Spicoli burgers with flatbread

I must admit I have been feeling a little bland lately. I have been going to the store, picking out the same veggies and then coming home and making the same dish with a few things added here and there. I bought "eat, drink & be vegan" by Dreena Burton a couple a weeks ago and was more than excited. But was reminded of why I steer away from cook books, they can be extremely overwhelming!!! I wanna make this and this and this and I need this mixer and that strainer and then....ya it sits on my shelf collecting dust. But I was determined this time. If I am going to be a vegan I am going to have to start cooking like one!

Spicoli Burgers

These paties are crisp on the outside and soft and moist on the inside! If you don't like hemp seeds you'll change your mind after a bite of these totally awesome patties. Serve them on there own or inside a pita bread (which is what I did) with veggies and condiments.

Recipe:

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 1/4 -1 1/2 cups onion, diced

1/8 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3/4 cup red bell pepper, diced (I bought them pre diced)

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup shelled hemp seeds

2 medium cloves garlic, quatered

2 tbsp ketchup (I excluded this mainly because I forgot!)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried ground sage

1 cup cooked rice (You add this in AFTER you have processed all the ingredients)

1/4 cup flour (To coat the patties in. I used Quinoa flour)

In a frying pan on meduim heat, add oil, onions, salt, and black pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes until onions start to soften. Add bell peppers and saute for another 5-6 minutes, until onions are fully softened.

In a food processor (I was SOOO excited to use mine!!!) combine sauteed onions and peppers, 2 cups of cooked rice, hemp seeds, garlic, ketchup, mustard, oregano, thyme, sage, salt and puree until farily smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in remaining rice (1 cup cooked). This gives the mixture some more texture!

Refriderate for at least 30 minutes (I put mine in the freezer for about 10 and then in the fridge to speed up the process) to firm up. Remove from the fridge and form patties with your hands. Place flour evenly on a plate and lightly dust both sides of each patty, shaking off excess.

In a frying pan on medium-high, heat oil. Add patties, 3 or 4 at at time, and lightly flaten with a spatula. Cook for 6-9 minutes on each side, until golden brown and a crust has formed.

I cut up a tomato and some leafty greens for my toppings and then had some flatbread to top it off!



I had a ton of patties left over that I put in the freezer. They will be great to chop up and put in a salad or over quinoa/rice. My stomach has never done well with soy patties or "fake meat" and I have always wanted to eat some sort of sandwhich. This was so tatsy I actually ate more than Graham!!! He told me I had a lot to live up to after this meal :) Enjoy!

Are you eating whole foods?

I have been a vegetarian for a little over two years now and throughout that time have tried to go vegan once but decided I wasn't ready for the task. When I came back from my yoga conference a few months back I was more determined than ever (after my intensive "Food of Yoga") to give my body what it wanted, not what I thought it needed. And to my surprise, reflecting back my diet has been mostly vegan. But the main thing I have learned is that MY BODY likes this diet and not everyone can thrive on a vegan diet. My body loves the vital nutrients from the abundance of fruits and veggies, but most of all it thrives on the foods that are "whole".

As humans, we seem to be confused or thrown off my the term "whole foods". When our life consist of hectic schedules and gruling life styles we tend to reach for the thing with the least amount of effort...the Tim Hortons on every corner or that cliff bar that comes in every flavor. But the truth is these foods are foreign to our bodies. When we ingest them our body actually works HARDER to break them down. And then when it does, it has all sort of "enriched" vitamins or minerals to act as if they are suppling our building materials for muscle, hormones or vital parts of our cells.

Meat lover or not, add WHOLE foods into your diet for a whole week and really notice the change. But don't be decieved by labels that say "whole wheat" or "whole grains" because sadly, we are lied to more than we know. It is all about the INGREDIENTS. Companies may be able to get away with lying to us about the amount of trans fats in our food but they cannot get away from listing the ingredients on the label. Take a moment to look over it, you body will thank you!

So I went into the kitchen with the intention of cooking a meal consisting of whole foods and I came up with a vegan friendly meal that was perfect!

My recipe:

-Barley (I tend to cook this in bulk but choose an amount that works for you)

-Sweet potatoes (not yams, yes they ARE different)

-Eggplant

-Kale

-Chia Seeds

-Walnuts

-Sunflower Seeds

-Shelled Hemp Seeds

1.) Cook Barley according to directions. This usually takes about 30-45 minutes because it is so dense. But all you have to do is boil it so you can easily do something else while it cooks.

2.) I mixed in Chia Seeds (about 2 tbsp) while there was still moisture in the barley so they would absorb the left over liquids.

