Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently went gluten-free. Do I miss the bread, the pasta, the cookies, the cake? Yeah absolutely. But recipes like this have made it easier on me. This recipe for the gluten-free chocolate chip cookies was soooooo simple. I had all of the ingredients in my kitchen already and it took all of five minutes to whip up. Surprisingly these cookies taste really good! They're really chewy and even after leaving them out for a few days, they remain to be soft and chewy! They're the best tasting gluten-free cookies I've ever had, so I'm very excited about this recipe that I found from Fit Sugar. Here it is:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a medium bowl, mix the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond milk. Beat to combine.
• In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir well.
• Add the liquid and the chocolate chips. Stir until combined
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Scoop rounded tablespoons of batter about two inches apart. They will get bigger.
• Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until tops are lightly browned
• Allow to cool for a few minutes before eating

Eat with some ice cream, milk, melted chocolate, or just as they are :)

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes With Avocado-Lime Sauce

I recently went mostly gluten-free, so I have been eating a ton of quinoa. I came across this recipe on Mind Body Green. It is gluten-free and vegan. It was pretty delicious. The flavors of the sweet potato and the quinoa mixed well with the avocado, lime, and cilantro. It was a relatively simple recipe. The good news is the recipe makes about 10 cakes, so you can save them for meals or snacks later in the week. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:
Makes 10 cakes- 5 servings

Sweet Potato Cakes
Ingredients:

• 2 medium baked sweet potatoes (without the skins)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 scallions chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Place prepared sweet potatoes in a large bowl and use a fork to mash the sweet potato against the sides of the bowl until only small chunks appear. 
• Stir in quinoa, scallions, garlic, salt, red pepper, and cumin and mix thoroughly
• Using wet hands, shape quinoa mixture into palm-sized patties
• Place patties on the prepared sheet
• Pour olive oil in a small bowl and use silicone brush to lightly coat the top of each patty with oil 
• Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown
• Top with 1 tablespoon with avocado lime sauce on top of two patties and serve

Avocado Lime Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado peeled and pitted
• 1 tablespoon of sesame tahini
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 cilantro springs, minced
• Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and pulse until smooth (1-2 minutes)
• Serve over quinoa cakes

Eat and enjoy :)

Coconut Berry Chia Arugula Salad

After hibernating inside my apartment for a few days, due to all the snow we've been getting in Boston this winter, I decided I needed to have a summery lunch. I was craving tropical flavors and juicy fruits. I was not feeling the usual soup or warm comfort food, that was all plain and unappetizing to me at the moment. From eating this salad, my mouth took a trip to the tropical islands while the rest of me was longing to. But I am so glad I did it because I think my creation of a salad was very delicious. The flavors all went well together.

If you're looking to eat a summery salad in this freezing cold, never-ending-snow-storm-of-a-winter, try this recipe!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Arugula
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Avocado 
• Chia Seeds
• Coconut Flakes
• Coconut oil and Lime Juice (optional dressing)

Directions:

• Cut up the strawberries and avocado into slices
• Place a bunch of arugula on a plate
• Toss the strawberries, avocado slices, blueberries, chia seeds, and coconut flakes on top of the arugula
• I used a little bit of melted coconut oil mixed with some lime juice for dressing. Otherwise use a dressing of your choice and enjoy

Hope it takes your mind off of this freezing cold winter for a little while. Enjoy! #leangreennutrition #stayhealthy

Lime Coconut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

I tried this new breakfast bowl this morning. Usually I eat quinoa for lunch, dinner, or in salads but never have I eaten it for breakfast as something sweet. It sort of takes a new spin on the idea of breakfast oatmeal but uses quinoa instead.

I overall enjoyed it but it will definitely take me some time to get used to quinoa as a "sweet" food and not my usually savory quinoa. For those of you who like oatmeal, try this out to for a new textured and sweetened spin off of your usual daily breakfast oatmeal.

Also, for a fast and easy breakfast, try making a bunch of quinoa on Sunday night so that it will last you the rest of the week. A little bit of quinoa can fill you up for a long while, so a serving should be between 1/2 a cup to a full cup. If you make the quinoa ahead of time, this recipe will take almost zero time besides the time that it takes for you to gobble it all down.

I found this recipe on Mind Body Green but added a few touches of my own to it. Here's the Recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut 
• Banana Slices
• Chopped pecans-- I used almonds
• Almond milk
• Maple syrup--I used Agave Nectar
• Squeeze of a lime

Directions:

• To cook the quinoa:
• Place water and quinoa in a small sauce pan
• Bring to a boil
• Turn heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes
• Quinoa is done when all the water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy
• Prepare to toast coconut flakes or shreds (I skipped this step)
• Heat in a skillet on medium low heat for five minutes
• Stir frequently
• When coconut is brown transfer to a bowl
• Get together rest of the toppings
• Place a serving of quinoa (1/2 cup-1 cup) in a bowl
• Top quinoa with coconut, banana, pecans or almonds, a splash of almond milk, maple syrup or agave nectar, and a squeeze of a lime
• Eat and enjoy

Kale Chips

Kale Chips...everyone knows kale is SOOO good for you. Its a nutritional powerhouse with tons of health benefits. However the taste, can be too bitter on its own for some people or some just plain don't like the taste of it. Well, I recommend trying it in chip form. Its crispy and cheesy and so delicious. This recipe is also very easy and takes a total of 15 minutes. Here's the recipe I based mine of of from Tastes Better From Scratch:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of fresh kale
• 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
• Sea salt to taste
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese (I also added this to taste because I love parmesan)

Directions:

• Remove stems from kale
• Chop into chunks and rinse it in a colander and dry well
• Place into a large bowl and toss with olive oil, sea salt, and garlic
• Lay flat on a large baking sheet (don't overcrowd the baking sheet to ensure even baking)

• Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top
• Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until edges are light brown and the leaves are crispy
• Ready to eat!

These are so much better than the store bought ones, so give them a try :)