snacks

In this episode of “Eat with Intention TV”, I share my favorite easy, healthy plant-based holiday appetizers. These recipes range from super basic to simple but impressive and they are perfect for hosting a healthy holiday gathering or bringing a dish to your office’s Christmas party. All of the dishes are vegan and absolutely delicious! Let me know which ones you are trying!

Check out my girl Sarah’s Salthouse Mkt Holiday Hosting Guide that I mention in the video here:
http://bit.ly/2o2rYAG

Please SUBSCRIBE, like and share if you enjoy this video!

The recipes from today’s episode like the ‘spicy squash soup’ and ‘veggie balls’ are available in my book, “Eat with Intention: Recipes and Meditations for a Life that Lights You Up” grab it on amazon here: http://amzn.to/2cXdfQl

Get my Free 7-Day Mind Body Soul Reboot
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Work with me one on one to finally get FREE from food + body drama and tap into your body’s deep intuitive wisdom: https://cassandrabodzak.com/mentoring

In this episode of “Eat with Intention TV”, I share my easy, healthy flight snacks for staying sane and satiated while traveling! These grab and go snacks are perfect for tossing into your carry on and will be miracle workers when mid-flight cravings kick up and you have a nourishing alternative at arm’s length. Let me know what YOUR favorite flight go to’s are and maybe you will see them in an upcoming travel healthy video!

You can shop the products I talk about in this video below:

TEAS:
Tulsi Sweet Rose Tea / http://amzn.to/2f6KjIB
Yogi Kava Tea for Stress Relief / http://amzn.to/2uWSxad
Pukka Relax Tea / http://amzn.to/2uTMiFG

SNACKS:
KIND all fruit bars / http://amzn.to/2uWYwf6
Philosophie Coconut Butter / https://www.thephilosophie.com/products/green-dream-coconut-butter
Qia GF Oatmeal / http://amzn.to/2vgFUJq
Super Elixir / https://www.welleco.com/collections/alkalizing-formula
Figgy Pops Snack / http://amzn.to/2vqWdUy
Healthy Warrior Chia Seed Bar / http://amzn.to/2uhW40C

Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel, like and share if you enjoy this video!

Grab the book “Eat with Intention: Recipes and Meditations for a Life that Lights You Up” on amazon here: http://amzn.to/2cXdfQl

Get my Free 7-Day Mind Body Soul Reboot
http://bit.ly/2mqSU8t

Work with me one on one to finally get FREE from food + body drama and tap into your body’s deep intuitive wisdom: https://cassandrabodzak.com/mentoring

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I am beyond excited to share this blog post and interview with you guys. You already know that I don’t believe anything is an accident, so trust me when I say this brilliant man was introduced to me and it was no less than divine interference. Johann Helf of Lotus Blooming Herbs, is a Ayurvedic Practitioner and the man responsible for bringing the most authentic shilajit to the US and he is an incredible wealth of knowledge when it comes to restoring us to our natural vitality. Check out our fun interview on Eat with Intention LIVE on facebook below and dive deeper with our more in depth interview below as well as the recipes for our ‘miracle elixirs’ on todays show!

 

Have you always been involved in Ayurveda? How did your relationship and knowledge develop and what sparked your deep interest?

 

I came to Ayurveda through other healing modalities. In the mid 90’s I became very interested in Tibetan medicine. I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Yeshe Dhonden (former personal physician to His Holiness the Dalai Lama) when he was touring the United States. I later lived in Dharamsala in the foothills of the Himalayas and spent some time volunteering and studying with Dr. Dhonden and several other masters. It was at this time that I was first introduced to shilajit through a Yogi who was staying in this area. In 2003 I studied a family system of Chinese medicine with Paul Pitchford, author of Healing With Whole Foods. One day in class he mentioned shilajit but he believed it to be a mystical and legendary substance that probably didn’t exist. I told Paul that I had had the real thing and he was certain I had tried one of the imitations. This also fueled my desire to find genuine shilajit and prove to Paul that it was indeed a real substance. Paul now uses my shilajit with a great many of his clients!

 

When I went back to India for meditation practice and to search for shilajit, I started meeting with and learning from different Ayurvedic Doctors. I fell in love with Ayurveda and was able to see how both the Tibetan and Chinese systems of medicine had evolved out of Ayurveda. I now assist and learn from a brilliant Ayurvedic doctor, Dr. Jayant Lokhande, and take blessings and instruction from our master in India Dr. Ganesh Shinde. I have also studied with and received my Ayurvedic Practitioner designation under Dr. Paul Dugliss, who is a wonderful and insightful teacher here in the USA at New World Ayurveda. Dr. Dugliss was able to really explain the consciousness model of Ayurveda in a way my western mind could make sense of.

