bein Food

HOW TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY BREAKFAST BOWLS

2020-02-15T16:03:00.002-08:00

HOW TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY BREAKFAST BOWLS

Begin your day with a well-balanced breakfast that’s packed with vitamins and protein. This post discusses my go-to method for creating the ultimate healthy breakfast bowls for a nutritious way to jump-start your day.

This post is sponsored by Rojo’s Salsa.

How was your Thanksgiving, your Black Friday, and how’s that Cyber Monday going so far? Truth be told, I’ve never been much of a shopper, and I have a strong aversion to crowds, so I tend to skip that portion of the weekend…although I do partake in holiday food and spirits awfully heavily. My Thanksgiving was great! My mom made the Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole, Maple-Cinnamon Glazed Acorn Squash with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon, and the Pan Fried Green Beans with Pomegranate Seeds from my blog (bless her supportive nature), and my brother threw together some bomb mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and of course, roasted a beautiful turkey. My sister? Delish apps and dessert. Me? I prepared a total of zero foods, if you can believe it. Zilch. And it was such a glorious blessing! I contributed (and drank) the wines.

We’re probably all moving at half speed…or quarter speed….one-sixteenth speed…sloth speed…the opposite of light speed…basically we’re probably winning no races after taking a luxuriously long weekend and eating ourselves silly with Thanksgiving feastables. For this reason, I thought we could all kick off the week with super nutritious breakfast. Can we make it back on track? Can we push pause on the Hawaiian dinner rolls? The fudge and the stuffing and the cranberry sauce, oh my? I have the utmost of faith in us.

Let’s start a breakfast movement.

I have divulged this in the past, but I’ll do so again: when I start my day with a well-balanced, healthful breakfast, I’m much more likely to continue making wise food choices throughout the day. If I start the day with a cinnamon roll? Game off – I’m probably eating sugar the rest of the day. But if my morning includes a nutritious bowl of veggies and eggs, I’m much more likely to succeed at eating healthy at my afternoon and evening meals as well. Not only are my food habits throughout the day hinged on my breakfast choices, but my overall mood and energy level is definitely effected as well. I find I need this kind of breakfast to sustain a solid energy level and good spirits while I’m be-bopping around through life.

If you’re simply looking to get back on track after the holiday festivities, or if you’re trying to make a point of changing habits in the coming New Year, these healthy brealfast bowls are your jam. Once you get the hang of them, they take no time at all to prepare, and you’ll find yourself looking forward to breakfast. You may even begin craving – do I daresay it – vegetables first thing in the morning.

I’ve been meaning to share this post with you for about 17,000 years because I legit eat a breakfast bowl that looks nearly identical to the ones you see in the photos every single morning. For the most part, I do a yam, kale, and scrambled egg situation, but when I wake up fungry and am feeling real hot n’ heavy, I let my hair down and throw in some bacon, black beans, cheese, and avocado. So essentially this post is my way of sharing my everyday brekkie with you. Bring your fork!

Let’s talk ingredient options. We have SO MANY!

Protein – eggs, bacon, sausage, chorizo, black beans, ham, tofu scramble
Greens – chard, kale, spinach, arugula
Veggies – yams (or potato of choice – red potatoes and white ), onions, butternut squash, zucchini squash, mushrooms, broccoli
Eggs – sunny side up, fried, poached, scrambled
Toppings – avocado (or guacamole), salsa, shredded cheddar or Jack cheese or feta, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), hummus, chopped onion, cilantro, etc.

I used Rojo’s Fire Roasted Medium Salsa as topping for these bowls. In case you’re new to Rojo’s, they are Mexican-style artisan-crafted salsas that are made with real, fresh-cut, premium ingredients. When I first tried the salsas, I was very pleasantly surprised by how fresh and homemade tasting they are. The Fire Roasted Medium salsa is made with roasted tomatoes, onions, and chipotle and jalapeno chiles, and contains very minimal sugar, which is always my preference as I like my salsas to have a pronounced chile flavor rather than tasting sweet.

SO! How do we make the ultimate healthy breakfast bowls? Four easy steps will take you to where you need to be…

1.) Cook the Meat – If you’re adding a breakfast meat, like bacon or sausage to these bowls, you can prepare it first in a skillet to render the fat. Once the bacon (or sausage) is cooked, remove it from the skillet, chop it into bits, and set aside. Use the bacon fat to cook the potatoes in step two. If you’re going vegetarian, you can omit this step and simply heat black beans (or beans of choice) on the stove top while you’re preparing the vegetables.

2.) Cook the Veggies – This is the most time-consuming part of the breakfast bowls, which gives you ample opportunity to multi-task around the kitchen, sip on coffee, start laundry, etc. I like using a cast iron skillet to achieve the optimal crispy outside on the potatoes. Often times, I throw in some onion or leek and let the two saute together. By the time the potato is cooked, the onion is usually nice and browned and flavorful. Once the potatoes are cooked, I toss in the greens, cover the skillet to allow them to wilt, and viola! We’re done with step one.

You can 200% get creative with the veggie portion of these bowls. Try using butternut squash (like in the Butternut Squash Hash I showed you a few years back), summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. I often use leftover roasted or grilled vegetables, which I simply re-heat in a skillet and turn into a scramble. After the veggies are cooked (or re-heated), this is when I add the cooked breakfast meat (bacon or sausage) back in to heat it back up. I find potatoes usually take about 15 minutes to cook to my liking, and I only need to stir them a few times, so during the veggie cooking process, I typically do householdly chores or work on the computer.

3.) Cook the eggs – At the tail end of the potato cooking portion of this process, I whisk up some eggs and prepare them a la scrambled in a separate skillet. Sometimes I’ll do a sunny side upper, but most of the time, I go for the scramble. NOTE: you can turn this whole vegetable into one big scramble, by adding the beaten eggs to the skillet with the veggies once the veggies are cooked. I take this route from time to time when I’m too lazy to clean an extra skillet.

4.) Top & Serve – the fun part! My all-time favorite toppings are salsa and avocado. If I have a batch of guacamole or hummus made up in the fridge, I’ll add those, but so long as I have my spicy salsa and my creamy avo, I’m happy as a clam. I do add grated cheese from time to time when I’m feeling wild and frisky. If I have black or pinto beans on hand, I’ll take the huevos rancheros approach (kind of like what you see in these bowls) and include them in the bowl for some added protein.

The best part about these bowls other than the fact that they’re quick, easy, delicious, and healthy is they can easily be made into a breakfast burrito or superfood breakfast taco type of situation. Just add ’tilla.

HOW TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY BREAKFAST BOWLS

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoon grapeseed oil or olive oil
1 medium sweet potatochopped into ¼”-½” pieces
1/4 red onion finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste
2 leaves to 3 rainbow chardleaves chopped
6 large eggs well beaten
1 cup canned black beans black beans drained and rinsed
Rojo's Fire Roasted Salsa
1 avocado peeled and sliced
Grated cheese of choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the chopped sweet potato, onion, and sea salt. Cover and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until potato is crispy on the outside and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes more.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the black beans in a small pot until hot.
Add the greens to the skillet with the potato, cover, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Taste the potatoes for flavor and season with sea salt. Note: you can also add spices like chili powder, cumin, and/or garlic powder.
A few minutes before the potatoes are finished cooking, prepare the eggs as desired. If making a scramble, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well. Pour evenly over the vegetables and allow them to sit for 2 minutes before flipping with a spatula. Allow eggs to sit another minute or two before flipping again. Continue cooking until eggs are cooked through.
Load up 2 to 3 bowls with desired amount of black beans, veggies, and eggs. Top with cheese, sliced avocado, salsa, and/or any other toppings of choice. Enjoy!

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/ultimate-healthy-breakfast-bowls/

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH BROCCOLI-PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

2020-02-15T16:02:00.002-08:00

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH BROCCOLI-PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Roasted spaghetti squash with homemade broccoli and pumpkin seed pesto makes for a light yet filling and nutritious dinner – perfect for post-holiday eats!

I don’t know about you all, but I have been seriously crunching on the spaghetti squash lately. While from where I stand, spaghetti squash bears zero resemblance to actual spaghetti, it still makes for a comforting meal during those chilly winter nights when all you want to do is curl up with something hot and steamy and stringy-cheesy.

All in all, this recipe is…

Healthful
Relatively quick and easy
Gluten-free
Vegetarian (can easily be made vegan, or can easily include animal protein)
Fun to consume
Flavor-blasted

Let’s talk about broccoli pesto for a hot second. SAWEET ramalamadingdong, I’d never think in a million years broccoli would make a good pesto…it does folks. Truly, madly, deeply, it does. So much so, that I made this exact meal 5 out of 7 sequential days until all of the pesto had been used up. Which brings me to my next point: the recipe for the broccoli pumpkin seed pesto makes enough for 3 to 4 spaghetti squashes (totalling 6 or 8 spaghetti squash halves). You can either bang out dinner for 6 to 8 or do as I did and eat on the pesto throughout the week. Or, you can store the pesto in a sealed jar and keep it in the freezer for future uses.

The roasted pumpkin seeds are everything in this pesto – roasting the pumpkin seeds is easy and speedy quick, and the process yields so much nutty, rich flavor. Of course you can skip the roasting if you’re under a time crunch.

The order of operations here is you roast the spaghetti squash in the oven (if you’re new to spaghetti squash or could use some tips, check out my tutorial on How to Roast Spaghetti Squash), and prepare the pesto while the squash is roasting.

I blanch the broccoli prior to turning it into pesto mostly to be sure nothing wacky inhabiting the broccoli makes it into my pesto, but also because I prefer the flavor and texture over using raw broccoli. Once the spaghetti squash and the broccoli pesto are finished, I simply combine the two forces, grate a metric ton of parmesan over the meal, and savor every bite of this plant-centric dinner.

Spaghetti feed!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH BROCCOLI-PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

3 to 4 spaghetti squashroasted
1 large crown broccolichopped into florets
2/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup Parmesan cheesegrated
2 cloves large garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste
2/3 cup olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Follow these instructions on How to Roast Spaghetti Squash.
While the spaghetti squash is roasting, place chopped broccoli into a saucepan and cover with water. bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until bright green. Drain the water and immediately rinse the broccoli in a collander with cold water. Allow broccoli to cool all the way and pat dry.
Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees F for 5 minutes, or until seeds are golden-brown.
Add the blanched broccoli, pumpkin seeds, parmesan cheese, garlic, and sea salt to a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Leaving the food processor on, slowly pour the olive oil through the opening at the top to combine. Continue processing until desired consistency is reached (Note: You may need to stop the food processor a few times to scrap the sides in order to get everything to combine). This recipe makes a very thick pesto sauce. For thinner consistency, add more olive oil until your desired consistency is reached.
Serve spaghetti squash with desired amount of pesto sauce and garnish with more roasted pumpkin seeds and grated parmesan cheese.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/spaghetti-squash-broccoli-pumpkin-seed-pesto/

SPRING VEGETABLE BUDDHA BOWLS WITH AVOCADO GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

2020-02-15T16:01:00.003-08:00

SPRING VEGETABLE BUDDHA BOWLS WITH AVOCADO GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

Roasted spring vegetable Buddha bowls with asparagus, radishes, golden beets, cauliflower, peas, and a creamy dreamy mayo-free avocado-based green goddess dressing. WINNING!

Does anyone else get a kick out of the psychology of food in relationships? You know that dance most couples do come 6pm? One person doesn’t care what they both eat, but the other person does, but he/she doesn’t want to make a big deal or cause a scene, so he/she’s super unspecific and vague about what he/she wants to eat, so the person who doesn’t care chooses because all he/she wants to do is find a solution and eat, and the person who does care gets frustrated and makes a big deal and causes a scene because that’s not what he/she wanted, and their partner should know him/her well enough by now, and then there’s this passive-aggressive non-argument that leads to irritation for both people until dinner’s finally over and Netflix heals all wounds? I mean, there truly is no bigger first world problem. Except for maybe deciding what to eat for dessert.

This is why the majority of the time, the boyfriend and I eat different meals. And we’re 1000% okay with it.

Sure, we eat most of our meals together (we both work from home)…we just always eat different food.

From a bird’s eye view, dinner preparation for us looks like two people making a cohesive meal together, but what it really is, is two people preparing two different meals…but, together. For me, life isn’t alright unless it includes a ridiculous amount of vegetables and brown rice. For him, life isn’t alright unless it includes a ridiculous amount of burger.

We discovered this discrepancy early on in our relationship and quickly decided mealtime wouldn’t be a point of contention (don’t worry, we have other contentions… we’s not perfect). We’ll both eat what makes us happy, and since we both enjoy cooking (and are masters at cooking meals for 1 or 2), the whole thing is NBD. Is that strange? It may seem inefficient, but we’re both resourceful with both food and time. For us, it works pretty seamlessly, and mealtime is fun rather than stressful.

…Unless, of course, you leave the man to his own devices and send him to the store for ingredients and he comes home with asparagus and broccoli and nothing else. Not that that happened three night ago. It totally did. You see? This is why you need to stand up for what you want to eat.

Alright, food psych 101 over. We can talk about this recipe now. It’s a perfect example of one of my “hers” meals.

This is an explosion of Spring for your bowl food dining experience. I roasted up a bunch of asparagus with some radishes, adoooorable little new potatoes, cauliflower (hint: I used an orange cauli), and golden beets. I topped the bowls with peas, microgreens, sunflower seeds, and this ultra amazing avocado green goddess dressing.

