Collagen Skin Smoothie

Skin Talk!

Have you ever stopped to think about what you put on your skin and the impact it has on your overall body? I made the switch to cleaner products for my skin and overall hygiene years ago. I don’t really talk much about it but I realized how far I’ve come when deciding what to put on my skin. Our skin is our largest organ, we need to start treating it like it matters. Not only should we be concerned about what we use on our skin but especially what we put IN our bodies! I see and hear so many people complain about their skin health but turn to buying massive amounts of skin care products claiming to help. It’s time to look within. Most people rarely consider changing their diet. Before you decide to purchase that $150 serum, give your kitchen a try first and then focus on buying/using products that are clean.

“Our skin is our largest organ and you need to start treating it right. We are past the point of having to prove that what we eat also affects our skin”

Start with my skin smoothie. I made this at a skin health event last month in SF and it was a huge hit!

• 2 cups kale or spinach (or both)

• 1 large avocado

• 1 cup frozen mango

• 1 cup frozen pineapple

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

• 2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

• 1 scoop collagen (I use Further Food)

• 2 cups coconut water (or filtered water)

Start by blending the spinach, mint, and coconut water first. Then add the avocado and blend again. Add the frozen fruit, blend. Lastly, add the lemon juice and collagen to mix in. This amounts makes a few smoothies! You can store your smoothie for a later use in an airtight cup or glass mason jar to preserve nutrients OR make the whole thing and have a skin smoothie party with your family and friends! Bonus: You can make an avocado mask while you sip it!

Easy Coconut Yogurt

Probiotic Coconut Yogurt

1 16oz bag Coconut Meat

3 probiotic capsules

Juice of half a lemon

Prep before making:

You need to make sure to sterilize your utensils and glass mason jar with boiling water.

Directions:

1.     Mix all coconut meat and lemon juice in a high speed blender or I use my Vitamix.

2.     Blend until smooth

3.     Store in a glass jar and empty the probiotic capsules into the yogurt, mix in well

4.     Cover top with any cloth and a rubber band

5.     Refrigerate overnight

Raw Vegan Date Cashew Bars

I was inspired by both my craving for date bars and one of my friends on Instagram. Dates are delicious and I grew up eating them until I become a teen then I forgot all about dates L These are so chewy and melt in your mouth delicious! Oh by the way if you haven’t noticed, all of my recipes are on the paleo and/or vegan spectrum so enjoy!!

Ingredients:

Base and Topping:

2 cups raw cashews

1 cup gluten free oats

¼ cup date paste

¼ cup melted coconut oil

1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

For the filling:

2 cups date paste + ½ cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional toppings: chocolate chips, other seeds and nuts, or dried fruit!

Directions:

1.     Place cashews and oats in food processor to a crumble texture.

2.     Add dates, coconut oil, and salt. Set aside 1 cup of topping mixture.

3.      In a 8x8 pan, spread the mixture and press firmly into pan.

4.     Now for the filling, mix all ingredients together in the food processor and pulse until a smooth consistency

5.     Spread the filling onto the base evenly and used the reserved 1 cup mixture that we saved for the topping.

6.     Refrigerate for about 2-3 hours and when ready cut into squares (I like using a pizza cutter, it’s easy!) Enjoy!!!

Lamb, Mushroom, and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pack Explore Cuisine organic green lentil lasange

1 jar Dave’s Gourmet sauce or sauce of choice

1 pack organic crimini mushrooms

1 cup organic fresh spinach

1 lb grass-fed ground lamb

1 tsp fresh garlic

1 tsp pink sea salt

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1.     Before heating up the oil, mix the spices and season the lamb.

