Tag: Healthy

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Gluten Free Strawberry Balsamic Tart with Mint

Two weeks ago, I shared a recipe for Gluten Free Pie Crust. On this Meatless Monday, it’s time to fill it!

With all the yummy fresh strawberries I’ve been receiving in my weekly From the Farmer basket, I couldn’t resist making a Strawberry Balsamic Tart. This sweet and savory treat is perfect for a summer night and easy to transport to a friend’s BBQ as long as you leave it in the pan. It’s on the healthier side of dessert so feel free to indulge guilt-free or perhaps break the rules and have it for breakfast!

Gluten Free Strawberry Balsamic Tart


What You’ll Need:

  • 1 recipe of Gluten Free Pie Crust
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp raw (or lavender-infused…) honey
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries (washed, hulled and sliced) – or about 2 cups sliced
  • 5-10 mint leaves
How to Make It:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
  2. Add balsamic to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced by about half. Let cool and it should form into a nice syrup or “reduction.”
  3. Melt honey and add to the balsamic reduction. Stir to combine.
  4. Roll pie crust thin between two sheets of parchment paper. This doesn’t have to be perfect as you’ll press it into your pie dish or tart pan. Make sure you get all the way up to the edges and rim of the pan and spread the dough around evenly.
  5. In a large bowl, mix cut strawberries and balsamic/honey mix. Spread mixture evenly inside crust.
  6. Bake for 25-30 min or until the crust edges turn a nice golden brown. Remove and let cool 10-30 min. 
  7. Cut up mint leaves and sprinkle on top. Serve on its own or with a rounded scoop of vanilla ice cream or coconut sorbet.
Don’t forget, my readers receive 20% off their first 4 From the Farmer baskets with code ‘MOARfit’ at checkout!
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Christmas Came Early to the MOARfit Kitchen!

For years I’ve wanted to get on board with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program but have always found an excuse–I travel too much, the food will go to waste, I only cook for one, etc. I love the farm-to-table movement and I fully understand the importance of supporting locally grown, healthy fresh produce. By doing so you reduce your carbon footprint, support small farmers and, if you haven’t tried food fresh from the soil that hasn’t had to travel by land, air and sea to reach your plate, it also tastes better.

This May, my excuses ran out and a golden opportunity to dive into the farm-to-front-door movement arose that I couldn’t resist. As you may know, MOARfit is now partnered with Yoga Heights, the yoga studio and wellness center I co-own here in Washington, DC. I’m offering my health coaching services to our awesome community with one-on-one nutrition consultations, seasonal group detoxes and educational workshops (details on our website). This partnership has recently turned into a triple threat as we’ve partnered with the stellar people over at From the Farmer. Their approach, passion and product hooked me instantaneously. The proof’s in the picture. Check out my amazing first bounty of goodies below.

From the Farmer Basket

If you live in DC, you should give it a try. Here’s why:

  • Each week From the Farmer hand selects what’s local, most delicious and in-season and deliver it right to your door, stoop or apartment complex;
  • Even better, you can customize your basket each week so you receive what you want and decrease the likelihood you’ll waste any beautiful food;
  • AND you can even suspend your baskets on a week-by-week basis if you know you’ll be out of town one weekend or have a bunch of social events lined up that will keep you from your kitchen.

They’ve made it so easy. With all our busy schedules it should be a no brainer when ease and health go hand-in-hand. Not yet sold? Use code MOARfit at checkout and you’ll save 20% on your first 4 deliveries. I go with a half bushel and it’s easily enough fresh fruits and veggies for two busy working professionals for the week.

Strawberries

Their philosophy is simple: be local, passionate, sustainable, and connected. And when they say local, they mean local. All of their farm partners and artisanal producers reside within 150 miles of DC. I can’t wait to go and see where the food comes from first-hand one of these days!

Kale

The weekly produce has been inspiring me to be more creative with my cooking and to keep it simple so as to showcase these fresh ingredients in all their flavorful glory. From baked tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and stuffed with fresh herbs to a gluten-free strawberry balsamic tart with mint (recipe coming soon!), these farm fresh goodies are bringing out my culinary A-game!

Tomatoes in a Bowl

Get on board and celebrate summer with tasty, real food all the while doing your part to support family-owned businesses and locally grown produce!

