Sweet Basil Tapenade

Ingredients:

• 1.5 Cups Fresh Basil, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/8 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Cooking Instructions:

1. Blend the basil, pumpkin seeds, and garlic in a food processor until chunky
2. Pour the basil mix into a bowl and mix in the remainder of the ingredients
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator

Perfect for dipping Jicama, Flackers, and Pita Wedges in!

The Health Benefits of Strawberries

I bought the most amazing strawberries today and they are so healthy for you!   

Here are just a few of those healthy reasons: 

• Strawberries have a plethora of phytonutrients that have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and heart-protective qualities.
• Strawberries are filled with Vitamin C
• 1 Cup has 136% of your daily value of Vitamin C! 
• Vitamin C is beneficial for numerous reasons: boosts immune function, acts as an antioxidant to fight free radicals that can cause cancers and various other diseases, lowers blood pressure, and can defend against cataracts
• Strawberries have a good deal of manganese 
• 1 Cup has over 21% of your daily value of manganese
• Manganese is mainly for bone health: it ensures healthy bone structure, bone metabolism, helping in building essential enzymes for building bones
• Strawberries have fiber! Americans eat on average 10-20 grams less than they should on a daily basis, so to get up to 25 grams/day, add some berries into your diet!
• 1 Cup of strawberries has 13.2% of your daily value of fiber, about 3.31 grams
• Fiber is beneficial for many reasons: bowel integrity, lowers cholesterol, helps stabilize blood sugar, can stave off hunger and help weight loss

Ashley's Homemade Marinara

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Small Sweet Onions, finely chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 2 Portobello Mushrooms, chopped
• 2, 32-ounce cans Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Dried Bay Leaves
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat
2. Add the onions and garlic, sauté until onions are translucent (about 10 minutes)
3. Add the mushroom, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper-saute until mushrooms are soft (about 8 minutes)
4. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce begins to thicken (about 1 hour)
5. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
6. Add the basil and mix into the sauce well.
7. Serve or refrigerate.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:

·      1 Cup Soy Milk, unflavored

·      1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

·      3/4 Cup Sugar

·      1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

·      1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (organic, gluten free)

·      1 Cup All-Purpose Flour (Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour)

·      1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder (I used fully organic, raw cocoa)

·      3/4 tsp Baking Soda

·      1/2 tsp Baking powder

·      1/4 tsp Himalayan Crystal Salt

Cooking Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or colorful, fun liners.

2.   Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside.

3.   Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4.   Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until smooth.

5.   Pour into liners, filling about 3/4 of the way.

6.   Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7.   Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Product of the Week- Himalayan Salt

What are the benefits of this pure, organic salt?

• Controls water levels in the body
• Stabalizes the body's pH balance
• Protects against aging
• Helps strengthen vascular health
• Supports respiratory function
• Promotes sinus health
• Reduces muscle cramps
• Increases bone strength
• Helps regulate blood pressure 
• Can increase libido
• May help with sleeping patterns
• And more...

Why Himalayan Salt is Better than Others:

Our usual iodized table salt is not really salt.  In fact, it is full of chemicals and even contains sugar!  Some of the chemicals include: 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals like iodine and absorbents, and sugar. 

Because of these chemical components, when our body's try to get rid of the salt, it cannot in a natural way.  This can lead to inflammation of the tissues in the body, water retention, and high blood pressure!  Yuck!

This wouldn't be such an issue if we did not, on average, ingest some 5,000 mg of sodium chloride per day due to this impure salt

Ashley's Favorite Tofu Scramble

Ingredients:

1/8 of an Extra Firm Tofu container, crumbled

1/2 Cup Mushrooms, sliced

1 Cup Bean Sprouts

2 Small Leeks, sliced into 1/2-inch strips

1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TB Ginger, minced

1 TB Tamari Sauce

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat 1/2 of the olive oil in a medium-sized saute pan for 1 minute
2. Toss the sliced leeks in and cook until well-browned
3. Add the tofu and cook for 3-4 minutes
4. Add the rest of the olive oil and toss in the mushrooms and sprouts and saute until the mushrooms are soft
5. Pour the pan's ingredients into a bowl and top with the ginger and soy sauce-mix well and enjoy!

Red Mexican Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Red Quinoa
• 3 Cups Water
• 2, 14.5-ounce cans Organic diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1, 15-ounce can of Organic Black Beans, rinsed & drained
• 6 Green Onions, chopped
• 2 tsp Sea Salt
• Cilantro sprigs, optional

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until all water is absorbed (about 15 minutes)
2. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, mix well
3. Top with cilantro sprigs when serving

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• 3 Medium Sweet Potatoes, cut into 1-inch thick fries
• 1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1.5 TB Taco Seasoning
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2. Put the cut sweet potatoes, seasonings, and oil in a large zip lock baggie and shake well 
3. Lay the fries out on the baking sheet
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until well-browned

Navy Beans with Caramelized Onion & Kale

Ingredients:

• 2 TB Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion, thinly sliced 
• 1 TB Garlic, minced
• 1 Can White Beans, rinsed & drained
•  4 Cups Kale, cleaned, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 Cup Vegetable Broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1.  Saute the onion in olive oil on low heat until caramelized 
2. Add garlic after onions are caramelized and saute 1 minute
3. Turn heat up to medium high and add remaining ingredients
4. Cook until kale is wilted and beans are heated through

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes (V, G, E, D, N)

I made these chocolate banana cupcakes today and literally could not stay away from them!  I worked out extra hard to make up for my complete lack of control. They were just so moist-a baking success! Now, I am giving the rest away as yummy treats.  Enjoy!


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups white rice flour

• 3/4 cup millet flour

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar

• 1 Cup Earth Balance Butter (1 stick,) softened

• 1 Cup Water

• 1 1/2 Bananas

• 
  
• Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
2. Grease 2, 12-cup cupcake tins or line with cupcake liners
3. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl
4. In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter, bananas, and water
5. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the larger bowl of wet ingredients
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick in it and it comes out dry