To die for cobb salad!

Here's just a quick post for the cobb salad I just posted today on instagram and facebook.  It's not really a recipe, per se, but the details might at least help you recreate it yourself!  It hit the spot.  :)

Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce/spinach
Hard boiled egg
Grilled chicken and venison
Avocado
Bacon
Tomatoes
Toasted, slivered almonds (a very key component, I must say!)
Green olives
Green onions
Black pepper

And that's pretty much it for the salad. Use whatever quantities of each you'd like.

I also made a quick sugar-free honey (well, honey-less) mustard dressing too!  I didn't measure (of course, ugh) but it's approximately:

1 T. yellow mustard
1 t. Rice wine vinegar
1-2 t. mayo
3-4 drops of plain liquid stevia (to taste!)
Lots of cracked pepper
And then I slowly drizzled in walnut oil until consistency and amount was right.  I think it was probably 1-2 T or so but it only made enough for one salad, so don't add too much! :)

Enjoy! xo

Asian chicken lettuce wraps

I've been making these lettuce wraps for months. It sort of happened accidentally. I was making dinner one night, but I was super tired and had no desire to cook. At. All. Can ya feel me??  Every once in a while that happens.  ;) Then, on top of not feeling like cooking, I didn't have some of the ingredients. Who decides to make a new recipe without checking for ingredients first?  Yeah, me.  I was *this close* to just throwing in the towel and ordering pizza, but for some reason I followed through with it anyway and "winged" it, which I actually love to do most nights, so I guess it's all good.

So, the original recipe is here, but I tweaked it quite a bit (and my picture looks wayyy better. You'll see what I mean). I hope you like them as much as we do!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons sriracha, plus extra for drizzle
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 Tablespoons peanut butter
6 Tablespoons boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
8-12 large romaine lettuce leaves
1 carrot, shredded
chopped peanuts, optional
chopped cilantro, optional
chopped green onion, optional
diced avocado, optional

Directions:
1.) Brown chicken in large pan until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped red pepper and cook until tender, 5 more minutes.

2.) Add vinegar, ginger, sriracha, sesame oil, worcestershire sauce, red curry paste and garlic, stir well until blended.  Add peanut butter and stir well. Add boiling water a tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached.

3.) Assemble romaine leaves on plate. Place ground chicken mixture on each leaf and garnish with the carrot, more sriracha if you like, and any of the other toppings that sound good/you have on hand.

Enjoy!

Between me and you, sometimes I like to just chop the lettuce and toss it all together like a salad. But, shhhh, don't tell anyone.  ;)

Low carb/High fat Pumpkin Spice Latte!

So, if you're following my facebook page, by now you know that I am doing yet another crazy diet study on myself. This time it is a very high fat (75%), very low carb (10%) diet.  I will be doing a more detailed blog about this study at a later time (currently in term paper hell and too busy to blog much!)  BUT, this particular blog HAD to be done today!

I am a newly converted Starbucks PSL lover!  I love all things pumpkin, but this is the first year I've really gotten hooked on the Starbucks version of this latte.  So, it's sad that I have to be all health conscious and worry about things like calories and carbs and sugar.  But, luckily I'm also creative!

I present to you, the Low carb/High fat version of the PSL!




Ingredients
1/2 cup organic heavy cream (any milk substitute would be fine, just not as high in fats!)
2-3 T of pumpkin puree (I used 2, but if you're not too worried about carbs, go ahead and add more!)
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)
4-5 drops of English Toffee flavored liquid stevia (or sweetener of your choice)
1/2-3/4 cup of super strong coffee/espresso, brewed, depending on how strong you like your latte

In a small pan, add the heavy cream and pumpkin and stir over medium heat until well blended, then add the spices and stevia.  Bring to a low boil.  Add milk mixture to your blender and blend until frothy (20-30 seconds).  Pour milk mixture into a mug and add the hot coffee!  Optional: whip up some homemade whipped cream (whip heavy cream until thick, add a few drops of stevia for sweetness)  Voila!

Enjoy!

Calories: 412
Carbs: 3 g
Fat: 48 g
Protein: 0

Grilled salad is my boo!

