3 Reasons you Need to Be Making this for Breakfast

February 26, 2016 by Sarah

Why does breakfast seem like such a nuisance for most people when it should be one of the more prioritized actions of the day? I think it’s safe to say there’s a connection between lack of time and lack of nutrition. And I’d beg to argue that it’s pretty widespread in our society. We could be making the healthiest choices at home, but instead we’re often faced with being out and about, very hungry and ready to devour the next best food-like thing in front of us. This is when we are most vulnerable to neglecting our body in regards to nutrition. Yes, sometimes good options are available when you’re out, but not only do you have the security of knowing how your food was prepared and what specific ingredients went into it, you will probably save money by just making something at home.

I know it kind of seems like a drag, but I’ve preached this time and again; eating healthy consistently has to be intentional and requires you to think ahead. It’s all about priorities; nutrition must make its way to some of the top spots on your list otherwise it will easily fall through the cracks. Breakfast is the perfect example. Here is a recipe that can hopefully provide one solution for this matter and also make you think twice about your relationship with quinoa.

Here are three reasons why this breakfast quinoa recipe can help you in your morning routine:

1 – It will make you feel your best.

This is a gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar/sweetener-free breakfast that is made with only whole, unprocessed ingredients. Unlike the majority of typical breakfast foods out there that are highly processed and laden with sugar or unhealthy fat, this is as clean as they come and will save your from feeling sick or groggy and more content and fulfilled. Besides that, it’s so very delicious, and that alone will put a smile on your face!

2 – It can power you through the day.

It’s power-packed and ready to support you; this breakfast has the perfect punch you need in the morning. There are a variety of rich nutrients that will sustain you through your daily activities. It starts with quinoa, which is not a grain like wheat, oats, barley and rye, but rather it’s in the same family as spinach, swiss chard and beets (or chenopods). Although quinoa can be used in many ways like a grain, it contains more protein, fiber and healthy fats, something that makes it stand above other grains. It also contains phytonutrients, manganese, iron, and a good amount of magnesium, which is a crucial mineral many people do not get enough of. Apples, bananas and raisins add some natural sweetness as well as their own unique nutritional profiles. A touch of lemon juice adds some tang in addition to Vitamin C. Walnuts add some more protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Cinnamon is another ingredient that is tooted for many health benefits. Shredded coconut contains healthy saturated fats and gives the dish some added texture. And lastly, goji berries! Here is a post where I go into a little more detail about this superfood.

3 – You will save time when you need it most.

I know what it’s like to get up in the morning and want to throw the easiest piece of food into your mouth… or just skipping breakfast altogether because you’re in that much of a pinch. This recipe is so perfect for your busy morning needs. You prepare it ahead of time so the flavors can marinate (trust me, this makes a difference), and it’s all ready in the fridge as you’re running out the door. Also, I’m not saying you should make an extra large portion of this, I’m saying you need to! Because of the benefits mentioned above, this is perfect for enjoying again at your next convenience. Make a double batch up the night before, enjoy in the morning and then the next morning too!

Because you so deserve to take care of yourself with a nice restorative breakfast in the morning.

So on to this recipe. I actually made this very similar one back in my early Edibly Educated days when I just had a Facebook page. Here it was 😉

So are you ready to commit to this?

Like I mentioned in the previous picture, I highly recommend soaking the raisins, walnuts, goji berries, and chia seeds (I added the coconut too, but it’s not as important) in the lemon juice and non-dairy milk like this:

Instead of waiting until the morning to combine with the quinoa, do it at night so the flavors can marinate. Also, add the sliced banana right before consuming.

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

This power-packed breakfast is sure not to disappoint. With primary flavors from apple, cinnamon and raisins, you won't know you're consuming a dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar/sweetener-free dish!

Author: Sarah

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa
¼ cup non-dairy milk
juice from one lemon
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1-2 tbsp goji berries
1 tsp. cinnamon
handful of raisins
small handful of chopped walnuts
1 apple, chopped
1 banana

Instructions

Soak raisins, goji berries, walnuts and coconut in lemon juice and non-dairy milk for at least 15 minutes.
Combine all ingredients besides the banana and mix gently.
Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Add sliced banana when ready to consume.
Enjoy!!