A little note about radishes: if you don’t enjoy them raw, you may just like them roasted! When roasted, the flavor is milder (they basically lose all that sharp spiciness), and they have the consistency somewhat similar to a potato…just snappier. I prefer my radishes roasted 100% of the time. You gotta try them. Just add salt.

The avocado green goddess dressing in this recipe is a similar concept to the avocado chimichurri dressing I showed you last week in the Shrimp Taco Salad recipe post. The avocado in this case replaces some of the oil and all of the mayonnaise in the green goddess dressing to bump up the health benefits so that you’re getting a high caliber unprocessed fat source. Plus, it’s creamy, dreamy, and scrumtrulescent You can get creative with the herbs you use for the dressing – my favorite combination is basil and sage with a touch of mint.

PROTEIN SOURCE! I didn’t do a stellar job of adding one to the recipe..mi scuzi! You can add any plant-based protein (chickpeas would be great in this bowl), or animal protein (grilled chicken or salmon FTW) you’d like.

Adaptations? You do you, my friend! Make it a “yours” and “his” thing, a “yours” and “hers” thing…just be sure to make it.

SPRING VEGETABLE BUDDHA BOWLS WITH AVOCADO GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

COURSE: MAIN COURSE

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 3 PEOPLE

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

BUDDHA BOWLS:

2 cups uncooked brown rice
1 bunch radishes
1 bunch asparagus trimmed and chopped
1 small head cauliflowerchopped into florets
1/2 pound fingerling potatoeschopped
2 medium golden beets sliced
1 cup peas

AVOCADO GREEN GODDESS DRESSING:

1 large avocado
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1 cup fresh herbs see note*
2 tablespoons fresh chiveschopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste

FOR SERVING:

2 ounces mixed greens see note**
1/2 cup watercress or microgreens of choice
1/3 cup sunflower seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE BUDDHA BOWLS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. And cook rice according to package instructions.
Spread the radishes, cauliflower, asparagus, and potatoes over one or two large baking sheets. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and use your hands to toss everything together to make sure all of the vegetables are coated (Note: you can also add various spices or dried herbs for more flavor - try paprika, dried oregano, thyme, garlic or onion powder, etc).
Place the sliced beets on a long sheet of foil, then wrap them into a foil packet. Place the foil packet on the baking sheet with the other vegetables.
Roast the vegetables for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, or until vegetables are cooked to desired doneness (Note: if you like your beets very soft, leave the foil packet in the oven another 10 minutes).
Divide the cooked rice between 3 or 4 bowls. Add desired amount of mixed greens (or beet greens), followed by roasted vegetables, watercress, and sunflower seeds. Drizzle desired amount of green goddess dressing on top, and enjoy!

PREPARE THE GREEN GODDESS DRESSING:

Add all of the ingredients for the green goddess dressing to a food processor or blender. Process until completely combined and creamy (Note: dressing will be very thick...for a thinner consistency, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water). Transfer to a sealable container or jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/spring-vegetable-buddha-bowls-avocado-green-goddess-dressing/

BEET RICE & GARLICKY KALE BOWLS WITH BEET GREEN PESTO

2020-02-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

BEET RICE & GARLICKY KALE BOWLS WITH BEET GREEN PESTO

Nutrient-packed beet rice and kale bowls, with avocado, runny egg, and beet green pesto. These squeaky clean bowls are perfect for a mini cleanse or an overall clean eating lifestyle.

The first time I made these bowls was in Wyoming, and to be honest I wasn’t very interested in them way back then (a week ago). Probably because I somehow decided to consume almost zero nutritious food the whole trip. But after returning home with a spare tire and deciding to go back to my ush vegetable regiment, I re-made these bowls and ohhh momma, they’re actually quite delightful!

Designed to be grain-free, vegetarian, paleo, dairy-free, and packed with vitamins and antioxidants, these bowls are decked out with superfood. First off, let’s talk about beet rice. Have you heard of it? It’s not really a thing. Well, I guess it is now. Essentially, you under-roast a beet so that it maintains some texture, then you chop up said under-roasted beet, throw it in a food processor, and make rice out of it. Kind of like cauliflower rice…but with a beet.

..And we pair said superfood riceless rice with garlicky sauteed kale, which literally takes seconds to prepare. Okay, we’ll say 4 minutes.

Serve with avocado and a sunnyside up (or poached or fried or scrambled or something I don’t even know about) egg, and you have yourself a well-rounded meal sitch. Are you vegan? Go egg-less and potentially add some black beans or garbanzo beans for protein.

I topped these bowls with a healthy dollop (slash waterfall) of the beet green pesto I posted yesterday. The pesto just ramps up the flavor profile and ties all the ingredients together. You already have the beet greens from your bushel of beets, so preparing the pesto is an easy step that can be done while the beet is roasting.

If you’re meal prepping, you can roast the beet rice up to 4 days ahead of time in a sealed container until you’re ready to fix the rest of the meal.

Recipe alterations? We have some options, fo sho!

Add grilled or rotisserie chicken to make this a more substantial meal
Ramp up the protein profile if you’re vegetarian or vegan by throwing in your favorite bean
Replace the kale with Swiss Chard, broccoli rabe, or any other leafy green.
Throw some actual rice into the bowl – My favorite rendition of this bowl so far has been everything mooshed together with brown rice.
Use any of your favorite pesto sauces, or even a tahini sauce. Gucamole or hummus? Do it!
If you don’t have a food processor, you can definitely use a box grater to prepare the beet rice.

BEET RICE AND GARLICKY KALE BOWLS WITH BEET GREEN PESTO

COURSE: MAIN COURSE

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 2 PEOPLE

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

1 large beet
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 heads lacinato kale chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 large avocado peeled and sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and scrub the beet well, pat it dry, then wrap it in foil. Roast for 45 minutes, just until the beet is almost fully roasted.
Remove from the oven and once cool enough to handle, unwrap the beet and chop it into fourths. Place the quartered beet in your food processor and turn it on. Process until beet is reduced to rice-sized pieces. Sprinkle with sea salt and any other seasonings you like, such as ground cumin, curry powder, turmeric, etc.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet and add the minced garlic and chopped kale leaves. Saute, stirring occasionally, until kale has wilted and garlic is very fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
Divide the beet rice and sauteed garlic between two bowls. Serve bowls with beet green pesto, or any pesto sauce of choice, along with a hefty portion of avocado and sunnyside up (or poached or fried) eggs.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/beet-rice-garlicky-kale-bowls-beet-green-pesto/

HEALTHY VEGETARIAN MEAL PLAN

2020-02-15T16:00:00.005-08:00

HEALTHY VEGETARIAN MEAL PLAN

Two weeks into 2017, how’s everyone doing?

I’m off to play in the massive amount of snow we’ve been blessed with over the last week, and hope you’re getting into something juicy this weekend, too.

On the menu this week? More clean eats! We start with winter veggie bowls, enjoy a loaded lentil salad, sweet po’ tacos, a creamy dreamy soup, and a curried chickpea sammie. ALL manners of flavors, textures, and variety for your healthful workweek to come.

Enjoy!

Sunday

Roasted Winter Vegetable Bowls with Nutmeg Tahini from The Roasted Root

Prep Ahead Tip: The tahini dressing can be prepared up to 5 days ahead of time, and the rice and roasted vegetables can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.

Vegan/Gluten-free Substitutions: This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

Animal Protein Option: Add cooked meat of choice to the finished bowls (rotisserie chicken recommended)

Monday

Loaded Lentil Salad from Hummusapien

Prep Ahead Tip: Vegetables can be chopped up to 2 days in advance.

Vegan/Gluten-free Substitutions: Recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

Animal Protein Option: Saute a chicken breast or pork to add into the salad, or serve alongside a salmon fillet.

Tuesday

Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos with Avocado Cream from Making Thyme for Health

Prep Ahead Tip: The cabbage can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Vegan/Gluten-free Substitutions: Recipe is already vegan and gluten-free.

Animal Protein Option: Cook up some ground turkey or beef, or bake a fish filet to add in the tacos in order to make these a meaty sweet potato taco.

Wednesday

Carrot, Squash, and Coriander Soup with Crunchy Harissa Chickpeas from Eats Well With Others

Prep Ahead Tip: The vegetables can be choped ahead of time, but otherwise this comes together very quickly.

Vegan/Gluten-free Substitutions: Recipe is already vegan and gluten-free.

Animal Protein Option: Serve soup alongside any of your favorite animal proteins, such as baked chicken or pork, steak, or fish.

Thursday

Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches from She Likes Food

Prep Ahead Tip: Chickpea salad can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, but doesn’t take much time to make.

Vegan/Gluten-free Substitutions: Recipe is already vegan. Use gluten-free bread to make GF.

Animal Protein Option: Turn this into a chicken salad sandwich by cooking and shredded a chicken breast to replace the chickpeas.

Click HERE to print the shopping list

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/healthy-vegetarian-meal-plan-week-27/

BASIC FLUFFY COCONUT FLOUR PANCAKES

2020-02-15T16:00:00.002-08:00

BASIC FLUFFY COCONUT FLOUR PANCAKES

A basic recipe for fluffy coconut flour pancakes – a grain-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly pancake recipe perfect for those who have multiple dietary restrictions and/or follow a paleo lifestyle.

It’s been a while since we’ve shared a steamy stack of pancakes, and it dawned on me the other day I’ve never really shared my recipe for classic, basic coconut flour pancakes. We’ve shared Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Flour Pancakes, Fluffy Apple Walnut Pancakes, Lemon Ricotta Coconut Flour Pancakes, and a whole kit and caboodle of pancakes made with all sorts of other grain-free flours…

But never have I ever posted my stripped down, fool-proof, go-to plain jane recipe for fluffy coconut flour pancakes.

So here we go!

This recipe is one of the first pancake recipes I created when I did my long paleo stint a number of years ago. It was how I got my sweet tooth fix both at breakfast and snack time. While my diet no longer resembles anything close to paleo, I still love these coconut flour pancakes and appreciate their healt benefits.

All things considered, these pancakes are..

Grain-free
Gluten-free
Dairy-free
paleo-friendly
High in fiber

I have an arsenal of tips, tricks, suggestions, and adaptations to share with you, because as you probably know, coconut flour is a completely different ball of wax from all other flours. It absorbs three to 4 times the amount of liquid as any other flour, so recipes using it can be finicky and challenging. If you set out to make this recipe, make it to a T first, then make your adaptations from there. Depending on the type of coconut flour and coconut milk you use, as well as the elevation you cook at, you may need to change the measurements slightly to get a batter that works.

So without further ado, here are my..

Tips, Tricks, and Adaptations:

The pancake batter will be thick – this is normal. After preparing the batter and allowing it to sit, do a trial run by cooking one pancake. If it turns out too dry or crumbly, add a small amount of coconut milk. If the pancake won’t flip after several minutes of cooking without turning into a scramble, add a small amount of more coconut flour – note that a tiny bit of coconut flour goes a long way!
Patience, grasshopper..these pancakes take much longer to prepare than regular pancakes. You’ll want to allow the batter to sit for about 10 minutes after preparing it, and the cook time on these is about 10 minutes per pancake. To make the process quicker, break out your large pancake griddle or multiple non-stick skillets in order to fire a bunch out at one time.
Be sure to keep your skillet/griddle well-lubed, as the batter has a tendency to stick. You can add a small amount of coconut oil (or any cooking oil of choice) to the skillet between batches.
Almond milk can be used in place of coconut milk, but the texture won’t be quite as moist or fluffy and the pancakes will crumble slightly.
You can halve the recipe if you’re making pancakes for 2, or make the whole batch and enjoy the pancakes as a snack or breakfast during the week. Also check out my Blueberry Coconut Flour Pancakes for One if you’re cooking for just your onesie.
While cooking the pancakes, little or no bubbles will rise to the top, unlike other pancakes. Don’t be alarmed- this is normal. You’ll know the pancake is ready to flip when the sides firm up and you can get the spatula underneath it without the pancake splooging out or creating a big pancake mess. In this sense, remember these pancakes do require a substantial amount of time to cook properly.
Note that the tapioca flour in this recipe is optional. I always use tapioca flour in my grain-free recipes, because it helps with binding and fluffing. If you don’t have tapioca flour on hand, and you don’t shy away from a little pancake crumble, there’s not need to make an extra trip to the store for the tapioca; however, if you truly are looking for a fluffy pancake, I strongly encourage tapioca flour. If you decide to omit the tapioca flour, reduce the amount of coconut milk to 2/3 cup and add 1 tsp baking powder.
There is no easy replacement for the actual coconut flour in this recipe – the recipe itself is very specific to coconut flour, so please do not try to replicate the recipe using any other flour. I know some of you will ask if the coconut flour can be replaced with almond flour in this recipe, and yes, it certainly can – but the rest of the recipe will change as well. If you’re looking for pancake recipes using other flours, I encourage you to check out my Almond Flour Pancakes recipe, or have a look at my whole kit and caboodle of pancakes recipes.

My all-time favorite ways of topping pancakes are:

Homemade blueberry syrup/compote (or any fresh fruit compote for that matter)
Almond butter + maple syrup
Butter + maple syrup

You can get ultra creative with your toppings as well as the flavors you add to the batter itself.

Questions? Comments? Results? Let me know! Enjoy your stack of coconut flour pancakes!

