Butternut squash, Sweet Potato, Kale and Quinoa Salad

Thank you to the Sweets Life for this amazing recipe!  I can't wait to eat this meal again! 

Ingredients:
-1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
-1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
-1/2 medium red onion, sliced
-1 tbsp olive oil
-salt and pepper, to taste
-3 cups kale
-5 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
-1 cup uncooked quinoa
-2 cups water
-pinch of salt
-1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and red onion slices in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables before spreading on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until squash and potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally while baking.

2. Drizzle kale with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a separate baking sheet and after the squash has been in the oven for 15 minutes, add the pan with the kale. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until kale is wilted and a little bit crispy.

3. While vegetables are roasting, rinse the quinoa. Place rinsed quinoa in a saucepan with 2 cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes before lowering heat and simmering for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Set quinoa aside to cool to room temperature.

4. Allow roasted vegetables to cool to room temperature. Chop red onion slices and kale into small pieces. Toss quinoa, potatoes, squash, red onion, and kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with remaining 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and stir in the cranberries. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Gluten Free Zucchini Carrot Muffins

I've been going to farmer's markets most weeks to try and get some locally grown produce.

Well today I learned a few things:

• Most of the local markets are not organic and use pesticides (NOT cool).  But I got a list of the 3 or 4 that are organic. (Now I'm wondering...is organic from mexico better than local, but not organic? If you have any insight please comment and let me know!)
• The dirty dozen...Foods you NEED to get organic
• The verdict is STILL (ridiculous) not out about whether organic is better for you or not..(Hmm, let me think...chemicals in my food...or not? I'm going to go with not..)

Okay, so I digressed.  The point of talking about farmer's markets was that zucchini is EVERYWHERE at farmer's markets and so I bought some. I was deciding between zucchini bread and zucchini muffins, and decided to try the muffins--we're huge into it :) PLUS there's no eggs, no dairy, and a LOT less almond butter than the other paleo/gluten free muffins I've made.  So I feel like it's less fatty :)  I realized later (thanks to a commenter!) that this isn't paleo even though it's gluten free.  WOOPS! Sorry to those of you who have tried this and are strictly paleo.  I'll try to tweak the recipe and use something other than oats (maybe almond flour) to see how it tastes! 

And, by the way, my husband's EXACT words after eating it "Oh...my...gosh...these are the BEST muffins you've made yet!"  I've tried about 5 or 6 different muffin recipes and I do believe this is my favorite as well.... Just see for yourself how much he loved them! 

This was an adaptation from my one of my favorite blogs My Green Diet.

FYI: I originally was going to follow this recipe most of the way, but then I realized I wanted to make it more filling, so I added almond butter after Step 2.  That's why you won't see in the picture of ingredients below.

Servings: Makes 9 if you make "larger" muffins, and 12 if you make mini-muffins.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten free oat flour (can grind your own with gluten free oats)
• 1/4 cup almond flour (can substitute whole wheat flour for non-gluten-free)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 banana
• ½ cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup of almond butter
• 1 Tbs Coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup finely grated carrots (about 1 medium peeled carrot)
• 3/4 cup finely grated zucchini (about 1 medium unpeeled zucchini)

Directions:

For the muffins: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 mini-muffin cups with (1 1/2-inch) paper liners, if using. Spray with a nonstick spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In a separate medium bowl, mash the banana very well. Mix in the applesauce, vanilla, honey, almond butter and oil. Add in the grated carrot and zucchini; mix.  

Add the dry ingredients, mix until just combined.

Using 2 small spoons or a small ice cream scoop, fill the prepared muffin cups 3/4 full (**if you want larger muffins like mine, fill most of the way up) with the batter and bake until light golden, about 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. 

Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup!

This is one my favorite fall/winter soup recipes! It is savory, satisfying, and fills you with warmth!   I've come across MANY butternut squash recipes....parmesan...garlic...but I really loved this Sage Butternut Squash Soup that I tailored to my tastes from Epicurious' recipe.

The hardest part of this recipe is cutting up the butternut squash! Besides that, this is a very easy recipe that lasts me for the whole week! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 cups chopped onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley*

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage*

1.5lbs or 4 cups of cubes peeled and seeded butternut squash

1 teaspoons celtic sea salt

1 garlic clove, minced

4 to 5 cups Organic Vegetable Stock

*I recently made this again and used 1/4 cup of sage and no parsley, and I actually enjoyed it more!

Take a look at a few of the ingredients below:

Directions:

Melt coconut oil in large pot over medium-high heat. 
Add onions, parsley, and sage; sauté until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. 

                         
Add squash and coarse salt; sauté until squash softens and onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. 

Add 5 cups stock; bring to boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until squash is very soft, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.
Use an immersion blender to liquify (or take apart in batches using a blender).

Then enjoy! :) Hope you love it as much as our family does! We love that everything is organic and/or local, fresh, vegan, and not processed.  We are really trying to stay away from eating a lot of meat, processed foods, and foods with sugar.  It's definitely the beginning of our journey!

