Chocolate Kale Smoothie

This smoothie satisfies your chocolate cravings while at the same time providing excellent nutrition. Cece and Lulu know this as "chocolate milk."

It has cacao nibs in it, which provide a nice crunch and a huge burst of nutrition. Cacao is one of the best food sources of magnesium, which helps relax the mind and body. This smoothie also contains super-food kale. I am always looking for more vehicles to get my family to eat more kale, and smoothies just happen to be a great one!

You can make this for breakfast, afternoon snack or desert.

 

Chocolate Kale Smoothie

• 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
• 1 handful of chopped kale
• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1-2 tbsp cacao nibs (found in bulk section at your health food store)
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 2 scoops vanilla or chocolate protein powder (I prefer pea protein)

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend and enjoy!

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are made with almond flour, making them not only gluten free but also grain-free. Almond flour is packed full of protein and essential fat. For more on cooking with nut flours, see my previous post. I get my almond flour at Trader Joe's- it is much more affordable there!

My old "go-to" chocolate chip cookie recipe used oat flour (which is easy to make with oats and a food processor). However, after making these and discovering how moist and delicious they were, this will be my new "go-to."

These cookies are sweetened with coconut sugar. Coconut sugar does not spike your blood sugar and insulin like regular table sugar does. It is also unrefined, meaning it retains all of its natural vitamins and minerals. It has a caramel or maple flavor, giving your recipe a very deep flavor. You can use it as a one-to-one replacement for white and brown sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup almond flour (aka almond meal)
• 1/2 stick organic butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 340 F. Mix together all ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake 15-20 minutes. 

Brussel Sprouts with Hazelnuts, Sunflower Seeds and Dates

Cruciferous vegetables are part of the bassica genus of plants. They include brusssel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, collard greens, and bok choy.

Cruciferous vegetables contain indole-3-carbonol, which has been found to inhibit the development of several cancers, such as bladder, breast, colon, liver, lung and stomach. Indole-3-carbonol in these super-veggies has the following effects on cancer:

• They help protect cells from DNA damage.
• They inactivate carcinogens.
• They have anti-inflammatory effects.
• They induce cell death in cancer cells.
• They inhibit tumor blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) and tumor cell migration (metastasis). 

These effects are powerful and are a testament to food is medicine! Aim to include at least one serving of a cruciferous vegetable in your diet daily.

I typically roast brussel sprouts, seasoning them with coconut oil, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Here is a new recipe that I tried out tonight. It was delicious- so delicious that I may be including it as part of Christmas dinner. Enjoy!

Brussels Sprout Salad with Hazelnuts, Sunflower Seeds and Dates
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb brussel sprouts
Salt
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 dates, diced small
1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut ends off brussel sprouts. Process them in food processor to shred them.
2. Place 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add sprouts, cover and cook over high heat for 3-5 minutes.
3. For the dressing, melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat until its bubbling and brown; pour into a bowl. Add oil, vinegar, lemon juice, dates and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well; dress sprouts. Sprinkle in nuts and seeds. Add pepper to taste.


For other cruciferous recipes:
Preventing Cancer with Collard Wraps
Kale chips
Coconut-Curry Chickpeas and Cauliflower 
Cauli Mash
Millet Mashed "Potatoes"

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

This recipe was inspired by one of my patients. I always love learning healthy recipes and tips from my patients!

This smoothie recipe makes an ideal breakfast- packed full of blood sugar stabilizing protein, antioxidant rich pumpkin, seeds for essential micronutrients and fiber, anti-inflammatory spices.

Thanksgiving is in a few days, and this might be a good breakfast to start the day off right.

Ingredients

• 1/2 can organic pumpkin
• 1 banana
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I like hemp, rice or pea protein powders)
• 3-4 tbsp ground pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for 1 minute. Enjoy!