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Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon, Pomegranate and Cumin Dressing

Sweet and smoky. Tangy and herbal. Light and rich. My Meyer Lemon, Pomegranate and Cumin Dressing takes kale salad to another level. I know, sometimes I’m not so humble. Seriously though, my dear friend Jeanine can attest that this salad dressing is all those things and then some. Add a  handful of pistachios and dried cherries to the mix and you have a healthy side dish for all your summer meals and an easy contribution to any cookout.

If you read last week’s post (Pomegranate Power Bites), you probably already picked up that I’m on a pomegranate molasses kick. How could I not be? The stuff is packed with the powerful immune system-boosting antioxidant, vitamin C. It also contains several B vitamins which help your body produce energy and maintain healthy muscular, cardiovascular and nervous system function.  It’s also super flavorful so a little goes a long way!

KALE SALAD WITH MEYER LEMON, POMEGRANATE AND CUMIN DRESSING

Pomegranate Cumin Dressing

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
  • 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 3 Tbs pomegranate molasses
  • 1 Tbs cumin
  • 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
  • 1/4 fresh basil leaves

For the salad:

  • 6 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
  • 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios
  • 1/4 cup unsulphured tart cherries
Directions:
  1. Dress 6 cups (or heaping handfuls) of chopped kale with 2/3 of the dressing – set the rest aside for serving.
  2. Massage the kale leaves for a minute then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (and up to 24).
  3. When ready to serve, add in the pistachios and dried cherries. Add what remains of the dressing to taste.
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Chicory Almond Milk Latte (Vegan & Caffeine-Free)

I recently did a 3-week cleanse, eliminating all gluten, dairy, added-sugar (including alcohol) and caffeine from my diet. In the end, caffeine (or the lack there of) seemed to make the biggest impact on my mental and physical sense of well-being. It’s not that I was drinking 5+ cups of coffee a day–in fact, I rarely had more than one–but as someone who is admittedly type A and stress-prone, the stimulant effect of caffeine was doing more harm than good.

Without caffeine I fall asleep faster, wake up feeling more rested and have far fewer spikes in anxiety throughout the day.

That being said, I’m someone who loves a latte from time to time and while decaf espresso is better than regular, it still contains caffeine. Everything in moderation, I still intend to have my decaf almond milk latte’s from Whole Foods every now and again, but on a more regular basis I’ve devised a delicious caffeine-free alternative loaded with superfoods.

Here are the highlights of three nutrient-dense ingredients in my caffeine-free, vegan latte:

Chicory Root:

  • detoxifying coffee-substitute
  • naturally caffeine-free
  • antimicrobial and antifungal properties
  • phenolic antioxidants  help reduce inflammation and prevent disease

The taste isn’t a dead ringer for coffee, but as someone who loves(/d) black coffee it comes pretty darn close.

Cinnamon

  • regulates blood sugar
  • reduces LDL cholesterol
  • anti-inflammatory properties which reduce cytokines linked to arthritic pain
  • reduces chronic inflammation linked with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and meningitis
  • alleviates menstrual pain
  • may be effective for infertility because it contains cinnamaldehyde, which studies show increases the hormone progesterone and decreases testosterone production in women

Coconut Oil

  • contains lauric acid (a medium chain triglyceride or MCT) which increases the good HDL cholesterol in the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels
  • rich in antioxidants, which helps boost immunity
  • when MCT breaks down helps liver break down fats and increase metabolism
  • may help regulate blood sugar and reduce abdominal fat

Chicory Almond Milk Latte

Vegan Caffeine-Free Latte

What You’ll Need:

{makes 2 servings}

  • 1 Tbs chicory root tea
  • 10-oz water
  • 8-oz unsweetened almond milk (see recipe for my Homemade Almond Milk below)
  • 2 medjool dates
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp each ground cloves, nutmeg, cardamon and white pepper

How to Make It:

  1. Steep 1 tablespoon of roasted chicory root tea in 10-oz of boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
  2. In a blender, add 8-oz unsweetened almond milk, 2 medjool dates (pits removed), 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and all the spices.
  3. Once tea is steeped, add tea to blender and blend on high for 1 minute until frothy.
  4. Serve in two coffee mugs with a dash of cinnamon or cocoa powder on top.

Note: if you like your lattes extra hot, give this a nuke in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or heat your almond milk on the stovetop in advance of putting it in the blender.