 

Your company, Lotus Blooming Herbs focuses on a particular branch of Ayurveda called Rasayana, what makes this branch particularly dear to you? Can you tell readers who have never heard of it a little bit more about it?

 

Rasayana therapy is an Ayurvedic system of rejuvenation. Its purpose is systemic revitalization of body and mind. It is especially suited to the present era as we are so depleted due to toxins, stress, greed, anger and materialism. It should be emphasized that true rasayana therapy must have an authentic form of meditation at its center. Meditation is the ultimate medicine! The two products we provide at Lotus Blooming Herbs support rejuvenation and are both very important rasayanas in Ayurveda. They are very powerful yet safe to take on a daily basis to supplement the diet and promote wellness of body and mind. Many Ayurvedic medicines are today sold as dietary supplements but really ought to be administered by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner. Not everyone should take these medicines and they can have detrimental effects if not used correctly and in proper combinations with other herbs. Conversely there are very few people today who would not benefit from the deep rejuvenation of rasayanas. Both chyawanprash and shilajit are safe and helpful for people who are experiencing stress and fatigue or need to build stamina and strength. One of the names for shilajit is “The Destroyer of Weakness”!

 

I love, love, love the fact that you learned about shilajit from a yogi on a mountain in India! Please tell us more about that magical encounter and it’s effects on propelling you towards what you offer today.

 

Well! It’s a long story. The short version is that I was living in the foothills outside of Dharamsala and there was a yogi in the area who had recently finished a very long cave retreat. These types of masters are rare and I really wanted to meet him. I bought him a chai one day and we became friends. We would meet and talk and drink chai and one day he pulled out one of those plastic film containers with this black gooey tar inside and put some in my tea. I tasted it and was immediately obsessed. I felt connected with this substance. I experienced a calm clear energy vibrating in my skin. The yogi taught me about shilajit from a more spiritual and esoteric perspective. Many yogis carry shilajit as part of their kit for long meditation retreats. For them it is a divine substance and not merely for nutrition and physical health. In mystic teachings shilajit is connected with Lord Shiva and the creation of the universe. There is so much more to this story but probably better suited to our Facebook live conversation!

 

One of my favorite things about both the shilajit and chyawanprash is that I feel like both become really beautiful daily rituals for your health and vitality. What’s your personal morning routine and how do they both weave in to it?

 

These days I am most concerned with my spiritual fitness rather than my physical health but I do have Chyawanprash every morning and shilajit 2 or 3 times a week. Other than that I don’t take any supplements unless I am dealing with a specific imbalance. A wise man once told me, “Mind matters most!” so I try to practice Vipassana meditation  every morning and I pray that all beings be happy, peaceful and free. So my morning ritual is mainly focused on my mind and reminding myself what is important in this short life. I try to promote an “attitude of gratitude” and this sets up my day for less negativity and more happiness.

 

I practice Iyengar Yoga about 5 mornings a week before eating any food. After yoga I often eat at the Krishna Temple in Culver City because the food there is non violent and made with love by the monks who chant devotional prayers while they prepare it.

 

I eat a variety of food, shop at the farmers market, and try to stay within Ayurvedic principles but I make a point of not taking my diet too seriously. In the past I have been overly obsessed with diet to the point of it becoming another form of stress in my life. Mental stress of any kind is, in my opinion, far more detrimental to ones health than even sugar and fast food. Today I honestly believe the most important vitamin is Vitamin H and H stands for happiness! So I look for opportunities to laugh and smile and be happy as much as possible.

 

Both are recommended to be taken with tea or hot milk, I love having them with a nice chai roobios tea (from yogi tea) in the morning with some coconut milk. Do you have any delicious tea or elixir recipes you like to pair them with?

 

I recently quit caffeine so I’m hooked on this Dandy Blend coffee substitute that’s made from dandelion, barley and chicory. Here’s a recipe for a Shilajit Latte using Dandy Blend.

 

shilajit

Shilajit Latte

 

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp Dandy Blend

3/4 cup hot water

¼ cup unsweetened almond, coconut or goat’s milk

Rice grain size of Authentic Shilajit™ 

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp coconut oil

Sweetener of choice (I prefer jaggery, but can also use raw honey or liquid stevia)

 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Combine all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend on high for until smooth and frothy. Enjoy! Tip: I like to heat up the milk first before blending.

