I love hummus. When I first met my husband I ate hummus for dinner 3-4 nights a week. It’s just so easy to grab and have dinner on the plate in minutes. This was the first time that I ever tried making hummus with sweet potatoes and I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to try it.
The sweet potato adds a lovely sweetness and the chipotle peppers give it a nice kick and keeps it from being overly sweet. Lately I’ve been making quesadillas with it, just spread a few tablespoons onto a corn tortilla sprinkle an ounce of cheese over the top and grill on both sides until crispy and golden. Click on the link below for the full recipe:
I love experimenting with alternative grains and flours in my cooking. It is a great way to add an extra dimension to traditional recipes and get added fiber, nutrients and protein in dishes that are usually made with white flour. I saw this recipe on Naturally Ella a beautiful blog with amazing photography and recipes that you must check out and I decided it was time for me to give amaranth a try.
Amaranth contains large amounts of protein, up to 30% more than wheat flour, rice and oats making it a good source of vegetarian protein. It is a gluten free seed that contains large amounts of lysine which aids in calcium absorption, and process protein.
Amaranth can be ground into flour, flaked into oatmeal or popped like popcorn. You can combine it with other grains like quinoa and millet for a unique pilaf or use it as a substitute for your favorite oatmeal recipe.
Popping the amaranth is easy and fun, I felt like a little kid the first time you realize that popcorn can come from dried corn. You can easily skip the popped amaranth if you are pressed for time. It does add some nice texture and roasted flavor but the recipe will totally work without it.
Take the plunge and try this healthy and delicious grain. It’s like having rice pudding for breakfast and who doesn’t love the idea of dessert for breakfast?
Amaranth porridge with mangos and coconut
adapted from Naturally Ella
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup amaranth plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup lite coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 vanilla bean
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut
- 1/2 cup diced mango
- extra coconut milk for serving
Method:
Rinse the amaranth well and add 1/2 cup to a small saucepan along with the coconut milk, cinnamon, cardamom, and maple syrup. Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into the pot. Gently whack the ginger with the back of a knife and add it to the mixture along with the vanilla bean. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes adding some additional coconut milk or water if the mixture becomes to dry. Turn the heat off, cover the pudding and let sit for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
Take the remaining 2 tablespoons amaranth and let dry thoroughly on a paper towel. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and then add the amaranth a tablespoon at a time, cover the skillet with a lid and let cook shaking the pan until the popping slows. Repeat the process with the remaining amaranth.
To serve portion the pudding into two bowls, top with the mango, coconut, popped amaranth and extra coconut milk.
Some days it’s fun to play with your food. I wanted to see if I could make a smoothie using only ingredients that were green and see how it would taste. The result was a super refreshing, super healthy and super green smoothie. Enjoy!
Honeydew kiwi smoothie
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2 cups honeydew peeled and seeded honeydew melon
- 1 kiwi, peeled
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
- 5-10 fresh mint leaves
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Divide between 2 glasses and serve.
Love creamy pasta sauces but not all the saturated fat and calories that come with most recipes? If you love avocados and pasta then this is the dish for you.
And while this dish is not exactly low in calories, it’s full of monounsaturated fat which in studies have found to lower cholesterol and it is thought to prevent inflammation. Avocados are also loaded with 20 vitamins and minerals including vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, fiber, iron and potassium, plus they taste amazing.
This is a perfect weeknight dinner for when you want something on the table fast. Avocado, paired with lime, garlic, basil makes for the richest, creamiest most delicious pasta ever. Click the link below for the full post and recipe.
If you’ve always reserved butternut squash for roasting and soups here is a new recipe for you. I’ve never been a huge fan of coleslaw, usually its too sweet and so laden with dressing that it’s a soggy mess. This is a version of coleslaw that I can really get into, sweet, crunchy and utterly refreshing. Butternut squash julienned into whisper thin slices, dressed lightly with a sweet vinaigrette and topped with cranberries and sunflower seeds it’s the perfect alternative to any slaw. It’s low calorie, chock full of nutrients and vegan so it makes the perfect potluck or party salad to take along. If you don’t have a julienne slicer use a large box grater instead, it won’t be quite as pretty but will still be delicious! If you don’t need it to be vegan a little crumbled feta or goat cheese would make it more substantial and be a nice counterpoint to the sweetness.
