Tag Archives: Ingredient

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

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Reasons why I love these ‘cookies’:

  • They are quick and easy to make (Think breakfast to-go)
  • My kids love them every time I make them (They haven’t refused one yet… knock on wood!)
  • They are easy to pack in Ava’s preschool breakfast box (Mornings are not so rushed!)
  • My hubby and I love them too!
  • I don’t need any more reasons. Enjoy!!!
Healthy Breakfast Cookies

Healthy Breakfast Cookies – I’m still trying to get to that photography class so please excuse my poor photo!

Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients:
  • 2 mashed bananas – the darker the better!
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1-2 Tbsp almond butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
  • pinch of ground ginger (optional but I like it!)
  • zest of 1 medium to large orange (I use a large one)
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 -3 Tbsp ground flax meal or ground chia seeds
  • 1/3 cup dried fruit (cranberries, regular or golden raisins, currants)
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine ingredients and scoop onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. If you don’t have an ice cream scooper, use your hands to make about a 1/3 cup sized cookie.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove cookies to cooling rack.

Mix ingredients together

Mix ingredients together

I used ground chia seeds this time

I used ground chia seeds this time

I use my ice cream scooper

I use my ice cream scooper

Makes a nice size

Makes a nice size

Flatten them a little

Flatten them a little

Ready to bake

Done! Straight to the cooling rack!

Almost time to eat!

Almost time to eat!

Cash loves them!

Cash loves them!

Ava loves them too!

Ava loves them too!

Raw Lime Avocado Pie

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I had a few ladies from my Crossfit gym over last night and we had a blast! Most of them follow the Paleo Diet so I tried to find a recipe that would please everyone’s dietary needs. This pie looked really good so I decided to try it and I’m glad I did because it was delicious! Very rich but delish! Who would’ve thought to use avocados in a pie?!

This recipe uses a ton of limes so prepare yourself, I got quite a workout zesting them all!

Raw Lime Avocado Pie

Original recipe from Health Damy.

Crust Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups Raw Cashews
  • 1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (a little extra to top it before serving too, if you wish)
  • 1/2 Cup Pitted Dates
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Tbsp Lime Zest
  • 3 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • Dash of Salt
  • 4 Packets of Stevia
  • 2 Tbsp Agave (You can use maple syrup)

Mousse Ingredients:

  • 4 Large Ripe Avocados (Pealed and Pitted)
  • 1/2 Cup Lime Juice
  • 1/3 Cup Lime Zest (You’ll need 8-10 limes for this entire recipe)
  • 1/4 Cup Agave (or maple syrup)
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Dash of Salt
  • 8 Packets of Stevia

Directions:

  1. Place the crust ingredients in your food processor and blend until dough-like.
  2. Spray your 8 inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray – I’m sure any pan would work, really.
  3. Using your hands press the dough evenly into the pan.
  4. Place all mousse ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth (stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides).
  5. Pour mousse over-top of crust.
  6. Chill in your refrigerator or freezer (depending on your desired texture) for at least 3 hours.
  7. Cut and serve immediately.
  8. Enjoy!

Crust making in progress

Crust done!

Smooth into spring form pan

Filling ingredients

Nice green color!

Ready to chill!

Oh so pretty!

Serve with coconut on top (if you wish!)

Green Overnight Oats

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We love oatmeal, we eat it almost every morning. I try to spice it up some days but most days it’s the usual raisins, nuts and some type of fruit on top. We’ve been rotating between the usual, the Orange Creamsicle Oatmeal and this one lately. This is really easy to make the night before and it’s great to be able to pull breakfast out of the fridge, heat it up and go. I’m out the door in a hurry most mornings, rushing off to Crossfit so this recipe is perfect!

Green Overnight Oats

Not to mention, it’s a GREAT way to sneak in your much needed serving of greens per meal! The added chia seeds are a double bonus. Our toddler LOVES this!

Toddler approved!

The original recipe is from a fantastic vegan food blog, Oh She Glows. If you haven’t checked out her site yet, set aside some time to do so. She has a bunch of really great recipes!!

The original recipe was written to make one serving but I’ve adjusted it to make a bigger batch, with a few other changes. 🙂 Sometimes I add 1/2 cup of white beans to the mix too.

Green Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 large handful fresh spinach or 2 handfuls of kale
  • 2 large ripe bananas
  • 3 tbsp chia seeds (necessary for thickening)
  • 2 cups almond milk 
  • 1 cup regular, rolled oats

1. In a blender, blend together the spinach, banana, chia seeds, and almond milk until smooth.

2. In a large plastic or glass bowl/container, add the oats and then pour the smoothie on top. Stir well until combined.

3. Place in fridge (uncovered is fine – I always cover it myself) overnight. Give it a good stir in the morning and then enjoy it cold, straight from the fridge or warm it up a bit, if you prefer. 

We like to add walnuts, shredded unsweetened coconut, berries, bananas…. anything you wish!

Fresh spinach… yummy!