BASIC FLUFFY COCONUT FLOUR PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs
1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk*
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour*
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Pinch sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all of the ingredients for the pancakes to a blender and blend until smooth. The batter will be very thick.
Heat a griddle or skillet to medium and add enough coconut oil (or cooking oil) to coat the surface, about 2 tablespoons. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for the skillet/griddle to heat up all the way before cooking the pancakes.
Measure a scant 1/4 cup of batter and pour onto the hot surface. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the sides of the pancake begin to firm up. Carefully flip and cook on the other side an additional 2 to 4 minutes, or until pancake is cooked through. Repeat for remaining batter (Note: I cook 3 pancakes at a time on a 10-inch skillet).
Serve pancakes with choice of toppings

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/basic-fluffy-coconut-flour-pancakes/

SALMON AND ROOT VEGETABLE SHEET PAN DINNER

2020-02-15T15:59:00.005-08:00

SALMON AND ROOT VEGETABLE SHEET PAN DINNER

A one-pan sheet pan dinner recipe with winter root vegetables and salmon. A quick, adaptable recipe perfect for chilly winter evenings in, and the perfect go-to for paleo or Whole30 meals.

Aside from the snow, one of my favorite parts about winter is the produce. I bet you can guess why… it’s because root vegetables are in season during the winter. Roots are incredibly nutritious, and are a brilliant for those who are looking to step up their vitamin and mineral intake, or for those who are looking for antinflammatory, antioxidant-rich foods. While this meal can be prepared using seasonal produce from any time of year, I’m loving the use of root vegetables for a speedy quick, comforting winter sheet pan dinner.

It’s been long time since I’ve highlighted a new root vegetable on the blog, so I thought I’d talk about sunchokes for a hot second.

Who here has heard of, tasted, and/or loves sunchokes? They’re such a cool root. Sunchokes (or Jerusalem artichokes) are a super starchy root vegetable that looks kind of like little ginger nubbins, but has a mild flavor similar to red or yukon potatoes. You can prepare them in any of the same ways you would prepare any other root vegetable, but I like them roasted the best. When roasted, they turn into these crispy-on-the-outside, squishy-on-the-inside healthy little tater tot bites. You can use them to replace potatoes in virtually any recipe, and you can even make paleo-friendly home fries, chips, or “french fries” out of them.

I recently developed a Salmon and Roasted Winter Vegetable Dinner recipe for Love Beets using their cooked beets, and have been preparing it on repeat ever since. The simplicity of chopping up vegetables, seasoning them, and baking them with a couple salmon fillets is a foolproof well-rounded meal of champions. Because my reader survey results showed you are overwhelmingly interested in easy, healthful meals, I thought it wise to share with you the recipe I’ve been dining on over the last few weeks. This, soup, and burritos have been my current food squeezes.

Prep time for this recipe is only about 10 minutes…15 to 20 if you’re taking your time. Simply scrub the roots (you can leave the peels on or peel them off. I leave my peels on), drizzle them with olive oil and seasoning (you can get ultra creative with your flavor combos here!), and spread them on a baking sheet. You then do the same with a couple salmon fillets- drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings and salt and make room on the baking sheet for them. Bake everything together until both the veggies and the salmon are golden-brown, crispy, and cooked to desired doneness. Note: you can leave the carrots whole, or chop them. I think it’s fun to leave them whole.

If you prefer your salmon on the rare side, you can add the fillets to the sheet pan after the roots have been roasting for 10 minutes. This gives you about 10 minutes of bake time for the salmon, and should result in a slightly rare center. For those who are freaked out by the thought of raw or raw-esque fish, definitely cook the salmon the full 20 minutes.

If you’re like me and need something a bit more substantial than just the salmon and root veggies, you can serve the meal with a big salad, cauliflower rice, brown rice, or side dish of your choosing. Or take in your carbs via beer…that’s a goes-without-saying perma option and a solid life decision.

And that, folks, is all she wrote. Let me know if you try to recipe, (feel free to snap a photo and tag @theroastedroot on instagram!), and which seasonings you like the most.

Bon appétit!

SALMON AND ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLE SHEET PAN DINNER

COURSE: MAIN COURSE

SERVINGS: 4 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

1 pound salmon cut into fillets
1 red onion chopped
1 bunch rainbow carrots
1/2 pound sunchokesscrubbed and chopped
1 medium sweet potatochopped
3-4 tablespoons olive oilseparated
2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence or Italian Seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking oil.
Add all of the spices and sea salt in a small bowl and stir well.
Place salmon fillets on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture.
Add all of the vegetables to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture. Toss everything together until the vegetables are coated in oil and spices (Note: you can leave the carrots whole or chop them).
Arrange the vegetables on the baking sheet around the salmon fillets and place on the center rack of the preheated oven. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the salmon and vegetables are cooked through.
Serve salmon dinner with side dish(es) of choice!

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/salmon-root-vegetable-sheet-pan-dinner/

CHERRY MAPLE ALMOND GRANOLA

2020-02-15T15:59:00.002-08:00

CHERRY MAPLE ALMOND GRANOLA

Heart-healthy, protein-packed almond granola with maple and cherry flavors for a tasty breakfast or snack. This gluten-free, vegan recipe is perfect for making in bulk to enjoy throughout the week.

Homemade granola is just one of those fun-to-make recipes, and is the perfect catchall for pantry purges. If you’re like me and have little odds and ends lingering around in your cupboards (2 tbl pumpkin seeds here, ½ c. dried fruit there, the occasional cacao nib, etc etc), granola is a great job placement for said ingredients.

PLUS, it makes for a healthful addition to your daily diet and is easy to make in bulk. BOOM! granola is kween.

You can view this granola recipe as a heart-healthy breakfast, a protein-packed snack, a delicious resource to satisfy your massive crunch craving, and/or your pack-and-go trail mix to fuel your outdoor adventures.

My basic formula for granola creation is 3 parts rolled oats, 1 part raw nuts, 1 part raw seeds, and 1 part dried fruit. A liquid sweetener, such as honey or pure maple syrup, + flavor additions, such as ground cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla extract, etc. are where you can get creative in generating that epic flavor profile for optimal granola experience.

Typically when making granola, I use an egg white to generate mega clusters, but decided to make the recipe vegan using a flax “egg” for this go-round. It worked marvelously! This is now my prefered method because it means I don’t need to store the granola in the refrigerator, and it adds healthful omega-3s to the granola. Just be sure you allow your granola to rest for 30ish minutes once it comes out of the oven, as the rest time is essential in mega cluster formation.

This straight-forward recipe is easy to prepare – simply pulse the oats, nuts, and seeds in a food processor or blender, stir in the remaining “wet” ingredients, and bake on a large baking sheet.

Substitutions, additions, subtractions, and Tips:

The raw walnuts and almonds can be replaced with your favorite nut such as cashews, pecans, or pistachios. So long as you use 1 cup total of raw nuts, you’re good to go!
If using honey instead of pure maple syrup, be sure to watch the granola carefully while it’s baking, as honey has a lower burn temperature than pure maple syrup. Check on the granola after 25 minutes, and keep a close eye every couple of minutes thereafter.
You can also use rice syrup, coconut sugar, coconut palm syrup, or agave nectar as the sweetener for this recipe.
Use any oil you have on hand in place of grapeseed oil, such as olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. I love the flavor of coconut oil in granola!
The dried cranberries can be omitted or replaced with any dried fruit, such as blueberries, raisins, strawberries, etc. Just be sure to avoid using sugar-sweetened dried fruit – instead use juice-sweetened dried fruit.
Pumpkin seeds can be replaced with raw sunflower seeds or omitted entirely.
You can replace the flax “egg” with one egg white. If you choose to go this route, beat the egg white until very frothy. You will need to store the granola in the refrigerator in order to avoid spoilage.

Get your crunch on!

COURSE: BREAKFAST

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/3 cup pure maple syrup*
3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup dried canberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare a flax "egg" (i.e. egg replacer) by combining the ground flax seed and water in a small bowl. Allow the mixture to sit, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to the consistency of an egg, about 10 minutes.
Place the almonds and walnuts in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times, just until the nuts are coarsely chopped. As an alternative, you can carefully chop the nuts using a sharp knife.
Add the chopped nuts, oats, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, ground cinnamon, sea salt, and pumpkin seeds (all the dry ingredients except for the dried cranberries) to a large mixing bowl and stir well.
Whisk together the oil, pure maple syrup, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the oats and nuts, along with the flax seed "egg." Stir well until everything is well coated.
Pour the granola mixture onto the lined baking sheet. Use your hands to press the granola mixture into the sheet, creating an even layer.
Place the sheet of granola on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden-brown. Remove the granola from the oven and allow it to sit for one hour - this allows the granola to set up and makes for large granola clusters. Once cooked and cooled, mix in the dried cherries.
Transfer the cooled granola to a large zip lock bag or jar for storing. Store granola for up to 10 days. Enjoy with fruit, yogurt, and/or choice of milk.

sourcce:https://www.theroastedroot.net/cherry-maple-almond-granola/

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD BAKED OATMEAL

2020-02-15T15:58:00.002-08:00

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD BAKED OATMEAL

Gluten-free baked oatmeal with banana bread flair for an ultra flavorful and fun breakfast. This easy recipe is a great make-ahead breakfast!

This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.

Has anyone else been craving the carbs this winter like they’re training for an ultra marathon slash bulking up for the zombie apocolypse? Insert girl with her hand raised emoji here. x3.

While I used to fight any craving for sugar or cabs, I have since embraced my body’s need for them. When I hit the 25 age marker and came to the realization that my metabolism doesn’t work with the swiftness of a gazelle’s the way it used to, I essentially omitted carbs as long as I possibly could until the flood gates would open and I’d go to town on ALL OF THE BROWNIES. I look back on those days and want to give mid-twenties Julia a hug. And a beer. She was moody, under-nourished in body and soul…needed some sustenance like bad.

This isn’t to suggest we should all drop what we’re doing right now, head to the break room and snag any comforting substance in sight. It’s more a call for honesty. Asking myself what the food at hand will do for my body and mind, and if I actually need it. To answer myself with honesty, and to be okay with the answer, regardless of whether it’s yes I need it, or no, I actually do not. Everyone’s body works differently, and I’ve found mine does particularly well with a well-balanced diet, which of course includes complex carbohydrates.

Now that I’ve reached the ripe age of 30, I have made the executive decision to embrace what my body tells me it needs. As it turns out, it’s an easier way of living! I now fulfill my hankerings, but in the most healthful of ways. For instance, rather than downing 1/2 to 2/3 a batch of boxed brownies or a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting when I can no longer sustain the craving, I’ve been filling my needs as they come with whole grains and slow-burning complex carbohydrates. Enter: oats.

Full of macronutrients, a slow burning carbohydrate, a marvelous ingredient to have in your home and to incorporate into your daily life.

There are few meals more comforting than flavor-infused steamy oatmeal. While I’m always up for a hefty bowl of oatmeal made on the stove top, or overnight oats in any flavor varietal, I also love oatmeal in baked form We’re no strangers to baked oatmeal on this blog, as I’ve shared Blueberry Baked Oatmeal, Mixed Berry and Apple Baked Oatmeal, and Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.

Keeping the recipe Gluten-Free, I used Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, which are always my go-to when I’m craving a bowl of oatmeal, and for any occasion necessitating oats. I love the thick creamy texture that results, quality of flavor and texture that results. Plus, Bob’s Red Mill takes great care in ensuring their gluten-free products aren’t contaminated, making them a choice product for those with gluten allergies.

In order to get the baked oatmeal to hold together nicely so that it could easily be transported in squares, I added brown rice flour. The consistency turns out fluffy, dense, moist, and absolutely addicting. You can view this experience as a sort of breakfast cake, snack cake, or even straight-up gluten-free banana bread. It’s kind of one of those wondrous recipes that fills all sorts of needs at any time of day. What a pal!

The preparation process for this recipe is ultra easy. You blend the “wet” ingredients in a blender and stir together the dry ingredients. Stir the wet with the dry, pour into a casserole dish, then sing a merry tune while your oatmeal bakes in the oven. Soon after the baking process begins, the amazing, inviting aroma of banana bread will waft through your home.

Serving options? I plop a big hunk on a plate, give it a squirt of whipped cream, and eat this baked oatmeal like cake…but for breakfast, you see? You can also serve it up in bowls with a drizzle of your favorite milk on top, add a dollop of yogurt or almond butter, or fashion up homemade coconut whipped cream. Choose your adventure! I’ve been glued to this chocolate chip banana bread baked oatmeal for my snacking needs lately. It’s so easy to heat up a square and enjoy with an afternoon tea. Or, as I do most often, grab a lump straight from the refrigerator and bolt out the door.

