Category: Snacks

Vegan Strawberry Mojito Popsicles

Published on by Alissa10 Comments

I have a major weakness during summer. Snowcones and popsicles! Oh…and the ice cream truck. I swear, as soon as that creepy song and bell starts sounding on my street, my ears perk up and I want to order a Pink Panther ice cream bar or a dreamcicle or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bar with bubble gum eyes. Ya, I’ve been scoping them out. But I have had the willpower to not run directly into the street..only partially.

Instead, I made up a batch of uber yummy adult popsicles. These strawberry mojito pops have a splash of rum, making them perfect for an evening snack or party.  Or a solo party.   Hot days and nights are begging for these puppies. And they are totally portable. Plus, why must kids have all the fun. But, if you are making these for youths, the booze can be left out….well, should be left out. So make two batches…one for those kids and one for you…all for you.

These are dairy free, using coconut milk in place of milk, tangy from fresh squeezed lime and mint, and sweetened with strawberries and a dabble of maple syrup. If you love your dairy, you could easily use greek yogurt instead which will add more protein. These popsicles were made with fresh picked strawberries that were nearing their last days, but frozen strawberries also would work.

Popsicle molds can be found at most stores or online. You can also use paper cups. After allowing the pop to freeze and set for about an hour,  slide a wooden popsicle stick into the pop.  After at least 4 hours, these will be ready to devour!

So quit buying pop ice! Why are you even toying with that day glow frozen slush.  Jump on these easy pops. Sit back, enjoy your booze, stop sweating!

Vegan Strawberry Mojito Popsicles (gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo)

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz can of organic unsweetened coconut milk (light is ok, but full fat coconut milk will provide a creamier result)
  • 1 cup of strawberries
  • juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 oz of light rum (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except rum to food processor. Process until smooth. Taste to ensure that it is sweet enough. I like mine more on the tart side.
  2. Add booze, pulse until combined. Taste…..add more booze. Whoa…not that much. Ok.
  3. Pour into six popsicle molds. Allow to freeze for at least 4 hours. When removing from the mold, you may have to run hot water over the bottom of the mold so that they release.

Paleo Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free and Vegan)

Published on by Alissa8 Comments

I’m going to let you in on a weird little fact about me…I prefer ketchup over chocolate. Chocolate has never been a major craving of mine.

*gasp*

I know…so weird.  This probably isn’t the best lead in sentence to convince you to make these brownies….I promise they do not taste like ketchup. Total let down, I know. womp womp.

Actually, chocolate…well, milk chocolate is too sweet for me. However, recently I have become a huge fan of gooooood dark chocolate.  That is, dark chocolate with at least 72% cacao…preferably with 85% cacao. And bonus….it’s good for you. And sometimes you just need some good melty chocolate. So I decided to find a way to turn this awesome dark chocolate into a flourless brownie so that my gluten free hubby could also partake. I’m a doll, I know. Also, if he helps eat them, then I don’t fall asleep with the whole pan in bed. Don’t judge!

Although I have dabbled in flourless and gluten free brownies before, these Paleo Fudge Brownies take the cake…pun intended. They taste amazing and are gluten free, grain free, dairy free, vegan, peanut free, soy free, and processed sugar free. Which also makes them a great dessert to take to cookouts if you have anyone that may have food allergies or sensitivities.

I like these better than conventional brownies that are loaded with flour and sugar and butter (blasphemy, I know), which typically leave me in a coma. And even my sweet-toothed, chocolate-loving hubby adores these.

Instead of flour, the base for this fudge-tastic brownie is almond butter!  You could use any nut butter that you have on hand.  Just make sure that it is unsweetened and all natural. They are sprinkled inside with melted chunks of good dark chocolate (SWOON) and topped with toasted walnuts. Are you drooling yet?

When baking these puppies, make sure you do NOT overcook them. If overcooked, they will taste like brownie croutons, which are still edible, but not as delightful as fuuuuuuudgy brownies. If you slightly undercook them, I guarantee you will take them to bed with you. No judging here.

Added bonus, my friends…they are good for you, and are packed with protein, dark chocolate, and omega-3s from the flax meal and walnuts.

You are welcome!

