Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait.

This one's kind of a mouthful...but this insanely delicious breakfast of mine (enjoyed this morning, as a matter of fact!) DESERVES an epically long title! But long title does NOT mean long prep time; you can whip this bad boy up in about 15 minutes, start to finish. And this can definitely go for a lunch or snack as well as a breakfast...dinner is acceptable, too! Whenever you opt to enjoy it, I know you will! 

Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait. 

          Look at those luscious layers!

  I'm literally drooling. This was so good!

SERIOUSLY. LOOK AT THOSE COLORS. 

Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup raw old fashioned oats

2. 5 oz. silken firm tofu

3. 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar 

4. One packet stevia

5. 1 medium size blood orange, peeled

6. 1 cup frozen blueberries

7. One scoop protein powder of choice 

8. One packet stevia (omit if protein is sweetened)

9. 2 tsp grated ginger

10. Ginger powder for garnish

Method

1. In a small trifle bowl, spread raw oats on bottom. 

2. In your food processor, blend tofu, vinegar, and stevia until smooth. Spread evenly over oats. 

3. Blend remaining ingredients in your vitamix until smooth and creamy. Spoon over Nogurt and garnish with ginger. 

Strawberry Poppyseed Spinach Salad.

Ahhhh, spring. The sights, the smells...the tastes! And this yummy springtime salad gives all that lush springy flavor along with a hefty dose of nutrients. (And it takes about 7 minutes to make. Bonus!)

    Strawberry Poppyseed Spinach Salad. 

                  Spring epitomized!

Strawberry Poppyseed Spinach Salad. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. Large handful raw spinach leaves

2. Handful sliced white mushrooms

3. Two large (I MEAN LARGE! Or three medium/smallish) strawberries, chopped

4. 1/2 cup white beans 

5. 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

6. 2 T Apple cider vinegar

7. 1/2 packet stevia 

Method

1. Layer salad ingredients in the order listed. 

2. In a small bowl, vigorously whisk vinegar and stevia to make a Vinagrette. Pour over salad and serve. 

Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad.

This kind of goes without saying, but I LOOOVE taking traditional recipes (pasta salad, for example!) and putting a totally weird spin on them. It's so fun to come up with creative flavor combinations, and even MORE fun to EAT it afterwards! Nothing better 😄 this is a really fun recipe--super colorful, too! Nice and quick, tastes super fresh, and can be made ahead (and taken to a picnic!). The use of spaghetti noodles really makes this recipe awesome. Most pasta salads use bow tie, macaroni, fusilli, shells, you get the point. But...I'm not most 🙌😂 hope you enjoy!

    Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad!

   Where have you been all my life?!

Sweet 'n Sour Spaghetti Pasta Salad; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. One serving spaghetti noodles of choice, cooked and cooled

2. 1 cup chopped fresh spinach

3. 3/4 cup steamed, sliced beets (canned is fine), sliced into matchsticks

4. 1/2 cup white beans of choice (I used navy--great northern are great, too!)

5. One stalk celery, sliced

6. 2 T Apple cider vinegar

7. 1/2 packet stevia

8. Ground ginger

Method

1. In a large bowl or on a large plate, arrange your chopped spinach. Place cooled spaghetti noods on top. 

2. Top noodles with beets, then beans, then celery. 

3. In a small bowl, vigorously whisk vinegar and stevia to make a Vinagrette. Pour over pasta salad, and top with ginger. Enjoy! 

Note: I actually rink this tastes better if you let it sit for a while...it will begin to marinate and absorb the Vinagrette...yum!

Pink Lady Stew!

It never fails...every February, all I want to make is pink food. I undoubtedly blame that on all the cutesy Valentine's Day displays in stores. And it really doesn't take much to get me in the mood to cook holiday-themed food...I'm so sappy! 😂 

Anywho, the idea for this awesome stew came to me while I was cooking it. Totally serious right now! I just started throwing things into a pot, and voila! New favorite recipe! Hope you enjoy! (Hint: this one is PERFECT for "Soup Sundays"!)

                   Pink Lady Stew!

     Everything's better when it's pink!

Pink Lady Stew!; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 1 1/3 cups water, divided

2. 2 oz sliced red onion

3. 2 tsp minced garlic 

4. 1 T Apple cider vinegar

5. 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach

6. 1 cup great northern beans (or other white beans)

7. 3/4 cup steamed, sliced beets (I used canned, actually. Just make sure they have no salt and no sugar added...just beets and water)

8. 1/2 packet stevia

9. 1/4 tsp nutmeg

10. Chives for garnish

Method 

1. Sauté onion and garlic in 1/3 cup water until soft. Add nutmeg and stir. Cook 2 minutes. 

2. Add rest of water, ACV, white beans, stevia, and spinach. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

3. Add beets and mix well. Simmer 5-10 more minutes, until water turns a bright pink. 

4. Serve in a large bowl, and garnish with chopped chives.