Black bean, sweet potato enchilada

Healthy Holiday Recipe:
Black bean, sweet potato enchilada
This is a delicious entrée ideal for entertaining. It can be made the night before and it travels well, so it’s great for a holiday party or a potluck. It is vegetarian but is sure to impress the omnivores as well.
Sauce
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 ¾ cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano

Filling
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 ½ lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (3 cups)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 16 oz jar prepared salsa
2 ccloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

Enchiladas
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing baking dish
16 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
1 avocado, diced, for garnish
12 oz. goat feta cheese
cilantro, for garnish

1. To make sauce: Bring all ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine, then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. To make Filling: Heat oil in separate saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 3-5 minutes. Add sweet potato, tomatoes, salsa, spices, and ½ cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-loww, and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft. Mash mixture until combined. Add black beans and cook 5 minutes.
3. To assemble Enchiladas: Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush 13x 9 inch baking dish with oil. Spread ½ cup sauce in bottom of dish. Fill tortillas with Filling. Roll, and pack close together seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and feta cheese. Bake 20 minutes.
4. Broil last 5 minutes, or until cheese is browned. Garnish with avocado slices and cilantro.

Super Easy Chia Pudding

This takes less than 2 minutes to make. Once you combine the ingredients you chill it for a couple hours and voila-you have a nutrient-packed super pudding! Kids LOVE this! It makes a nice energy-packed breakfast, snack or desert.

I often speak about super foods- kale, coconut, flax, salmon. Chia can rightfully be added to the list. In just a tablespoon, there is 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. You may not eat salmon everyday, but you can easily eat this everyday. Chia seeds nourish the brain and decrease overall inflammation.


Chia Pudding

• 1/4 cup of chia seeds

• 1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk

• 1 tbsp raw organic honey (more or less depending on how sweet you want it)

• Flavors of your choice- vanilla, cocoa powder, blueberries, strawberries, pumpkin spice

Combine the above ingredients. Stir well. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.

Preventing Cancer with Collard Wraps

Cece and her grandmother, "Mimi," planted collard greens this summer. They have flourished over the past couple months, and my go-to recipe for these greens are collard wraps. I've posted about collard wraps in the past. I've been experimenting with different fillings, and I especially like this one (see below). The basic idea is that you use collard leaves to make wraps in place of tortillas.

One of the beauties of collard wraps is that they make you feel ultra-gourmet. You can whip them up for a dinner party as they have a nice aesthetic appeal and do not require a lot of time or effort...not to mention, they taste divine and the nutritional benefits are endless!

Collard greens belong to the cruciferous vegetable family.  Cruciferous vegetable consumption has been implicated in the prevention of many different cancers, including lymphoma, breast, prostate, bladder, and lung cancer. Cruciferous vegetables contain the anti-cancer substances, sulforophane and indole-3-carbinol. Sources of cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and kale.

A study in China found an inverse relationship between cruciferous vegetable intake and breast cancer risk. In addition, the Nurses’ Health Study revealed the association between a high intake of cruciferous vegetables (defined as five or more servings per week) and a 33% reduction of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The flavonoid indole-3-carbinol found in cruciferous vegetables modulates several nuclear transcription factors. Indole-3-carbinol also induces phase 1 and phase 2 enzymes in the liver that metabolize estrogens and other carcinogens. This provides rationale that a high consumption of cruciferous vegetables, including collard greens, should be included in cases of breast cancer.

Ok, ok...enough with the nutrition lesson and on with the recipe!

Collard Wraps with Black Beans and Olives

Ingredients:

• 8 large collard green leaves
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup cheese (I like to use shredded parm, but crumbled goat cheese would be good as well. If you are vegan or sensitive to dairy, you could use dairy-free cheese or sprinkle on nutritional yeast). 
• Italian seasoning- thyme, oregano. 
• Marinara sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large saute pan or soup pot, blanch each collard green leaf in about an inch of boiling water for 30 seconds-1 minute. Remove from water and pat dry. (I do 2 at a time and pull them out after 30-60 seconds in boiling water. Then add the next 2...)
2. Fill each collard (on stem end) with 2 tbsp of beans, 1 tbsp chopped olives, 1 tbsp of cheese or cheese alternative, and spices.
3. Wrap like you would a burrito wrap. Place in a greased pyrex pan.
4. Top each collard wrap with 1 tbsp marinara sauce. 
5. Bake for 30 minutes.

Here is a nice visual of how to make the wraps. Get creative and experiment with the filling. Hope I have inspired you to make collard greens part of your diet!