2.     Heat olive oil on stovetop pan

3.     Add lamb and brown on all sides

4.     While the lamb is browning, in a separate pan, cook the mushrooms until tender.

5.     When the lamb and the mushrooms are done, place them aside to start building the lasagna.

6.     In a 9x9 shallow dish pan, place 3 lasagna sheets down.

7.     Now we build and this will be the same repetition until you are out of sheets and lasagna filling.

8.     Add the lamb, mushrooms, sauce, and spinach and top with more lasagna sheets.

9.     Repeat until done. Remember to place each new row of lasagna filling and sheets horizontally and vertically.

10.  Cover with foil and cook at 400F for 35mins.

11.  Wait til cool and enjoy!

Cashew Snack Balls

Cashew Snack Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews

½ cup dates

1 scoop collagen

¼ cup One Degree Sprouted Oat Vanilla Chai Granola (or any other granola or oats desired)

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

chocolate chips as desired

Directions:

1.     Soak dates (unpitted) in bowl with warm to hot water for at least 15mins

2.     Grind cashews in the food processor until desired consistency

3.     Add dates and pulse in with cashews

4.     Add cinnamon, salt, and collagen and granola

5.     Pulse until a smooth texture

6.     Place mixture in bowl and add desired amount of chocolate chips

7.     Mix all together, roll in medium sized balls and freeze overnight.

Note: These balls can get very sticky and/or soft. It depends how you like them! I refrigerated some overnight and froze some. I liked the refrigerated ones since I prefer less chewing. You can also play with the ingredients. These are fun for quick snacks or pick me up dessert and super easy to bring to friends and family! Enjoy! 

Curried Shrimp Tacos

I used to love tacos. I mean, who doesn’t! They are delicious, easy to make, and fun to eat. I had a craving for shrimp and tacos so I thought Ok I’ll go ahead and make some fish tacos. I was really excited to find Siete Cassava and Chia tortillas. I’ve found the almond flour ones several times but since I have a high sensitivity to almonds, I had to stay away. Okay here it goes and as always enjoy!!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 lime (use the juice)
• 1 tsp salt
• Avocado oil
• 1 pack Siete tortillas or your own grain free
• 1 whole avocado, mashed
• kraut

Directions:

1.     After you clean and devein the shrimp, cut off the tail and put shrimp in a bowl.

2.     Mix the spice ingredients in a small bowl until combined

3.     Put a small amount of oil to drizzle over the shrimp and combine using a spoon

4.     Combine spices and shrimp and juice the lime in the bowl and mix

5.     Heat skillet on stove to medium high lightly greased and add shrimp when heated

6.     Cook shrimp until it is opaque in color and flesh is pink (about 5-8mins)

7.     While shrimp is cooking, heat tortillas on stove top for 1 minute (if using Siete)

8.     Time to assemble the tacos1

9.     Place smashed avocado on tortillas, top with kraut and add the shrimp! Enjoy!

Easy Lentil Soup

Super Simple Lentil Soup

This lentil soup recipe is originally from my Tatah’s (grandma in Arabic) recipe. It’s a really simple recipe with a few ingredients and cheap to make. Make sure to top it with some fresh squeezed lemon juice and eat it with pita bread (have an extra bite for me since I don’t eat gluten). I think I miss pita bread the most since going gluten-free. There’s just things I admit do not taste good as “gluten-free”. I don’t miss gluten in general, I just miss being able to enjoy traditional meals I grew up eating that I won’t bother to recreate as paleo. But I’ve seen some pretty good recipes out there. I used to cook like a crazy person and that’s when I should have documented it all with pics, recipes, etc but I was also extremely sick the past few years and so I didn’t think to do that. Otherwise this blog and my instagram would have been way more food centered.

