Category: Vegetarian Page 5 of 11

The Ultimate Gluten-Free Bread Stuffing {Paleo}

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On October 26, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free, Holidays, Paleo, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes, Vegetarian

Last weekend, my husband and I went out of town for a little fall getaway and spent a long weekend in the Adirondacks of Upstate New York.

With all of the (exciting!) things that have been going on in the way of travel, presentations, cooking demos, and workshops, I was in need of a break, and Bill and I were overdue for some time to reconnect and relax.

It was SO beautiful, and fall was in full swing. We captured this beautiful view of the town of Lake Placid, overlooking Mirror Lake.

ADK

This is my favorite time of the year for those reasons and because I absolutely love fall food.

Roasted root vegetables. Creamy squash soups. Savory stews. Hearty chilis. Heart and soul-warming cups of tea and bowls of oatmeal.

Hungry yet?

And with Thanksgiving coming up next month, things like turkey, stuffing, roasted Brussels sprouts and pumpkin everything will start to take center stage.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to teach a workshop and cooking demo about Going Gluten-Free without Going Crazy. (I’m working on a few other posts all about gluten, so stay tuned for those.)

But, in the meantime, we’re going to focus on one of the top-rated meals I served at the class that everyone loved…Paleo Bread Stuffing!

Stuffing Aerial

After the class, one of the attendees said:

That stuffing recipe is officially my new go-to. I’m confident I’ll blow away my 3 sisters-in-law this Thanksgiving, which isn’t easy to do.

If you’re ready to wow some of your family members this year, look no further than this recipe.

Most gluten-free bread is full of LOTS of other ingredients (they have to put something in if they take out the key ingredient in bread…gluten) and tends to have less fiber than its gluten-containing counterparts. Because of that, I’m not a huge fan of eating bread just because it’s gluten-free.

A “gluten-free” label on a package doesn’t deserve the health halo so many of us have given it. It’s 100% necessary for those with Celiac disease and people avoiding gluten for medical reasons, but “gluten-free” does not automatically mean “good for you.”

But this bread is different.

SM Bread Box SM Bread Closeup

It’s naturally gluten-free and only has 6 SIMPLE, REAL FOOD ingredients. The bread mix is from a company I met at the Natural Products Expo – Simple Mills – and all you need to make it is oil, apple cider vinegar and eggs!

  1. Almond Flour
  2. Arrowroot Powder
  3. Flax Meal
  4. Baking Soda
  5. Sea Salt
  6. Organic Coconut Sugar

That’s how the label of a packaged food should look. Let’s not compromise quality of ingredients just because we’re not making it ourselves! 🙂

Here’s the recipe! You are going to LOVE it.

Stuffing Banner Stuffing Closeup

The Ultimate Gluten-free Bread Stuffing (Paleo)

For a healthier spin on this year’s stuffing, try this recipe!

  • 1 box Simple Mills artisan bread mix (or 1 medium loaf gluten-free bread)
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (AKA clarified butter)
  • 1 cup celery (chopped)
  • 1 cup carrots (chopped)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage (chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 cup walnuts (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (chopped)
  • 3 large eggs (whisked)
  • 2 cups broth (chicken or bone both preferred)

  1. Bake the bread that morning or the day before according to the directions provided on the back of Simple Mills Artisan Bread mix bag.

  2. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  3. Cut the loaf bread into cubes; toast the cubes in the preheated oven about 10 minutes to draw out the moisture. Add walnuts and toast another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

  4. While the bread cubes are toasting in the oven, heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté celery, carrots, and onion in ghee for 5-8 minutes or until the vegetables have developed some color and are tender.

  5. Raise oven temperature to 400F.

  6. Add toasted bread, herbs, walnuts and cranberries to pan and toss to combine. Remove pan from heat. Whisk eggs together and pour on top of bread mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Then, pour on the broth and toss to combine.

  7. Pour veggie/bread mix into a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, covered. Remove lid/cover and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes to crisp up the top. Sometimes we give it a stir and then put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so, depending on how crunchy you like it!

  8. If you save it for a day or two, I find that adding 1/2 cup-1 cup of broth to the mix to remoisten it before heating it up in the oven helps and prevents it from drying out. Enjoy! 🙂

You can find Simple Mills products on Amazon, at Target, MOMs Organic Market, Wegmans, and Whole Foods.