How to Make Your Oatmeal Work for You

January 6, 2016 by Sarah

Oatmeal is an easy go-to breakfast, and not to mention comforting on these winter days. I’d like to show you how you can amp up any ‘ol bowl of oatmeal (or hot cereal) with this one easy tip. But first, let’s talk about the different options for oatmeal or hot cereal because a healthy bowl of oatmeal usually does not start in a packet. Those instant flavored varieties tend to be laden with sugar and/or artificial flavors. I would recommend starting from scratch with some of these options:

Steel-cut oats – they take a little longer to cook but are higher in fiber
Organic rolled oats and/or oat bran – also high in fiber
Gluten free options include gluten-free rolled or steel-cut oats, quinoa flakes or organic yellow corn grits

Once you have a bowl of plain hot cereal of your choosing, it’s time for exciting part – livening it up a bit! This is my one tip that is a total time saver and ensures you are getting loads of nutrients at the start of your day:

Prepare a large bowl of add-ins (like the one below) to have on hand that you can add to your hot cereal any time you make it.

Here are many ideas of things to add to the mix:

Nuts and Seeds

Walnuts
Pecans
Almonds
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Brazil nuts
Hemp seeds
Chia seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds (black too, which is in the one I did!)
Ground flax seeds (show some love to those omega-3’s!)

Dried or Freeze-Dried Fruits

Currants
Blueberries
Apricots
Pineapple
Dates
Figs
Cherries
Cranberries
Raisins
Mango
Apple
Papaya
Goji berries

Other

Shredded coconut
Raw cacao powder or nibs
Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sea salt
Mesquite powder
Lucuma powder
Maca powder
Ashwagandha powder (more info on this here)
Dash of spirulina or chlorella powder

Making the Mix

My best advice is to make a mix of what you have on hand or what you have access to and add things in pretty equal proportions. If you absolutely love cranberries, by all means add more cranberries. Or walnuts. Or shredded coconut.

Make a mix depending on your liking, but don’t forget to add in all those little additional components that help supercharge the hot cereal – foods high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Add as much of the mix to your oatmeal as you desire. Also, if the dried fruit isn’t enough and you want to add a bit of sweetness, add some coconut palm sugar, rapadura, sucanat or raw honey (like below) at the end.

Do you have any other ideas for add-ins? How do you like to amp up your oatmeal?

Make This Salad and Forget You Ever Disliked Kale

December 11, 2015 by Sarah

Miso is a long time friend of mine. I mean, c’mon check out this video from over three years ago of me living on a boat in San Diego making the good ‘ol massaged kale miso salad. It was one of the first kinds of salads I really fell in love with because of how delicious you could make the kale taste with something that’s just as beneficial for you!

Miso: so what is it and why would you want to use it?

Miso is a fermented (typically) soybean paste that is used heavily in Japanese and Asian cuisine. You can also find other types of miso like azuki bean, brown rice, barley, golden millet, and chickpea. Because it’s fermented, it’s full of antioxidants and probiotics, which are crucial for keeping you healthy. If you watched the video I shared above, I briefly discuss how miso’s strong flavor is able to stand up to Kale’s bitterness. By massaging the kale with it, not only do you break down the kale and make the texture more desirable, you’re coating it with something that is quite savory and tasty in the right proportions. You might forget you’re even eating kale!

Here is a recipe for you to try so you don’t have to take my word for it. This salad recipe is a switch up to my original Massaged Kale Miso salad in the video. I added a bit of maple syrup to bring a sweet component into the dish and different vegetables for a new take. Hemp seeds would still taste really great on this salad as well as any other protein of your choice.

As far as buying miso, a brand I really like is Miso Master Organic, but there are many other good organic brands out there as well. Check the refrigerated section of your health food store for more options. If you’re buying a soybean miso, I would for sure get organic to avoid GMOs. I used Miso Master Organic’s chickpea miso for this recipe.

