Decadent Coconut Chocolate Pudding

 

Super easy to make, this pudding combines the luxurious pleasure of dark chocolate with the richness of coconut milk for a decadently delicious – and healthy! – dessert that’s perfect as you curl up on the couch after dinner or as a treat when you take a break from work or busy-ness during the late afternoon.

Not to mention, it’s perfect as a Valentine’s Day dessert if you’re having dinner at home.

Spaghetti Squash “Spaghetti” with Buffalo Bolognese Sauce

Who doesn’t love spaghetti? (If you say “me!” I want to hear from you; otherwise this is a rhetorical question.)

Talk about winter comfort food. And a healthy version at that! In this dish, using spaghetti squash in the place of spaghetti gives you a low-carb infusion of dense nutrients and fiber, and using ground buffalo gives you a beef alternative that provides a lower-fat boost of warming proteins for a well-rounded, delicious dish that is sure to become a new favorite.

Curried Quinoa with Cauliflower & Artichokes

Do you ever stop and admire the cauliflower and broccoli you see at the farmer’s market or in the grocery store? No? Well, maybe you’ll want to after reading these facts and trying the recipe below.

Welcome. Meet the cruciferous (brassica) family of veggies, which includes: broccoli, broccoli rabe, broccolini, cauliflower (white, orange, green, and purple), all cabbages (white, purple, napa, etc.), brussels sprouts, collard greens, and all kinds of kale.

The cruciferous family, if they were human, would be a very loving and nurturing family. No dysfunction here. Here’s why:

Product Review: Fantastic Travel Meal Option – Hallelujah!

I’ve been traveling a lot lately. And eating well while traveling on the road can be a challenge, especially when working around food allergies or intolerances. Even I don’t always want to take the trouble of organizing myself well enough to take home-prepared travel meals along with me, or I end up having to cobble a meal together to avoid my food intolerances.

I also love to scope out new food products everywhere I go:  in corner stores, grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, airports… you name it. Well, I did a double take at the Baltimore-Washington Airport this week as I zeroed in on a brilliant food option that made my heart sing (yes, I get easily excited by food): the perfect travel food!

Veggie & Chicken Stirfry with Coconut

This recipe is easy, satisfying, and fun to make. The nutrients in these ingredients support healthy energy levels, proper hormone balance (including the adrenal and thyroid hormones), and help reverse the effects of stress on your body.

Easy Veggie & Chicken Stirfry with Coconut
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

2 tsp coconut oil
8 oz. chicken breast meat cut into 1/2” strips
½ yellow onion, peeled and sliced into long crescents
½ TBS fresh gingerroot, finely diced
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4” half moons
1/2 cup mushrooms of choice, sliced thinly
2 heaping TBS unsweetened shredded coconut
1 TBS sweet mirin (rice-based vinegar)
Black pepper, to taste
Wheat-free tamari sauce, to taste
[Note: If you are allergic or intolerant to soy, use a coconut-based amino sauce instead, like this one: http://www.coconutsecret.com/aminos2.html]

Chicken Broth or Bone/Mineral Broth

This year’s transition from spring into summer has been a bit bizarre in many parts of the U.S. Many people went from shivering from cold straight to summer! As such, there seems to be one bug in particular that seems intent on making us suffer from sore throats and lots of sniffles, much later into the year than usual.

After two years of no colds or bugs whatsoever (thank goodness!) and after dodging this bug 2 times before (sore throat was creeping in but I was able to get rid of it overnight in both cases)… it got me. This week, I am tearing through tissues like nobody’s business and nursing a hoarse voice, which I tend to get with any cold. Bummer.

The Perfect Summer Iced Tea

I was craving something refreshing, cooling, and perfect for the hot weather we’ve been having here in Boulder, CO this week. I don’t drink sodas. I don’t drink sugary stuff. I don’t always want to have coconut water or plain water.

A visit from a dear old friend I went to high school with (in Cairo, Egypt) reminded me of an old favorite drink I’d completely forgotten about: hibiscus!

Hibiscus ~ a flamboyant, deeply red flower ~ and its tea are appreciated as body coolers in natural medicine and the warm-climate countries and areas in which it’s usually enjoyed such as Egypt, West Africa, Latin America, and Jamaica.

Artichoke Hummus

Gluten-Free, High-Nutrient Snack for All Ages!

My dear friend Amy is our guest contributor for this deliciously healthy and easy recipe. She and I met in high school overseas. After sharing much fun and many foibles over the years, we remain close friends.

Amy was waaaay into healthy eating and cooking waaaay before I even learned how to not burn soup. To this day, she is always an inspiration. And I still credit her for being the person who turned me on to avocados about 10 years ago with her home-made guacamole. YUM.

Avocado-Tepenade Mash

Such an easy, delicious breakfast or snack option. Spread over your favorite gluten-free bread, go at it with veggie sticks, or just spoon it up if you can’t wait.

Great for a busy, demanding day ahead. Will help give you a steady mood, steady energy, and keep your appetite under control!

Simla’s Avocado-Tepenade Mash
Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

2 avocados, seed removed
4 TBS olive tepenade
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice, to taste
Sea salt, to taste

Optional: 4 TBS crumbled goat or sheep feta cheese

Directions

1. Mash all the ingredients with a fork.
2. Eat!

Pow-Wow Purple Smoothie

I knew I had an intense writing day – a “heady” day if you will – ahead of me today so I needed an energizing, flow-enabling, sustaining breakfast that was quick and easy to make. Here’s the result, using some of my current favorite ingredients right now.

This is a high-protein, high-fiber, highly delicious smoothie that’s very simple to make.

The incredible nutritional tally in this single tall glass of pure goodness and love:

• 15 gr protein
• 23 gr of fiber ~ you’re getting more than 65% of your recommended daily intake with breakfast alone!
  [SAD fact: most Americans get only 10-15 gr fiber a DAY.

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