Not Your Jarred Salsa & Guacamole

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Avocados are in season and they are so good you’ll want to put them in every dish! Yes they are high in fat but this type of fat is non-saturated, it’s great for your hair, skin, and nails ladies. Meals with healthy fats are more satisfying so eat up!

Both of these recipe take 5 minutes to make so no need to buy the pre-made stuff.

Homemade Guacamole (vegan, gluten free, dairy free)

Not Your Jarred Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

half bunch of cilantro

juice of half lime

sea salt to taste

Cut each avocado in half, then remove pits. Peel off skin, should peel off easily avocados are nice and ripe. Mash up first avocado, then dice up the second one, toss in the same bowl. Take a half bunch of cilantro, rinse well and cut off stems. Roll the leaves up then finely chop. Toss cilantro in bowl with avocado, then add juice of half a fresh lime and a few pinches of sea salt. Toss then taste and season with more salt if needed.

Enjoy!

Serve with Organic corn chips or sliced jicama, celery, or cucumber.

Delicious mashed over baked sweet potato with your favorite protein!

Homemade Tomato & Avocado Salsa (vegan, gluten free, dairy free)

Avocado Salsa -picmonket(480x640)

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

1 pint grape tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes

half bunch of cilantro

juice of half lime

sea salt to taste

Cut each avocado in half, then remove pits. Peel off skin, should peel off easily when avocados are nice and ripe. Mash up first avocado, then dice up the second one, toss in the same bowl. Cut grape tomatoes in half then half again or roughly chop, no need for perfection here! Take a half bunch of cilantro, rinse well and cut off stems. Roll the leaves up then finely chop. Toss cilantro in bowl with avocado and tomatoes, then add juice of half a fresh lime and a few pinches of sea salt. Toss then season with more salt if needed.

Enjoy!

There’s no room for dieting, just clean eating here! Make this great dish for a get together or enjoy with your favorite grilled proteins and veggies! Eating healthy fats and satisfying foods can actually help you meet your weight loss goals and so can your favorite Health Coach! Join me for my upcoming Sensational Summer Reboot for more amazing recipes plus support by yours truly in a special, private Facebook group for my lovely rebooters. Contact me for more info: totalhealthcounseling@gmail.com

XOXO

Roasted Garlic Hummus & Pine Nut Quinoa Tabouli

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For so many years I was on diet, like every other woman in America. Can you relate to this? So finally, I found foods I could eat and not pack on the pounds. I could eat and not feel deprived. I could eat and have a sensational feeling running through my body plus get tons of nutrients and vitamins. And you know… I’m Health Coach, so I talk a lot about nutrients and vitamins – get used to it, haha Winking smile!

I grew up eating hummus and tabouli so making my own healthier versions is very special for me. Good news is, you can eat this food, ditch the diet mentality and feel your very best!

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Recipe – Roasted Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked chickpeas

3 T. olive oil (Organic, First Cold-Pressed)

3 cloves of roasted garlic (how-to in steps)

1/8 t. each Sea salt and black pepper, plus more to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Take a bulb of garlic, trim the excess layers off garlic, but leave bulb in tact. Cut off top of bulb so clove tops are trimmed.

3. Wrap garlic bulb in foil, then bake for 50 minutes.

3. Remove from oven, carefully remove foil, let cool.

4. Place chickpeas in bowl then mash with a fork, this will be chunky so mash to your desired consistency.

5. Add olive oil, roasted garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Mix all ingredients together.

6. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

7. Serve with freshly sliced veggies of choice (carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, your favorites!)

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Recipe – Pine Nut Quinoa Tabouli

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

2 T. olive oil (Organic, First Cold-Pressed)

1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley

1/4 c. toasted pine nuts

juice of half lemon

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer until water runs clear, this will remove protective bitter coating called saponin.

2. Add quinoa and water to medium pot, bring water to boil, then turn down heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.

3. When water cooks off quinoa, remove from heat, allow to cool.

4. Toast pine nuts by heating a stainless steel frying pan on medium-high heat on stovetop. Allow pan to heat about 5 minutes.

5. Add pine nuts and continuously move pan to toss pine nuts. Cook 30 seconds to 1 minute to brown pine nuts, then add to quinoa.

6. Place quinoa and pine nuts in serving bowl and add olive oil, parsley, lemon, sea salt and black pepper. Toss well.

7. Season to taste, then serve at room temp or store covered in fridge. Tastes better when ingredients have a chance to marinate together.

8. Enjoy!

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YUM Smile

Have you made your own versions of foods you grew up eating? Please share a link in the comments below!!

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Garlicky Kale Chips

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Kale chips seem to be everywhere these days. I’ve seen a lot of recipes online and decided to start making them myself. I’m on my third batch of the week, yes they are that good!

These babies come together fairly quickly and go well with grilled fish or your favorite protein.

Krispy and Delish!

Kale is a highly nutritious bitter green vegetable. It’s got Vitamin A, C, K and several essential nutrients. Kale is also a great non-dairy source of Calcium! Bitter greens are beneficial to eat especially in the Spring time when people tend to get congestion and sinus infections. This will help keep your lungs clear so you can breath easier. Keep kale on your menu to help prevent cancer, diabetes, and heart disease!!

Krispy Kale chips (480x640)

Recipe – Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

half bunch of kale (5 stems full of leaves)

1-2 T. olive oil

pinch of sea salt and black pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Remove kale leaves from stems and wash thoroughly. You can chop or tear leaves off stem.

3. Shake water off as best you can. Place paper towel on baking sheet and put kale on top. Put more paper towels on top of kale and dry kale. Discard wet paper towels.

