Orange Julius Smoothie

    

   I love this smoothie throughout the day, but we end up making it in the morning because my kids usually beg for it, they say, “orange shake please.” It’s been about 95-100 degrees daily out here on the central coast and this bright citrus smoothie wakes me up just in time for our morning walk which needs to be before 10am. I hope you try this recipe out and maybe add your own touches to it!


Ingredients:

1 cup of yogurt (I use cream line for its mild taste)

2 medium sized oranges

1 cup of frozen pineapple

½ a ripe banana (if you prefer a sweet taste)

• Peel the skin off of the oranges and take out seeds if need
• Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend for 1 minute
• Serve

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Protein Bars

Ingredient:


¼ cup of honey

¾ cup of peanut butter

¾ cup of almond butter

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp of sea salt (if your nut butter is salted disregard the sea salt)

1 cup dried milk powder

2 tbsp of coconut flour

1 cup of toasted chopped pecans

2 ½ cups of puffed brown rice (unsweetened)

Optional ½ cup of chocolate chips and or raisins

        Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with wax paper

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the honey, vanilla and sea salt; heat up just before a boil. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the nut butters and remaining ingredients expect the chocolate and raisins. And the chocolate and raisins once the batter’s not to warm (or garnish them on top after pressing the bars into the dish) 
• Press in to the baking dish with a piece of wax paper on top to prevent from sticking.
• Place into the freezer with the wax paper still on top for 1 hour. Cut into bar sizes and store them in plastic baggies or air tight sealed containers.

I hope you enjoy these as my family does!!!

Add some chocolate!

Kid approved. 

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Summer Squash Mac & Cheese

     I love summer squash especially since it’s in season. And this is totally a kid friendly dish as most of my dishes are. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 medium purple onion

5 tbsp of Olive oil

5 cups of chopped yellow squash

2 cups of brown rice pasta

Water

½ tsp of Sea salt

1 cup of extra sharp cheese (I used a mix of Cabot and New Zealand cheddar “TJ’s”)

Garnish with extra cheese

• Add the pasta to a pot of boiling water for 8 minutes. When the pasta is tender immediately drain the water (saving 1 cup of the water)
• In a skillet sauté the onions with the olive oil until golden brown. Then add the squash, pasta water, sea salt and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.
• Once the veggies are tender stir in the pasta and cheese
• Serve

Servings: 4 people  

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Perfect Banana Pancakes

     I love summer squash especially since it’s in season. And this is totally a kid friendly dish as most of my dishes are. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

1 medium purple onion

5 tbsp of Olive oil

5 cups of chopped yellow squash

2 cups of brown rice pasta

Water

½ tsp of Sea salt

1 cup of extra sharp cheese (I used a mix of Cabot and New Zealand cheddar “TJ’s”)

Garnish with extra cheese

• Add the pasta to a pot of boiling water for 8 minutes. When the pasta is tender immediately drain the water (saving 1 cup of the water)
• In a skillet sauté the onions with the olive oil until golden brown. Then add the squash, pasta water, sea salt and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.
• Once the veggies are tender stir in the pasta and cheese
• Serve

Servings: 4 people  

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Basil Turkey Sausage Patties

This recipe is so versatile, you can add whatever you have in your fridge. this recipe calls for basil carrots onions and spinach, but I've also added to the base ingredients (ground turkey, sausage, an egg, and almond flour) is chopped apples, mustard, cracked black pepper, and goat cheese and they were fabulous too. Here's what we had for dinner tonight. These are so moist and flavorful....Yummm.

1 medium red onion chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

½ cup of chopped carrots or one large carrot

4-6 medium size cloves of garlic

zest of one small lemon

¼ of a bag of frozen spinach (about 1 cup frozen)

¼ tsp of sea salt

1 egg

¼ cup of almond flour or meal

1 pound of ground turkey

2 sausage links (raw I used garlic basil, but I find any on your favorite sausage works)

• Heat up a medium size skillet on medium heat with olive oil
•  Add the chopped onions and saute until golden brown
•  Add the carrots and spinach and garlic. Cook until carrots are soft

• Heat up a large skillet on medium heat with a little butter and olive oil (this ones for the patties)
• combine and mix in a large bowl the cooked veggies, zest, sea salt, egg and almond flour, turkey meat and sausage (removing the casings)
•  With your hands make patties to about the size of your palm or smaller (I make them smaller for my kids)
• Add the formed patties to the skillet and let them cook until the rim of the patties are white
•  Flip (add the cheese if desired) and cook for another four minutes
• Serve

I served these with a concoction that the kids love and I like because it has less sugar then ketchup.

¼ cup of tomato sauce (I use an unsalted marinara that I keep in the fridge)

1-2 tbsp of your favorite BBQ sauce
Combine the tomatoes sauce and BBQ sauce in a serving dish and serve on the side

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Chocolate Chip Brownies

These are so yummy and to me taste way better than traditional wheat flour brownies. The moisture from almond flour and apple sauce makes it so moist. I took a recipe from Elana’s Almond Flour Cook Book http://www.elanaspantry.com/ and made it a little different by using less sugar and less oil and replacing it with apple sauce. I know its summer time and maybe baking seems to be the last thing on your mind but, baking them early in the morning when the temperatures are cool makes it easy to get around the heat. Also these taste so good frozen and added to your favorite ice cream!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter  (or coconut oil)

3/4 cup of agave

1/2 cup of apple sauce

1/4 cup of half and half (or milk of your chose)

1 tbsp vanilla

3 eggs

3 cups of almond flour/meal, www.store.honeyvillegrain.com

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp of baking soda

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp’s of coco powder

1/2 cup to 1 cup of chocolate chips (semi sweet or dark)

• preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Butter or oil an 11 by 7 inch baking dish
• Melt the butter in a small size sauce pan
• Combine and mix in a large bowl the melted butter, agave, apple sauce, half and half, vanilla and eggs
• Combine in a smaller bowl the almond flour/meal, sea salt, baking soda and coco powder
• Mix the dry ingredients into the wet
• Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chocolate chips and stir
• Pour the batter in the prepared baking dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the dish comes out clean.
• Take out of the oven and let cool in the baking dish for 1 hour
•  Cut into bars and serve

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