Kale Miso Radish Salad

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

This salad combines many different flavors - sweet, savory, bitter, crisp, creamy - to deliver a delicious, nutrient-dense dish that's perfect as a meal or before one.

Author: Sarah

Recipe type: Salad

Serves: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

2 green onions
6 stalks kale
1 cucumber, thinly sliced and halved
4 small radishes, thinly sliced
1 avocado, cubed
1 tbsp. miso paste
2 tsp. maple syrup

Instructions

Take kale off each stalk and cut it up into strips. Place in a bowl with the miso paste and maple syrup and massage the kale until the miso and maple syrup coat all the pieces of kale and until the kale starts to break down and become softer.
Prepare all the vegetables, mix with the kale and serve. You can either mix in the avocado with the other vegetables or just place it on top.

Enjoy!

With Love,

How to Set Yourself up for Smoothie Success

November 28, 2015 by Sarah

Is there anything not to love about a smoothie? Other than cleaning the blender, which I’ll get to later in the post, there is pretty much nothing better than a good, nutrient-dense smoothie.

Here are a few of my favorite pointers for how to set yourself up so that making a smoothie is very simple to do anytime! Having something that’s easy to make and healthy like this when you are hungry is dynamite.

Make sure you have ample options of frozen fruit. First line of business, always buy bananas when you go grocery shopping. Always. At least just a bunch. They are perfect for every smoothie because even if you are not a big banana person, they add substance and a subtle touch of sweetness to your smoothie. I like to get them a little green, set them out for a couple days to a week on the counter to enjoy fresh and then as soon as they start getting brown spots, throw those babies into the freezer. Peel them first, break them in half or quarters and place them in a container. I like to reuse the plastic salad container you get when you buy greens (like Earthbound).Here is a picture of our fruit bowl with the older bananas and new bananas. We’re always just adding new ones and putting the others in the freezer. If you are eating bananas and making smoothies regularly, you will go through them weekly no doubt. Also, extra frozen bananas are a super plus because then you can make banana ice cream whenever you please!Second, stock up on produce that is on sale or in season, bring it home, cut it up and place it right in the freezer. You can buy bags of frozen fruit if you’d like, but if you get what’s on sale or in season, you may save some money. Plus, you get to enjoy many different varieties. Good options of fruits to include are pineapples, mangos, peaches, pears, grapes and all kinds of berries.
Don’t forget the greens. Another always when you go to the grocery store. Always pick up at least one bunch of greens, whether it be kale, romaine, spinach, chard, collard greens, you name it, you get it. Greens can be used for so many other things than smoothies, but always having a fresh bunch of greens in the fridge will allow you to add a big, fresh handful to your smoothie anytime. Adding greens to your smoothie is a fabulous way to eat up greens that are on their way to wilting. If you don’t have any fresh greens, it’s nice to keep a green powder on hand. My absolute favorite is e3Live Renew Me! powder. I also like wheat grass powders as well. Adding fresh mint to your smoothie is never a bad idea either 😉
Start building your pantry to include seeds and superfoods. Here is our new wall pantry, and we LOVE it. It makes it so easy to grab ingredients right off the wall to go into our smoothie. Superfoods and seeds help add nutrition to your smoothies so they are power packed and filled with what you need to embrace your day. Some of my favorites include hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, goji berries, shredded coconut, black sesame seeds, spirulina, maca powder, camu camu, mangosteen, ashwagandha powder, aloe and turmeric powder. These foods take time to acquire so don’t get overwhelmed. Keep your eye out for them and buy them when you feel they are most affordable. Sometimes we just buy them in small amounts (like goji berries) or wait for them to go on sale. Either way, start getting them into your pantry.
Add fresh juice from lemons and/or limes. These not only add a little flavor to your smoothie, but they’re notorious for promoting healthy digestion and cleansing. They also provide vitamin C and A and have anti-cancer properties.
If you hate the clean up (like me), consider investing in a stick (or immersion) blender. We actually only use an immersion blender now because our regular blender broke, but we love it more! We have a stash of large ball canning jars we use to drink out of and these are PERFECT for smoothies using the stick blender. All you do is place all your ingredients in the jar with some liquid (to make the blending go a little faster), and then place the blender in there and blend until smooth. Once you are done, you simply detach the blade attachment from the motor and wash it. Yes, you only have to wash one piece. And the jar you’re using to drink your smoothie out of. Easiest clean up imaginable. We bought this Cuisinart one off Amazon and are very satisfied with it. It works like a charm.