Okay enough of ranting! Here is the recipe and look I remembered to take some pictures AS I ACTUALLY COOKED in the process! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

·      1 cup orange/red lentils, rinsed

·      3-4 cups water or veggie broth (depending on how much liquid you want in your soup)

·      half an onion, diced

·      ½ tsp cumin

·      salt to taste

·      1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1.     Place the olive oil in the soup pot

2.     Heat on medium heat

3.     Dice the onion and place in pot, cook onions until fragrant (1-2 mins)

4.     Add the lentils and saute for (2 mins)

5.     Add the salt & cumin

6.     Add the water or broth

7.     Allow to boil, then simmer for about 35 mins or until lentils are soft

8.     Enjoy with lemon and pita bread!

Ancient Grain Bowl with Grass-Fed Flank Steak

I’m super excited to share my take on True Food Kitchen’s Ancient Grain Bowl! I really love this restaurant so here’s some info on it. True Food Kitchen was inspired by Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Pyramid. The concept is to include foods that counteract chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is the root of autoimmune disease. The restaurant uses local, organic, and sustainable ingredients from a range of dishes influenced by Mediterranean, Asian, and American cuisine. They also focus on “green features” of the restaurant by choosing to be environmentally friendly such as eliminating plastic bottles, using reclaimed wood and recycled tiles in their restaurant.

There are several locations throughout the mid-west, Arizona, and California. My favorite location is in Santa Monica. It’s a gorgeous restaurant with beautiful outdoor seating. Lucky for me, TFK recently opened two new locations in the Bay Area. One in Walnut Creek and the other in Palo Alto.

I recently visited the Palo Alto location. It was packed during Tuesday lunch around 1:00pm so I sat at the bar (which by the way I’ve been loving to do lately, especially if I dine alone). I started with the Curried Cauliflower (omg delicious!), and then the Ancient Grain Bowl with grass-fed steak, and finished with the Medicine Man (black tea, cranberry, pomegranate, honey, & sea buckthorn).

Ok so I hope I either convinced you to visit TFK or inspired you to make this dish. Don’t be scared off by the list of ingreidents or steps. It looks like a lot but really it’s not. As with any “bowl”, you choose a base and build from there which usually includes veggies and proteins. So you can also have fun with it and easily sub for veggies and grains that you like!

Ingredients: Heads up, I used avocado oil and nothing else on the veggies for cooking them.

·      1 bag Trader Joe’s sweet potatoes pre-cut and cubed (believe me this saves so much time)

·      1 bag Trader Joe’s snap peas

·      2 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced horizontally

·      1 onion

·      1 cup quinoa, cooked

·      1 lb grass-fed organic flank steak, thinly sliced

For the flank steak marinade:

·      2 limes

·      2 garlic cloves, minced

·      ¼ cup coconut aminos

·      1 tsp raw honey

·      1 tsp sea salt

·      1 knob fresh ginger, microplaned

Directions:

1.     Roast sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 20-25mins until tender not soft or mushy!

2.     Combine the snap peas and mushrooms and sauté in a pan and cook on medium heat until tender.

3.     Slice and grill the whole onion in a small pan.

4.     Set all veggies and onion aside when done cooking

5.     Cook 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water or broth. I use a rice cooker! Saves time.

6.     Combine all ingredients for the marinade and pour over sliced flank steak. Marinade either overnight (the day before) or morning of before you cook dinner.

7.     Time to cook the steak!

8.     Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil of choice and put steak into pan, cook until ready (do not overcook meat!)

9.     Build your bowl! Place quinoa in a bowl, top with veggies and steak and enjoy!

Tip: I store all the veggies and quinoa and steak in separate containers in the fridge and eat throughout the week. I also like to add sauce or dip such as pesto which makes it delicious!

Peanut Butter Christmas Cookies

So if you read my Instagram post on Wednesday, I posted a sneak peek of these and also mentioned how I haven’t had peanut butter in over 2 ½ years. There are a lot of reasons why I stopped eating both peanut butter and corn, and not just because I went paleo. A few years ago I had Candida overgrowth (which wasn’t huge) and peanuts contain Alfatoxins which is produced by a mold that tends to grow on peanuts. I suspected mold issues in the very beginning of my health issues so I stayed away from anything that would exacerbate the symptoms.

