Recipes we LOVE Archives - Page 6 of 8

Popeye’ Secret Smoothie – Delicious Spinach Smoothie

August 4, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg 1 Comment

Popeye’s Secret Smoothie

Maca, yogurt, and lime combine to make this refreshingly citrusy – banana adds luscious texture and sweetness. Your kids will love to “drink like Popeye!”

All of the following measures can be used approximately and altered to fit your taste.

Yield: 2

Ingredients:

2 loosely packed cups spinach leaves
1 cup coconut water
1 banana, preferably frozen
1 lime, squeezed (2 if there is very little juice) – or if you don’t have a lime, use lemon
4 tbsp raw organic maca
3/4 cup yogurt, plain (regular or coconut, for a vegan version)
1/4 cup chia
2 dried figs
Honey or maple syrup to taste, if you like your smoothies sweet

To Make: Add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender, and mix. Tamp down as needed to make sure everything blends completely. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Enjoy the rush of power!

From Jennifer Silverberg at www.EatYourselfWell.com and facebook.com/eatyourselfwell Please maintain link as you copy and share recipe with others!

Quinoa Mango Healthy Taco Salad

July 31, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg 3 Comments

You get everything in this salad: texture, sweet, salty, fresh, bitter, and spicy – and it takes only a minute or two to prepare, if you have leftover quinoa on hand! If you’re missing one or two ingredients – try it anyway – you may discover a new favorite variation!

Quinoa Mango Taco Salad

2-3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 cup cooked quinoa (feel free to substitute freekeh or other grain if you have it on hand)
1/4 cup black beans (cooked and drained, or canned and drained)
1/4 cup chopped organic mango (fresh preferred, or frozen is fine)
1 fresh tomato, diced
1 green onion, sliced on the bias
10 organic blue corn chips, crushed
1/2 organic avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh salsa

To assemble:
In serving bowl, place romaine lettuce on the base, then add strips of quinoa, beans, onion, mango, tomato, cilantro, chips, avocado, and salsa.

Please resist the urge to add “salad dressing” – this does not need additional flavors, it just adds calories and masks the beautiful fresh flavors.

All of the Fig – None of the Newton – Bars!

July 30, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Sometimes you – or your kids – want something sweet, which can wind up being a mess for your healthy, whole-food diet. Recently, Food Babe posted about one sandwich bar that we used to think was healthy, but has a dizzying (sometimes literally) array of unnecessary chemicals in the ingredients.

That inspired me to grab the simple fig paste I’d made yesterday out of the fridge and try an easy, healthy, replacement for my less-healthy childhood treat. It turned out to be even easier than I’d thought – check this out!

Simple, Healthy Fig Bars

Ingredients

1 cup ground dried organic figs, ground to a paste (instructions for grinding, below)

1/2 cup organic hemp seed

1/2 cup salted pumpkin seeds, ground – I used sprouted, salted (I used Go Raw brand)

Cut the figs into smallish pieces and process by pulsing in a strong food processor. If you do not cut them up into bits, they will gum up in your processor, and possibly burn out the motor – trust me on this one :-). Once the processor is running easily, leave it in the “on” position until the fig bits gather into a ball, about 1 minute.

Take about 1 cup of the fig paste on put on a large plastic cutting board or silicone baking mat. Press with your hands or a rolling pin into a disk about 1/4 inch thin.

Sprinkle a mix of the hemp seed and pumpkin seeds over the disk and press in with your hands. Flip the disk and repeat. Do this a few more times until the figs are holding as much of the seed as they can.

Start cutting the disk into rectangular strips that when folded over (see pic) form a sandwich bar square.

Store in fridge, if they aren’t all grabbed up right then!

From Jennifer Silverberg at www.EatYourselfWell.com and facebook.com/eatyourselfwell Please maintain link as you copy and share recipe with others!

Strawberry Cherry Cashew Anti-Inflammatory Blend

July 29, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg 1 Comment

This is a great way to start the day when you wake up with a few aches and pains. Or, even better – this is a great breakfast to have a few times a week to ward off getting aches and pains at all!