My new exercise routine...

I'm not a person who loves running outside or using the elliptical.  I LOVE fitness classes, working out with other people, and playing tennis or some other outdoor activity with a friend.  I know it is important to work out, but I have been reading so much about whether it is important to work out twice week, three times or up to five times per week! It's very confusing!

My fitness goals currently are to tone up a bit and slim down.  To do this, I've gotten into this amazing class called "The Barre Class".  I do not attend "The Bar Method" in Washington, DC because I've heard its more like yoga then a real sweat dripping class (which is what I like).  However, there is a studio in DC called Bfitdc which is amazing! I definitely recommend this place and these types of classes if you like pilates, yoga or a fat-burning routine that focuses on leaning rather than building.

So, if you're into working out, but not going crazy, I definitely recommend you check it out! Here's the site: www.bfitdc.com

And in case you're wondering, here is a more detailed outline of my workout routine :)

• Day 1: Jillian Michaels Workout DVD (20-40 mins, depends on which DVD)
• Day 2: Rest
• Day 3: B Fit DC Barre Class
• Day 4: Run 2-3 miles
• Day 5: B Fit DC Barre Class
• Day 6: Rest
• Day 7: Workout DVD or Run 2-3 miles

Workout DVDs I like best:

• Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred
• Jillian Michales Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
• Amy Dixon's Breathless (HOLY CRAP HARD!)
• On a side note, I'm thinking about trying "The Bar Method" DVD so I don't need to keep paying so much for the studio classes. If you've tried it, let me know! I'd love to hear about what people think :) 

Paleo Carrot and Raisin Muffins AMAZINGness

Oh my gosh, I would eat the batter if it didn't have raw eggs in it ..FABULOUS!!!!!

So I'll just be honest to say that I'm not into the whole paleo diet thing, I just like to cut how much gluten I eat because I just get more tired after eating it! However, I'm not into the whole EAT MEAT ALL DAY and all night thing.  I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives and I'm still feeling iffy on the whole meat idea.  I only eat it about 3-4 times a week because I just think we should be eating way more fruits and veggies.

But, I digress.  My friend told me about these fabulous paleo muffins, and I just HAD to give it a shot.  I mean look at all the pluses: 

• No added sugar
• No butter
• No gluten
• THERE'S VEGGIES
• THERE'S FRUIT
• And did I mention there are raisins in it? I just love raisins....

So, now that I've basically convinced everyone that they should try these muffins, I'll now share that I cannot take credit for them (Wah wah wah......) Instead, my friend shared them with me from a website! (But just think, I just made it so much easier for you to find delicious muffins, because I've already tried them!).

Okay, here's the recipe from Paleo Plan.

Oh and here's a picture :) 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbs cinnamon
• 1 cup dates, pitted (I used raisins)
• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 ½ cups carrots, shredded
• ¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped (instead, I used 3/4 cups of my favorite types of nuts--almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, and pistachios)
• muffin paper liners

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
2. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil.
4. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and blend until completely combined.
5. Fold in carrots and walnuts.
6. Spoon mixture into paper lined muffin tins.
7. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Curried Green Lentil Soup

This is adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day.  


Ingredients
2 tbsp of butter (or coconut oil-extra virgin)
1 large yellow onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 1/2 cups of green lentils (rinsed and drained)
5 cups of vegetable broth (or water)
1/2 c of  chopped scallions
1 tbsp of curry powder (can be put right into soup or used for curry powder butter sauce)
3 tbsp of butter (optional for curry powder butter sauce)

Directions:

1. Cook 2 tbsp of butter/coconut oil in a large stock pot on medium-high heat for 1 minute and add the chopped onion and garlic until onion is translucent (2-3 minutes)
2. Add vegetable broth and green lentils. Let this cook on low for 30-50 minutes until lentils are cooked entirely.
3. Puree soup with an immersion blender.
4. Add curry powder and mix together OR make the curry powder butter sauce
• Cook 3 tbsp of butter in a small skillet until browned and has nutty flavor then add curry and put half of it in the soup and mix together.  Then add curry butter mixture as a topping to each serving.
5. Add a bit to each serving of the soup as a topping.

Avocado Egg Salad

SO YUMMY! 

Do you love avocado? (YES!) Do you like egg salad but hate using mayonnaise? (YES!) Then this recipe is for you (as it was for me!) :)

I used this recipe from Happy Healthy Mama (great site!)

Serves: It says 3 on the website, but I definitely only got 2 servings out of it.

Ingredients:
1/2 a large avocado
3 hard-boiled eggs
1 teaspoon of country dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon of salt
(optional add in: celery, red pepper)

In a medium bowl, mash the avocado well.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Serve on your favorite bread, in a wrap, or on top of a bed of lettuce.

My favorite muesli!

I've tried a lot of different types of muesli (which took me about 1 year to realize how to pronounce!) and I finally found the one I loved!  You can put it in milk (or almond milk--my fav) or yogurt (I like using Kefir unsweetened or unsweetened greek yogurt).