Paleo Fudge Brownies (slightly adapted from Elana’s Pantry)

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 small banana
  • 3 pitted dates
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds, mixed with 3 tablespoons of water to form a paste (or 1 egg to make it nonvegan)
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or grapeseed oil
  • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons of agave nectar (or honey for nonvegans)
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup chopped dark 85% cocoa chocolate bar
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8X8 inch baking dish with nonstick spray or grease well with butter or coconut oil.
  2. Pull out your food processor. If you don’t have one, use a stand mixer and substitute another banana (two total) for the dates. The dates will not break down in a stand mixer, only a good food processor. Combine the banana(s), dates (if using a food processor), almond butter, and ground flax seed mixture.
  3. Pulse in coconut oil, apple sauce, agave nectar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Add cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Pulse to combine.
  5. Stir in chopped dark chocolate.
  6. Transfer batter into a well greased 8×8 inch pyrex baking dish. Top with chopped walnuts.
  7. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes, if you dare, before cutting and serving. (Note – Try not to drool on the brownies while cutting.)

A Tale of Two Salsas: Basic Salsa and Rhubarb Salsa

Published on by Alissa33 Comments

Oh salsa…so quick. So easy. It makes the best of times. (too cliche?)

With just a few ingredients, you can make dip-heaven. Salsa can take any dish up a notch or three.  Tomatoes are just a starting point for basic salsa. Later in this post, I’ll let you in on some secrets on how to use seasonal produce to make different types of salsa.  Basically, I’m going to change your life.

Yes, it is true.  I love to dip things. I often choose a meal based on its “dipability”.  Don’t judge! It’s one of my oddities….Ok many oddities, but people…it’s a party at every meal!!! And having a great basic salsa recipe is key for anyone to have tucked up their sleeve to pull out for impromptu events.

Because this was my week to host for the Food Matters Project and because of my love for all things dip-able, I chose the easy fresh salsa recipe from Mark Bittman’s the Food Matters Cookbook.  Paaaahrtay!  If you have never made fresh salsa, you are doing it today (or as soon as you can). Ya, I know you may have other crap planned, but guess what….salsa calls….”make me”.  And it’s easy. Dip it or throw it on tacos, or a salad, or on a spoon. Fresh salsa is perfect party food (for my solo party) or perfect to bring along for such occasions as Cinco de Mayo or you can bring it to my house for me to dip!

Garden tomatoes make the best salsa. But even when tomatoes are out of season, you can use canned tomatoes, which is what I did. Mark Bittman’s basic salsa is technically pico de gallo.  I chose to puree the salsa since I used canned tomatoes and because I like the smooth consistency. However, you can leave it chunky, if you prefer.

So let’s break it down. Really there are a few base ingredients that go into making salsa.

Onions + jalapeño + cilantro + lime juice (or any acidic juice really…vinegar works well too).

From this basic formula, you can add several ingredients to make fresh salsa.  Tomatoes are the basic salsa, of course. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge. But I doubt it will even linger that long. I used this salsa on top of eggs, on top of a spinach mushroom quesadilla (so dippable), and with homemade tortilla chips.

But, if you are feeling adventurous, there are other ingredients that you can add to salsa besides tomatoes….. such as seasonal fruit, black beans, or corn.

With spring in full force, RHUBARB has finally flooded the farmers market!!!!  To take full advantage of rhubarb at its peak, I decided to also try to make a rhubarb salsa.  I know, I know, I know…what about rhubarb pie, rhubarb tart?  Just trust me and branch out from the sweet desserts. Rhubarb salsa beckons you. I was so impressed with the outcome. Using the basic salsa recipe as a starting point, I replaced the tomatoes with rhubarb and sweet bell pepper, and then added a tad bit of honey mixed with apple cider vinegar and lime juice. The tartness in the rhubarb salsa is balanced by the sweet honey and complimented by the spicy kick from the jalapeño.

I ate this on fish tacos (so devine and sorry no pictures….they disappeared in my mouth). I also topped my fresh spring salad with it. Heavenly.

In summer, swap out tomatoes for peaches or mangos. In the fall, use granny smith or any other tart variety of apples. You can also swap orange or lemon juice for the lime juice.  Seriously, the options are endless when making salsa. After you make these salsa recipes, you are going to be in deep smit with them. You are welcome.

