After spending two weeks in upstate New York and the Pacific Northwest for vacation, Bill and I were both looking forward to being home.
We hadn’t been home for 48 hours before I was busy experimenting with new recipes. This one turned out to be a big hit with my husband’s men’s softball team (and their fans!).
I’ve made about dozen different recipes for no-bake energy bites, so I was trying to come up with a flavor combo I hadn’t tried before.
Sooo, I tried apple pie in August…why not? 🙂
Our friend, Matt, said these were the best things I’ve ever made, so I knew I had to share the recipe with all of you…and the quick video for how to make it. My husband, Bill, has been a BIG help making techie things like this happen.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder
1/2 cup apple, peeled and chopped (Granny Smith works best)
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup Medjool dates, pitted (DON’T use deglet dates…they’re not as chewy!)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)
Directions
Add oats, walnuts, almonds, spices, and salt to the food processor and process for about 20-25 seconds or until it reaches a coarse meal.
Add the vanilla, apples, raisins, and dates, and process until it forms a ball. You may have to stop the processor, break apart the dough chunks and process again a few times to blend it all together.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in shredded coconut. Store in fridge or freezer.
One of my favorite parts of my job is spending time with employees and showing them how delicious and doable it is to eat well. I love the look of surprise on their faces and the comments they make when they try something they assumed wouldn’t taste good.
For a recent cooking demonstration with a client in DC, we focused on beauty-boosting foods – food packed with colors, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other anti-aging nutrients and benefits.
We started with this Tropical Breeze Smoothie and then made the salad below for our main course, followed by my 5-minute chocolate avocado mousse topped with blackberries for dessert. Everyone had a great time and raved about the recipes.
To be totally honest, I came up with this salad the day before the class when I was in DC and eating my lunch from Chop’t, a salad place at the train station. I was admiring their seasonal Greenmarket Grain Bowl made with radishes, cucumbers, a mix of lettuces and a lemon basil vinaigrette.
Since the focus of the demo I was teaching the next day was about anti-aging, beauty-boosting foods, I knew that was the inspiration I needed to come up with this recipe. The good news is that you don’t HAVE to use these exact ingredients – just use a variety of vegetables that are in season and serve them with a yummy dressing, like the pesto one we made.
This particular recipe would be the perfect pairing for an ionic foot detox. Want to learn more about the potential health-boosting benefits of this unique detox treatment? Take a look at this guide to foods to help detox with ion cleanse. As with any health-related matter, always do your research before embarking on any detox plan.
Here are the health benefits of some of the ingredients we used according to nutritionist, Kimberly Snyder, in her book, The Beauty Detox Foods.
Cucumbers: This is one of the top beauty-boosting foods we can eat. Cukes are packed with enzyme-charged water, B-vitamins and electrolytes to help us flush out the kidneys, reduce bloating and build radiant skin from within.
Radishes: Help cut and dissolve mucus in the digestive tract, so nutrients can flow freely throughout the body. They are in the mustard family and act as cleansers and detoxifiers in our body.
Scallions: Onions contain compounds that stimulate the production of the most important antioxidants the liver uses for detoxification (glutathione). They also contain quercetin, an antioxidant that counters the effects of premature aging.
Zucchini: Rich in antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory compound, vitamins and minerals, this summer squash is not only good for our bodies but it’s also fun to prepare when you use a spiralizer.
To make things a little more exciting than usual, we spiralized the zucchini and diced and sliced everything else. (This is the spiralizer I have). We topped it off with a pesto sauce that I usually serve with pasta or as a topping for cucumber slices as an appetizer. You can thin it out a bit by adding a little more oil or water and use it as a dressing. We just took it straight from the food processor and mixed it in.
The finishing touch was a sprinkling of Tomato Basil Chickpeatos (my FAVE roasted chickpeas). The bag was gone in a matter of minutes. I use them instead of croutons, and the rest of the crew is on board with that idea now, too, which is awesome to see!
Ingredients
1/2 pound mixed greens
2 zucchini, spiralized (or cut into thin strips)
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
1 package of sprouted beans (we used lentil sprouts from MOMs)
1 cup Tomato Basil Chickpeatos
1/2 cup basil walnut pesto
Did you know that the same foods that support our heart and help it heal can also boost our mood? Foods that help one part of the body tend to be good for others as well.
