Tag Archives: healthy

{meatless monday} – super easy and pretty rainbow tacos

20 Aug

these could not be simpler.  nor more delicious and healthy and light and good for you.

– whole wheat locally made tortillas, warm them up if you like

– organic black beans, drained and slightly heated via stovetop w/ a little S&P

– fresh avocado, chopped

– organic cherry tomatoes, chopped

– organic sharp cheddar cheese, shredded {normally i’d buy white, but the colour is only from annatto and i’m down with that, because it makes the rainbow in my rainbow tacos look really great…}

– sweet onion, diced Continue reading

{thirsty thursday} – homemade black bean & tomato hummus w/ a pumpkin ale

16 Aug

too soon?!

it’s not quite autumn, i do realize that — but the air in colorado has been changing and i even saw some yellow leaves on a green tree on my walk around the lake the other day… just sayin’ – pretty soon, they’ll be tons of corn and pumpkins!

and besides, i love blue moon beer.  i’ve tried {almost} all of their beers and i have enjoyed each one.

simple black bean hummus : 

 

– chickpeas {“this” many}

– 1 can or box black beans

– some tomatoes {did i mention how i don’t measure…}

i used these delicious little cherry tomatoes and golden nugget tomatoes. how incredible do just their names sound?!  yum.

throw those three simple ingredients in a food processor, add in a little S&P, and spin in some EVOO as needed – start with a little, add as you go if necessary…

blend until desired texture… you know, like – hummus 🙂

serve with whatever.  for lunch, i smeared some on a slice of naan bread.  pita would work, too. add in some falafel and make a wrap out of it…

or, dip some blue chips in it.  YUM!

i accompanied it with this yummy brew.

who cares if it’s kind of an autumn beer?!  it was spicy-ish, less pumpkin than spicy – at least according to my palate.  i love the colour and i really enjoyed it. warm and complex, it would be good alone as an after-dinner drink, or with a mild dish like this hummus or even a mild cheese.

{meatless monday} – spaghetti squash w/ spinach

13 Aug

i heart spaghetti squash.  a lot.

i love the texture, the colour, the crunch… it’s a great vegan option — in fact, why didn’t i make this on my cleanse?! i think it wasn’t available in organic at the time… anyway, here are the {uber-simple} ingredients i used :

Continue reading

{meatless monday} – sweet potato, carrot, & falafel open-faced pitas

6 Aug

good morning, happy monday, hope you all had a nice weekend.

i was delightfully lazy yesterday, glued to the couch and the olympics most of the day.  i completely heart sundays for that reason.  if i want to go somewhere, i can – but mostly it’s just my day to rest… and eat.  🙂

this dish was created because i always keep falafel in the house – it’s one of my protein staples, and i love love love it!  i also had another bunch of the purple carrots – and i know they compliment sweet potatoes well.  i had almond milk in the fridge, and i keep the spice on hand because i love curry spice!  i didn’t have any tomatoes around, so i used tomato paste for a little extra flavour : Continue reading

black bean quinoa w/ heirloom tomatoes and pale lager

23 Jul

yep, that says pale lager.  i had beer, too!!  🙂

so, this was my first “solid” meal after my cleanse.  this was the first grain and/or legume i had in 7 days!  so weird. hard to believe i made it through that cleanse.  the middle ground was definitely the hardest, but today i feel great!  i also did a ton of “other” cleansing last night to include a calcium bentonite clay mask, mustard seed bath, sage-smudging, and meditation by candlelight and incense.  i literally feel anew today.  it’s a weird space to be in, actually. i’m not entirely sure what the next step is.  kind of a void, if you will.  but it’s not a negative thing. it’s just that i feel so fresh and new and it’s like i want to reinvent myself and the world around me… i can’t help but think of one of my favourite bloggers when i say that – it’s like i want to create a new mantra for my life… and so i will.

today it started with gratitude, snuggles from my kitty, yoga {this video is similar to my morning practice – also what got me started doing yoga!}, and a detox tea.

last night for dinner, this is what went down : Continue reading

zucchini pizza strips

11 Jul

food can be fun.

i love it when i see a recipe or look at a vegetable a different way and say, “what if i tried it like this…”  because typically, i’m a creature of habit.  when i find something that works for me, i stick with it.  i often don’t sway.  in fact, i had been using the same ranch dressing for like, 7 years.  annies organic cowgirl ranch.  i love the stuff.  but then one day a co-worker suggested this other brand {with less fat, made from yogurt, and still so tasty} and now THAT is my new favourite – haha.  i guess my point is, sometimes i get tunnel vision. but this blog has helped me to rethink ways of preparing food.  i always chop my veggies into 1-2 inch pieces, and steam them or saute them.  sometimes i’ll roast them all together.  but never did it occur to me to cut zucchini into strips and serve it like a pizza slice!!  what! Continue reading

roomie’s salmon birthday dinner

10 Jul

my roommate celebrated a birthday last month, and i’m just getting around to blogging about the meal – d’oh!