 

I usually take my Chyawanprash by the spoonful as I’m running out the door to get to yoga class! If you’re in the mood for something a little different, try out this chyawanprash chai recipe.

 

chyawanprash

Chyawanprash Chai

 

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon Authentic Chyawanprash™ 

½ cup hot water

½ cup warm goat’s milk or dairy free milk

 

DIRECTIONS

Simply stir, or blend for frothiness, Authentic Chyawanprash™ into a cup of warm milk, relax and enjoy! Super easy but chyawanprash has so many ingredients there is no need to add anything else!

 

For someone who is reading this post and knows very little about ayurveda, I really believe that these two items can be a wonderful “gateway drug” of sorts because they are beneficial to everyone and can give a lovely boost of clarity, energy and vitality. Would you tell readers who are new to ayurveda a little bit more about the ingredients in each and why they can truly complement anyones wellness practice?

 

Shilajit is a very unique substance within Ayurveda as it is considered to have the capacity to bring the essence of any dhatu (tissue system). This means that it adapts to you. If you are doing high intensity exercise it will bring shape and faster recovery to your muscle system (mamsa dhatu). If you are weak and fatigued it will bring life to your blood (rakta dhatu). If you are under a lot of metal stress it will bring clarity and knowledge to your nervous system (maja dhatu). From a western perspective shilajit contains a very wide spectrum of minerals and trace elements that are involved in every single chemical reaction of the body. As our farms soils have become depleted of mineral content so have our bodies and shilajit is a natural way to restore balance through re-mineralization.

 

Chyawanprash was formulated 5000 years ago by one of the Rishi’s (Vedic masters) who’s name was Chyawan. It was cognized by him to be the perfect functional food for all of humankind. If someone is interested in Ayurveda they can just research the ingredients in Chyawanprash. It contains a total of 35 ingredients including many of the most utilized herbs in Ayurveda, aromatic spices and linoleic rich fats, which combine to create a Super Supplement for longevity, wellness and rejuvenation. The base is Amla fruit (http://www.authenticshilajit.com/amla-berry-natures-nurse.html/), sometimes called Dhatri in Sanskrit which means “The Nurse”. It is the ancient herbal equivalent of a daily multi-vitamin. I believe it is the greatest example of Hippocrates’ maxim “Food as medicine and medicine as food”. The way we make it is according to detailed directions laid out by the Rishi Chyawan. It takes 21 days to produce in conjunction with the moon cycles and each ingredient is added at a very specific time.

** During our live interview on facebook, Johann also recommended the book “The Ageless Woman” for diving deeper if this conversation excites you. Link to buy it on amazon here.

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us and if you’re anything like me, you love bringing food whenever you go to a gathering or whipping up a ton of delicious goodies when people you love are coming over for the day. I love, love, love making yummy finger food for the Super Bowl. I don’t even watch football (to be completely honest with you) but I love playing hostess or offering my kitchen skills to a friend who’s having people over, everybody wins, I don’t mind missing the game to be in the kitchen and everyone gets to eat freshly made snacks all evening!

What’s even better about making your own stuff is that you can be sure there’s a good for you and great tasting option for you to nosh on during the game. Bringing my own food has been a total life saver for years now, it allows me to have it all. I get to share my food with people I love and also feel great about what I’m putting in my body so that I can be fully present and energized for the people I’m with!

Here are some super easy, last minute snacks you can whip up in no time tomorrow. These 5 Healthy “Guy-Friendly” Superbowl snacks are sure to please even the most buffalo chicken loving boys in your life. 😉

AVOCADO FRIES WITH SRIRACHA-LIME DIPPING SAUCE

ZUCCHINI FRIES WITH HEALTHY BUFFALO-RANCH DIP

CRISPY CAULIFLOWER

MY FAVORITE GUACAMOLE

ZUCCHINI CHIPS

And if something is making you anxious or stressed about going to that Super Bowl party or hosting that check out my holiday zen video, it’s perfect for easing your anxiety and getting you back into a place of love and strength so that you can really show up as your highest self for all those around you

Have an amazing weekend!

Tis the season to make healthy snacks to have on hand before and after decadent holiday meals and social events! These vegan snickerdoodle protein muffins are the perfect little nosh to make a batch of, freeze some, put some in plastic baggies and stuff in your suitcase so that you always have a healthy snack or light breakfast on hand. These vegan snickerdoodle muffins are easy to make, so good you’ll hardly believe they’re healthy and perfect to keep you full with loads of clean, organic, gmo-free protein and healthy fats! I was so ecstatic to find Aloha’s clean, plant based protein powder, it made a great addition to the recipe and it’s a breathe of free air to find a protein powder that’s organic, gmo-free and clean enough to use in my smoothies too! 🙂

Watch me make them in this week’s video and be sure to subscribe to my youtube channel for new videos every wednesday to help you go big and shine bright!