What are your favorite smoothie tips? Anything you do to make the process a little easier?

Easy Curried Sweet Potato Hash

September 18, 2015 by Sarah

I’M BACK!

WOO!

The last month has been absolutely nuts!

First my mom got married.Then I started a new job.Then my sister got married.THEN I moved into a new apartment.I’m so glad to have things slow down a bit now even though we’re not quite all settled into the apartment. I finally made our first home-cooked meal with lots of fresh veggies from the farm market in the new place a little bit ago, and it felt oh so good. We’re also working on a pretty great pantry, which I hope to reveal once it’s all organized!

I also got the sweet potatoes for this recipe at the farm market, which was bumpin’! I hadn’t been to it in years because I haven’t lived around there, but it’s one of the biggest ones in downtown Grand Rapids, and it was packed with people. I was so enthused to see everyone there supporting our local farmers. I sure got lots of glorious groceries!

I’ve also been on a little curry kick. So here you have it: easy curried sweet potato hash.

This sweet potato hash is not only really quick and easy, but it’s delicious by itself or mixed with other foods. I don’t know about you, but I love when sweet potato is added to a dish because it gives it a subtle sweetness and a smooth texture to whatever you’re eating. You can put it with eggs and greens for breakfast or add it to any rice or noodle dish, like I did in the picture below. There is a bed of romaine and kale with the sweet potato hash, a little sweet chili sauce, rice noodles (which were reheated so that’s why they’re all broken up), and green and yellow beans from the farm market.

Easy Curried Sweet Potato Hash

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

Author: Sarah

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 2

Ingredients

4 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, diced (cubes or the like)
1 tbsp. coconut oil (or oil of choice)
¼-1/2 tsp curry powder
½ tsp. sea salt
coconut sugar, sprinkled to taste (I did about 1 tbsp.)
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ onion, diced

Instructions

Dice up the sweet potatoes and onions.
Place oil in the pan and melt to cover pan.
Start sautéing sweet potatoes and onions on medium heat and add spices while mixing.
Continue mixing regularly for 15 minutes or so until the onions are translucent and the sweet potato is cooked (just try a piece). The time will vary depending on how big your sweet potato pieces are.

What would you put this sweet potato hash with?

Thanks for reading!

This is How you Can Take your Chia Pudding to the Next Level

August 7, 2015 by Sarah

Today something great happened. Banana Ice cream and chia pudding met, fell in love, and smooshed.

I’m certainly a banana ice cream and chia pudding fanatic as you may already know, but I haven’t put them together until now. And I am so glad I did. When I set out to make a batch of chia pudding layered with some fruit, I thought about making a fruit smoothie too and layering it with that. But I wanted something that was cold and more firm, and that’s when it dawned on me to add banana ice cream to it.

Chia banana ice cream pudding is what I’d like to call it.

So what kind of banana ice cream specifically?

Think more of a sorbet with this.. more fruit than banana. I went with tart fruit one, which consisted of a little bit of frozen banana, frozen cranberries and strawberries, and frozen apricots. I loved the tartness from the apricots and cranberries. I didn’t use any liquid, which made for an awesome sorbet texture. Depending on what kitchen equipment you have, you may or may not be able to do this. My Cuisinart 9-cup processor works like a charm, but it was pretty loud chopping through that frozen fruit in the beginning.

