Recipes

Kale, it’s what for dinner…most nights at my place at least. I’m actually kidding, brussel sprouts are probably WAY more of regular around my dinner table. Regardless, clearly I’m obsessed with green stuff and I also have a love for whipping up random salad dressings based on whatever I have around the kitchen, so this evening, this beautiful salad creation was born. It’s a kale salad tossed in a simple truffle vinaigrette topped with roasted brussel sprouts, onions and cashews and it was delicious! Since it was so tasty, so easy to make and also happens to be vegan, gluten free, dairy free AND all around good for you – I thought I’d share the recipe with you guys!   Kale Salad with a Truffle Vinaigrette. serving for 1 // double + quadruple as needed 3 handfuls of organic tuscan kale shredded 1/4 cup of diced sweet white onions 3/4 cup of shaved brussel sprouts 2 tbsp of crushed roasted cashews 2 tsp of coconut oil (for sautéing brussel sprouts + onions) Dressing: 2 tbsp of olive oil 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp of dijon mustard 2 tbsp of truffle salsa   Pretty basic, very few ingredients and you have an absolutely delicious lunch or dinner that’s vegan, gluten free, dairy free, good for your body and easy to throw together. Wash and chop your kale, put your onion and 1 tsp of coconut oil into a small sauce pan on medium heat and let them become translucent while your making your dressing. Once the dressing is complete, toss your kale in it and set it to the side. As soon as onions are done, toss them in with the kale, put the remaining coconut oil in the pan and add the shaved brussel sprouts. Cook the brussel sprouts till they brown a little on the edges and then toss them on top of you kale salad. Finish by sprinkling the roasted cashews over the top.

I just got back from Wanderlust (in Tahoe, CA) and I’m missing it dearly as I edit my video diaries of it for you guys. Can’t wait to share all the gems I learned this past weekend with you – be sure to subscribe to GoSweetandSkinnyTV so you don’t miss a thing! The first video will drop tomorrow afternoon and I’m going to let you in on my biggest BREAKTHROUGH of Wanderlust! SO exciting!!

One thing that I am happy about now that I’m home is getting to make myself delicious smoothies again. There’s nothing quite like homemade food after a few days of living off festival food, albeit pretty damn healthy festival food at that but nonetheless, there is something comforting about my own blender. 🙂

Here’s the recipe for this EPIC green goodness smoothie bowl I whipped up for breakfast this morning. Enjoy!

Green GOODNESS Smoothie Bowl

1 cup of coconut- almond milk

5 leaves of Romaine Lettuce

1/2 of an avocado

1 cucumber (minus seeds and skin)

1 green apple

1 large tbsp of nut butter

Topped with: chia seeds, hemp hearts and unsweetened coconut flakes

green smoothie bowl

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!

Watch me make this super delicious and very vegan chocolate avocado pudding on Shape Magazine’s website. It’s easy to whip up and tastes even better than regular chocolate pudding because the avocado adds such a rich, creaminess to it. Perfect for when that crazy chocolate craving hits and you want something that will really satisfy your sweet tooth with out making you feel guilty!

Vegan Chocolate Avocado Pudding

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pit removed

½ cup soy, hemp, or almond milk

4 tablespoons natural, non alkalized cocoa powder

6 dates, pitted

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Berries (to Garnish)

Vegan ( coconut milk)  Whipped Cream (to garnish)

Now just puree all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and spoon into small bowls or cups, add berries and a dollop of whipped coconut milk, if using, and serve.

  This salad was spur of the moment inspired when I got invited to a potluck picnic in Central Park! I wanted to  bring something hearty and satisfying while also being fun and summery. Whenever I get invited to a potluck anything, I always try to bring something I’d be happy eating as entire meal just in case there’s nothing else I can eat there. Luckily, that wasn’t too much of a concern for this picnic because I was with some other health savvy ladies but it’s become a habit of mine. Most of the ingredients in here are things I picked up from the local farmers market a couple days before. I decided to do a “cooked” salad because I’m pretty sensitive to raw vegetables (have a lot of trouble digesting them) so I try to switch it up when I can and incorporate lightly steamed or sautéed vegetables when I can.  This summer superfood salad is not only good for you, it’s delicious and despite it being light and summery will really satiate you and leave you feeling satisfied. Try it yourself and feel free to mix up the greens and berries with whatever is in season for you right now!

Summer Superfood Salad

1 cup cooked quinoa (I added a little basil + oregano while it was cooking)

2 cups of kale lightly sautéed in 1 tsp of macadamia nut oil (or coconut/olive)

3 baby spring onions diced and lightly sautéed with the kale

1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts

3/4 cup  of fresh blueberries

3 whopping tbsps of hemp hearts

all seasoned with garlic, onion powder, and oregano.

I didn’t add any dressing to it because I honestly enjoy how the natural flavors compliment each other while still keeping it very light and airy. Great, easy-to-make dish to bring to your 4th of July BBQ or just your work for lunch on any given day! Hope you enjoy this summer superfood salad as much I do but feel free to post your own inspired variations of it in the comments section below!

