Tag Archives: Vegetarian

Tuscan Herb Spreadable Bean Dip

Tuscan Herb Spreadable Dip

Spreadable dips are perfect for all those Summer vegetables coming to market!

This dip is great year round on carrots, celery, cucumbers and healthy crackers. It is also terrific in a wrap. I have been particularly enjoying this on endive and with tender asparagus spears, and I’ve also been folding tender spring lettuces around it. It’s sooo good and versatile.

Tuscan Herb Spreadable Dip Healthy and Versatile. Vegetarian, Gluten and Dairy Free

Prep Time

10 minutes

Prep Notes

n/a

Cooking Time

n/a

Yields

10 servings

Ingredients

1 15. oz can of White Kidney Beans (aka Cannellini Beans) I use Eden Organic BPA Free

2 Tablespoons of Rice Vinegar

2 Tablespoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil (or two cloves of minced garlic and EVOO)

2 Tablespoons of Minced Green Onion

1 1/2 Tablespoons of Minced Fresh Parsley

1/2 Tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Directions

Combine the can of drained and rinsed beans, vinegar, garlic infused oil, nutritional yeast, sea salt and black pepper in a food processor.
Process until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
Transfer to a bowl.
Add green onions and parsley, and mix with a spoon.
Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Serve with cut up veggies or chips.

Creamy Garlic and Herb Bean Dip Gluten and Dairy Free

Beans are a versatile protein rich source of fiber and vitamins, and they make a terrific spread! I hope you enjoy making and using this.

Please send me photos of how you are using this. I love to hear from you!

Tuscan Herb Spreadable Bean Dip. A delicious creamy, protein rich vegetarian accompaniment. Gluten Free & Dairy Free

Low FodMap Taco Sauce

Attention taco lovers! Skip the bottled taco sauce and make this easy, low fodmap, classic taco sauce at home!

I like it drizzled on top of a taco salad, a taco bowl, or my Weeknight Taco Recipe here. 🙂

Delicious Low FodMap Taco Sauce

Low FodMap Taco Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Tomato Sauce

1/4 Cup of Sliced Scallions (green part only)

2 Tablespoons of Champagne Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Infused Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Ground Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon of Ancho Chili Powder

1/8 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon of Honey

Directions: Whisk together all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a low boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Pour the sauce into a blender and blend until smooth. Now, for silky smooth sauce, pour it through a fine mesh metal strainer. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Please, if you do not eat honey on the Low FodMap diet you are folllowing, do not bash the creator of the recipe. I write my recipes using the protocol I personally used and thousands of others have and do as well with success. It is available as a PDF for free at the top of my website. Dr. Allison Siebecker’s SIBO Specific Low FodMap food guide which allows for honey under 2 tablespoons. All rude comments will not be tolerated and removed. As a recipe writer, I work hard to write recipes for myself and others who have dietary restrictions and digestive challenges.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

I find this time of year with fresh produce in abundance so inspirational!

The vegetables on display by local growers who take such pride in their offerings is sheer art!

Cumin and pumpkins seeds (also know as pepitas), are a very delicious combination and enhance the sweetness of the carrots. Did you know cumin also has the ability to aid digestion as well as help insomnia and respiratory ailments? It was used by the Egyptians 5,000 years ago, and is popular today in many cuisines.

Pumpkin seeds are a great alternative to nuts in cooking, and have excellent nutritional benefits like containing zinc for immune support, magnesium, fiber and plant based Omega 3’s.

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat your oven to 400º degrees.

Ingredients:

4 Cups of Young Carrots

1/4 Cup of Good Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Ground Cumin

Juice of 1 Lime

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink (My favorite :-))

1/2 Teaspoon of Pepper

1/3 Cup of Pumpkin Seeds

Directions: Toss the washed carrots with the olive oil in a large bowl. Add the Cumin, Salt and Pepper and squeeze the juice of one lime over it. Toss thoroughly to spread the seasoning evenly. Pour the Carrots onto a large parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer.

Oven roast for 40 to 50 minutes until the carrots are starting to caramelize. Toss them once or twice during roasting to re-coat with the oil and seasonings.

Remove them from the oven, and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds (pepitas).