During a recent Heart Healthy Happy Hour hosted by the Institute for Integrative Health in Baltimore, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Michael Miller, preventive cardiologist, speak about the importance of taking care of our heart, so we can feel good, be well and live longer. For a recap of the top three tips he shared (and a video that will make you laugh until you cry), check out the last blog post here.
To enhance the presentation and bring it to life, his wife, Dr. Lisa Miller, a podiatrist and chief recipe creator, showed everyone how to make the two recipes I’m sharing with you in today’s post. They are perfect for summer, refreshing, colorful and delicious!
During his presentation, Dr. Miller highlighted some of the top 50 heart-healing, mood-boosting foods, and the recipes prepared highlighted nearly a dozen of those ingredients. For the health benefits of these ingredients, check out my last blog post.
As with all of the recipes on my blog, both of these recipes are dairy-free and gluten-free. The first is raw and both are vegan. Enjoy 🙂
Raw Blueberry Cashew Gelato
Ingredients
1/4 cup raw cashews (preferably soaked overnight in salted water)
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 tsp maca powder (optional)
Directions
Drain cashews (if soaked) and discard soaking liquid.
Place all ingredients in blender as listed and blend until smooth and uniform resembling gelato/ice cream. A high-powered blender works best for this. Add a tablespoon spoon or so of almond milk if it isn’t blending easily enough but keep it minimal so the dessert stays thick.
Pour into pretty cups and serve immediately.
Top with your favorite granola or a sesame tahini cookie, if desired.
Sesame Tahini Cookies
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup tahini
1 tsp almond extract
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sesame seeds
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda.
In a small bowl, blend tahini, maple syrup, almond extract and oil.
Blend dry and wet ingredients together.
Add in sesame seeds.
Form dough into 1” balls and flatten slightly.
Bake at 350F for about 8-10 minutes until lightly brown.
Once cool, you can can dip 1/2 of the cookie in melted dark chocolate and place in the fridge to harden. Otherwise, serve them as a side to the raw blueberry cashew ice cream!
What if meal prep and planning could be easier? Cheaper? Tastier? More nourishing?
During the typical work week when I have lots of presentations and meetings and spend a good amount of time in my car, one of the best ways to make sure I stay energized is to have nourishing meals readily available.
I was preparing to teach a cooking demo about Meal Planning Made Easy to a client in DC and shared how to make overnight oats and mason jar salads. I knew I wanted to add one more recipe into the mix. I thought about the types of meals Bill and I typically prepare during the week without following recipes and was inspired to create this recipe.
We tend to use recipe templates instead of always following a recipe line by line. In addition to the versatile overnight oats and mason jar salad recipes, grain bowls are another template we roughly follow when coming up with meals.
They’re easy to assemble. We toss together whatever veggies, grains and proteins we have and mix everything up with a homemade dressing (or whatever we have in our fridge!). We top everything off with chopped nuts or seeds to add some crunch.
In this Sweet Potato, Edamame & Quinoa Bowl, I combined a gluten-free grain (quinoa) with a fiber-filled roasted veg (sweet potatoes) and protein (edamame), a pop of color and greenery (scallions), and some crunch and healthy fat (cashews). I topped everything off with my favorite salad dressing of all time plus one of my favorite anti-inflammatory, digestion-loving, heart healthy ingredients – fresh ginger root.
My husband, Bill, and I love this dish so much that we’ve made it twice in the past few weeks. It can be served warm or chilled, and it’s lasted us for multiple dinners and lunches each time, which has saved us time and money.
We decided to repurpose the dressing from our favorite kale salad for this recipe and added minced ginger to boost the flavor even more.
Sweet Potato, Edamame & Quinoa Bowl
This dish has every texture and flavor you could want in a dish and is ALWAYS a crowd-pleaser!
Salad
1 pound sweet potatoes (chopped)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper (to taste)
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups shelled edamame
1/2 cup raw cashews (lightly toasted and chopped)
1/3 cup scallions (chopped)
Creamy Ginger Tahini Dressing
3 tablespoons tahini ((sesame paste))
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon tamari ((gluten-free soy sauce))
2 tablespoons water
2 small cloves garlic (minced)
1 inch ginger root (peeled and minced)
3 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
Preheat oven to 400F. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasted for 20-25 minutes until pierced easily with a fork.