You can get creative with your add-ins here, using the banana bread approach as your baseline. For instance, you can omit the chocolate chips, and/or add fresh blueberries, or chopped walnuts or pecans. You can top with homemade caramel, coconut whipped cream, or a dollop of almond butter. Let your hair down!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD BAKED OATMEAL

COURSE: BREAKFAST

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR

SERVINGS: 6 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1-1/2 teaspons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
2-1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk*
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Stir together the gluten-free rolled oats, brown rice flour, baking powder, and half of the chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl (dry mixture).
Add the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips to a blender and blend until completely smooth (custard mixture).
Pour the custard mixture into the mixing bowl with the dry mixture. Stir well and allow this mixture to sit 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly oil or spray a 8” x 8” baking dish.
Transfer the banana bread oatmeal mixture to the prepared baking dish and use a large spoon to stir mixture around so that oats are evenly distributed. sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top (they will naturally sink a little - this is fine!)
Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the center of the baked oatmeal has set up. Turn off the oven but leave the baked oatmeal inside and allow it to sit 8 minutes.
Remove baked oatmeal from the oven and allow it to sit at least 1 hour before cutting and serving.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/chocolate-chip-banana-bread-baked-oatmeal/

SWEET POTATO HOME FRIES

2020-02-15T15:57:00.005-08:00

SWEET POTATO HOME FRIES

Home fries. How do we feel about them? Allow me to summarize my thoughts thusly:

Home fries are the best hangover food ever.

^^No truer words have ever been blogged.

Aside from being great hangover food, I’ve always viewed home fries to be that country kitchen staple – there really is nothing like a home fry that crunches to perfection on the outside and splooges on the inside. With just the right amount of salt. And Tobasco. And ketchup. I believe breakfast restaurants should 200% be scored on the quality of their home fry, because let’s face it: home fries are really what we’re in for anyway, right? Plus the bacon, right? Right.

We all know I’m a mega fan of consuming sweet potatoes in//on//around my breakfast eggs, so I thought I’d pass along some sweet potato home fry steaze for those times you have a hangover to cure, slash some extra time on a weekend morning. It’s really quite simple to prepare this recipe ingredient-wise…really, it’s all in the technique.

Now truth: These are not going to crisp up quite as well as the crispiest of home fries you’ve consumed in your life. For starters, they’re not deep fried, and secondly, the body chemistry of the sweet potato makes it softer and less crispable than say a russet or a yukon potato. Nevertheless, the little tater tots come out of the skillet piping hot, with a nice crisp-to-splooge ratio, and you’ll want to make and enjoy them ee’ry dang day.

You can change up the spices you add to your home skillet according to your personal taste. You can serve these crisp mongers with your choice of over easy/sunny side up/poached/scrambled egg, and you can also add some sort of funky fresh breakfast sauce I’ve never even heard of. Gravy? That would be too wild for this plain vanilla gal. Not!

As you can see, I took the sunny side up egg + avocado + hemp seed approach. So simple. So many textures. All the flavors. Breakfast o’ champerines.

Stay tuned for scenes from your next sweet potato…

SWEET POTATO HOME FRIES

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 22 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 32 MINUTES

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons coconut oil
1-½ pounds sweet potatoeschopped into ½-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion sliced
5 cloves garlic minced
1-½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
4 tablespoons to 6 water

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the coconut oil in a large non-stick (or cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped sweet potatoes and stir to coat in oil. Allow them to cook untouched for 4 minutes.
Stir in the chopped onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring only once or twice to allow the onion and sweet potato to brown.
Turn down the heat to medium and add the garlic, salt, chili powder, and paprika. Saute, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes.
Add the water (start with ¼ cup - you can always add more later if necessary) and cover the skillet. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
Serve with your favorite breakfast items, such as eggs, bacon, salsa, and avocado.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/sweet-potato-home-fries/

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM PIZZAS

2020-02-15T15:57:00.002-08:00

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM PIZZAS

Portobello mushroom pizzas stuffed with rice, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese – a fun gluten-free option for your weeknight pizza fix.

^^^

That cheese.

Fancy a faceplant?

Don’t mind if I do.

One day not too long ago, I had a massive craving for Portobello mushrooms with red sauce and mozzarella cheese. I happened to have some leftover rice in my refer, along with my regular supply of fresh veggies. I thought what better way to feast on the fungus than to stuff it silly and bake it off with flavorful red sauce and cheese.

The recipe is fairly simple to prepare and is definitely a fun one. I’d be lying if I said I slaved over a simmering pot of tomato sauce for hours…I didn’t. I used my favorite store-bought puttanesca sauce and mixed it up with leftover rice. You can use any of your favorite tomato sauces – I’d recommend tomato basil, or arrabiata. If you’re feeling frisky, you can whip up a turkey bolognese sauce for some added protein.

For the stuffing mixture, you can use various combinations of fresh veggies with the rice. You can even add black beans and corn and employ salsa in place of the tomato sauce if you’re looking for some southwestern flair.

For a filling and exciting vegetarian meal, this one would be toward the top of my go-to list. Portobello mushroom pizzas for president!

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 large portobello mushrooms
3 cups cooked brown rice
4 cups tomato sauce I used store-bought puttanesca sauce
3 cups baby spinach
2 cups mozzarella cheesegrated

FOR SERVING:

Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Fresh basil chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash and pat dry the portobello mushrooms. Using a spoon, scoop out the gills and stems. Lightly coat each cap with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes on one side, flip, then roast an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and decrease oven heat to 375 degrees F.
Pour 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in an oven-safe skillet and evenly spread. Transfer the mushrooms to the skillet, gill-side up.
Combine 1-1/2 cups of tomato sauce, the cooked rice, and the baby spinach in a large pot. Heat over medium and stir until spinach has wilted. Taste rice for flavor and add sea salt as desired.
Scoop the rice mixture into the mushroom caps and top with the remaining tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and browned. For crispy cheese, broil the skillet for 2 to 3 minutes under the broiler.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan and basil.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/mozzarella-stuffed-portobello-mushrooms/

GRAIN-FREE ALMOND BUTTER BANANA BREAD (PALEO)

2020-02-15T15:56:00.005-08:00

GRAIN-FREE ALMOND BUTTER BANANA BREAD (PALEO)

almond butter paleo banana bread made with almond butter, almond flour, and sweetened with pure maple syrup. A moist, protein-packed healthy quick bread recipe.

Do you ever sit on your haunches in a reflective meditative moment and think to yourself, “Wow. There are a lot of banana bread recipes in the world?”

…Kinda like when you’re watching Cosmos on Netflix and Neil Tyson Degrasse bombards you with perspective on just how phenomenally, inconceivably, unbearably large the universe is, and your brain basically powers off and you go eat ice cream, because that’s how you deal with uncomfortable subject matter?

Honestly, I try not to broach the banana bread recipe subject within my own head space, because I’m easily overwhelmed by options (large restaurant menus elicit some serious anxiety in this human, and let’s not even talk about paint sample cards…it’s just TOO MUCH to handle). Ergo, I charge forth and bury the concept down deep, because that’s how I deal with things that are beyond my control. It seems to work out just fine…par example: this almond butter banana bread loaf. Booyah! <- and I don’t use that term lightly.

I’ve been quickbread-ing a lot lately on account of Mother Nature’s neurotic behavior. We had an amazing record-breaking winter (hazaaaaaah! <-and I don’t use that term lightly), but I’m ready to trade in the Spring clouds and wind for some warmth, stillness, and big, bold colors. Sometimes a person’s gotta latch on to something familiar in order to weather the Springtime blues, you know?

You knooooow.

So here’s a little taste of that…a little belly warmer, something familiar yet different enough to keep our interest piqued… nourishment in the form of a thick slice of spirit-lifting almond butter banana bread.

The Paleo Banana Bread recipe I posted a few years ago is still one of the most visited pages on my site, which I used as inspiration to make this almond butter version. True to my baking philosophy, the batter is made using unprocessed ingredients, whizzed up in a blender, and baked to sweet, moist perfection. Psst! If you’re looking for a coconut flour version, check out my Coconut Flour Banana Bread.
You can use any nut butter you’d like for this bread (I’ve done the peanut butters and it’s wuuuunderbaaaar!), add chocolate chips and/or chopped nuts…heck, you can even add blueberries. This is your loaf, your life..you’re in control, my friends. I enjoyed thick slices of the bread with a smear of peanut butter or almond butter plus some Strawberry Chia Seed Jam.

#ProTip: Leave the batter just ever so slightly chunky to get hunks of steamy whole banana goodness, as pictured in the loaf above. ..Or if hot fruit isn’t your jam, blend to smithereens, my friends <3

In a universe of infinite banana breads…

…There can be only one <- name that movie.

ALMOND BUTTER BANANA BREAD (PALEO)

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 1 LOAF

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

2 large ripe bananas peeled
2 large eggs
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened almond butter see note*
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups Super Fine Almond Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon seasalt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil or spray a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Note: you can also line the loaf pan with parchment paper.
Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the center has set up. Turn off the heat of the oven, and allow the loaf to sit in the hot oven for 5 minutes more.
Remove banana bread from the oven and allow it to cool at least 1 hour before releasing it from the bread pan. To do so, run a knife between the loaf and the bread pan and use a spatula to help detach the bottom of the loaf from the pan. Turn the loaf out onto a cutting board. Cut into thick slices and serve with a smear of butter, almond butter, and/or jam.

SOURCE:https://www.theroastedroot.net/almond-butter-banana-bread-paleo/

CROCK POT HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK BURRITO BOWLS

2020-02-15T15:56:00.002-08:00

CROCK POT HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK BURRITO BOWLS

Who here is ready for a Hawaiian vacation? Srsly, I fantasize about one regularly. While an actual tropical vacation isn’t on the immediate agenda unforch, we can all light up some tiki torches, put on some luau tunes, fashion up Hawaiian-style pulled pork, and allow the island breeze (read: floor fan) take us away…I’m ready, are you?

Let’s go.

But first, coffee.

Did you know the most popular coffee in the world comes from Kona, Hawaii? I was aware of coffees presence there, but I didn’t realize just how big of a thing it was, until I recently partnered with San Francisco Bay Coffee.

While the brand is headquartered in Lincoln, CA and owns six coffee farms in Latin America, it recently bought a coffee farm in Kona, Hawaii, as well as opened a gourmet coffee bar. In order to celebrate their Hawaiian perma-staycation, you could win a vacation to Kona!

SF Bay has opened a sweepstakes, offering a free trip to Kona, Hawaii, where you will see their farm, learn how coffee is grown, and revel in tropical paradise! You can enter for a change to win a trip to Hawaii HERE! It legit takes 15 seconds to enter, I swear.

So I kinda pulled a fast one on you…tempting you with thoughts of the tropics, when in reality you may just win big. I have high hopes, positive thoughts, and all the good jujus.

Because I recently formed a partnership with SF Bay, I figured I’d take the time to give you some background – you’ll be seeing them around here in the future! First off, have you heard of them, and/or tasted their coffee? After reading about the company, I was blown away by their commitment to above-ethical business practices, sustainability, and their initiative to keep their farm workers healthy both physically and fiscally. Buckle up, because we’re about to talk sustainability and charity, two topics I’m passionate about to the point of ultimate wordiness.

San Francisco Bay Coffee was founded (and is still 100% owned) by the Rogers Family in 1979. You may recognize them for their extensive line of Kirkland signature coffees available at Costco nationwide. Making it their mission to source their coffee beans responsibly and sustainably long before most companies began fair trade practices, the Rogers family has prioritized social responsibility and environmental consciousness for over two decades. They own seven coffee farms, where they sustainably grow their own coffee beans, 3 of which are in Panama, 3 in Mexico, and 1 in Hawaii (its newest acquisition).

SF Bay set up the Rogers Family Charitable Fund, which donates a portion of profits each year to improve not just the farms where their coffee beans are sourced, but also the lives of those who work the farms, as well as their families. From the fund, the company has built over 50 schools, dozens of kitchens, provides hot meals to the workers and the workers families, as well as medical and dental programs at many of the farms. In addition to their continued dedication to sustainable growing and processing practices, the company has managed to increase overall productivity and quality of the final product.

The company is currently taking on multiple environmental initiatives in order to lower their own carbon footprint as well as raising the bar for other coffee companies.You can read more aboutthose initiatives and the The Rogers family here and here.

So now you have the big picture, we can talk about things closer to home.

Specifically, these crock pot Hawaiian pulled pork burrito bowls. The gist of it is simple: Slow cook a pork roast overnight (or throughout the day) in a Hawaiian-inspired elixir of bliss (teriyaki sauce, coffee, salsa, honey, and pineapple juice), then assemble the most glorious burrito bowls (or burritos!) of your life.

I’m going to dubstep backwards for a second and say, YES, typically authentic Hawaiian BBQ or pulled pork is made using brown sugar. YES, you can 200% use brown sugar in this recipe – simply replace the honey with ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar. I used honey to make the recipe free of refined sugar, but if you want to go full-tilt Hawaiian, you just let your hair down!

Included in the bowls are brown rice, black beans, red cabbage, avocado, and mango-apple salsa. The mango apple salsa, though, folks…do you see what I did there? Mango, because: tropical, and apple, because: pork. Pork + apple = two peas in a pod…although the bowls don’t necessarily neeeeed the salsa per se, they do. Don’tja skip it!

So I’m about to tell you something that’s going to make you blow a gasket. The delicious Hawaiian porky juices left in the crock pot? In addition to letting the pork stew in the juices post-shredding, you can 200% make a sauce out of it. To do so, simply use a measuring cup to remove 1 to 1-½ cups of the sauce, then boil it in a saucepan on the stove until it thickens (about 8 minutes). It will change your world, you best believe!

Because I was feeling fun and frisky, I decided to enjoy my Hawaiian pulled pork burrito bowl with a Hawaiian-style iced coffee. All I did was brew a single serving of coffee using my single-serve dispenser, mixed in a tablespoon of coconut sugar while it was still hot, then let it cool. Poured it over ice with some full-fat coconut milk, et viola! Amazing island coffee.