Serve them hot!

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pepitas

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pepitas

Eat Your Nutrients!

Chocolate Mocha No Moo – Day 5 – Seven Days of Smoothies

Chocolate Mocha No Moo - Day 5 - Seven Days of Smoothies Challenge

This smoothie is like a mocha milk shake without the dairy, and unhealthy sugar. Smoothies that taste so creamy and delicious and promote health are the way to go in my book! One of my favorite reasons for using whole food sweeteners like dates is the food is unrefined with all it’s minerals and fiber intact.

This smoothie contains Raw Cacao which gives it the rich chocolate flavor. Raw Cacao is a superfood rich in essential minerals and antioxidants. Eating raw cacao releases dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and pleasure, and it has been shown to lower insulin resistance. Coconut Butter is a healthy fat that also gives the smoothie a creaminess, as well as the coconut milk. (You may substitute another milk like almond). A touch of cinnamon and vanilla compliment the coffee and brings out more of the chocolate flavor. This is a smoothie that I like to drink with my feet up, savoring every delicious sip!

Chocolate Mocha No Moo

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk

2 Tablespoons Raw Cacao

2 Tablespoons Cold Coffee

2 Large Medjool Dates

1 Tablespoon of Coconut Butter

1 Cup Crushed Ice

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/8 tsp. Cinnamon

Optional: 2 Tablespoons of Grass Fed Gelatin or Your Favorite Protein Powder (add after initial blending and blend just until incorporated to prevent foaming)

Directions: Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender and mix until creamy and the dates are fully incorporated.

Put your feet up and Enjoy!

Have a beautiful day!

Oven Roasted Fennel, Carrots and Red Onion

Roasted Vegetables

My favorite way to eat vegetables in the colder months is oven roasting! Roasting vegetables in the oven brings out the natural sugars in the vegetables, and it caramelizes them adding even more layers of flavor.

If you have been following me for awhile, you have heard over and over to eat your vegetables and eat your nutrients. 🙂 Oven roasting makes it an easy way to do so! Yes! Some of the health benefits of Fennel is it contains Phytonutrients, Vitamin C, Fiber, Folate and Potassium. Red Onion is a source of Sulfur and Quercetin (cancer protective). Carrots are high in Vitamin A, and also contain good amounts of Biotin and Vitamin K. By eating these three all together, you are getting a powerhouse of beneficial nutrients!

This recipe for Oven Roasted Fennel, Carrot and Red Onion is an outstanding choice to serve at your Thanksgiving table. It is colorful, rustic and so delicious! I hope you give it a try!

Oven Roasted Fennel, Carrots and Red Onion

Preheat your oven to 375º degrees.

Ingredients:

2 Fennel Bulbs

6 Medium Carrots

1 Large Red Onion

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:

Wash and trim the fennel, and remove the stalks. Slice the fennel into 1/2 inch slices. Peel the carrots and slice. Peel the red onion and cut in half, then into 10 wedges total. In a medium bowl toss the prepared vegetables with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender and caramelized, tossing with a spatula after the first 20 minutes.

It is ready to Serve!

Enjoy your day!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Peachy Jar Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette

This jar salad is so full of freshness, it makes me want to sing!

Food is supposed to make us feel good! So often today, the food that makes us feel “good” is not good for us. We have been inundated with ads and media from food manufacturers that tell us a food will make us happy.

Food that truly makes a person happy is the food that supports every cell of the body. Food that your body recognizes and knows what to do with. Pure, real, unprocessed food. It makes us feel good and look good. It gives us energy, and makes our skin glow and hair shine. It promotes longevity and prevents disease. Our bodies are like a very intricate computer that communicates with all the different components. We don’t want to confuse it by putting in artificial food that we weren’t made to process.

Peachy Salad in a Jar with Ginger Vinaigrette

Peachy Jar Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette

You can make this jar salad to pack for lunch, or make a larger version of it for another meal to share. It keeps well also! After a day in the refrigerator, the flavors meld even more!

