Jonah’s Strawberry Cake

June 7, 2016July 3, 2025Anne

Since my last few recipe posts have been very healthy veggie side dishes (seriously you must try this green soup, it is my new favorite easy summer meal) I decided it was time for a sweet treat! Also my buddy Jonah Sage’s birthday party was this past weekend and since I volunteered to make his cake, and it turned out so delicious, I thought I’d share this easy summer treat with you.

Well actually I made two cakes, one for the adults to eat and one for the babies to smash their faces into. Here is the birthday boy with his cake.

Beverly (Jonah’s mamma) and I decided that strawberries from their home garden would be perfect for baby J’s birthday cake. I was planning to make a 1-2-3-4 cake from scratch until I found pre made angel food cakes at New Seasons. Also I remembered that I had a full week of appointments and since it has been in the 90’s did I really want to fire up the oven? I love this baby but come on, why suffer? So this is more of a “here’s something delicious that I put together that everyone loved” than a recipe. Try it and you will not be disappointed.

If you are not fortunate enough to have hood strawberries growing in your yard, they can be found right now at farmer’s markets (like Moreland on Wednesdays and Milwaukie on Sundays) and local grocery stores. Yes there is a little bit of sugar in the cake, but it’s not too sweet. You could also make mini versions of these using slices of pound cake or mini shortcakes. I used a stand mixer,but if you want a nice arm workout try whipping the cream by hand.

Jonah’s Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

1 pre-made angel food cake
1 quart of hood strawberries (I’m guessing here, we filled two large tupperware containers from my friend’s garden, if in doubt buy more and freeze any leftovers)
2 cups of whipping cream
4-6 Tablespoons of sugar, separated
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

1. Prep your mixing bowl by placing the bowl and the beaters (or whisk if you are making by hand) in the freezer for a few minutes.

2. Give your strawberries a bath by rinsing them in cold water. Wait to do this right before you are about to make your cake, otherwise they will get all gross and gooey. These babies are not like traditional strawberries, they are almost as delicate as raspberries.

3. Slice berries in half, sprinkle them with two tablespoons of sugar, stir and and refrigerate while you prep the rest of the cake.

4.Carefully slice your cake into three layers.

5. Start on your whipped cream – place two tablespoons of sugar into your chilled bowl. Add the 2 cups of whipping cream and vanilla and beat just until soft peaks form. This took me maybe 5-10 minutes.

6. Put together your cake – place the bottom layer on a pretty plate. Check your chilled strawberries for sweetness and add sugar to taste. Spread one third of the strawberries over the first cake layer.

7. Top with 1/4 of the creme. Repeat this cake, strawberries, whipped creme process for the next two layers. Cover the whole thing with the remaining whipped cream and serve!

And here is one more photo of this delicious baby, he is so freaking cute I can’t stand it!

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers these recipes to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

African Curried Cauliflower Recipe

April 6, 2016July 3, 2025Anne

Like other cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower is an excellent source of phytonutrients and enzymes as well as vitamins C, K, B5, B6, folate fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. All great reasons to add this hearty veggie to your diet. Try this curried baked version and let me know what you think in the comments below.

African Curried Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces and rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.
Toss cauliflower with olive oil, curry powder, caraway seeds, red pepper and salt.
Spread cauliflower mixture out in a single layer on baking sheet.
Roast cauliflower until cooked through and the edges are a little charred – about 20 to 30 minutes.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Roasted Radishes

March 4, 2016July 3, 2025anne

Ever buy some random grocery item that you need just a pinch of for one recipe only to watch it die a slow death in the back of your fridge? Unfortunately this was to be the fate of some leftover radishes I had bought as a topping for Pork Posole (which incidentally was delicious). I tried pawning them off on a client. Instead of taking them she suggested I roast them and offered this recipe.

Thanks Marnie!

While I’m sure you could add fresh herbs or garlic, I do like the simplicity of this dish as is. Short ingredient list, simple to prepare, paleo friendly, and low glycemic index. Try it and let me know what you think in the comments below…

Ingredients:

Into the oven:

After 20 minutes:

The finished product:

Roasted Radishes

Ingredients:

3 bunches radishes
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
juice of one lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°
Trim leaves and stems off radishes. Slice into halves, or slice large radishes into quarters.
Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place in a cast iron skillet, or rimmed baking dish.
Bake 20 minutes stirring once or twice.
Finish with lemon juice to taste and a sprinkle of salt if needed.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood) Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Pineapple Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats Recipe

January 31, 2016July 3, 2025Anne

Looking for a quick easy breakfast you can take on the run? Try this tropical overnight oats recipe!

You can use any combination of oats, liquid (cow milk, coconut milk, water, or juice), fresh or dried fruit, and nuts – the recipe below even has a little dark chocolate! Prep breakfast the night before, warm in the microwave if you like, or just grab the jar from the fridge and go. Now you have no excuse for skipping breakfast!

Why “overnight”? You may have heard me talk about the benefits of soaking your grains. The folks at Nourished Kitchen suggest you can “enhance the nutrient profile” of your grains and make them easier to digest by soaking overnight (read all about that here). You may warm the milk slightly, add all other ingredients, cap the jar and leave it on the counter. If the thought of warm milk left out overnight makes you squeamish, pop the jar in the fridge.

The basic overnight oats recipe is as follows: 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup liquid, a small amount of the toppings of your choice like nuts, and fresh or dried fruit, plus 1 tsp spices (I like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and nutmeg) a pinch of salt, and if you like a splash of acid like yogurt, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

I recently played my favorite game of “what’s in the fridge/ pantry” and came up with this combination of fruit, nuts and coconut milk and it was delicious!

Here are the tropical oats before going in the fridge…

…and the next morning, ready to eat! They puff up a bit as the grains absorb the liquid.

Below is my recipe for pineapple dark chocolate coconut overnight oats. Try it and if you like it or have feedback please leave a comment below.

Pineapple Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats
1 cup full fat coconut milk
2 tsp ground chia seeds
2 tsp ground flax seeds
2 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate
2 Tbsp chopped pecans
2 Tbsp shredded (unsweetened) coconut
1/3 cup chopped pineapple
2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a glass jar and shake well to combine. Seal with a lid and place in fridge overnight.
You may enjoy oats as is, or if they are too thick for your liking thin with a few spoonfuls of milk, yogurt, or juice. I prefer my oats warm so I heat mine for one minute in the microwave before eating.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Pomegranate, Kale, and Wild Rice Salad

January 4, 2016June 24, 2025Anne

Ok the holidays are over, the sweets are (hopefully) out of the house, the relatives have gone home, now back to a more normal schedule and diet. I did pretty well for the month of December but definitely consumed more sugar then usual. This month I am taking a sugar break, and incorporating more green leafy veggies and whole grains into my diet. This salad is the perfect healthy start to the new year. Try it and let me know what you think.

Pomegranate, Kale, and Wild Rice Salad

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup pomegranate seeds
2 cups shredded kale
2 cups wild rice, cooked and chilled
4 clementines, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1/4 cup feta cheese

Dressing ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
4 shallots, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Make dressing. Place all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake until combined.
Make salad. In a large bowl mix pomegranate seeds, kale, and cooked rice with the salad dressing.
Top with sliced clementines, toasted nuts and feta.
Enjoy!

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood) Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.