When Sunday comes around, sometimes all you feel like is a nice big salad. After a few nights of eating out, having a few glasses of wine, etc. etc., my body needs to relax, renew, and reboot. When you feel your body craving health, and a salad is the best way to deliver that, don’t just make a boring salad that you won’t enjoy eating! A huge part of making healthy eating a lifestyle, and not just a temporary choice, is enjoying the food you put on the table. When I sat down to eat this Vietnamese Chopped Chicken salad, which is SO vibrant with Asian-inspired flavors, my body was thrilled to eat something nutritious and healing, but also delicious and full of flavor! …
Soba Noodles + Salmon
I am a sucker for a good salmon dish…and let me tell you, this is a good salmon dish. This one is great hot or cold, and from start to finish, only took 20 minutes to whip up. This dish just looks healthy and delicious, but there are so many nutritiously dense superfoods in here that will make your body (and tastebuds) EXTREMELY happy! …
Probiotics 101
Today I’d like to share with you all a brief primer on arguably the most important topic in health and nutrition: probiotics. Some of you may be familiar with the term, and others may have never even heard of this, slightly intimidating, word. Probiotics are crucial when it comes to having and maintaining healthy digestion, and digestion is crucial when it comes to achieving optimal health! Therefore, you can glean that this is an extremely important topic. So, let’s break down what exactly probiotics are, why they are important for our inner and outer health, and how to make sure we are getting enough of them in our daily diet….
Superfood Highlight: Bee Pollen
On the mornings that I’m too rushed to make breakfast at home, I like to stop at Erewhon Market, my local organic grocery store, for a delicious and nutritious on-the-go meal. One of my favorite go-to’s is their Paleo Toast. It’s a slice of paleo bread, which is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, topped with almond butter, raw honey, bananas, and bee pollen! Bee pollen is one of my favorite super foods, and, in my eyes, is extremely underrated in the food world! …
Leftovers Shakshuka
No new recipe here…just an idea on how to use up those leftovers you may have sitting in your fridge after making the Moroccan Chicken + Eggplant Stew! I had eaten all the chicken, and just had that delicious smokey and spicy tomato sauce left. It was even better this morning after marinating in the fridge a few days! I heated it up in the skillet, cracked two eggs on top, added a lid, and let it simmer for 10 minutes! Voilá–breakfast!…
Spicy Moroccan Chicken & Eggplant Stew + Pine Nut Cous Cous
This week I had some close friends over to catch up on life over a delicious meal. I have been craving ethnic flavors recently, so I decided to make a Spicy Moroccan Chicken & Eggplant Stew, which simmered in a rich and savory tomato sauce with some of my favorite spices like smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and turmeric. I also added some kalamata olives for a salty and tangy bite to break up the dish. I served this over a toasted pine nut and chickpea cous cous, which was the perfect addition to soak up the delicious sauce. This meal, which served 4 people and leftovers for the next few days, only took me 30 minutes! …
TWO Ingredient Caramelized Banana Pancakes
Let’s just take a moment to appreciate pancakes. Light, fluffy, syrupy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. However, this indulgent breakfast tends to carry a bad rap of being unhealthy and, well, naughty. The good news is on this monday morning, is that they don’t have to be! I made these beauties with just two ingredients!! Bananas + Eggs. I bet you’re staring at the photo in disbelief, thinking “why the hell have I been making pancakes with 10+ ingredients?!” Eat these for breakfast and feel like an absolute champion, without the residual guilt……
Coconut Curry Braised Chickpeas + Spinach
Despite the fact that it’s still 100 degrees in LA, I am beginning to get in a fall-inspired cooking mood, thus the inspiration for this warming curry. I like to keep a balanced diet with mostly plant-based protein, and the occasional animal protein like chicken, fish, or a rare steak. This is the perfect meatless meal that feels filling, satisfying, and indulgent. It’s jam-packed with veggies, nutrients, fall flavors, and a few surprise ingredients (hint: sundried tomatoes and coconut flakes). …
Pancetta Leek + Mushroom Fettuccini
After a very busy weekend and a long list of to-do’s, I am finding that the “Sunday Scaries” are creeping up on me. I typically like to eat very clean and light on a Sunday night, but I also think it’s important to give your body what it’s craving. It is healthier to treat yourself, and feel good about having a bowl of pasta, than ignoring a craving and creating a bad relationship with certain foods. I was craving something salty, but also creamy, so this Pancetta Leek & Mushroom Fetuccini was the perfect combination. However, as always, this dish has a few healthy spins and more nutritious alternatives to the usual bowl of heavy pasta. I used a gluten free fetuccini, and this pasta is also dairy free! …
Meal Prep Mondays
On Sunday night, I not only make dinner, but I also plan ahead a week of healthy and delicious meals for lunch at work. In my experience, the hardest part about committing to a healthy diet was having the time to do so. When you’re busy at work, and don’t feel like dropping 30$+ on a healthy lunch delivery by post-mates (or delivery service of choice), the easy option seems to grab something unhealthy, or skip the meal entirely. Our busy schedules, and lack of convenience, can often set us up for failure and make bad habits stick. This is why meal prep can be such a useful tool in maintaining a healthy diet and supplying your body with the key vitamins and nutrients it needs to work optimally throughout the day! …
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