The brand I used was Wild Friends Creamy Peanut Butter and their brand is legit. The ingredients are Roasted Peanuts and Sea Salt AND they are certified non-GMO which is huge for both peanuts and corn, if you are going to eat them!

I’ve been really craving almond thumbprint cookies from Primal Palate, I make them every Christmas but because of my almond sensitivity results back in September, I have to stay away for a few more months. Perfect timing right? If you get a chance to make the almond thumbprint cookies please do, they are seriously addicting and delicious. I still plan on making them for my sister, she loves them! My older sister is an almond fan and has loved Marzipan since I can remember and that’s probably where my love for almonds started.

I made these cookies for my other sister and I hope she likes them and I hope you all do too. If you have 15 minutes and these 5 ingredients on hand, then these babies are all yours (or to give as gifts in cute tin boxes) in they last!

Ingredients:

·      1 cup Wild Friends Peanut Butter

·      1 egg- I use Vital Farms

·      1 cup coconut sugar

·      1 tsp vanilla extract

·      ½ tsp baking soda

·      ½ tsp sea salt or more to top the chocolate (optional)

·      Choice of chocolate, I used Enjoy Life chocolate chunks

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.     Mix all ingredients in one bowl until combined

3.     Scoop the dough onto parchment paper or silicon baking sheet (I use something similar to these)

4.     Bake for 8-10 minutes

5.     Immediately place your choice of chocolate in the center and let cool.

6.     Makes 18 cookie

Fall Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl

Fall Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients:

• ½ can of organic pumpkin
• 1 frozen banana chopped
• ¼ cup cashew milk
• 1 tbsp Macaccino mix (alternatively, you can use 1tbsp maca powder and cacao powder)
• 2 pitted Medjool dates
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and enjoy! I topped mine with gluten free granola! Enjoy!

Vanilla Maca Oatmeal

As promised here is the recipe! In my Instagram post I talked about mindful eating. I used to think it was such a waste of time. But for those who don’t know, when your body is stressed you can’t digest. You need to be relaxed in order to get the best digestion and absorb those nutrients! Often times, I skipped eating when I was angry because I knew my stomach would be suffering in pain. I also mentioned my previous (and still working on it) guilt and stress from years of different diets. I didn’t eat ANY grains for the longest time, not even rice. So, when it was time to reintroduce I was in fear that what I ate would send me into a flare. But I also realized I can’t live my life that way. I began to ease that stress and enjoy food again. I had to tell myself that if I do end up in a flare, it’s not my fault (I often deal with judgment towards myself). When I craved foods such as grains, I would do whatever it took to stay away. But the point in elimination is to reintroduce. Safe to say I can still eat grains in smaller amounts and they’re safe for me. I was very excited to be able to eat this meal. Sometimes we take so much for granted and something as simple as being able to eat Gluten free oatmeal is a huge victory in itself! Have you struggled with reintroducing foods as part of an elimination diet? Let me know! I’m thinking of working on a wellness post about it.

Ingredients:

1 cup gf oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1 cup water

1 cup nondairy milk of choice (I used Flax milk)

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract (if you have a vanilla bean pod, scrap the pods from one bean)

1 tsp maca powder

¼ tsp nutmeg

Optional toppings:

Maple Syrup

Persimmons

Cashew Butter

Directions:

1.     Bring to a boil the water and flax milk with salt

2.     Stir in the oats and whisk continuously, add vanilla extract

3.     Continue to watch the oats and stir as needed until all of the liquid is absorbed (20mins)

4.     Lastly add the maca powder and nutmeg

5.     Stir together, place in a bowl and add the toppings! I used one whole persimmon, drizzled maple syrup and one scoop of my homemade cashew butter.

