Healthy Summer Salad

By: Genevieve Melzer

It’s officially summer and I’m all about fresh, light salads right now, maybe because its 117 degrees outside and eating hot, heavy foods is about the last thing I want to do.

These days I’m all about creating new salads with season vegetables and interesting spices. This salad was inspired by a recipe I found in an old newspaper for a chickpea ginger salad. I thought ooh chickpeas sound good and I was off to the local market. I wish Liz and I lived closer to each other instead of 8 hours away because

I would just go to her amazing garden and pick out organic vegetables.
At the market I saw some beautiful bell peppers, and chose orange and green colored ones. I then picked up some fresh cilantro, a red onion, green olives, an heirloom tomato and some raw spinach. When I arrived home with my bounty I was super excited at what I was about to create.

You will need:

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans

2 bell peppers chopped (which ever colors you prefer)

¼ large red onion, choped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon cumin powder
1 heirloom tomato, chopped
½ cup green olives (small)
2 cups raw spinach
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp lemon infused olive oil (don’t have this one use regular oil olive)
1 tbsp hatch chile vinegar (I used this special vinegar, feel free to use whatever vinegar you have and prefer)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Start by placing your garbanzo beans into a large bowl, add the cumin and a sprinkle of salt and mix together. Set aside.
2. Slice up your bell peppers and onion; then chop up slices for smaller cube pieces. Place in large bowl on top of garbanzo beans
3. Chop cilantro as fine as you can get it. Place in same large bowl when finished.
4. Chop of heirloom tomato and place in the bowl.
5. Pour olives in bowl with the rest of your ingredients.
6. Add the spinach and lightly toss.
7. Now it’s time to dress the salad, pour in the olive oil, avocado oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.
8. Toss all ingredients together making sure the dressing gets all over every piece.
9. Serve and enjoy!

When I took the first bite of this salad my taste buds were electrified. The cumin added such an interesting flavor profile to the beans. Each bite was fresh, crisp, refreshing, sweet and salty; when my bowl was empty I wanted to go back for seconds it was that good.

This recipe makes about 4 servings, so it is the perfect salad to take to a small dinner party and impress your friends. This salad is perfect for summer because it is refreshing and light but still fills you up because of the heartiness of the beans. Let me know what you think of this salad in the comments below; until next time stay cool, fit and eat healthy.

Chocolate, Almond Butter Energy Nuggets

By: Genevieve Melzer

When eating healthy it is so important to snack. We are supposed to eat six small meals a day so you feel like you are grazing throughout the day. I wanted to make a snack that I could eat before I worked out that would give me energy and help fuel me for my workout.

I found a recipe online for “no-bake oatmeal cookies” and I took a look at the recipe and figured out how I could make it vegan and even healthier. I wanted to make these energy nuggets so I could grab something healthy in a pinch and not eat anything processed.

What you will need:
1 cups oats
2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons crushed pecans
2 tablespoons coconut flakes
1 tablespoon hemp hearts
1 tablespoon flax powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoons Vega One chocolate protein powder
1 tablespoon chocolate PB2 protein powder
4 tablespoons almond butter
½ cup almond milk

Preparation:
Put all dry ingredients together in a medium to large sized bowl. Add almond butter and mix completely together using your hands. Pour in almond milk and mix again. Roll and form 10 balls out of the batter. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

These energy nuggets are hard to stop eating, I ate three right away. I feel as though cooking doesn’t need to be so strict, feel free to add anything else you would like to like goji berries or other nuts. Also you can substitute any other nut-butter for the almond butter for you would like and that goes for the almond milk as well.

Let us know what you think of these energy nuggets and what you add to yours to improve this recipe. We look forward to hearing from you, until next time… eat healthy, appreciate life and believe in yourself. Peace!

Almond Milk

Using a nut bag to make smooth almond milk

Homemade Almond Milk

What you will need:

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight in cool water

4 cups filtered water

blender

nut bag or cheese cloth with a strainer

glass jar to keep your milk in

1. Take the dry almonds, rinse and soak them under at least three inches of cool water overnight. Toss any almonds that floated to the top.

2. In the morning, drain and rinse the almonds a few times. Place them in the blender with four cups of filtered water. Blend slowly at first then turn your dial to 10 and on high (Vitamix). Blend for a min, maybe two depending on the power of your blender.