Homemade Almond Milk

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 4 cups filtered water

How to Make It:

  1. Add almonds and water to blender and mix on high until smooth.
  2. Optional: strain liquid through cheese cloth to remove any pith.

Note: You can also add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to make it an unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

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Chickpea, Quinoa & Kale Taco Salad + Radicchio Wraps = Super-Bowl

Step up your lunch game with this vegan, gluten-free, Meatless Monday superfood taco salad recipe. Try saying that ten times fast.

If you’re underwhelmed or unsatisfied by your attempts at green salads, don’t throw in the towel on healthier habits. Salads don’t have to be all rabbit food. In fact, adding healthy whole grains, nuts or seeds and legumes to the mix will increase satiety (that feeling of, one, I’ve had enough and, two, it was downright tasty) and decrease the desire to graze after the meal. The fiber, healthy fats and proteins these ingredients bring to the table help improve digestion, stabilize blood sugar and nourish your muscles and mind.

Healthy Taco Salad Wraps

All of the nutrient-dense ingredients (kale, quinoa, chickpeas, etc) in this upgraded taco salad fit into those three categories of superfood add-ons. If you take it a step further and replace your tortilla strips or flour wrap with radicchio leaves, you’re kicking it up to a whole new level of good-for-you. The magenta hue of radicchio comes from a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pigment called anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are members of the same family of phytochemicals found in teas, honey, wines, fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and cocoa–all of which have received a lot of well-deserved positive buzz from the health and nutrition field. The cherry on top–as well as the moderation factor–are a few coins of baked plantains. It’s amazing how a little something special can take a salad from boring to a monumental taste-bomb of deliciousness.

Healthy Taco Salad Bowl

Raddichio-wrapped Quinoa Kale Taco Salad w/ Spicy Avocado Dressing

Makes 6 servings

What You’ll Need

For the Quinoa Kale Taco Salad:

  • 1 small head of radicchio
  • 1 cup dry red quinoa
  • 6 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
  • 2 cups chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
  • 1 cup corn (canned or frozen works)
  • 1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

For the Spicy Avocado Dressing:

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 large cloves of garlic
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the Plantains:

  • 1 plantain
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

How to Make It:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Slice plantains into coins 1/8″ thick and toss in olive oil and sea salt. Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and lay out a single layer of plantain coins. Bake for 20 min.Turn oven to broil and cook another 5 min, or until light golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.
  3. While the plantains bake, cook quinoa according to package directions. When it’s done, set it aside to cool.
  4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the kale leaves in boiling water for 1 min, then remove from heat, drain and let cool.
  5. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, mixing until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  6. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, kale, chickpeas, corn, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, onion and fresh cilantro. Pour dressing on top, to taste, and toss until everything is well coated.
  7. Peel a few leaves of radicchio to line your bowl or layer your plate with. Scoop about 1 1/2 cups of the salad into your bowl or onto your plate. Garnish with a few plantains and enjoy!
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Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing

Given the nature of my work as  nutrition coach and food educator, it’s not uncommon for my boyfriend to ask me for healthy lunch and dinner ideas. It always makes me really happy to get this request, and it always leads me down a rabbit’s hole of research and recipe development. Too health-conscious to recommend the good ol’ American classic, sandwich and chips, and too obsessed with creating crave-worthy food to suggest a mere green salad, I always take his requests as a challenge. I only succeed when the recipe meets my tried and true trifecta: keep it simple, pack it full of nutrient-dense whole foods and make it taste damn good.

This Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing checks all three boxes. I typicaly have the majority of these healthy ingredients on hand (sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onions, non-fat Greek yogurt, lemons, garlic and cilantro), so it was a no-brainer for me and having now significantly influenced his shopping cart I knew it wouldn’t be a stretch for him. Plus, it takes only 4 easy steps to bring this meal together!Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad

Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing

(makes 4 servings)

What You’ll Need

For the Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into cubes
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg, cloves, ginger
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

For the Greek Yogurt Dressing:

  • 1 medium garlic clove (finely minced if you don’t have a food processor or blender)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2-3 Tbs water
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, garlic, spices, olive oil and a few pinches of sea salt.Toss until all pieces are evenly coated. Roast on a baking sheet for 30 min, or until soft. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  3. While the sweet potatoes roast, make the Greek yogurt dressing. In a food processor (or blender), add all ingredients and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may opt to add more water to thin it out.
  4. To bring it all together, combine the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onion and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add half the dressing, toss (careful not to mash up the potatoes) and serve with the additional dressing on the side.

