Morning Power Smoothie
3 strawberries
1/3 c of ice
1/3 c greek yogurt
1 c spinach
1/3 orange juice
Breakfast Cookies
1 c of oats
2 mashed bananas
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 c unsweetened applesauce
*you can also add other dried fruit or nuts
Mash bananas, add oats and cranberries, add applesauce and mix together. Place by spoonfuls on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 35mins.
Protein snack mix
The ratio and amount of all the items below depends on your taste and how big of a patch of mix you are making, but these are my measurements.
(All items are raw, organic and unsalted)
Pumpkin seeds 1 c
dried cranberries 1/2 c
wasabi peas 1 c
apricots 1/4 c
dried cherries 1/4 c
cashews 1 c
Water
Add cucumber slices, mint leaves and lemon slices to your water. It is super refreshing as well as beneficial to your health.
Eggs and veggie sandwich
This is fabulous for lunch or even for breakfast.
Whole wheat bun
Hummus
sliced cucumbers
tomato
alfalfa sprouts
spinach
(over easy) egg
fresh basil
I add a touch of Newman's honey mustard dressing too :)
Green Tea Lemonade
Do you like Starbucks green tea lemonade? I do :) But I hate spending the money and of course the plastic cups it comes in. I have perfected the in my opinion ;) the recipe and can have it whenever I want :)
This makes a 4 quart batch
1 packet of crystal light lemonade/or fresh lemonade (see below)
4 tea bags of Lipton Orange, passion fruit, jasmine green tea
2 sprigs of fresh mint
2 quarts of water
Agave syrup to taste
Brew green tea, along with mint. I removed the mint after about 20 mins of brewing but left the tea bags for another 20 mins. I added agave syrup to the tea after removing the tea bags. You can leave this out completely if you don't want any added sweetness.
Combine with lemonade mixture and enjoy :)
Fresh Lemonade-
1 cup of fresh lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3 cups of water
sweetner to taste (sugar, agave, honey)
Lemon Mint Italian Ice
This is so refreshing and healthy :)
1 cup of water
2 cups of organic raw sugar
1 cup of organic lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
4-5 fresh mint leaves (optional)
In a sauce pan combine water and sugar and bring to a boil, as if making a simple syrup. Remove from heat and all to cool. Add lemon juice, zest and mint.
Pour into a shallow glass dish and cover, place in the freezer until frozen. Note mixture will not become fully frozen but rather a slushy consistency.
Enjoy!
Chai
I love love love chai. Not the powder junk from Dunkin Donuts but actual chai. what is chai you ask, well it is black tea brewed with spices and milk. I decided to make my own rather than using the mix I have been using for years and it is soooooo much better, cheaper and healthier.
Here is my recipe:
I do this in a sauce pan over the stove as it is the easiest way to make a large amount, which you can store in the fridge and add to milk when you are ready.
Brew 4 black tea bags of your choice in 4 cups of water, not let let the water boil just steep the tea for approx. 20 mins. You want the tea to be very dark, remember that this is the concentrate that will go into your milk. Add sweetener of your choice.
I use a large tea ball for my spices (see below) and you can mix and match with any of them.
I use honey or agave a sweetener and do it to taste as you like it.
In the tea ball I add:
rind from half a large orange
5 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
2 anise stars
small chunk of nutmeg seed
Add the tea ball with spices to the tea for another 20 mins. turn off heat, remove tea bags and leave tea bag in until it cools. Remove and add liquid to a container and store in the fridge.
To make a cup of chai use equal amounts of chai concentrate to milk and heat, being careful not to over heat the milk. yuuuuuuummmmmy
A what burger?!?!?!
Quinoa is a grain that is packed full of protein it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids that humans require. It is a staple in our house and used in a variety of ways. I often use it as a side dish, salad, or my favorite use....in burgers. Yes :) BURGERS. These burgers are filled with protein, and taste great. My kids love them and don't realize everything that I put in them :) They are a great alternative to a meat burger. Keep in mind that quinoa is a starch/carb. But unlike rice or most pastas is does contain protein.
This recipe is great because you can sub. out ingredients for things that you prefer. Adding roasted red peppers, or other veggies works well.
Quinoa Burgers:
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 small sweet potatoes (cooked)
2 cloves of cooked garlic
1/2 cup of white beans mashed (you can use black beans for even more protein but they can't be hidden as well. Mash the beans to a puree consistency)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/4 cup toasted almonds, chopped finely (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons wheat germ
salt to taste
hot sauce to taste (optional)
Combine sweet potato, tomato paste, bean puree, soy sauce, and spices in a large bowl and mash together. Fold in quinoa, almonds, cranberries, wheat germ and bread crumbs. Heat a frying pan, griddle or baking sheet. I do these on my griddle on medium heat and it works perfect. They just need to warm and create a crust on the outside as they are already cooked.
Form mixture into patties and cook on each side until browned.
We put them on whole wheat buns or flats with spinach, pickles, alfalfa sprouts and avocado*.
