Category: health

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Pumpkin Pie

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Polynesian Coconut Pumpkin Pie (Gluten-free and Dairy-free)Screen Shot 2015-11-29 at 5.08.51 PMScreen Shot 2015-11-29 at 5.06.30 PM

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Sorry my pumpkin pie recipe is a little late. Things always get hectic around the holidays. The goods news is that this pie can be made throughout the holiday season. Enjoy!

The crust is an adapted cookie recipe from Wheat Belly. The pie filling is a Polynesian coconut filling that my mom and I adapted from Epicurious.

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Pumpkin Pie CRUST

1 cup of coconut flour
1 cup of ground almonds [I throw whole almonds into my vitamix to grind them to flour]
1 cup of almond flour [almond “meal” is easily found at Trader Joe’s]
a handful of coconut flakes
1 tablespoon honey
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup almond milk
1 cup melted butter [I use Earth Balance]
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease pie pan.
  2. Stir together all dry ingredients in large bowl.
  3. Whisk almond milk, butter, maple syrup, vanilla and eggs.
  4. Add to dry ingredients.
  5. Mixture should be like cake batter, so add a small amount of water to thin it, if necessary.
  6. Mold into pie pan and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.It does not puff up much.

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Pumpkin Pie FILLING

3 eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of ground cloves
1 partially baked 10-inch pie shell

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Whisk together the eggs and the brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the honey and whisk until smooth. Stir in the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, and rum. Add the salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and mix until incorporated.
  3. Pour mixture into the pie shell. Bake the pie for about 30 minutes, until set. Cool the pie to room temperature and then serve with ice cream. Yum!

15 Super Foods

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Here are 15 super foods that are easy to incorporate into your daily diet. I included links to my recipes that contain the ingredients.

Rainbow Chard (and other dark leafy greens)

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  • Extremely high in Vitamin K and A.
  • Excellent for blood sugar regulation.
  • Great source of dietary fiber.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Coconut and Coconut Oil

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  • Contains fatty acids the body needs.
  • Helps the body burn fat.
  • Recipes.

Read more here

Almonds and Walnuts

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  • High in protein.
  • Walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
  • The body’s “brain food.”
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Ginger and Ginger Chews (from Trader’s) 

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  • Helps soothe the stomach and treats nausea.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Chia Seeds

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  • High in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Flaxseeds

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  • Lowers cholesterol.
  • High in micronutrients.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Sprouts

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  • High in Vitamin K.
  • Contains protein.
  • Alkalinizes the body.

Read more here.

Cinnamon

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  • Loaded with antioxidants.
  • Anti-inflammatory.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Apple Cider Vinegar

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  • Lowers cholesterol, clears sinuses, fights bacteria, aids in digestion, and provides extra energy.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

 Blueberries

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  • One of the most nutrient rich fruits.
  • Extremely high in antioxidants.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Gogi Berries

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  • High in Vitamin C.
  • Great source of antioxidants.
  • Add to your smoothies.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Gim (a.k.a Seaweed or Nori)

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  • I grew up eating Gim (Korean for seaweed) with rice and Korean side dishes. My family buys it in bulk from the Korean market. It’s recently gained popularity in mainstream supermarkets. Trader Joe’s sells single snack packs. Eat it plain or with rice and veggies.
  • High in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and magnesium.

Read more here.

Cocoa Powder

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  • Reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases.
  • Satisfies your chocolate cravings without the guilt!
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Hemp Seeds

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  • Contains essential amino acids.
  • High in protein.
  • Add to shakes and smoothies.

Read more here.

Nutritional Yeast

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  • Cream or cheese substitute.
  • High in protein and fiber.
  • A good source of B12 (great for vegetarians because B12 is typically found in meat).
  • Try sprinkling nutritional yeast and spike on popcorn.
  • Recipes.

Read more here.

Easy Veggie Sides

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Honey Glazed Carrots

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10 carrots

1/4th cup honey (I like to use maple syrup)

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon thyme

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the carrots into thin rectangular slices (about 2 inches). Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour on top. Roast at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes.

Braised Radishes

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1 pound radishes (trimmed)

1/4th cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

butter

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the radishes briefly in the butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and cover the pan. Cook until tender.

Roasted Curry Cauliflower

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1 cauliflower

1 teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon garlic

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Place on a well-oiled pan. Sprinkle the spices on top. Roast at 380ºF for 30 minutes.

Juicing

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I learned about juicing from working at Pressed Juicery. You can never consume as much fruits and veggies as you can in a juice. Juicing extracts the insoluble fiber allowing your body to absorb the nutrients fast and effectively. Drink juices when you feel sick or want to get some extra vitamins in.

Some of my PJ favorites:

Citrus 1 (aloe, coconut water, cucumber, lemon, pineapple): Very hydrating and refreshing. We call it our natural Gatorade.

Citrus 2 (apple, lemon, mint, pineapple): One of our best sellers. Mint soothes the stomach. High in vitamin C.

Greens 3 (apple, ginger, lemon, and greens): Our best seller. You get the nutrients from the greens but the ginger and the apple makes it sweet.

Activated Lavender Lemonade (lemon, honey, lavender, activated charcoal): Activated charcoal binds to your toxins and flushes them out. Drink after a night of overindulgence.