Add all ingredients (except oats) to blender or food processor and blend well

Add oats to your container

Ready to combine!

Stir in the green “smoothie” and stir until combined

Store in your fridge overnight. Mine is nestled next to my organic spring salad mix and leftover kale salad 🙂

Take it out in the morning, stir and serve with your favorite toppings!

Kale Mac n’ Cheeze

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Our toddler is going through a picky meal time phase lately… I’m not happy about it at all but I know it’s normal and will soon pass (hopefully!). She’s been rejecting her usual greens so I’ve been trying to figure out ways to hide them in other foods she will eat. Ugh, I was hoping I’d never have to play “hide the greens” with my kids but I suppose it’s my turn. 🙂

The “cheese” in this dish is from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Blog… one of the best vegan food blogs EVER!!!! I changed the recipe a bit this time, added a little more spices. Turned out great! It’s so easy to make too which is double great! We don’t eat a ton of pasta anymore so I figured this might spark our toddler’s interest, maybe she won’t even notice the green stuff!!

Kale Mac n’ Cheeze

Ah HA!! GOTCHA!!!! Lol!

I’m hoping he will be my “trash can” eater…. meaning he will eat whatever I put in front of him 😉

Kale Mac n’ Cheeze

* Note: Occasionally I’ll add a can of white beans to this mixture instead of the cornstarch to thicken it. I didn’t do it this time but I highly recommend it!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta (regular or gluten-free)
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1 cup plain, fat-free soymilk (may use other non-dairy milk  I used soymilk)
  • 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch – I used cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt (I used a pinch)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder – I used 2 tsps
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard – I used 1 tsp
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 teaspoon mellow white miso (or additional salt – I used yellow miso, all I had)
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 bunches of kale, steamed and chopped – I used dino/lacinato kale

Instructions

  1. Put the pasta on to boil, according to package directions.
  2. While it’s cooking, blend all remaining ingredients together in a blender. Steam and chop up your kale. I steam mine in a big pot with an inch of water at the bottom.
  3. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to pan. Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add a little of the pasta water if more moistness is needed.
  4. Add in your chopped kale and stir until combined.

Blend sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor – I used my VitaMix

I used Trader Joe’s Organic pasta and 2 bunches of dino kale

I like to steam my kale in a big soup pot with an inch of boiling water – toss occasionally but keep covered in between tosses

Add sauce to cooked/drained noodles and stir until combined

Add your cooked, chopped kale and stir. Add a bit of pasta water to thin things out a bit.

Yummy!

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Lemon Quinoa

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I make quinoa every few days and add it to all sorts of things, I like to always keep a cooked bean and grain on hand at all times. Here’s a really easy way to spruce up your regular quinoa. 🙂 I usually double this recipe because we like leftovers. I use this in collard wraps with Chickpea Salad or with Gingered Tofu & Zucchini. Our toddler loves this!

Lemon Quinoa

Lemon Quinoa

Ingredients:

* 1 cup cooked quinoa

* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

* 2 celery stalks, chopped

* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

* 1/4 cup chopped onion

* 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

* 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions:

1. Mix cooked (and slightly cooled) quinoa in a bowl with all the ingredients and combine. Serve warm or cold. 

So easy to make!

Mix all ingredients together and serve warm or cold

YUM!

 

 

Quick & Easy Collards

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I use my pressure cooker a few times a week to make beans – I like to keep them on hand at all times for salads, soups and random recipes (plus our toddler likes to snack on them). This is one of my favorite veggie recipes for the pressure cooker, it’s so easy and fast! Plus it’s really good… I add this mixture to other recipes when I need extra veggies.

Our toddler likes this without the red peppers – I take some out for her before I add the hotness!

Quick & Easy Collards

This recipe is from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen… one of our favorites!!

Quick and Easy Collards

Ingredients

  • 1-2 bunches collard greens (as much as your pressure cooker will hold – I used 2 bunches)
  • 1 large onion, peeled and cut into thin rings
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • generous pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

Cut off the stems of the collard greens, removing any part of the central stem that seems tough. Stack 2 or 3 leaves on top of each other, roll them up so that they form a long tube, and cut them into thin strands

Repeat with all the collards.

Spray the bottom of the pressure cooker lightly with olive oil and heat. Add the onions and 2 tablespoons water and cook, stirring, until the water evaporates. Keep cooking and stirring until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 more minute.

Stir in the collard greens, add the 1 cup of water, and seal the cooker. Bring to high pressure and then reduce heat to keep the cooker at high pressure for 3 minutes. (If you are using small, baby collards, cook at high pressure for only 1 minute.) Remove from heat and use a quick-release method to reduce the pressure. Check the collards for tenderness; if they’re still tough, put them back on the heat, but don’t seal the cooker. Cook until tender. Salt, if desired, and serve (using a slotted spoon) with additional red pepper flakes.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Cut collards into long strands

Cook onions and garlic in pressure cooker on "Saute" feature (if you have an electric cooker)

Add collards, cover and cook.

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