Category: Uncategorized

Chocolate “Ice Cream” with Dark Chocolate Shavings

Chocolate is decadent. It’s romantic. It’s indulgent. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day and, as far as I’m concerned, perfect every day of the year!

I love chocolate. I also love ice cream. If you are like me, you are going to love this mock chocolate ice cream. It’s so good. It’s unbelievable actually. You’d never know it was healthy and dairy free!

It’s made with frozen bananas, cocoa powder, a hint of maple syrup, and, in this case, dark chocolate shavings (but you can add anything to your ice cream, e.g., nuts, fruit, etc.). This dessert is dairy free so it works for so many of you who are lactose intolerant or for those who have omitted dairy from your diet for other reasons.

To be honest, I’m still amazed that frozen bananas can yield a frozen dessert so close to a dairy-laden ice cream. All you need is a food processor.

So, here’s my new favorite chocolate ice cream recipe! I hope you enjoy it — you may even want to make it for your valentine this year.

Chocolate Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Shavings
Serves 4

4 bananas, sliced and frozen
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (grade B)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/3 cup of shaved dark chocolate (or anything else you’d like to mix into your ice cream)

In the bowl of a food processor add the frozen bananas, cocoa powder, maple syrup and pulse until the bananas break down into a smooth, ice cream-y texture. Add the dark chocolate shavings (or your favorite candy, fruit, nuts) and mix until incorporated (depending on what you add, you can either pulse in the food processor, or transfer the ice cream into a bowl and mix the ingredients). Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and pop into the freezer until it hardens. The mixture, right out of the food processor, will likely be too loose to serve. One the ice cream sets, scoop and serve!

February 13, 2016
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Many years ago (probably a decade), before we had kids and could go trek into New York City for an amazing meal, we happened to dine at Mario Batali’s restaurant Lupa. We had the most delicious raw brussel sprout salad — which I think had pecorino cheese in it . . . It was the first time I had even had raw brussel sprouts. And, they were delicious. Not only did I love them, but I totally preferred them over cooked brussel sprouts.

Of course, I had to try to re-create the recipe, or some version of it. Mine is actually a little bit different from the original raw brussel sprout salad I feasted on many years ago. It includes toasted walnuts and lemon juice — but overall, it’s a really delicious, light and simple recipe!

If you are wondering where you can find shaved brussel sprouts, you can actually purchase them at Trader Joe’s which offers a pre-packaged option. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your neck of the woods I suggest that you throw the brussel sprouts into the food processor to replicate the texture — or you could use a mandolin, but I would fear for your fingers.

This salad is great because, 1. it’s seasonal; 2. it’s delicious; 3. unlike a dressed green salad, it can sit in the refrigerator and not get soggy. In fact, the salad is better once it’s marinated overnight. It’s also the perfect salad to serve at a holiday meal.

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Serves 4

10 ounces shaved/shredded brussel sprouts
1/3 cup of olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano, shaved
3/4 cup of toasted chopped walnuts

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the brussel sprouts in a large bowl. Add the dressing, toasted walnuts and cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.

November 15, 2015
4 Ways to Challenge & Enhance Your Practice with Yoga Blocks

If you think yoga blocks are just for beginners that can’t touch their toes or for injured yoga practitioners that can’t sit between their heels in hero pose, think again. There are plenty of ways to get creative and use your blocks to deepen your practice in a challenging, fun way. Here are four suggestions:

Twist & Tap
Fire up your core in boat pose by holding a yoga block. Slowly twist from the lower belly to the right, tap the block on the ground to the right, and untwist your torso, coming back to center. Begin to twist to the left, tap the block on the ground to the left, and come back to center. Consider that to be one repetition. Keep your core engaged, your chest lifted, and avoid collapsing into your belly and rounding the back. The shins can remain parallel to the ground throughout the exercise, or you can extend your legs straight for a more intense variation. Work up to 12-15 repetitions.

Chest & Tricep Opener
Place two yoga blocks on the ground, shoulder width apart. Kneel on the mat, and rest your elbows and triceps on the blocks. Keep your hips stacked over the knees, and begin to sink your chest toward the ground as you bring your hands together in prayer over your head. This pose is very much like puppy pose with the added benefit of a deep tricep stretch. Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths, sinking your chest lower with each breath.