Cook quinoa according to package directions. Spread quinoa on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool and prevent it from clumping together. This last step is optional but really helps.
While quinoa is cooking, cook edamame according to package directions and then set aside.
Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small jar. Set aside.
Put cooled quinoa in a large bowl and add sweet potatoes, edamame, scallions, and cashews. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine evenly. Add more sea salt and pepper to taste.
Are you looking for some ideas to make meal prep during the week quicker, easier and more nourishing?
I’ve been teaching my Meal Planning Made Easy workshopto a bunch of different companies lately. One of the recipe demos I like to show is how to make mason jar salads. They’ve easy, versatile, and convenient. You can prep a few of them at a time, so you can literally just grab, go, and shake your lunch during the week.
Below is a visual of a mason jar salad how-to.
If you want to add crunch from nuts or seeds or add some creaminess with avocado, it’s best to add them just before serving so the nuts and seeds don’t get soft and the avocado doesn’t turn brown. I also wait to add things like the veggie burger that goes on top of this particular salad, so it doesn’t get soggy.
I love this mason jar salad how-to illustration from Real Simple.
This particular recipe for a Carrot Slaw and Chickpea Salad is from Relay Foods, an online grocery store service we’ve been using for the past few months to make meal planning less expensive, more convenient…and a little more exciting!
My husband, Bill, and I LOVED this salad!
It’s packed with flavor, textures and colors. The only ingredient that might not be familiar is watercress, which is a leafy green vegetable with a peppery taste. It’s packed with antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds. It’s often in a clear bag or box in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and you may have to go to a health food store to find it. An easy substitute would be arugula, a leafy green with a similar peppery taste. To learn more about the health benefits of watercress, click here.
This recipe also happens to include our FAVORITE veggie burger – the Hemp & Greens burger by Hilary’s Eat Well. They’re allergen-friendly veggie burgers made from real food…no fake stuff here! Crunchy, flavorful, and delicious when baked, you can crumble them into a salad. We’ve tried every flavor and always have a package of them in our freezer. We buy them at MOMs Organic Market, but you can find where they sell them near you using this store locator.
I decided to take a stab at making one of those Buzzfeed Tasty-type videos, showing the how to of this recipe, so you can see me make it step-by-step.
My husband, Bill, is WAY more talented with technology than I am, so he did all the editing. I now know some tweaks I’ll make the next time I shoot a video (which will be for the easiest kale salad ever!), but I think this one is a good start!
I made a few modifications to the recipe in the video to simplify it, so you can either use the original recipe from Relay Foods for this Carrot Slaw Salad with Watercress and Chickpeas Mason Jar Salad OR try the simpler version below that’s made with a quick lemon vinaigrette.
Carrot & Chickpea Mason Jar Salad with Arugula
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
1/2 teaspoon raw honey
1 pound shredded carrots
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 5-ounce package arugula (or spinach)
2 Hilary's Eat Well veggie burger patties (toasted)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (or almonds)
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, salt, oil, and honey. Pour desired amount into the bottom of each quart-size mason jar (about 2 tablespoons).
Prepare each mason jar salad by adding even amounts of the chickpeas, carrots, and greens.
Cook the burger patties according to package directions in a toaster oven. Toast the patties just before serving to enjoy them crispy and warm (rather than soggy) if you’re eating them throughout the week for lunches. Add the patties and nuts to the salad jar, cover with a lid and then shake it up or pour it in a bowl and enjoy!
If you are going to make a few of these ahead of time, toast the burger the day of and put the nuts or seeds on at the last minute, so they stay crunchy.
“Beans! Beans! Good for your heart. The more you eat the more you…”
🙂
I’ll be honest, that little song didn’t mean much to me for most of my life because I didn’t eat beans! Aside from the occasional lima bean or green bean, I didn’t eat so much as a chickpea until I was an adult.
When I was a junior in college, I spent a semester abroad in southern Spain and was exposed to dozens of foods I had never eaten before. Since I was a picky eater, I wasn’t exactly excited about this but knew it was a way I needed to grow. I even told my study abroad program I was allergic to seafood, so I wouldn’t have to try any of it!
I remember sitting down for lunch one day, as my host mom, Matilde, served me a big bowl of what looked like tiny, brown flying saucers (got that reference from Rebecca Katz!).