Roots 2 (apple, carrot, ginger, kale, parsley, romaine, spinach): Creamy and smooth. If you mix it with our vanilla almond it taste like carrot cake!

Apple Lemon Ginger Cayenne: Sweet and spicy. I recommend this if you are feeling sick. Combine with the cayenne water if you want an extra boost.

Read more about Pressed Juicery and juicing vs. blending.

Cauliflower Corn Chowder

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Cauliflower Corn Chowder 

My mom found this recipe in Follow Your Heart’s Vegetarian Soup Cookbook. Throughout the years we changed and substituted different ingredients. This is my dairy-free adaptation of the soup.

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Ingredients:

5 c. water

2 potatoes (diced)

1 large onion (diced)

2 c corn (fresh, frozen, or canned – I’ve used all three)

2-3 stalks celery

1/4 head cabbage (thinly sliced, I used purple cabbage but any kind is fine)

1 large head cauliflower (dice the core, reserve the florets)

4 Tbs butter

2 tsp basil

1/4 c. minced fresh parsley (I often omit this)

2 Tbs Spike

2 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp dill weed

1 c coconut cream from can

1/2 c soy milk or milk

1 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes

2 Tbs. dried chives

sea salt or more Spike, to taste

To make the traditional dairy version use sour cream instead of coconut cream and add ½ block of cream cheese. Blend together sour cream, cream cheese, and milk. Mix into the soup.

Directions:

1. In your largest soup pot bring to a boil: water, the diced potatoes, onion, 1 cup corn, celery, cabbage, the cauliflower core, butter, and basil. Cook for 1/2 hour or until potatoes begin to dissolve.

2. Add remaining corn, potatoes, parsley, Spike, garlic, and dill weed. Simmer about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add reserved cauliflower florets and cook another ten minutes, until they are tender but chewy (almost like clams).

4. Add coconut cream and soymilk. Add the nutritional yeast and chives. Heat gently without boiling.

Zesty Coconut Slaw

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Zesty Coconut Slaw + Lime Coconut Dressing 

Make it for a party appetizer and eat the leftovers the next day. The slaw will last in the fridge for 2-3 days.

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 head purple cabbage
  • 1/2 head regular cabbage
  • 4 green onions
  • 1/4th cup cilantro (plus more for garnishing)
  • 1/2 cup coconut shreds
  • 1/2 cup almond sheds
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

  1. Toast almonds and coconut shreds on the stove for a few minutes.
  2. Cut the cabbage into thin slices.
  3. Combine all the ingredients and toss with the dressing.

Dressing:

  • Juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4th cup coconut cream (from a can)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of chili flakes
  • Cilantro

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

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Black Bean Quinoa Burgers 

I served these burgers on a whole wheat bun with Trader Joe’s Sweet Indian Relish and caramelized onions. Sharp cheddar also goes well with this burger. If you do not like a lot of seasoning I would leave out the curry powder and paprika.

IMG_1935IMG_1925IMG_1926IMG_1936Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa

15 oz can (almost 2 cups) black beans

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/3rd cup almond meal

½ of an onion (minced)

½ teaspoon garlic (finely chopped)

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4th teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon curry powder

1/4th teaspoon ginger

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Boil the quinoa with two cups water. Reduce to simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed.
  2. Mix the quinoa and black beans together. Mash.
  3. Stir in the yeast, almond meal, onion, garlic, and the spices.
  4. Mold the mixture into 4 patties.
  5. Heat oil in a pan and fry.

Sweet & Sour Rice Noodles with Collard Greens

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Sweet & Sour Rice Noodles with Collard Greens

This is an extremely easy recipe to throw together. Rice noodles cook in 1-2 minutes and are healthier than regular whole-grain pasta. The sweet and sour sauce masks the flavor of the greens so even my little brother (who’s 7) enjoyed these noodles.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 pack of rice noodles (I used Trader Joe’s Fresh Rice Noodles)
  • 1 bunch of collard greens
  • olive oil

Boil water and cook noodles for 1-2 minutes. Do not overcook, otherwise the noodles will get mushy and stick together. Sauté the greens until wilted. Combine the greens with the noodles.

Sweet & Sour Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon tamari sauce
  • ½ teaspoon ginger (fresh or powder)
  • Chili flakes (optional)

Combine ingredients and pour over the noodles. Sprinkle chili flakes on top.

Apple Cider Vinegar Detox

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Apple Cider Vinegar Detox

A great morning pick-me-up if you’re feeling under the weather or sluggish. Apple Cider Vinegar lowers cholesterol, clears sinuses, fights bacteria, aids in digestion, and provides extra energy. Lemon removes toxins and provides vitamin C. Honey boosts your metabolism.

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  • Glass of water
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Squeeze the lemon into the water then add the apple cider vinegar and honey.

Creamy Summer Smoothies

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Creamy Peach Smoothie 

 

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Ingredients:

1/2 frozen banana

1 Peach

3-4 ice cubes

1/2 cup Almond milk

Coconut Peanut Butter Shake

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1 frozen banana

3 dates

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/4th cup coconut cream (from can)

Splash of coconut milk

 

Creamy Berry Sorbet

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1 frozen banana

1/4th cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/4th avocado

1/4th cup frozen mango

1/2 cup almond milk