Serves: well depends on how much you use per cup of milk/yogurt :) but lasts me about a week or two...

Ingredients:
3 cups of old fashioned oats
1/2 cup of your favorite dried fruit (I use raisins and dried blueberries)
2 teaspoons of chia seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup of chopped nuts (I used the food processor to chop almonds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews)


Mix these all together and keep in an air-tight container! (See I already ate a lot of it :)!)

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Yum! Cinnamon Apple Muffins.  I made these muffins using Elana's Pantry cookbook.  If you are gluten-free, definitely invest in this! My only caution is that she uses A LOT of agave nectar.  I cut down the amount in my recipes because I'm not as huge of a fan of it.  I've also substituted honey, which I felt better about :)

Ingredients:
2 cups of almond flour (blanched)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tbsp of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/4 cup of arrowroot
1/4 tsp of celtic sea salt
2 medium apples diced into 1/4 in pieces
1/4 cup of grapeseed oil
1/4 cup of agave nectar (or honey)
1 medium-large egg

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.  
2. Put baking soda, almond flour, arrowroot powder, cinnamon, and sea salt in a large bowl and mix.
3. Put the rest of the wet ingredients in another bowl and whisk them together.
4.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
5.  Spoon in the mixture into each muffin cup.
6.  Cook muffins for 30-40 minutes.
7.  Let cool for 30 minutes (I forgot to do this last time and they all fell apart!).

ENJOY!  Again....these were AMAZING!

Roasted Cauliflower! The possibilities are endless!

So, this is one my favorite dishes to make because it is so versatile!

• Have it as a snack
• Combine it with vegetable broth to make a DELICIOUS cauliflower soup (it honestly takes so creamy it's as if you have put milk or cheese in it)
• Combine it with tamarind coconut curry sauce and chickpeas to make a delicious chickpea soup (see below)

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower chopped into bite-size pieces

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon of curry powder

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  
2. Coat a baking pan with tin foil.
3. Put the chopped pieces of cauliflower on the tin foil.
4. Add the spices, salt and pepper evenly over the cauliflower (I usually mix it all around after sprinkling everything on top to ensure its evenly spread out).
5. Cook until most of the tops are browned (about 20-30 minutes).

Now, want to turn this into a delicious curry recipe! Just do the following.

Just add this amazing sauce from Whole Foods:

And....some chickpeas and even some carrots and green peppers would be a great addition.

Cook in a pot on medium-low heat for 15 minutes and VOILA!

Curried coconut cauliflower stew!

UPDATE: Today, I thought that the coloring of this stew was just not my favorite...SO, I used sweet potatoes instead of chickpeas (and...now it's PALEO!)

Serve it over some quinoa and it's PERFECT!!

Check this out:

My favorite granola bars!

So, I am on this no processed food health kick and have experimented with NUMEROUS granola bars made from scratch.  Now, don't get me wrong, a good KIND bar always makes my day a little better, but just imagine.....a warm, gooey, delicious, home-made, fruit, nut and chocolate filled granola bar WITH protein and no-added sugar!!  YES! (okay, I put a little honey it....)

I've based my recipe off of one that I found and loved from My Green Diet.  Her recipe is fantastic! I just changed it a little bit for my desire (less honey, no sugar, and I added chia seed for some extra protein and nutrients).

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Oh and did I mention..I'm currently eating it right now :)

Yes, that is a piece of the granola bar, and yes I already took a large bite out of it :)

By the way make sure you wait the FULL amount of time to let the granola bars cool, or they will come apart.  Trust me, when I was REALLY in the mood for these, I was deeply disappointed with the result. :( 

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cup of rolled oats

• 1/3 cup of oat flour (made in food processor from regular rolled oats or you can buy it at the store)

• 1/2 tsp of salt

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 cup of any type of chopped nuts (in a food processor)--I've used almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, and sunflower seeds

• 1 cup of any type of chopped dried fruit (in a food processor)--I've used apricots, raisins, dried blueberries and dried cranberries, but use your faves! 

• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips or chopped pieces

• 2 teaspoons of chia seeds

• 1/3 cup of all natural smooth peanut butter (I've never used almond butter with this, but it might work!)

• 1 tsp of vanilla

• 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce

• 2 tbsp of canola oil (I've used coconut oil too and this worked out great!)

• 1/3 cup of honey (or maple syrup or brown rice syrup--I've used honey)

• 1 tablespoon of water

(Taken from website) 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the edge. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan with cooking spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate. In another bowl, mix remaining ingredients, stirring well. Mix together dry and wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Spread in the prepared pan and press firmly down to shape it together in the form of the pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until browned around the edges. It will still feel a little soft in the center. Cool for 20-30 minutes in the pan. Then, using the overhanging parchment paper, lift out of the pan and set on a board to cool completely (make sure you do this! I was impatient and the bars crumbled much more--they need to cool to stay together!). 

                                      

Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for a week or so.