Meghan’s Chocolate, Chocolate Pancakes {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

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On October 4, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

As I shared in a post earlier this week, my culinary nutrition instructor, Meghan Telpner, just released her cookbook.

I’ve had the opportunity to try some of the recipes in it, and they are awesome!

Every recipe is based on using real, whole, unprocessed foods, and no refined sugar, gluten or dairy products, so it’s totally aligned with how I eat and what makes me feel best.

She also has a quirky sense of humor and honesty that makes the book fun to read.

Today I’m sharing with you my experience of making her “Chocolate, Chocolate, Say It Twice Pancakes.” 

undiet pancakes

When we’re cooking and baking, gluten-free, we can’t just swap a gluten-free flour for white flour because the gluten-free flours don’t contain the main ingredient that creates the “doughy-ness” that most of us love so much about bread…gluten!

That’s why you’ll see that this recipe uses a blend of gluten-free flours, including brown rice, buckwheat (which does NOT contain any wheat or gluten), arrowroot and chickpea flour. The company Bob’s Red Mill sells these at just about every grocery store, so they should be accessible to most people.

Meghan posted the recipe on her website as a sneak peek to the book, so I’m going to send you over there, today.

Here’s what the finished pancakes looked like when I made them.

pancake bite closeup pancakes

Bill was a big fan and had them for dinner last night alongside these greens and Meghan’s vegalicious quiche with a secret ingredient gluten-free crust. I’ll be post

*Click here to get the chocolate pancake recipe!*

If you haven’t already, pre-order the Undiet cookbook to get access to some super cool FREE bonuses, including:

  • Two Undiet meal plans
  • Bonus recipes that didn’t make the book
  • Online smoothie class
  • Online launch party

AND be entered to win these awesome prizes:

Easy Sauteed Greens & Onions {Paleo, Vegan}

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On October 1, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

As often as I share recipes for sweet treats and snacks, you might think that’s all I eat!

Fortunately, that’s not the case.

In fact, I’m a huge fan of vegetables and I eat LOTS of them. I eat vegetables at almost every meal and am a big fan of what Michael Pollan has to say about them:

IMG_2198-0

He goes on to say:

THAT, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy.

Pollan’s advice is something that everyone in the nutrition community can 100% agree on, which is a rare thing these days.

Most of us spend so much time pitting one diet against another that we lose sight of the basic, universal truths all of us believe and know to be true about food and want people to know.

That’s why I wanted to share this recipe with you today. It’s loaded with plant-based goodness.

I’ve been cooking this dish for over 5 years and, for whatever reason, had never taken the time to share it with you!

greens onions

What prompted me to do it was hosting a table at two client health fairs in the past week and sharing my passion for G-BOMBS. G-BOMBS is an acronym coined by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who wanted to come up with a simple way to remember the most nutrient-rich, anti-aging, immune-boosting, disease-preventive, protective foods on the planet.

You can read more about G-BOMBS in this blog post (which happens to be the most often read post on this blog!), but to sum it up here, it stands for:
Greens
Beans
Onions
Mushrooms
Berries
Seeds

This dish uses 4 of the 6 GBOMBS, but I’ve made a version of it with all 6 and will share that in another post.

A stack of Swiss chard at the farmer's market!

A stack of Swiss chard at the farmer’s market!

In this recipe, I’m using Swiss chard, a leafy green vegetable that often has colorful stems (rainbow chard) or white stems (regular chard). It’s a softer green than kale or collard greens, and it works really well in this recipe and in frittatas.

It’s packed with anti-aging antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, supports bone health because of its high vitamin K and magnesium content, and has even been found to benefit blood sugar regulation – a KEY to having sustained energy and maintaining a healthy weight. Read more about this super star veggie here.

It comes together in about 20 minutes and is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We use it as a side dish and can easily split the whole thing between the two of us. It’s versatile, too.

Don’t have Swiss chard? Use kale.
No pumpkin seeds? Try sunflower seeds.
Out of red onions? Use yellow.

