Drinks, Featured, Food

5 Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

April 17, 2017
5 Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

Breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day, but, it can also be the most challenging if you have a busy schedule. Eating a wholesome breakfast kickstarts your metabolism, digestion and provides your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals needed for optimal health! I’m sharing 5 smoothies that are packed with the nutrients necessary to start your day feeling nourished and energized. The best part? They take 5 minutes or less to prepare and pack before you head out the door.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Power Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 2 tablespoons creamy, natural peanut butter
  • 1 scoop plant-based, chocolate protein powder
  • 1½ teaspoons raw cacao
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 3/4 cup ice

Kale and Almond Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 packed cup torn kale leaves (discard the thick rib in the center of the leaf)
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 1 tablespoon soaked raw almonds (see note)
  • 1 date, pitted

Tropical Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup fresh cut pineapple
  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup ice

Peachy Clean Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup baby spinach, tightly packed
  • 1 cup frozen peaches
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon mānuka honey

Oatmeal Cookie Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 serving plant-based vanilla protein powder 
  • ⅓ cup rolled oats
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • ½ cup of ice

Instructions for all: combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in an air-tight container and store for up to two days.

 

5 Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

What are your favorite quick and healthy breakfast recipes? Share below in the comments!

Dessert, Featured, Food, Living Well

Healthy Treat Ideas for Easter

April 14, 2017
Healthy Easter Treat Ideas

‘Tis the season for Peeps and Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs! Easter is a holiday practically dedicated to receiving baskets filled with sugary treats. While indulging during these special holidays is an important part of living a healthy, balanced lifestyle, it’s also a great chance to whip up something equally decadent and indulgent but with a healthy twist.

So today, I’ve gathered five of my favorite recipes from fellow bloggers who know a thing or two about satisfying a sweet tooth healthfully.

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies by The Roasted Root

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/4 cup tightly packed blanched almond flour 
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and grated
  • 3 tablespoons molasses
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted and cooled

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Add the first seven ingredients (dry) to a bowl and mix together.
  3. Pour in the molasses and oil and mix well.
  4. Use a spoon to scoop out mounds of cookie dough. Form the dough into cookie shapes (they will bake to the same size and shape you form them into) and place them on a baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until browned around the edges.
  6. Allow cookies to cool at least 10 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet and enjoying

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies by Gwyneth Paltrow

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups gluten free flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup brown rice syrup (or light agave nectar)
  • 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl.
  3. Whisk maple syrup, oil, brown rice syrup, coffee, almond milk and vanilla in another bowl.
  4. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
  5. Pour half the batter into a greased 9″ x 11″ baking dish; top with half the chips.
  6. Pour remaining batter into dish and top with remaining chips.
  7. Bake until knife comes out with crumbs adhering to it, 30 minutes.
  8. Let cool for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Banana, Date and Walnut Muffins by Jessica Sepel 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2-3 ripe bananas
  • 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted.
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped/crushed
  • pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven on bake to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine almond meal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
  3. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs and oil.
  4. Add mixture from food processor to dry mixture in the large bowl and combine thoroughly.
  5. Fold in nuts.
  6. Spoon mixture into paper lined muffin tins.
  7. Top with chia seeds and banana slices
  8. Bake for  25 minutes.

Healthy Peanut Butter Fudge by The Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups desiccated (finely shredded) unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (best ingredients: just peanuts + salt)
  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
  • 3–5 Tbsp maple syrup, or other sweetener of choice, i.e. stevia
  • optional: Pinch sea salt (depending on saltiness of peanut butter)
  • optional: 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. Line a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. To a food processor, add desiccated coconut and blend on high until a creamy butter is formed – about 4 minutes. Scrape down sides as needed.
  3. Then add peanut butter and melted coconut oil and mix once more. Then add maple syrup 1 Tbsp at a time until desired sweetness is reached. If you add too much maple syrup, the mixture can seize up and get thick. If that happens, thin with a bit more melted coconut oil.
  4. Optional: Add sea salt and vanilla and mix once more. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more salt or vanilla for overall flavor or maple syrup or stevia for sweetness.
  5. Transfer mixture to lined loaf pan and spread into an even layer. You can add crushed peanuts or coconut flakes on top, but I chose not to.
  6. Freeze until firm – about 15 minutes. Then use a hot knife to slice into even squares – about 21. Enjoy immediately and store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 10 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. If frozen, let soften at room temperature for 5-10 minutes for best texture/flavor.

