 tsp. dried dill

·         2 tsp. dried parsley

·         1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

·         4 lemon wedges

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Sauté garlic, green pepper, onions, and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil.  Once softened, remove from heat.  Season skin of trout with sea salt (both sides).  Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the flesh side of each fish.  Season flesh of fish with dill, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Place a lemon wedge on top of each fish.  Wrap fish individually in foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes (fish should flake off the bone).  If desired, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over fillets beore serving.  Enjoy!

Two Healthy Picnic Recipes

Hi Folks!  Dave and I took two week-long trips in the past month, all while frantically trying to keep up at work and maintain our sanity.  We got back into Denver on Saturday evening, and somehow mustered the energy to plant our balcony container garden on Sunday.  (Denverites: if you have not been to Paulino Gardens -north on I-25, exit 58^th ave - you MUST go!  It’s a fantastic nursery and even if you don’t buy anything it’s fun to look around at all the plants.  We try to make a trip up there every few months or so and always end up buying something.  I swear, with all of the plants in our little 950 square foot home, we must have a mini-ecosystem or something!)  I’m really excited and optimistic about our garden this year.  Last year was our first year experimenting with container gardening, and it was certainly a learning experience.  We’ve decided to scale it down for 2012 but still have plenty of flowers and herbs, as well as a cherry tomato plant, two small variety pepper plants, and a Lisbon lemon tree.  Cross your fingers for us!

As we all know, Memorial Day weekend traditionally rings in the summer, usually with lots of outdoor parties and FOOD.  In the past I have had a hard time at barbeques because there is often a lack of vegetable dishes and an abundance of junk food.   Luckily, I now have a few tried and true alternatives to the junk.  In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I’m going to share a couple of my favorites with you.  I hope these recipes give you some fresh ideas!  Enjoy the weekend!

Refreshing Herbal Tea

For those of you who are looking for a lightly sweetened, non-alcoholic, caffeine free, and sugar free beverage, I highly suggest Stash Herbal Tea’s Wild Raspberry Hibiscus Tea.  Add a little stevia powder while the tea is brewing and serve over ice with a fresh lemon wedge.  Hibiscus can also help lower blood pressure! 

Asian Slaw

Recently, I actually took the time to read a few articles in my Vitamin Cottage grocery store flyer and came across this delicious slaw recipe!  I’d been trying to find a tasty non-mayonnaise based slaw for a while and this one is definitely a winner.  Keeps well, especially at picnics or barbeques where food sits out in the heat.

6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage (red, green, or a combination can be substituted)

2 large carrots, grated

6 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup chopped cashews

Dressing

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

1 tablespoon soy or tamari sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1-2 tablespoons honey

Red pepper flakes to taste

Combine the prepared vegetables in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the dressing ingredients thoroughly. Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine. Top with chopped cashews and serve.

Quinoa Salad

The idea for this recipe comes from our trip to northern CA last year.  My brother-in-law introduced Dave and I to quinoa through a delicious salad.  I’ve since adopted a variation of the salad as a staple in my meal rotation.

8 cups fresh spinach

2 cups quinoa, rinsed and cooked

4 links chicken sausage, cooked and sliced (I recommend a chicken/feta/spinach blend sausage)

6 hard boiled eggs, sliced

3 carrots, peeled and grated

1 beet, grated*

1 pint cherry tomatoes

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup feta cheese crumbles

½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Pepper, to taste

Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Assemble the salad and season with pepper and lemon juice.  Serve with a lemon/tahini dressing or balsamic vinaigrette.

*Sometimes grated beets can turn the quinoa a shade of pink.  Omit for a nicer presentation, or keep if you like pink quinoa J

Vacation Snack Ideas

Spring has sprung, the weather is beautiful, and before we know it the dog days of summer will be upon us! Ok, so maybe I won’t be lying around all summer long like my little dachshund, but I certainly plan on having some fun and relaxing during the warmer months. Dave and I both love travelling, which has turned out to be a great thing since we have immediate family members in six different states. Needless to say, we will be taking several trips this summer to relax, take in some new experiences, and enjoy time with family.