Don’t forget to check out the other FMP bloggers creations!

Basic Salsa (from the Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman)

  • 1 1/2 cups of tomatoes (or 1 15 oz canned tomatoes, undrained)
  • 1/2 white or red onion
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
  • 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of cilantro, diced
  • 2 tablespoons of lime juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions for Basic Salsa
  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Puree until well combined.
  2. Taste and add salt/pepper. Chill covered for at least 30 minutes.
Rhubarb Salsa 
  • 1 stalk of rhubarb (1 to 1 1/2 cups), diced
  • 1/4 cup of sweet bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tablespoons of diced white or red onion
  • 2 tablespoons of diced scallions
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of cilantro, diced
  • 1 tablespoon of lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons of honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • pepper to taste
Instructions for Rhubarb Salsa
  1. Heat 2 cups of water in a saucepan to boiling. Blanch rhubarb by placing in the boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds. Quickly remove the rhubarb and place in a colander. Run cold water over the rhubarb to stop the cooking process. Blot the rhubarb with a paper towel to dry.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the bell pepper, onion, scallions, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add rhubarb and mix ingredients.
  3. In a small separate bowl, dissolve the honey in the lime juice and apple cider vinegar. Drizzle this dressing over the rhubarb salsa and stir. Add the salt and pepper. Mix well.
  4. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

Years ago, the Jimy Lahey (the owner of Sullivan Street Bakery) released his amazing no-knead method for making bread. It does require planning and allowing the flour-salt-yeast-water mixture to sit in a warm draft-free environment and ferment for 12 to 24 hours.  But it is simply and I have made several amazing batches of bread this way.  Mark Bittman adopted Jim Lahey’s method in the Food Matters Cookbook, slightly adapting it to a whole wheat version of pizza dough. In fact, the March issue of Bon Apetit did the cover story on Lahey’s no-knead pizza dough.

It really doesn’t take much time. In the morning, throw 3 cups of whole wheat flour (I used half white whole wheat and half whole wheat pastry flour), some salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast in a bowl then add 1 1/2 cups of water. Stir with a wooden spoon. Put plastic wrap over it. Set aside. Done.

The pizza dough will be ready for you to work your magic once you get home from work. It will have bubbles on top from the fermentation process. Place the dough on a floured surface and work into small individual pizzas.

No need to spend extra “dough” on take out. Make this a fun experience with kids or friends or yourself. As you can see, I had two great helpers tonight in making individual pizzas. The kids chose their own toppings and they even experimented with an interesting guacamole pizza. Hrmmm.

If you don’t use all of the dough, or change your mind on dinner that night, the pizza dough will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.

See what everyone did with this recipe at the Food Matters Project. The original recipe was chosen by Niki of Salt and Pepper.

Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Notes: I recommend investing in a good pizza stone! It makes a difference.

Makes: 2  10″ pizzas or 4 individual mini pizzas

Dough Ingredients

  • 3 cups whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat white flour and whole wheat pastry flour)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon active yeast
  • Optional Toppings (olive oil, spicy tomato sauce, fresh mushrooms, goat cheese, fresh herbs, etc.)

Instructions

  1. Place flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of luke warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes together. Should resemble biscut dough. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm draft-free spot for at least 8 hours, but preferably 12 to 18 hours. The longer it sits, the better the taste. The dough will keep in the refridgerator for up to 3 days at this point.
  2. When you are ready to cook the dough, preheat oven to 500 to 550 F (or as high as it will go), placing a rack in the upper third portion of the oven and place a pizza stone on the rack. Preheat oven for at least 30 minute (45 minutes to 1 hour is preferable to recreate wood-fired pizza). If you are not using a pizza stone and are using a baking sheet, there is no need to preheat the baking sheet.
  3. Meanwhile, put the dough on a floured work surface. Shape into a rectangle and divide into several small pizzas, gently molding into appropriate sizes.  Dust with flour and set aside on rimless baking sheet or pizza peel that has about 1/4 cup of corn meal on the baking sheet (easy to slide the uncooked pizza dough off). Allow dough to rest while oven preheats
  4. Top pizza with desired toppings (sauce, cheese, veggies). Remember, the lighter the toppings, the better this will be. Loading a pizza with too many toppings can result in a soggy pizza.
  5. To transfer the pizza from the rimless baking sheet to the hot pizza stone in the oven, use small and quick back-forth motions. Slide the pizza from the rimless baking sheet (or pizza peel) onto the hot stone.  Bake pizza for 8 to 10 minutes, then broil on high for 2 minutes, or until bottom is crisp and top is melted and done.
  6. Using the rimless baking sheet, remove pizza from hot stone and  transfer to a work surface to slice. If you have another pizza to cook, allow the pizza stone to reheat under the broiler or at 550 F for 5 minutes. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with remaining pizzas.

