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! 

4 week Whole Food Challenge Starts Monday!

The goal for this challenge is to get rid of the foods that way me down. I will be following these rules Monday through Friday for each of the next 4 weeks. No Dairy, No wheat, No sugar, No red meat, no alcohol. I'm free to eat and drink as I wish on Saturdays and Sundays.

Each of the weeks begins with Monday as being a Cleanse Day. On Monday, my only food will the juice that I will make in our juicer that morning. I'll be making enough juice to last all day long.

For Tuesday through Friday my

menu each day looks like this:

6-9am: Breakfast (Smoothie or Juice)

9-11am: snack 

Noon Lunch: Salad or soup

3-4: snack (smoothie or veggies)

5-6pm: Dinner (Salad, grain bowl, chicken or fish)

6-7pm: Dessert a couple of times during week

pm or later: Chamomile Herbal Tea 

I will be posting the recipes and pictures of all of the meals and snacks as I am enjoying them.

For those of you who wish to follow along with me, I am including the list of ingredients you'll need for the week are down below the picture.

For Monday's Cleanse juice:

3 Cucumbers

2 bunches of celery

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley

3 green apples

3 lemons

2 fennel bulbs

1 bunch Rainbow Chard

For the snacks and meals we'll be having Tuesday through Friday:

9 carrots

3 oranges

10 strawberries

1/2 inch ginger

Flaxseed crackers (or any other gluten free cracker made with whole ingredients)

Pint Medjool Dates

bunch of bananas

2 sweet potatoes

2 red bell peppers

4 red beets

3 sweet apples

2 cups Raw Almonds

3 Zuchinnis

Tahini 

5 lemons

garlic head

sea salt

Romain lettuce

cherry tomatos

Raw Pecan halves

Flaxseed oil

Butternut squash

a few large yellow onions

a few avocados

1 quart of vegetable broth (organic)

Coconut oil (cold pressed in solid form)

2 bunches spinach

Light Agave necatr

Raw walnuts

Raw Cacao powder

Quinoa

Basil leaves

pine nuts

Parsley

celery

sliced mushrooms

red onion

dried Lentils

Red cabbage

Raw oats (not instant variety)

Raw honey

Veganaise

Raw cashews

Chicken breast

wild boneless salmon steak (about 6-8 oz)

artichoke hearts

dried split peas

fennel bulb

1 golden beet

1 leek

fresh Thyme

Chamomile herbal tea bags (one for each night)

French Lentil Salad

A new dish for me, and a keeper! I found this one in Martha Stewart's 2013 Detox program.

The recipe serves 4, yet only uses 1 tablespoon of olive oil to help make the dressing. This is a superfood salad with a fresh crispness that comes from the crunch of the red cabbage, the chopped roasted almonds give a wonderful nutty flavor, and red pepper flakes and a little spicy kick. I think you'll love it as much as I do! It takes a bit of time to prepare, so make a big batch. This salad will keep in then fridge for 3 days.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced

1 carrot finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 cup lentils, rinsed

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, about 6 minutes.  Add lentils and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until lentils are tender.  Drain and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining oil, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt. Add lentils mixture, almonds, cabbage, and herbs. Toss to combine.  Add more lemon juice and/or salt to taste.

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!

Quinoa over Salad dressed with a Dijon-Tahini dressing

This was dinner tonight and it is so healthy and satisfying! I love eating this while the Quinoa is still warm....it makes for a comforting dish. The heat from the dressing adds a wonderful spiciness as well.

1 cup cooked Quinoa
2 cups baby spinach/spring greens mix
a few cherry tomatoes

Dressing:

2 tbsp soy sauce - low sodium
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1/3 cup Tahini
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2/3 cup water

Put dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

To Serve:


Fill plate with salad greens. Top with warm Quinoa, and then pour dressing on top to taste. Place a few cherry tomatoes on top. Enjoy!

Fill Me Up All Morning Smoothie

It's Easter morning and I'm going to stay away from all of that Easter candy with the help of this awesome smoothie. It's very filling, and delicious!

1 cup water
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup kale
1/2 cup celery
1/2 apple
1 pear
1/2 frozen banana
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups ice

blend away and sip all morning.

Green Blueberry Smoothie

This refreshing smoothie woke me up this morning! It was delicious!

2 cups water
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Fuji apple
1 1/2 cups kale
1 stalk of celery
2 tablespoons Chia seed Gel
Fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste
2 cups ice

Mexican Fiesta Smoothie

The avocado smoothes out the stronger flavors of the Lime juice, Red Bell pepper, and cayenne pepper. I'm sure that a shot of Tequila would go nicely in here as well, but I am drinking it for breakfast after all.

2 cups water
1/2 avocado
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup cucumber
2 tomatoes
1 1/2 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
2 Tbsp lime juice
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch sea sal
2 cups ice

Blend away to your Fiesta!

My Birthday Smoothie!

Waking up today to another birthday, lucky me! I wanted something special to start my day with, and I came up with just that! I have to say that this is one of the absolute best green smoothies that I have ever had! I'm so excited that I came up with it on my birthday :0) I haven't tried mint in my smoothies before, but I'll be using it a lot going forward!!

Get ready for an awesome treat!

2 cups water
1 pear, halved
1 orange, peeled and halved
1 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup of fresh mint
1 1/2 cups kale
1 cup of ice

and blend away to happiness :0)

Cashew and Avocado Smoothie with Cinnamon

This creamy and filling smoothie will get you through 1/2 a day. It's comforting for breakfast as it has cinnamon and vanilla.

Blend these ingredients first:

1 cup water
1/2 cup cashews
2 dates

Then add these ingredients and blend again:

1 small avocado
1 banana
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash vanilla extract
Ice as desired

Home-Made Chai Tea - Made right in the crock-pot!

This sweet tea is just divine, and fun to make.

8 cups of water
8 bags of black tea
3/4 cup sugar
16 whole cloves
16 whole cardamon seeds
5 cinnamon sticks
8 slices fresh ginger
1 cup milk (keep aside for serving)

Add all ingredients except for milk into crock-pot. Cook on high 2 1/2 hrs. Strain mixture, discard solids. At this point, tea can be covered and stored for 3 days in fridge.

Stir in milk just before serving. You'll love it!

Chai tea is pretty sweet, so if you like it less sweet, reduce sugar to 1/2 cup Makes 8-10 servings

Blueberry-Banana & Spinach Smoothie

I enjoyed this great afternoon pick-me-up smoothie while surfing through the Bar Harbor magazine which showcases our 2013 summer vacation destination!

1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup soy milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup ice
1 tablespoon agave nectar

Pineapple-Avocado Smoothie

I made one of these after dinner tonight. Very refreshing. I'll sip 1/2 of the mixture at around 7 and save the rest in the fridge for later in the evening when I get cravings for something sweet. The pineapple will take care of those sweet cravings!

1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 small carrot
2 inches of cucumber
1/4 inch fresh ginger
1 handful of baby spinach
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups ice

Pineapple-Orange Smoothie

A fruity smoothie that tastes fruity, but still has 2 cups of kale and spinach in it!

1 cup water
1 orange, peeled and halved
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 apple
1/2 cup grapes
1/2 lemon, seeded and peeled
1/2 cucumber cut into chunks
1 cup kale
1 cup spinach
2 cups ice

Enjoy!