So many words, so much information…I think we’ve done pretty well for today. Just remember to eat your peas and drink your coffee. And don’t forget to…

Enter to win a trip to Hawaii HERE!

CROCK POT HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK BURRITO BOWLS

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

CROCK POT HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup store-bought or homemade tomato salsa*
2 pounds pork shoulder
½ cup teriyaki sauce**
6 ounces strong brewed coffee
¼ cup honey
¾ cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons fresh gingerpeeled and grated
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch ground cinnamon

BURRITO BOWLS:

2 cups uncooked brown rice
2 ounce cans black beansdrained and rinsed, 14-
1 to 2 large avocados peeled and sliced
3 cups to 4 red cabbageshredded

MANGO-APPLE SALSA:

1 large pink lady apple cored and chopped
1 large ripe mango peeled and diced
½ red fresno chili seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped
½ cup red onion finely chopped
1 clove large garlic minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakesoptional
¼ teaspoon sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK:

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Transfer the sauteed onion/garlic to your slow cooker, along with the salsa.
Place the pork shoulder on top of the onions and salsa in your slow cooker.
Add the teriyaki sauce, brewed coffee, honey, pineapple juice, ginger, paprika, cumin, and cinnamon to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture into your slow cooker, and give the contents of the slow cooker a little stir.
Secure the cover of your slow cooker and put it on the lowest setting. Cook for 8 to 12 hours. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat. (Note: If desired, remove 1 cup of the juices from the slow cooker, transfer it to a saucepan and reduce it on the stove top until thick, about 5 to 8 minutes. You can use this sauce for serving). Transfer the pulled pork back into the slow cooker with the juices and allow it to soak up more flavor for at least 20 minutes.

PREPARE THE MANGO-APPLE SALSA:

Add all of the ingredients for the salsa to a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Set aside until ready to use.

PREPARE THE BOWLS:

Cook the rice according to package instructions.
Divide rice between 5 to 6 large bowls, then add desired amount of pulled pork, beans, shredded cabbage, avocado, and mango-apple salsa to each bowl. Drizzle the reduced sauce (or sauce from the slow cooker) on top, and serve.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/crock-pot-hawaiian-pulled-pork-burrito-bowls/

PALEO SWEET POTATO FUDGE BROWNIES

2020-02-15T15:55:00.002-08:00

PALEO SWEET POTATO FUDGE BROWNIES

Moist fudge brownies made with sweet potato, coconut flour, and pure maple syrup. This easy fudge brownie recipe is prepared in your blender or food processor and only requires a few basic ingredients!

You guys, these brownies are DYNAMITE!

What if I told you this is what I’ve been eating for dinner lately?

It’s true…guilty as charged…I was on a few-day dessert-for-dinner kick, which began and ended with these sweet potato brownies. I’d heat a couple of them up and enjoy them with a big scoop of ice cream. I’ll just save you the time and tell you I’ve found they’re particularly tasty with cookie dough and/or pistachio ice cream so that you don’t have to go troubleshooting all the flavors to find the perfect pairing. Yeeer welcome

Regardless of what time of day you consume these beauties, they are one of the best brownies I’ve ever made! In fact, I daresay they may be the actual best. They melt on your tongue, they’re a great source of sweet potato, and they’re fabulously easy to make. Here’s the breakdown of the brownie features and characteristics:

Gluten-free and grain-free
Paleo
Refined sugar-free (except for the sugar in the chocolate chips, which you can omit)
Dairy-free
Super moist and melt-in-your-mouthy
Fudgy
Intensely sweet and dark
Can’t taste the sweet potato

These beauties are prepared in your blender or food processor to make the whole experience very quick and easy. The only time-consuming part about this recipe is roasting the sweet potato. If you have the forethought, you can roast it up to 3 days ahead of time (which was what I did), so that you go to make the recipe, it’s just a matter of tossing all the ingredients in a blender.

You can adapt these brownies to your liking, adding chopped nuts, omitting the chocolate chips if you need these to be entirely free of refined sugar, using mashed butternut squash, pumpkin, or any other winter squash in place of sweet potato, replacing some of the mashed sweet potato with almond butter or peanut butter for that nut butter essence…you do you, boo.

I will call out an important little detail – the sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top….MEGA! I’m all about the salty-sweet combo, and there’s something about having that slight salt tinge to offset the intense sweet chocolaty goo that sends my face buds into overdrive. You don’t want to miss it, my FOMO friends!

^You can even see the sweet potato…BANGARANG!

So here’s what we do, Monday: Roast a sweet potato, blend it up with some brownie ingredients, bake it off, let it rest, consume for dinner. Or dessert…or snack…bring it to your yoga studio…there’s nothing you can do to make this go wrong.

Dinner tonight:

PALEO SWEET POTATO FUDGE BROWNIES

COURSE: DESSERT

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 16 SMALL BROWNIES

CALORIES: 243 KCAL

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet potato roasted and mashed, about 1-1/2 cups
2 eggs
1/3 cup coconut oil melted and cooled
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
5 tablespoons raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup dark chocolate chipssee note*

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash and pat dry the sweet potato. Poke it several times with a fork, wrap it in foil, and roast at 400 degrees F for 60 to 70 minutes, or until very soft. Allow sweet potato to cool to room temperature (Note: You can roast the sweet potato up to 3 days ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil an 8" x 8" baking dish. Line the baking dish with parchment paper.
Add all ingredients for the brownies except for the chocolate chips to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips
Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake on the center rack of the oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center is set up (note: the brownies won't test clean when poked with a fork...this is normal). Turn off the oven and allow brownies to sit another 5 minutes in the warm oven.
Remove brownies from the oven and sprinkle with coarse sea salt (if desired...very much recommended). Allow brownies to cool at least 30 minutes. Pull on the sides of the parchment paper to release the brownies from the baking dish and transfer to a cutting board. Cut brownies to your desired size and enjoy with a mega scoop of ice cream!

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/paleo-sweet-potato-fudge-brownies/

CARDAMOM-SPICED PEAR CRUMBLE (PALEO)

2020-02-15T15:54:00.006-08:00

CARDAMOM-SPICED PEAR CRUMBLE (PALEO)

Warmly-spiced paleo pear crumble made with almond flour, pure maple syrup, cardamom, and cinnamon for a cozy fall and winter healthy dessert.

This post is sponsored by Harry & David.

How do we feel about crumbles, crisps and cobblers? I’ll be the first to admit I’m obsessed with them. Sure, I’m all about baking and consuming a classic homemade pie, but on the scale of Zero to Skilled in the pie dough making department, I’m sitting pretty at a solid Sub-Par. For me, crumbles have a super favorable cost-benefit analysis; ergo, crumbles are my laissez faire approach to all-things pie-like in nature.

I make my crumbles grain-free using either almond flour or hazelnut flour, and I keep them naturally sweetened using pure maple syrup. The end result is a healthful treat that requires very little effort to assemble. Super low barriers to entry (on account of the fact they require almost zero baking talent), mega high ROI (because: delicious). Healthy enough to eat for breakfast!

And so we crumble. Is there anything more inviting than a fresh-out-of-the-oven pear crumble? I love fall and winter fruit for baking warmly-spiced treats, and I have to say, this particular crumble adventure is pretty mind-blowing.

I used Harry & David’s Royal Riviera Pears for this crumble, which arrived on my doorstep perfectly ripe – sweet, and so juicy that when bitten into, the pears melt in your mouth like butter. While the pears are so incredible as is, I couldn’t help but put this crumble on repeat.

Speaking of these mouth-watering pears, where are you at with your holiday shopping? If you’re looking for the ultimate gift for the foodie, Harry & David’s Pears are a thoughtful, quality gift! Harry & David is known for their Fruit of The Month Club, Moose Munch and Pepper & Onion Relish, but it all started with their amazing pears!

Did you know pears and cardamom work seamlessly together? They’re a great match! While pears are so nice and sweet, I find they are made even tastier with some warm spices. Adding cinnamon and cardamom to this crumble takes it up a few notches.

Here’s how I go about making this crumble:

I preheat the oven and assemble my crumble whilst it’s preheating. I add the ingredients for the pear filling to a mixing bowl and give it an aggressive stir, then I transfer said filling mixture to a casserole dish.

I use the very same mixing bowl to combine the crumble topping with an aggressive stir, and then transfer said crumble topping to the casserole dish.

I’m pretty nonchalant about the way the crumble topping goes on – you can dump it all in and then spread it into a layer, form little crumble balls, or make cobbler-like biscuits – whatever’s your jam!

We bake for 30 minutes, and then enjoy with some delicious ice cream (I go with store-bought coconut milk vanilla ice cream, but you can go the homemade route as well). You can also whip up a batch of coconut milk whipped cream, or even paleo salted caramel for serving.

Check out Harry & David’s Royal Riviera Pears for all your sweet and savory holiday cooking and baking, and for beautiful gifts for your loved ones!

PALEO PEAR CRUMBLE

COURSE: DESSERT

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 4 PEOPLE

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

GRAIN-FREE CRUMBLE TOPPING:

1 cup finely ground almond flour
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

PEAR FILLING:

4 Harry & David Royal Riviera Pears peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE PEAR FILLING:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir the ingredients for the pear filling together in a bowl until well combined. Transfer the filling mixture to a small casserole dish.

PREPARE THE CRUMBLE TOPPING:

Stir the ingredients for the crumble topping together in the same bowl you used for the pear topping. Evenly spread it over the pears and bake in the oven 30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the pears have softened.
Serve pear crumble with choice of ice cream or whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MOLASSES COOKIES (PALEO & VEGAN)

2020-02-15T15:54:00.002-08:00

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MOLASSES COOKIES (PALEO & VEGAN)

I’m kicking off a week of Christmas cookie recipes today, starting with one of my absolute favorites: molasses cookies (also known as gingerbread cookies or gingersnaps)!

And these aren’t just any molasses cookies… they are dipped in chocolate, sprinkled with nuts, and are completely dairy-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, and paleo.

Of course, you’d never be able to guess any of that when you take a bite, because they’re so.stinking.good! They’re soft and chewy with a nice exterior crisp, plus you can bake them to be crispier or chewier depending on your cookie preferences.

With all the bases covered, I feel like these are the ultimate of ultimates in the healthier Christmas cookie arena.

I used my Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies (which I posted years ago, but have made countless times since) as inspiration for this batch. I whipped up a dairy-free, naturally sweetened chocolate coating for a little extra pizzaz, and let me just spoiler alert you right here: wunderbar.

Preparing the cookie dough is ultra easy, as all you do is stir everything together in a mixing bowl. I’ve found the cookies turn out best when the dough has been refrigerated for at least an hour, which gives you plenty of time to whip up the chocolate mixture.

You’ll want to give the chocolate dipping mixture time to thicken so that when you drizzle it on the cookies, it hardens quickly and doesn’t all just melt off. You can refrigerate the chocolate mixture to speed up the process, but be careful to not allow it to harden all the way, or else it will turn into fudge…which is really quite excellent, but won’t help your chocolate dipping endeavors. In the event you do refrigerate the chocolate for too long and it hardens, you can always zap it for 15 to 20 seconds or so in the microwave until it stirs easily.

I drizzle the chocolate over half of each cookie, but you can also cover the whole cookie for an even chocolatier experience. I like sprinkling chopped nuts on the chocolate before it cools for some added crunch. I used chopped pistachios, pecans, cacao nibs, and shredded coconut. You can also try chopped or sliced almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, dried fruit, or whatever your heart desires

Have a blast with these molasses cookies!

PALEO CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MOLASSES COOKIES

COURSE: DESSERT

PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

MOLASSES COOKIES

6 tablespoons coconut oilmelted and cooled
5 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 cups finely ground almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

CHOCOLATE:

2 tablespoons almond butter
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
pinch sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir together all of the ingredients for the cookies in a mixing bowl until well combined. Form a ball (about 1-inch in diameter) out of the cookie dough, then press it into a disc and place on a large baking sheet. Repeat for remaining cookie dough. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until cookies are slightly crispy on the edges. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
While the cookies are baking, prepare the chocolate mixture. Heat the ingredients on the stove top in a small saucepan until melted and smooth and well-combined, whisking constantly until all the clumps of chocolate are out. Remove from heat and immediately pour chocolate mixture into a small bowl. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature (you can refrigerate the chocolate to speed up the process). You want the chocolate to be thick enough to drizzle, but not super runny.
Once the cookies and the chocolate have cooled, use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over half of each cookie. Sprinkle nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, or toppings of choice over the chocolate while it's still melted. Allow cookies to dry. To speed up the process, you can refrigerate or freeze the cookies on a small cutting board until the chocolate has set up.

VEGAN SNICKERDOODLES (2 WAYS!)

2020-02-15T15:53:00.006-08:00

VEGAN SNICKERDOODLES (2 WAYS!)

Soft and chewy vegan snickerdoodles – a dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and fun to make, I have included two recipes in this post – a grain-free version and a gluten-free version. These snickerdoodles are the perfect holiday cookie for giving to your loved ones!

This post is Sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Check out more delicious healthy recipes, snag coupons and find stores near you at BobsRedMill.com!