Top left: romaine, bok choy, red cabbage, fennel

If you follow my facebook page you already know that I'm flat out addicted to grilled salad. What I love the most about this salad is that the combinations are really endless!

Here are some of my favorite veggies to grill right now:

Bok Choy

Asparagus
Portobello Mushrooms

Fennel (fronds removed)

Avocado (this sounds crazy, but OH.MY.GAWD, it's not)

Red onion

Cabbage/Brussels Sprouts

Romaine, of course

Really, any sturdy veggie would be great!

So, here's how to do it:

Slice a head of romaine in half.  Rinse super well, without tearing the leaves away from the stalk. You want that in tact so they will stay together on the grill.  This can be tricky!  I buy organic romaine, so there's always little bugs tucked away down in the nooks and crannies, but you can do this by pulling the leaves back and rinsing them as good as possible, then placing your romaine half, cut side down, onto a towel to drip dry while you prep the rest of your veggies. You don't want soggy lettuce, so make sure it gets fairly dry, but don't go too crazy worrying about it. 

Next, slice whatever other veggies you have into 1/4" slices. I like to brush them all with olive oil, salt and pepper, but I think any spice/seasoning will work well.

Finally, grill the veggies!  Now, wasn't that easy?  We like to put the romaine on the top rack because it will burn a little easier, so keep an eye on it.

Now, if you ask me, the best part of this whole meal is this simple sauce:

Smoky Tahini Sauce

Fennel, asparagus, avocado, romaine

(modified from this one)

1/2 cup tahini (this is ground sesame seeds. I've seen it at Meijer, and can usually be found in ethnic sections or health food shops)

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (or more)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (to make this vegan use this recipe!)

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

salt, to taste

5-6 Tablespoons of water, depending on your desired consistency

Place all ingredients in a food processor, except water.  Gradually add water, 1 T at a time until you reach the consistency you want. Blend until smooth.

If this is too sour, add more tahini. If this is not spicy enough, add more smoked paprika or some sriracha.  You can really tweak it until you find your preferred taste. 

Romaine, avocado, asparagus, red onion, fennel

This dressing goes SO WELL with the grilled salad. The smoky flavors of the dressing really enhance the smoky flavors from the grill.  Oh, it's so yummy, I think I want it again tonight!  

I guess if you're going to be addicted to something, it might as well be veggies, right??

Peace, love and veggies!!  <3

Heart health juices for LOVE week: Raspberry Surprise

Well, sadly, it's the 5th and final day of our celebration of love and heart healthy juices. It's been lovely working with the fabulous Omega Juicers on this little project. I adore my juicer and all the healthy, tasty juices that have come out of it. Some of the fun of owning a juicer is just throwing things in to see what they taste like combined!  For example, this crazy concoction!  Who knew you could get such a decadent treat out of a juice?!  I admit, the dark chocolate is taking the juicing thing to a different, slightly unorthodox level, but it's good for cardiovascular health!  Who am I to argue!  : D

Knowing that raspberries and dark chocolate are both heart healthy, of COURSE I had to combine the two in a juice. But, the raspberries by themselves don't add a ton of juice.  What little juice they do add though, is full of flavor, so you really don't need much anyway.  By adding the greens (spinach and romaine), not only did it increase the heart healthy factor of this juice, but it increased the volume without adding much flavor. So, you'll be surprised at how much this drink tastes like raspberry, even though it's green!  And the chocolate adds just a touch of sweetness and compliments the other flavors nicely.

Raspberry Surprise

6 ounce container of red raspberries

2 cups spinach

1 head romaine lettuce

Good quality, dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage

Juice the berries, spinach and romaine, then shave a little of the dark chocolate on top. Enjoy!

Makes 10 ounces

Recipe is my original creation.  Feel free to share, but please link back to this original post.  Thank you! 

Heart healthy juices for LOVE week: Sweet & Spicy

Day 4 of the heart healthy juice party with Omega Juicers is here!

