Avocado and Sweet Potato Salad

We all have those crazy days when there are a million things going on, and there is just no time to go to the grocery store. I was having one of those days and just throwing random things from the fridge into a salad, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. This avocado sweet potato salad is a great combination of sweet and salty, and it is so simple to make. 

ingredients: 

baby spinach leaves 

avocado 

sweet potato 

feta cheese 

cinnamon 

salt 

balsamic dressing [I used peach balsamic but any dressing will work] 

Directions:

• wrap the sweet potato in saran wrap and heat in microwave for 5 minutes 
• while the sweet potato is cooking mix together spinach avocado feta and dressing 
• place diced sweet potato on top 
• add cinnamon and a dash of salt 

Enjoy! 

Homemade Almond Milk

If you are a fan of almond milk,  try this simple recipe at home. It's delicious and relatively inexpensive to make many batches. I love using my fresh almond milk in my coffee and smoothies. Also, the almond meal left over from the milk makes fabulous muffins! 

Directions: 

Soak one cup of almonds in four cups water for 24 hours. 

Next day:

Strain the almonds.

Put almonds and four cups fresh water in blender.

Blend for two minutes.

Use a cheese cloth to strain the almond milk.

((What is left in the cheese cloth is your almond meal. Squeeze out excess milk, let it dry, and then store in ziplock bag in fridge.))

Options:

Add vanilla extract, honey, and cinnamon to sweeten your milk 

Stay tuned for great smoothie and muffin recipes using the almond meal and milk! 

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad lovers: I’ve got good news! This week I tested two fabulous nutrient-packed chicken salad recipes. One recipe appeals to the garlic and spice lovers, and the second recipe has more of a sweet side.

Zesty chicken salad

1 shredded chicken breast

1 handful shredded carrots 

1/2 yellow bell pepper diced

1 celery stalk diced

1/2 avocado 

mix in:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 

garlic powder to taste

minced onion to taste

dash cayenne pepper

1 spoonful diced jalapeños 

Sweet chicken salad

1 shredded chicken breast 

1 celery stalk diced

1 small handful slivered almonds

1/2 cup grapes

1/2 apple 

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Add or drop ingredients as you like. You can’t mess up chicken salad! Both chicken salads are great in a lettuce wrap or on top of an avocado half! Enjoy!

Mardi Gras Detox

Mardi Gras 2015 sure has been a fun run! We hope you paraded your heart out and ate way too much king cake! Now that the good times are rollin’ to an end we are ready to get back on track! Here are some detox tips to recharge and reenergize you:

Start your day with:

• Hot water and lemon to hydrate and speed your metabolism
• Vitamin C which contains a compound that drives away toxins (goji berries and oranges are also great sources of vitamin c)
• Oats (fiber rich)
• OR yogurt (puts the good bacteria back in your stomach)

Add mix of any of the following to your diet:

• kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, artichokes, avocado, beets
• cinnamon, cayenne, garlic, turmeric
• grapefruit, pineapple, apple

These detoxifying, super foods and fiber rich foods will help to cleanse your kidney and liver.

Drink this:

• PLENTY of water
• Green tea

Avoid this:

simple carbs, sugar, alcohol, fried or processed food, preservatives

In addition:

Exercise-Sweat it all out!

And catch up on your sleep! 

Simple Shepherds Pie

I created a healthy twist on one of my favorite comfort foods, Shepherd's Pie. This is a quick and simple recipe, and it is great for when you need some warm comfort food! 

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen cauliflower

1 pack lean ground turkey

1/2 diced onion

1 tsp. minced garlic 

2 zucchinis 

olive oil 

Directions: 

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Heat one frozen bag of cauliflower in the microwave (follow directions on bag) 

Mash the cauliflower in a food processor. (option: add milk for a smoother consistency) 

Ground Turkey

Pour some olive oil in a pan and cook the onions until they start to become translucent

add the minced garlic and then the ground turkey 

Drain grease when cooked 

Zucchini 

I made thick zucchini noodles to top off my pie mimicking a crust, but zucchini cylinders would work as well and save time!

