WALNUT & DATE ENERGY BITES!

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Okay lets face it, sometimes throughout the day you crave a snack and what you end up choosing can really make or break your diet. One way to avoid making such an easy mistake is to be prepared! These energy bites are both vegan and paleo and taste AMAZING! When hunger strikes or you need a boost of energy grab one of these babies and feel guilt-free! They last for about 7 days when stored in the fridge and are so easy to make that you have no excuse lol ;) Happy eating my friends!

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INGREDIENT:

1 Cup of Walnuts
1/2 a Cup of Unsweetened Coconut
16-18 Pitted Dates
1 TSP of Cinnamon
1/3 Cup of Almond Butter
1 TSP of Vanilla Extract
3 TBSP of Hemp Hearts
2/3 Cup of Oats

DIRECTIONS:

Place walnuts and unsweetened coconut in a food processor and pulse until the walnuts have been broken down into small chunks.

Add in dates, cinnamon, almond butter and vanilla extract and continue to pulse until the dates have been broken down into small chunks.

Transfer contents to a bowl, add in your hemp hearts and oats, and mix all ingredients together with your hands.

Once nicely mixed start to roll the ingredients into balls and place on a lined baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Allow balls to sit for 30 minutes to dry and harden.

*You can store them up to a week in the fridge in a sealed container!

ENJOY!!!!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

TURKEY CHILI - GLUTEN FREE AND PALEO

Turkey Chili makes a great winter dish. Its not only full of protein from the turkey and the kidney beans but tomatoes have a lot of antioxidants and are a rich source of vitamins A and C - great for anyone suffering from heart disease, diabetes and cancer. I found this recipe originally on all recipes.com.  I made it at home because I was looking for something hearty and low fat to eat for dinner and thought I would pass it on. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 TSP of Olive Oil
1 LB of Ground Turkey
1 Large Yellow Onion (chopped)
2 Cups of Water
1 Can of Crushed Tomatoes (28 Oz Can)
1 Can of Kidney Beans - drained and rinsed (16 Oz Can
2 Cloves of Garlic (chopped finely)
2 TBSP of Chili Powder
1/2 TSP of Paprika
1/2 TSP of Dried Oregano
1/2 TSP Ground Cayenne Pepper
1/2 TSP Ground Cumin
Salt and Pepper (as desired)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a pot on the stove on medium heat. Place turkey in the pot and cook until it is evenly brown (about 4-5 minutes)

Stir in Onion and let that continue to cook until the onion becomes soft and tender.

Add water to pot before adding in the rest of the ingredients! Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 30 minutes till sauce is thickened. If sauce hasn't thickened enough remove cover and continue to let simmer until it is.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

SMOKE SALMOM SANDWICH ON PUMPERNICKLE

I love lox bagels but I sometimes feel guilty about all the calories in bagels. Who needs all that calories, right? Pumpernickel bread is made with coarsely ground rye flour and therefore it has a much lower glycemic load then white bread. That means that when you eat pumpernickel your body which turns carbs in the bread to sugar doesn't have as much carbs to turn to sugar as regular bread which is great if you have diabetes. Salmon is a great source of Omega 3 as well as protein, B vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium and selenium which is essential for daily body functions. Enjoy guilt free.

INGREDIENTS:

100 Gr Of Smoke Salmon
Light Cream Cheese
2-3 Branches of Chives (diced)
1 Small Red Onion (sliced)
1 Vine Ripe Tomato (sliced)
2 Pieces of PumperNickle Bread (toasted)


DIRECTIONS:

Take both of your toasted pumper nickle bread and cover in light cream cheese.

Sprinkle your cut chive on either side of the bread you just dressed with cream cheese

Next start to build up your sandwich with tomato slices and onion and lastly with smoke salmon.

Next add more tomato and onion and the other sandwich, cream cheese side down. Serve!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

MUSHROOMS ON TOAST

Mushrooms are a great source of Vitamin D and Iron! They are also low in calories which is great if you are watching your weight! I really like mushrooms on toast its not only delicious but a great way to boost your immune system if you are feeling run down. Mushrooms also can boost your metabolism because they have Vitamin B which is vital for turning food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which the body needs/burns to produce energy. Not to mention they taste good! Enjoy!!!

Yields 2 Pieces of Mushrooms on Toast

INGREDIENTS:

4 Cups of Mushrooms (I used a mix of Shiitake (remember to take the stems off) and Oyster mushrooms)
1-2 TBSP of Olive Oil
1/4 Cup of Fresh Sage - chopped
1/4 Cup of Fresh Thyme - chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic - minced or pressed
Salt and Pepper - as desired
Bread (Gluten free or Vegan Crackers can be used too)
 

DIRECTIONS:

Olive oil the pan and let it heat up on medium heat. Throw in your mushrooms and let that saute. The water will come out of the mushrooms.

Once the water comes out it will start to evaporate. When the water is nearly gone, throw in your garlic, sage, thyme and salt and pepper. The mushrooms will start to absorb the flavors at this point.

Continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes on medium heat. As they start to get golden brown you can reduce the heat.

Put you bread in the toaster and do your thing.

Spread the mushrooms on the toast and drizzle some of the juices from the pan on top and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

GLUTEN FREE MEATBALLS - PALEO FRIENDLY

Dat's a spicy meat-a-ball!!! lol Sorry couldn't help myself. I love a good meatball but never order them unless I'm dining at a proper Italian restaurant. Its kind of a crap shoot as to weather they are moist enough or taste good, especially if they dont have breadcrumbs in them; but this meatball recipe would make any Italian grandmother/mother proud! These meatballs when done right come out so juicy and great with tomato sauce or in a soup or even just by themselves. If you have leftovers you can even chop one up later and put the meat in your breakfast omelet. Meatballs are obviously high in protein so it can be a really healthy dinner option especially if your restricted by a gluten intolerance. Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs
3 lbs - Ground beef/pork mix (you can use just ground beef if you want but the pork makes it even juicier)
1 Medium Onion (chopped finely)
3-4 Cloves of Garlic (chopped finely)
1 TBSP of Oregano
1 Egg
1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese (grated finely)
1 TSP of Chili Peppers (adjust to how spicy you want them
1 TBSP Salt
1 TBSP of Pepper

Olive Oil for the pan

Tomato Sauce - quick and easy option (optional)
Strained Tomato - i used Molisana Passata Di Pomodoro
Fresh Basil
Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees and oil your oven pan so it has a light layer of oil

Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together with your hands. Once mixed start to form the meatballs about the size of your palm - try not to squeeze them together to tight, you dont want them to be dense.

Once meatballs are formed place them on the oiled tray. Keep going until all the ingredients in the bowl are gone.

Place pan with meatballs in the oven for 35 Minutes

Once done you can remove them and store them for later use or continue with the final steps.

In a frying pan add olive oil and a bit of the fat drippings from the roasting pan, brown the meatballs at medium heat to get a nice outer sear. Once browned on all sides reduce heat to low and add in your tomato sauce, fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste.

As the sauce warms coat the meatball in the sauce until the sauce is warmed through.

You can move the meatball into a serving bowl, drizzle the sauce from the pan on top and add more freshly grated Parmesan if you want.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!