Tag Archive | superfoods

Recipe: Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries

Jan14

Seasoned sweet potato fries

Do you want to get more sweet potatoes into your diet?

Sweet potatoes are a delicious and nutritious Superfood.  They are high in vitamin B6, they are a good source of Vitamin C and magnesium, and they also contain Vitamin D, Iron, and Potassium. Packed with nutrients, I have been trying to incorporate more sweet potatoes into our diets, but it has not been easy since they are not a favorite food in my family.

I was so excited when I discovered this recipe originally intended for russet potatoes.  My family loved it with regular potatoes, so I decided to try it with sweet potatoes as well, and it was a hit!!  I usually prepare this using a combination of sweet potatoes and russet potatoes.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 3 Russet Potatoes (or 2 Russets and 1 Sweet Potato), quartered
  • 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) olive oil
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

  1. Quarter potatoes. Place into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Coat potatoes evenly with olive oil and parmesan cheese.
  3. In a separate small bowl, mix together salt, Italian seasoning, Garlic powder, and paprika
  4. Cover potatoes evenly with spice mixture.
  5. Lay potatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.
  6. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes.

 

Recipe: Homemade Granola

Oct30

Homemade Granola

As promised in yesterday’s post, here is my recipe for homemade granola.  This post can also be found in my blog, Stacy Loves…

I made granola for the first time last week.  I had never realized before how easy it is to make.  After trying some that my friend had made, I had to have her recipe.  I modified it to my liking and according to the ingredients I had on hand at the time.  That is one of the great things about granola…you can use whichever nuts, seeds, and extras you personally prefer or have on-hand.

Homemade granola can be made at a fraction of the cost of store-bought granola, and it is really easy to make!  It is packed with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and nutrition.  According to this article on WebMD, oats are one of the top ‘Superfoods’ that everyone needs.  Granola is an easy way to get lots of nutrients and superfoods into my kids’ diets.  I love to eat this plain, but it is also delicious mixed in yogurt or eaten as a cereal with milk.

The recipe I use is below, but feel free to modify the ingredients to your own liking.  Just try to keep the measured amounts the same.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup pecans (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup cashews (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup almonds (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/3 cups dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.)
  • (Optional) Extras:  Shredded coconut, chocolate chips, etc.

Instructions:

  1. Spread oats in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Bake at 325° for 7-10 minutes.
  2. Transfer oats to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Chop nuts/seeds in food processor until chopped but still coarse.
  4. Mix nuts/seeds into mixing bowl with oats.  Set aside.
  5. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Bring to a boil.
  6. Once boiling, remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  7. Pour mixture into nut/seed/oats mixture and mix until combined.
  8. Add dried fruit.
  9. Bake at 325° for approximately 15 minutes.
  10. Add chocolate chips or other extras (if using).
  11. Let cool and transfer to an airtight container.
  12. ENJOY!!! 🙂

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli

May16

May 16, 2014 JourneyToCompleteWellness.ComI am always trying to get more vegetables and Superfoods into my diet.  Broccoli is a Superfood and cancer-fighting food.

I’ll admit, I’m not very motivated when it comes to washing, cutting, preparing, and cooking vegetables.  Especially since I’m usually the only one in my family who will eat them.  Unfortunately, more vegetables rot in my refrigerator than I would like.  I have good intentions when I’m at the grocery store, but unless I buy them for a specific purpose, I usually forget about them and they sit there until I get the motivation to do something with them.  Or they rot.  And it really bothers me when I have to throw food away.

So, I was really excited when I found this super-easy recipe for roasted broccoli.  I made it with dinner last night, and I had to stop myself from eating the entire thing in one sitting.  I easily could have!

I found this recipe on Facebook in January and tried it for the first time then.  Here is the link to the original post on Instagram:  http://instagram.com/p/i6oZ17zgvm/#

Here is my recipe, just slightly different:

 Ingredients

1 head of broccoli, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 lemon (optional)

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 375°

2.  Place broccoli, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper in a ziploc bag and shake.  Alternatively, place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

3.  Spread out on baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.  Bake about 30 minutes.

Broccoli will be crunchy and delicious!  If desired, squeeze lemon over broccoli.  This is optional, but I do this because I love anything with lemon.  Enjoy!

