Peanut Butter-Banana Green Smoothie

This smoothie is so incredibly easy and so delicious. The peanut butter flavor over powers all of the veggie flavor, and it's super creamy and sweet from the bananas and dates. I love to have this smoothie for breakfast, or even as a post-workout meal. It holds you over for hours.



I use an organic, non-GMO powered peanut butter because it's lower in fat and calories spoonful for spoonful than regular peanut butter, but you can use any type of nut butter you like. The great thing about this smoothie is that it's super versatile, you can throw in pretty much any veggies you like, given that the flavor is not too over-powering. Some great add-in's are kale, spinach, avocado, zucchini, or any mild tasting vegetable or fruit. However, using banana is key in this recipe as it allows for the smoothie to be creamy.




Ingredients: 1 serving

1 chopped frozen banana
1 date (optional)
1 cup almond milk
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1 tablespoon peanut butter powder (or regular peanut butter)
sweetener to taste (stevia, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc)

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza Revisited

I posted a cauliflower crust pizza recipe last year, but since then I'm come to perfect my recipe. With the addition of coconut flour instead of almond flour, I've discovered that the pizza gets much more sturdy after baking. I also added some mozzarella cheese in with the cauliflower 'dough' to help hold it together and give it a bit more crunch. This one definitely holds up, no silverware needed!
Give it a try!

Due to the fact that my husband gets home so late from work, I only have horrible lighting to work with. Hopefully I'll be able to take better photos soon!

Ingredients: Serves 2 people (you can easily double the recipe if you'd like)

1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove of minced garlic)

1/8 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon psyllium seed husks (will work without it)

1 egg

In a steaming pot steam the cauliflower florets until soft and set aside to cool.

In a bowl mash or rice the cauliflower florets until they resemble white rice. Place the riced cauliflower in a mesh cloth or rag and squeeze excess water out over a bowl or into your kitchen sink. You really want to squeeze the crap out of it and get as much water out as possible, thus allowing your crust to get nice and crispy. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Return riced cauliflower to a bowl, it should resemble a dry puree or dough. Add in all the remaining ingredients, mixing and kneading well until completely combined. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (that has been sprayed with cooking spray or oil) mold the cauliflower dough into a rectangular shape. I find the rectangle shape allows the dough to crisp up the best, but you can also do two round personal pizza's instead.

Bake pizza for 20-25 minutes or until it just starts to brown on the top. Remove from oven and carefully add pizza toppings of choice. I did kale and mozzarella with truffle oil for me and pepperoni for my husband. Bake for another 10 minutes or so.

Zucchini Waffles - Gluten Free

I came up with this recipe when I had some extra zucchini lying around, and I wanted to somehow sneak it into my husband's breakfast. He hates eggs/omelettes, so I had to do something sweet, but zucchini bread takes over an hour to make. So I came up with this zucchini waffles recipe and Brett LOVED them. They're full of good-for-you ingredients and you can't even taste the zucchini. Perfect for picky eaters.











Ingredients:  makes 2-4 waffles

3/4 cup gluten free oat flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp psyllium seed husks
2 packets stevia
1 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 egg (can sub chia or flax egg)
3/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup grated zucchini

Blend wet ingredients in blender, then pour into a bowl. Fold in dry ingredients. If batter is too dry, add hour almond milk as needed. Pour batter into waffle iron as directed. Serve with pure maple syrup, fruit, or nut butter or choice.

White Bean, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

I came up with this recipe on a whim when I was making lunch in a hurry. We had leftover beans from dinner that I wanted to incorporate into a salad, and also the most beautifully green avocado and some ripe cherry tomatoes. So I threw them all in a bowl, added chopped cilantro, chopped jalapeño, lime juice, and cotija cheese...This salad was seriously delicious.



The wonderful thing about this salad is that it can also double as a salsa/appetizer for a party. Put it next to a bowl of tortilla chips and I guarantee it won't last long.



It's like chunky guacamole and chunky salsa had a delicious bean baby. No, that doesn't work at all.

But seriously, this salad/salsa is filling, healthy, and super delicious. And gluten free if you eat it with gluten free tortilla chips!

Ingredients: (makes two salads or one bowl of party salsa)

1 can of canned great northern beans, drained
1 avocado, chopped
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/4 cup diced red onion 1/2 a chopped jalapeño, seeded (or more if you like it spicy!)
bunch of cilantro, chopped
juice of a lime
cotija cheese for topping (or you can use feta)
salt and pepper to taste


Toss all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips or on it's own.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I have a thing for soups. They're filling, and delicious, and (sometimes) low calorie.

