Tag: easy

PB & J Sorbet

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This super simple sorbet is easy to whip up any time of day for a tasty treat in as little as three ingredients. If you have a little sweet tooth, you’ll love this alternative to ice cream. No dairy, gluten, or added sugar involved. Basically, think of it like a dessert smoothie…but better. Oh, you may have noticed that I’m kinda in love with anything PB & J…if you don’t feel the same way, just omit the nut butter for a classic berry sorbet.

Ingredients: (makes 2 servings)

  • 1 cup frozen berries (I use a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
  • 1 heaping teaspoon peanut or almond butter
  • 1/4 cup of almond milk
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon cacoa powder for a slight chocolatey taste
  • Optional: 1/2 cup plain yogurt (Greek for protein, coconut for dairy free)

Simply blend all ingredients together until it’s the consistency of sorbet and enjoy! Feel free to add some toppings, like coconut, chopped nuts, granola, cacoa nibs, etc. for a crunch.

One Healthy Breakdown: if you’ve had a bad day, sweeten it with sorbet!

Vegan Pesto Zoodles with Fresh Tomatoes

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Zoodles are oodles of fun, especially during tomato season! Upgrade any pasta dish with veggie noodles for a healthier meal that’s low in carbs, calories, and high in fiber. This one just happens to be meatless, vegetarian, vegan, and you won’t even miss the meat or cheese one bit! I used the inspiralizer to make noodles out of zucchini and summer squash before adding fresh tomatoes and a vegan pesto that is out of this world. Ready to be inspiralized?

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Ingredients: (makes two servings)

  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 summer squash
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1/2 cup arugula
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1/3 avocado
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Use Inspiralizer (or your tool of choice) to make noodles out of the zucchini and squash. Put noodles aside on a plate, sprinkle sea salt over noodles, and let sit to drain some of the liquid. For pesto, in a Vitamix, blender, or food processor, combine arugula, basil, nuts, avocado, 1 tablespoon olive oil, nutritional  yeast, and the lemon (remove seeds, optional to use juice or peel as well like we do.) Add a few spoonfuls of water if needed, so that mixture blends together.

Put zoodles in a pan on the stove over low heat and add remaining olive oil. Once they start to cook and soften, add pesto and cubed tomato. (For added protein and creaminess, you can also add one egg to the pan at this time.)

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Mix over heat a few more minutes until noodles are all covered in pesto and tomatoes have softened. Remove from heat and serve in pasta bowl, garnish with basil leaves. Bon appetit!

One Healthy Breakdown: There’s nothin’ wrong with a little healthy Italian.

Roasted Chickpeas Two Ways

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Hummus takes a back seat to these crunchy sweet and savory roasted chickpeas. Roasted chickpeas are super easy, tasty, and healthy. Chickpeas are power packed with plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Whether you like sweet or salty, you’re in luck.

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Sweet Roasted Chickpeas: top with coconut oil, cinnamon, cardamom, and sea salt.

Savory Roasted Chickpeas: top with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, tumeric, sea salt, black pepper, and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper (optional.)

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Simply prep your sweet and/or savory chickpeas and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and pop ’em as is for a snack (great on the go!) or add roasted chickpeas to a salad for a full (vegan, gluten-free, dairy free, meatless Monday) meal.

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One Healthy Breakdown: pass on the potato chips, opt for roasted chickpeas!

Super Yummy Energy Bites

Introducing your new favorite {super yummy} snack. Great for breakfast, pre and post-workout snack, and sweet treat, these puppies are full of power and flavor! Also, they taste like cookie dough…Just wait. Luckily, you only have to wait 10 minutes to enjoy these cute little nibbles!

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Ingredients: (makes about 15 bites)

  • 1 cup raw oats
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup nut or seed butter of choice
  • 3 dates (pitted)
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
  • 2 tablespoons goji berries and/or apricots (can use raisins or another dried fruit)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon high-quality protein powder (optional for additional protein/post-workout)

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Combine coconut oil, nut butter, vanilla, dates, salt, and half of the oats in a food processor or Vitamix. Once smooth, add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the mixture is consistent, but not completely smooth. Remove mixture and roll into balls about the size of a golf ball. Plate them in the fridge and let sit at least 10 minutes. Devour. You’re welcome 🙂

Optional add-ins for varied flavor: 1 teaspoon matcha powder, 1 drop peppermint oil, 1 tablespoon cacoa nibs or dark chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons pumpkin, 1/4 lemon, 1 slice ginger, 1 teaspoon maca powder, etc. These babies are super versatile – get it?