Just make the dish. It’s delicious, packed with nutrients and flavor and is simply prepared. Simple is doable, and simple is often best 🙂 Enjoy!

greens saute words greens plate

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee (clarified butter)
1 red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 bunches Swiss chard
1 1/2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 of a large lemon)
1/4 cup lightly toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries or goji berries (optional)
Scant 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Cut off stems at base of chard and compost or toss it. Chop chard leaves into 1/2 inch strips and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt oil/ghee. Add onions and cook about 10 minutes or until soft and translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not browned (it turns bitter when it browns). Add 1-2 tablespoons water to prevent sticking, if needed.
  4. Turn heat to medium-high and add greens and remaining water and toss with tongs to combine. Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes until greens are wilted but still BRIGHT green.
  5. Remove from heat and toss greens with cider vinegar (or lemon juice), pumpkin seeds, cranberries and sea salt and pepper, to taste, until everything is evenly coated and combined.

Easy Cranberry Almond Crunch Granola {Gluten-Free}

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On September 19, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to teach a workshop about Yummy Snacks for Healthy, Happy Kids at the Institute for Integrative Health.

One of the goals I set for myself back in April of this year was to present at the Institute sometime this year, so to be able to accomplish that in such a short amount of time was super exciting.

I’m teaching my second class there on October 14th about Going Gluten-Free without Going Crazy. Click here to get more info about it and register!

I’m so grateful for everyone who attended Wednesday’s workshop and spent the evening with me! 🙂

group shot yummy snacks IMG_2027 closeup

A common snack that adults and kids eat that is often considered “healthy” is granola, and it was one of the snacks we sampled during the class.

Since there are so many companies that sell pre-made granola, why make your own?

  1. It’s easy.
  2. It’s more nourishing.
  3. You control the ingredients.
  4. It’s fun.
  5. It tastes better!

Let’s take a look at the ingredient list in Nature Valley’s Oats ‘n Honey Granola:

Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Sugar, Soy Protein Isolate, Canola Oil, Honey, Refiner’s Syrup, Rice Starch, Salt, Baking Soda, Corn Starch, Natural Flavor, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness. Contains Soy; May Contain Almond, Milk, Pecan And Wheat Ingredients.

Instead of trying to figure out what each of those ingredients is (or wondering why it’s in your granola), why not take a stab at it?

Let me show you how simple it is to make yourself and why you’ll want to give it a try!

Cranberry Almond GranolaGranola Aerial

One thing I’ve learned from all of the moms I’m friends with and from books and blogs I’ve been reading is that kids LOVE to be involved in the process.

For this recipe, kids can help measure the ingredients, pour them and even mix everything together with their hands. If we make eating well fun AND tasty, then there’s a much better chance kids will come on board.

This recipe is meant to be versatile and could be done differently every time you make it, depending on what you have on hand.

You might already have all of the ingredients in your house! If you don’t have one of the nuts or seeds I use, just swap it out for what you do have 🙂 The goal is to keep it real and simple.

You can use this granola as a breakfast cereal, an afternoon snack or to sprinkle on top of something like this 2-minute banana ice cream!

Cranberry Crunch TextGranola Closeup Bowl

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. Mix the oats, seeds and nuts together in a large bowl. Mix in the salt and cinnamon and stir to combine.
  3. Combine the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla in a small bowl and pour over granola mixture. Stir with a spatula or your hands to combine.
  4. Pour the granola onto two parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the mixture is light brown. Stir the granola every 10-12 minutes or so for an even color and to make sure the granola is cooking evenly.
  5. Remove from the oven and add the cranberries. Stir to combine. Let it cool, as it will continue cooking a little during the cooling process.

Store granola in an airtight glass container, and it should stay fresh for 7 to 10 days. For longer shelf life, store in the refrigerator.

Come to my next workshop about Going Gluten-Free without Going Crazy! Click here to register 🙂

Pizza! Pizza! Dip {Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free}

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On September 7, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Pizza dip??? 

Yup!

You read that right. And, no, you’re not seeing things 🙂

This post is all about a super yummy new dip that I came up with a few weeks ago.

Pizza DipPizza Spices

I have to start off by letting you guys know how much I loved anything related to pizza for most of my life.

Pizza Hut pan pizzas (it made reading books SO worth it!). Celeste Pizzas-for-One. Totinos Pizza Rolls. Little Caesars (Pizza Pizza!). Joe Corbi cheesy bread and make-your-own pizzas.

Oh, and pizza-flavored COMBOS! Who could forget those little nuggets of joy?? If you’re a combo fan, check out this recipe for addictive paleo pizza poppers.

If you couldn’t tell…I LOVED PIZZA. 