Enjoy this recipe right away. Otherwise, set aside the portion of the salad you don’t plan to eat undressed and save a small container of the dressing. You can then reheat the salad when you’re ready and top with the creamy, lemony-goodness.

Inspired by Smitten Kitchen.

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French Country Bean Soup

My winter soup craze continues this week with an easy slow-cooker recipe featuring one of my favorite superfoods: beans. Beans are one of my favorite superfoods because not only are they fat and cholesterol free, but they may even help reduce LDL cholesterol in your blood. They are rich in complex carbs and nutrient dense in health-enhancing B-vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

My French Country Bean Soup is a healthy balance of fats, carbohydrates and (mostly) plant-based proteins and is infused with the Provençale flavors of tomato, garlic, onions and herbs. It’s hearty, comforting and best-served with a hunk of artisanal sourdough or whole grain bread. In the picture below, you’ll notice I topped mine with a quarter cup of diced avocado to keep it gluten-free yet still filling and satisfying. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can also keep this meatless and animal product-free by removing the pancetta/bacon (also making it slightly more healthy).

Perhaps better than the nutritional benefits is that fact that this recipe is EASY. Seriously. In three steps (and 8 hours in the slow-cooker) you will have a delicious meal well-suited for a Sunday supper or a week’s worth of packed lunch.

French Country Bean SoupFrench Country Bean Soup

What You’ll Need:

  • 1/2 lb (8-oz) thick-cut pancetta or bacon, diced
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbs tomato paste
  • 2 Tbs sherry vinegar
  • 2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes (with liquid)
  • 4 cups of water
  • 1 cup dry red kidney beans (soaked for 8-10 hours)
  • 1 cup dry garbanzo beans (soaked for 8-10 hours)
  • 2 bay leaves (remove before serving)
  • 1/2 cup fresh or 1/4 cup dried parsley
  • 2 Tbs Herbes de Provence
  • 1 Tbs fresh or 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1 Tbs garlic sea salt
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

How to Make It:

  1. Saute pancetta/bacon and onions over medium heat for 5-8 min. Transfer to your slow-cooker.
  2. Add all remaining ingredients to your slow-cooker, give them a good mix and let the mixture cook on the ‘low’ setting for 8 hours (slightly less or slightly more time won’t hurt your end results).
  3. When you’re ready to serve, remove the bay leaves and pour into big bowls.

Serve with some toasted hearty, whole-grain bread or a scoop of diced avocado and a side salad.

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Potato Leek Soup w/ Watercress for your Meatless Monday

If you’re looking to join the Meatless Monday movement, or simply cut back on your weekly meat intake, my vegetarian and gluten-free Potato Leek Soup is a tasty way to go. It’s heartiness is also sure to warm you up after that polar vortex that nearly sucked us all into a cold abyss last week. I love this recipe because it’s straightforward, filling, inexpensive and uses seasonal ingredients. I made a similar version (Tri-Color Potato Leek Soup) a year ago and have modified this one with a couple of my favorite super foods: ghee and nutritional yeast.

Ghee is clarified butter originating from India, which has a long shelf life when stored in an airtight container. It’s definitely a process to make, but if you do it with a friend (what’s up, C$!) it can be really fun. Not only is ghee a real food (aka none of that margarine junk), but it’s loaded with health benefits. First of all, it contains Vitamins A (good for the eyes), D (good for the bones), E (good for the skin) and K (good for the heart). These all just so happen to be fat-soluble vitamins and since they’re embedded in this dietary fat your body can readily absorb them. Secondly, ghee provides a cancer-fighting antioxidant named conjugated lineolic acid (CLA), which has been linked to preventing cancer. Lastly, ghee is great for cooking because it doesn’t break down in high heat like many cooking oils (e.g. canola and safflower). When cooking oils break down in high heat they produce free radicals, which damage our cells and DNA leading to mutations that can cause certain diseases. Ghee’s smoking point is between 325°F and 375°F, which is much higher than the smoke point of canola or safflower oil so you’re less likely to run that risk while simply sautéing your onions.