3. To get a smooth milk, strain your milk thru a nut bag or cheesecloth. 

Take a large bowl, preferably with a spout on it (it makes it easier to pour out when done) to catch your milk, pour the milk into the nut bag and squeeze the liquid out the bag and into the bowl. If using cheese cloth, place it over a strainer and pour your milk slowly thru. Squeezing the cloth to push the liquid into the large bowl.

4. Pour your fresh milk into your glass container. Makes about 4 cups, depending on your blender. Keep in the refrigerator. Use within five days. 

Milk Protecter (glass container)

When you blend your almonds you can add a sweetener like soaked dates. Use three or four of them depending on how sweet you like your milk. Just remember you can always add to your own drink later, but you can’t unsweeten the whole batch. Soak your dates in warm water for a few hours just to break down the fibers, drain and blend in milk.

The sky is the limit as to what your homemade almond milk can taste like, try cinnamon and nutmeg, or a bit of maple syrup. Test it out first on a small amount to see what you do and don’t like.  

This may not be the most cost effective way to get your almond milk. Almonds are $$$ and almond milk you find in the store is a bit cheaper. Next time you pick up a box of almond milk or rice or soy milk, read the label and see what else you are drinking besides almonds, rice or soy. You may find the $$$ spent is well worth it.

"Ice box" Chia Seed Oatmeal

By: Genevieve Melzer

Hello everybody,

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted and it’s time to get back into sharing recipes with all of you. This week for me was all about preparing meals for the next day. I always work out and eat healthy because that is a part of my healthy lifestyle, but since I have gotten engaged I have really stepped it up a notch.

I eat healthier when I have it mapped out for the day. I love eating oatmeal in the morning because it fuels me for much of my day, so when a friend told me about this easy oatmeal recipe I had to try it.

Start by using a Mason jar or tuber-ware container.

What you will need:
½ cup oats
1 cup almond milk (can use coconut milk or hemp milk)
2 teaspoons of chia seeds
¼ cup blueberries
1. Scoop oats into the mason jar
2. Pour almond milk on top of the oats.
3. Add chia seeds and blueberries.
4. Mix everything together well.
5. Seal Mason jar or tuber-ware container.
6. Place in “ice box” (refrigerator) over night and oatmeal will be ready to eat in the morning.
7. Eat & Enjoy!

You can heat the oatmeal up or just enjoy it cold like I did. Feel free to add any fruit you like besides blueberries, that’s just what I had in the house so that’s what I used. I love bananas and strawberries in my oatmeal so I will probably use those next time. Also feel free to add cinnamon or agave if you need more of a sweet taste.

This Ice Box Chia Seed Oatmeal is the perfect grab n’ go breakfast when you are running late for work or just too tired in the morning to make something. On Tuesday mornings I go to Zumba class and sometimes I am so tired I can’t get up to make breakfast so this is the perfect thing to have in the “ice box” waiting for me.

This oatmeal is vegan, made with all organic ingredients and super healthy for you too. It is a great go to meal when you are super busy with work and life. Post in the comments below what you add to your oatmeal from the garden, I’m always looking for new ides. Until next time eat healthy, live in the moment and keep moving.

Pea and Parsley Risotto

Pea and Parsley Risotto

By: Elizabeth Beals

   Peas are just coming into season this year and it's still a little chilly outside for spring. Risotto is the perfect dish to fill you up and keep you warm. I have come to love this dish so much that I requested it for my 29th birthday dinner. I will be honest and tell you, the first time I made this dish from start to finish it took me two hours! I was still new to vegan cooking and had never made a risotto in my life. I am proud to say that I have it down to under an hour now. What a little bit of patience and practice will do for the cook in all of us. Three tips I want to pass on to you about risotto. Pull a stool to the stove you are going to be there for a while. The wine can be cold, but the veggie broth needs to be warmed. Lastly, please wait until all the liquid has been absorbed each time before adding more. 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1  white onion, finely diced

1 cup + more to garish fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup arborio rice

1 cup white wine, use what you like and drink the rest

3 cups veggie broth, warmed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 cup fresh or frozen peas 

1/4 cup basil, fresh chopped

1. Heat oil in your largest pan with a tall edge over medium heat. Cook the onion for a few mins until soft then add the parsley. Watch out because the parsley will pop out of the pan from the hot oil. Lower the heat if parsley starts to brown. Cook until all is tender it will take about 3 mins.