I also thought about making more of a chocolate-y banana ice cream and adding that to a chia pudding too! I don’t see that going awry so you could try that as well! I’ll report back when I get around to doing that 🙂

This treat was a success on so many levels. Here are some of the other things I did that I felt made it so enjoyable in addition to just adding the banana ice cream:

add some superfoods and spices to the chia pudding like shredded coconut, goji berries, cacao nibs or powder, carob powder, vanilla bean powder, cinnamon, allspice, powders like ashwagandha, maca, spirulina or chlorella, wheat grass, ginseng, lucuma, matcha, mesquite, camu camu, mangosteen, maqui berry
give it some crunch; add things like cacao nibs, chopped nuts or grapes
add some fresh fruit too; make your chia banana ice cream pudding a little fruit explosion by layering or just mixing in some fresh fruit – I did blueberries and halved grapes and LOVED IT!

The chia pudding was a very simple mix of chia seeds, almond milk, mashed banana, currants and cinnamon. Look below for an estimated recipe for the whole thing.

My favorite way to consume this was by mixing it all together in a bowl so that the coldness and flavor from the banana ice cream and the bits of fresh fruit could be tasted in every bite!

Berry Apricot Chia Banana Ice Cream Pudding

Prep time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

This treat will satisfy your fruit cravings in so many ways!

Author: Sarah

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients

-Chia Pudding
2 tbsp. chia seeds
⅓ cup almond milk
1 mashed banana
dash of cinnamon
small handful of dried currants
-Berry Apricot Banana Ice Cream
small handful of frozen cranberries and strawberries
½ frozen banana
large handful of frozen apricot
-Toppings and Mix-Ins
cacao nibs
goji berries
halved grapes
fresh blueberries

Instructions

Mix the ingredients for the chia pudding and place in the fridge for at least a half hour.
Place the frozen fruit in the food processor and process until it forms a sorbet. You may need to stop it and scrape down the sides multiple times.
Add or layer the toppings and mix-ins with the banana ice cream and chia pudding.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try this and what you think of it!

Tahini Miso Salad Dressing + Sushi Salad

June 4, 2015 by Sarah

So now that you know how to make your own tahini, it’s time to get some ideas about dressings to make with it! No better way to start than combining it with some good ‘ol miso. I recently bought some new miso, and it’s chickpea this time! For those of you who don’t know, miso is a fermented (typically) soybean paste that is used heavily in Japanese and Asian cuisine. You can also find other types of miso like azuki bean, brown rice, barley, golden millet, and chickpea like I mentioned. Two brands that carry these different varieties and that I really love are South River Miso and Miso Master Organic. By the way, don’t get tripped up about the price tag.. you don’t use very much at all so they last quite a long time!

What is so awesome about miso?

Miso is rich in antioxidants and probiotics and because it’s fermented, it contains beneficial bacteria that is good for your gut flora, which in turn may help support both your digestive and immune system. I used to work at an Asian fusion restaurant where we served miso soup. My mom would always tell me, ‘If you’re ever not feeling well at work, make sure you have some miso soup!’ It truly is a nice little addition to your diet.

Although it’s most notable for being used in soup, it can also be an incredible addition to dressings and sauces because of it’s bold saltiness. Check out this Massaged Kale Miso salad and my rockin’ how-to video while you’re at it 😉

The first day I made this Tahini Miso Dressing I just had it on some greens just like the ones shown in the picture above. However, the next day, I went ahead and made a SUSHI SALAD and doused it with this dressing.

And guess what? The sushi salad blew my mind! I loved pretty much every bite of it.. I just made if for dinner and didn’t know it would taste this yummy so I only have some phone pics to share. There was something about all of the veggies together – the textures AND flavors – that made this a salad I will FOR SURE make again!

Start with a bed of kale and other greens (mixed greens, romaine, leaf lettuce, etc.) and top with steamed asparagus, quartered and sliced cucumber, diced red pepper, one or two diced green onions, and some brown rice. Each vegetable I used really added to the WOW factor of the salad so if you try making this, I highly recommend not skipping out on one or two of them!

Next top with avocado, nori strips or cut up nori sheets (I used A LOT more than were in this picture) and the tahini miso dressing below!

This dressing can not only be used as a dressing but also as a sauce for really anything lunch/dinner-related! You can change the thickness of this dressing by adding more or less water. I used 1/4 cup, and it was pretty thin so if you want a thicker paste, I would start with 1 tbsp. and work your way up depending on the consistency you’re going for.