Coffee Chocolate Chip Blondies by Cookie and Kate

Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups gluten free all-purpose flour, or whole wheat flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) Earth Balance, or unsalted butter
  • 2 cups packed coconut sugar, or 1½ cups packed brown sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons strong coffee, room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract (yes, tablespoons)
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans
  • ¾ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

  1. With the oven rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the Earth Balance, coconut sugar and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is hot but not simmering. Remove from the heat and stir in the coffee until well combined (if the mixture refuses to come together, let it cool for a minute or two and try again). Let the mixture cool to room temperature, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, pour the pecans onto a small rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until they’re nice and fragrant, stirring halfway. Set aside to cool.
  5. Once the butter and sugar mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the egg and vanilla and whisk until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and stir gently to combine.
  6. Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan (this is a little tricky with the parchment paper, but you can do it, I promise). Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, until the blondies are set on the edges and the top is golden brown and just beginning to form cracks. A wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the blondies should come out with just a couple of crumbs.
  7. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it cool completely. Grab opposite corners of the parchment paper and gently lift the blondies from the pan onto a flat surface. Cut them into squares (big or small, up to you) and serve.

Happy Easter, everyone! If you have a healthy recipe you’d like to share, please comment below!

Entree, Featured, Food

Easy One Pot Vegetable Soup

March 28, 2017
Easy One Pot Vegetable Soup

Cold season has been especially unforgiving to me this year. Just when I think I’m finally on the mend, I’ll wake up with a sore throat that’s proceeded by ceaseless sneezing and sinus pressure. I’ve paid several visits to my primary care physician, practically drowned myself in green tea with lemon and honey while also ensuring adequate rest and quality sleep.

While illness has kept me down the majority of the winter, it certainly wasn’t able to keep me out of the kitchen. In fact, the kitchen has become almost a sacred space where I can methodically craft healthy meals. This winter I prepared mostly warming, comfort foods with ingredients such as tricolored lentils, root and cruciferous vegetables, brown rice and fatty fish liberally drizzled in olive oil and tossed with fresh herbs. Now that spring has arrived, I’ve begun to devour Pinterest for recipe inspiration and am looking forward to seasonal spring finds like fuji apples, sweet asparagus and crimini mushrooms.

When I stumbled upon this recipe at a dinner gathering with friends last week, I knew I had to make it and share it with you! This truly is a beautiful blend of vegetables, herbs and just a touch of spice. It’s a great meal for any season as you can swap the ingredients based on what’s locally available or what’s in your fridge.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 3 celery ribs, diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
  • 2 teaspoons dill weed
  • 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 3/4 cup 1-inch pieces of green beans
  • 12 ounces canned diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
  • 1/4 pound white mushrooms, sliced

 Instructions:

  1. In large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, garlic and spices until onions are soft, 8 to 12 minutes.
  2. Add corn, peas, green beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth to cover.
  3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off heat.
  4. Add tomato sauce, kale and mushrooms and let sit for 20 minutes.

Note: Original recipe adapted from PCC Natural Market. You can find the original recipe here.

Bon appétit sweet readers! And if you have any cold combating tips please share them below in the comments.

Dessert, Featured, Food

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

March 24, 2017
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

It’s no surprise that it’s raining here in Seattle today. In fact, when spring arrives in the Pacific Northwest it entails just that. You can always expect a series of sporadic showers often proceeded by short but scintillating bursts of sunshine. As the rain came down by the bucketful this morning, I found myself thumbing through my cookbook shelf while waiting for the tea kettle to boil. I cracked open the spine of my first cookbook, My Father’s Daughter, a gift from my grandmother for my 19th birthday.

I flipped aimlessly through the carefully curated recipes and meticulously crafted photos until I stumbled upon a recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. My inspiration got the best of me (as it often does) and within minutes I set out by foot to my local PCC Market to gather any missing ingredients. After a few tweaks to Gwyneth’s recipe and a complete disaster of a kitchen, the house was swirling with the divine scent of toasted nuts and saigon cinnamon. So finally, I give you the perfect weekend treat: Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. This recipe is dairy free, gluten free and completely, melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 3/4 cup toasted walnuts
  • 1 cup whole rolled oats (not instant or steel-cut), divided
  • 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour + 2 tablespoons
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/3 cup Earth Balance
  • 1/3 pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 brown rice syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling to soften. Set aside.
  4. Add 1/2 cup oats and walnuts to a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
  5. Combine this mixture with the other dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  6. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then thoroughly combine the mixed wet ingredients with the dry.
  7. Drain raisins and gently fold into the batter.
  8. Drop the mixture by large spoonfuls onto the parchment lined baking sheets.
  9. Bake for 13-15 minutes until browned and then remove to a cooling rack.