Healthy Triple Coconut Muffins (Gluten Free)

Published on by Alissa6 Comments

Last week, I saw amazing whole wheat banana coconut muffins on one of my favorite blogs, Cookie and Kate. Ever since then, I couldn’t stop thinking about trying to make a gluten-free version. And voila…I DID IT. I used coconut flour instead of whole wheat flour based on a gluten-free banana muffin recipe from Elana’s Pantry. These babies are SUPER moist too.

But first, let’s have a chat about fat. Good fat that is…not just cute baby sausage leg fat. I’m talking about good fats in the foods that we eat. The fat free craze that took over the nation created a fear of fats that is unjustified. The food industry began taking out real ingredients and injecting fillers and sugars to replace the fats.  Buying no fat items does not mean that  it is healthy, this is a bit of a myth….go for whole foods and you’ll be good and much more satisfied! Look on the ingredient list. If it says it is no or low fat, and there are more than five ingredients and you can’t pronounce most these ingredients….it’s not a real food.

These muffins have triple coconut in them…coconut oil, coconut flour, and shredded coconut. If you look at the nutritional facts of this muffin, there are approximately 130 calories, 7 g of fat, 2 g protein, and 3 g of fiber!  Let’s get real about coconut and the good fat that it provides.

Coconut Oil – contains saturated fat, but in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (or MCTs) which are easily digested, absorbed, and utilized in the body. This is because these molecules are smaller than those from long-chain triglycerides (or LCTs), which are the type of fat normally consumed from plant and animal sources. Basically, MCTs require less energy and fewer enzymes to break down for digestion, making them an excellent choice of fat for active people and athletes as MCTs digest immediately to produce energy and stimulate metabolism (instead of carb loading!). They are also ideal for those who suffer from digestive disorders and are often given in hospitals to provide nourishment for critically ill people who have trouble digesting fat. SO eat up! And it’s tasty too.  Coconut oil is also stable at high temperatures and is the best oil to be used for high heat cooking.

Coconut Flour – High in fiber, high in protein, and a great gluten-free substitute for flour. You can easily find coconut flour at your local grocer in the health foods section or Whole Foods, of course. Bob’s Red Mill is the brand that I use.  Even if you are not gluten free, you can add coconut flour to regular whole wheat muffins or baked goods to add extra protein and fiber into your recipes.

But seriously folks. Despite these being really healthy and good for you, I really think these are my favorite muffins ever….hands down better than any other muffin (including the fresh blueberry muffins from Cook’s Illustrated). I’ve made two batches in one week.

Triple Coconut Muffins

Note: If you have a good food processor, use it when you prepare these muffins….cuts down on tons of prep work. Otherwise you can do this by hand (just takes a little more elbow grease) or with a  stand mixer.

Makes 9 muffins, Serving Size: 1 muffin (135 calories, 17 g carbs, 7 g fat, 2 g protein, 3 g fiber)

Cook/Prep Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (plus more for sprinkling on top of muffins)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Set a rack in the middle of the oven. Spray 9 muffins tins with nonstick spray or apply coconut oil inside the tins or line with muffin liners. Set aside.
  2. Add bananas, eggs, applesauce and vanilla to the bowl of the food processor and blend until well mixed and a liquid consistency (about 1 minute).
  3. Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 30 second intervals until melted. Add the honey or agave nectar to the melted coconut oil. Mix until combined. With the mixer or food processor turned on and mixing, pour the coconut oil/honey mixture through the feed tube into the banana mixture. This helps keep the coconut oil from solidifying.
  4. Add coconut flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixer or food processor. Pulse or mix for about 1 minute until well combined and no lumps exist. Stir in 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
  5. Pour mixture into 9 greased tins, filling 3/4 full. Apply 1 teaspoon of shredded coconut on top of each muffin.
  6. Bake in middle of the oven in a preheated oven set at 350 for 23 to 28 minutes (takes me 26 minutes). Keep an eye on the coconut topping.  Allow to cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes. Then remove and cool on a wire rack (if you can keep from eating the whole pan).