Squeeze a Block in Inversions
If your eyes glaze over when you hear your yoga teacher talking about internally rotating the thighs and hips while performing inversions, no need to worry. This exercise will solidify the concept in your mind, and you won’t forget anytime soon. By squeezing a yoga block between your feet as you slowly lift into an inversion, not only will you train your core muscles, but you will also automatically create a slight internal rotation in your legs that will help you stabilize and build strength. Go ahead and try this exercise with any inversion of your choice.

Relaxing, Deep Backbend
In my own personal practice, I’ve found this to be the single most effective stretch for the upper back and chest. If you are looking to deepen your backbend practice, it’s so important to stretch in various ways to help create an even backbend through your lower, middle and upper back. Place a block underneath your shoulder blades as you lie on the ground. If you tend to be very tight across the chest and back, start out by placing the block on shortest height. Breathe for 5-10 breaths before turning the block so that it’s resting in its next tallest orientation. Again, breathe for 5-10 breaths, and allow the chest and back to open up bit by bit. Finally, if your flexibility allows, turn the block to its highest orientation, and lie across the block for another 5-10 breaths. Try placing a second block under your head like a pillow for more support.

October 27, 2015
Maple Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin. Who doesn’t love pumpkin something? I recently walked into a grocery store and was overwhelmed with the amount of pumpkin infused items. I felt like Forrest Gump. Pumpkin coffee. . . pumpkin tea . . . pumpkin creamer . . . pumpkin cream cheese . . . pumpkin ice cream . . . pumpkin pasta . . . pumpkin cookies . . . pumpkin pancakes — and the list goes on and on.

All of this pumpkin is a little overwhelming, but I still love it, and I know you do too! However, I prefer the more traditional pumpkin dessert recipes with natural ingredients, rather than artificial flavors. So, here is my healthy take on a fall classic— pumpkin bread.

I’ve been experimenting with oatmeal a lot lately. In this recipe, I decided to add some oatmeal to my bread, along with brown rice flour (which now makes the bread gluten free) and my usual white sugar substitute — maple syrup. I also added Greek yogurt to moisten the batter. Everything else is pretty standard — eggs, oil, vanilla, etc.

However, I jazzed it up with a sweet/salty/crunchy topping — which also happens to be completely optional — but I do think it adds a nice texture. It’s just a simple mixture of rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup and cinnamon — which is a perfect addition since it gives you a hint as to what is inside this delicious bread. Plus, the topping makes a nice presentation — don’t you think?

I hope you enjoy this healthy twist on a classic recipe!

Maple Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread
Yields one loaf

1 cup of pumpkin puree
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup maple syrup, grade B
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup of rolled oats (ground into a flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Topping (optional)
1/4 cup toasted/salted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup, yogurt, milk, eggs, vanilla). When incorporated, add the dry ingredients (flour, oatmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, salt). Mix until incorporated. Pour into the greased loaf pan.

To make the topping, add the pumpkin seeds, oats, cinnamon and maple syrup and toss to combine.

Sprinkle the top of the loaf with the pumpkin seed/oat mixture. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Helpful Hint: Put your rolled oats into the food processor — the fine texture will make this loaf more cake-like.

October 15, 2015
Cinnamon Apple Rings

If your family is like ours, you’ve probably recently gone apple picking — or you plan to at some point this Fall.

There are many things you can do with an apple — pie, crisp, baked, etc. — but we wanted to offer you a healthy recipe that is not only delicious but easy to make. So, we created these Cinnamon Apple Rings which are pan-seared apple deliciousness. You can eat them for breakfast or dessert – they are actually an amazing after school snack! All you need is an apple (or two), an egg, flour (we used brown rice flour), cinnamon and oil (we prefer coconut, but whatever you have on hand is perfect). In five simple steps you will be feasting on these Cinnamon Apple Rings.

You can drizzle honey on top for added sweetness, or add a dollop of Greek yogurt and walnuts. You can top them with ice cream or dip them in nut butter. They are versatile and can be jazzed up anyway you’d like them. But, honestly, they are delicious right out of the pan with nothing on them at all!

Cinnamon Apple Rings
Serving depends on size of apple, but we used one large apple

1 large apple (we used Cortland)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Slice the apple into 1/4 inch rounds, remove the core. (You can slice them in circles or in half moons, whatever suits you is fine).

Beat an egg and add a tablespoon of water. In a separate bowl, add the flour and cinnamon, mix to combine. Dredge an apple slice in the egg mixture and then coat with the flour/cinnamon mixture. Shake off excess flour mixture.

Heat the coconut oil in a pan. The oil will come to temperature quickly, so keep the heat at medium, but you may need to adjust depending on the size of your burner.

