New blog web address!!!

I'm moving on to Wordpress! My new link is http://superfoodielife.com/. 
I still have all the same stuff plus more! 

Chocolate Almond Butter Cups (OhSheGlows)

My mom told me to never make these again because she would just eat all of them. Like mother like daughter. These little gems were so tasty. Bottom layer is just almonds, almond butter, oats, agave, coconut oil and vanilla extract processed together. Top layer is coconut oil, cocoa powder, agave, and salt whisked together. Top with some almonds and freeze it for 30 mins.
DO IT.

Zucchini Noodles with Spinach Pesto 

I bought my mom a "spiralizer" gadget for her birthday and decided to utilize it for our Mother's Day picnic. This contraption is so easy, I got these beautiful "noodles" that don't even have to be cooked. Super easy.

Then I smothered it in this pesto sauce:
1/2 cup basil
1/4 cup pine nut and almond combo
2 cups spinach
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon + zest if desired

Combine basil, nuts, spinach, and garlic in the food processor. Slowly add in the olive oil so it can emulsify nicely. Then add remaining ingredients to the food processor. Do a taste test and add whatever your taste buds feel it is lacking. Pour the pesto over the noodles and toss it together. I added cherry tomatoes and topped with more Parmesan :)
*Note: when I let the noodles sit in the pesto, there ended up being a watered down pool of the pesto at the bottom of the bowl because the zucchini noodles have a lot of water content. It still tasted good though!

We also had a nice French baquette, Boursin cheese and smoked salmon to accompany the zucchini noodles. YUM.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies from (makingthymeforhealth)

Bittersweet chocolate, tart cherries, and sweet maple syrup...and then a star was born. It's sort of like really amazing granola in the form of a soft cookie. I used coconut oil instead of earth balance, which added a nice toasty flavor. Did I mention it's GF and Vegan????

We'll see how long these last...so far they've reached their half-life.

Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Milk  from Zest and Zeal

That is art. It's a beautiful thing. The next picture, not so pretty. Though the dish did not come out as beautiful as I had hoped, it still tasted pretty darn good. I know you eat with your eyes but cut me a break, I was in a time crunch. Also I used ground turkey which I think wasn't the best choice for color.
This dish really warms you up from the inside out -- using curry powder, garam masala, ginger, and cinnamon as the spice mixture. The coconut milk broth is so flavorful and rich, I ended up drinking it straight out of the bowl (a normal occurrence in my family).

These meatballs had a rough day...

Banana Coconut Almond Granola 

Best granola I've ever made! Coconut, Almond, banana granola = CABG (for all my medical peeps out there)...Ok I'll stop now, I promise. 
It tastes just like banana bread, honestly. Not too sweet and has the perfect amount of crunch. Coconut oil adds a  wonderful background flavor to any granola and using maple syrup adds a richness that you can't achieve when using refined sugars.
I used this recipe as a base, but made some additions (cinnamon, walnuts, dried cherries...go crazy!)

The perfect parfait.

Crunchy granola between layers of creamy Greek yogurt topped with bananas, blueberries, hemp seeds with a maple honey drizzle :)

Green Salad with Miso Sesame Dressing

Miso Sesame Dressing:
Miso paste, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, sesame oil, honey, minced ginger
(I used this recipe as a reference)

This dressing was like the kind you get at Chinese/Japanese restaurants but so much fresher and lighter. I made a salad using spinach, kale, avocado, shredded carrot, roasted edamame, and toasted sesame seeds. I saved some extra dressing to make a cold soba noodle dish tomorrow! Don't mind if dooo

Moroccan Stuffed Mushroom, Baked Falafel, and Baba Ghanouj

I love dishes that have lots of elements that you can either combine to create "the perfect bite" or simply enjoy on their own. My friends always make fun of me for always trying to create "the perfect bit"....I think they're just jealous

Stuffed Mushrooms - I used this recipe as a base and changed it up a bit using quinoa and portobello
Baked Falafel - I followed this recipe pretty closely with minor changes. I'll admit, these did not turn out as I hoped in terms of consistency (a lil mushier than expected) but they still tasted amazing!
Baba Ghanouj - This is just an example recipe. I've made this before so I generally eyeball the amount of each ingredient and do it to taste.

Oh and here is the leftover's salad I made a couple of nights later. Spinach and watercress topped with the mushroom stuffing and baba ghanouj. The lil baby cornbread is hiding in the back -- when I crave cornbread...I make it happen.

Chocotorta (no bake!)

