Recipe: Spiralized Turkey Bolognese

Some might argue that pasta is the king of all comfort foods, and while I do love me some actual pasta, I also love swapping the less healthy stuff with veggies whenever I can.

Which is why spiralizing has become a game-changer in my kitchen. All the perks of pasta, but veggies instead? Yes, please! 

This recipe is a really simple take on Turkey Bolognese, but with spiralized zucchini rather than pasta. It's quick, simple & most importantly... filling!

What you need:
3-4 medium zucchinis
4 carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 16-oz jar of tomato sauce of choice (I actually used Vodka Sauce) or just canned tomatoes
1lb. ground turkey
EVOO
S&P
Oregano (optional)
A spiralizer


What to do:
Dice onion & carrots. Add EVOO, carrots, onion & S&P into a large skillet.

While this is sautéing, take out your spiralizer & set the blade on whichever setting you wish (I used the ribbon setting) & begin to spiralize the zucchinis. Give the spiralized zucchini a few rough chops so you don't end up having one huge string of "pasta."

After carrots & onion are soft, add ground turkey. Add a bit more S&P & oregano, if using. Keep cooking.

Once cooked through, add jar of tomato sauce & bring to a low simmer.

On another burner, put a separate large sauté pan or wok on medium-high to high & add just a little bit of EVOO. 

Once hot, throw in all the zucchini for a quick sauté until warm then remove from heat (just a few minutes),

Once sauce & zucchini are both warm, serve & enjoy!

TIP: You only want to barely heat the spiralized zucchini. If you cook it on low heat &/or for too long it will just get mushy. Also don't add salt to the zucchini until serving because salt will aid in the breaking down process & making it mushy, too.

25min
Serves 4

Recipe: Veggie Rainbow Wraps (with Almond Butter Sauce)

There's nothing I love more than when really tasty, healthy food actually LOOKS appealing to eat too.

And this recipe is just that. It's bright, colorful & fun.

Honestly, these veggie wraps are SO easy to make. A perfect healthy lunch or snack. 

So on with the recipe...

What you need (for the wraps):
6 spring rolls skins
2 carrots, 1 small zucchini, 1 small beet (or any combination thereof)
Handful of sprouts
1 avocado
1 mango
Handful cilantro
Juice of lemon or lime

What you need (for the sauce):
3T almond butter
3T lime juice
2T sesame oil
1 clove garlic
2t tamari
2t fresh grated ginger
Water, as needed
 

What to do:
First for the sauce, add all ingredients into a Vitamix (or blender/food processor) & blend on high. If mixture is too thick, add water a little bit at a time. Pour into a bowl or jar, set aside.

Peel carrots & beet. Julienne (aka fine slice into strips) the carrots, zucchini & beets, set aside.

Peel & cut avocado & mango into slices, set aside.

Grab a handful each of cilantro & sprouts, set them aside in piles.

To prep the wraps, follow the directions on the wrap packaging. Basically the process is this: Fill a big bowl with warm water. Take out a tea towel & lay out on counter. Take out a plate. Put 1 wrap into the bowl until it starts getting pliable (but not for so long that it gets mushy. You might find the first one is a throw away & that's okay!), then carefully & briefly dab both sides on the towel, then place on a plate.

Take a little bit from each of your piles and place in the center of the wrap (not too much or you'll regret it!), squeeze a little bit of the lemon or lime onto the contents & wrap like a burrito. That's it!

Eat right away or refrigerate for later - they are fine refrigerated for a couple days.

25min
Serves 2

Recipe: Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup

Whew! I don't know about you, but did summer just come and go in a day?

Now that fall is here, the days are getting shorter and we're beginning to slow it down. It's just the right time to nail down some tried-and-true recipes to get us through the cold months.

Soup season is here, and I've got the perfect winter staple for you: Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup.

It's quick, just a few ingredients, and pretty hard to mess up, honestly.

So let's get cookin'...

What you need:

1 TB Coconut Oil
1 small bag of Carrots
1 small Onion
2 cloves Garlic
nub of Ginger
1-32 oz. carton of low sodium Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock (if you want a thinner soup, use more. if you want a thicker soup, use less)
1-16 oz. can of Coconut Milk
S&P
Vitamix (or some other blender or immersion blender)

What to do:

Heat coconut oil in a stock pot/dutch oven.

