So here’s my new morning breakfast routine. First, a green smoothie (or if I’m feeling really ambitious I’ll start the day with lemon tea:). After 20-30 minutes past finishing my smoothie, I need more sustenance. Enter the most delicious banana breakfast cookies, which go perfectly with coffee. It’s pretty much my new version of heaven. Plus, what is it about daily routine that is so predictable and comforting? It’s great to start the day off on a good note.

While they’re called “cookies” and do contain sugar (not refined – just honey!), they’re still packed with healthy ingredients, are gluten free, and can easily be vegan. They’re so delicious fresh out of the oven but what’s even better is they’re just as good after keeping them in the fridge. The cookies are soft and bread-like, and we enjoy them all week, being so easy to grab on the go.

Banana Breakfast Cookies

(gluten free and vegan; makes 2-3 dozen; adapted from Minimalist Baker)

Ingredients

• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 2 Tbsp. flax seed, ground
• 5 Tbsp . water
• ½ cup natural peanut butter or almond butter (we loved both options!)
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 1½ cup gluten free rolled oats
• ½ cup oat flour (ground from gluten free oats)
• ½ cup almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 3 Tbsp. raw walnuts, lightly crushed
• 2 Tbsp. shredded coconut
• 3 Tbsp. dried cranberries
• ½ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips (use non-dairy chips to make these vegan)
• pinch sea salt (add more or less depending on saltiness of your nut butter)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine flax seed and water and let rest for 5 minutes for the consistency to thicken (this will achieve an “egg-like” texture).
Mash in the bananas until well combined, and then add nut butter, baking powder, baking soda, melted coconut oil, honey, salt, vanilla and stir.
Add oats, almond meal and oat flour and mix well.
Add chocolate chips, walnuts, cranberries, coconut flakes, and stir until well combined.
Drop cookies by spoonfuls of uniform sizes on a lightly greased baking sheet (simply use coconut oil to grease the pan!).
Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown.
Let them rest on baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

After completely cooled, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer for even longer storage time.

So what do you think? Would you make these to enjoy for breakfast? (Ahem, they’re also great for an afternoon snack, too.) I also love that you can customize the ingredients however you’d like, adding more or less nuts/dried fruit/etc.

Hope you enjoy!

xoxo

 

AKA the best carrot soup I’ve ever had. Seriously, this was amazing. I told multiple people about this soup, maybe even repeatedly. I had it for lunch for about a week straight, and didn’t tire of it. This soup is the perfect combination of sweet and nutty with a little spice, but not too much. It was also just the right amount of creamy and I love the addition of basmati rice to make it thick and nutty.

Full confession: we got the idea for this recipe from our local co-op. We made a few modifications but overall the idea was positively brilliant. And if you’re still dealing with weather that feels less and less like spring…I hope you enjoy it!

Ginger Carrot Soup with Caramelized Onions

1 large onion, thinly diced
12 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup basmati rice, uncooked
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp. sweet curry
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. sea salt
1 cup half and half
4 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the butter. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook. Reduce heat, stir occasionally and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, until onions are soft and golden in color.

Add carrots, rice, broth, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and spices. Cook until rice and vegetables are very tender. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Puree soup using a blender or food processor – using small amounts at a time to avoid splashing hot soup.

After soup has been pureed, add cream and orange juice concentrate. Mix well to combine. Reheat and serve. Top with fresh cracked pepper and parsley, if you’d like.

Enjoy! :)

I’m writing this from Boston as I’m hear visiting my sister and brother-in-law…and meeting my nephew for the first time! I’m having so much fun taking photos of him (see my Instagram for updates:). I’m planning to do lots of cooking to help out and we started today with fresh green smoothies!

So this recipe is a fun mix of flavors, perhaps even a little adventurous. I’d never cooked with fennel bulbs before so it was really fun to try. Lemon and pomegranate are an obvious pair, but mixed with fennel and nutty herb quinoa makes for a delicious dinner or lunch that’s packed with not only fresh ingredients, but plenty of fiber and protein as well. Feel free to substitute any herb combinations you’d like…and a little tip: don’t use your fingernail to de-seed jalapeños like I did (it still burned the next day, ha!).

Fennel Herb Quinoa with Pomegranate & Lemon (adapted from Bon Appetit)

(60 minutes; serves four)

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium fennel bulbs (2 1/2 pounds), cut lengthwise into 1/4″-thick slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 lemon
1 serrano chile or jalapeno, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1/2 pomegranate)

Also, so here’s the trick for cutting a pomegranate. First cut out the top. Second, slice only the skin off the bottom. Then slice gently along the natural ridges of the pomegranate to create wedges. Gently remove seeds or place wedges in warm water to loosen them.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel slices and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes, until fennel is just tender and lightly golden. Stir in lemon juice, cumin, and sugar; cook for a few minutes, lowering heat. Season again with salt and pepper and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring quinoa and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain; return to pan. Cover; let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork; transfer to a large bowl.

Add the juice of one lemon and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to quinoa; stir. Add fennel mixture, chile or jalapeno, and herbs. Toss gently to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer salad to a platter.

Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, additional fresh herbs, salt & pepper. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

Enjoy! :)

It’s that stretch of winter where it feels like it’s never going to end and I just want to sit by the heating vent (or in a patch of sunshine!). Anyone else feel me? For those less than cheerful grey winter days, there’s nothing quite like a nice comforting soup.

I was so intrigued by this recipe. A tasty broccoli soup…that’s not filled with dairy? It couldn’t be true. (But it is!) I love the use of white beans because you get that creamy texture but without milk or cheese! Although, to be honest, that didn’t stop me from topping it with a little shaved Parmesan, ha! But without it, this recipe could easily be the trifecta : vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free. Yet, it isn’t bland – in fact, it’s just the right amount of flavor with vegetable stock, garlic, and onion. Top it with pine nuts, lots of fresh cracked pepper, parsley, and parsley garlic toast and you’ve got an easy dinner! I was happy that Nick loved it, too.

 Broccoli White Bean Soup (adapted from Whole Living; serves four)

• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stems thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 ounce shaved Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Steam broccoli florets and stems until tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 6-8 minutes.

Add beans and veggie stock and bring mixture to a simmer. Remove the pot from heat and add steamed broccoli.

Puree in batches in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with fresh cracked pepper, toasted pine nuts, shaved Parmesan, and even garlic toast if you’d like.

Enjoy! :)

This recipe is a funny combination of words, isn’t it? Quinoa kale patties may seem a little weird to some, but I’ve been wanting to try these for the longest time. Well, the good news is they ARE as good as I thought they would be! I served this for dinner with a friend and she admittedly thought they were an odd idea…but I was able to win her over!

Even though quinoa is hard to say (keen-wah), it’s seriously nutritious, and even considered a superfood. It sounds like a grain, but it’s actually a seed. Quinoa contains all eight amino acids, making it a great food for vegetarians (like me)! Although this recipe would be great to serve for meat eaters, too, as it’s quite filling (Nick loved them). You can also cut down on time by making the quinoa ahead, then just mix the ingredients and cook the patties that night. It’s a tasty and satisfying meal; the fresh toppings are a must! I cooked only what we ate for that meal, so we could keep leftover batter in the fridge and it was great to make the patties fresh over the next couple of days. They were so good that I thought I’d share!

Quinoa Kale Patties (adapted from Yummy Supper)
(Time: about 45-60 minutes; Makes about 14 patties)

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
4 eggs, whisked
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 cup steamed kale, chopped with stems removed
1 cup breadcrumbs* (could be gluten free)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Toppings: avocado, cilantro, lime juice, garlic or olive oil, salt and pepper

Directions:

To make the quinoa:
Rinse 1 cup of quinoa thoroughly and place the grains in a medium sauce pan with 2 cups of water. Allow quinoa to soak for 15 minutes. Then, with the lid on the pan, bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed – about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Over the stovetop, steam chopped kale.

*To make the breadcrumbs:
Toast up a few slices of bread (for a typical size loaf, 3 slices is about 1 cup of breadcrumbs) until they’re dry. Tear the toasted bread up into chunks, toss them in the blender. Pulse a few times and you’ve got homemade breadcrumbs! (No need to buy pre-made breadcrumbs packed with preservatives!)

In a large bowl, mix together cooked quinoa, eggs, parmesan (optional), spring onions, garlic, salt, steamed kale, and breadcrumbs. Let everything sit for a few minutes to absorb the liquid, making sure the batter is still moist. Form patties (about the size of a small burger) for cooking.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil (per patty) in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook up a few patties at at time (allowing ample space between them). Cover the pan and let them cook for 7-10 minutes until the underbellies are a deep rich brown. Flip and cook the other side for another 7-10 minutes until both sides are nice and brown.

Top the patties with generous amounts of avocado, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper. You could also drizzle a little garlic or olive oil.

Enjoy! : )

Well here it is… the first granola files of 2013! Woohoo! I was planning to share this a week ago but I decided it wasn’t right…this was my second try (now with spinach instead of kale) and it’s definitely the winner! I’m glad I took the time to experiment and get it just right so I’m sharing a delicious recipe for you all! :)

So up until this year I didn’t like grapefruit. I don’t know why, but I was just always an orange girl and the bitterness of grapefruit freaked me out. But this year we came home from a family visit with a bunch of large grapefruits in tow…and now suddenly I’m a believer. It’s funny how we become much more open to experiences we become as we age. When I was young I was a super picky eater and now trying new foods is such a joy. Grapefruit are juicy and perfect this time of year and I was especially pleased to realize that they are a delightful pairing with one of my other favorite fresh foods…the avocado!

This is such a beautiful salad (I love the colors!) and is a great fresh and healthy lunch. The zesty combination of citrus with ginger balances really well with the avocado and almonds. You could certainly add a different nut and I think it would also be good with very thinly sliced red onion. Feta is another possibility, too!

It was also a lesson in slicing grapefruit for salads, so I included instructions below. :)

Here we go…hope you enjoy friends!!