While vacations are something I generally look forward to with excitement, I usually have some concern when thinking about what I will eat. Since it is vacation, I tend to splurge and eat things I normally wouldn’t, which, to some degree, is totally fine in my opinion! I also don’t expect to eat the same quality of food that I eat at home (i.e. grass-fed beef and organic produce). However, I still want to take care of my body and certainly don’t want to eat a ton of gluten or sugar and make myself sick. As far as eating meals at restaurants are concerned, I’ve got a pretty good handle on what’s the best option, and I can find something to eat at just about any establishment. Here’s what I usually order:

Mexican – fajitas minus the tortillas
Pub/sports bar – cheeseburger (no bun), side salad
Café – Cobb/chopped salad
Asian – sushi/sashimi (one of the rare instances when my “no grain” rule goes out the window!)
Italian – Chicken Marsala, sub extra veggies for pasta
Fine dining – grilled salmon with steamed veggies

For me, the problem comes in when I don’t necessarily want a full meal, but I need to eat something. I tend to only eat two full meals a day and either fast unintentionally (meaning I’m not hungry so I don’t eat) or I nibble on a couple small snacks in between meals. Dave does the same thing so we always keep easy sources of protein on hand at home. Unfortunately, it’s pretty difficult to find a filling gluten-free, protein-rich snack in the vending machine at the airport or on the appetizer menu of most restaurants. This is where the importance of planning ahead comes in! Here are my favorite snacks to keep on hand when travelling:

Jerky – It’s hard to find good quality jerky without spending a fortune. We like to make our own when we can. Marinated strip steak dehydrated for several hours is our favorite (be sure to use plenty of salt as it’s necessary to preserve the dried meat).

Nuts – As I’ve mentioned before, soak raw nuts in saltwater for around 8 hours to make them more easily digestible and increase nutrient absorption. After soaking, dry in the dehydrator or oven until crisp.

Trail Mix – Make your own grain-free granola-like trail mix with this recipe from Mark’s Daily Apple

Lara Bars – These are great! They are made with a date/nut base and are flavored using dried fruits, veggies, and sometimes chocolate. Lara bars are a wonderful grain-free alternative to granola bars and don’t contain artificial stuff or preservatives.

Sweet Potato, Root Veggie, or Kale Chips – When I travel I know that I’m inevitably going to get a craving for something salty and, well, just plain bad. For these times, I like to bring along some gluten-free veggie chips. There are some pretty decent brands around and while they may contain vegetable oil and/or corn, I figure this is a much better option than a huge plate of nachos or French fries.

Dark Chocolate – Just as I sometimes get cravings for salty foods, I crave sweets at times too! That’s why I like to bring a couple good quality dark chocolate bars with me on vacation. If I have it with me then I won’t be as tempted to eat a huge piece of cheesecake or an ice cream sundae!

Hope these tips help on your vacations too!

Reflection

I hope you’ll forgive me for the lack of food talk in this particular blog post. There has been a lot going on in my life lately, and as I’m working through some pretty complex emotions, I find that it’s incredibly therapeutic for me to write.

The past couple of months have introduced some real challenges into my life. As usual, December was a whirlwind month, with lots of parties, events, and shopping. Just a few days before Christmas, my grandfather passed away so Dave and I made the trek back home to Missouri to attend his funeral. Many of you know how special Grandpa was (and is) to me, so it’s been an emotional process to deal with this loss. But, as strange as it sounds, going back home was an enormous blessing in disguise. You see, I haven’t always appreciated my family or my roots. To some degree I’ve even been a little embarrassed about where I grew up and have always had a bit of a complex about being from a small town in the Midwest. When I was little, I dreamed about getting out, travelling, and escaping Missouri for good. The amount of energy I devoted to my plans of relocation finally paid off when I moved to Colorado with the idea that I was finally “free.” However, since my departure, I’ve come to realize that what I had wasn’t so bad to begin with. It’s that whole “don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone” lesson that we all learn eventually. I don’t know if I’ll ever move back to Missouri, but I do know that it will always be home to me, and I love that.