With this juice I wanted to capture the essence of carrot cake in a juice. Since cinnamon is so good for cardiovascular health, I knew I wanted to include it. And, since sweet potatoes have been named one of the 40 most powerful foods for heart health, I had to get them in there too. And of course the beets, lemon and carrots are amazing for heart health.  And y'all already know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, so this juice is CLEARLY a super duper healthy one.

While this juice may not have ended up tasting *exactly* like carrot cake, you won't mind, because it's still so refreshingly yummy, and the cinnamon really does give it a nice kick. If you don't like how sweet it is, you can always either add more lemon, or leave out a carrot or the apple.  Play around with the combo until it's just right for your tastebuds! 

Sweet & Spicy

4 large carrots, washed, but it's not necessary to peel

1 gala apple, quartered and cored

½ red beet

½ inch slice of sweet potato

1 head romaine lettuce

1 lemon, peeled

Dash cinnamon, to taste

Use organic produce, if possible. Juice all but the cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and stir well.  

Makes 16 ounces

Tomorrow's juice: Raspberry Surprise!

Recipe is my original creation.  Feel free to share, but please link back to this original post.  Thank you! 

Heart healthy juices for LOVE week: Veggie Lovers

It's day three of our celebration of LOVE and heart-healthy juices with OMEGA Juicers!

I did a juice "feast" in the fall and intended to last at least 7 days. I only lasted 2 days. While I certainly didn't break any fasting records, I did create a lovely juice that I still enjoy from time to time. It's almost all vegetables and is very similar in taste to a V-8, but much healthier for you!

The ingredients are so good for your heart, which of course is the whole point of this 5 day juice party!  

Most people know that tomatoes are good for you, but peppers, especially hot, capsaicin filled ones like jalapeno, are very good for cardiovascular health too!  Besides that, the cilantro and parsley are full of heart healthy compounds and prevent inflammation!

Don't have these exact ingredients?  That's ok!  Just throw ANY veggie into your juicer and it will be great.  Celery adds a bit of a salty taste, carrots sweeten juices up, and lemon brings a nice, fresh tangyness. Other than that, most veggies don't change the flavor all that much. Experiment and see what you can create!

Veggie Lovers

2 cups of grape tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes, chopped)

5 large carrots

½ red pepper

3 stalks of celery

½ cup cilantro, loosely packed

½ cup parsley, loosely packed

1 lemon, peeled

Jalapeno, to taste (about 1 tablespoon or just about ½ inch slice)

This juice is so full of veggie goodness!  You can really tweak it to your own preference.  Add fresh garlic, onions or kale.  Leave out the jalapeno if you don’t want it spicy.  A very versatile and tasty way to start the day!

Makes 16 ounces

Tomorrow's juice: Sweet & Spicy

Recipe is my original creation.  Feel free to share, but please link back to this original post.  Thank you! 

Heart healthy juices for LOVE week: Heart Beets

This is day two of my Omega Juicer heart-healthy celebration of Valentine's Day! What a lovely holiday this is, don't you agree?  Any day that celebrates love is the best day ever! Which is exactly why this is my favorite holiday.  Without love, life means nothing. And you don't need a "special person" in your life to celebrate love!  Love can mean anything you want it to.  I love my dog and cat. I love the smell of fresh air and the sound of birds! I love my friends and family. I love my passion for nutrition!  You have to feel LOVE about the things in your life, or what's it all for?  Love is all you need, or so a wise man once said.


So this juice is amazing, if I do say so myself. Beets, oranges, ginger, turmeric....so many heart-healthy ingredients it's hard to keep track!

Beets are known to reduce blood pressure, and prevent heart disease, and turmeric has properties that can even prevent heart attacks!  Citrus fruits like oranges and limes can reduce cholesterol, keep arteries healthy and prevent heart attacks, while the mint reduces the bad cholesterol and improves the good cholesterol.  And ginger is amazing!  Ginger has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, reduce platelet activity and improve circulation, reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke!  Take care of your heart and juice away!

So, without further ado, this particular juice is just the thing you need to celebrate this HEARTy day.

Heart Beets

½ inch slice of red beet

3-4 navel oranges, peeled

1 lime, peeled

Fresh ginger, to taste

20-30 fresh mint leaves

½ t. ground turmeric

Juice all ingredients except the turmeric.  Add turmeric and stir well.

