Holiday Chia Pudding

I am always experimenting on myself by changing up my eating. Starting this week I have incorporated breakfast instead of just my juice. I am still drinking my juice, but having a solid breakfast first. I have already started to notice changes so I think this was a great decision for me. For this first week I decided to make Kristen’s Chia Pudding- I have wanted to make this for a while. As you know I love all things chia so I thought this would be the perfect go-to breakfast of choice. The best part is you can make a big bunch and it stays fresh in the fridge for 5 days or so. I doubled the recipe so that it would last me the whole week and it did 🙂 I over did it on the spices, so just have a lighter hand than me when you get to that part. Other than that this was deelish and a welcome change to my morning routine.

perfect little breakfast portions

perfect little breakfast portions

Holiday Chia Pudding
By Kristen Suzanne
Yield 1 1/4 cups

1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup dried coconut, shredded & unsweetened
1 cup water
1/4 cup raw cashews (soaked 1 hour, drained and rinsed)
4 soft medjool dates, pitted
2 cloves
1 teaspoon lucuma powder
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Place the chia seeds and coconut in a small bowl, briefly stir to mix, and set aside. Blend the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour the blended cashew mixture into the bowl with the chia seeds and coconut and stir. Wait a few minutes and stir again. Wait a few minutes, again, and stir. Do the “wait and stir” once more, and then place the Holiday Chia Pudding in the refrigerator for about 15 – 20 minutes (or longer, if desired). I normally leave them in overnight. Then, enjoy.

Spiced Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

This dish smelled so good as I was cooking it. There were so many spices that made everything so fragrant. Michael thought this was super good! I had let the lentils cool, and he thought this was a nice contrast to all the spice that was in the chicken. Highly recommended dish 🙂

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Spiced Moroccan Chicken and Lentils
4 servings

Lentils:

1 lb dried lentils cooked or 2 15oz. cans of cooked lentils
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt

Chicken:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Place cooked lentils in a large bowl. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and salt in bowl. Pour over lentils and toss.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion; saute about 5 minutes. Add chicken; cook for 2 minutes more.  Add salt, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon. Saute until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

Serve with chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

Banana Coconut Cookies

These were super good! I love banana and coconut and this was such a great combo! If you want them gooier take them out of the dehydrator earlier. Enjoy 🙂

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Banana Coconut Cookies

1 cup of cashews
4 cups dried coconut
3 ripe bananas

  1. In a food processor combine the cashews and coconut until chopped fine
  2. Add the the bananas and process until smooth
  3. Roll the dough into your hands into cookies and flatten them.
  4. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 8-10 (overnight) ten hours
  5. Enjoy 🙂

Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken with Toasted Corn Salsa (veggie version too)

This night was extra special fun as my girlfriend came over to help cook. As you know I love to cook and want to spread the love around. Some of my girlfriends want to learn to cook but didn’t know where to begin, so that is where I come in. This was good times and a cooking class all while preparing a meal for my husband and her guy 🙂 Fun!! Both men really enjoyed this dish! The cute part is she cooked with me but then brought the meal over his house. (hence the Tupperware)

My husband being so used to all the fabulous raw corn salads I prepare, suggested that this would also have been amazing with just using raw corn and I am sure he is right. Raw fresh corn is sooooo good! But still the salsa was deelish. And really with corn and mango together, of course it is!

My girlfriend does not eat chicken so this was still a great recipe for her. We took Praeger’s Veggie Burgers and followed all the same steps as we would have with the chicken to prepare for her. We made sure to prepare and cook hers first so that there was no chickenness on her veggie food 🙂

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Cormeal-Crusted Veggie Burgers and Corn Salsa

Cormeal-Crusted Veggie Burgers and Corn Salsa (minus the mango)

Huge Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Breasts to go

Huge Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Breasts to go

Love that Corn Salsa!

Love that Corn Salsa!