Cook about a minute on each side — until the apples are nicely browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm and enjoy!

Enjoy!

September 30, 2015
Back-to-School Blueberry Corn Muffins (gluten-free!)

Struggling to get the kids up, dressed, fed and out the door? You are not alone! Breakfast is always the one part of my family’s routine that suffers. If your house is like mine, you are probably searching for quick and easy ways to get your kids to eat a healthy breakfast. I know it’s a challenge, especially if your kids are picky eaters. So, I thought a healthy breakfast muffin would be the best and most welcomed fuel for their busy school day! Muffins are also transportable, so if you and your family have no time to sit down and eat, you can take them on the road.

In addition to making a healthy muffin, I thought a gluten-free one would be an added bonus. I happen to love corn muffins, and corn meal is gluten free, so it works perfectly. In order to boost the health factor (and to ensure it is gluten-free), I replaced white flour with oatmeal. Oatmeal has lots of health benefits. In addition to being high in fiber, oatmeal helps lower cholesterol. However, not everyone loves the texture that rolled oats bring to baked goods. So, I threw my oats into the food processor and turned them into a flour. You will never know there’s oatmeal in these muffins, but you will reap the incredible health benefits! My muffins are also studded with blueberries which happen to be high in fiber, potassium, vitamin C — and also help lower cholesterol. I think they are the perfect addition. However, if you are not high on blueberries, try adding peaches or another berry of your choice!

If I were you, I would make a batch of muffins on Sunday, and save them for the week. They will last a few days if stored in an air-tight container. But, you might want to make two batches, these muffins are yummy!

Back-to-School Blueberry Corn Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

1 cup of rolled oats (broken down into a flour in the food processor)
1 cup of corn meal
1/4 cup of grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of safflower oil
1 egg
1 banana (mashed)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of fresh blueberries

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners. You will only need a 12-cup tin for this recipe.

Put your oats in a food processor and pulse until it forms a flour-like consistency.

In a large bowl, add the wet ingredients (maple syrup, milk, oil, egg) and mix. Add the mashed banana and the oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until combined. Add the blueberries last, and mix gently so they don’t break up.

Spoon the mixture evenly amongst the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

September 9, 2015
Tzatziki as Easy as 1-2-3

I do a lot of entertaining in the summer, and my family loves Mediterranean food, so you will likely find hummus and other yummy dips at our house. This week we made Tzatziki Sauce – which is a Greek cucumber yogurt sauce. Generally, you might find it alongside a gyro at your favorite Greek restaurant. And, while it’s not usually served as a dip — more of a condiment — we use it as one. We like to dip pita chips and fresh raw veggies in Tzatziki Sauce. It’s full of cool cucumbers, zesty garlic and fresh dill making a refreshing dip which is perfect for the warm weather.

If you don’t want to eat it as a dip, and prefer to serve it as a sauce, you can use it alongside grilled chicken or fish (I think it would be great with grilled wild salmon!) — and I bet it would taste pretty good on a burger (whichever kind you fancy).

It’s pretty simple to make — just three easy steps — grate, drain, mix (see more details below). It’s also the perfect recipe for those of you have a garden full of cucumbers!

Tzatziki as Easy as 1-2-3
Yields 3+cups

2 cups of shredded cucumber, salted and drained (see note below)
3 cups of plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp white vinegar
salt
pepper

There are basically three steps involved in making this dip. Grating the cucumber, salting/draining it and then mixing it together with the rest of the ingredients.

Peel and slice the cucumber lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Use a hand grater to grate the cucumber. Place the cucumber in a colander and add a little salt (1/3 teaspoon) in order to extract some of the liquid. Let it sit as you prepare the rest of the sauce.

In a large bowl, add the yogurt, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, white vinegar, salt and pepper.

Drain as much liquid from the grated cucumber and add the cucumber to the bowl with the yogurt mixture. Mix to combine and serve.

August 21, 2015
The Key to Getting Kids Involved in Yoga (or any activity)!

If you are a parent of young children, you may have noticed that kids are naturally inclined to want to try any activity that you are participating in — whether it be an every day household task or your exercise routine.

Their attention span varies, however, and, oftentimes, it’s very short. So, what’s the best way to keep them engaged in an activity? Give them ownership — their own part/role in the process, their own gear/tools. If you make them feel like they own the activity, they will be more interested in not only participating, but completing the activity.