I cook my zucchini on the stove with a dash of salt and pepper.

All that is left to do is put it all together! I put cauliflower mash first followed by ground turkey then zucchini. Add your favorite seasonings, and it's ready to go! 

What's in your Coffee?

Coffee may be your morning ritual, your emergency wake up call, or your occasional treat. If you do start your day with a cup of Joe, make sure you are doing it right. Loading your coffee with sugar and creamer can cause a sugar high and a mid day crash.

I am all about starting the day off right. In my opinion the morning sets the tone for your attitude and healthy choices during the day. It is certainly never too late for a turnaround, but starting the morning off with a healthy step forward sets up the rest of the day nicely. If you would like to cut the morning sugar there are many, many ways to make tasty healthy coffee.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Pumpkin Spice Coffee:

Coffee + Almond milk + 1 Pumpkin Spice tea bag

Spiced Coffee:

Coffee + Soy milk  + Cinnamon & Nutmeg

Coconut Coffee:

Coffee + Coconut milk + Coconut oil

Also, I recently invested in an electric milk frother. It is AMAZING! I can create my own Starbucks style healthy recipes in my own kitchen. It really is a treat I look forward to every morning (& guilt free)! 

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do! 

Shrimp Pizza with Eggplant Crust

I am loving this pizza with a twist! Eggplant crusted pizza is a great option to satisfy the Italian cravings. This recipe is super easy to make and perfectly filling. Adding the shrimp on top for protein makes this a delicious, well-balanced meal. 

Ingredients  

Olive oil

1 eggplant

1/2 Pound Shrimp

1 pinch minced garlic

1/2 jar of marinara sauce (I used Rao's--It is a great all natural option) 

1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella 

*** (this made enough for three people) 

Directions 

Set oven to 375 degrees

Slice the eggplant into cylinders 

Drizzle with olive oil 

Place eggplant in the oven for 25-30 minutes (the eggplant should be golden brown)

While the eggplant is cooking heat the marinara sauce on the stove and stir in as much or as little cheese as you would like 

Cook the shrimp in a skillet with olive oil and a pinch of minced garlic. 

Take eggplant out of oven and apply a generous amount of the marinara/cheese sauce to each cylinder 

Place cooked shrimp on top of "mini pizzas"

and Enjoy!! 

Season without Salt

Although sodium is a nutrient that we need in our diets, the average person is consuming way beyond the necessary amount. There are plenty of ways to create flavorful dishes without covering them in salt. If you start to use less salt you may even start to appreciate the real taste of your food. The replacement-seasoning options below will hardly seem like a sacrifice, and in addition to great flavor they can provide added health benefits and weight loss.  

More Flavor; Less Salt:

• Vinegars (aid in curbing hunger)
  • Balsamic vinegar (my go-to salad dressing)
  • Apple cider vinegar (as seen in the Thai Cauliflower Soup)
  • Fruit infused vinegars (great for cooking meats)
• Citrus (full of vitamin c)
  • Lemon juice or zest (Great on fish)
  • Lime  juice or zest (Great with Mexican dishes)
  • Orange juice or zest (I often use in salad dressing) 
• Peppers (metabolism booster) 
  • Jalapenos (if you want to spice things up) 
  • Bell peppers
  • Onions
• Herbs and Spices (calorie burners with anti aging properties such as reducing inflammation)
  • Mint 
  • Basil
  • Rosemary (Great addition to a chicken dish)  
  • Cilantro (Great with Mexican dishes)
  • Black Pepper
  • Oregano
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Turmeric (used as a main seasoning in Indian foods such as curry)
  • Cayenne pepper (for those of you that like an extra kick)

An additional way to cut down sodium is to replace canned vegetables with fresh or frozen veggies. Canned food often contains a high level of sodium. Soups, salad dressings, and soy sauce can also be high in sodium. There are often options that offer less sodium OR you can create your own healthy alternative using the seasonings listed above.