Some of you know that Dave and I are excited to start a family of our own but have been struggling with a few infertility issues. While my diet has certainly improved my health on this front, there are some problems that just won’t go away, no matter how hard I try. We learned shortly after returning from Missouri that having a child naturally is not much of a possibility for us right now. I can’t say I was shocked, but news like that is definitely hard to take. This comes after devoting a good two years of my life to religiously charting my cycles, temping, reading fertility blogs daily, researching like crazy, taking various supplements and vitamins, adjusting my diet, exercising more, exercising less, visiting a million different doctors, spending tons of money, and taking fertility meds (some of which made me really sick!). By far, the hardest part of this whole ordeal has been going through each cycle getting so excited and truly believing I was pregnant, then finding out I wasn’t, telling Dave, and subsequently being heartbroken each time. It’s taking some time to internalize everything, but that’s ok. Yeah, I know I’m still young, anything could happen, and I shouldn’t give up hope – I’ve told myself all of that a million times. But, the fact of the matter is that this is just plain difficult to go through.

So, as I’ve been working through all of this intense emotional stuff, one would think I’d want to tone it down a little and watch a funny movie or something. No, not me. I tend to be a very cerebral person, so the deeper the better! Upon the recommendation of my cousin, I have been reading “The Highly Sensitive Person” by Dr. Elaine Aron. This book has had such an impact on the way I view myself (past, present, and future) and how I interpret the actions of others. I’ve identified so strongly with the information in this book that I’m reframing nearly every significant event that’s happened in my life in terms of being a highly sensitive person (HSP). I think the title of the book is a bit misleading, as some people I’ve talked with immediately think they are an HSP simply because they cry at movies or struggle with emotions on a regular basis. That is NOT what this book is about. HSPs make up about 15-20% of the population and include equal numbers of men and women. Being highly sensitive mostly has to do with the amount of stimulation your brain can handle before reaching a “shut off” point. HSPs tend to reach this point much more quickly than the majority of the population. As a result, many HSPs are labeled as shy and introverted. These terms have negative connotations in western society, and even though most HSPs are not shy and many are not introverted (there IS a difference between the two), we grow up with those negative labels thinking something is wrong with us. I can relate as I was constantly scolded for being too quiet and shy when I was younger. Looking back, I now realize that my highly sensitive nervous system was working overtime trying to process all the information I was getting. Being quiet didn’t mean I was scared to talk, it just meant I had some things to work through in my head before engaging in conversation. I am finally recognizing my difference as something positive instead of trying to rid myself of my bad habits of “thinking too much” or being “too quiet” in social situations. As an HSP I do value alone time more than the average person, and I believe I also need lots more of it. When I am around people, I generally prefer to have serious conversations, not because I’m depressed or unhappy, but because that’s what I honestly love to do. My family is filled with HSPs and I’ve noticed that we tend to have a LOT of serious conversations at family gatherings. I love that :) Thankfully, my husband has a highly sensitive gene as well (which is probably why we gravitated toward each other), so we’re able to share our experiences and talk through this together. I found this book immensely helpful, and hope this doesn’t sound like a “woe is me, I’m so tortured!” type rant. Obviously I just touched on a few things related to HSPs, but if it sounds interesting to you, I’d encourage you to grab a copy of the book at the library or bookstore. It’s always nice to do a little self-reflection.

Thanks for reading. I promise next time I'll discuss food :)

A Little Catch Up and Some Curry Recipes

WOW – don’t the holidays just make life crazy for a while?! I’ve thoroughly missed being able to take time to research food and nutrition and share my journey with you all. Along with some delicious recipe suggestions, I want to mention where I’m at with my diet and health.

