Archive of ‘Uncategorized’ category

Clean & Creamy Caesar Dressing – Vegan Optional

image  Happy sweet 16 friends…

2016 is officially underway and this is my first blog post of the new year, and although healthy and fitting for New Years resolution time… I am thinking the next post will have nothing to do with salad, as this appears to be my 3rd installment in a row on the subject :/

This recipe wasn’t even meant to be added here, but after posting a pic of the delicious roast chicken and Caesar dinner my Mom and I enjoyed last Sunday, a girlfriend asked if the recipe was on the blog…. being the die hard people pleaser, I just had to add it 🙂

This recipe is a clean and crisp version of the classic dressing and I am adding vegan substitute options as well…Enjoy! XOimage

Clean & Creamy Caesar Dressing (Vegan Optional)

Ingredients:

  •  1 Ripe avocado
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp Raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 Minced garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/4 Sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
  • Ground pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup water to thin out
  • Optional: 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
  • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan or 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast for vegan

Method:

Add all ingredients to your food processor (or good blender in a pinch) and blend until smooth. Scrape sides with spatula and blend once more. Pour over fave healthy salad ingredients and….yum!

image

Slimming New Year Salad with Cashew Hummus

image

Hello again friends, and probably for the last time in 2015!

The New Year is fast approaching and this is the first spare moment I have had to write…let alone make a healthy dish that isn’t just chicken tossed on lettuce.

I am sure you can all relate to the chaos that is Christmas time and what that can do to your routine. I had all these fabulous pictures in my head of me organizing my time to blog, along with working extra hours, making/buying gifts, wrapping said gifts, hitting the gym and socializing…

Apparently I thought I was super woman as well :/

Of course the usual instead happened. I worked more, socialized more, crammed in gifts and promptly picked up on of my client’s colds which halted my workouts and led to more comfort food than I’d care to admit!

NOT TO WORRY.

If my training as a coach has taught me anything, we ALL have slip ups…and always will. The main difference between people who bounce back and those who continue down that path is…don’t waste time wallowing. Get up, dust off your ego and get back at it! No crazy diet or slaving at the gym only to burn out in 2 weeks. Just start today with one whole day of healthy eating. Take your daily treats from 5 down to one then ditch them from there. Get back at a 20 minute workout that will leave you feeling empowered..not dying or too sore to workout the next day! Baby steps back and you will be there in no time, and actually want to stick with it.

For more help in this department…Try this tasty twist on the dreaded weight loss staple we call salad and while enjoying that, you can head over to my article on 5 Steps To Stay Motivated.

Slimming New Year Salad with Cashew Hummus

Salad

  • 1 Romain heart sliced thin
  • 1/4 Purple cabbage head diced in ribbons
  • 1/4 cup Pomegranate aerials or the seeds from 1/2 the fruit
  • 1/4 Avocado cubed
  • 1/2 Cucumber chopped
  • Top with fresh chives, a dollop of cashew hummus and sprinkle of chia seeds

Cashew Hummus

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • water

1. Soak cashews in a bowl of filtered water for at least three hours or overnight . Drain and rinse, then drain well and place in food processor.

2. Add remaining ingredients to food processor and puree until completely blended. The texture will be thick. Add water, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired thickness. When left thicker, this makes an excellent dip or spread too. Add your fave herbs for a different taste.

Balsamic Mushrooms & Egg Bake

image

It’s about time I added a recipe involving mushrooms. After all..these deliciously meaty morsels are my all time fave veggie, and in case you haven’t noticed …they are also having a bit of a health food superstar moment!

This easy and filling breakfast is a great way to switch it up in the morning (I often get in a breaky rut), as well as a great new way to enjoy this superfood that is said to help ward off breast cancer, fight tumors, and improve circulation among many other immune boosting benefits.

I urge you to branch out and give this warming winter dish a go…your taste buds and overall health will thank you ;P

Ingredients:image

  • 2 cups quartered organic white button or crimini mushrooms
  • 2 large organic eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. Organic balsamic vinegar
  • 1/8 cup shaved Parmesan flakes or GoVeggie dairy free grated “Parmesan”
  • Pink or sea salt and pepper to your liking
  • Optional- top with 1/4 avocado cubed AFTER cooking.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Wash and quarter 2 cups worth mushrooms. Grease a small oven safe dish with your choice of high temperature safe oil ( coconut and avocado are both good options) and cover the bottom with your cut mushrooms. Drizzle the shrooms with balsamic and scatter the Parmesan to cover them all. GENTLY crack the two eggs on top of the mushroom mix side by side with yolks in tact. Sprinkle with salt and pep and place in the oven to bake for approx 12 mins (this will vary depending on your oven, so watch closely to not overcook). When all the egg white is solid and the yolks are set but still bright yellow and semi soft, remove from the oven and top with avocado. Devour and enjoy your day :p XO

image

Macros:

With Avocado

Cals: 337

Fat: 18.5

Protein: 17.5

Carbs: 14.5

Without Avocado:

Cals: 282

Fat: 13.5

Protein: 16.5

Carbs: 11.5

Vegan Pumpkin Tarts

2015-10-17 19.19.48It’s that time of year again. Beautiful Autumn colours, Thanksgiving, cozy sweaters and Halloween…which means its also the time for everything pumpkin!

I adore Fall on the West Coast. Its mild out still but your craving comforting clothes, flavours and smells. The most familiar of these comforting Autumn aromatic blends, is the pumpkin and cinnamon combo. Naturally I wanted to bake up something healthy and scrumptious with this dynamically delicious duo.

There are so many amazing options out there (once again I wasted an obscene amount of time lost in the sea of recipes on Pinterest). I wanted something vegan, refined sugar free, more bite sized than a pie and easy ….that’s not too much to ask is it?? ;p

With these qualities in mind I narrowed my options and delightfully stumbled upon THIS pumpkin cupcake recipe that almost fit the bill. The next step was to tweak it to my liking, and as I began looking through the cupboards and brainstorming …it transformed from cupcake to tart with the addition of a quick homemade grain free crust I compiled of dates, shredded coconut and walnuts. Mission accomplished!

This date bar/pumpkin pie rebirth is positively mind blowing (modest aren’t I…jeeze), and going to be a staple for all my Fall get togethers and feasts!

I think you and your family will feel the same when you see how simple and warming this clean treat is 🙂

Vegan Pumpkin Tarts

Makes 12 regular muffin tin sized tartsfilling

Ingredients

For the filling:
  • 1 can pumpkin or 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 2 very ripe bananas
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar ( I adjusted this amount, the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

For the crust:

  • 1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup dry walnuts (not soaked)
  • 1 cup dates
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350.crusts

Start by adding all your crust ingredients to your food processor and pulsing until it is all “mulched” with a slightly mealy/chunky texture. It should press and ball together in your hand. Scoop generous slightly overfilled tablespoon for each tart crust. Ball up and then press into the bottom of the muffin tin with the backside of the spoon.

In a clean food processor bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and blend until there are no lumps and everything is mixed through. Spoon the filling into the muffin tins over top the crusts. I used silicone muffin molds and used thin strips I made from parchment paper under the crusts so there are handy “tabs” to help remove the tarts (when cooled). .Bake for 20-25 minutes. Place in the fridge to cool completely (2 hours) before attempting to remove them, as they are very soft.

XO

Notice there is only one tart left in the picture now …mmmm ;p

2015-10-17 12.58.09Macros for 1 serving:

Cals: 158

Fat: 6.6g

Carbs: 24.4g

Protein: 2.2g

1 2 3 4 … 7