Category: Nutrition + Vegetarian Recipes + more

Pineapple Blackberry Spinach Green Smoothie

I Banana
1 C Blackberries
I 1/2 C Pineapple
Coconut Milk
Juice Plus+ Complete Powder while food based drink mix
Superfood Powder (I’m currently using Greens Today)
Spinach

I buy all organic fruit whenever possible and buy in season. Just wash, cut then freeze and its ready to go in your smoothie. If I’m using fresh fruit I usually add a little ice.
Add fruit and Coconut Milk to cover the fruit. Add several large handfuls of spinach.
Using a high powered blender (I use HealthMaster LivingWell by Montel)
Blend on high for 1 minute. It will be frothy and a lovely purple green.

Yummy!
Enjoy!

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Gluten-Free Organic Blueberry Coconut Superfood Muffins


I cant wait to make this delicious recipe. Some of the ingredients are available from the Natural News Store. Others can be found at farmers markets or local grocery stores.

Gluten-Free Organic Blueberry Coconut Superfood Muffins

Preheat your over to 350 degrees (F) while you gather the following items:

Hint: Always choose organic where possible, as organic foods are grown without the use of toxic chemical pesticides and herbicides.

1 cup of coconut flour
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of sea salt
5 free-range eggs
1/2 cup coconut butter (or oil)
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup almond milk
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

 

Directions:

1. Mix 1/2 cup of almond milk with chia seeds and set it aside for 30 minutes.

2. Combine coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, vanilla, and coconut sugar and mix well.

3. Add eggs, coconut butter, chia seeds (the texture should be thick) and the rest of almond milk.

4. Blend in the frozen blueberries by hand, being careful not to crush the blueberries.

5. Pour this batter into paper muffin liners that you’ve placed in a muffin baking pan. Fill them completely.

6. Bake the muffins at 350 degrees (F) for 35 – 40 minutes, or until they are golden brown on the outside and completely cooked on the inside.

Enjoy!


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Veggie Chili

I’m sharing this great recipe from Whole Foods – it’s perfect for the chilly evenings we’re having!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
2 teaspoons no-salt-added chili powder
2 cans no-salt added kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Sliced fresh jalapeño peppers (optional)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a large saucepot over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes or until beginning to brown and stick to the pan. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender and most liquid has evaporated. Stir in chili powder and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, beans and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, about 30 minutes or until vegetables and beans are tender and sauce is thickened. Stir in black pepper. Serve with cilantro and jalapeños, if using.
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Gingery Quinoa Salad with Peas and Coconut

Gingery Quinoa Salad with Peas and Coconut (Amy Middleton’s Version; Yogini; Imagine Yoga)

handful of pecans
2 tsp. raw coconut oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 cup quinoa
1 ½ cups carrot juice
1 cup frozen peas
⅓ cup raw grated coconut

1. Toast pecans in saucepan over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, or until fragrant and beginning to brown, stirring often. Cool.

2. Wipe out saucepan; add oil and onion. Sauté onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in ginger, quinoa, and juice, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

4. Remove from heat, and scatter peas over cooked quinoa. Cover, and let stand 10 minutes, until peas are thawed.

5. Stir coconut and pecans into salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Amy brought this salad to Outdoor Yoga at the Waterfall and it was a smash hit. Mmmmm

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Kale/Mango salad

Kale/Mango salad

1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good!) stalks removed, leaves thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
kosher salt
2 t. honey
freshly ground black pepper
1 mango, dices small
small handful toasted pepitas

In a large serving bowl, add the kale, half the lemon juice, drizzle of oil and a little kosher slat. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2-3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. stream in the 1/4 c. of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale and add the mango and pepitas. Toss & serve.

Try it soon – you’ll LOVE it! my kids both can’t get enough of it, and there’s no other way in the world either of them would eat kale!

Credit to our OMazing webmaster for www.oyusadallasfest.com
And
Aarti Sequeira of Food Network!

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Uncle Randy’s Salsa

What do I do with all these tomatoes and peppers from my garden?
Take:

6 large tomatoes
1 jalapeno; small pepper no seeds (or a banana pepper if you don’t want it too spicy, use one hotter pepper to increase heat)
A small onion; quartered
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro chopped well
1 tsp Uncle Randy’s Not too spicy
1/8 tsp Uncle Randy’s Spicy Spicy
(or use season salt and garlic powder)
1/8 tsp Cumin

Using a food processor pulse tomatoes and onion until chunky. Add in your peppers. Pulse until smoother but not soupy. add cilantro and spices. Pulse briefly to combine.

Refrigerate for an hour. Serve with flat Pretzel Crisps.

Delicious!

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How to cut a pineapple 101

Choosing your fruit:
Select a pineapple that is darker in color; it gets dark due to the higher sugar content.
Smell the bottom and look for a fruit with a delicious aroma.
If its not apparent sit the fruit in your counter a fee days. A good sign of a ripe fruit us fruit flies hanging around it.

To cut:
Use a bread knife.
Cut the top off close to the spiny leaves.

how to cut a pineapple

How to cut a pineapple

Set on the bottom and slice 3″ sections off the sides, rotating as you go.
Go back and slice thin pieces off where a lot if the brown husk remains.
You don’t have to remove all of the brown or you’ll waste too much fruit.
Turn on the side.
Slice The bottom off.
Compost all the waste.
Slice into 1″ rings.

Pineapple, peaches and banana kale for a great smoothie recipe!

Cut rings in half.
Get a pairing knife and cut a half circle out of each slice.
You may cut into small wedges or leave in half slices.
Enjoy!

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Easter Bunny Salads from my Nana Banana

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This recipe was always a family favorite because the little bunny salads make the Easter table so cute and festive!
We always had a formal down dinner with full China, where we still had our church clothes on. My nana would meticulously create these for each guest on a China salad plate. I really love the formality mixed with the fun.
Now as my family and in laws grow we don’t have formal Easter meals but all still get together to eat, visit and laugh together.

For this recipe you will need;
4 cans of pear halves
Carrots, julienne sliced, about 1″ long
Mini marshmallows
Almonds, raw
Cloves, whole
Jello, large box lime green
Unsweetened coconut shavings (optional)

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Make the jello using package quick set directions. Pour into a nonstick
Large baking sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Dry pear halves with a paper towel an all pear halves Facing the same way in rows on the green Jello; wide side is the tail.
( if doing individual servings then serve jello first into each salad plate, otherwise leave on pan)

Assemble your bunnies:
Jello for the grass
Almonds for ears, point up, close together or they look like mice
Cloves for eyes- don’t eat!
Carrot noses
Mini marshmallow tails.
You can use red hots for the noses too.
We sprinkled coconut on some.

Present to your table. Enjoy!!

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Super Tangy Kiwi Cherry Green Smoothie

Happy Spring!
To start this day off right I created this Über yummy green meal.

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Start with:
1 mango (or frozen mango cubes)
3 kiwi, peeled
Cherries, dark, sweet; 1 large handful frozen or fresh pitted
2 kale leaves
3/4 C Greek yogurt, plain (optional) if vegan use 1-2 C almond milk and reduce juice
2 1/2 C Organic unfiltered apple juice

Then add:
1 scoop Juice Plus Complete Powder (or vegan protein) plus
4 capsules each, Juice Plus whole food Orchard, Garden and Vineyard blend- contents only, no caps

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May add a cup of ice cubes. Blend in a high horsepower blender. (I use Living Well by Montel. )
Enjoy!

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