Who here is obsessed with baking-it-forward during holiday season? The older I get, the more adamant I am about edible gifts. Truth be told, material items mean very little to me, so I love the idea of giving something that requires thought, energy, and creative prowess to my beloved people. Plus, who doesn’t love a homemade treat?!

The ladies in my family get together every year a week or so before Christmas to bake all of our traditional family treat recipes. It’s an all-day or all-night production and gives us time to catch up with each other. Once everything is baked and cooled, we package up our creations into holiday containers so that we can give out our variety treat boxes as gifts. I absolutely love this tradition because for me, there are few things in life that are more therapeutic than baking, I love the female synergy, and there’s something so gratifying about baking for others.

I feel like snickerdoodles are that year-round favorite for so many of us cookie lovers, but they become especially relevant during the holidays when we’re whipping up ginormous batches of treats to gift to your people.

While my family typically goes full-tilt traditional using regular all-purpose flour, butter, and sugar, I always whip up my own batches of allergy-friendly treats to share with you all on the blog since so many of us have food intolerances. I get asked all the time for more vegan treat recipes, as so many of you eat not only a gluten-free or grain-free diet for medical reasons, but also a lot of you are allergic to eggs (or choose to go egg-free for ethical reasons). For this reason, I got a bee in my bonnet to develop the perfect snickerdoodle recipe sans eggs, dairy, refined sugar, and gluten.

I made these vegan snickerdoodles two different ways – a grain-free, paleo version using almond flour and pure maple syrup, and also a version using gluten-free all-purpose flour for those who eat vegan and gluten-free but not necessarily paleo (we’ve got options, people!).

In order to make the snickerdoodles vegan, I used Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten Free Egg Replacer. All you do to make the equivalent of one egg is combine one tablespoon of the egg replacer with two tablespoons of water. The mixture thickens to the consistency of an egg and acts as a leavening agent. The egg replacer is so spot on, you’d never in a million years guess the cookies were made without eggs.

The egg replacer is a combination of potato starch, tapioca flour, psyllium husk, and baking soda.I’ll just address the elephant in the room right now: For a long while, all white potatoes were no bueno according to the diehard paleo-ists, but these days, potatoes are widely accepted in the paleo community so long as you don’t have gut issues like SIBO that starchy potatoes upset. In essence, so long as you aren’t intolerant to potatoes, this egg replacer will fit into your paleo lifestyle just fine.

For those of you who have commented or emailed me regarding an egg replacer option on a specific recipe, I highly suggest you check out this product!! I’ve made plenty of vegan recipes using applesauce, flax eggs, and/or bananas and oil to replace eggs, but in my experience, nothing has come close to this egg replacer. It’s fool-proof, consistent, and works like a charm!

(^^this is the grain-free version).

Okay, back to the two versions of this recipe. I used coconut sugar and cinnamon for rolling both versions of the cookies, which is why they appear slightly browner than your traditional snickerdoodle. If you are okay with cane sugar, you can definitely take the traditional route and sub granulated sugar for the coconut sugar.

My honest preference between the two versions is the paleo version because the cookies turn out so perfectly chewy and sweet. Plus, the fact that they’re made will almond flour makes me feel like they’re a healthy snack, so I’ve been popping them in my mouth while making breakfast in the morning.

(^^This is the gluten-free version)

For the version using gluten-free all-purpose flour, the cookies won’t turn out sweet enough without using cane sugar in the actual dough. Of course, you can use coconut sugar rather than cane sugar, but you’ll need to add slightly more to get the sweetness right, and the cookie itself will also turn out brownish. So long as you’re okay with all of that, you can easily make the gluten-free version refined sugar-free as well.

Alright, so now you’re in-the-know! The first recipe card below is for the grain-free version, and you can scroll past the recipe card for the gluten-free version.

I hope you enjoy these cinnamon-y delights!

GRAIN-FREE SNICKERDOODLES

COURSE: DESSERT

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 13 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 23 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 10 COOKIES

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Vegan Egg Replacer
1/4 cup coconut oil melted and cooled
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1.5 cups finely ground almond flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

TOPPING:

2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine 1 tablespoon of Bob's Red Mill's Vegan Egg Replacer with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Whisk very well until creamy and allow mixture to sit 2 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl
Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir vigorously until a crumbly dough forms. Press the dough into a ball and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir the ingredients for the topping together in a small bowl.
Roll a small portion of dough into a ball. (1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter). Roll the ball in the topping mixture, then press the ball into a round disc and place on a large baking sheet. Repeat for remaining cookie dough.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes on the center rack of the preheated oven (for softer cookies, bake 12 minutes, and for crunchier cookies, bake 15). Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely (Note: if you touch the cookies before they have cooled, they may crumble).

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/vegan-snickerdoodles/

TURKEY-STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

2020-02-15T15:53:00.003-08:00

TURKEY-STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH TURKEY, ZUCCHINI, SPINACH, AND MUSHROOMS. THIS HEARTY AND DELICIOUS MEAL IS PALEO AND AIP.

AFTER LAST WEEK’S COOKIE FEST, I FIGURED I HAD BETTER GIVE YOU ALL A SAVORY MEAL RECIPE LEST OUR BLOOD SUGAR SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL AND WE FORM AN ADDICTION TO ALMOND FLOUR AND PURE MAPLE SYRUP.

NOT THAT YOU SHOULDN’T MAKE AND ENJOY THE CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MOLASSES COOKIES, VEGAN SNICKERDOODLES, AND PALEO CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES I POSTED LAST WEEK (WINK, WINK, NUDGE, NUDGE), BUT I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE CONSUMING TREATS SPARINLY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE HEALTHIER. WE TEND TO OVERDO IT ON A GOOD THING AND BEFORE WE KNOW IT, WE’VE CONSUMED 12 OF SOMETHING “HEALTHY” WHICH EQUATES TO MORE FAT AND SUGAR THAN WE REALLY NEED IN ONE SITTING, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?

ON TO THE MAIN TOPIC OF CONVERSATION HERE: THESE TURKEY-STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASHESESES. SO GOOD!

PREPARING THIS RECIPE IS AN ACTUAL JOKE. IT’S JUST SO SIMPLE! WE COOK UP SOME VEGGIES, TOSS IN SOME GROUND TURKEY (MY FAVORITE BRAND OF GROUND TURKEY IS DIESTEL, WHICH YOU CAN GET FROM WHOLE FOODS OR A NATURAL FOOD STORE), AND BADDA BING, BADDA BOOM, WE HAVE OURSELVES SOME EPIC STUFFING FOR FILLING ANY AND ALL OF OUR FAVORITE WINTER SQUASH.

SIMPLY ROAST A BUTTERNUT SQUASH OR THREE IN THE OVEN, STUFF THEM WITH THIS TASTY FILLING, AND YOU HAVE YOURSELF A COMPLETE MEAL THAT HAS A PRETTY EPIC MACRO PROFILE, WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF PROTEIN, FIBER, AND CARBOHYDRATES. WHETHER OR NOT YOU’RE A BIOHACKER AND YOU PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS, THIS IS A FABULOUS RECIPE. IT COVERS ALL THE CLEAN EATING, EASY TO PREPARE, SUPER PALATABLE BASES.

THIS IS A CRAZY TIME OF YEAR FOR ALL OF US…HOLIDAYS ARE EMOTIONAL, STRESSFUL, INFLAMMATORY, AND BUSY (HINT: THEY’RE ALSO REWARDING, THO). BUT WE STILL HAVE CONTROL OVER OUR DECISIONS AND DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEW YEAR TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF OR REPLACE NOT-SO-STELLAR HABITS WITH GREAT ONES. TAKE IT ONE MEAL, ONE BREATH AT A TIME.

…AND MAKE THESE STUFFED SQUATTERNUT BOSHES BECAUSE THEY’RE EVERYTHING!

TURKEY-STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

COURSE: MAIN COURSE

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 50 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 4 PEOPLE

AUTHOR: JULIA

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INGREDIENTS

1 to 2 butternut squashroasted, see note

2 tablespoons avocado oil or coconut oil

1/2 small yellow onion finely chopped

1/2 apple peeled, cored, and chopped

2 cups mushrooms chopped

1/2 pound ground turkey

3 cloves garlic minced

1 medium zucchini squashchopped

1.5 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground gingeroptional

1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Chop the tip and tail off the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds and innards. Drizzle the flesh with avocado oil (or oil of choice) and sprinkle with sea salt. Place butternut squash cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the butternut squash), until flesh is soft when poked with a fork.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the turkey filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add the onion and apple. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking another 3 minutes.

Move the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add the ground turkey in the open space. Allow it to brown 1-2 minutes on one side, then flip and brown for 1-2 minutes on the other side. Stir the ground turkey in with the vegetables.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate. Cover and cook 5 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through and the zucchini has softened.

Stuff the butternut squash halves with desired amount of turkey filling. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste and enjoy!

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/turkey-stuffed-butternut-squash/

SOFT, CHEWY, AND GOOEY PALEO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2020-02-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

SOFT, CHEWY, AND GOOEY PALEO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Soft, chewy, gooey paleo chocolate chip cookies that have a nice crispy outside and that delicious molten inside. You’d never know these cookies are grain-free and refined sugar-free!

I had zero intention of giving you all yet another cookie recipe, but then something happened: a ginormous hankering for gooey, chewy, ultra chocolatey chocolate chip cookies struck me in my stomach chakra and before I knew it, I was conjuring up ways of improving my original recipe for Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies to come out with a version 2.0. Sometimes you just need an ultra comforting cookie, and so…

Version 2.0 is here, and let me just tell you…

Bangarang!

I wanted to title these The BEST Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies In all the Land, but then I figured at some point in the future I would add one more tablespoon of ghee (for instance) or an additional tablespoon of pure maple syrup only to find out these cookies could be improved by yet another subtle adjustment…you catch my drift? ..That said, it’s hard for me to imagine them getting any better!

I made a few subtle changes to the same recipe I’ve been making for years, and those subtle changes made all the difference. I added tapioca flour for fluffy texture, some almond butter, and I used ghee instead of coconut oil. PLUS, I sprinkled the cookies with Himalayan Pink Salt when they came out of the oven, because: fancy and because: salt + sweet = epic mind meld.

The salty-sweet combo, the goo, the soft and chewy yet exterior crisp (it’s ALL ABOUT the crinkle top, can we agree?!) of these cookies makes them nearly indistinguishable from a regular chocolate chip cookie. My guess is if you handed one to a friend, he or she would never be able to tell the difference.

So if you’re tired of all the holiday hubbub, take a therapeutic baking moment for yourself and whip up a batch of (sorry ->) THE BEST paleo chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had the pleasure to consume.

Feel free to play around with it, too! Add more ghee, more pure maple syrup, try swapping out the pure maple syrup with a zero-sugar sweetener if you’re looking for a super low-carb cookie, etc. And of course, let me know in the comments what you did to modify the recipe…crowdsource baking at its finest right here!

But pace yourself. Don’t do as I did and eat 4 off the bat…they’re definitely sultry little temptresses, but you’ll want to save some for breakfast and of course share one or two them with your beloved humans.

12/23 UPDATE!: After posting this recipe, I had a number of people ask if they could substitute coconut oil for ghee. I whipped up the same recipe using 1/3 cup softened coconut oil instead of 1/3 cup ghee, and the result was also fabulous!

Now lettuce discuss how we go about baking the cookie dough.

There comes a time in everyone’s baking life when he or she questions if the dough should be rolled into a ball or not. Really, that’s a matter of preference. Here is what the cookies look like when you roll the dough into a ball prior to baking it:

Both baking methodologies yield insanely delicious results, HOWEVER!:

My preference from a texture standpoint is to not dough roll. Simply dropping spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet yields that crispy crinkle top. They seem to be gooey-er this way, too!

You can also use dark chocolate chunks (as seen in the photo above) instead of chocolate chips. I chopped up a Lindt Lindor 60% Chocolate Bar for these cookies and was blown away by how amazing the cookies turned out. Of course adding a chocolate bar made with dairy and cane sugar makes this recipe un-paleo, but you guys…WE NEED THIS!

Happy cookie baking!

GOOEY PALEO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

COURSE: DESSERT

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 15 COOKIES

CALORIES: 236 KCAL

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup ghee softened but solid, see note*
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 2/3 cups finely ground almond flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dark chocolate chipssee note**
coarse salt for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together the ghee, pure maple syrup, almond butter, and vanilla extract in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until very creamy. Add the egg and mix just until combined. (these are the wet ingredients)
In a separate bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (almond flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and sea salt).
Mix the dry ingredients in the mixer with the wet ingredients until a dough forms. Mix in the chocolate chips until well-incorporated.
Drop wads of dough onto a large baking sheet (you can also roll the dough into a balls and place balls on the baking sheet). Bake on the center rack of the oven 8 to 12 minutes (I baked mine for 10 on the dot for the ghee version and 12 on the dot for the coconut oil version), depending on desired level of goo or crisp.
Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. Consume fresh out of the oven!

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/soft-chewy-gooey-paleo-chocolate-chip-cookies/

CHAI-SPICED PALEO COFFEE CAKE

2020-02-15T15:52:00.002-08:00

CHAI-SPICED PALEO COFFEE CAKE

Cinnamony, fluffy, nutty, perfectly sweet chai-spiced coffee cake made with coconut flour, almond flour, and pure maple syrup for a paleo treat!