naturally the best gift i can give anyone is food – so i cooked for him. 🙂

nothing says “summer” like corn on the cob, eh?!  ANNNNDD, it’s salmon season.  the first runs started coming in early june.  whenever i think of making a special meal, i always think of salmon.  i can’t cook a steak to save my life, and i’m a snob when it comes to eating out.  so, i splurged on the $24.99/lb. salmon and conserved with the sides 😉 {these two filets ran me about $17 — but in new york, i probably would’ve paid only about $11, boy do i miss living by the ocean!} Continue reading

easy “cheesy” {vegan} kale chips

28 Jun

these always disappear fast!

have you ever tried nutritional yeast?  i actually kind of love it.  a lot.  many of my vegan friends would tell me about it and i never really tried it on anything until someone suggested i put it on popcorn.  which, as you know, is totally what i do now! nutritional yeast is a great cheese substitute, as it has a creamy flavour that is almost nutty or buttery.  i find it to be amazing on kale chips. you can usually find it in the baking isle or in bulk, at most health food stores including whole foods market. Continue reading

stuffed belgian endive leaves w/ seasonal english peas

25 Jun

this was a seriously fun dish!  easy to make – fresh, light, healthy, perfect for summer on the patio.  easy clean-up.  can be served as an appetizer or main course if you make extra and serve with a light salad or steamed veggie. perhaps some organic carrots or corn would compliment this nicely… stick with the whole texture theme 😉 Continue reading

italian qrunch patty smothered in homemade tomato sauce

19 Jun

as i’ve mentioned before, i love love love my Qrunch burgers. i was thrilled to discover this week that they are locally made here in colorado!  hooray!  the owners were super kind enough to even feature my last qrunch blog on their facebook page!

i was thrilled to discover a new flavour had come out! the italian version is similar to the original but with a little extra kick and spice and goes so well with this dish i created!!  🙂   Continue reading

poblano, tomato, and brie stuffed portabello mushrooms

13 Jun

so – just to preface this real quick — apparently one can spell the mushroom in this photo either way – portobello {which spell-check recognizes}, portabella {which i personally think just sounds prettier}, or even portabello {meet me half-way?! – i like this one best}.  — all acceptable spellings.  i swear — read this if you think i’m nuts.

anyway… i’m going to always call them portabello because i think it’s a nice medium… just so you know 🙂 Continue reading

another {vegan} Qrunch burger meal

10 Jun

i am quickly becoming addicted to these tasty delights.  Qrunch burgers are yummy quinoa patties and are great source of complete proteins without any dairy, soy, gluten, or wheat and they are vegan. frozen, but previously cooked, delicious qrunch burger patties are a marvelous and easy way to get whole grains into your diet — and seriously, they taste SO GOOD!

Continue reading

vegan {nutrient-packed} pho

6 Jun

have you met pho?  it’s a wonderfully healing noodle soup that originates from vietnam.  my roommate introduced it to me when i first moved back to colorado and i was immediately hooked.  loaded with ginger, garlic, and other healing spices, this dish is something i always crave when i’m not feeling my best.  whether i just need a boost of vitamins, something warm on the throat, or a little spice in my life – i reach for the pho. Continue reading

Qrunch burgers featuring sauteed vidalia onions

23 May

i’m pretty sure i have mentioned Qrunch burgers before… they are ahh-mazing. a coworker introduced them to me a while back and i have been hooked ever since.  i made my quinoa patty benedict with them once, and i have also just eaten them as a side dish.  i was inspired by the seasonal vidalia onions available right now.  this is oh-so-simple, too.  i could’ve easily eaten two, as well.  🙂 Continue reading

{oatmeal audrey’s way}

7 May

nothing says good morning like a warm bowl of good-for-your-heart-oatmeal.  everyone has their favourite toppings…

here’s my recipe :

– oats of choice {i prefer steel cut, but these are rolled oats}

– pure maple syrup

– dried currants

– chia seeds

– ground flax meal

– ground cinnamon

sprinkle desired a mount of each over cooked oats, mix together and enjoy! 🙂

perfect light and healthy fish tacos

3 May

i’ve been craving fish tacos for a while now… i wanted to use up my tilapia i bought on sale a few weeks ago and froze.  tilapia is an easy white fish to prepare, it doesn’t take long to cook, and it pretty much takes on the flavour of your dish. Continue reading

vegan thumbprint cookies

27 Apr

these are a favourite of mine.  so simple, so easy to make – even for someone who does NOT bake well {that would be me}…

easy ingredients and usually found around the pantry. Continue reading

veggie platter featuring tomato and mushroom quinoa

17 Apr

Image

this entire meal is actually vegan – well, the butter is not.  🙂  but if you wanted to use this delicious stuff, it could be. Continue reading

sweet potato falafel pitas

13 Apr

this dish was inspired because i love falafel and i didn’t want my sweet potato to go bad… nothing bothers me more than wasting food. Continue reading

cheesy polenta black bean salad

10 Apr

sure, that’s a good title for this concoction – haha.

i wanted to use up the polenta i had in the fridge from earlier this week, so i made this dish around that.  as i mentioned before, i am all about ‘”the pile” lately – kind of like a salad – some stuff is cold, some is cooked or warm… it’s my new thing i guess.  my roommate always asks, “is this an audrey creation or did you find this recipe somewhere?”  when i said, “i just made this up.” his response was, “you’re so creative in the kitchen!”  that makes me smile! 🙂 Continue reading