3.) Chop up sweet potatoes and cook over olive oil until brown and tender. I added some parsley for flavor!

4.) On the side, cut up eggplant and cook over low heat until tender and slightly brown. Do not cut the eggplant too early becuase it tends to turn brown very quickly once oxygen hits it!

5.) Add in Kale and sautee for 3-5 minutes. I added some more olive oil to the kale so it was not as "tough".

6.) Time to eat! Add the Barley and sweet potatoes and then pour over the kale and eggplant!

This meal was so easy to make because it was made up of whole foods that are easy to prepare and great for your body. It is so reasuring to know what we are feeding our bodies. I hope you enjoy!



Vegan Goodness!

I called this vegan goodness because I came up with this meal out of no where, literally. I had a week full of birthday chocolates, cakes, cookies and brownies and admit I have never felt so tired, irritated, or unmotivated by food (and a little alcohol!) in my life. Turning 21 seems to be the big turrning point and if you don't celebrate you might as well go hide under a rock! So I did, a lot.

Currently going through IIN (Integrative Nutrition) to become a Health Coach I was feeling like quite the hipocrite. So I made it a top priority, after yoga, to go to Whole Foods and stock up on fruits and veggies. When I got there my body immediately drove me to the leafy greens. "Okay", I thought "I am going to get some of this...this...and THIS, move onto the fruits now" But my body kept looking back at those leafy greens. I am am absolute fruit LOVER, I could possibly go as a fruititarian if my body was prepared for it, but today my body wanted nothing to do with it, it wanted vegetables more than ever. So I filled my cart (yes, the mini one) with leafy greens I had never heard of before!

Now, my refidgerator seems to like me more as it is filled with everything green (hahaha!!!) and I thought to myself, "Wow Savanna, really??" But I was starving and started chopping. Kale is a must (my new obsession) sweet potatoes, carrots of course, celery (which I use to eat ONLY saturated in peanut butter) brocolli and some garlic, yes. And the best part about this is that when Graham got home I placed it infront of him with no meat (that's right) and he scarfed the whole thing down like I did. Vegan or not you will LOVE this dish! Hey, something to eat on Earth Day possibly?

So here is my recipe for Vegan Goodness:

*All vegetables are organic (Veggies are very high in pesticides, it matters!)

-Orzo Pasta (explained below)

- 1 large sweet potato

-1/2 cup Carrots

-1/2 cup Celery

-1/2 cup Brocolli

-3 Kale Leaves (large) chopped

-2 cloves of Garlic

Hold on the side:

-Walnuts

-Shelled Hemp Seeds (my source of amino acids)

-Tomato basil pesto

1.) Cook Orzo according to box, about 8 minutes and set aside (I discovered Orzo in the pasta isle on my shopping trip today and was immediately drawn to it. It is like any other pasta out there but shaped like long grain rice, COOL!)

2.) Cut up the sweet potato into cubes and cook over medium heat until crisp.

3.) Chop up the carrots, kale, celery, brocolli and garlic.

4.) Start by cooking the carrots (because they are the most dense) I used coconut oil. Then add in garlic, brocolli and celery. Add the kale last (only takes a minute or two).

5.) Mix Orzo with tomato basil pesto (or your own favorite sauce) and put into the bottom of the bowl.

6.) Add sweet potatoes

7.) And now for all of the goodies! Add them veggies!!!

I also threw on top some shelled hemp seeds and some walnuts.

 Enjoy this meal and remeber..... it's VEGAN!



The Perfect Pasta PIZZZZA!!!

This recipe came to me when I was dreaming about pizza. I LOVE pizza, who doesn't?!? As a vegetarian, I am not as fond of the whole cheese thing as others. I can handle it most of the time but when it is hot and all greesy my stomach tends to disagree! So, when I eat pizza I scrape off all of the toppings and eat just the bread and sauce, weird right?

I was eating my favorite pasta (penne) for dinner one night and had a brilliant idea! Why not put pasta on top of a pizza? It sounded delicious to me and it just happened to be the biggest football game of the year, the SUPERBOWL!!! No need to convince myself that this dish had WAY too many carbs, or cheese, or sauce, or anything! It was time to pig out and be okay with it! (and I was because I ate the WHOLE thing)

Life is not about depriving yourself form unhealthy foods. Of course, we do not want to eat out of whack everyday, but taking a night off from counting calories (if that is your thing) or making sure you eat acording to "your diet" leaves you feeling deprived. When you feel depreived everyday (because lets face it, we are surrounded by cravings everywhere we go) after so long, you cave in and you cave in hard. Believe me, I used to plan out my meals for weeks sometimes, depriving myself of what my body really wanted at that moment. Maybe it was a chocolate chip cookie or a ridiculous tower of ice cream, I denied myself that sweet moment of indulgence, of goodness, of peace. Now, I see there are healthy alternatives to making those chocolate chip cookies or ice cream, but it all comes back to letting yourself enjoy the foods you crave!