 

I was craving chicken tortilla soup, but we didn't have any chicken at home and I wasn't about to go to the store for some. So I came up with this veggie-filled tortilla soup recipe. Of course, you can always add shredded chicken, pumping up the protein and adding even more flavor.



I also used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth (sorry vegetarians!) because I am not a fan of vegetable broth. It tastes too much like celery, which I hate. This recipe, however, calls for vegetable broth so that it stays true to the recipe name. I also crisped up some tortilla strips in the oven and added them to the soup, not just for garnish, but also to give the soup some depth and more substance. Topped with cheesy, gooey goodness, and some avocado slices...ugh...there are few things better than a good bowl of soup. I think only a person with a savory-tooth would say that. Brett said it's the best soup I've ever made. I guess you can be the judge!



Ingredients: Serves 4

1 box organic vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped white mushrooms
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup canned corn
1 15oz can black beans
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
juice of two limes
1/4 cup gf red enchilada sauce
6 gf corn tortillas
cooking spray
salt and pepper taste

GARNISHES:
shredded cheese
chopped cilantro
avocado

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut tortillas into 1/2 inch strips, as long as you like, and spray them with cooking spray. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake them about 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheet and sprinkle with salt; set aside.

In a pot add oil, chopped zucchini, onion, mushrooms and sauté on medium low heat for about four minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle veggies with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add cherry tomatoes and continue to sauté until tomatoes start to wilt and let out their juices. Add minced garlic and cook about 30 more seconds. Carefully pour broth into pot and add cayenne, cumin, lime juice, black beans, enchilada sauce and corn. Allow to simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Ladle into bowls with tortilla strips and top with cheese, cilantro, and avocado.

Grown Up Grilled Cheese with Brie and Truffle Oil

Okay, so I love Brie cheese, that's no secret.

I also love truffle oil. I could drink it straight.

I first tried truffle oil while living in Italy and it was love at first tastebud.




On an amazing trip (back) to Florence, I visited my professor's new restaurant he had just opened, and he gave my friends and I a meal to remember. It was five courses, and each course had truffle in it. Truffle oil...truffle cheese...and just plain shavings of truffle.

Quite possibly the best meal of my life, but that could have also had to do with the wine that was flowing like water and the perfect ambiance of the dark little restaurant.

Since then I've loved truffle oil. However, I don't eat it very often for two reasons: my husband doesn't like it, and it's super high in calories, not to mention EXPENSIVE.

But every once in a while you just need to splurge and that's where I came up with this recipe. A perfectly grilled brie cheese sandwich, with sliced apples, a drizzle of honey, and of course, truffle oil.

 This sandwich is seriously an explosion of flavor in your mouth. I'm not kidding. If you want to impress some guests, make this. Impress them even more with some homemade french fries and arugula and parmesan shavings.



Ingredients: Makes 1 sandwich

2 slices of bread from whole grain artisan loaf
several slices of brie cheese (enough to fit on sandwich)
4-6 thin slices of apples
1 tsp honey
drizzle of truffle oil
1 tablespoon butter

Slice the bread and load up with brie and apples. Drizzle 1 tsp of honey evenly over cheese and apples, and top with other bread slice. Butter outsides of sandwich and grill on medium low heat for 1-2 minutes, or until golden. Flip and repeat.

Serve with a drizzle of truffle oil on top, and around the plate if you're going for looks.

Broccoli Soup (Vegan Option)

I love broccoli, a lot.

I also love broccoli cheese soup, a lot.

However, it's not exactly healthy when there's a half cup of butter and a cup of cream in one bowl of soup. So I came up with this healthier version. When I made it I decided to use vegetable broth, because I was feeling really healthy. But I soon realized I don't really like vegetable broth. It has a slight, but distinct celery flavor, and for those that know me well, celery is my most hated food. It's weird I know, I really just can't even stand the smell of it.

Anyways, the vegetable broth option is the vegan option, but if you're going for flavor, I'd go with chicken broth. I also added fresh spinach in to give it an extra kick of nutrients. The soup was delicious, nonetheless, and I garnished mine with avocado chunks and cheddar cheese. I also ate it with a side of Cheesy Jalapeño Beer Bread

And if you're wanting full flavor, cheesy, creamy, broccoli soup...I'd say add in the half and half at the end. It's not too much, but just enough to give it that extra depth of flavor.




