Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 1-2
Ingredients:

1. 1-2 yams or sweet potatoes
2. Olive oil
3. Salt & Pepper
4. Italian seasonings
5. Garlic powder
6. Paprika
7. Cheyenne pepper (if you want them spicy) or cinnamon (if you want them sweet)

Directions:

•  Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Cut sweet potato or yam into julienne pieces.
• Coat with olive oil and spices.
• Bake for 25 minutes, turn at least once half way through.
• Once the fries are crispy remove from the oven.

~Makes a great snack~

Chicken Parmesan with Penne Pasta

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1. 1 organic chicken breast
2. 2 pieces Ezekiel bread
3. 1 tsp Italian seasonings
4. Salt & Pepper
5. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6. 3 Tbs whole wheat flour
7. 1 organic egg
8. Penne pasta
9. Spaghetti sauce
10. Parmesan cheese
11. Basil
12. Green beans
13. Cooking spray

Directions:

• Gently toast the Ezekiel bread until it is dry and slightly brown.  
• Pre-heat your oven to 475 degrees.
• In a food processor or blender add Ezekiel bread, salt & pepper, Italian seasonings, and red pepper flakes. Blend until you have fine bread crumbs.
• You will need three shallow bowls, one for the flour, one for the bread crumbs and one for the egg.  You will also need a wire rack for baking and a baking sheet covered with foil.
• Add a little bit of Parmesan cheese to the bowl with the bread crumbs and mix in.
• Pound down the chicken until 1/2 inch thick.  Season with salt & pepper and roll in the flour dish.
• After the flour, dunk the chicken in the beaten egg.
• Cover with bread crumb/cheese mixture and set onto a wire rank.  Spray the wire rack with cooking spray before you place the chicken on the rack.  Spay the chicken with cooking spray and place into the oven.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• While the chicken is baking, cook the penne pasta al dente about 10 minutes.  Cooking pasta al dente is not only the proper way to cook pasta, but it also lowers its Glycemic Index number, which means it is slower to digest and easier on your blood sugar.
• Steam the green beans in a steamer basket for about 4-7 minutes, or until bright green and slightly crunchy.
• Heat the spaghetti sauce in a sauce pan while everything else cooks.
• Plate  your meal.

~Benissimo~

Carrot Muffins with Cashew Lemon Frosting

 

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

1.  2 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1/2 cup almond meal (if you don't have almond meal, just increase the flour by 1/2 cup)
3. 2 tsp baking soda
4. 1/2 tsp sea salt
5. 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
6. 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
7. 1 Tbs Saigon cinnamon or traditional cinnamon
8. 2 cups grated carrot
9. 1/3 cup canola oil
10. 1 tsp vanilla
11. 1/2 cup agave syrup
12. 2 eggs (use 2 Tbs of ground flax seeds and 7 Tbs of water to make vegan)
13. 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
14. 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut (check out the bulk section of the health food store)
15. 1/2 cup organic raisins
16. 1/2 cup crushed pecans

Frosting:
(recipe adapted from Ani's Raw Food Desserts (Kream Cheeze Frosting) by Any Phyo)

1. 1 1/2 cup raw cashews
2. 3 Tbs lemon juice
3. 3 Tbs agave
4. 1/4-1/2 cup water

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl add dry ingredient:  whole wheat flour, almond meal, baking soda and sea salt.  Grate in nutmeg, ginger and add cinnamon. I suggest using Saigon Cinnamon, which has a sweet red hot flavor.  You can buy a giant bottle from Costco for under $4.00.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, grate two cups of carrots using your food processor or cheese grater.  Add oil, vanilla, agave, eggs and applesauce.  Mix together and fold in coconut, raisins and pecans.
• Incorporate the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
• Spoon muffin mix into a greased muffin pan.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• While the muffins are baking, prepare the cashew frosting.  Using a blender or food processor add all frosting ingredients and blend until smooth.
• After muffins have cooled, transfer the frosting into a plastic freezer bag.  Cut one of the corners of the bag and squeeze frosting in a circular motion onto the muffins.