So from time to time, enjoy! Eat your favorite chocolate, eat the bread you have been so strongly ignoring! In the end you will thank yourself :)

Here is the recipe:

Mini Pizza Crust (I bought my at Kroger - Gluten Free)

1 can of spagetti Sauce

1 Box of your favoriet pasta (I used vegan pasta - gluten free)

1 case of your favorite cheese (I used mixed)

Cilantro and Parsley (Use as desired)

My pizza crust!

1.) Bake pasta according to the box. Add sauce and set aside.

2.) Spread your favorite sauce over your crust and then add your cheese!

3.) I chopped up some parsley (love the flavor!) and put it on top of the cheese.

4.) Then it is time to add the good stuff, the PASTA!

5.) Add some more cheese (optional) and then it is time to go into the oven!

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown.

Remember, this dish was an indulgence and an amazing one at that! I had so much fun creating something in my mind and then bringing it to life on my plate. Enjoy and embrace the creativity you hold in everything you do, including your time in the kitchen! Enjoy!

Day Two: The Worlds Best Power Foods!

Moving on to some more amazing Power Foods that we should all include in our diet, I wanted to group these ones together so you can use them to make a delicious salad!

I use to think of a salad as a boring bowl of grass (because lets face it, iceberg lettuce had NO tatse!) with some extremely hard crutons and then topped with some fatty ranch dressing. But now, I am a salad making machine! There are so many options and you can always throw something in to make your tatsebuds say, "salad what?".

The five Power Foods today:

1.) Quinoa

2.) Bok Choy

3.) Brocolli

4.) Apples

5.) Cashews

You may think, quinoa in a salad? YES! I may be the only one obsessed with this stuff since I discovered it, but it is SOOO healthy for your body and adds amazing texture to any salad. Pronounced KEEN-WAH, it is a true power food providing a stunning array of minerals and vitamins. For those who are prone to migraine headaches, the magnesium found in quinoa can reduce the frequency of them, while relaxing the blood vessels to boost overall health. The list of vitamins found in quinoa goes on and ON!

-Iron, Vitamin E, B1, B2, B6, B9, manganese, potassium, copper, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Bok choy is more abundent in Vitamin A then any other cabbage and contributes to healthy skin and tissues! The calcium in bok choy even outdoes that of a GLASS OF MILK! It has no fat and is low in sodium, beneficial to both your heart and waistline. Key nutrients are Vitamin A, C, D, calcium, and beta-carotene.

Just ONE CUP of broccoli provied you with 150 percent of your daily vitamin C needs and 20 percent of your required fiber! It also contains beneficial amounts of phytochemicals that repair DNA, block the development of cancer cells and support the immune system because of their antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer properties.

Apples, I LOVE APPLES!!!! They are filled with phytonutrients that function as antioxiadants, supporting out heart health and helping to prevent a host of diseases. Key vitamins include Vitamin A, C, B6, potassium and fiber.

(A cashew is a fruit?!)

Nuts often get a bad rep because of their fat content, and it's true we shouldn't eat too many of them, but regular eating of nuts is associated with a lower body weight! The fat content of cashews is made up of beneficial unsaturated fatty acids, which aid in the reduction of triglyceride levels in the blood. Cashews are great for a healthy heart and also contain copper, magnesium, tryptophan and phosphorus.

Start chopping and enjoy a salad filled with flavor and nutrients! Even make your own salad dressing or add your favorite. It is all about creativity, keep it simple but exciting!

Day One: The World's Best Powerfoods!

Winter. It brings beautiful times, but also terrible germs that can turn into a cold, fever or even worse, the flu!

I am a firm believer that we become what we eat. Another reason and motivation to eat things that will keep me healthy!

Since you can choose what you are made of, what do you want that building material to be? Do you want to be made of fillers, additives, sugars and chemicals, with free radicals running amok through your body? Or do you want to be made of lean proteins, healthy fats and nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains, with an abundance of phytonutrients and antioxidants to fight against those free radicals and other invaders?

When you eat junk food, or when you diet and don't feed your body what it needs, it reacts by telling you to eat more. If you keep feeding your body more nutritiously empty foods, it tells you to eat more still.