2. Stir in rice and cook until the tips are translucent, stir constantly for 2 to 3 mins. Once tips are translucent stir in wine. When the wine had been absorbed by the rice, reduce heat to a simmer. About 3 mins for the wine to be absorbed by the rice.

3. Stir in warmed veggie broth a half cup to a cup at a time. Waiting until each amount has been absorbed by the rice before adding another cup of broth. Make sure rice doesn’t stick to the sides of your pan and keep stirring.

4. After all cups are absorbed taste to see if rice is tender enough. If not add more broth or water to rice. Cook until rice is tender.

5. Add pepper, yeast, and peas. Cook until peas are hot. Take off burner and cover with a lid. Let it sit for about 10 mins. From onions in the pan to letting it rest it’s about 40mins for me now. Garish with fresh basil.

Keep in mind it use to take me 2 hours when I first started making this dish. That included getting all the ingredients together and measuring everything out then reading and rereading the recipe that I had planned. There's an hour plus right there! We are all working at different skill levels on this journey. Be proud of where you are and keep moving forward.  

Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

By Elizabeth Beals

    This is a light and refreshing meal that you can spice up or mellow down to your preference. I tend to make it in the spring and summer for lunch a lot. It will help if you have a mandolin in your kitchen to make quick work of the cucumber. If not, it will be a great time to practice your knife skills.

 Peanut sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons plum vinegar or rice vinegar

1 tablespoons beet sugar or sweetener of choice

4 garlic cloves, minced

crushed red peppers, to taste

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Sriracha or chili sauce of choice to taste

Noodles:

One cucumber, thinly Julienned (aprox the size and shape of the soba noodles)

soba noodles (make sure they are GF, some have wheat flour in them so read your labels)

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

1. Combine the peanut butter with the boiling water and mix together.

2. Then add the rest of your sauce ingredients together and let it cool.

3. Cook your soba noodles, they won’t take but a few mins. Rinse them with cold water and drain.

4. Mix the cucumber and soba noodles in a bowl with as much or as little sauce as you would like.

5. Garnish with fresh basil and chopped peanuts. Add more Sriracha if you need more of a kick. 

Nuts over Bananas…mini "ice cream" sandwiches

by: Elizabeth Beals

   If you have been following our posts you see that we are nuts over bananas and peanut butter. In the world of vegan cooking, bananas are a wonderful tool to create many different treats and eats. From smoothies, to muffins, and even ice cream can all be made using this amazing fruit. Add peanut butter with the bananas and you have a real treat! This is a no bake dessert, a food processor and freezer are all you will need.

Step 6 In the freezer

Ready to eat

   My desirer was to create a dessert that was healthy, but would satisfy my sweet tooth at the same time. Ice cream sandwiches were a favorite of mine growing up, like many people I know. I hope you try and enjoy my own take on this classic dessert.

Ingredients:

Raw dough

8 dates, soaked in warm water to soften with seeds removed

1/2 cup unbleached raw almonds

1/8 cup pecans

1/8 cup raisins 

1 tablespoon flax seed

Ice Cream Filling

1 banana, sliced

1 teaspoon peanut butter per sandwich

Wrapper

mini muffin tin papers

Tools or special equipment 

food processor 

mini muffin tin paper

Preparation and procedures 

1. Remove the seeds and soak dates in warm water to soften them. Only for a few minutes if soft already.
2. Pulse the almonds in the food processor until you have very small pieces, but don’t over process them or you will have almond butter. Take your almond pieces out and set them aside.
3. Drain the dates and pulse them in the processor until you have a date paste.
4. Add back the almond pieces and all the other dough ingredients to the date paste and pulse together. In 30 seconds or so you will have a sticky dough. It will come together in a ball and when that happens, your dough is done.
5. Take 1 teaspoon of the dough and with your thumb press it down in the muffin paper.
6. Layer 1 sliced banana on top and spoon 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on top of the sliced banana. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
7. The peanut butter should be semi hard after 30 minutes in the freezer. Take them out and top off your sandwich with another teaspoon of dough. Press lightly down to flatten the dough.
8. Place back in the freezer for 20 minutes. Pull out of the freeze a minute or two before eating.