Delicious home made almond milk can be yours anytime you desire. All you need to do is soak the nuts overnight and then process them in the blender with water. Super simple, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients just almonds, vanilla, sea salt and agave.
And you don’t have to stop at almonds, try cashews, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds or hemp the variety is endless. Sometimes I blend a few pitted dates with my almond milk for a sweet treat with added nutrition.
You can also buy a special bag just for straining your milk and it makes it even easier, I highly recommend picking one up if you plan on making your own nut milks on a regular basis. Click on the link below for the full recipe!
I could probably fill a bathtub with all the salsa that I’ve made in my life. Growing up in Southern California has made my family as familiar with tortillas and guacamole as bread and butter. Since the recipe for The Food Matters Project this week called for creating your own salsa I wanted to create something that would complement the asian style tacos that we’ve been making lately. I think that this is going to be the perfect thing to pull out our next taco night. Smoky grilled corn, creamy avocado, sesame seeds, jalapeños and a squeeze of lime makes the perfect salsa to complement a taco or quinoa bowl. Step outside of the ordinary and try this asian inspired salsa! For the original recipe and all the other versions be sure to visit The Food Matters Project!
Asian Corn and Avocado Salsa
Ingredients:
- 2 ears fresh corn, husked
- 1 teaspoon asian sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 red onion, finely minced
- 1/2 jalapeño, finely minced
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Prepare a barbecue or grill pan over medium high heat and grill corn under tender and lightly browned about 10 minutes. Let cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Combine sesame oil, vinegar, lime juice, onion, jalapeño, cilantro and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Cut kernels off cobs and add to the mixture along with the avocado; toss gently to combine. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
The weather has been teasing us here in Portland. We actually had a day this week where the temperatures hit 80 degrees. Strolling through the park with the dog in tow made me long to pull out the ice cream maker but I wanted to make something that would be kind to my waistline.
This is a light and healthy dessert that’s sure to impress. This pina colada sorbet couldn’t be easier to whip up and tastes indulgent thanks to the addition of the coconut milk. If you are looking for a vegan alternative to ice cream this is the one to try first. The sesame crisps are super simple to make as well and pairs nicely with the sorbet. Click the link below for the full recipe!
Pina Colada Sorbet with sesame crisps
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:
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.
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!