(*if mixture is too thick to form, add a tablespoon of water or two)

One Healthy Breakdown: enjoy ’em while they last!

Meatless Monday in a SNAP!

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This one came out of nowhere, but was a huge hit in the flavor department! All you’ll need is a few simple ingredients and 10 minutes time, and your one-pan, warm and tasty, nutritious and delicious dish is served! Did I mention that it happens to be vegetarian, vegan, dairy, soy, and gluten free? Just sayin’…in case you care about that sorta thing. Best of all, it’s ready in a snap!

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas (could also use 1/2 cup cooked quinoa)
  • 1 cup snap peas
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil (coconut oil would work as well)
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (soy-free soy sauce alternative)
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder

Directions:

Turn stove on medium and heat pan with sesame oil, chickpeas, and snap peas. After a few minutes, stir and add hemp seeds, coconut aminos, tumeric, and curry powder. Continue to cook until peas and beans begin to brown slightly (or until desired.) Turn off heat and serve…easy as that!

One Healthy Breakdown: Nothin’ but lean, green, plant protEIN!

French Toast for One

French toast, anyone? Sometimes, we all need a breakfast packed with sweet comfort. This is not your average brunch-order french toast, no matter how you slice it.

22This french toast for one is made of super healthy ingredients to fuel your day. The perfect combination of whole-grains for energy, protein for satiety, and deliciousness to boot. Plus, it doesn’t take an hour to prep or bake, because you don’t even need an oven! Here’s how:

Ingredients: (makes one serving, double for two or if you’re having a larger meal – like a bigger brunch in place of both breakfast and lunch)

  • 1 slice of Ezekiel bread (or another whole-grain bread, I prefer Food for Life’s cinnamon raisin)
  • 1 whole egg + 1 egg white
  • 2 teaspoons almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup berries or 1/2 sliced banana (optional)
  • pure maple syrup, grass-fed butter, and/or nut butter to top (all optional)

IMG_3321Instructions:

Toast bread in toaster. While bread is toasting, whip eggs, almond milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until consistent. Once bread is toasted, dip in egg mixture to coat and move to a pan on stove. Pour remaining mixture over pan. Flip bread after a minute and cook through as desired. Plate, top accordingly, (try berries, banana slices, grass-fed butter, pure maple syrup, coconut butter, honey, or nut butter of choice) and enjoy thoroughly!

One Healthy Breakdown: A hearty, healthy, and heavenly breakfast in minutes!

Pumpkin Treats Two Ways

These are hands-down two of the best pumpkin treats everrrrr invented. Pumkins are not only a fall staple for their color and taste, they also deliver a rich dose of antioxidants to boot. You can feel good about making these treats over and over and over again.

Pumpkin Nut Fudge: (vegan, gluten-free, and can be made sugar free)

IMG_3116Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (I like Farmer’s Market organic pumpkin or you can make your own)
  • 1/4 cup cacoa powder (or cocoa powder)
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey (optional, omit for sugar free recipe)
  • 1/3 cup nut butter of choice (peanut, almond, and sunflower seed all work great)
  • pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

You’ll need two separate bowls to make the layers. For chocolate fudge, combine cacoa powder, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, and 1 teaspoon maple syrup/honey. Melt briefly (microwave for about 20-30 seconds or use stovetop) and stir fudge until consistent. Pour half of fudge on parchment paper in a square pan. Put in freezer or fridge for 5-10 minutes while making pumpkin layer. For pumpkin filling, combine pumpkin with the remaining coconut oil (2 tablespoons) and maple syrup/honey (1 tablespoon.) In a blender or mixer, add nut butter and sea salt and mix until consistent. Spread this layer on top of fudge once it’s solid and freeze or refrigerate another 5-10 minutes. Once pumpkin layer has solidified, add remaining fudge and refrigerate another 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

*option: for a sweeter treat, simply melt chocolate chips and coconut oil for fudge layer. For a less-rich and more “cookie-like” fudge, add almond meal to fudge layer. Recipe adopted from Detoxinista.