4. Drizzle olive oil on kale and sprinkle on spices. Using your clean hands, mix the oil and spices evenly until kale is well coated.

5. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven, turn over kale leaves and bake another 8-10 minutes.

6. Allow to cool a few minutes then serve.

7. Enjoy!

Yummy meal idea: serve with grilled fish.

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Healthy Tips From Vitacost: Organic Shopping 101

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We hear about Organic foods a lot these days and it can be confusing when to spend a little extra and what you are really getting for your hard earned cash. Vitacost.com sent me an excellent guest post to share with you the 411 on how to decipher organics when you’re filling your cart to feed yourself and family. Thank you Vitacost!!

By: +Elizabeth Lotts writer for Vitacost.com

The organic versus non-organic decision is still a cart-stopper in the grocery store. Which fruits are healthier when grown organically? Which vegetables? What about that box of crackers? Trying to pick the cream of the crop becomes a chore within a chore when you don’t know the ”why” and “what” factors. All you need is a quick, Organic Shopping 101 course to narrow the selection and get you to the check-out line in record time.

First, determine why you are shopping organic so your selection doesn’t feel so fruitless. If you need to justify (to yourself or your budget-conscious significant other) why you’re spending a little more on certain items, then consider these reasons:

  • Organic means farmers use no antibiotics and no growth hormones, grow produce within sanitary and spacious facilities and use the fewest conventional pesticides
  • No GMOs– organic foods are not genetically modified in any way
  • A smaller carbon footprint–organic farms use the most sustainable methods to promote biodiversity and a healthy eco-system
  • Cleaner water, soil and air–pesticides from conventional farming can intoxicate the water supply, wildlife and the atmosphere

If these reasons don’t inspire you to go organic for every single purchase, consider that it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing situation. Just keep in mind that certain conventional fruits and veggies are produced with a high number of pesticides– these, you should buy organic.

Fruit:

– Apples

– Any berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)

– Nectarines

– Peaches

– Pears

– Cherries

– Grapes (imported variety)

Veggies:

– Leafy greens (spinach, kale, lettuce)

– Bell peppers

– Carrots

– Celery

Meat, eggs and dairy: The organic options ensure animals are provided healthy living conditions, organic feed and adequate treatment for injuries or illness. When buying organic in the refrigerated aisles, select “all of the above.”

Crackers, cookies, cereals, coffee and anything else in a box or bag: This is an open-ended question, which means you can pick and choose which of these are better organic based on your preferences of taste, brand, price and/or variety. The same rules apply, though: organic cereals must contain all organic ingredients. If your mixed berry granola claims it’s organic, then it was made with organic berries. (Hint: buy only as much as you need. Packaged goods usually find a place in the pantry for many months, but organic versions have a shorter shelf-life due to their lack of artificial preservatives.)

Your final exam: Make your shopping list and match the items on it with the groceries above. If you study the organic foods and brands you prefer, then you won’t second-guess yourself!

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com who has been selling discount vitamins since 1994. They have grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of their many helpful categories! They sell everything from Coq10 to Raspberry Ketones. Vitacost.com’s customers mean the world to them, and it’s their goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, health foods and sports nutrition toarticles on the benefits of probiotics. Be sure to check out Vitacost Coupons for discounts. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Top 3 Reasons To Crack Open A Coconut

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Vitacost.com offered to share a guest post with me about coconuts. You may have heard a lot about coconuts in the news lately. Katie from Vitacost gives you 3 reasons to give coconut oil a try. Thanks Katie!!

If you have tried coconut oil, what are your favorite ways to enjoy them?

By: +Katie Kaleita, writer for Vitacost.com

More and more, people are going coo-coo for coconuts – and not because they had one too many piña coladas. Coconuts are breaking out of their shells and into the spotlight for their array of health benefits. You have probably used coconut flakes in desserts or coconut milk in curry dishes. And maybe you lathered your skin in coconut-scented tanning oil, trying to achieve that “I-live-on-an-island” look. But what do you know about pure coconut oil?

Coconut oil is extracted from the flesh, or meat, of the coconut. Depending on the oil’s end-use, coconut oil can be extracted through various methods. One important thing to note: coconut oil is naturally rich with antioxidants and fatty acids. In many cultures, coconut oil has long been used in recipes, hair care concoctions and natural medicines. Luckily, word is spreading that coconut oil is truly all that it’s cracked open to be. Here are the top three ways to benefit from this island staple:

1. Balanced eating – Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs); whereas, other triglycerides contain long-chain fatty acids that your body stores as fat. Coconut oil’s MCTs make it a comparable substitute for butter or vegetable oil. Try baking with coconut oil for a healthier sweet treat, or add it to your post-workout smoothie to give your muscles the nutrients they need.

2. Skin health – Coconut oil’s antioxidants make it a natural skin-nourishing moisturizer. Adding virgin coconut oil to your daily beauty regimen may help your skin maintain its supple, youthful quality. Transport yourself to a spa everyday by whipping up an all-natural moisturizing mask with coconut oil, melted beeswax and water.

3. Hair care – The protein and nutrients of coconut oil’s fatty acids help protect hair from damaging free radicals. Pure coconut oil can be massaged directly onto your scalp and through hair for regular conditioning and salon-style strands.

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. They know that a healthy lifestyle is more than organic vitamins and natural supplements.  That’s why Vitacost.com offers essentials for your home, your baby, your pantry, your beauty routine – even your furry, four-legged friends! Since 1994, Vitacost.com has been taking the cost out of healthy living. Today, you can shop over 35,000 products like elderberries to reishi mushrooms from your computer, tablet or smartphone with just a click of a button. Some might say Vitacost.com is the silver platter of healthy living – let them serve you. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.