Case in point. . . Recently we received a delivery of some nifty kids yoga gear. All three sets of kids (seven in total . . .) were very interested. However, speaking for myself, my daughters completely flipped over this gear — there were mats, headbands, water bottles, yoga grippy socks — all specially made for kids.

The mats were rolled out in my living room. The girls’ headbands were on and they were ready to get their yoga on – or at least pretend to teach yoga to each other. It was very cute. While they were not actually practicing “yoga” it showed me that if you give them their own gear — their own ownership over the process — they are more likely to get involved and stay involved in the activity.

So, while purchasing kids yoga gear may not be a priority for you and your family’s budget, it may be something to consider if you are trying to get your kids involved in some physical activity. You don’t necessarily have to purchase new — you can hand down your gear.

This concept holds true for any activity. For example, if you are trying to get them to cook, give them their own apron or kitchen tools. If you are trying to get them to clean, buy them a vacuum – okay, well, this may not work LOL . . .

The super cool yoga kids mat and gear in the photo above is from Gaiam.

July 22, 2015
Advice from a Tree: Looking for Unexpected Sources of Inspiration

I stumbled upon this verse from Ilan Shamir called “Advice from a Tree.” I love how our stature, our sense of self and beauty, our nutrition and our perspective on life can be compared to a tree’s existence.

It really struck a chord, so I wanted to share it with all of you.

We draw wisdom from all different sources — but maybe we should look more closely at nature for inspiration and guidance on living.

July 15, 2015
Grilled Pizza with Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil
Who doesn’t love pizza? It happens to be a mainstay at our house, especially on those busy nights, but store bought pizza has nothing on a delicious homemade grilled pizza. All you need is a grill and a few fresh ingredients.

We started grilling pizza a few years ago. We couldn’t believe how amazing it turns out — and we’ve been making this delicious treat ever since. I can guarantee you will never find a better tasting pie. It’s great for a family meal or for entertaining. You can dress it up any way that you’d like. You can make it with pre-made pizza sauce and your favorite toppings. But, today, I’m offering you one of my family’s favorite preparations which happens to include only seven fresh ingredients – tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, mozzarella cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pizza dough. It’s perfect for those lazy summers when turning on the stove is the last thing on your mind — and it happens to be an excellent recipe for the multitude of summer tomatoes in your garden. This pizza is like a grilled bruschetta — topped with melted cheese — but so much better than you would ever imagine. Mmmmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

In order to make the recipe more manageable, I purchase the pizza dough. You can buy it from your local pizzeria or supermarket. I like to get mine at Trader Joe’s (which also happens to offer a whole wheat dough and an herbed dough option). However, for this pizza, I recommend an original dough — nothing fancy. Just enjoy the simplicity of the fresh ingredients.

The process is not complicated, it just involves a few steps. I’ve included some pictures below to help explain the process. Before you get started make sure you have the following tools on hand:
- BBQ grill
- Pastry brush for the olive oil
- Pizza peel or flat cutting boards for transferring dough to grill
- Tongs
- 2 large baking sheets
And, here is a visual breakdown of the steps — which I detail in the directions:

Grilled Pizza with Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil
Yields 2 pizzas

For the sauce:
20 ounces of tomatoes, chopped (grape tomatoes, plum tomatoes, any kind you like)
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chopped

2 packages of store bought pizza dough (I used 16 ounce dough from Trader Joes)
12 ounces of mozzarella cheese (I use low moisture mozzarella cheese since the sauce is so loose, you don’t want extra water)
1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for the grill

Directions:

Preheat grill on high; coat grill grates with olive oil.

Assemble tomato sauce, combining chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper.

Slice mozzarella cheese and grate parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Roll dough out on a floured surface. Transfer dough to pizza peel (or a flat cutting board). Coat top of dough with olive oil.

Flip dough onto hot grill. Let it cook until bubbles form on top of dough — timing really all depends on width of dough — but 5 minutes is a good estimate. I usually close the grill for this part — but, if this is your first time making grilled pizza, keep an eye on the dough and the grill flame. You don’t want to burn the dough.

Once bubbles form, and the underside of dough is browned (with grill marks), flip the dough with tongs.

Top dough with tomatoes, cheeses — and salt and pepper if you’d like. Close grill lid and cook until the cheese melts and the bottom of the pizza is nice and brown and branded with grill marks — you are looking at another 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the dough.

Serve immediately.

Helpful hint: Make the pizza with a friend — or your partner. It helps to have an extra set of hands – especially if you plan on making more than one pizza.
July 11, 2015