6.     Enjoy!

Kale Pesto Turkey Burgers

The other day I had thought of stuffing butternut squash with it but honestly, I just don’t like squash. It’s not like I hate it but I realized I just don’t have a liking towards it. And if you are a Virgo like myself, you know you can’t half ass like something. Either way, I went against that thought and opened the fridge. My eyes led me to the Kale Pesto Hummus from Hope Foods, if you haven’t checked them out, you need to! Alright, so naturally I was lazy today (not actually tired) and I wanted something fast without much clean up. I grabbed olives, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and the hummus. That’s how this quick, easy, and juicy turkey burger happened!

Ingredients:

1 lb organic ground turkey

1 tbsp lemon juice (or half a medium lemon)

1 tsp Himalayan salt

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp Kale Pesto Hummus

5-6 greek pitted olives (diced)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Shape into patties (small or medium is up to you) I do mini patties

Place onto greased baking sheet, I used coconut oil

Bake for 25-30mins until slightly browned and cooked.

Pumpkin Shaped Cashew Butter Chocolates

I never can remember exactly how or why I like Halloween. I say that because the rest of my family isn’t really into Halloween. We went trick-or-treating as children and got dressed up but there wasn’t much emphasis on actually celebrating in a big way. Anyway I say this because I do like Halloween. The decorations are the most likeable part to the day along with endlessly watching Hocus Pocus. I was at the dollar store grabbing some photo props and I saw a really cute pumpkin shaped ice cube tray. I immediately thought of melting chocolate over it and making cashew butter stuffed chocolate pumpkins! Haha well not that exact whole name but the flavors for sure are on point!

Ingredients:

¾ cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

1 tbsp coconut oil

¼ cup cashew butter

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil on a double broiler, microwave or melt on the stovetop until smooth.

Grab the pumpkin tray and cover each mold with chocolate

Set tray in freezer for 10 minutes

Mix the filling ingredients until smooth

When the chocolate has hardened, fill each mold with the butter mixture.

Cover completely with chocolate

Set in freezer for 10 minutes.

They can keep in the freezer otherwise will melt fairly quickly. 

Pumpkin Cashew Cookies (vegan/gluten-free)

Heads up, I really loved baking gluten free/paleo. Warning: I bake from recipes and love to adapt BUT I also rarely write down the adaptations and then hate myself for it later on. I promise to get better at this. Each time I go into the kitchen I told myself I will bring a notepad and pen. So here’s to hoping I will learn from my mistakes so I can give you all some delicious baked goods and maybe I’ll get better at creating my own recipes without judging myself too much! These cookies have a cake like taste, they are soft and chewy. I personally like them in overnight oats or chia seed pudding or a sweeter smoothie. Let me know what you think!

Recipe adapted from: paleorunningmama.com

Makes: 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Mix

3 tbsp aquafaba

½ cup organic coconut sugar

½ cup organic pumpkin puree

1/3 cup cashew butter

1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cardamom

1 tbsp cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.

2.     In a large bowl, whisk together the aquafaba, cashew butter, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar and vanilla until smooth. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and baking soda.

3.    Combine the dry mixture then slowly mix it into the wet ingredients. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.

4.     Chill the dough for 10 mins in freezer.

5.     Once the dough is chilled, roll into 24 balls and place evenly on both cookie sheets, I flattened each cookie with my hand.

6.     Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. 

Protein Nice Cream

If you haven’t tried the vegan version of quick easy ice cream, do yourself a favor and get on it! Nice cream is essentially taking frozen bananas and blending them with other choices of flavors like fruit, protein powders, and of course chocolate. The consistency is pretty creamy and comparable to ice cream. The possibilities of mixing combinations are really endless. Hope you give it a try!

Ingredients:

2 Frozen bananas sliced

22g Natural Citizen Organic Protein powder

2 tbsp cacao powder

2 tbsp nondairy milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender (I always use my Vitamix). Blend until you reach a creamy consistency. You’ll have to stop the blender a few times to scrap down the sides and get the mixture combined. Enjoy immediately! I topped the nice cream with my pumpkin cookies!