As I’ve been working more it’s become much more important to take the time out to plan weekly menus and have the appropriate ingredients on hand for well-rounded meals. Some weeks are better than others, but Dave and I have really started to master the concept of one-pot meals. We’re also working on the semi-daunting task of organizing all of our favorite recipes into our personal recipe “Encyclopedia. “

While my routine has changed a bit over the past several months, I’ve learned that it’s really never acceptable to be too busy to take care of myself. I’ve found that it’s ok to say “no” to an activity if I know I need some personal relaxation time. It’s also become increasingly important for me to make sure I allow myself adequate time to prepare meals in the evening. Not only is the act of cooking therapeutic (for me), but eating a nutritionally sound meal is also incredibly vital to my well being.

My workout routine has changed too, but I still make sure I have some time everyday to get some exercise. Usually that comes in the form of walking Ozzie, but that’s ok! I’ve found that a 30 minute walk on most days, combined with some light weights and yoga at home once or twice a week is adequate. As I’ve mentioned before, I think so many people overdo it with strenuous exercise, thus exacerbating inflammation and joint stress. It’s important to look at the big picture.

Some people ask if I’m “still on the diet.” I suppose the answer is yes, but I have to say I don’t consider the way I eat to be a “diet” in the modern sense of the word. This is the way I was designed to eat; I eat the food that best fuels my body. The more time I spend eating a Paleo diet and researching (and experiencing) its benefits, the more positive changes I notice in myself. I’m continually trying to find the best combination of foods to optimize my health. Now that I have my blood sugar under control, I’ve become open to eating more carb-rich foods on a regular basis. Of course, I still make sure I’m eating whole sources of food, grown organically and prepared properly (soaking and sprouting, for grains). Most notably, I’ve started to include quinoa, wild rice, and sweet potatoes in our weekly menu. These additions are more in line with the Weston A. Price “diet,” but I’ve always said Paleo eating is a hybrid approach for lots of people.

There are always things I wish I could do better, but doing the best that I can given the circumstances is admirable, at least I think so :) In the spirit of continual growth and development, here are my three health goals for 2012:

1) Eat more salmon and cold water fatty fish.
2) Spend less time at the computer and more time in the sun.
3) Learn how to make and can fermented foods.

And now for a few recipe ideas!

Curry is a spice I’ve recently added to my repertoire. Dave and I both have an affinity for flavorful, spicy foods, so curry is just the thing to spice up many of our dishes! Not only is curry delicious, but it’s also a powerful anti-inflammatory. Many of the curry recipes we enjoy are from Sarah Fragoso’s book, Everyday Paleo. If you haven’t checked out her website, you should - she has some awesome recipes and workout suggestions!

Here are our favorite curry recipes, which always have a place on our regular menu rotation:

1) Baked Cauliflower

Delicious and easy! We usually use coconut oil as opposed to olive oil due to the high heat, but either way is great.

2) Butternut Squash Soup
Traditional butternut squash soup is a little bland for me. This one takes it up a notch. With only four ingredients and very little prep time, you have to give it a try!

3) Butter Chicken

Time after time Dave has told me that this is by far his favorite dish. But, the one thing this recipe is missing is the curry! I add quite a bit, usually about a tablespoon or more, and sometimes even a pinch of cayenne to really spice it up! If you have it on hand, adding some masala and turmeric will really increase the flavor profile. I’ve found with this dish, the more spices the merrier! I also tend to substitute cream for the coconut milk, makes it a little more rich and creamy. Dave and I like this best serve over lacinato kale, but any green will do the trick.

4) Sweet Potato Hash
My version of sweet potato hash is a mix between the recipe above and another Sarah Fragoso recipe. Basically, I brown a pound of ground meat (usually spicy pork sausage), add as many veggies as I want (usually a couple bell peppers, a zucchini, and some mushrooms), two sweet potatoes, a couple tablespoons of coconut oil, ½ tbsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp curry. If we’re really hungry, I’ll throw a couple of fried eggs on top. Makes a great breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack!