Broccoli Chickpea Soup May 12, 2013

Broccoli & Chickpea Soup topped with sun-dried tomatoes

Broccoli & Chickpea Soup
with olive tapenade & sun-dried tomatoes 

Ingredients
Makes ~8 servings 

Essentials
These ingredients make up the core of the soup
2 lbs broccoli crowns
1 lb cooked chickpeas
1 quart reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 large yellow onion
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oli (to saute onion & garlic)

Additions
These are the additional ingredients I used and recommend but feel free to taylor them to your taste
1/2 fresh avocado
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Spices to taste (I used 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper & a pinch of paprika)

Garnish with sun-dried tomatoes & olive tapenade 

Method

1) Chop & saute onion & garlic in olive oil at medium heat until slightly browned

2) Combine all remaining ingredients (except the garnish) into large cooking pot and blend until smooth using an immersion blender (aka hand blender). Once blended, heat soup in large pot on stove top on high until reaching desired temperature. Stir well.

3) Pour soup into serving bowls and top with sun-dried tomatoes & olive tapenade. Store remaining soup in sealed container in fridge for up to one week or freezer for longer storage (anything beyond a week). If you don’t think you’ll have the garnish ingredients the next them you serve the soup, add them to the soup before storing in fridge or freezer and allow them to mix in so their flavors aren’t missing from your next serving.

Mighty Matcha Morning Smoothie January 26, 2013

Mighty Matcha Morning Smoothie
with banana & almond 

Ingredients

-1 large sliced frozen banana (peel, slice into 3-4 pieces, & freeze the night before)
-3/4 tsp matcha green tea powder
-1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
-1 tsp soaked chia seeds (optional)
-5-6 slices raw, rinsed white mushrooms (just under 1/4 cup)
-1 tsp chopped frozen spinach (optional)

Method

Blend until smooth. Enjoy creamy & cold.

The consistency will change dramatically if you use a fresh unfrozen banana. I very highly recommend using a frozen one for this recipe to achieve the creamy texture. Buy a bunch of bananas, allow them to ripen (they should have “freckles” and smell sweet), peel them, break them into 2-3 inch pieces and freeze them for a creamy, delicious smoothie starter. I usually use about 1/2 to 3/4 of a banana in a given smoothie but in this recipe you’ll need the whole fruit since it is the star of the smoothie (along with the matcha of course).

Chia seeds can be a fun smoothie addition bringing extra nourishing protein & fiber. Just be sure to soak them overnight in water so they won’t be too crunchy and affect the smoothie’s texture. I just added a teaspoon of the soaked seeds here (so a portion of that teaspoon was water). I soak about 2 Tbsp. and keep this to use throughout the week in a sealed glass container in the fridge.

Black Bean Salsa Verde Tacos January 25, 2013

Black Bean Salsa Verde Tacos
with avocado, grapefruit, & lime

After a long cold day, there are some nights when–as much as I love to cook–I really just want to pull something healthy and tasty out of the freezer to heat and enjoy. With high salt, additives, and other less than optimal ingredients in most frozen meals out there, I decided to make my own.

Pictured here are two of my own black bean salsa verde tacos from freezer to hot-on-my-plate in 3 minutes. Topped with fresh avocado slices.

Make your own!

Ingredients
Makes 12 tacos (6 servings)

-12 small corn tortillas
-3/4 lb dried black beans (soak overnight or at least 4 hours)
-2/3 cup frozen corn
-squeezed juice of 1 fresh lime
-1 fresh avocado or your favorite guacamole
-3/4 cup tomatillo salsa
-fresh cilantro to taste (unless you hate cilantro–some love it, some hate it)
-squeeze juice of 1/4 fresh grapefruit (optional)
– 1/2 scoop PlantFusion Unflavored Protein Powder (optional)

Method

1) Rinse beans and soak overnight (or at least 4 hours). Drain soaked beans and bring beans to a boil (using enough waters to cover the beans) then simmer for 1 hour until soft. Rise cooked beans and drain water.

2) Combine cooked beans and all remaining ingredients (except tortillas) in large bowl and blend with an immersion blender.

3) Take a few tortillas (3-4) at a time, moisten with just a few drops of water, and microwave for 30 seconds to soften. Scoop approx 2 tbsp of your puree into each softened tortilla so that it is full but can still close.

4) Wrap filled tortillas in wax paper to prevent from freezing together or space them out so that they do not touch within sealed tupperware that can be used in your freezer. Freeze tacos immediately to keep them fresh.

5) Take out your delicious tacos as desired, remove all wax paper, and heat on a microwave-safe ceramic or glass plate for 2-3 minutes until fully cooked.

6) Enjoy! I love to top them with fresh avocado or fresh tomatillo salsa.

Pure Delicious Pecan Pie December 29, 2012

Pure Delicious Pecan Pie
with dates & fresh ginger 

Creamy, pure, & simple

I have moved this recipe to my new website! Find the recipe here. 

Tomato Pesto Wheat Berry Soup February 6, 2012

 

Tomato Pesto Soup with Whole Wheat Berries

Tomato Pesto Wheat Berry Soup
with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil

Ingredients

-2 lbs fresh tomatoes
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-4 cups water
-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
-1 bunch fresh basil leaves
-3/4 cup dry wheat berries
-1/4 cup of your favorite pesto
-1 tsp olive oil
-dash of salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper

Method

1) Rinse wheat berries thoroughly and boil until soft (about 40 minutes at a high simmer).

2) Preheat oven to 375°F and add tomatoes (sliced in halves), garlic (minced), and olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes until tomatoes are soft.

3) Drain cooked wheat berries and set aside. Combine all other ingredients in a large pot including cooked tomatoes and garlic. Using an immersion blender, blend until most of soup is smooth but some tomato pieces remain.

4) Add in cooked wheat berries.  Serve hot. Top each bowl with a dash of cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper.

Lush Cabbage-Carrot-Avocado Rolls December 21, 2011

Shredded Purple Cabbage, Sauteed Onion, Shredded Carrots, Mini Broccoli Pieces, & Sprouts combine with Avocado and Hummus for a fresh, nourishing meal. Wrapped in a large collard green leaf with green onion tie.

Cool Components: Prep well-rinsed leaf, sprouts, green onion slices, avocado, and hummus while the onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, & carrots simmer on your stove.

Lush Cabbage-Carrot-Avocado Rolls
wrapped in Collard Green Leaves

–a perfect lunch or snack–

Ingredients
Serves 2-4
-Large, fresh collard green leaves
-Purple cabbage (I used fresh sliced thin)
-Alfalfa Sprouts (optional- wash well)
-Green onion (chopped)
-1 large carrot (shredded)
-1 ripe avocado
-1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
-3 cloves garlic (minced)
-2 tbsp olive or canola oil
-Your favorite hummus (lemon or spinach & artichoke work well)
-1 small head of broccoli (break off small, thin pieces)

Wrap Filling: Sauteed onions, garlic cabbage, carrots, & broccoli.

Methods

1) Finely chop/slice onion, garlic, cabbage and green onion. Peel and shred carrot. In a medium sauce pan, add olive oil and set to medium-high heat. Add onion and stir frequently for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add cabbage, garlic, and carrots. Break off small pieces of broccoli and add to pan.

2) Rinse and dry large collard green leaf and spread about 1/2 tsp hummus around center. Add sprouts, a few small avocado slices, and chopped green onion. Be sure to thoroughly rinse all ingredients before using and be mindful of any recent recalls in your area (sprouts have had several bad press spotlights in recent years. Skip these if you or a guest has a compromised immune system. For a healthy adult, fresh, well-rinse sprouts are an excellent source of nutrients including vitamin C.)

3) Add ~3 tbsp of your sauteed mix to the wrap, roll it up and serve fresh. Tie with a green onion string or slice in half. For a snack, enjoy with a large glass of water or unsweetened tea (iced or hot). For a meal, serve with a side of brown or wild rice and your favorite fruit-packed smoothie.

Thanks to Tin for the awesome idea to use collard greens for the wraps! I love them!

Tart Tropical Kiwi-Mango-Spinach Smoothie November 20, 2011

Tart and delilcious.

Kiwi-Mango-Spinach Smoothie
with coconut milk and tart yogurt

Ingredients

1 whole kiwi (remove the skin)
1/2 cup coconut milk (refrigerated, unsweetened)
4 tbsp tart yogurt (plain European or Greek)
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 banana (fresh or frozen)
3 tbsp chopped frozen spinach

Methods
Blend until smooth.

Optional: Get your zen on with some yoga. There are lots of great free videos online. Try this 20 minute session from ExerciseTV to get you started.

Carrot Ginger Soup October 30, 2011

Red Lentils add Protein & Fiber to this Carrot Ginger Soup

I’ve moved this recipe to my new website: Purefitlosophy.com. Enjoy! -Andi