For lunch today, I served the leftovers with rice and a little bit of shredded cheese.  The broccoli wasn’t as crunchy as it was when I first cooked it, but it was still delicious!  I plan to make this again VERY soon!!  I think I could eat this every day.  Now if I could just get the rest of my family to try it! 🙂

May 16, 2014 030 crop broccoli

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Apr7

This is a great smoothie to soothe a sore throat or cough.  My kids love the taste, and they love the pink color!  It’s also a great way to benefit from the healing properties of raw honey if you don’t like eating honey straight.  🙂

April 7, 2014 038 crop

Ingredients:
½ cup apple juice

½ cup filtered water

1 ripe banana

1 Tablespoon raw honey (local is best to help with seasonal allergies)

1 cup frozen organic strawberries

Instructions:
1.  Place all ingredients into blender except the strawberries.  Blend until smooth.

2.  Add the strawberries.  Blend until smooth.

Notes:  This smoothie is thick.  If you would like it thinner, add more liquid.  Do not feed raw honey to infants under 1.

Yield:  20 ounces

Recipe: Coconut Banana Cashew Smoothie

Mar26

My friend gave me some vanilla coconut milk the other day, so I decided to experiment and make some smoothies with it.  I found one that I really liked a lot!  I decided to grind up some cashews and add them to the smoothie for some extra fiber and protein.  Check out this website for more health benefits of cashews and see why they are one of the world’s healthiest foods.  Here is the recipe I came up with.  Enjoy! 🙂

Coconut Banana Cashew Smoothie

March 24, 2014 127 crop

Ingredients:

¼ cup cashews

¾ cup vanilla coconut milk

½ cup organic spinach, packed

1 frozen banana

Instructions:

1. Grind cashews in a food processor until fine.

2. Add coconut milk, spinach, and cashews to blender. Blend until smooth.

3. Add banana. Blend until smooth.

Yield: 14 ounces

 

Recipe: Pineapple-Orange-Banana Green Smoothie

Feb19

October 18, 2014 018 Pine Orange Banana

In an effort to get more greens into my diet, I try to have a green smoothie every day.  When I’m running short on time, this is the one I always fall back on.  It is quick, delicious, and I usually have all ingredients on hand.

I try to keep frozen bananas stocked in my freezer at all times.  I usually buy them in the reduced-produce section at the store when they are very ripe.  I take them home, peel them, break them in half, and then put them into a freezer bag for future use.  It’s a great time saver, and also a great way to keep costs low! 🙂  Here is the recipe:

pineapple orange banana green smoothie

Ingredients:
¾ cup orange juice (I prefer freshly juiced from a juicer, but store-bought also works.)

¾ cup organic baby spinach, packed tightly

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

½ cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 frozen banana
Instructions:
  1. Blend orange juice and spinach in a blender until smooth.
  2. Add yogurt, pineapple, and banana and blend until completely smooth.

Yield:  24 oz.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Jan27

We have a new favorite smoothie in our house!  I have been on the green smoothie kick lately, but last week I decided to try something different and see if my daughters would give it a try.  My 11-year-old and 6-year-old both loved it!!  They have been finishing this smoothie daily and asking for more!  Like many moms, I am always looking for ways to get as many fruits, vegetables, and superfoods into our diet as possible.  This is an easy way to do it.  This smoothie is packed with superfoods…bananas, pumpkin, oranges and pineapple!  For a great resource and list of 50 superfoods, check out this link.  Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! 🙂

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

 Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
¾ cup orange juice (I prefer freshly juiced, but store-bought also works)

1 cup organic vanilla yogurt (I like Stonyfield French Vanilla) OR 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt and 1 Tablespoon Local Honey

½ cup pumpkin puree

½ cup fresh pineapple chunks

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice* (see below for substitution)

2 frozen bananas (make sure they are ripe when you freeze them)
Instructions:
  1. Add all ingredients to the blender except the bananas.  Blend until smooth.
  2. Add the bananas.  Blend until smooth.

Yield:  Approximately 34 fl oz

Journeytocompletewellness.com

Update:  1/31/2014 – My kids love this drink and ask me to make it for them every day.  I finally ran out of the pumpkin pie spice, and when I went to buy more I noticed that it was $5.99 for 1.12 oz.  I decided I didn’t want to pay that much for it, so I did some research and found a recipe to make it myself.  Here it is:

Pumpkin Pie Spice

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice or cloves

Store in an airtight container.