This juice is very refreshing and invigorating!  

Makes 16 ounces

Tomorrow's Juice: Veggie Lovers


Recipe is my original creation.  Feel free to share, but please link back to this original post.  Thank you! 

Heart healthy juices for LOVE week: Lemonberry

In celebration of my very favorite holiday, VALENTINE'S DAY, Omega Juicers has asked me to develop five new heart-healthy juice recipes over the next five days.  Every single one of these recipes is SO FULL of heart healthy ingredients that you just may add 25 years to your life after drinking these!  Or, maybe, you'll just have a bigger smile on your face.  Either way, these are delicious and chock full of unbelievable nutrients and energy-producing goodness!  Let me know what you think! 

This particular recipe was my favorite.  It is not a cheap recipe, especially this time of year, but when berries are in season I plan to drink this every single day!  My husband did not like this one.  But he's a big wimp!  It's a little on the tart side of things, but you can most definitely add less lemon if you're also a wimp.  :)

The berries in this are loaded with heart-healthy antioxidants, and of course apples are known to keep the doctor away, and no wonder! They're brimming with antioxidants, phytochemicals and pectin!  Ginger is also an amazing spice for the heart!  It's full of anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol!  WIN-WIN!

This juice was also a little bit thicker than most juices.  Berries are tricky to juice, and I had to "help" it go through my Omega strainer a bit, which is why it ended up a tad thick. But honestly, I really liked this texture. I swear it was like drinking a blackberry pie!  Deeeelish!  

Lemonberry

6 oz blackberries

2 cups blueberries

1 lemon, some peel left on

1 gala apple, quartered and cored

Fresh ginger, to taste

Use organic produce.

Makes 16 ounces

Tomorrow's Juice: Heart Beets! <3


Recipe is my original creation.  Feel free to share, but please link back to this original post.  Thank you! 

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns

I love hashbrowns. I love sweet potatoes. So, why not combine the two into one big happy recipe.

It's a pretty simple recipe, but there are a few key steps that I think help make them nice and crispy.

Ingredients:
Sweet potato (a little goes a long way, I usually only do about half for myself)
Butter
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Peel the sweet potato and shred the amount you plan to use.  A half of a nice sized sweet potato seems plenty for one person, so just adjust if you're making for more than yourself.

After the potato is shredded, I rinse it in cold water to remove the starch. Rinse in a mesh strainer until water runs clear. Then, dry the potato either on a paper towel or other clean towel, being sure to remove as much moisture as you can.  Then, sprinkle generously with pepper.

I like to use both butter and olive oil for these, but you can certainly just use olive oil, or any other oil of your preference. For me, I like the taste of the butter, but butter alone can burn easily, so by adding the olive oil it seems to eliminate the burning, and also adds another layer of flavor.

I melt these until bubbly and then put the shredded potato in the pan, being sure to get just a thin layer. You don't want too much potato in the pan, or you will end up with mushy hashbrowns.  Use the biggest pan you have, or do smaller batches.  Once the bottom is starting to get brown and crispy, I flip them over, adding a bit more oil or butter as you go to ensure even browning.  After these are nice and crispy, sprinkle with salt and place on paper towel again to remove excess oils.  Serve with a side of sauteed veggies and eggs, or for a sweet treat, sprinkle with cinnamon and a few chopped nuts.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Spinach Smoothie!

I was taking a study break one day last week and was really craving peanut butter and chocolate!  But, since I have finally broken my weight loss plateau, I wanted to keep it as clean and healthy as possible.  So, I created this ridiculously yummy and healthy smoothie!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie (with chia and spinach!)

Serves two-three

1 cup simply hemp milk (any milk would do)

3 heaping Tablespoons of all natural peanut butter

1 T chia seeds

2 T cacao powder

4-5 slices frozen banana

Two big handfuls of spinach

5-7 ice cubes (to your texture preference)

1 t. vanilla

4 medjool dates

Pinch of salt

Add all the ingredients into your Vitamix (or high powered blender), and blend until smooth and to your desired consistency. Top with a tiny dollop of whipped coconut cream and chocolate shavings. You'll think it's a fancy milkshake, but without the extra calories and sugar!