Serving Size: 1 muffin (135 calories, 17 g carbs, 7 g fat, 2 g protein, 3 g fiber)

Roasted Cauliflower

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

Cauliflower….oh you bland vegetable. I so often discount you. I generally choose more colorful vegetables over you…but you have shown me the err in my ways. By simply roasting you in an oven, you transform into delicious, addictive, and caramelized veggie poppers.

I drizzled a good olive oil over the florets and sprinkled them with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Threw them in a preheated oven that was set at 425 F and roasted them for 35 to 45 minutes. Holy Moses, I PROMISE you will NOT be disappointed. One head should serve 4 as a side, but I have to admit that two of us destroyed an ENTIRE head of cauliflower in one sitting.  Next time I will experiment with other seasonings such as smoked paprika, chili powder, or even curry. Mmmm.

So, quite ignoring cauliflower…go out there and give that veggie a new purpose in life!  You are welcome.

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Oil or spray a roasting pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Put cauliflower in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper over the florets. Mix until well coated. Lay the florets in a single layer on the roasting pan. Place in oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Pull out of the oven, and try to let them cook before burning your mouth off by eating them directly from the roasting pan (I speak from experience, people).

Healthy Banana and Chocolate Swirl Almond Flour Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Published on by Alissa9 Comments

Recently, my husband has gone not only gluten-free, but grain-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free. That’s a lot of ‘free’ in my house. But he has never felt better. The ‘diet’ (for lack of better terms) is called Paleo, referring to our paleolithic ancestors…also known as the Caveman Diet.  He eats anything his ancestors would have hunted or gathered, such as meat, vegetables, nuts, and fruit. It is based on the concept that our bodies have not evolved to digest the products that modern man and modern agriculture has developed (corn syrup, wheat, processed food, milk products, etc).

A good gluten-free substitute in baking is almond flour!  Even if you gluten and wheat lovers will dig this! Using almond flour instead of wheat flour will make your muffins lighter and give your muffins more protein, providing you sustained energy throughout the day. You can make your own almond flour by taking raw almonds and processing them in a food processor for a few minutes until a light and fluffy flour occurs. Be careful, if you process for too long, you will get almond butter…which is delicious, but will not help you when baking up these delicious muffins. I bought my almond flour in the bulk section of Whole Foods.

I slightly adapted these muffins from a recipe from Honest Fare, using honey instead of processed sugar.  They are AWESOME as a dessert, breakfast, or a snack. Love! They are light and fluffy too! I ate one this morning with a tablespoon of almond butter…mmmmmm.

When mixing up the batter, if you want to do the chocolate swirl, divide the batter into two bowls. Mix 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder into one of the bowls. Layer the banana muffin mix and then dollop the chocolate muffin mix on top, alternating layers until the muffin mixtures are gone.

I topped my muffins with sliced bananas that caramelize when baked.

Healthy Banana and Chocolate Swirl Almond Flour Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Grain-Free) adapted from Honest Fare

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup of almond flour (or about 9 oz of raw almonds processed into a flour)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal
  • 3 bananas (save half of one to use as slices on top of the muffins)
  • 2 heaping teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Grease 12 muffin tins or place muffin liners. Set aside.
  2. Mix almond flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a food processor or mixer, mix eggs, honey, 2 1/2 bananas, and flax meal on medium-high for 5 minutes, or until mixture is pale and very fluffily.
  4. Pour banana batter over almond flour and mix until just combined.
  5. Separate 1 cup of batter into a separate bowl. Add cocoa to the separated batter.
  6. Place a large spoonful of banana batter into muffin liners. Top with a spoonful of cocoa-banana muffin batter. Pour the remaining original banana batter on top of the cocoa batter. Top the muffins with thinly sliced bananas and slivered almonds, if you want.
  7. Bake muffins for 30 to 35 minutes (or until tops are browned and a skewer comes out clean when placed in the center of the muffin).
  8. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Tuna Salad

Published on by Alissa4 Comments

It has been a very busy week. I went back home to Oklahoma for five days to visit my family. It was a wonderful visit but has left me tired and unable to post this weeks recipe from the Food Matters Project, Cassoulet with Lots of  Veggies, chosen by Keely Marie. Don’t forget to check out the other food bloggers versions here.  I will return next monday with another great FMP recipe.