A healthy weight and superior health are two great reasons to fill your belly with Power Foods (which I will be introducing to you). Remember your cells are constantly being regenerated and each cell is built with the food you choose to consume. These include you skin cells, your muscle cells and even your brain cells. A diet rich in Power Foods helps you look, feel, move and think younger!

The first five Power Foods I want to share are:

1.) ALMONDS

2.) BARLEY

3.)CAULILFOWER

4.)CHIA SEEDS

5.)PEPPERS

Almonds are known for vitamin E, vitamon B3 (niacin), potassium, calcium, and great monosaturated fats.

Barley has great sources of fiber, selenium, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B1 (Thiamin), phosphorous and vitamin B6. Because Barley contains eight essential amino acids, studies show it can regulate blood sugar for up to 10 hours after consumption.

Cauliflower has  good fiber, vitamin B9, vitamin C, vitamin K and omega-3 fatty acids. Low in fat and high in dietary fiber, making it an excellent food for a nutrition plan.

The Chia seed is an all-around Power Food! Great sources of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, manganese, iron and PROTEIN!!! Chia seeds are an excellent appetite suppressant because of its high amounts of fiber and protein in addition to its thickening ability.

Peppers are treated as a vegetable, but are actually a fruit filled with antioxidants and bursting with flavor. They are great for vitamin C, A, B6, fiber, molybdenum and vitamin K. Sweet peppers are thermogenic, meaning they increase your bodys heat production, which helps you burn more calories.

How many different recipes can YOU come up with using these 5 Power Foods?!

Rasberry Lemon Swirl Bars!

I am a true lover of any fruit that is put infront of me! So when I saw this recipe on one of my favorite new blogs (http://www.healthyindulgences.blogspot.com/) I decided to go for it! I LOVE lemon bars, the texture, flavor and they could only taste better topped with fresh rasberry glaze.

This is definatley a recipe that works best with two people, so graham helped me out. This is also not a "vegan" friendly recipe as it calls for two eggs but it falls under vegetarian.

I fell in love with this blog after I read Laurens passion, "Health food that doesn't taste like health food is my mission, with a focus on making over the most decadent junk foods." She focuses on organic recipes without gluten and free of the "bad" sugars. I tend to prefere cooking over baking becuase there is definately more of a science to baking. The first time I looked at this recipe I quickly skimmed over it, but after a few days of debating I decided to give it a go!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (I used vegan butter)
1 tablespoon erythritol or xylitol (explained below)
1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus two tablespoons almond meal
1/4 cup oat or buckwheat flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum

Filling:
2 large cage free organic eggs
1/2 cup erythritol
1/8 teaspoon pure stevia extract
1/4 cup organic lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

Rasberry Swirl:
1/2 cup organic rasberries
1 teaspoon organic lemon juice
1 teaspoon erythritol
Fresh rasberries for garnish

After I read this I must admit I was deeply confused on what some of these ingredients were! So I went to my best friend Google.

Erythritol is a naturally-derived sugar substitute that looks and tastes very much like sugar, yet has almost no calories. It comes in granulated and powdered forms. Erythritol is approximately 70 percent as sweet as table sugar (sucrose). Erythritol is usually made from plant sugars. Sugar is mixed with water and then fermented with a natural culture into erythritol. It is then filtered, allowed to crystallize, and then dried. The finished product is white granules or powder that resembles sugar.

• Premium Quality
• Gluten Free
• All Natural Kosher

Xanthan Gum is made from the outer layer of a tiny, inactive bacterium called Xanthomonas campestris. It is an excellent all purpose thickener for dressings, gravies and sauces. It's unique ability to hold small particles of food together makes it the ideal substitute for gluten in gluten-free baking. Most recipes call for only 1 or 2 teaspoons, so it goes a long way!

I found all of these products at Kroger. They have the best organic friendly/vegetarian section that is closest to where I live. With all of the ingredients in hand, Graham and I started baking!

First, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Soften butter for shortbread. Cream butter and erythritol together, then work in flours and gums with a fork until throughly combined. Add a pinch of salt and stevia.

Press or spread into an 8' by 4' loaf pan lined with buttered parchment (I just buttered my pan evenly). Bake at 350 until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Let crust cool while you prepare the filling.tick in the freezer to speed up the process.

Beat erythritol with eggs, lemon juice, and zest. Add gums. Add a pinch of salt and stevia to taste. Pour over shortbread crust.

Puree rasberries with lemon juice and erythritol. I massed with a fork for chunky pieces. Drop rasberry puree onto lemon filling in different spots and swirl with the spatula. Bake for 20 minutes until just set. I left the center of mine slightly jiggly and it firmed up after colloing.