I went to a birthday party while I was in Buenos Aires and "chocotorta" was the birthday cake that I demolished. Later that night, my friend and I investigated the fridge for leftovers...a successful mission. It's was soooo yummy that I was determined to make it myself.
Ingredients: Chocolina's (Argentine chocolate cookies), milk, instant coffee, dulce de leche, cream cheese, and your choice of topping.
Directions: mix the milk and instant coffee together (making it as strong or sweet as you like). Beat the dulce de leche and cream cheese until uniform. Dip the cookies very briefly in the milk mixture and place them flat into the dish. Continue to do this until you have a full layer of cookies. Then put a layer of the dulce de leche mixture on top. Then repeat! Make as many layers as you like :) and top with candy of choice. Put it in the fridge overnight for best results.
Here is a video to give you a visual: chocotorta

Indian Eggs

While visiting my friend in Argentina, it was my request to cook a bunch of Indian dishes (yes, she is Indian) -- I needed a break from all the beef and chorizo I had consumed days prior (beginning to feel like a cow...you are what you eat, right?).
The most simple dish being Indian eggs! Here is my version.
Ingredients: eggs, red bell pepper, spinach, onion, cilantro
Spices: kitchen king (found in Indian grocery store or online), turmeric, cumin seed, red pepper flakes, salt

Directions: Chop up the veggies and mix all the ingredients (except cilantro and cumin seeds) together in one bowl. Heat the pan and add oil. Once the oil is heated, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook on low until the veggies and slightly softened. Add in cilantro towards the end. Serve!
 

Braised Chicken with Dates and Moroccan Spices (recipe here)

After dining at Moroccan cafe in NYC, I was inspired to  attempt to recreate the warm, nutty flavors myself. I found this recipe that had great reviews and sounded like a good comfort food dish. The cumin and cinnamon add a wonderful warmth to the dish while the ginger, cayenne and turmeric add a nice kick. It's such a great combination of flavors. The shallots, dates and chicken absorb all of the sauce and become very succulent. In my dads words, "this was your best one yet!"...thanks Dad









Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce

This one was inspired by the appetizer I had at Cafe Mogador in NYC.
Preheat oven 400 degrees
Ingredients: 1 eggplant, olive oil, salt, pepper
-- cut eggplant in 1/2 inch slices, spread on baking sheet then brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pop in the oven for 20-30 mins (turn each over halfway through).
Tahini sauce ingredients: 2 tbsp tahini paste, 2 tbsp water, 1 garlic clove minced, juice of half a lemon, 1/2 tsp paprika, salt to taste.
-- combine all ingredients in a bowl and drizzle on top of the roasted eggplant.

Serve with warm pita bread and parsley for garnish

Pad Thai with Shrimp

Ok, one could argue that I had a severe Pad Thai addiction in college...Needless to say, I love me some good Pad Thai. After a semi-successful vegan pad Thai attempt, I finally tried to create the real thing myself -- this Pad Thai tastes even better than what I have had in many the restaurants -- and I've had my fair share of pad Thai over the years...I got the recipe here, huuuuge success. This one's for the books!

Fig and Pistachio Whole Wheat Bread from Cooks Illustrated

Cooks Illustrated has a "Almost No Knead" bread recipe that is constantly on their top 10. It's really simple and you can do a lot of variations. I chose to go with a fig and pistachio whole wheat loaf and it turned out AMAZING. A crusty bread that is soft, pillowy and moist on the inside.

Yes...I made french toast with this and it was magical.

Healthy "Ferrero Rochers" from My Whole Food Life (GF, V)

Back when I wasn't lactose intolerant, I always received a large tower of Ferrero Rochers for Christmas. Except now if I ate those balls of glory, my stomach would be very angry with me. These little guys fulfill my needs with no tummy issues.
I used this recipe but replaced pistachios for hazelnuts and hazelnut extract for vanilla extract. Ingredients: dates, hazelnuts, sea salt, vanilla (or hazelnut) extract, dark chocolate chips, coconut oil, almond milk.

So easy and so delicious.

Baked Mustard Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus in a Balsamic Reduction

Marinated the salmon in olive oil, mustard and salt. Baked 12 minutes at 350 degrees. For the veggies -- sauteed garlic and onion then added tomatoes, asparagus and balsamic vinegar. Let that simmer and reduce (about 20 mins) and everything gets a sort of caramelization/sweetness. Served that over quinoa. Yumz.

GF Vegan Snickerdoodles from Plant Powered Kitchen

A good friend of mine is gluten free/vegan so we started to search for cookie recipes we could both enjoy. Despite our GF/V baking concerns, these cookies turned out amazing. The texture was perfect -- slight crunch on the outside, chewy on the inside.

Ginger Molasses Cookies from Dash of East

I saw that The Santa Clause was on TV and logically decided I needed to make Christmas cookies prior. I found an abundance of molasses in my pantry, so I made these little gems. I had to substitute coconut oil for butter, brown sugar for white, and whole wheat flour for white flour. They still turned out great! The perfect combo of chewy and soft.