Need a great, superfood packed, gluten free, sugar free breakfast option!? Look no further. This Chia Buckwheat cereal is not only crazy easy to make ( we’re talking like five minutes and then let it sit while you shower) but it’ll leave you feeling full and give you some good clean energy to start your day right! Chia seeds are packed with good for you omega 3s and buckwheat groats are a surprisingly delicious gluten free options for your breakfast. Oh, it’s also VEGAN! Or as I like to call it, accidentally vegan because it’s not missing any animal products. Feel free to make it your own by choosing soy milk, almond milk or coconut milk as well as topping it with your favorite seasonal fruit. I am obsessed with using berries because they are full of antioxidants, low in sugar and straight up delicious. This chia buckwheat cereal is a great healthy option for those of you who like a hearty breakfast but are watching your weight. Its also a great vegan breakfast option for those of you (like myself) with all sorts of food allergies, it’s hard to find great tasting gluten free, sugar free and dairy free breakfast option so I’m excited to share it with you guys!

Check out my Mango Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Coconut recipe up on Shape Magazine’s website, I’ll be making healthy recipes on Shape.com all summer long so check back every Monday for another delicious, healthy, summer recipe!

Mango Chia Seed Pudding with Toasted Coconut

1 cup of Silk Vanilla Soy milk
1 ripe mango
1/3 cup of chia seeds
¼ cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

In a mason jar, combine 1 cup of soy milk with 1/3 cup of chia seeds. Mix and let sit in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Mix periodically if needed to evenly distribute the chia seeds. Puree mango in a blender, leave a couple slices to the side for garnishing and mix in to chia seed pudding before serving. Place coconut flakes on a baking sheet and broil for just a couple minutes till toasted. Scoop out serving of pudding and garnish with toasted coconut and a slice or two of mango.

Who says all green smoothies have to be green!?! This healthy, vegan, Berry Booster smoothie has plenty of undercover greens inside and it’s so delicious, you’ll feel like your eating dessert. Perfect for anyone who wakes up with a bit of a sweet tooth. The berries are full of antioxidants while providing just enough sweetness, almond butter  and avocado gives us healthy fats and protein to feel satiated and it even has KALE! Surprise! Of course, I stuck my greens in there, who do you think you’re messing with?

HEALTHY BERRY BOOSTER SMOOTHIE

1 cup almond coconut milk

1/2 avocado

1 large handful of kale

1 tsp of almond butter

1/4 cup raspberries

1/4 cup blueberries

2 tsp chia seeds

Blend + enjoy! Peace, Love and (not-so) Green Smoothies! xo!

                       It’s a scorching 90 + degrees out here in Los Angeles and I’ve been chugging green juice and smoothies all week to keep me refreshed and satisfied.  Summer time in general always makes me a smoothie addict. What better way to not turn on the oven and get all your nutrients in one refreshing glass?! This (vegan) kale creamsicle smoothie has certainly become a go-to this week after picking up some of the ripest, most delicious navel oranges at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market! This kale creamsicle (vegan) smoothie is just as delicious as your old school orange creamsicle with the added bonus of some super foods to give you some good, clean energy to help you power through your day!

KALE CREAMSICLE SMOOTHIE

1 cup of coconut milk

1 small organic banana

1 large handful of organic kale

1 large organic navel orange (peeled)

2 tsp of chia seeds

1 tsp of organic raw almond butter

1/4 cup organic frozen mango 

Blend it up and enjoy!

 

After running 13.1 miles yesterday, I was craving a hearty, filling and treat-worthy breakfast. After messing around with some ingredients I had in the kitchen, I whipped up this super easy to make recipe for healthy, raspberry chia seed pancakes that are not only sugar free, they are also PACKED with protein! Woo Hoo! Who says a girl can’t have everything? Enjoy this recipe and feel free to add a little maple syrup or date syrup to sweeten up if you are not “I quit sugar”-ing with me.

healthy sugar free raspberry chia seed protein pancakes

2 tbsp of non fat plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup oat bran

1 organic hormone free egg

2 tsp of flax seed

2 tsp chia seed

a dash of vanilla extract

a dash of cinnamon

6 or 7 raspberries gently broken up (by hand ) into small pieces (and then extra for on top!)

Add everything except the raspberries and mix it up in a small bowl. Heat your pan on low setting and spray with your favorite cooking spray or use a little coconut oil. Add in raspberries last and gently fold them in. Batter should make three 5-6in pancakes (perfect single serving!), feel free to double or triple it when eating with others. I topped mine with some mashed raspberries and a couple whole ones on top!

Great thing about this recipe is that it’s not only easy, quick and contains minimal ingredients but it’s sugar free and has tons of protein thanks to the egg and non fat greek yogurt. Toss in the flaxseed meal and chia seed and we’re also loading up on heart healthy omega-3s while getting a nice dose of fiber with the oat bran! It’s GOOD and good FOR YOU!

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!