Whipped coconut cream
1 can of coconut milk, refrigerated for 4 hours or more (I keep a can in the refrigerator at all times so I can make this any time I want)

1 t. vanilla (or fresh vanilla bean is even better!)

1/2 t - 1t.  sweetener of choice, to taste (I have used organic raw agave, maple syrup, and coconut sugar, you could also use cane sugar or honey, or of course powdered sugar. I would like to use dates, but haven't had the time/patience to do it just yet.)

Open your can of refrigerated coconut milk, scoop out JUST the top white part that has firmed up. You don't want any of the water that's left in the bottom.  Use a mixer to whip the coconut cream until it is soft and whippy looking. Add vanilla and sweetener.  Start low on the sweetener, taste your whipped cream, add more if you want a sweeter cream.  And, done!  You could add cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, etc for a spicy kick.

Chocolate shavings, optional, but pretty!  

Healthy Blender Recipes/Excalibur event plus an original recipe!

I am super excited to announce that I was selected as one of 30 Raw food blogger/chefs to be in a fun event with The Blender Girl (aka healthyblenderrecipes) using the Excalibur Dehydrator. I still have NO idea how/why they chose me, but I am not one to turn down an amazing opportunity.  And it was a challenging one too!  If you know me, you already know how much I adore baking, but using a dehydrator is a whole 'nother thing.  I hadn't even started the Raw part of my diet study yet, so the dehydrator had yet to be touched when I said I'd come up with my own recipe for this event. It took me a few days to come up with an idea of what I wanted to accomplish, but after actually trying to put those thoughts into action, and failing miserably three times, I started to get a little nervous. I was absolutely sure I was in over my head. But, I've felt that way before and made it through just fine, so I just kept telling myself to keep moving forward.

When my first idea for pumpkin pie wraps filled with a caramel cashew cream didn't work out (first of all, there's no pumpkins around right now, and second, sweet potato is NOT a good substitute. Yarf.), I tried going in a different direction with a cauliflower pizza crust.  My experiment smelled so good and filled my house with the aroma of a pizza kitchen. I was jazzed. Until I peeked on the progress of my crust.  More like soggy, splotchy, crackly nastiness. Sigh. Back to the drawing board.

Once I tasted the pumpkin wrap, I quickly realized I didn't like that texture for a dessert anyway. I wanted something more cake-like, but couldn't find any recipes to give me an idea on where to even start. Since my recipe won't be shared until the end of August, I wanted a dessert that would be fitting for fall, and pumpkin desserts are my favorite for that time of year.  Since I knew the actual pumpkin was not an option, I went a different direction: pumpkin seeds!  They are so nutritious and tasty, it just made sense to give them a try. My first attempt at using them was a bust though.  While *a few* pumpkin seeds are tasty, a whole entire cake made with them...not so much.  So, I compromised and used walnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds along with a few dates to keep it all sticking together, and some pumpkin pie spice to give it a little seasonal kick. I knew I wanted a stacking dessert, so I cut this mixture into circles and placed them in the dehydrator.  I wasn't sure what texture I would end up with, so I took some of the cakes out at 6 hours, 12 hours, and then left the final ones in until 24 hours.  I ended up liking the 6 hour texture best. Go figure.

I also used the dehydrator to candy some nuts and pumpkin seeds to give the dessert more texture, and let's be honest, to make it look cute.  I love plating foods and making my meals look fancy.  Heck, why not!? After all, you start eating with your eyes before you actually taste your food anyway, you might as well have fun with it.

The caramel cashew cream took me a few tries because I wanted to make it a) tasty and b) not a pain in the butt to make. I think it turned out well. You gotta love cashews!  From dairy free sour cream, to raw cream soups, to vegan cheesecake, to this yummy creamy goodness...cashews are the queen of the nut kingdom!