Cooking up the chicken

Cooking up the chicken

Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken with Toasted Corn Salsa
Recipe adapted from Gourmet

yield: Serves 4-6

For salsa:

  • 7 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 3 lime)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
  • 6 cups fresh corn (cut from about 10-12 ears)
  • 2 1/2-3 cups diced peeled mango
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

For chicken:

  • 6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 3/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Make salsa:
In a bowl whisk together 6 tablespoons oil, lime juice, garlic paste, and salt and pepper to taste. In a non-stick skillet heat remaining tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté corn, stirring, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Add corn and remaining salsa ingredients to bowl and toss to combine well.

Make chicken:
Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. On a plate stir together cornmeal, paprika, and cayenne and press chicken into mixture, coating both sides. In skillet heat olive oil over moderately high heat and sauté chicken until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve chicken with salsa. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Peach, Avocado & Corn Salad

Have I mentioned lately that I have been in love with summer fruits and veggies, well I am! The peaches that we picked in the Hampton’s are long gone but we still got to enjoy a few local peaches with this salad. I have been freaking out about the fresh east coast corn as well. It is so sweet, crisp and fresh. (It also just makes the most perfect quick and deelish snack too! just shuck and eat!) And of course the addition of avocado in any dish is welcome in our house 🙂

The Grilled Chicken is a basic go-to quick cooking dish, but of course we still have to give it some flavor. Michael thought it paired nicely with the salad. As for me, I was beyond happy with a huge bowl of that yummy salad! mmmm

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Grilled Chicken

  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 4 small skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Whisk 1 tablespoon olive oil, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in 11×7-inch glass dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Prepare bbq, oven or griddler to medium-high heat.Grill chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Cut into thin slices.

Peach, Avocado & Corn Salad

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey-dijon mustard (or dijon mixed with agave)
  • 2 peaches, pitted, diced
  • 1-2 avocados, diced
  • 2 cob of corn worth of fresh shucked corn
  • 4-5 cups mixed baby greens

Whisk 4 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, scallions, shallot, vinegar, thyme, and mustard in large bowl. Mix peaches, avocado, corn and greens into dressing and toss.

this is the salad before I added the greens. check out those colors!!!

This is the salad before I added the greens and the avocado. Check out those colors!!!

Free Week of Yoga!

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Yeah Yoga Month!!!

I just signed up for this and have been waiting for this one for a long time 🙂

This is a week free of yoga celebrating Yoga Month.
Although Yoga Month is in September I believe you can use this pass till November 30th!

You have to go somewhere as a first timer, so I signed up at a place that I have only heard great things about called Pure Yoga on 86th and 3rd.
It is a membership only studio so I figured it would be awesome to check it out. I normally go to Jivamukti Yoga School which is the most fantastic yoga studio on earth! But I am always willing to try new places.

There are other options that you can try out in NYC and all over the country. See it all here and sign up!

Zucchini, Potato and Goat Cheese Frittata with Cilantro Sauce

I love frittatas! They are so simple and make a big meal in not a lot of time. They work great for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I love that this meal has veggies and protein all in one. I guess this can be considered a one skillet meal, which saves on the cleaning! I love the combo of the soft potatoes, the creamy goat cheese and crunchy pumpkin seeds. MMM!! I am not a big cilantro fan, so this can easily be made leaving that sauce out.

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Zucchini, Potato and Goat Cheese Frittata with Cilantro Sauce

Cilantro Sauce:

2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bunch cilantro
1 chile pepper (serano or jalepeno)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frittata:

12 large organic eggs
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 small onion, chopped
3-4 small potatoes, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/4-1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
couple pinches of salt

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  2. Make the cilantro sauce by pureeing the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, chile, cumin, and salt until very smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed and set aside.
  3. In a bowl whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt. Set aside. In a 10-12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, onion, and another pinch of salt. Saute, stirring, until the onion starts to brown, around 5 – 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and cover. Cook for another 3  minutes or so. Empty skillet into a bowl and set aside.
  4. Turn down heat to medium-low and add eggs to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes until eggs are set on the bottom. Add a few tablespoons of the cilantro sauce and add potato zucchini mixture.
  5. Turn off stove and place skillet in the oven for about 10-13 minutes. Add the goat cheese and pumpkin seeds on top and put back in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from oven carefully since it will be super hot.
  6. Cut into slices and drizzle sauce on top. Serve. Enjoy 🙂

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