Dice garlic and onion, add to pot. Peel ginger and grate into the pot, then peel and chop carrots and add to the pot. Add S&P.

Saute these ingredients for a few minutes, then add carton of chicken stock. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to simmer until you can pierce carrots with a fork.

Remove pot from heat & ladle into a blender or use immersion blender.

Return soup into pot from blender & add can of coconut milk. Stir and serve.

25min
Serves 6

Want more soup recipes? Try my Real Simple Lemon Chicken Soup, Cannellini Bean & Spinach Soup, or my go-to Veggie Coconut Soup!

Recipe: Vita-Margs! w/ Orange, Honey + Lime

Being healthy doesn't mean being perfect. It means being a conscious human.

So if you're planning on cocktailing this holiday weekend, don't feel guilty, embrace celebration! And if you can make boozing slightly healthier, even better.

Created for Cinco De Mayo, but perfect for Memorial Day weekend (and all summer long), I'd like to introduce you to... VITA-MARGS!

Vita-Margs = Margarita's made in a Vitamix (but of course, any high powered blender you have will be just fine).

This recipe is a bit of a twist on the traditional margarita... and I'd like to think more fun, and certainly more healthy!

Oh, If you aren't into alcohol, this recipe makes a for a pretty mean mock-tail, too.

So here's how to make the super-simple VITA-MARGS w/ Orange, Honey + Lime...


What you need:

Vitamix (WTF is a Vitamix?)
Tequila (use the good stuff)
3 different varieties of Orange, peeled (I used 1 Naval, 1 Mandarin & 1 Clara Clara*)
1 lime, juiced
3 drops doTERRA Citrus Essential Oil - like lime, tangerine, wild orange, grapefruit
1T honey (make sure the ingredients show it's actually honey, not just sugar)
 

What to do:

*I was inspired at the grocery store to get 3 different kinds, but that's not necessary. Other orange/citrus that would work are Clementines, Blood Oranges, even Grapefruit. Mix and match as you like.

Add into the Vitamix: tequila (unless someone is having a mock-tail then add the tequila in each individual glass), peeled oranges/citrus, honey, lime juice, essential oil & blend.

Pour over ice, add a slice of lime & enjoy!

15minutes
1 batch serves about 4, 12oz cocktails

Recipe: Forbidden Rice Fun Bowl w/ Coconut Turmeric-Curry Dressing

I've noticed lately that I eat a substantial portion of my meals from a bowl -- salads, pastas, rice bowls, soups, oatmeal, you name it.

If I can eat it in a bowl, I will.

There's just something fun (yes, FUN) about having all your food in one big bowl where you can mix and match flavors as you like. 

The simplicity, the casual-ness. I guess eating from a bowl just fits my lifestyle and personality: not too serious, the more the merrier.

I often see what I have in the kitchen and then how I can fit that into one meal with any many veggies as possible. Sometimes raw, sometimes cooked, and often a mix of the two, like this recipe below.

Apologies for not having exact measurements, but a) I didn't really measure anything and b) it depends how much you want to make... and how big your bowl is! 

What you need:

Forbidden rice (or any kind of rice)
Romaine Lettuce
Pea Sprouts
Sweet Potatoes
Beets
Carrots
Can of full fat Coconut Milk
Curry Powder
Turmeric Root (or Turmeric Powder)
Garlic Powder
S&P
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
High speed blender, like a Vitamix (WTF is a Vitamix?)

What to do:

Cook the rice as directed, usually 1C dry rice + 2.5C water in a saucepan. I like to toast the rice dry for a few minutes to create a stronger nutty flavor. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 40minutes.

Cube sweet potatoes & toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Put on a baking sheet in a 350degree oven for 20minutes, tossing halfway through.

Peel beets and carrots. Then with a box cheese grater or even just the veggie peeler, grate both veggies raw and place aside.

Chop romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces, if needed. Set aside.

In high speed blender/Vitamix add half a can of coconut milk (just the solid part at first) with turmeric root/powder, curry powder, s&p (add small amounts of the spices first & taste as you go -- you can always add more!) 

Slowly add a little bit of the coconut liquid from the can until you get a barely pourable consistency. *If you're using turmeric root, peel it first and make sure it blends completely.

When rice and sweet potatoes are done, take a nice big bowl and place each ingredient side by side for a pretty presentation, pour dressing over top and enjoy! 

40minutes
Serves however much you want to make, but dressing is about 2