It turned out to be lentil and carrot stew, and I had no choice but to try it (doing anything else was considered rude in Spain). Fortunately, Matilde was so skilled at combining flavors in delicious ways that I tried it and loved it! Now, lentils are one of my favorite foods.
They also happen to be packed with nutrition to fuel your body and brain! Check it out:
They are PACKED with energy-balancing, weight-stabilizing, fill-you-up fiber. *In fact, lentils fill me up more than any other food I eat.*
They’re an excellent source of plant-based protein. Green and French lentils are especially high in protein!
They’re mineral-rich and contain calming magnesium, heart healthy potassium, and are the #1 plant source of folate, which is essential for brain and nervous system function, healthy pregnancy and fetal development, reduced cancer risk and heart health support
They’re one of Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s GBOMBS foods, which are some of the most nutrient-packed, anti-inflammatory, disease-preventive foods on the planet.
It’s nice to know that lentils are such a nourishing food, but where do we buy them and how do we cook them?
There are several different kinds of lentils, but the ones I tend to use the most are green lentils, French lentils and red lentils. Red lentils cook much faster but aren’t as firm as the other two kinds and contain less protein, so I don’t use red lentils as much as green we always have them on hand. Our favorite kind of pasta is actually made out of red lentils (one ingredient!) and is made by a company called Tolerant. We find it cheapest at Home Goods, but Whole Foods and MOMs sell it, too.
Every grocery store sells lentils, and you’ll find them either in the international aisle or in the health food aisle. Trader Joe’s also sells several different kinds of lentils, so we end up buying ours there to save a buck or two.
I scoured some of my favorite blogs and pulled together 11 lentil-loving recipes ranging from salads to soups to casseroles. I hope they inspire you to get excited about trying these little filling, fueling legumes!
I have to admit, I’ve never been a fan of egg, potato or pasta salad. My parents never served them when I was growing up, and I’ve always had an aversion to mayonnaise, so cold, prepared salads were never appealing to me.
Last year, for my sister-in-law’s bridal shower, I signed up to make a few dishes. I know how much most people like potato salad, so I was determined to find a recipe that was delicious AND nourishing…and one that I would want to eat.
Cookie and Kate, an awesome food blog, had a recipe for an Herbed Red Potato Salad that was mayo-free and looked delicious, so I knew that was the one to try.
It was a HIT! And it made me realize that, prepared a certain way, I could learn to love potato salad, too. It’s light but creamy and packed with flavor from the herbs and garlic. The potatoes melt in your mouth, and you’ll have a hard time not going back for seconds. It’s THAT good!
Potatoes sometimes get a bad rap, but the neat thing about this particular potato dish is that it tends to have a lesser impact on blood sugar because of what happens when the potatoes are given the chance to cool. Resistant starch forms.
In a blog post titled, “How Resistant Starch Will Help to Make You Healthier & Thinner,”Dr. Amy Nett gives us the scoop on what resistant starch is and why it’s helpful:
“Resistant starch (RS) is a type of starch that is not digested in the stomach or small intestine, reaching the colon (large intestine) intact. Thus, it “resists” digestion. This explains why we do not see spikes in either blood glucose or insulin after eating RS, and why we do not obtain significant calories from RS.”
Cool, huh?? 🙂
You’re going to want to make this salad for your next dinner, potluck or cookout. Everyone will love it!
Food Safety Tip: Just remember to keep the salad chilled and temperature controlled (under 41 degrees or over 135 degrees) if you bring it to a cookout. Keep cold food cold and hot food hot. Potatoes can be carriers of foodborne illnesses when their temperature is allowed to vary (it’s the potatoes NOT that mayo that can make us sick!)
We just came back from an amazing weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina, where my husband and dad (whose 66th birthday is today!) finished the Half Ironman Triathlon. They swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles and then ran 13.1 miles! It was a HOT day, but they did it! All of their hard work is preparing them for the Lake Placid Ironman on July 24th. I’m working on a post about the experience from this weekend, so stay tuned for that post later this week 🙂
In the meantime, I wanted to share a recipe for a salad I’ve made a few times already this spring, mainly because of how simple it is. It’s a dish you could bring to a potluck or enjoy for lunch or dinner.
And it includes one of the veggies that is in season here on the East Coast – asparagus!
Asparagus is one of my favorite springtime foods that is incredibly versatile and easy to make. You can steam it, bake it, saute it, or grill it. You can even use it as an ingredient in soup, but I’ve yet to try that.