PEACHY JAR SALAD WITH GINGER VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients for the Salad:

1 Cup of Ripe Tomato (Your favorite, any color. I used Heirloom)

1 Ripe and Juicy Peach (sliced and tossed with a tsp. fresh Lime Juice to prevent browning)

1/2 Cup of Watermelon (cubed)

1/2 Cup of Cucumber (cubed)

2 Green Onions (thinly sliced)

1/4 Cup Raw Pecans

1/4 Cup Green Pepper (diced)

GINGER VINAIGRETTE

This makes a 1/2 Cup of dressing, so you will have extra!

1/3 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoons of Fresh Lime Juice

2 Teaspoons of Fresh, Minced Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon of Minced Jalapeno Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1/8 Teaspoon of Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions: Puree the Vinaigrette ingredients thoroughly in a blender.

To assemble your salad: Use a generous glass jar that holds 4 cups. You can also make two smaller jar salads with pint jars, which hold two cups each.

Place two tablespoons of Ginger Vinaigrette in the bottom of the jar.

Add the other prepared ingredients in the following order from bottom to top:

Green onion
Tomato
Green Pepper
Watermelon
Cucumbers
Peaches
Pecans

Seal your jar, and refrigerate until ready to eat! You have made sunshine in a bottle.

Before eating, toss your salad gently by inverting the jar several times to coat the salad with the dressing. Remove lid and enjoy.

*I used organic ingredients

Peachy Salad in a Jar with Ginger Vinaigrette

Eat Your Nutrients! Don’t settle for less. It makes All The Difference!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes and Scallions with Fresh Basil and Dill

On a beautiful Summer evening, I don’t want to be in the kitchen. Did you ever notice with grilling, you get to sit and relax while the food cooks more than when you are preparing a meal in the kitchen?

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Green Onions with Fresh Basil and Dill

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Scallions with Fresh Basil and Dill

Grilled vegetables also taste really delicious, they aren’t mushy, and you can combine ones that have relatively the same cooking time, toss them with a marinade and seasonings and come up with endless one dish vegetable sides.

Here is a fairly quick recipe for grilled zucchini, tomatoes and scallions I find Summery and a crowd pleaser.

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Green Onion with Fresh Basil and Dill

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Scallions with Fresh Basil and Dill

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes and Scallions with Fresh Basil and Dill

Organic Ingredients:

4 Zucchini on the smaller side (about 4 cups) sliced into spears

2 Local Medium Tomatoes (any color)

1 Bunch of Scallions, sliced in half lengthwise

1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, torn roughly into pieces

1 Tablespoon Fresh Snipped Dill

2 Tablespoons of Virgin Avocado Oil

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions:

In a large bowl toss all the prepped ingredients together until well coated with oil. Place in a grill pan with holes. Grill on medium for 30 minutes, top of grill down, (relax until the vegetables are tender).

Eat Your Nutrients!

Summer Peach and Berry Fruit Salad

Peach and Berry Summer Fruit Salad

Hello Lovely People!!! One of the things so fantastic about this Summer Peach and Berry Fruit Salad is, it is just naturally gorgeous! You don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it is no cook, and it is nutrient rich. The nutrients, polyphenols and variety of natural from nature color pigments in the fruit feeds your skin, which is out in the sun more in the Summertime.

Summer Peach and Berry Fruit Salad

I know you all want your skin to glow! Am I right? Glowing skin just screams “healthy”. It is far lovelier than any makeup, although I like and use makeup.

Peach and Berry Summer Fruit Salad

I’ll admit I am really careful about balancing my nutrition. I have worked hard on my gut health over the last three years so I can really absorb the nutrients I eat. I have learned to listen to my body and be intuitive about what it may need. The needs of our bodies changes based on many factors including the time of year, our age, exposure to toxins, activity levels, stress, sleep, illness, and our environment.

Food is your most basic form of self care. One thing I rarely compromise on with myself is, I don’t eat junk. If I am having a treat, the food is real food ingredients. If you adopt this way of eating, if you aren’t already, you will get feedback as your body changes. We really are what we eat. People will comment on how obvious it is that you take care of yourself, and ask you your secret.

Next week I will share a new chocolate chip cookie recipe with you made from real food. All the recipes you will find on my blog are real food recipes. So check out the recipe index.