 

I am honored and thrilled to be a part of Well + Good’s Amazing Pumpkin Recipe round up! Who can ever get enough healthy pumpkin recipes?! Not me for sure, so it’s a delight to have my healthy vegan pumpkin balls in the mix with some other fabulous treats like pumpkin pie smoothies and my girl Jordan’s pumpkin chocolate chip bars! Click here and check out these 10 healthy pumpkin recipes so that you can celebrate halloween right this year! Althogugh, let’s be real, I’ll be making them well into the holidays! #Pumpkineverythingplease !

Don’t forget to tag me @gosweetandskinny in your delish pumpkin creations! I can’t wait to see and regram some of my faves! 🙂

Alrighty love bugs, I couldn’t hold out on you any longer. My newsletter subscribers got this vegan, gluten free, pumpkin spice donut recipe a couple weeks ago but I didn’t want anyone to miss out because it is SO good! For the latest, yummiest, exclusive recipes be sure to put your email in the giant box above and you’ll get a little love note from me each week with a mouth watering good-for-you recipe!

So amidst my mission to buy out all the pumpkin pie spice and organic pumpkin puree in New York City this fall, I have been almost exclusively making fall themed treats and these healthy, vegan, gluten free pumpkin spice donuts were the first of the bunch! They are baked, not fried and have a really nice, moist, cake-like texture. Give this recipe a whirl and let me know what fun toppings you decide to drizzle on these babies.

HEALTHY VEGAN PUMPKIN SPICE DONUTS
2 cups of trader joe’s whole grain baking mix ( you can use any baking /biscuit mix – for gluten free try Bob’s Red Mill’s!)
1 cup of organic pumpkin puree
3 tbsp of coconut oil
2 flaxs -‘eggs’ (2 tsp flaxseed meal + 6 tsp of water whisked)
3 tsps of pumpkin pie spice (or to your taste, I like a lot of spice!)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
—— dust top with coconut sugar + pumpkin pie spice ———
Super easy to make! Whip all ingredients in together in your mixer, place in a pastry bag (or a ziploc baggy that you cut a corner off! 😉 ) for easiest dispensing into your doughnut pan and bake in the oven on 375 degrees until golden on the edges. Plop out on cooling rack and sprinkle your dusting ingredients to your liking! Enjoy! Tag me on your photos when you make them and I’ll repost some of my favs! xo!

This is one of my absolute favorite things to make whether it’s for a picnic or BBQ, or I’m just feeling snacky at home! Avocado fries are great to load up on good for you fats and and satisfy that crunchy and savory craving a the same time. The sriracha lime dipping sauce is addictive and will leave you wanting more things to dip! Sweet + Skinny tip: save it! And use any left over to dip raw veggies when you’re looking a nibble during the day.

 

Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy, my loves!

 

AVOCADO FRIES WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Serving for 1 or 2.

 

2 avocados

¼ cup of coconut oil ( for lightly greasing the baking sheet)

2 cups of panko bread crumbs

2 eggs (can be subbed out if you’d like to make this vegan- we can go with flaxseed meal and water “eggs”)

adobo seasoning

salt/pepper

 

Preheat the oven for 425 degrees. Lightly grease your baking sheet with coconut oil. In one bowl, whisk the two eggs.  In another bowl mix your panko, adobo seasoning (to your taste – I used about tbsp.)  and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Slice avocados lengthwise, dip in either whisked eggs or flaxseed mixture, and then into the panko mixture.

Place on baking sheet and season again if you feel it’s necessary. I always like to put a couple more shakes of adobo and a little more salt before they go in the oven. Place the sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes or till the panko starts browning.

 

dipping sauce:

1/3 cup of tofu sour cream

juice of ½ a lime

¾ tsp of sriracha

sprinkle of salt

½ tsp of freshly chopped cilantro

Whoever said that plane food was gross clearly never traveled with me. In all seriousness, despite some attempts (more in some airports than others) to make plane food more appetizing and slightly more health conscious, it’s still best to B.Y.O.P.F. – that’s right Bring Your Own Plane Food! I had a super early flight this morning to go out to Tahoe, CA for Wanderlust Squaw Mountain and I was not about to settle for some refined carb-loaded breakfast from Au Bon Pain for breakfast, so I packed my own. I’m writing this in the airport right now and I can already feel the envious stares as people watch me nosh on my fresh sweet cherries from the farmer’s market.