Ingredients:

12 oz. organic broccoli florets
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 liter of organic vegetable broth OR chicken broth (GF)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of raw organic spinach
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 cup half and half (optional)

 In a pot, sautee onions with oil on medium heat, until translucent. Add minced garlic and sautee for one more minute, but be sure not to let the garlic burn. Add broccoli and broth and allow pot to simmer for ten minutes, or until broccoli is tender but not overcooked. Remove pot from stove and allow to cool. Once the soup has cooled, blend soup with the raw spinach in a blender, or with an emersion blender, until smooth. If you would like a "creamier" vegan version, you can blend an avocado with the soup.

Return soup to pot and heat, serves 2-4 people.

For the non-vegan recipe you can add 1/2 cup half and half and half cup cheese while re-heating. Salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with extra cheddar cheese.

Kale & Arugula Salad with Roasted Brussels

I came up with the idea for this salad after going to Tender Greens for lunch over the weekend. I really wanted a salad with kale in it, however, they didn't have any at the particular location that I went to, so I settled for an arugula salad with roasted vegetables on top. I decided to come up with my own version this week using the vegetables I had here. I mixed chopped kale, arugula, and roasted brussels sprouts with dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and a lemon-parmesan balsamic dressing. The result was delicious. Next time, I might add some roasted sweet potato or butternut squash for extra flavor. Yeah, that sounds gooood.



This recipe serves two, but you could easily double, or triple it, for a larger group. Or half it, just for yourself

Ingredients:

2 cups packed, chopped kale  (I say packed as to say, 'as much you can fit into a cup as possible')
2 cups packed arugula
8-12 brussels sprouts, chopped in half
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss chopped brussels (face down) in olive oil and roast for roughly 20 minutes, turning over halfway through. Remove brussels from baking sheet and allow to cool. Meanwhile add kale, arugula, almonds, and cranberries to a bowl. Toss roasted veggies on top of salad. Mix salad dressing ingredients together and drizzle on top. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese on top, of course.

Kale and Spinach Salad

This salad is super simple, high in vitamins, and delicious. I usually combine whatever salad ingredients I have on-hand, this salad in particular containing organic kale, organic spinach, thinly sliced red onion, toasted pine nuts, crumbled feta, fresh basil, and organic cherry tomatoes. I made an easy lemon vinaigrette to go with the salad, making sure to allow the kale to sit in the vinaigrette for at least 30 minutes (raw kale can be very tough, and allowing it to marinate tenderizes the kale). This salad would also be very delicious with homemade croutons and/or parmesan cheese.






Ingredients: (per serving)

1 cup chopped kale leaves (washed and dried)
1 cup chopped spinach leaves (washed and dried)
1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1-2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1-2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

 For Vinaigrette:

 Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped basil
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of granulated garlic (or fresh chopped garlic)

 Add all vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Wash and chop kale leaves and add to a bowl. Add chopped cherry tomatoes and vinaigrette, toss and allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Then add chopped spinach, onions, pine nuts, and feta cheese, toss and add salt and pepper as needed. That's it!

Spaghetti with Pesto, Broccoli, and Arugula (GF)

This recipe is as simple as it is healthy. I used quinoa pasta for some protein, some homemade pesto (though you can use store bought), steamed broccoli, and tossed in some fresh arugula (but you could use spinach or steamed kale. It's healthy, and you don't have to compromise on flavor one bit.



 Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups broccoli
2 cups arugula
4 oz. spaghetti (quinoa pasta or brown rice pasta)
3-4 tablespoons pesto (depending on your taste)
1-2 tablespoons reserved pasta water
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot cook the pasta according to box directions. Meanwhile, in a pot on the stove steam the broccoli with water until tender. Drain the pasta (but save 1-2 tablespoons of water), add the pesto and mix. Add in the steamed broccoli, fresh arugula and mix again. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Crunchy Almond Butter Granola Bars

So I introduced my husband to Cascadian Farm's Almond Butter Granola Bars and he loves them. He loves them so much that he goes through an entire box of them in a matter of days (that is not cheap!). So I decided that I would start making them at home. I searched an Almond Butter Granola Bar recipe and decided to tweak it a bit. I used Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal instead of the puffed kamut and grape-nuts cereal. I also opted out of the brown sugar and added agave nectarinstead. I also did away with the dried fruit and substituted raw almonds instead of pumpkinseeds and sunflower seeds. The result tastes almost exactly thesame as Cascadian Farm's! I think Brett will be pleasantly surprised to find a giant bag of his favorite granola bars in the cupboard.

