Artichoke Bisque! Vegan, low-carb, low calorie, and Filling!

My newest creation and it is so tasty!

I made this using my vitamix blender. 

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup almond milk

1 can artichoke hearts in water and drained

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 cup spring salad mix

1 teaspoon fresh chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sautéed onion and celery in the coconut oil for 4 minutes

Add garlic and stir for one minute

Pour this vegetable mixture into your blender

To the blender add: almond milk, broth, artichokes

Set blender to soup function and turn it on. Soup will be piping hot and done in about 4 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste

Stir in spring mix and basil.

Strawberry, Banana & Oats smoothie

vegan and Gluten free! A good breakfast! 

Day 5 of the whole food challenge!

Breakfast: Banana-Oat Smoothie ......so so good!

2 cups unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk

1 frozen banana

1/4 cup raw oats, steel cut

1 tsp agave nectar

Lunch: Beet and Fennel carrot salad (makes 4 servings)

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 small fennel bulb

2 large carrots, peeled

1 medium sized red beet

1 medium sized golden beet

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. set aside

Spiralize or shred the fennel, carrots, red beet, and golden beet. Put in a bowl. Add chopped parsley and toss to mix. drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss until well coated. Enjoy!

Dinner: Poached Salmon with Lentil Salad

Salmon recipe: (makes 4 steaks)

2 carrots cut into 1/4 inch rounds

1 leek, trimmed, well washed, and cut into 1/4 inch rounds

1 lemon, cut into 1/4 inch rounds

4 sprigs fresh thyme

10 sprigs parsley1 dried bay leaf

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns

2 Tablespoons kosher salt

1 cup dry white wine

4 6-8 ounces salmon steaks

Prepare the leeks in advance to save time cooking tonight! They should be well washed.

French Lentil Salad recipe: blog

Day 4

Hello everyone! Here re today's meals. Enjoy!

Breakfast: Sweet Potato Beet Juice!

This Juice will fill you up!

1 large sweet potato

1 carrot

2 red bell pepper

2 red beets

2 sweet apples, seeds removed

1 orange, peeled

Juice all together and enjoy

Lunch: Split Pea Soup in the crockpot (7 servings)

1 1/4 cups dried split peas, rinsed

2 cups finely chopped onion

2 cups finely chopped celery

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped garlic

5 cups fat free vegetable broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Evenly layer peas, onion, celery, and garlic in crockpot. Pour in broth, but do not not stir. Cover and cook on high 5 or 6 hours.

Add salt and pepper and thoroughly stir. Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and pulse until smooth. Return mixture to crock pot and stir well. Enjoy!

Dinner:Spinach Artichoke Chicken Foil Pack

2 cups chopped spinach

1 tablespoon veganaise

2 artichokes packed in water drained and chopped

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 bonesless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup sliced onion

1/8 tsp each salt and pepper

pre-heat oven to 375

Lay foil on baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray

In a skillet, spray with non-stick spray and cook spinach until wilted - about 3 minutes. remove from heat and thoroughly blot to remove excess moisture.

In a medium bowl stir spinach, veganaise, artichoke hearts, garlic powder.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place side by side on center of foil. Evenly top with onion and spinach mixture. Cover with another piece of foil. Fold together and seal all four edges, forming a well sealed packet.  Bake for 25 minutes. Cut packet before opening to let steam release. Enjoy!

Day 3 of the 4 week whole food challenge!

Good morning!  

breakfast: Ginger-Carrot Smoothie

This morning's Smoothie was a winner with me. Zingy and Yummy! Just throw 2 carrots, 1 apple, 2 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1/2 an orange, 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 cups of ice, and 1 Tbsp Agave nectar in the blender!  The taste of this smoothie reminds me of those orange popsicles I used to eat as a kid - I miss those!

Lunch: Butternut squash soup (4 to 6 servings - save for another lunch this week)

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 large yellow onion

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 quart organic vegetable broth

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

in 4 quart saucepan saute onion and butternut squash in olive oil (don't let them brown) Add vegetable broth and sea salt. Cook on medium/low heat until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Place immersion blender directly in pot and blend until pureed. If you dont have an immersion blender, put in a standard blender and puree. reheat in saucepan. Serve and enjoy!

Dinner: Warm Quinoa-Avocado Salad with Sautéed Vegetables

Staying true to my quest for no-dairy and low gluten meals - this concoction is a winner! Super healthy and not needing any dressing, this dish will have you smiling with the first bite. The fresh parsley and basil-coated avocado bits are the star of this meal. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did tonight!

Serves 1

1 cup Quinoa
A few leaves of fresh basil, chopped 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 of a red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 avocado, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cook Quinoa according to package directions. You will end up with 4 servings of Quinoa after it is cooked, but you will use only 1/4 of the batch for this recipe. Save the rest in your fridge for use over the next few days. keeps well in fridge.

Put chopped avocado, chopped parsley, and chopped basil leaves in a small bowl and mix lightly until avocado is "dressed" with the herbs.

While Quinoa is cooking, sauté celery, mushrooms, and red pepper in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Sauté until soft.

Put 1/4 of the batch of Quinoa on a plate and top with sautéed vegetables, and then top with Avocado mixture.

Enjoy! 

Day 2 of the 4 week whole food challenge!

Good Morning! If you are in the Northeast, I hope that you are getting through the blizzard okay today! I hope everyone enjoyed the juice yesterday. Today we get to eat whole foods. I have included the recipes for the day, and will post the pictures of the lunch and dinner on this note when I make those later on. Enjoy!

wake up: Cup of hot water with juice of half a lemon

Breakfast: Almond Date Shake

2 tablespoons raw almond butter

2 Medjool dates, pitted

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 frozen banana

blend in blender and enjoy

Lunch: Salad

1/2 head of Romaine shredded

1 medium beet thinly sliced or grated

1/2 avocado diced

10 cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons raw pecan halves

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 tablespoon flazseed oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

sea salt

black pepper

Dinner: Chicken Foil Pack

3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/3 cup sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried basil

one 5 oz boneless skinless chicken breast cutlet, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness

1/8 tsp each salt and black pepper

pre-heat oven to 375

lay foil on baking sheet

spray foil with non-stick spray

in a medium bowl mix together all ingredients except chicken, salt and pepper

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on center of foil. Top with Veggie mixture and cover with another piece of foil.

Fold together and seal all four edges of foil, forming a well-sealed packet. 

Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Cut packet to release steam before opening. Enjoy!

Evening - Chamomile herbal tea

Day 1 of the 4 week Whole Food Challenge!

Good Morning! Today is Monday and that means today is cleansing day! The only thing we'll consume today is the juice we make this morning.

Juice together:

2 fennel bulbs

3 green apples

3 cucumbers

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 bunch parsley

3 lemons

2 bunches celery

I'll be drinking about of third of this this morning and then I'll put the rest in a glass container to take to work with me. 

Keep refridgerated and drink throughout the day. Good luck!