Only a few days until Christmas! Have you had your fill of Christmas cookies yet? I admit, I’m holding strong, as I still have a stash in my freezer, which I couldn’t possibly just let sit there like like little rock solid hunks of burning temptation and save them for a later date. I’ve been pulling out a cookie or two each morning to enjoy with my bulletproof coffee. There’s a lot to be said for frozen cookies, if you can believe it! There’s also a lot to be said for patience and allowing your cookies to thaw, but that’s neither here nor there.

I wanted to leave you with one last healthy treat before Christmas to share with your family. It’s that cake-for-breakfast situation we all know and love. I took my classic Paleo Coffee Cake recipe, tweaked it, flipped it and reversed it, and Chai-spiced it. ..And that brings us to where we are today: discussing this super moist, flavor-packed, dense-yet-airy hunk of coffee cake luuuurv.

Made grain-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free, this is an awesome coffee cake to share over the weekend with company, or enjoy Christmas morning. It’s perfect for those who have multiple food intolerances. Hint: If you’re allergic to eggs or are vegan by choice, use this egg replacer for an awesome alternative.

As is usual with my cake, bread, and pancake recipes, I prepare the cake batter in my blender, which takes literal seconds to make. I toss together the nutty pecan topping in a bowl, pour it all into a cake pan, bake, and the rest is history!

I will point out one little detail: if you have IBS and/or a sensitive digestive system like me, go easy on this coffee cake. After years of trial and error, I’ve discovered coconut flour can be a bit rough on my colon (if you catch my drift), so I consume cakes like these in very small doses (think: just enough to dunk in your coffee once or twice and call it good). While coconut flour is not considered a high-FODMAP food, I’m convinced there’s something about it (other than the fiber, of course) that makes it gassy for us sensitive GI system folks.

Now that I’ve sufficiently scared you…

You should definitely make this. If not for your own good, for the sharing with others. Bake sales? Baby showers? Holiday parties? Brunches? Check, check, checkity check.

A couple recipe notes:

I typically use full-fat canned coconut milk in my coffee cake recipes, but this time I used kefir and it turned out magnificently. I had some kefir in my refrigerator that needed to be used, so I replaced my usual coconut milk with the kefir and I loved the result! It lends a subtle, almost undetectable tang. For those of you who like sour cream cakes but want a healthier version, using whole milk plain yogurt or kefir is a smart replacement. Obviously, if you follow a strict paleo diet, stick with what the ingredient list says and forget I ever mentioned dairy
This coffee cake has A LOT of chai-ness to it! If you’re a person who prefers subtle spices, dial it back on all the spices, particularly the cloves. If you say BRING IT ON to all-things cinnamon and nutmeg, you’re going to adore the crap out of this cake!
You’ll notice the ingredient list is puh-retty long…fear not! Most of the ingredients are spices (and there is a lot of crossover between the ingredients for the cake and the ingredients for the topping), most or all of which you probably already have. If you have a Chai Spice Blend, feel free to use it rather than measuring out the individual spices.

Coffee CAKE!

CHAI-SPICED PALEO COFFEE CAKE

COURSE: BREAKFAST

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 12 SERVINGS

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE COFFEE CAKE:

4 large eggs
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk see note*
1/4 cup coconut oil melted and cooled
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup finely ground almond flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

FOR THE PECAN TOPPING:

1 cup raw pecans chopped
3 tablespoons coconut oilmelted
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8" x 8" cake pan with parchment paper.
Add the ingredients for the cake to a blender and blend until smooth. The batter will be very thick - this is normal!
Stir together the ingredients for the pecan topping in a bowl.
Pour half of the coffee cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the pecan topping over the cake batter. Repeat for the remaining cake batter and pecan topping.
Bake on the center rack of the oven 30 to 35 minutes until the center feels firm when poked. Turn off the oven and leave the coffee cake in the still-hot oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/chai-spiced-paleo-coffee-cake/

MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE

2020-02-15T15:51:00.005-08:00

MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE

Comforting three cheese spaghetti squash casserole with mushroom bolognese sauce – an ultra pleasing gluten-free vegetarian meal.

Is it safe to discuss cheese yet?

I know many of us are trying to clean up our act in January, but after a solid three weeks, I’m thinking we can loosen up the reigns and rebel just a tad in the form of three magnificent cheeses. Truthfully, there has been no January cleanse in my neck of the woods. I’ve been more interested in taking a burrito to go, making laps on the ski hill, and sipping on my après cold beer than cooking…or thinking profound thoughts…or showering… so my cleanse so to speak has been tumbling around in the powder. Mother Nature is such a badass!

Update on 2017 goals? I signed up for this trail half marathon…over 2,000 feet of vert! Because I’m a glutton for punishment. Anyone fancy a light jog? Srsly, though, 13.1 is a long way to go it alone…I’m looking for running partners!

In addition, I found the hip hop class I’m going to join, still haven’t planned a big trip overseas or looked into a silks class, but have been reading at a higher frequency…there’s been some progress! How are your goals coming along?

Fiending for a spaghetti situation? In need of a gooey casserole? Yeeeeeah, this is what we came for, lettuce swan dive into it!

This twice-baked spaghetti squash adventure is probably one of my favorite ways of preparing spaghetti squash. It’s like lasagna, but without noodles.. like a casserole, but on the healthful end of the spectrum.. Like spaghetti bolognese, sans the spaghetti and sans the actual bolognese.

What it is is, is a comforting cheesy Italian-inspired vegetarian meal with a “bolognese” sauce using mushrooms in place of meat. Basically it’s its own animal, and truly, I think you all will love it.

And you guys…it’s just.so.cheesy.

Inspired by the Turkey Bolognese Stuffed Spaghetti Squash I posted a few years ago, this vegetarian version and casserole mash-up is a fun little game changer, and a brilliant make-ahead dinner for your busy workweek. The recipe itself feeds 3 to 4 comfortably – if you need to feed more people, or are a huge fan of leftovers like me, feel free to double the recipe.

I’m going to give it to you straight…this recipe does require a chunk of time investment. It’s not the quickest to prepare, but on the upside, most of the ingredients requires are probably already in your pantry. Plus, this recipe can also be made in parts by roasting the squash and/or preparing the sauce ahead of time.

To cut down some of the work, wanna know what you can do? Omit the sauce-making process by replacing the sauce ingredients with one large jar of your favorite store-bought sauce. You can still make this a mushroom bolognese affair by sauteeing the shrooms in a skillet and adding the store-bought sauce to bring it all together.

First things first, we’re going to roast our spaghetti squash. For those of you who are new to this endeavor, check out my post on How to Roast a Spaghetti Squash. Once the squash is roasted, we spaghetti it, then place our squash noodles in a casserole dish. Top it with mushroom bolognese sauce (which can easily be prepared while the squash is baking), and three our three cheeses – parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta. The casserole goes in the oven, and the end result is an ultra gooey, tomato-sauced pile of healthy noodles.

During the baking process, the noodles will become more watery, causing the sauce to be thin at the bottom of the dish. To alleviate this, you can either let the spaghetti squash noodles drain in a collander before using them in the casserole, or allow the casserole to sit for 30ish minutes before serving. Like all casserole/pasta dishes, this meal becomes even tastier the day after you make it, so if you’re willing to wait it out, try preparing it a full day ahead of time!

COURSE: MAIN COURSE

PREP TIME: 40 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 10 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 4 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms (or crimini mushrooms), quartered
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary (fresh or dried)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE

1 large spaghetti squash, roasted
1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated see note*
1/3 cup ricotta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Roast the spaghetti squash according to these instructions, or cook the spaghetti squash using your preferred method.
Prepare the mushroom bolognese sauce. In a large saute pan or pot, heat the olive oil over medium and add the chopped onion. Saute, stirring frequently, until onion his very fragrant and has softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic, and saute, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, and sea salt and cook another 2 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and bring sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 30 minutes (or longer to maximize flavor if desired).
Remove the cover and cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes, until sauce is thick. Add the chopped basil, stir, and set sauce aside until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly spray or oil a small casserole dish (9-inch square or round will work great!).
Transfer the cooked spaghetti squash to the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with sea salt. Pour the mushroom bolognese sauce over the spaghetti squash noodles, then top with the grated mozzarella, parmesan, and ricotta cheeses.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbling.
Remove from oven and allow casserole to sit 30 minutes before serving.

sourcce:https://www.theroastedroot.net/mushroom-bolognese-spaghetti-squash-casserole/

THE BEST LOADED TURKEY CHILI

2020-02-15T15:51:00.002-08:00

THE BEST LOADED TURKEY CHILI

This quick and easy loaded turkey chili recipe is a filling and healthful meal – perfect for sharing with your friends and family this winter and during your Super Bowl party.

Topping chili is a fine art, do you agree? The forethought and execution of said endeavor may be the most important thing you do all day. When it comes to pimping out your chili, the more pieces of flair, the better. The flavors and textures you add to the top are just as crucial to the final outcome as what goes in the actual chili. I love the bacon-cheddar-sour cream trifecta…and with red onion and green onion… there’s just no other comparable flavor combination. Avocado? Major bonus. If I may be so bold, I’d say a three-topping minimum is a must, but if you can get to that five topping mark? You’ve achieved a true level of badassedness, and deserve a mega gold star emoji.

If I had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of my days, it would be liver and onions. Just kidding, I just wanted to see if you were awake. It would be chili, guilty as charged.

I know, I know, I posted that Crock Pot Boozy Bison and Sweet Potato Chili a couple weeks ago, but the way I see it, there’s no such thing as too much chili, and revisiting the subject can never come to early.

The manacle and I have made this chili three times over the last month (in fact, it was dinner last night!). It’s been the go-to whenever we’re a.) lazy and just want to toss together a straight-forward one pot meal b.) hangry and in need of something cozy and guaranteed to fill, and/or c.) we’re mid blizzard and don’t feel like going to the store but have a pantry stocked with what we need.

There’s really just nothing that can beat a well-constructed chili! Truthfully, I always go back for seconds…and then thirds…and then I scold myself in a state of over-stuffed glee for that third bowl. But it’s such a satisfactory hurts-so-good type of situation that I just can’t bring myself to finally learn the lesson.

Another lesson I should pony up and learn is to double the recipe for a larger volume of leftovers. Both of us eat large portions, and it’s always sad to see the bottom of the stock pot. If you have a big family, and/or are as big of a fan of leftovers as I, do consider the recipe doubleage.

New to me this year: fresh tomatoes in chili. I used to only do diced, but mid chili assemblage a few weeks ago, I discovered two ripe tomatoes in my fridge that needed to get used up, so in the chili they went. And while I pride myself in not being too opinionated, I now feel very strongly about fresh tomatoes in chili. Simply put, they add freshness and also beautiful texture. I could talk your ears off for days about how profoundly I recommend fresh tomatoes.
This basic recipe may just be the only turkey recipe you’ll ever need. It’s a great foundation for the classic meal, but you can also tweak it to your heart’s delight. Use any bean combo, turn it into a beef chili, add a splash of beer or bourbon, some cocoa powder for richness, an extra chili for heat, etc.

In terms of chili thickness (<- important subject alert): I go back and forth when it comes to the consistency I go back and forth on my preference depending on the day. Sometimes I want my chili to be thin and zesty, where sometimes there’s not enough thickness in the world to satisfy my thick craving, you know? For those of you who love a thin chili, be sure to add more broth to the recipe. If you prefer your chili thick, you can cook it down longer to achieve that thickness, or even add a little bit of flour (the roux situation has its place in chili for sure!). The chili thickens (and becomes more flavorful) the longer it sits, so if you can, make the recipe one day ahead of time and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator before consumption.

One final thought before I let you go get on with your loaded turkey chili-filled weekend: If you’re going to be partaking in any sort of Super Bowl activities slash general football gathering apparatus in the near future, this recipes marvelous for sharing. Just be sure to bring a minimum of three toppings. Winky face.

Load ‘er up!!

LOADED TURKEY CHILI

COURSE: MAIN COURSE

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 5 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes (no salt added recommended), undrained
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, and carrot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened but are still al dente, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Push the vegetables off to one side of the pot to clear a space for the ground turkey. Place the ground turkey on the hot surface and allow it to brown untouched for 2 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the meat and allow it to brown on the other side for 1 minute. Break up the meat into large chunks and stir it into the vegetables. Don't allow the turkey to cook through just yet.
Add the garlic and all of the seasonings (chili powder through red pepper flakes). Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth and beans. Bring the chili to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook at a gentle boil for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the cover and cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes uncovered (if necessary, increase the heat).
Taste chili for flavor and add sea salt and/or additional chili powder to taste. Serve heaping bowls of chili with cooked bacon (thick-cut recommended), cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, red onion and green onion.

sourcce:https://www.theroastedroot.net/loaded-turkey-chili/

SLOW COOKER BARBACOA BEEF BURRITO BOWLS

2020-02-15T15:50:00.003-08:00

SLOW COOKER BARBACOA BEEF BURRITO BOWLS

Slow cooked barbacoa beef with turmeric rice, cabbage slaw, and a homemade maple barbecue sauce. These filling bowls are paleo-friendly and packed with fresh, delicious ingredients.

Hellooooo Monday!

I took a short trip to Berkeley, CA over the weekend to visit a few friends (one being Sarah from Making Thyme for Health, which was a lovely little getaway! We brunched at La Note, we hiked, we lunched at Sweetgreen, we pizza-d at The Cheese Board, we brewery-ed at Federation Brewing…I passed out at 9pm…all essential activities for a much-needed mini vaycay.