Ingredients:

1½ cups Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal

1½ cups traditional rolled oats (not the quick-cook kind)

¼ cup raw slivered almonds

3½ tablespoons almond butter (can substitute soy butter or peanut butter), creamy or chunky

1½ tablespoons brown rice syrup

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line and 8- or 9-inch square pan with a long sheet ofparchment paper (so ends extend over edges of pan). (I recommend spraying the parchment paper with cooking

spray because the parchment paper stuck to my bars pretty badly once they cooled).

2. Mix the Ezekial cereal, oats, and raw almonds in a large bowl.

3. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the almond butter, brown rice syrup, honey, agave and vanilla until sugar has melted and the almond butter has thinned.

4. Pour the liquid mixture on top of the dry ingredients, mixing well. When everything is equally coated, spread the mixture into the pan. Press the mixture down with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

5. When you remove the pan from the oven, again use the bottom of the measuring cup to press the bars flat. Allow to cool completely before touching them again.

6. When totally cooled and hard, lift the ends of the parchment and put onto a cutting board and cut into bars or squares. I wrapped the individual bars in foil and stored them in a ziploc bag at room temperature.

Kale Chips

I had never tried kale prior to this little snack. My friend Megan had always told me that I NEEDED to try kale chips and that kale was SO good. I was skeptical. I mean, how could a baked vegetable possible be that good. But indeed, she was right. It's a delicious little snack that I believe will become part of my weekly routine. I added garlic salt and cayenne to them for a little kick. Yum.



Ingredients

A bunch of kale
olive oil
salt
garlic granules
cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Clean and tear the kale into chip size pieces. Coat in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and set them on a cookie sheet in an even layer. Bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with garlic granules and cayenne pepper.

Healthy Fried Rice with Tofu

Okay, so this post isn't with the theme of "Valentine's Day", but oh well. I love chinese food. I could probably eat it everyday. Good thing I don't, I'd be huge because I can't stop once I've started. But I like to make my own healthier versions at home. Tonight I made myself some healthy "fried" rice. My boyfriend hates onions and eggs, (both of which are in this recipe) so this was a big treat for me to make tonight since he wasn't around. I use quotations when I say "fried" because I didn't use oil in the rice, like typical fried rice recipes call for, instead I used cooking spray. I also used tofu to add some protein, used one and and one egg white (to add a little fat, but not too much), and brown rice, and it turned out fine. Delicious in fact. I garnished my meal with some scallions and a squirt of sriracha on top (my absolute favorite condiment). Filling, healthy, and soooo tasty...and I have leftovers!

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup of steamed vegetables (broccoli, peas, corn, carrots, green beans)

1/4 cup chopped onions

as much tofu as you would like, cubed

1 tablespoon stir fry sauce

2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

1 whole egg and 1 egg white, whisked

chopped scallions

sriracha or cayenne pepper to taste

Spray skillet with cooking spray and saute onions and tofu in a large skillet on medium high, until they start to brown a bit. Add steamed veggies, cooked rice, stir fry sauce, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Mix well. Clear a hole in the middle of the pan and add whisked eggs. Scramble the eggs in the "hole" in the rice mixture, then incorporate the rest of the rice and vegetables. Garnish with scallions!

Miso Soup

I absolutely love Japanese food. Funny thing is, I HATE fish, therefore I hate sushi. So when out to dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant here in San Diego, I have learned to try new things that don't involve fish, which leads to my new obsession: MISO SOUP. Not only is it delicious, it's low in calories and it's a perfect starter for a meal (to keep you from overeating). Occasionally I add soba noodles and have the soup as a meal, rather than an appetizer.

Although it looks difficult to make, miso soup is incredibly easy, it's getting the right ingredients that's so difficult. You will most likely have to go to an asian food store (i.e. Ranch 99) or a health foods store to get the ingredients, but once you do, it's smooth sailing.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Soy Bean Paste

3 cups water

1 tsp HonDashi fish soup stock (optional)

3/4 cup cubed tofu

chopped scallions for garnish

Bring 3 cups of water to boil, then add 1 tsp of the fish stock (the kind that I have looks like tiny little pebbles, and they dissolve once added to the water). Put 3 tablespoons of the soy bean paste in a small bowl and add some of the boiling water from the pot to the bowl, and dissolve the paste. Meanwhile, add cubed tofu to the boiling water and let cook for a minute or two. Then bring down the heat and add in the dissolved soy bean paste. Pour desired amount into a bowl, garnish with scallions and...Voila!