Vegetarians and vegans, if you don’t know about nutritional yeast, you ought to. Why? Well for starters, it is an excellent source of non-animal protein. Drilling down into the details, MindBodyGreen boasts that just two tablespoons of this bizarre but tasty substance (“hippie dust”) contain 9 grams of protein, beating out a glass of whole milk, an egg or an ounce of beef. It’s also a great source of Vitamin B-12, a vital nutrient for your body’s nerve and blood cell health. Most sources of Vitamin B-12 are found in animals, making nutritional yeast an important component of a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet. One tablespoon contains a full day’s supply of  this critical B vitamin.

Before you hit the grocery store to gather the fresh produce you’ll need, support your community by checking the stocks of your local farmers market (if it’s still up and running). Or if you live in the DMV, give Relay Foods a try. I worked with the Relay team on my first MOARfit Nutrition for Athletes Clinic last summer and completely jumped on the bandwagon. Their online grocery store brings the basics, specialty foods and local produce together in one place–i.e. you get convenience and quality, sustainable ingredients. Ok, enough plugging for now. Let’s get on to that recipe….

Potato Leek Soup w/ Watercress 

Potato Leek Soup

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 Tbs coconut oil (or olive oil)
  • 1 Tbs ghee (or unsalted butter)
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 3 leeks, cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • Sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tbs sherry vinegar
  • 5 medium potatoes (about 5 cups chopped)
  • 6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 /4 cup fresh parsley, minced
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast*
  • 4-oz fresh watercress (about 3-4 loosely packed cups)

*If you prefer, used a 1/4 cup or Parmesan or Romano cheese instead of nutritional yeast.

How to Make It:

  1. Heat oil and ghee in a large (5-6 qt), heavy pot (I adore using my Cuisinart  Dutch Oven for all soups) over medium heat. Add onions, celery and leeks, sautéing 5-7 min or until tender and translucent.
  2. Add garlic, cayenne and salt and pepper, cooking for another 2-3 min then add your vinegar to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
  3. Add potatoes, making sure to coat them in the spices and onion/shallot/leek mixture.
  4. Add vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 min. The potatoes should be easy to pierce and pick up with a fork.
  5. Finally, add in your parsley and nutritional yeast. Using an immersion blender (if you have one), purée the mixture in your pot until smooth.
  6. Adjust your seasoning for spice and saltiness.
  7. Serve with a few tablespoons of chopped watercress and enjoy!

If you want to amp up the Yum Factor (and subsequently deviate from Meatless Monday), add 2 oz of pancetta to the mix after the onion and celery but before the leeks. This will of course remove that vegan and/or vegetarian stamp from the recipe but it does add some depth and richness to the flavor of the soup.

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Fennel “Cream” Sauce with Blackened Tomatoes

This week’s recipe for a gluten-free, vegan pasta sauce features hearty, healthy fennel. Fennel is packed with dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium and manganese, and provides a good amount of folate–a B-vitamin critical for proper function of your nervous system. When munched on raw, it has a light anise flavor that mellows out when cooked.

Fun fact #1: I learned from some family friends who grew up in Europe that the Swiss use raw fennel on veggie platters in place of celery.

Fun fact #2: fennel is one of the primary flavors in absinthe.

I adore the flavor of fennel, raw or not, and always have it on hand during the winter months for frittatas, stir-frys and snack time. What follows is my take on a vegan Fennel “Cream” Sauce. I paired it with gluten-free, quinoa pasta, blacked tomatoes (also included in the recipe) and cast-iron grilled chicken. If you’re aiming to keep this vegan, steer clear of the meat and opt for some cannellini beans instead.

Fennel “Cream” Sauce with Blackened TomatoesFennel "Cream" Sauce with Blackened Tomatoes

What You’ll Need –

For the Fennel “Cream” Sauce:

  • 1 tbs grapeseed oil
  • 1/2 fennel bulb,  plus 1/4 c fronds
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbs sherry or raspberry vinegar
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 c nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat grapeseed oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions (coarsely chopped) and cook 1-2 min. Add fennel (coarsely chopped) and cook another 4-6 min. Once the onion and fennel have softened (the onions will appear translucent and both vegetables will start to brown around the edges), add your garlic–the cloves can remain whole as you’ll be blending this in a food processor–and cook another minute or so. You should start to see brown bits sticking to the bottom of your pan. So as to keep all that yummy flavor in your sauce, splash a couple tablespoons of sweet vinegar into your pan to deglaze. Give the mixture a stir and remove from heat.
  2. Add mixture to your food processor with the lemon, nutritional yeast. olive oil, turmeric, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until it’s blended to your preferred sauce consistency.
  3. Pour over cooked, gluten-free pasta or go grain-free with a bowl of hearty winter vegetables or sauteed kale.