The chocolate ganache I had made plenty of times before, as it was from another recipe I came up with for some yummy chocolate tarts! But even that posed a tiny issue with all this unbelievable heat we're having.  It started to melt almost as soon as we took it outside to photograph. But you won't have that problem, because you'll be eating it immediately.  ;)

And finally!  I love salted caramel, and this dessert just screamed SALTED CARAMEL!  I could have gotten more elaborate, but since it was mostly just a drizzle, I kept it easy and simple with just some date paste, and a few other ingredients. You could totally leave this out, but you use date paste for the cashew cream, so you might as well give it a shot.

Photo credit: Melissa Hitzemann, Whirlygig Photography

At first glance, this recipe may look overwhelming and complicated, but each step can be made well in advance and stored for when you're ready to use it. And any leftover candied nuts can be used in salads to give them a fun, sweet and spicy kick!








Recipe:

Pumpkin Cakes
½ cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 4-6 hours

½ cup walnuts

½ cup pecans

2 medjool dates

½ t. pumpkin pie spice

¼ t. salt

Pulse above in food processor until mixture holds together when pressed against the side of the bowl.  Dump out onto waxed paper and flatten/roll out to about ¼” thick. At this point you could cut them into circles with a cookie cutter, or cut into squares, or just leave it as a large rectangle and make one big cake out of it.

Place on teflex sheets in dehydrator at 115 for 6 hours, flipping half way through. I also placed them on the regular dehydrator screens after 3 hours for a drier texture. These can be dehydrated for longer, depending on what texture you want. The longer they are in the dehydrator, the crunchier they become.

These cakes store very well. You could make them days ahead, or even freeze them for a future event.

Caramel Cashew Cream
1 cup cashews (soaking not necessary)

¼ cup date paste

1 T maple syrup (or agave)

2 t. maca powder

2-3 T water, until desired consistency

Blend ingredients in Vitamix or high speed blender until smooth, but still thick. You can always add more spices or sweetener to this until it suits your taste buds.

This can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days before use.

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup raw cacao powder (or other cocoa powder)

1 cup maple syrup (or agave)

½ cup coconut oil

Mix all ingredients in food processor until blended.  The mixture will harden once it is refrigerated.  To drizzle on dessert, I put some aside in a squeeze bottle and refrigerated the rest.  You can use a spoon just as easily if you don’t have a squeeze bottle. You may need to take your ganache out of the refrigerator a few minutes to soften before it can be piped.

This can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks, if it lasts that long!  I can eat it with a spoon! 

Candied Nuts
You can use any amount of nuts you like. Just place desired nuts and seeds in a bowl and put just enough sweetener (maple syrup, agave, raw honey) to make sure all the nuts are covered. I added ½ t. of pumpkin pie spice and ¼ t. salt too. Maple syrup and honey seem to work better than agave, in my experience. 

Dehydrate on 115 for 8-12 hours, or until they are dry and no longer sticky to the touch.

These candied nuts/seeds are great to have on hand to use in salads with some dried cranberries! They can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag for weeks.

Salted Caramel Sauce

2T date paste

1 t. maca powder

1 t. vanilla

¼ t. salt

1 t. agave

Stir together in bowl, and use a spoon or squeeze bottle to drizzle on dessert. This really adds a little something special to the final dessert, and it’s super quick and easy to throw together. 

This can be made a few days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

You can arrange this dessert in any way you like, but I drizzled the unrefrigerated ganache and the salted caramel onto a plate, placed one pumpkin cake, then piped ganache, then candied nuts, then piped the caramel cashew cream, repeat.  If you are making one large cake, you could just spread on the ganache and cashew cream, and top with a sprinkling of nuts, and drizzle.  You really can’t go wrong no matter how you arrange these yummy layers!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  Please let me know if you make it and what your thoughts are!  

Enjoy!

Blueberry Maqui Banana Smoothie

Blueberry Maqui Banana Smoothie

Have you tried any of the Navitas Naturals super foods yet?  OH, YOU SHOULD! They have such a great variety of amazing foods from hemp to cacao to more unusual fair such as lucuma and camu.  All of them are full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and their powders are an easy, tasty way to get super foods into your diet.

Recently I was able to review some of the Navitas Naturals products and combined a few into this delicious smoothie. I still want to experiment with the other powders, but today I will focus on the magic of Maqui.