Cherries are well-known anti-inflammatory powerhouses due to their high antioxidant – specifically, anthocyanin – activity. Choose tart cherries for the highest benefit. Strawberries add sweetness, plus are rich in polyphenols that help regulate blood sugar response, have an amazing combination of phytonutrients: anthocyanins, ellagitannins, flavonols, terpenoids, and phenolic acids, and are Vitamin C standouts.

Cashews are added for a delicious creaminess, a bit of protein, and healthy unsaturated fatty acids. These nuts (and though you may read differently on the internet, they are indeed nuts, not legumes) have a high antioxidant content, providing cardio-protective benefits.

Oh – and this is delicious!

Strawberry Cherry Cashew Anti-Inflammatory Blend

Makes two servings
About 1 cup frozen strawberries
About 1 cup frozen tart cherries (if available – sweet cherries are an alternate)
About 1 cup coconut water (my favorite is Taste Nirvana with pulp)
1/4 cup chia seeds
Handful of cashews

Put all ingredients in a high-speed blender and mix until well blended – top with a frozen strawberry for beautiful color, and enjoy!

Open Faced Egg Sandwich, with Arugula-Basil Pesto

July 27, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Ingredients:

For each open-faced egg sandwich:

One slice bread

Two eggs fried in olive oil (done to your preference)

One slice homemade or farmer’s market honey wheat bread (or any bread, but the honey wheat combines nicely with the pesto)

2-3 tbsp Arugula Basil Pesto (recipe below)

1/4 cup arugula

Prepare Arugula Basil Pesto – recipe below. Make the full recipe even if you won’t use it all now – it is great on pasta, salads, and roast vegetables too! You can also freeze it in cubes for later!

Directions

Put bread in toaster.
Fry two eggs in coconut oil.
When toast is ready, add 2-3 tbsp (or to taste) of the Pesto. When eggs are ready, place them over the pesto, then sprinkle with arugula. Serve immediately, preferably with wonderful coffee!

Arugula Basil Pesto

2/3 cup raw almonds (you can also use pine nuts, but I prefer almonds as they are higher protein)
1 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cups fresh arugula
3 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Optional: 1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Toast almonds on medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are warmed and just slightly fragrant. Let cool a few minutes.

Place almonds, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse until well blended. With the blender still going, add in the olive oil and blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. You may want more or less olive oil – taste and adjust if you like.

Use immediately or store in the fridge in an air tight container for a few days.

From Jennifer Silverberg at www.EatYourselfWell.com and facebook.com/eatyourselfwell Please maintain link as you copy and share recipe with others!

Good Morning Groats Recipe!

July 24, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg 1 Comment

Nothing is better than waking up to a hot, delicious breakfast that is already cooked. Start these groats in the evening, and that’s exactly what you’ll have when you wake up on a cold morning!

Groats have a delightful chewy texture, are extremely high in fiber, and also high in zinc (great for cold season), bioavailable iron, selenium and vitamin E, among other nutrients. If your grocer doesn’t carry them, they’re easy to find online, at Amazon and other sites.

Pressure-Cooker (fast and simple)
Put two cups of groats with 6 cups of liquid (water, or a mix of water and coconut water or milk, apple juice, green tea, or just about any other liquid you like) into your pressure cooker. Allow to come to medium pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Add any add-ins you like, below, and serve!

Slow-Cooker (like the universe making you breakfast in bed)!

For easy cleanup, lightly grease the slow cooker with coconut oil. Add 6.5 cups of liquid (water, or a mix of water and coconut water or milk, apple juice, green tea, or just about any other liquid you like) to two cups of groats in the slow cooker. Put the slow cooker on low heat and cook for 8 hours. Stir, add any add-ins you like, and serve!

Add-Ins (This is where it gets REALLY fun) – pretty much whatever is in season!
Apples (chopped)
Raisins
Almonds (whole or chopped)
Peaches
Bananas
Coconut Flakes
Cranberries (dried or fresh, chopped)
Vanilla
Cinnamon
Berries: blue, black, straw, etc.
Walnuts
Hemp Seeds
Goji Berries
Chia Seeds
(You get the idea – whatever you like!)