P.S. Black sesame seeds rock! Not only are they really affordable (we got a 1/2 lb. bag for only $1.80), but they’re also high in antioxidants, vitamin E and may offer anti-aging benefits — yeeeeeah!

Tahini Miso Salad Dressing

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

This simple vegan dressing adorns salads with a creamy, savory and zesty kick!

Author: Sarah

Recipe type: Dressing

Serves: ¾ cup

Ingredients

¼ cup tahini
2 tbsp. miso
juice half lemon (about 1 tbsp.)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. coconut aminos (or tamari, nama shoyu, etc.)
¼ cup filtered water
dash of maple syrup, to taste
dash of cayenne pepper, optional

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar and mix well. Store in an airtight container (like a Mason jar) in the fridge for 3-5 days.

If you love it, try making a double batch the next time so you can use it for multiple meals throughout the week!

With love,

Rhubarb Sauce with Kiwi and Banana Ice Cream

May 9, 2015 by Sarah

Who is pumped UP about rhubarb season?! When I saw those jolly stalks on the top shelf of my local grocery store, a smile spread big and wide across my face. I’ll have to say I have some fond memories of rhubarb because of my mother; she would often make strawberry rhubarb pies and also a sauce to put over vanilla ice cream. There was just something about the tart and tangy taste mixed with the slightly gelatinous texture when made into a sauce that made it make such an imprint on my 7 year-old dessert-loving heart.

You are four steps and four ingredients away from late spring treat bliss. Ready, Fred?

Step one: make some plain ‘ol banana ice cream. I only did bananas, but you can add any flavor you’d like (like vanilla!).

Step two: Slow Mo drizzle rhubarb sauce over ice cream.

Step three: Place bits of kiwi on top.

Step four: Devour while the rhubarb is still warm!!

Rhubarb Sauce with Kiwi and Banana Ice Cream

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

Author: Sarah

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 cup rhubarb, washed and chopped in 1-inch pieces
⅛ cup raw sugar, turbinado or sucanat (other preferred natural sweetener)
2 bananas, frozen
1 kiwi, cut up into small pieces

Instructions

Place fresh or frozen rhubarb and sugar in a saucepan and heat on low-medium heat until very tender. Stir occasionally and test by pressing with a fork to see if the rhubarb falls apart.
Make banana ice cream by placing bananas in a food processor and processing until they reach an ice cream consistency. You may need to stop it and press contents down every now and then to help it along if the bananas get stuck.
Place ice cream in the freezer as you finish up the rhubarb sauce.
Put sauce into the food processor and process for about 5 seconds until smooth.
Take ice cream out of the freezer and place sauce and kiwi on top!

* Most sauce recipes call for water, but I didn’t because my mom never did, and I kind of like it a little more concentrated.

With love,

Budget-Friendly Raw Vegan Hemp Pesto

April 14, 2015 by Sarah

You know when companies dilute or add fillers to something to make the actual product people desire ‘go further’?

Well, that’s what we are going to be doing with this pesto, mates! Yes, with the same motive as said companies to cut costs, however, this method will not cheat you in any way; I assure you that the end product is no less valuable – just a little different. The substitutions are just as healthy and flavorful so you can enjoy a little extra cash flow next time you make pesto.

I’m mainly talking about the pine nuts and basil.

Back when I saw the price of pine nuts for the first time, I immediately thought, da-dang.. thoooose sure aren’t in a working college girl’s budget.

And when pesto recipes call for 2 cups of packed basil leaves? Well, that’s not too economical either when they come in those tiny packages for $3! Of course, fresh would be really nice and probably cheaper, but sometimes that is not always available.

So, with this recipe, we are ‘diluting’ the basil with spinach (without sacrificing the beloved taste of basil) and substituting hemp seeds for pine nuts. Hemp seeds are not a TON cheaper, but they still cost less and still add the subtle, nutty flavor.

This recipe doesn’t have a cheesy flavor in because I didn’t have any nutritional yeast on hand, but if you’d still like some chees-ay-ness, I recommend adding anywhere from 1-3 tbsp, depending on your preference.