Butternut squash slaw
Ingredients:
- 3 cups butternut squash (about 1/2 of a 2 lb squash)
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Peel the butternut squash, use a box grater or julienne peel to get 3 cups of butternut and place in a medium sized bowl. Combine the honey, apple cider vinegar olive oil and lemon. Season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasoning as needed, you may want to add more lemon or honey. Add the parsley, cranberries and sunflower seeds to the butternut squash, top with the dressing and gently toss.
I love using kale in my salads. You need to work the dressing into the leaves a little bit more but it doesn’t wilt like most salad greens and does a great job of standing up to assertive ingredients. I’ve made this salad many time since and the one addition I would highly recommend is some dices avocado, it makes for a more filling lunch and the creaminess of the avocado pairs nicely with the tartness of the grapefruit.
Grapefruit is high in enzymes that is thought to aid in weight loss as well as an excellent source of Vitamin C and antioxidents. It is also believed to help lower cholesterol, treat common colds, improve liver function and boost immunity. Health benefits aside, I have come to realize that there is so much more to grapefruit than cutting one in half and attacking it with a spoon. Enjoy!
Click the link below for the full recipe
This edamame dip is rich in protein, filling, fresh and absolutely delicious. Bright green and sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds it’s great as the centerpiece of a vegetable platter but also delicious on sandwiches, in a wrap or anywhere that you would use hummus. Feel free to substitute the parsley with cilantro or basil or use tahini instead of the avocado.
Edamame Dip
Ingredients:
- one 14 ounce bag of frozen edamame
- 1/4 ripe avocado
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon miso
- 1 teaspoon red chili paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- black sesame seeds for garnish
Method:
Cook edamame in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 4-5 minutes. Drain reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Place the edamame, avocado, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, miso, chili paste, olive oil, salt and pepper and 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding some additional cooking liquid if too thick.
Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with raw veggies, rice crackers or pita chips.
Blackberries are one of the top 10 foods for containing antioxidents and are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, manganese and fiber. Best of all they are sweet, portable and a perfect addition to your morning smoothie. I’ve paired it with pears and toasted coconut for a delicious and unique morning pick me up. If you don’t have a powerful blender you may want to forgo the toasted coconut and add a tablespoon of coconut milk instead. To toast the coconut pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, spread out the coconut on a baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes or so just until it takes on some color and is fragrant.
Blackberry coconut smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1 pear, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/4 inch piece of ginger
- 1/2 cup coconut water
- 1 tsp agave nectar or honey
- 2 tablespoons toasted coconut
- few sprigs of fresh mint
Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
Skip the boxed cereal and make your own! This is a recipe that I created for Bliss but it’s just too good not to share it with you all. This is granola with a twist, it substitutes quinoa for the traditional oats for a super crunchy high protein breakfast to start your day the right way.
If you’ve never cooked with quinoa it is actually a seed and related to the beet and chard family not a true grain. It is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids and has 6 grams of dietary fiber per serving. Besides lending a lovely spicy note, pumpkin is a great substitute for some of the fat called for in most recipes. If you want a more traditional granola substitute 2 cups of oats for 2 cups of the quinoa and feel free to add raisins, cranberries or a different nut to the mix once it has cooled. Click the link below for the full post and recipe. Enjoy!
Pasta doesn’t have to be a thing of the past when you combine soba noodles and rich meaty shitake mushrooms with a sweet salty soy dressing. Pasta is not really the problem, it’s usually all the meat and cheese that we pile on top of it that gets us in trouble when we hit the scale. As much as I love a plate of pasta with a rich creamy sauce I know that I can’t indulge very often. That’s where turning to other cultures can be such an inspiration.
Japanese food is something that I’ve been surrounded by my whole life. My mother is from Okinawa and even though she always cooked macaroni and cheese and meatloaf for the rest of the family I have developed a love for the ingredients and cooking styles she usually reserved for herself. I always thought it was a treat in the summer when she would make a delicious dashi stock and me and my sister would slurp ice cold noodles through our chopsticks on a hot summer day. This is the kind of dish that I know she would like, simple, fast and not too fussy. This one’s for you mom, I hope you like it.
Shitake Soba noodles
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces shitake mushrooms
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces soba noodles
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sriacha (you can use less if you want it less spicy)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 cup pea shoots
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms to the pan and saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and have softened about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside while you prepare the noodles.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and toss in bowl with mushrooms.
Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sriacha and sesame oil and then add to the bowl with the soba and mushrooms. Garnish with the pea shoots and serve.