Note: Though oats do not contain gluten, they are frequently processed in the same factory and can be contaminated. If you are sensitive to gluten, choose groats that say “gluten-free.”

Summer Peach and Basil Salad, with Delicious Options

July 24, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

This is a perfect salad for summer – fruity, delicious, and full of cooling flavor. Experiment with the savory and spicy options for lunch and dinner, and consider the sweeter options for dessert!

Summer Peach and Basil Salad

4-5 medium peaches, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces (leave skin on)
1/4 red onion
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 lemon or 1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil – choose a fruity, cloudy one
Pinch of coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Options: Take it sweeter: Add Strawberries and/or mint; or, serve with a dollop of marscapone sweetened with honey

Take it savory: Add Feta (just a tbsp, crumbled – you need much less than you think – or it will overpower the fruit) or other white cheese, grated

Make it spicy: Add grated ginger

Preparation

A bit of attention on the preparation will make a big difference in this recipe – start with a sharp knife!

Roll basil leaves together into a “cigar” shape and thinly slice across the “cigar” to make thin basil strips. Then, quarter a red onion, and slice very thinly across the cut side, to make tiny strips of that as well.

Add everything you are using in a large bowl, toss, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve.

Delicious (and deliciously simple) Padron Peppers

July 20, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Deliciously simple recipe for Padron Peppers!

Not only are Padrón peppers a nutritional powerhouse … but eating Padrón or shishito peppers is also a fun party game. Most are mild, but every now and then you’ll bite into a wickedly hot one (maybe 1/10). Enjoy watching your friends’ faces as they “find” the hot ones!

Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (you can substitute olive oil, but this uses high heat, and coconut oil can tolerate higher temps without oxidizing)
1 pound Padrón or shishito peppers
Sea salt (preferably a flaky one like Maldon)

Recipe

Start with 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the peppers in a single layer with some room to move (if your skillet is too small, work in batches). Cook, tossing occasionally, until skins are blistered and flesh is softened, about 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. If needed, repeat with remaining peppers, adding a bit more oil, and more salt.

A Perfect Food Principle from Alice Waters

July 17, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg Leave a Comment

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate (wherehavethesebeenallmylife) Brownies!

July 16, 2014 by Jennifer Silverberg 2 Comments

I am always getting requests for recipes for dark chocolate without compromise … these dark chocolate brownies are exactly that! If you are having friends over, PLEASE don’t call these “vegan” or “gluten free,” though they may be both … just call them “almond brownies” and watch them disappear!

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Brownies!

These are SOOOOO delicious, made with whole, real ingredients, gluten-free, and couldn’t be easier to make! I like them made with 1/2 cup sugar, but if you like sweeter brownies, you can use the higher measure. Feel free to add coconut flakes, walnuts, or other ingredients – this is a great base for experimentation!

Mix together in bowl:

2 cups almond butter (Click2Cart my favorite at Amazon)
3 eggs (I have heard that vegan egg substitutes work great; I have not tested them)
1/8 cup pure cacao or cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 – 1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk (Click2Cart my favorite at Thrive Market)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

Then, stir in:
2 bars 70%+ cacao, roughly broken (I love Theo’s because it is organic and fair trade … and delicious!). NOTE: use chocolate chips only as a last resort – they tend to melt into the batter and get lost, while the larger chunks make great chocolatey bits in the brownies! Seriously!

Spread into 13 x 9 pan lined in parchment paper. Bake in 325 degree oven for 25 minutes or until firm (test with your finger – it is ready when the top bounces back when touched).

For fun, garnish with homemade cocoa sugar: use a Vitamix to blend together 1/4 cup coconut sugar with 1/4 cup cocoa powder until super-fine (will start to float out the top of the blender vent holes). Sprinkle through fine mesh sieve onto brownies. Add berries of any kind, coconut whipped “cream,” or a side of brandy if you’re of age 🙂 – all a delicious accompaniment!