Kale, Potato and Mushroom Soup (vegetarian)

At first I wanted to make this with ground turkey but just got back from the grocery store and there was no way I was going back. Right now, I’m taking a short break from meat. Sometimes I do that. I listen to what my body wants. It’s not craving meat at all so I can put it on hold for now. I’m telling you, LISTEN to your body. It will never steer you wrong, you just need to practice the listening part. I definitely will be writing a blog post about listening to your body, it’s one of my favorite topics. This is a perfect soup with lots of flavor, easy to make, simple, and is great for the cold weather.

Ingredients:

1 bunch curly kale- I just tear it from the stems into pieces

2 medium size white potatoes-chopped not peeled

1 pack sliced crimini mushrooms

3 carrots chopped

1 can coconut milk

½ medium onion chopped

¾ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

2 cloves minced garlic

4 ½ cups vegetable broth

Directions:

1. In a large sauce or soup pan, heat olive oil then add onions and cook until translucent.
2. Add the spices, salt, ginger, turmeric and garlic
3. Add the potatoes
4. Add the broth and the carrots
5. Bring to a boil and let cook until carrots and potatoes are tender
6. Add the mushrooms and kale and let boil for another 15 minutes
7. Last, stir in the coconut milk
8. Make sure all vegetables are tender and serve hot.

Broccoli Cilantro Soup

Broccoli Cilantro Soup (Vitamix recipe)

When I first got my Vitamix, I made all types of things in it. Then after a few months I used it like a regular blender. I just made smoothies in it. I have no clue why I would do such a thing. I got this Vitamix as a gift and I was so excited. I was obsessed with it. Then it just fell flat. Now, I refound my love for it and have made many recipes in it again.

I love the Fall, you’ll probably hear me say that again and again but I really do. I’m a September baby so right after my birthday I go into holiday mode and I love it. My future kids will be very annoyed ahah. Reminder: I’m studying to become a Nutritionist and by no means am I a chef. When I was diagnosed with UC, the kitchen became my outlet. I trained myself to cook Paleo. I fell in love with the online community of support from bloggers. My first cookbook when I started this journey was of course, Danielle Walkers’ Against All Grain. Her story still inspires me not to give up on my UC.

Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 stalks broccoli or 1 broccoli head (cut into chunks)

2 tbsp olive oil

½ cup bone broth

1 quarter chopped onion

¼ tsp salt

½ of an avocado

½ cup fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat oil and onions, add salt
2. Add broccoli to saute for 5 mins
3. Add broth and let simmer with broccoli until soft about 10mins
4. Transfer into vitamix with the avocado and cilantro. Puree until smooth. Add more broth or water if needed to reach desired consistency.
5. Garnish with cilantro
6. Enjoy!

Maple Maca Bombs

My two favorite seasons are Fall and Winter! Although here in the Bay Area we really don’t get any seasons, I just love the feeling of all things fall and winter. While my mind is jumping ahead to the holidays (but not my wallet), I wanted to make a snack that feels like fall. To me, maple screams fall! I’ve been obsessed with Wild Friends Maple Sunflower seed butter for awhile so I knew I had to add it to this bombs/balls! I used some specific brands for this particular recipe that I had on hand but feel free to sub and let me know how it goes!

These are perfect snacks for on the go, not too sweet and the maple really comes through in this recipe. I hope you all enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 cup One Degree Organics Sprouted Oat Quinoa Cacao Granola

1 cup One Degree Organics Sprouted Oat Vanilla Chia Granola

¾ cup Wild Friends Maple Sunflower Seed Butter

1 tbsp maca powder

1 tsp cacao powder

1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

·       Pulse both granola, maca, and cacao in a food processor until it’s all mixed together.

·       (be careful not to overmix the granola otherwise it will become like a flour)

·       Add the coconut oil and maple syrup and lightly pulse again to mix

·       Last, add the sunflower seed butter, transfer to a bowl to mix.

·       Scoop the dough into small round balls, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 1 hour.