So here’s how I pack healthy plane food for a flight:

1. I think about what I’ll likely be in the mood for depending on the time of day I’m flying. This may seem obvious but the easiest way to thwart your good efforts is to bring healthy plane food you don’t actually want to eat. Trust me, I’ve done it, then you end up spending money on over-priced mediocre airport fare and you’re beautiful healthy plane food goes to waste. A sad story. So make something you’re excited about eating! In my case, I made my vanilla spice chia seed pudding topped with blueberries, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. I’m on a huge chia seed pudding for breakfast kick lately so not only was it easy to prepare last night but it was a great healthy plane food choice!

2. Bring sweet & savory SNACKS! This is one of those times where I highly recommend slightly overpacking. You want to cover your bases so that when you are a couple hours into the flight and they walk around giving out free potato chips, you have something even more appetizing and good for you on hand! Today I packed sweet cherries that I picked up yesterday from the farmer’s market to satisfy my sweet tooth and dry roasted edamame with wasabi as my savory. The cherries are perfect for pre-boarding when my appetite hasn’t quite kicked in yet but I feel tempted to nosh since everyone around me is eating breakfast as they wait for their flights. The edamame is packed with protein and little spicy so that in the final hours of my flight, after I’ve consumed my chia seed pudding, I have something to snack on to hold me over till I get lunch.

3. HYDRATE. Regardless of what you choose for your own personal healthy plane food, the number one traveling healthy tip I can give you is to always stay hydrated. Spend the five dollars or whatever crazy price they are charging for the water bottle at the gate or just be a pain in the bum to the flight attendants like me and ask them for water every time they pass by. I’m probably not someone you’d want to sit next to on a plane because between guzzling water and eating my delicious healthy plane, I get up to use the lavatories quite frequently. But hey, I arrive to my destination feeling great, looking good (cause my skin isn’t dehydrated and funky since I’ve properly hydrated and been eating good for me goodies!) and ready to take on my next adventure!

I’d love to hear from you: what’s your favorite HEALTHY PLANE FOOD options!? Comment below and let’s share ideas! xo!

My SUPER simple Chia Seed Pudding recipe:
Just take 2 tbsp of chia seeds and one cup of almond milk (or coconut milk) and mix them together in cup (I love using little mason jars). I added 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice (cinnamon,nutmeg,cloves) to this batch and it was delicious with out using any sugar! Store it in the fridge for at least 3-5 hours or overnight- I tend to stir it on and off in the first hour or so to prevent clumping of the chia seeds.

               I was craving a healthy snack this afternoon and decided to try my hand at whipping up some baked zucchini chips! I have been thinking about different healthy snack ideas for my upcoming Sweet + Skinny Detox Meal Plan and these fit right in perfectly! They are super healthy, easy to make and really satisfy that crunchy potato chip craving.

Baked Zucchini Chips

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees. Slice a zucchini very thin, you can use a mandolin if you have one but cutting them as thin as you can with a good knife works just fine! Spray 2 baking sheets with olive oil cooking spray and spread out your zucchini slices evenly so they do not overlap. Sprinkle some garlic, oregano and a little salt and pepper to  your liking and bake them for 1 hour and a half to 2 hours, depending how thin you slice. You’ll know they’re done when they get a little brown and turn crunchy! 

It’s always a blast spending time in the kitchen with my bestie and team ludo teammate, Chef Jeff Kawakami. What a lot of people don’t know about Jeff from watching The Taste is that he’s a pretty killer healthy cook as well. Jeff makes some vegan dishes that are out of this world and has celebrity clients that require him to make really healthy food, really delicious on the daily. Naturally, I asked him to share with us, an easy, go-to snack that’s both delicious, healthy and ‘man-friendly’. This healthy, crispy cauliflower recipe is sure to be a guilt free crowd pleaser.

Crispy Cauliflower

1 cauliflower cut into florets
1 egg
1 egg white
1.5 tbsp of dijon mustard
hot sauce to taste
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Cut your cauliflower head into florets and place in a large bowl. Add eggs and lightly toss the cauliflower in them. Add you mustard, hot sauce , garlic powder, parmesan and bread crumbs and toss till cauliflower is covered in mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and then spread out the cauliflower on your baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, they are finished when the edges are light, golden brown and crispy.