For the Blackened Tomatoes:

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes
  • Sea salt

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat (if you don’t have cast-iron opt for your heaviest frying pan).
  2. Cut tomatoes in half. On the rounded (uncut) side, make a small “X” cut. Drizzle “X” sides with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
  3. Place the tomatoes “X” side down in your preheated pan and let them cook without turning.
  4. After about 2-3 minutes, peel up the edges and look for blackened skin with a little red showing through–and if you aren’t quite there yet, cook them a little longer.
  5. Remove from heat and add to your pasta and sauce mix.

To complete the meal:

  • 1 cup gluten-free pasta
  •  12 oz (or 3/4 lb) protein of choice (I went with free-range chicken)

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Fillet the chicken, coat it in some olive oil, salt and pepper (or your favorite marinade), and cook it in the same cast-iron pan (if you have one) as your tomatoes over medium-high heat for about 5 min per side.
  3. Combine pasta with sauce and blackened tomatoes, then top with slices of your chicken (3 oz per person/serving).

{serves 4}

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Pumpkin Power Cookies (V) (GF)

With December upon us pumpkin fever will soon be coming to an end. Well, I don’t know about you but I’m not ready for that yet. In an attempt to keep my pumpkin love affair going until the well runs dry, I’ve got yet another pumpkin-themed recipe for you.

This recipe for Pumpkin Power Cookies is vegan, gluten-free and low on the glycemic index thanks to the wonders of coconut palm sugar, the latest sugar alternative to hit grocery stores. Made from the crystallized sap of coconut palm trees, this natural sweetener contains potassium, iron and vitamins and may help stabilize blood pressure and regulate spikes in blood sugar. Best of all, it can be used 1:1 to replace the sugar a recipe calls for and even acts like sugar in baking (meaning it creams well with butter and all that jazz).

I’ve raved about the benefits of pumpkin (fiber + vitamins A/C) before but it’s been a while since I’ve used this soapbox for a good old-fashioned dark chocolate speech. Here goes…

I used very dark chocolate (100% cacao) in this recipe. It’s not sweet and it’s not for everyone. Whether you go the vegan chocolate route or choose to opt for something a little milder (say 70-85% cacao), quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper and manganese. It is also choc-full (I couldn’t resist) of antioxidants. Studies show that this dark beauty may even help lower bad LDL cholesterol, protect you from sun damage and lower blood pressure.

These cookies will not only satisfy your sweet tooth but are also a great pre-workout snack with 14g of gluten-free carbs to fuel your fire, heart-healthy fats and a few grams of protein (which you don’t want much of pre-workout anyway). At only 110 calories a pop, try munching on two 2-3 hours before your next workout and feel the pumpkin power!

Pumpkin Power Cookies

Pumpkin Power Cookies

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¾ cup organic pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
  • ½ tbs ground flaxseed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-oz very dark chocolate (70-100%), coarsely chopped or chips
  • ¼ cup pecan pieces (optional)
  • ¼ cup cup dried tart cherries (optional)
  • ¼ cup  unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

How to Make Them:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, oats, baking soda, sea salt and spice.
  3. In another mixing bowl (preferably that of a standing mixer), combine pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil, flaxseed and vanilla.
  4. Slowly add dry ingredients (2) to wet (3) and mix on medium speed (or with a brisk whisk) until combined.
  5. Stir in chocolate chunks and any of the optional ingredients until evenly distributed throughout.
  6. Drop rounded tablespoons onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Flatten each mound slightly with a spoon or fork, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie.
  7. Bake for 14-16 minutes.
  8. Move cookies to a wire rack and cool completely (otherwise the might fall apart).

Yields 20 cookies.

Nutrition Info: 

With all the fixings – 110 calories; 6g fat; 2g protein;  14g carbs

Without the optional ingredients – 88 calories; 4g fat; 1g protein; 12g carbs

Source: Self Nutrition Data