*Avocado is a great alternative to a dressing or mayo as it has a creamy texture without the fat, sugar or other junk :)
Kale
Kale is one of my favorite veggies. It is sooooo good for you and you can cook it so many different ways. I experiment often with different ways to cook it. The other night I was playing around with different ingredients and came up with this new recipe that I will say is my favorite thus far.
Spice Kale with almonds and apricots
1 bunch of kale chopped
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1/4 cut toasted almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
5 chopped dried apricots
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 tablespoons spiced butter*
1 tablespoon EVOO
In a large saute pan heat spiced butter until melted and EVOO over low heat. Add chopped garlic, cook until browned. Remove garlic from pan so that it does not burn and set aside. Add kale, it may seem like a lot for the pan but it cooks down quickly. Add lemon zest, and juice. Add approx. 1/4 cup of water. Add apricots and cranberries stir and allow kale to cook down until tender. Turn off heat, add almonds and cooked garlic. Serve warm.
*Spiced butter
Desired amount of softened butter, simply add any of all of the following spices to your taste preference, combine well and store in the fridge for toast, pancakes, and cooking.
-Cinnamon
-Cardamon
-Nutmeg
-Clove
-Vanilla paste
-Allspice
10 ways to LOVE brussel sprouts
Note that to prepare the sprouts for any of these recipes they need to be cleaned and cut in half.
1. Simply steamed
Thats it :) Steaming veggies is the best way to get all the nutritional value you can out of them. you just want to be careful not to over cook them. Add salt and pepper and/or butter to taste.
2. Roasted
Roasting the sprouts really brings out their sweetness. Pre heat your oven to 425degrees, coat halved sprouts in EVOO, salt, pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper (optional) and roast on a baking sheet until sprouts are tender and slightly browned. Approx. 20 minutes. Half way through baking, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss again, and continue baking.
3. Honey mustard side dish/salad
This recipe can be used as a warm side dish or a cold salad. The flavor gets better as it sits.
In a large saute pan heat EVOO and 2 tablespoons of butter over low to medium heat, until butter is melted. Place halved sprouts cut side down into pan. While they are cooking prepare the dressing*. You will also need 1/2 c of toasted almond slices, and 1/2 c of cdried cranberries. Once the sprouts are tender and have started to turn golden brown remove and add to bowl of dressing, add almonds and cranberries and toss to coat. Serve warm or store in the fridge and eat cold.
*Dressing:
Zest of one lemon
Juice from lemon
1/4 stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons honey
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together in a heat safe bowl
4. Roasted sprouts and carrots
You can pair the sprouts with any other hearty veggies that roast nicely, such as potatoes (white or sweet), parsnips, etc....
Add additional veggie(s) to sprouts, add E.V.O.O. and salt and pepper to taste and roast for approximately 30 minutes at 425 degrees in a baking or casserole dish. Top with balsamic glaze* and eat :)
Balsamic Glaze:
*To make the glaze you are simply reducing the balsamic vinegar until it is a syrup consistency. Pour 1-2 cups of balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan and reduce over low heat for about 30 mins. Be super careful because this will burn so easy and quickly and make a huge mess. There are a few store brands that also make the glaze pre done if standing over the stove for 30 mins is not something you have time to do. but it is amazing and you can use it on ice cream, over strawberries, etc.... so its definitely worth the time and effort.
5. Rice and sprouts
Prepare your favorite rice, rice pilaf or you can use orzo pasta. Steam sprouts so that they are tender and toss in with your rice. Add parmesan cheese, and sauteed garlic and onions. This is a fabulous warm comfort food.
6. Pizza topping
This was one of my mini "Chopped" sessions in my kitchen where I was using ingredients that I have a small amount left of to use up. I use organic whole wheat pizza dough, EVOO in place of traditional sauce, shredded cheese of your choice, roasted garlic, halves brussel sprouts, halved tomatoes, roasted red peppers, artichokes, and drizzle with balsamic glaze and bake according to your pizza dough directions.
7. Brussel sprout veg soup
Add brussel sprouts to your favorite veg soup recipes.
8. Brussel sprout slaw
This is a recipe that I suggest you eat cold as the flavors get better as they sit.
Prepare the sprouts by roasting or saute in a pan until tender, remove from heat and add to a bowl with the following, add dressing and toss to coat and allow to chill.
Additional ingredients:
4 slices of bacon chopped
1 bulb of thinly sliced fennel
1/2 c of shredded cheese of your choice
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup of toasted almonds/cashews
Dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
salt and pepper to taste
9. Brussel sprout dip
Roast sprout as instructed in recipe #2, but quarter the sprouts rather than halving.
Combine 1 package of softened cream cheese, 1 package of shredded cheese of your choice, 1 cup of mayo, 1 cup of parmesan cheese, 1 small chopped onion, 1 clove of chopped garlic, sprouts. Bake in a casserole dish for approx 25 minutes and serve with chips.