When I realized as an adult that some of the ingredients in pizza made my body not feel so good (dairy + gluten + grease = bloating and ickiness for me!), I was pretty bummed.

So, as I’ve been experimenting with more recipes in my kitchen, I’ve thought about how great it would be to come up with a dip that brings back the delicious pizza flavors without all of the stuff that doesn’t nourish my body.

That’s how this easy dip came to be!

pizza hummus pic

I tinkered with this recipe about five times until I came up with this combo. My friend Sam, who is a self-proclaimed pizza aficionado, gave it two big thumbs up, and the bowl was completely cleared out yesterday when we took it with us to a cookout.

It’s packed with healthy fats and protein from the cannellini beans and tahini, and using cannellini beans instead of chickpeas results in a smoother, creamier dip.

Enjoy! 🙂

Pizza Pizza Dip

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 (15-ounce) can no salt added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (or Lakewood Organics or Santa Cruz lemon juice)
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (if they’re not soft, soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes to soften, so they blend more easily or try ones that come in a jar in oil)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

Directions

  1. Turn on the food processor fitted with the metal S-blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it’s minced.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and process to combine. Scrape down the sides as needed.
  3. Stream in olive oil if you’re using it until combined. Store in a glass container in your fridge. 

Serve with your favorite veggies or Mary’s Gone Crackers pretzel sticks – so good! 🙂

Crowd-Pleasing Pico de Gallo {Salsa Fresca}

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On September 2, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

One of my favorite parts of my job is interacting with people and inspiring and empowering them to eat in a way that feels good, tastes good and is good for them.

I feel most affirmed when I see people get excited about making wholesome, nourishing food and sharing it with their friends and family. I’m especially thrilled when they come to me after trying a recipe and say things like:

“I thought I didn’t like kale. Your kale salad is the only way I will eat kale!”

This summer, I’ve had the opportunity to spend eight Tuesdays at a company in DC teaching workshops and cooking classes to a group of their employees. For our final class and last hurrah, I thought I’d put a fun spin on it and do a “Taco Tuesday” inspired demo.

We made my favorite walnut tacos with cashew sour cream and a refreshing watermelon mojito side salad (minus the cucumber).

I knew I wanted to serve salsa with the tacos, but to be completely honest, I had never made my own salsa before!

RNK Pico de Gallo

I scoured some of my favorite sites for inspiration about combinations and ratios of ingredients until I tested out and came up with my own recipe.

Since it was my first time making it, I wasn’t sure how it would go over. When one of the employees came up to me afterwards and said, “The salsa gets the Latin seal of approval,” I knew I had a winner on my hands 🙂

Check out this yummy recipe, and serve it with tacos, veggies, this burrito bowl or your favorite dippables!

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 1/2 cup red onion, minced
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 jalapeno pepper
  • 5 roma (plum) tomatoes, deseeded and diced (click here for how to deseed a tomato)
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine garlic, red onion, lime juice, salt, and cumin, stir, and set aside for a few minutes while chopping the other ingredients.
  2. Cut out the seeds and inner membrane from the jalapeno and then mince the pepper. Add to the bowl.
  3. Add diced tomatoes and cilantro to bowl and toss all ingredients to combine.
  4. Refrigerate 2-3 hours before serving. Best served the day it’s made 🙂

No-Bake Pumpkin Raisin Oat Bars {Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free}

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On August 31, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Products I Use, Recipes, Tips & Tricks, Vegetarian

If you missed two of my most recent posts about the love fest I’m having with sunflower seed butter, check them out here and here.

As I’ve been mentioning, I’m super excited to be teaching a workshop called Yummy Snacks for Healthy, Happy Kids on September 16th at the Institute for Integrative Health in Baltimore. The workshop is capped at 30 people, so make sure you sign up ASAP if you want to come!

It’s going to be awesome 🙂

One of the snacks  both kids and adults eat a lot of is granola bars. This recipe puts a spin on the traditional bars because you don’t have to bake them (huge time saver!) AND they’re nut-free, so they’re school-friendly.

Bonus!

I like to test out recipes with my friends and family, so I brought my first batch of these to my church small group and they were GONE by the time we left. I had a group of moms and their kids sample them a second time, and everyone loved them. Some people had seconds (always a good sign in my book!)

