Snow Pea-Radish Toss
1/2 lb snow peas
10 radishes (shredded)
2 carrots (shredded)
1 lemon (juiced)
Mint (handful chopped)
Pitch of sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
Toss all ingredients together. Serving suggestion: side dish for bbq, filling in wrap, or as a snack.
Interesting Fact: The folate in avocados can reduce the risk of depression by 50%.
Creamy Basil Guac Goodness
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 medium tomato (diced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
Handful basil (chopped)
1 tsp sea salt
In a medium sized bowl, mash together all ingredients with folk. Serve as a spread on a sandwich, with raw veggies, top over soup, or baked tortilla chips.
Eggplant Caponata
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 large eggplant (cubed)
3 tomatoes (diced and seeds removed)
1 can low sodium tomato sauce
3 tbsp balsamic
2 tbsp capers
1/4 cup green olives (chopped)
1 tsp sea salt
olive oil
In medium sized skillet, over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook about 3 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, lower heat to medium low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Top grilled veggies, fish, or chicken with caponata, use as a dip, or toss in quinoa.
Guilt – Free Snacking: Make Better Crunchy Choices
Most of us crave junk food every now and then. Rather then grabbing for a highly processed, sodium monster try reaching for these “healthier” snack options. A few good rules of thumb to keep in mind: (1) can you trace “its” source, (2) are there fewer than 5 ingredients?, and (3) do you recongize the items that make up the “food”.
Leave it – Tortilla Chips
Love it – Baked Blue Corn Organic Tortilla Chips (higher in fiber and 1/2 the saturated fat)
Shaved Raw Squash Salad Topped with Goat Cheese
3 pounds summer squash (mixed zucchini and yellow squash)
1/4 cup raw, sliced almonds (toasted)
1/2 cup herbed goat cheese (crumbled)
Using a grater shave zucchini. Toss all ingredients together.
Wasabi, Agave Trail Mix
6 cups rice cereal (organic and unsweetened)
1/2 cup pecans
5 sheets nori (crumbled)
3 tbsp miso
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp wasabi paste
1/4 cup tossed sesame oil
1 tsp sea salt
Preheat oven to 350. Over medium heat, toss pecans until fragrant. Cool and toss with nori and rice cereal. In a mini food processor or hand held blender, mix together miso, agave, wasabi, sesame oil, and salt. Using your hands mix liquid through trail mix and set on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in over or 15-20 minutes to toast, stirring and tossing 2 or 3 times so it does not burn.
Hot Topic: Sprouted EVERYTHING
From sprouted tortilla chips to bread to rice, sprouted foods are carpet bombing the market (and, we aren’t just talking health food stores). Sprouting changes the chemistry of seeds so they become nutritional powerhouses that offer lots of vitamins A, B, and C and many other nutrients. These life forces become easier to digest, cook faster, and are a sustainable food. Get your sprout on at home with these 4 simple steps.
Sprouting Mung or Lentil Beans
Island Inspired Smoothie – Mango Sunrise
The fiber in mangos balance blood sugar and the lupeol in these juicy gems reduce sun related skin damage. Bingo!
1/2 of mango
1/4 cup raspberries
1 cup almond milk
1/2 lemon (juice)
2 tbsp agave nectar
handful of ice
Throw all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Jazz up with a slice of your favorite fruit.
Bell Peppers to Reduce Stress
When life gets chaotic, reach for a bell pepper. Yep, just 1 cup delivers an impressive 196% of the daily value of vitamin c. A University of Alabama study found that this nutrient dampens the body’s production of cortisol in response to stress, cutting surges of this hormone by up to 300%. Here are some ways to enough the natural stress reducer:
- Dip raw peppers in Spicy Red Pepper Dip
- Sundried Tomato Greek Pasta
- Mint, Lime Colorful Quinoa Salad
BBQ’ed Kale Salad
1 bunch kale
1 cup farro (cooked)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp Braggs Amino Acid
⅓ cup cranberries (unsweetened)
1 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
Heat BBQ to medium heat. Brush kale with olive olive and toss on grill for about 2 minutes on each side (or until ends are browned). In large bowl break kale with hands into bite sized pieces (or chop with knife). Toss with all other ingredients.
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