10. Baby sprouts
Baby/mini brussel sprouts which means they do not need to be cut in half. I think the best way to enjoy the small ones is simply roasted in the oven as recipe #2, and tossed with parmesan cheese, and lemon juice. However you can do any of the above recipes using the baby sprouts.
Grapefruit......
This is so simple but is good for you, and tastes so good!
I get so sick of drinking just plain water all the time. As I've said I put lemon in my water almost every time I drink it, but this is another alternative to mix things up.
Simply squeeze 1/4 of half a grapefruit (red, pink or white) to a glass or of sparkling water and enjoy!
Kids friendly, healthy recipes
Snacks
I think snacks are a really hard thing to come up with that fits into being: healthy, convienient, and cost friendly.
Here are some ideas of things that we do that work well, and are easy to pre package for convience.
~Trail mix-this is something that you can get the kids involved with. HUGE lesson-if the kids help make it? They want to eat it! Use things like granola, nuts, dried fruit, m and m's, pretzels, etc... fill a container of all their favs or pre package into containers to easy to go and school lunches and snacks.
~Celery and __?__butter-so many kids and adults have peanut allergies so you can use soy butter, almond butter, peanut butter or whatever works for you. Fill the celery sticks with butter of your choice, and top with any or all of the following: shredded coconut, dried blueberries, granola.
~Pita/tortilla chips and hummus-pita chips and tortilla chips are not necessarily bad for you but pre packaged ones are processed and have a ton of salt. They are so simply to make on your own and much cheaper. Cut a pita pocket or tortilla into chip size pieces spray with cooking spray or olive oil and a tiny bit of salt and toast in the oven on a cookie sheet until crisp.
Hummus-My kids love hummus. This is another place to sneak in veggies, but you dont even have to as chick peas are so nutrius on their own. I like to mix it up and make roasted red pepper, garlic, lemon etc... flavors.
Breakfast
Breakfast can be hard especially when you have little ones going to school. I usually do a lot of pre cooking so that I have things ready to go for mornings. These are all things you can do on a Sunday or the night before and re heat.
~Pancakes- I do at least a double batch and put them into 2-3 serving sizes in the freezer so I can pull them out the night before, and you can always stick them in the toaster if you forget to take them out the night before. I also substitute oil in any recipe for them with applesauce, and add wheat germ.
~Breakfast burritos-you can do this the night before, stick it in the fridge and simply heat it up in the am. Simply add any of all of the following into a tortilla, and wrap em up. They are also good for on the run. Scrambled eggs, veggies, bacon, sausage, cheese.
~Yogurt parfaits-fill a cup with plain yogurt alternating with their fav fruits, add granola or another fav cereal in the am.
~Oatmeal-Packaged oatmeal is full of so much sugar and processed junk. I often do a batch of plain oatmeal and the kids can add their own toppings to it such as fruit, granola, syrup, etc... This is also a good place to sneak in fruits if your kids wont knowingly eat them, mix in light colored juices such as apple, pears, etc... and they will never know :) It also adds flavor to plain oatmeal. this is another place I sneak in wheat germ.
Lunch and Dinner ideas to follow!!!!!
Fresh Tomato Sauce
I read this article and thought I was doing well until I realized I was using organic canned tomatoes and it never dawned on me that they would be the worst canned food to eat as tomatoes are so acidic and absorb so much of the BPA in cans. I have since stopped using anything canned which I can easily get around but tomatoes are something I use often in sauce and other dishes. This year I decided to make a huge batch of tomato sauce and "can" it on my own and give it as presents at Christmas. Below is my recipe and instruction for making sauce with only fresh ingredients. I can not wait to make this again once Summer is here and I have fresh home grown tomatoes, veggies, herbs, and garlic. This sauce is perfect as you can add anything you want to it. Any veggie will go perfectly- squash, carrots, zucchini, etc....
Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom and Garlic Tomato Sauce
10 large tomatoes of your choice-I used organic roma tomatoes, you can mix and match any type
2 red peppers
1 small onion, chopped
1 package organic portabella mushrooms
8 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon organic brown sugar
salt and pepper
EVOO
infused OO
*You want to roast the tomatoes after you have cut them in half, coat in E.V.O.O. and salt and pepper, and roast in the oven at 375 for half hour or so on a sheet pan, also add the red peppers in here as well.
In a separate pan I do the same with 1 large onion, 8 cloves of garlic. I do not put these with the tomatoes as they don't take as long and you dont want burnt garlic.
Allow the veggies to cook before removing the skin from the tomatoes and peppers. You can hand mash the tomatoes are use a blender, which also creates a nice light airy sauce.
Simmer in a sauce pan over low to medium heat.
Add mushrooms.
Chop the red pepper and add into sauce along with the onions and garlic.
3 tablespoons infused olive oil
1 teaspoon organic brown sugar
You choice of fresh herbs (I typically use basil, parsley, and oregano)
Salt, pepper to taste
Simmer over low heat for at least 30 mins. and enjoy :)
As I said I canned my sauce and just it into jars, but you can store in an air tight container, or freeze for later.
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