Chile Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

This makes a great side to tacos or burritos and is excellent in taco salad!!  

Chile Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

2 cup water

1 cup short-grain brown rice

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

juice from one lime

1/2 T raw agave

1/4 t Himalayan salt

1/4 t onion powder

1/4 t garlic powder

Cook water and brown rice according to directions. I boil mine and simmer for about an hour. When rice is cooked, add all other ingredients and combine. My favorite way to serve it is in taco salad!!

Veggie Taco "Dump" Soup

This is a super easy soup to make. I like to call it Taco "Dump" Soup because it is so easy you literally dump the cans in the pot and heat up!!  I have added a few more veggies and spices and it is delicious!!  

Veggie Taco "Dump" Soup

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 t minced garlic

1 onion, finely chopped in food processor

2 carrots, chopped in food processor

2 celery spears, chopped in food processor

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 oz) northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 oz) organic corn, drained

1 can (14 oz) black olives, drained

1 can (4 oz) diced chiles

2 cups tomato juice

1/3 cup coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)

2 t Himalayan salt

2 t chili powder

1 t cumin

1 t oregano

1 t paprika

1/4 t cayenne (optional for added spice, but so good with this!)

(Optional garnishes: fresh cilantro, organic corn chips, sour cream, cheezy queso dip)

Heat olive oil in pot. Saute garlic and onions until translucent. Add carrots and celery and saute a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer on stove until flavors have combined and you are ready to serve. Garnish soup if desired.

Carrot Spice Muffins

I saw a recipe for carrot spice muffins and knew I had to create my own version. These are adapted from fatfreevegan. They turned out super yummy! My children gobbled them up tonight!!  We will definitely be making these again soon! 

Carrot Spice Muffins

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1 T sprouted ground flax

1 t aluminum-free baking powder

3/4 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

3/4 t ground ginger

1/2 t all spice

1/4 t nutmeg

1/2 t Himalayan salt

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (3 medium)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 t pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Add wet ingredients. Oil muffin pan. Use large scoop and place batter into 12 muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Pear German Pancakes (Gluten Free)

I LOVE german pancakes!!  They are super yummy and I wanted to healthify my recipe so I could enjoy them. The addition of pears turned out amazing!!  You could also use whole wheat flour instead of the gluten free flour.

Pear German Pancakes

2 T coconut oil

4 eggs

1/2 c rice milk

1/2 cup almond milk

2 T coconut sugar

3/4 cup gluten free flour

1/2 t Himalayan salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t  nutmeg

2 Bartlett pears, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 12" skillet with coconut oil in oven until liquid. Remove. Combine all other ingredients except pear in blender. Pour batter on heated skillet and top with pear slices. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with powdered coconut sugar. (To make powdered coconut sugar, take 1 T coconut sugar and blend in spice blender until fine.) Enjoy!

HUGE GOAL

I accomplished a HUGE GOAL today!!  I am officially 100+ lbs lighter. I now weigh less than I did in high school! Here is a picture of me today in my prom dress from my senior prom. Woo hoo!!

Southwestern Quinoa

I love quinoa! This is my Southwestern version!

Southwestern Quinoa

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water
3 scallions, diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups orange grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 avocado, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 can organic corn, drained and rinsed (optional)

(Dressing)

1/4 cup EVOO

1 T red wine vinegar

zest and juice of one lime
1 1/2 T pure maple syrup

1 t minced garlic

1/2 t Himalayan salt

1/4 t freshly cracked pepper
1/2 t cumin

1/2 t dried oregano or Italian seasoning

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a pot.  Turn heat down and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until quinoa is soft and all liquid is absorbed. In the meantime chop all veggies and add to large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients in Vitamix until blended well.  Add the dressing and quinoa to bowl and mix well. You can serve warm or cool in fridge and serve cold.

Easy Guacamole

 

 I really really REALLY love avocados! They are so creamy and perfect! One of my most favorite things to make with avocados is fresh guacamole. It is fairly easy, especially if you have just made some fresh salsa. 

Easy Guacamole

1 avocado

1-2 pinches Himalayan salt

pinch onion powder

2-3 spoonfuls fresh salsa (in a pinch use canned salsa)

Peel avocado and remove pit. Mash with a fork until creamy. Add seasonings and salsa and mix. Perfect on taco salad, raw tacos and with organic corn chips. As you can see, my measurements on this are not exact, I go a lot by taste!