Pumpkin Oat Cookies:

cccIngredients:

  • 1 cup pureed pumpkin
  • 1/3 cup oats
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • dash of pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Instructions:

Mix or blend all ingredients together, adding chocolate chips last. Scoop spoonfuls of cookie batter onto cookie pan over parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until outside becomes crispy.

One Healthy Breakdown: you’ll be extra thankful for pumpkin this season after tasting these treats!

 

 

Pumpkin Carrot Zucchini Bread

IMG_2724What is paleo, pumpkin-spicey, loaded with veggies, and tastes amazing? Pumpkin carrot zucchini bread, of course! So loaded with flavor that no one will know that it’s made of nothing but veggies, protein, and healthy carbs for energy…that can be our little secret. One loaf of this bread doubles as a kid-friendly breakfast and pre or post-workout fuel. All bases covered here.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups of pumpkin (or sweet potato) puree (I use Farmer’s Market organic)
  • 1 zucchini
  • 2 carrots
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour (or sub another healthy flour)
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 heaping tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
  • 1 tablespoon flaxmeal
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to top
  • optional: 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or honey for a sweeter treat

Preheat oven to 370. Grate the carrots and zucchini. If you have a Vitamix or high-powered food processor, feel free to use that instead (I did!) Add pumpkin, eggs, and flour and mix well. Add remaining ingredients (except pumpkin seeds) and blend until consistent. Pour batter into a greased (I used coconut oil spray) loaf pan, baking pan, or muffin pan. Top with pumpkin seeds. Bake at 370 for 45-50 minutes (for muffins, check after 30 minutes.) Ensure that bread is cooked through with a fork – bake for another 5-10 minutes if not. Remove and let cool before eating every last crumb. Feel free to also add nuts or chocolate chips for a sweet, crunchy treat!

One Healthy Breakdown: pumpkin spice and everything nice

One Pan Wonder

Last night, dinner came together quickly, received a big stamp of approval, and involved an easy clean-up thanks to one pan and a few local ingredients. This one pan wonder will quickly become a staple, packed with flavor and ready to eat in a flash. I used fluke, but feel free to experiment with other fish, chicken, beef, or even tempeh. The possibilities are endless!

IMG_2492Here’s how it’s done: (serves 2)

In a large pan, sauté diced garlic (3-6 cloves) in olive oil. Add scallions (use the whole leaf, both green and white parts, discarding the very tops and bottoms) and continue to sauté for another minute before adding chopped zucchini. When garlic and scallions start to brown, add fish, another drizzle of olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper. Once cooked thru, remove, plate, and enjoy. Note that chicken, beef, and thicker cut fish will take longer to cook, so add them to pan at the beginning instead of waiting for the garlic to brown. For a heartier meal, mix with brown rice for a stir fry or whole grain pasta. Voilà, it doesn’t get much easier (or healthier) than that!

One Healthy Breakdown: now that’s what I call fast food!

The Freshest Shrimp Tacos

Inspired by fresh local produce at the farmer’s market, Deirdre created a light, colorful summer recipe for one of her very favorites: tacos! These shrimp tacos pack tons of flavor and freshness!

IMG_5708Ingredients: (makes 4 tacos)

  • 8 oz. shredded red or green cabbage (or mix)
  • 1 lb. raw shrimp, washed, peeled, and deveined
  • 16 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 orange
  • 3 Limes
  • 1-2 avocados, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 2 ears of corn, raw cut right off the cob
  • 2 heaping table spoons of Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
  • A handful of resh cilantro, chopped
  • Cayenne pepper, kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, and hot sauce to taste

For the cabbage corn slaw, combine the following in a large bowl and whisk together until smooth:

  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Greek yogurt/sour cream
  • Diced jalapeño to taste
  • Few splashes of hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • A dash of cayenne, salt, and pepper
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Corn

Mix and set aside.

For the shrimp, combine:

  • Shrimp
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • A pinch of cayenne, salt, and pepper
  • Few dashes of hot sauce

Heat a non-stick pan on med-high. Add a splash of olive oil and sauté shrimp until opaque. Build your tacos on warm tortillas of your choice or top a bed of greens for a taco salad! Add avocado, chopped cilantro and hot sauce (optional.) Enjoy!

One Healthy Breakdown: fresh enough for taco Tuesday or taco any day!