Maqui are the berries from the Chilean evergreen shrub and contain a high amount of antioxidants, phytochemicals, anthocyanins, trace minerals and polyphenols. In addition to containing huge health benefits, Maqui powder from Navitas Naturals is also certified organic and is a Raw food. In other words, you need to get your hands on some of this.

One of the easiest ways to enjoy these powders is to slip some into your favorite smoothies.  You can't go wrong with any of their foods, so just jump in and enjoy.

Blueberry Maqui Banana Smoothie
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 medium frozen banana
1 T Maqui powder from Navitas Naturals
3 golden berries from Navitas Naturals (3 doesn't sound like much, but these babies are potent!)
1-2 medjool dates, pitted (add more for your sweetening pleasure)
1 to 1 1/4 cups of almond milk, depending on your preference in texture
3 ice cubes (mine are larger ice cubes, so if you have an ice maker or smaller trays you might need to add more ice)

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender (I highly recommend a Vitamix!), blend until super smooth! Slurp up!  xoxo

Almond Flour Pancakes with Fresh Peach Syrup and Whipped Coconut Cream

Since I'm doing the Paleo Study, regular old pancakes are not on the table...literally.  So, we cavewomen need to get creative!  Thank goodness someone else invented almond flour because it has saved my butt numerous times on this diet!

I did not invent this recipe, but I did tweak it a bit and I think they turned out the best I've ever had them.  The original recipe can be found here. And if you're interested, Elana of Elana's Pantry has the best almond flour cookbook.  It's good even if you're not Paleo.

• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons almond milk, or more to thin out batter  (I used homemade vanilla almond milk that was sweetened with dates, so if you're going to buy almond milk, get the sweetened vanilla.) You could also use water here, but the flavor/texture would be different.
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup or raw honey
• 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour (you could use almond meal, but I'm not a fan of the texture.)
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Organic extra virgin coconut oil for the griddle

1. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, almond milk, vanilla and syrup/honey
2. Add almond flour, salt and baking soda and mix until thoroughly combined
3. Heat coconut oil on skillet over medium low to medium heat
4. Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto the skillet
5. Pancakes will form little bubbles, when bubbles open, flip pancakes over and cook other side
6. Remove from heat to a plate
7. Repeat process with remaining batter, add more oil to skillet as needed

Peach syrup

Now this one I did invent, sort of. It's not rocket science, but I didn't follow a recipe.

1/2 a fresh peach, sliced

2 medjool dates, pitted and pulled in half

sprinkling of cinnamon, to taste. (maybe 1/4 teaspoon)

Squirt of fresh lemon juice (not much, maybe 1/4 teaspoon)

1/4 cup of water

In a small saucepan, place all ingredients and stir until mixed through.  Simmer on medium-high heat until mixture boils.  Turn to medium-low and let boil, stirring occasionally (make sure to mash dates really well to release their yummy sweetness. this will also help to thicken the syrup).  Once mixture is thicker, and tastes sweet enough, it's ready!  Pour on top of pancakes and enjoy!

Whipped Coconut Cream

This one is so easy and tasty, I sometimes can't believe it's as healthy as it is.

1 can of coconut milk, refrigerated for 4 hours or more (I keep a can in the refrigerator at all times so I can make this any time I want)

1 t. vanilla (or fresh vanilla bean is even better!)

1/2 t - 1t.  sweetener of choice, to taste (I have used organic raw agave, maple syrup, and coconut sugar, you could also use cane sugar or honey, or of course powdered sugar. I would like to use dates, but haven't had the time/patience to do it just yet.)

Open your can of refrigerated coconut milk, scoop out JUST the top white part that has firmed up. You don't want any of the water that's left in the bottom.  Use a mixer to whip the coconut cream until it is soft and whippy looking. Add vanilla and sweetener.  Start low on the sweetener, taste your whipped cream, add more if you want a sweeter cream.  And, done!  You could add cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, etc for a spicy kick.

I love to garnish my food.  Once you've plated your pancakes and syrup, sprinkle generously with yummy nuts or hemp seeds.   Then dollop with Coconut Cream!  Nom-ola!