Do what you may with this pesto, but I’ll tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed this spread on a piece of sprouted grain Ezekial bread with some tomato slices. It could also make a great sauce for some zucchini noodles with some diced tomato, mushrooms and avocado on top. Juuust puttin’ that out there.

The recipe yields probably close to 2/3 cup of vibrant saucy nourishment (the picture above shows it after I transferred it a couple times so I’d say it lost some volume during shipping and handling). 🙂

Raw Vegan Hemp Pesto

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

Author: Sarah

Recipe type: Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup packed basil leaves
1 clove garlic
sea salt and pepper, to taste (a couple turns or pinches, I'd say)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. hemp seeds
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup spinach

Instructions

Place all of the lively ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for a good week!

Join the mmmm.

With love,

Coconut Carob Clusters

April 10, 2015 by Sarah

Two things about this recipe:

1. Carob is a caffeine-free alternative to cacao (chocolate flavor). It is a tropical pod that’s native to the Mediterranean and has it’s own unique flavor that’s a little sweeter than cacao. It’s nice to use if you are looking to switch things up – after all, carob does offer its own unique and different nutrient profile – or if you would like to avoid the caffeine in chocolate. Toasted Carob powder is nice and affordable, and you can find it here. You can also find a raw version here.

2. I added Siberian Ginseng (also called Eleuthero) Powder to my clusters* so I guess they could be called ‘Coconut Carob Ginseng Clusters’, but I didn’t want you to get winded describing your delicious snack to your friends ;). I bought the ginseng powder from the bulk section at our local health food store, but you can also find a good one here. Siberian ginseng, which is not the same as Panax or American Ginseng, may help boost the immune system thanks to its active ingredients called eleutherosides. Traditionally, it’s also been used as an adaptogen, which you can read more about here. Traditional Chinese medicine refers to adaptogenic herbs as superior herbs because they work with your body in a powerful way to help reduce stress and promote wellbeing. By helping your body better cope with changes in your environment, it may also boost quality of life, energy and vitality. Makes for the perfect pick-me-up snack, I’d say!

Here is an article from Whole Health Chicago that talks more about Siberian Ginseng.

*I always try to include a variety of herbs and superfoods into my diet when I can in order to give myself an array of diverse nutrients that may help my body function more optimally. I’m all for learning about the Earth’s natural resources to help us heal and thrive, and I am a huge advocate for using them. Even though an abundance of scientific studies are sometimes lacking in this area, I don’t doubt at all that many of the herbs and superfoods that we don’t necessarily have definitive, ample, conclusive evidence on offer many important benefits to us humans. If something is available to me, and I see that it may be good for me in one way or the other, I figure, why not try it?! Especially when many have little to no side effects at all. I’ve seen firsthand the healing power of natural remedies and would encourage anyone and everyone to look into them if possible to help them on their health journey. I did a ghost-writing gig where I went into a lot more detail about topics relating to herbs, scientific research and the disconnect therein, and it’s something that fires me up a little! I will for sure do a post that dives a little deeper into all of that because I think it’s an important perspective to have if you are interested in herbal remedies and holistic health.

Okay, now for the goodies. Snack, snack, snack away.

Coconut Carob Clusters

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Sarah

Recipe type: Snacks, Breakfast, Dessert

Ingredients

⅓ cup shredded coconut (*see note)
2 tbsp. carob powder
¼ cup almonds
1 tsp. vanilla extract or ½ tsp. vanilla bean powder
1-2 tbsp. raw honey (depending on desired sweetness)
¼ cup soaked raisins
½ tsp. Siberian ginseng powder (optional)
¼ tsp. cinnamon
crack/pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Place raisins in a small dish with water first before preparing the other ingredients. Let them sit for 10 minutes or so.
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined. You can process the almonds and raisins first if you would like the clusters to be less chunky and stick together really well.
Form processed mix into little clusters and place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
*Note: I used coconut chips, and they didn't stay together very good so I would recommend using shredded coconut or processing the coconut before adding the other ingredients.

Go on, now, take a bite 😉

Enjoy!