Summer Peach and Berry Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

5 Organic Juicy Ripe Peaches (pitted, peeled and sliced)

6 oz. of Organic Blackberries

2 Cups Organic Strawberries (halved)

1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds

1 Organic Lime (Zest and Juice)

2 Tablespoons Dry White Wine (Optional, I used Sauvignon Blanc)

2 Teaspoons of Good Quality Honey

1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions: Whisk together the Lime Juice, Honey, Lime Zest, Vanilla and White Wine if using. Pour over the bowl of prepared fruit and gently fold. Refrigerate 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Right before serving, sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Serve chilled and enjoy! Have a fabulous weekend!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Red, White and Blue Smoothie!

Fourth of July is coming up fast! So in honor of the Red, White & Blue, I have a brand new smoothie for you.

It is thick, delicious, and you have a protein powder option. There are three layers, but it is not difficult, although it does take about five minutes longer than a regular straight up blended smoothie. It is worth it to do something extra special for yourself. The white layer is simply some creamy full fat coconut milk. This smoothie is packed with clean nutrition.

Red, White & Blue Smoothie

Blue Layer Ingredients:

1 Cup Frozen Blueberries

1/2 Fresh Banana

1/4 Cup Coconut Milk

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

White Layer Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk

Red Layer Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Fresh Strawberries

1/2 Cup Frozen Sweet Cherries

1 Medjool Date, Pit Removed

2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk

1 Tablespoon of a Clean Protein Powder (I used Philosophie Berry Bliss Vegan Protein and Superfood Powder)

Directions: Blend the Blue Layer. Pour into a clear glass. Gently add the 1/4 cup of coconut milk for the next layer.

Blend the Red Layer, Pour on top. Add a few berries and a straw!

Enjoy!

Note: All the fruit I used was organic. Omit the protein powder for the Specific Carb Diet. Replace Black Cherries for all Strawberries if very Low FodMap.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Dill and Chive Grain Free Crackers

The crunch of walnut pieces and the flavor of dill and chives makes this a perfect cracker for snacking. I especially like dill in summer, and it is so good in these crackers! It reminds me of working in the garden as a child and smelling the fresh dill on the breeze and feeling the warm sun on my body. These crackers are a fantastic addition to an appetizer spread, and I also like to mound a bunch of dinner leftovers on them for a quick snack. Who doesn’t love a quick, healthy snack? Prepared in advance, these will keep in the freezer for a month.

Dill and Chive Grain Free Crackers

Dill and Chive Grain Free Crackers

Ingredients:

1 Cup Superfine Almond Flour**

1/2 Cup Raw Walnuts, Chopped into Medium Pieces

2 Flax Eggs (see instructions below)

2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, Minced (can substitute 2 Teaspoons of Dried Dill)

2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives, Minced (can substitute 2 Teaspoons of Dried Chives)

1 Teaspoon Honey

1/4 Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt**

* Making an egg substitute with ground Flax Seed is easy! Take one Tablespoon of ground Flax Seed and whisk it with 3 Tablespoons of water in a small bowl and let sit for 15 minutes until it becomes a gel like consistency. In this recipe I have used two Flax Eggs, so you would take 2 Tablespoons of Ground Flax Seed and 6 Tablespoons of water, whisk it all together and let sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the cracker ingredients.

**See In My Pantry for Product Resources

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325º degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, add your almond flour, dill, chives and salt. After your flax eggs are ready, whisk in the honey. Then, add the liquid to the flour mixture and whisk with a fork until well combined. Add in the chopped walnuts last, and incorporate into the dough.

Place the dough between two sheets of parchment and roll out with a rolling pin to 1/4″ inch thickness. Remove the top parchment sheet used for rolling, and put the rolled cracker dough with the bottom parchment on the cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. Keep a close eye on them the last five minutes to prevent over browning. Cool on a wire rack, and then break them into whatever sized pieces you like!

These are delicious served with my Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Tapenade Recipe or Dairy Free Fresh Basil Pesto. If you would like more appetizer ideas, go to Kelly Bejelly’s post on her blog, A Girl Worth Saving, and check out her 35 Paleo Appetizers post here!