Instead I present you with an easy tuna salad recipe that I made for a quick lunch since I had nothing else in my cabinets except for a can of tuna and some random salad fixins in the fridge. This is fresh and a great lunch packed with protein. Don’t bother weighing yourself down with processed breads which will only leave you feeling tired in the afternoon.

Tuna Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients 

  • 1 can of dolphin-free, water-packed, low sodium tuna (6 oz)
  • 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers, divided
  • 1/4 cup diced celery
  • 1 green onion, white and green parts
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • fresh black pepper to taste
  • 4 cups of fresh spinach, rinsed and drained
  • diced veggies (carrot, tomato, cucumber, etc)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
  • sunflower seeds

Instructions

  1. Mix tuna, greek yogurt, 1/4 cup bell pepper, celery, onion, lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add black pepper to taste.  Set aside or in the refridgerator until you are ready to assemble the salads.
  2. In two bowls, arrange the spinach, remaining 1/4 cup diced bell pepper, and other vegetables that you have on hand. Divide the tuna mixture and place half of it in each bowl on top of the spinach salad.
  3. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil on each salad. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or cilantro. Top with about 1 teaspoon of sunflower seeds on each salad.
  4. Chow down!

Kale Salad with Garlic Tahini Dressing

Published on by Alissa6 Comments

Lately, I can’t get enough of kale salad. It’s crunchy. It’s flavorful. It’s a party in the mouth.

This kale salad is topped with an awesome tahini dressing. The recipe is based on a salad that is featured at the Whole Foods salad bar. A friend shared their recipe with me and I have made this salad for three nights in a row now. And may or may not have licked the bowl….and dreamed about this salad….and then ate it at midnight. OK, I have a problem. I know. Don’t judge.

This salad will totally make up for the fact that I also hoovered a rack of ribs, right?

If you can, mix the kale and the dressing together and allow to sit for an hour or two before serving.

Kale Salad with Garlic Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of kale, ribs removed and torn into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon of tahini paste (sesame seed paste)
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced and mashed
  • 1 teaspoon of good olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. Wash and remove center ribs from kale. Tear into pieces and place in a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, add tahini paste through olive oil. Mix until well blended.
  3. Pour dressing over kale and massage into kale. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.  Mix before serving. Sprinkle cilantro on top.  Eating this with an avocado on the side makes a perfect lunch.

Fruit-on-Bottom Yogurt Cups

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

I’m a snacker. I love to snack throughout the day, eating one snack around 10am and another one around 3pm.  Snacking keeps my blood sugar in check and also keeps me from eating everything in sight once I get home.  One of my favorite snacks is yogurt!

Prepackaged yogurt cups have a lot of added sugar and preservatives. You can save money and have a tastier treat by making your own. I buy organic plain yogurt. Plain greek yogurt is also a great alternative which has over twice the protein as plain yogurt and is ultra creamy. Buying bulk plain yogurt is a lot cheaper and you can keep it on hand to use in other recipes (as an alternative to sour cream in dips, on tacos).

Fruit-on-Bottom Yogurt Cups

Ingredients

Organic plain yogurt (greek style, whole fat, or low fat)

Yogurt Option Add-ins:

  • unsweetened applesauce (add a dash of cinnamon for a kick)
  • 1/4 cup fruit (blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, peaches, whatever you have), frozen or fresh
  • 1 teaspoon no added sugar fruit preserves
  • dried fruit (cranberries, figs, apples, apricots)
  • vanilla extract
  • fresh sliced or chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc)

Instructions

  1. If using frozen fruit, thaw in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. Add fruit, preserves, or applesauce  (or combination of these ingredients) to the bottom of a container.
  2. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of plain yogurt. Top with a sprinkle of nuts, vanilla extract, or dried cranberries.