Don't you love cookies with those little cracks?

Pumpkin Ginger Rice Noodles with Kale, Butternut Squash, and Hazelnuts

Purchased King Soba (GF, V) pumpkin ginger rice noodles at the bakery today. My boss has these noodles imported from England for a reason. Best GF pasta I've ever had. The hint of pumpkin and ginger are very subtle yet detectable. My celiac friend was in pure heaven upon consumption. We roasted the butternut squash, sweet onion and hazelnuts with maple syrup and olive oil. Sauteed some kale. Then added the roasted ingredients to the pan with kale. THEN added the cooked pasta to the pan and tossed it all around. Topped with hazelnuts. Perfection.

Ginger Sesame Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Mushroom and Black Rice adapted from Relishing it

Ok WOW, this is one of the best dinners I've made in a while. Roasted vegetables and black rice smothered in a ginger sesame sauce...need I say more? Black rice is probably my favorite kind of rice -- the texture is different from other rice, it's slightly chewy without being mushy and it tastes very rich. It's hard to describe, but I tried!

Vegan Pad Thai from Post Punk Kitchen

My vegan friend and I had a lil pad Thai cooking date. The product tasted different from other pad Thai I've had at restaurants (probably from the absence of fish sauce?), but it was close enough to the real thing to satisfy my pad thai craving. We used double concentrated tomato paste, so I think it was more tomato-y than expected but that combined with the sriracha added a nice little tangy/spicy kick to the dish. Not a huge success, but satisfactory...

Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients: coconut oil, curry powder, ground nutmeg, salt, sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges. Heat coconut oil in pan, then add sweet potatoes, curry powder, nutmeg, and salt. Toss the wedges around so they are all coated in the coconut oil. Cook in pan for about 2 mins, then pop in the oven for 20ish minutes (shake them up half way through!)

These babies were amazing!!! Accompanied with a curry egg scramble :)

Egg and Smoked Salmon on an English Muffin

 These GF and vegan English muffins are insanely good. GF AND vegan??? Yup. They toast up so nicely! Aah the perks of working at a bakery. Egg and smoked salmon took this to a whole other level.

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli with Balsamic

I got beautiful colorful cauliflower and broccoli from the farmers market on Sunday. I coated them in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and simply roasted them at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Vegan Pumpkin Cream Cheese from Laura Friendly

I finally roasted and pureed my own pumpkins and found this yummy recipe. The cream cheese gets its creaminess from  cashews that have been soaked overnight in water. Combine the creaminess of the cashews with fresh pumpkin puree -- magic! The maple syrup gives it a little bit of sweetness, the lemon juice gives it a little tang, and the coconut oil makes it so rich.
I enjoyed it on a slice of GF french bread from the bakery :)

Roasted Butternut Squash with Almond "Parmesan"

When I was working at the farmers market last week, I received a free giant butternut squash...after looking at multiple recipes, this one took the cake. The slightly sweet butternut squash pairs beautifully with this garlic-y/cheesy/nutty concoction. Yay for fall food!!

(I only used almonds even thought the "cheese" recipe called for pecans...still tasted great!)

Kale and Mango Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients: kale, frozen mango, 1/2 banana, splash of water
Toppings: hemp seeds, cacao nibs, homemade granola, and chopped banana (other 1/2)

Raw Raspberry Brownies (recipe)

The combo of chocolate and raspberry is hard to beat in my opinion. The brownie part is not too sweet, with more of a bitter chocolate taste while the raspberry mixture on top adds a tart, tangy sweetness. These are less of a desert brownie, and more of a healthy snack on the go brownie. Definitely making these again!
Ingredients: almonds, dates, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, raspberries, honey, chia seeds

Black Bean Tacos with Tangy Cabbage from Outside Magazine

My new go to Mexican dish. Looks a little messy, but it all ends up in the same place -- mah tummy.

No Bake Almond Butter Bars from Oatmeal with a Fork

My sister demanded that I make some sort of nutritious almond butter bar. I did some research and stumbled upon this recipe. All you need is almond butter, oats, coconut oil, agave or maple syrup (I used agave), cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract and VOILA you have a pretty amazing energy-rich snack.

Love at first bite. Almond buttah is bettah.

Chicken Cacciatore from Giada De Laurentiis

Ok, Giada is my female food network crush (Bobby Flay wins for Male crush). This was the first Giada recipe that I have actually made and it was a major success. I used chicken thighs because they are just so much tastier (thank you fat content). The rich tomato caper sauce keeps the chicken super moist. This is a simple, easy dish to put together and will impress any crowd.