These bars were so rich and creamy, I thought I was eating lemon rasberry cheescake! Graham and I dug into these with forks and they somehow disappeared by the next day :) Enjoy!



7 Color Cuisine - Burritos!

I am always reading books. If it has to do with food and there natural healing abilities, I have it! The reason I love reading about food is because there are soo many ways to improve your diet. We are all different and have varied food needs. I love taking bits of information from every book and piecing it together so it fits my diet.

I am currently reading through 7 Color Cuisine by Marcia Zimmerman. I actually picked this book up at my favorite place (Smoothie King) thinking it was full of great recipes (and it is!) but I never dreamed I would be so adicted to it!

In this book you see the importance of eating a well rounded diet that is based on incorporating 7 colors into your meals throughout the day. You'll discover how vibrant rainbow hues and warm earthy tones reveal the phytonutrient pedigrees of certain foods. You'll also learn of the valuable healing zoonutrients found in creamy white dairy foods, fish, and poultry.

According to the author, "What you eat becomes part of you. Food can satisfy your deepest psychological, neurological, and social being-provided you choose a variety of high-quality and colorful foods and follow the guidelines presented in this book."

Most nutrition and diet books focus on calories, fat, fiber, or protein. Scientist and nutritionist Zimmerman here focuses on phytonutrients, plant-based chemicals that may help to prevent conditions such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, and that are also the pigments responsible for the color of fruits and vegetables.

So here I am on a friday night with Graham (my favorite place to be!) trying to come up with a meal that has all of my colors. I wanted some sort of veggie wrap and Graham decided on Burritos, so I started chopping.

Three of my main colors: Red, Orange, and Green.

Bell peppers are packed with several nutrients.  They are a
good source of vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta carotene, and folic acid.  Bell peppers also contain a large amount of phytochemicals that have exceptional antioxidant activity.

Carrots are nutritional heroes, they store a goldmine of nutrients. No other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A. This is a truly versatile vegetable and an excellent source of vitamins B and C as well as calcium pectate, an extraordinary pectin fibre that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties.

Saute veggies 4-5 minutes.

In the meantime, Graham cooked his chicken and I boiled some rice and prepared the "toppings".

Toppings included: kale, romaine lettuce, organic tomato pesto, hummus, and some shelled hemp seeds!

Mix the veggies into the cooked rice!

And now the fun begins!

My burrito: Hummus, pesto, veggie rice, kale and lettuce with some hemp seeds YUM!!!

Graham's burrito with chicken. He used poppy seed salad dressing for his sauce.

This meal was one of my favorites! I used most of my 7 colors: red, green, orange, tan and brown packed with nutrients and fiber. The best part of this meal was that I got to cook it with my fiance! It is all about having fun in the kitchen and enbracing the time you have to take care of your body. Enjoy!

Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Greens

One serving or one cup of acorn squash contains 145% of the daily recommended requirements for Vitamin A. It also contains Vitamin C, potassium, manganese, folate (folic acid), and 15% of the omega three fatty acids necessary for good health. It is also a good source of fiber. With all of these vitamins and minerals acorn squash has many health benefits and I had one sitting on my counter ready to for me to eat!

Acorn Sqash is SOO easy to cook. You can cut it in halves or into small cubes to go with whatever dish you want to prepare. I chose to cut them into smaller halves so they would cook quicker.

Heat your oven to 365 degrees and cook for 45 minutes (longer if bigger halves) until you can easily pierce with a fork.

In the meantime I started on the "fillings" for my squash. This time I decided to go with some brocolli and cauliflower, Quinoa, Kale and parsley.

Parsley is known for increasing the anti-oxiadant capacity of the blood and killing bacteria. It also maintains elasticity of blood vessels, helps to repair bruises, and is an excellent digestion restorative remedy. High in vitamin C, beta carotene, B12, chlorophll and essential fatty acids, parsley is an extradordinary immunity enhancing food!

Kale (Left) Parsley (Right)

Kale's risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. These types include cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale play a primary role in achieving these risk-lowering benefits. Researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale's flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.

Mix together Cauliflower and Broccoli over Olive Oil and cook for 3-5 minutes.

          Then add Kale and Parsley to get a light steaming effect (2-3 minutes).



When the acorn squash is finished it is time to add all of the wonderful veggies!

Add (as desired) Quinoa (I used Red Quinoa this time). I also added some shelled hemp seeds!

Then pour all of the veggies over the sqaush and quinoa to make a wonderful dinner full of antioxidants and vital nutrients!