Sunbutter Oat BarsSunbutter Oat bar Sunbutter Bars

Yield: 16 bars

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1 cup packed Medjool dates, soft and pitted
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup raisins

Directions

  1. Optional: Preheat oven to 350F and put oats on a baking sheet for 15 minutes until lightly toasted. If you’re short on time, skip this step, but it does add an extra crunch.
  2. Put dates and water in a food processor and pulse until dates combine into a paste. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides during the process. Roll into a ball (it’ll be sticky!) and set aside.
  3. Combine sunflower seed butter, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan on low heat on the stove and stir until combined. You can add the date paste ball to the pot so it melts a bit or just add it in at the next step.
  4. Put oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and raisins in a large bowl. Add date paste ball and sunflower butter mix to bowl and mix with your hands until everything is combined. In an 8×8 dish lined with parchment paper, press oat mixture evenly and flatten on top. Put in fridge to set about for about 30 minutes.
  5. Remove bars from dish by pulling up on parchment paper. Cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!

Sunbutter Buckeyes {Nut-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo}

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On August 25, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, My Story, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes, Savor, Tips & Tricks, Vegan, Vegetarian

When I was a kid, I loved everything about going back to school.

From our annual trip to JC Penney to buy fall clothes (which was kind of irrelevant because we wore uniforms) to hitting up Staples for our back-to-school supplies, I was in heaven.

IMG_1306

I was a picky eater as a kid, so I brought some interesting lunches to school like carrot sticks, yogurt, fruit and crackers or chips, since I didn’t like sandwiches.

I know other parents struggle with feeding their kids healthy food, so I’m here to give you options for them and you!

As I’ve been gearing up for a cooking class I’m teaching about Yummy Snacks for Healthy, Happy Kids on September 16th, I’ve been doing lots of research and recipe testing to make sure the workshop and recipes are awesome. Click here to register (we’re capping the class at 30 so make sure you sign up soon!).

After finding out that a lot of schools now have peanut and tree-nut restrictions these days due to increased concerns about food allergies, I started testing out more recipes made with seeds instead of nuts.

My friend, Missy, a rock star mama of three, tried the original version of these a couple of weeks ago. She loves sunflower seeds and since they’re made with sunbutter and sunflower seeds, she was a fan.

You can leave them as sunbutter bites, and they taste great!

But, she offered one suggestion to make them irresistible to kids.

Sunbutter Buckeyes

Dip them in chocolate.

That’s how I came up with these Sunbutter Buckeyes.

All they needed was a little hint of chocolate to turn them from Bites into Buckeyes 🙂

My friend Tim and Katie’s son, 20-month old son, Jack, tried these the other day and his smile afterward was all the approval I needed!

IMG_1365
I’ve since taste-tested them with over a dozen moms and kids (from 18 months to 8-years old), and they were a hit.

You’ll love them, too! 🙂

sunbutter buckeyes2Sunbutter Buckeyes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
  • 1/3 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup Medjool dates, packed and pitted (about 10 dates)
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seed butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions

  1. Combine pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, salt and cinnamon in a food processor until it reaches a fine meal.
  2. Add dates, sunflower seed butter, and vanilla, and run food processor until all ingredients are combined.
  3. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and put on parchment paper in refrigerator to chill.
  4. Make your own double burner to melt the chips. Fill a small saucepan with 1 inch water and place a small glass bowl on top. Set the burner to medium low heat. Put chocolate chips and coconut oil in the glass bowl and stir until melted.
  5. Remove bites from fridge and dip halfway into chocolate. Set on a sheet of parchment paper and put in fridge to harden (about 10 minutes).

If you haven’t already, make sure you sign up to come to the Yummy Snacks for Healthy, Happy Kids workshop in Baltimore on Wednesday, September 16th!

Easy Apple Sandwiches {Nut-Free, Paleo}

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On August 17, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes, Tips & Tricks, Vegan, Vegetarian

If you’ve been following me on Facebook and Instagram, you’ve probably caught on to the fact my go to ingredient at the moment is sunflower seed butter.

It’s the closest thing to peanut butter in terms of taste and texture and is school-friendly, since it’s peanut and tree-nut free.

As I’ve been preparing for the Yummy Snacks for Healthy Kids workshop in Baltimore on September 16th, two things I’ve been doing intentionally are making sure I have some allergy-friendly options AND recipes that kids can help make, too.

My friend and mother of three kiddos, Missy, told me that one of the keys to getting kids to eat food is to let them be a part of the process. All of the recipes I will make (including this one!) are recipes that kids can help prepare, too.