~Gotta love a recipe that can be breakfast or dessert~

Chocolate Peanut Shake/Ice Cream

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1. 3 Tbs organic peanuts
2. 2 Tbs raw cacao or dark cocoa powder
3. 3 Medjool dates (available at Costco or the bulk section of your health food store)
4. 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
5. 1-2 cups ice
6. 1-2 cups vanilla hemp milk (available at health food stores)

Directions:

• In a blender, place the pitted dates, peanuts, cocoa powder and vanilla.  If you don't have a high speed blender, you may want to chop your dates and give this a quick pulse now.  
• Add ice and pour hemp milk over the ice.  If making this as an ice cream, then add less milk and more ice.  If you want to make a shake, then add less ice and more hemp milk.   Don't worry, you won't get high off hemp, but you will get some really amazing benefits; omega fats and protein, just to name a few.
• Blend to your desired consistency (I like mine a little bit chunky) and serve.

~Tastes just like a very popular candy bar!~

Hummus Plate~ A Super Fast Meal

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1. Greek pita (you can make your own, click here for a recipe, but try it with whole wheat flour)
2. Hummus (you can make your own, click here for a recipe)
3. Carrots (I used orange and purple)
4. Cucumber
5. Zucchini
6. Hard boiled egg 
7. Any additional vegetables

Directions:

• Boil eggs.  Place eggs in water and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Once the eggs have reached a boil, turn off the stove and let them sit for several minutes.  Rinse eggs under cool water and let them sit in a cold water bath for a few additional minutes.
• Using a panini press or skillet, grill the pita bread until lightly browned.  Slice into triangle pieces.
• Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Grill on a panini press or skillet.  Once grilled, slice lengthwise into smaller stick pieces.
• Chop the remaining veggies into long matchstick pieces.
• Place a large dollop of hummus in the center of your plate and surround with the sliced vegetables.

Homemade Pitas are Amazing!

~Super Fast and Delicious~

Two for One...Lentil Tacos and Enchiladas

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Lentils
• 1 packet of low sodium taco seasonings (if making gluten free, check the ingredients)
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
• 1 can re-fried beans
  
• Organic corn tortillas
• 1 can enchilada sauce for day two
  

 Toppings:

• Shredded cheese
• Cilantro, lettuce, olives, salsa, sour cream, avocado, etc.

Directions:

• Rinse lentils and prepare as directed on packet.  Replace broth for water (if desired) and add entire packet of taco seasoning to broth/water.  Cook for about 45 minutes, or as directed on lentil instructions.
• Heat re-fried beans and prepare taco toppings.
• Assemble tacos as desired.

Enchiladas Day Two: 

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350. 
• Prepare left overs into several tacos. 
• Place into a roasting/lasagna/brownie pan and cover with enchilada sauce.  Top with cheese, and olives.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Garnish with cilantro, salsa and sour cream.
  

Enjoy!

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

 

Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour 
2. 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain Cereal
3. 2 tsp baking soda
4. 1/2 tsp sea salt
5. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
6. 1 scoop whey protein powder (eliminate if making vegan, or use a vegan protein powder)
   
7. 2 medium bananas
8. 2 eggs or 2 Tbs milled flax seeds whipped in 7 Tbs water (use this egg substitute if making vegan)
   
9. 1/2 cup agave nectar (pick this up at Costco, you can get two bottles for the price of one at the health food store, it's about $7.50 for the two bottles)
   
10. 1/3 cup Earth Balance or oil
    
11. 1 tsp vanilla extract
12. Zest of one medium lemon and the juice
13. 2 Tbs Chia seeds* (you could also use poppy seeds)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and protein powder. 
• In a blender mix bananas, eggs (or egg alternative), agave, Earth Balance (or oil), vanilla, lemon zest and juice.   
• Pour the liquid into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix together. Mix in the chia seeds.
  
• Grease a muffin pan (use the wrapper from the butter) and pour the mixture evenly into the cups.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Remove from the pan once cool.

*you can find Chia seeds in the bulk seasonings section of your health food store.  Yes, they are the same seeds you used for your Chia pet in the '80's!

~Another Muffin Recipe modified from the Blueberry Muffins~