I came up with this recipe after spending a beautiful afternoon with my friend, Lisa, and her two kiddos. When I got home, I took a look at what was left in the fridge and decided to put this salad together. The ingredients are simple – quinoa, onions, garlic, tomatoes, lemons, and asparagus.
This recipe embodies the wise words of Julia Child…
Think of this recipe as a template or a guide. Start with a cooked grain like quinoa or rice + onion and garlic base + 3-4 cups of veggies of your choice + vinaigrette. The other day when I made it, I threw in some arugula. Another time, I might use spinach instead or sub in some roasted red peppers for tomatoes. Use what you have 🙂
Cooking does not have to be stressful, and using templates like this can make it more fun and freeing!
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed (will yield about 3 cups cooked)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus, woody stem (bottom 1″) removed and the rest chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup water
zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, leaves rolled and thinly sliced
coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until almost all of the water is absorbed. DO NOT STIR QUINOA. Remove quinoa from heat and leave covered for 5 minutes to steam. Remove lid and fluff with fork. Set aside.
Add olive oil to large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions for about 5-6 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add tomatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes. Add asparagus and 1/4 cup water. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp tender and still bright green. Remove from heat. Add vegetables to quinoa and toss to combine.
Whisk lemon juice, zest, garlic, salt and pepper together. Add olive oil and continue whisking until evenly combined. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle basil on top, and toss everything to combine. Serve warm or chilled.
Caesar salads are one of the most universally loved salads…even for people who don’t like salads that much.
Since removing dairy from my diet a few years back, I’ve had to get creative about how to recreate the tastes and textures I enjoyed for so many years from things like cheese and Caesar dressing. I’ve tried a few recipes, but none really worked for me.
Until this one.
It’s from one of my favorite blogs – ohsheglows – written by Angela Liddon, who is a fellow lover of colorful, vibrant, plant-based foods. I’ve been making recipes from her blog for years and LOVE them.
I knew I had to try her Caesar salad recipe.
I’m SO glad I did! My husband, Bill, and I CRUSHED this salad. As in, we ate almost the whole thing in one sitting 🙂
The dressing was thick and creamy and had just the right amount of tang. We used rosemary Chickpeatos instead of making Angela’s chickpea croutons, but I plan to try her recipe for those at some point in the future.
The only ingredient that I didn’t have already and had never bought before was Worcestershire sauce. And you don’t have to get the vegan version, as the recipe suggests. Just use what you have!
Also, try not to let new ingredients in recipes intimidate you. Grocery stores offer more options than ever these days, so I’ve not had a problem finding things. The natural / health food aisle of the larger grocery stores carry most of the ingredients in recipes I post on this blog. My favorite stores locally are MOMs Organic Market, Whole Foods, Wegmans and Trader Joe’s.
You have to try this recipe! It’s delish 🙂
*Click here to get the full recipe for this Crowd-Pleasing Caesar Salad from ohsheglows!*
As much as I like experimenting in the kitchen, I also think it’s fun to explore other blogs and cookbooks to find inspiration for the next great meal idea!
Last month, we tried something new and used the meal planning service from Relay Foods, an online grocery store that makes grocery shopping quick and easy. The last time we used their meal planning service, we made a yummy black bean soup and kale slaw with our friends Zach and Kiersten a few weeks before they said, “I do.”
I was curious to see what Relay’s One Pot Meal options looked like, since I’m not a huge fan of the clean-up part of cooking. I found a One Pan Salmon, Potato and Asparagus dinner that looked easy to make. Asparagus is in season, so I thought it would be a great way to showcase that veg.
What I loved about the dish was its simplicity and how delicious it was! Not only that, but two of the main ingredients are mood-boosting foods that I wrote about in my last blog post – folate-rich asparagus and wild caught salmon.
I bet you will enjoy this delicious dish as much as Bill and I did!
**UPDATE: Relay Foods was bought by Door to Door Organics in 2016, which has since shut down. For more ideas about online recipe options and meal kits, check out one of these options:
Terra’s Kitchen: Use code RACHELD for $35 off your first order! I love this company and how they promote sustainability in addition to delicious meals!
We use cookies to analyze traffic and improve your experience. Just wanted to let you know! Learn more about cookies and similar technologies here Okay, Got It!Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