SO. Food this week! I’m thinking crock pot all the way. I know much of the U.S. is still experiencing warm weather, but it’s been chill-ay here! As soon as the weather starts cooling off, I immediately start craving comfort foods that are big on fill-ability and flavor. You’re looking at my idea of comfort food at its finest right here.

These bowls are a mash up of three existing recipes on this site – my Barbacoa Beef recipe, my Ginger-Turmeric Aromatic Rice, and my Maple-Bourbon BBQ Sauce recipe. The three combined make for one epic burrito (slash deconstructed taco) bowl! I made a quick cabbage and carrot slaw, sliced up some radishes and avocado, sat back, and marveled at the vibrance.

A note about the barbecue sauce: I felt the bowls needed a sauce to tie everything together, but they’re great with or without sauce. If you aren’t looking to make a big batch of homemade barbecue sauce, I’ve got you! You can use a store-bought sauce, or stick with guacamole and/or salsa. All sorts of options here!

Like any bowl you’ll find on this site, you can change it up to cater to your dietary needs. Use a vegetable “rice” (such as cauliflower rice) rather than regular rice, or go full-tilt taco or burrito. The man used some of the leftover beef for his breakfast burritos, while I stuck with the bowl as pictured.

Get that Monday!

CROCK POT BARBACOA BEEF BURRITO BOWLS

COURSE: MAIN COURSE

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 8 HOURS

TOTAL TIME: 8 HOURS 15 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 6 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

BARBACOA BEEF:

1 4-pound bone-in beef chuck roast
2 cups beef broth
2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

EASY CABBAGE SLAW:

4 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
1.5 cups grated carrot
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste

FOR SERVING:

1 batch Ginger-Turmeric Aromatic Rice
1 ripe avocado peeled and sliced
6 radishes sliced
4 ounces microgreens
1/2 cup fresh cilantrochopped (optional)
1/2 cup Maple Bourbon BBQ Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE BARBACOA BEEF:

Place the beef in your crock pot and sprinkle with salt. Add the broth, chilis in adobo sauce, and ground cumin to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture into the crock pot and cover. Set on low for 8 to 12 hours.
When the barbacoa beef is ready, transfer the beef roast to a cutting board and use two forks to shred it. Transfer the shreds back to the crock pot for 15 minutes (or more) to absorb the juices.

PREPARE CABBAGE SLAW:

Place the thinly sliced cabbage in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with lime juice and sea salt. Use your hands to massage and squeeze the lime juice into the cabbage - this will help break down some of the fibers in the cabbage and make it easier to chew. Taste slaw for flavor and add more lime juice and/or sea salt to taste.

MAKE THE BOWLS:

If you love crispy barbacoa beef, heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high. Transfer some of the barbacoa beef (just enough for 1 layer) to the hot skillet and allow it to cook, stirring every 2 minutes or so, until the beef is nice and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Repeat this process until you have enough crispy beef for serving. If you're fine with tender shredded beef, you can skip this step and go straight to bowl formation.
Load up bowls with Ginger Turmeric Aromatic Rice (or rice of choice), shredded barbacoa beef, cabbage slaw, avocado, radishes, microgreens, and cilantro. Drizzle with Maple Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, and serve!

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/slow-cooker-barbacoa-beef-burrito-bowls/

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD

2020-02-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD

Mega filling spinach salad with roasted butternut squash, chicken, pecans, apples, golden raisins and cinnamon maple cider vinaigrette – a super nutritious entree salad for lunch or dinner!

I’ve been making huge salads for lunch lately, and I have to say, this one’s a real gem. Crisp, fresh, satisfying, jam packed with flavor and texture…it’s one of those meals that leaves you feeling so grateful, you sit and wonder to yourself what else you could possibly need. That’s right, meals like this bring self actualization…I’m convinced of it!

Did I tell you I’ve been eating more protein lately? I was under the misconception that women don’t need much protein, but after reading Roar, a book on sports nutrition for women, I realized I had been far undershooting my protein macro. While I used to save my animal protein for dinners, I’ve been eating it at every meal. Not in huge quantities, mind you, but I find a continuous source of lean protein, lots of vegetables, and slow burning carbohydrates helps keep my energy level high, which in turn helps me stay focused.

If you are how I used to be and you find yourself falling ass over tea kettle into the afternoon lull every day at work, you may consider upping your lean protein ante and making sure you’re taking in quality carbohydrates like winter squash or sweet potato (rather than processed, quick burning carbs). Obviously, take this unsolicited advice with a grain of salt..what makes me feel peppy and strong may have the opposite affect on you, so as always, personalize your own nutrition, m’dear!

With one day until the official start of winter, I thought why not give you this fall-inspired harvest salad, packed with all the autumny delights? Not that any of the ingredients in this salad are packing up and shipping out

Baby spinach is our base for some epic fiber, magnesium, vitamins, etc. We have roasted butternut squash, yielding comfort carbs and awesome volume and texture. We have roast chicken, which is just the easiest to make (it requires only 4 ingredients, meow!), yielding filling lean protein. We have crunchy crispy apple and golden raisins for the sweet balance, and again – awesome texture. And finally, crunchy pecans for the intoxicating nuttiness.

The salad dressing? Swoon-worthy. It’s made with simple ingredients: olive oil, cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt. The perfect vinaigrette to tie all the deliciousness in a smooth, sweet blanket of tang.

This salad can easily be made in parts and meal prepped out. You can roast the chicken and butternut squash up to three days in advance, and similarly, you can make the vinaigrette up to 5 days ahead of time. If I worked outside of my home, this is the exact meal I would prepare in bulk for work lunches

The chicken is such an easy source of protein, and it can be added to other salads, stir fry, or you can munch on it as a snack.

Mix everything vigorously in a ginormous bowl and you have yourself a super filling, well-balanced meal, packed with your essential macronutrients and micronutrients. Seriously, though…what more could you possibly need? Okay, okay, maybe a Christmas cookie or two.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD

COURSE: SALAD

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 4 PEOPLE

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CHICKEN:

1 pound boneless chicken tenders (or breasts)
1 tablespoon avocado oil see note
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

FOR THE SALAD:

2 teaspoons avocado oil see note
2 cups butternut squashpeeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 ounces baby spinach
1/2 cup raw pecan halves
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 large green apple cored and sliced

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

1/4 cup avocado oil see note
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (omit for Whole30)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE CIDER VINAIGRETTE:

Add all ingredients for the vinaigrette to a small blender and blend until thick and completely smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

ROAST THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKEN:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Spread the butternut squash over a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cinnamon. Toss everything together using your hands until everything is well coated.
Place the chicken in a casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil, dried oregano, paprika, and sea salt. Use your hands to mix everything together so that all tenders are well coated in oil and spices.
Roast the butternut squash and the chicken in the oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the butternut squash is golden-brown and soft on the inside, and the chicken tenders are cooked through (internal temperature of the chicken should be 160 degrees F.). If the chicken is not finished cooking after 20 minutes, turn off the oven and leave chicken in the still-hot oven 5 to 10 minutes, until all the way cooked.

PREPARE THE SALAD:

Divide the baby spinach between 4 bowls. Top with pecans, golden raisins, roasted butternut squash, chicken, and apple slices. Drizzle desired amount of vinaigrette over each bowl and serve.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/roasted-butternut-squash-chicken-spinach-salad/

CRUNCHY QUINOA CABBAGE BROCCOLI SPINACH SALAD

2020-02-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

CRUNCHY QUINOA CABBAGE BROCCOLI SPINACH SALAD

Nutrient packed detox spinach salad with quinoa, broccoli, cabbage, cashews, bacon, chopped roast turkey, dried cranberries, and orange-ginger dressing. This super flavorful entree salad recipe is sure to satisfy!

I just about titled this post “All the Salads Salad,” because (spoiler alert) it is comprised of four different salads. I know, crazy, right? four salads in one?! Why would we do such a thing?? Lettuce back up.

My favorite salad is a salad that has multiple “salads” wrapped into it. It’s a salad that has some broccoli salad, some cabbage slaw, some quinoa salad, a lean protein source, an epic fuckton of greens, a tasty dressing, perchance some feta, and a shower of nuts and dried fruit.

When I’m too lazy to cook, the ultimate treat for me is to drive myself to Whole Foods and just go to town in their salad bar, adding all the salads to my salad box on top of a bed of spinach, then mixing everything together feverishly in a glorious stream of balsamic vinaigrette. Now you know what I consider to be a hot night.

After years of this salad bar obsession, some rocket science and some old fashioned long division, I finally figured out I could try this sultry salad composition at home. I finally resolved to make multiple salads to salad together. This way, I can all the salads salad the WHOLE WEEK away, thereby gifting myself my favorite meal experience ON REPEAT.

So here it is: a re-creation of my favorite spinach salad, which will last you multiple meals and make you mind-body-tummy chakra love rabbit food with all its soulful might. It’s comprised of a 1.) quinoa salad with carrots and cranberries, 2.) a broccoli salad with toasted cashews and bacon, 3.) a cabbage slaw with sesame seeds and green onion, 4.) some chopped roasted turkey (hint: you can use any animal protein that suits your fancy), all on top of a bed of spinach with an orange-ginger dressing to tie everything together. BOOM detox salad at its finest.

Let’s break down each salad to make this all make sense:

1.) Broccoli Salad: We blanch some broccoli, and allow it to cool. While the broccoli is cooling, we cook some bacon, toast some cashews, and make the dressing for the broccoli salad. Once the broccoli is cooled, we toss everything together in a big mixing bowl (or storage container for less cleanup and ease of storage.)

2.) Quinoa Salad: Cook 1 cup of dry quinoa and toss it in a mixing bowl with carrots, dried cranberries, pecans, some lemon juice and sea salt. You can get creative here by adding fresh or dried herbs and/or any spices or seasonings.

3.) Cabbage Slaw: A super easy approach to slaw with sliced cabbage, sesame seeds, sliced almonds, green onion, dressed in grapeseed oil (or olive oil) and lemon juice

4.) The main Event: To compile the massive salad, just stick a bed of baby spinach in a huge bowl and top with all of the above salads. Add chopped roast turkey (or chicken or protein of choice) and drizzle with orange-ginger dressing. Stir everything up feverishly for a mega flavorful salad!

AS YOU CAN SEE!: this is definitely a meal prep situation. It does take some time to compile all the salads, so it’s a great activity for when you have a large chunk of free time, OR it can be made in parts by prepping one salad at a time. The benefit to this approach is you can make a huge salad as your main lunch or dinner meal throughout an entire week, and/or you can feed your whole household a big ass salad for multiple meals.

As a side note, I’m currently working on the salad section of my cookbook, so feel free to tell me what your favorite salad ingredients are! I’d love to get inspiration from you all!

There are options galore for changing up, substituting, omitting ingredients in this recipe. You can absolutely make it vegan by omitting the animal protein and adding some chickpeas or black beans for plant-based protein, and/or you can swap out the nuts and seeds, add kale and feta, mess with the dressing, you name it! Get creative with this spinach salad!

Hope you love this epic crunch fest as much as I do!

CRUNCHY QUINOA BROCCOLI CABBAGE SPINACH SALAD

PREP TIME: 1 HOUR

COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 5 LARGE SALADS

AUTHOR: JULIA

INGREDIENTS

BROCCOLI SALAD:

3 cups broccoli floretsblanched and cooled
3 strips thick-cut baconcooked and chopped
1 teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup see note*
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup avocado mayonaisesee note**
2 tablespoons lemon juice to taste
1 pinch sea salt to taste

QUINOA SALAD:

3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry)
1/3 cups dried cranberries
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup raw pecans chopped
1 green apple cored and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste

CABBAGE SLAW:

1/2 medium head green cabbage thinly sliced
3 stalks green onion chopped
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste

TO ASSEMBLE THE SPINACH SALAD:

5 ounces baby spinach
roast turkey chopped

ORANGE-GINGER DRESSING:

1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup grapeseed oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh gingerpeeled and grated
1 small clove garlic minced
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

ASSEMBLE BROCCOLI SALAD:

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook just until bright green and slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain, immediately run cold water over the broccoli, and allow it to cool. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and add the cashews and pure maple syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cashews are toasted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sea salt in a small bowl. Combine the blanched broccoli, cooked bacon, raisins, and toasted cashews in a mixing bowl. Toss in the mayonnaise dressing and stir until everything is combined. Taste salad for flavor and add more lemon juice and/or sea salt to taste.

ASSEMBLE QUINOA SALAD:

Toss together all ingredients for the quinoa salad in a large mixing bowl. Taste for flavor and more lemon juice, sea salt, and/or any spices or seasonings you like.

ASSEMBLE THE CABBAGE SLAW:

Toss together all ingredients for the slaw in a mixing bowl. Add more lemon juice and/or sea salt to taste.

MAKE THE ORANGE-GINGER DRESSING

Add all ingredients for the dressing to a small blender and blend until thick and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

ASSEMBLE SPINACH SALAD:

Assemble a large salad by adding desired amount of spinach to a large bowl, followed by desired amount of broccoli salad, quinoa salad, cabbage slaw, and roast turkey. Drizzle desired amount of orange-ginger dressing over your massive salad and toss everything together.

source:https://www.theroastedroot.net/quinoa-cabbage-broccoli-spinach-salad/