I saw lots of examples of this snack on Pinterest but wanted to make it nut-free and school-friendly and put my own spin on it.

Whether you leave it as a solo slice (pizza-style) or put two apple rings together (sandwich-style), this snack is easy to make and super versatile.

It could be made with nut butter instead of sunflower seed butter, and the possibilities for toppings (or fillings) are endless!

IMG_1276 apple sandwich apples slices blueberriesapple coconut sunbutter
Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter
  • 4 teaspoons hemp seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 apple, cored and sliced
  • Topping ideas: Blueberries, shredded coconut, Enjoy Life chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, goji berries, etc.

Directions

  1. Combine sunflower butter, hemp seeds, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  2. Remove core from apple and cut apple into 1/2 inch discs.
  3. Spread sunflower butter on each apple slice and put toppings on one slice. Make an apple “sandwich” by pressing the remaining slice on top. Repeat until the apple is gone! 🙂

If you haven’t already, make sure you sign up for the Yummy Snacks for Healthy Kids Workshop on September 16th!

One-Pot Lentil, Onion & Baby Bella Saute {Vegan}

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On August 10, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I’m back from vacation and excited to be in my kitchen again making new recipes to share with you!

I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I had half the day on Saturday to experiment 🙂

Today’s dish came about as I was planning the menu for a cooking class I’m teaching about GBOMBS foods (Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds/Nuts) for a client in DC. If you missed the GBOMBS post, check it out to learn which foods are the best disease-fighting, nutrient-dense foods we can eat.

Aside from being packed with nutrient-rich foods, the other motivation behind this recipe was to make a quick and easy dinner option (on the table in under 30 minutes).

Two of the GBOMBS foods in this meal are onions and mushrooms, two of the most underappreciated plants we eat.

mush

For most of my life, I had no idea just how good these foods were for my body, but I’ve learned a lot about just how amazing they are!

They both contain powerful compounds called angiogenesis inhibitors, compounds designed to prevent the formation of new blood vessels, thereby stopping or slowing the growth or spread of abnormal cells and protecting the body against fat storage.

Certain cancer drugs contain angiogenesis inhibitors, but these compounds also occur naturally in dozens of plants, including onions and mushrooms! 

shrooms and onions

I didn’t eat onions or mushrooms until a few years ago (I’d deemed them both “gross”), and neither did my husband, Bill. Now, we love them and put onions in just about every savory dish we make.

What I like about this dish is that it’s “semi-homemade,” meaning one of the ingredients is from a can.

BUT, just because it comes from a can doesn’t mean we have to lower our standards when it comes to quality and nutrition! We still make sure we can recognize and pronounce all of the ingredients and that they are real, whole foods.

The star of this dish, a can of lentils from Eden Organic, passes the real food test 🙂

eden beans

We’ve been using Eden Organic beans for years because they taste great, don’t get mushy at the bottom of the can like other bean brands, and they have no added sodium.

Lentils are packed with fill-you-up fiber and protein, and they keep me feeling full for hours.

Because the lentils are already cooked, this dish can be prepared in about 20 minutes and requires only one pan 🙂 Yay for recipes with minimal clean-up (not my strong suit).

I had leftovers for lunch today in my thermos, and they were delicious! The onions melt in your mouth.

lentil sautelentils

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil (or other high heat cooking oil)
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut into half moons
  • 1/2 pound cremini (AKA baby bella) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (+more, to taste)
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 can Eden Organics Lentils with Onion & Bay Leaf* (below for 100% GF option)
  • 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

**100% GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Although all of the other recipes on my site are gluten-free, this can of lentils does contain a small amount of shoyu, which is made with organic wheat. I’ve contacted the company to see if they have plans for a wheat-free option in the future. In the meantime, if you are completely avoiding gluten, follow the box directions for cooking one cup of green lentils and add some basil, garlic and tamari to the dish at step #3 below.**

Directions

  1. Melt 1 tablespoon ghee or oil in a large saute pan set to medium heat. Add onions and saute for 6-8 minutes or until soft.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon ghee or oil, salt and mushrooms. Saute with onions for about 6-8 minutes or until they’ve shrunk in size and softened.
  3. Add can of lentils, including juices, and stir to combine. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and sprinkle in scallions, tossing to combine. Serve hot.

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