Snack Ideas

Heirloom Tomato & Fresh Basil Frittata

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
6 large eggs
¼ pound ground sausage

6-8 slices of red onion, very thinly sliced 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons grated gruyere cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped pistou basil
Handful of green and purple basil, mixed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes (mixed colors & sizes), cut crosswise into 1/4" slices

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Brown sausage in a 10-inch (2-inch-deep) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 7 to 8 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; remove from skillet, and drain. Wipe skillet clean.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in sausage, cheese, pistou basil and garlic, cubes of butter and season with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering, pour egg mixture into pan and cook until eggs begin to turn golden brown around the edges. Arrange tomato slices, red onion cirlces and basil leaves on top of egg mixture. (Some tomato slices may sink.)

Transfer skillet to oven and bake frittata until eggs are just set in the center, 10-12 minutes. Using a heatproof spatula, loosen frittata from pan and slide onto a warm plate. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe originally found here.

White Bean Dip with Fresh Herbs

Serves 4

• 2cups cooked white beans
• 1clove garlic, minced
• 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided into 1 tablespoon and 3 tablespoons
• 1tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3tablespoons fresh parsley

1. In a medium-sized pan, heat the garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook for two minutes, and then add the white beans, rosemary, and thyme. Sautee for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until garlic is soft and fragrant.
2. Transfer the beans to a food processor. Add the salt, pepper, lemon, and remaining olive oil. Process on high, stopping every now and then to scrape the bowl down, until mixture is totally creamy and smooth.
3. Pulse in the fresh parsley. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Recipe originally found here.

Author at Food52 Notes: The perfect celebration of fresh herbs, this dip is wonderful with crostini, pita, radish slices, or even wrapped up in kale or romaine leaves. Serve with an extra drizzle of nice, fruity olive oil. - Gena Hamshaw

Favourite Cupcakes

You'll find these recipes and more here.

Cherry Coconut Granola with Hazelnuts

Makes 3 cups
Notes: You can substitute the cherries and hazelnuts for any of your favorite dried fruit and nuts. Also, orange juice can be substituted with apple, grape, or cranberry juice.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 300ºF.

In a small bowl, whisk the honey, orange juice, canola oil, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine the oats and salt. Add the wet to the dry and combine.

Layer a baking sheet with parchment paper. With your hands, grab handfuls of the granola and squeeze tight. Drop the clumps onto the baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. 

Remove and add the hazelnuts. Continue to bake for 15 - 20 more minutes or until the granola becomes golden brown. Remove from the oven and combine with the coconut flakes and dried cherries. Let cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to a month. Make sure to let cool completely before storing. 

Recipe found here.

Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet On Eating and Drinking

Then an old man, a keeper of an inn, said, 

"Speak to us of Eating and Drinking."

And she said:

Would that you could live on the fragrance of the earth, 

and like an air plant be sustained by the light.

But since you must kill to eat, and rob the

newly born of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, 

let it then be an act of worship.

And let your board stand an altar on

which the pure and the innocent of forest

and plain are sacrificed for that which is

purer and still more innocent in many.

When you kill a beast say to him in your heart,

"By the same power that slays you,

I to am slain; and I too shall be consumed.

For the law that delivered you into my

hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.

Your blood and my blood is naught but

the sap that feeds the tree of heaven."

And when you crush an apple with your

teeth, say to it in your heart,

"Your seeds shall live in my body,

And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,

And your fragrance shall be my breath,

And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons."

And in the autumn, when you gather

the grapes of your vineyard for the wine-press, 

say in you heart,"I to am a vineyard, and my fruit shall

be gathered for the winepress,

And like new wine I shall be kept in eternal vessels."

And in winter, when you draw the wine,

let there be in your heart a song for each cup;

And let there be in the song a remem-

brance for the autumn days, and for the

vineyard, and for the winepress.

New Spring Recipes!

Greeno Mojito Smoothie 
1 Sustain packet 
1/4 avocado 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves 
Juice of one lime 
3/4 cup filtered water 
3-4 ice cubes 

Blend in a blender until smooth and creamy. Sweeten to taste with raw honey or stevia if you need it. 

Spinach and Strawberry Salad 
4 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and dried 
1 pint strawberries, washed and thinly sliced 
1 small red onion, thinly sliced 
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped 
2 ounces goat cheese 

Combine all ingredients and drizzle with lemon vinaigrette dressing. 

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing 
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1 clove garlic crushed 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon mustard or to taste 
Freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake well till thoroughly blended. 

Oven Baked Fish Fillets with Roasted Tomatoes and Onions 
4 firm white fish fillets, about 4 – 6 oz. each 
1 onion peeled and sliced thinly 
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, about 2 cups 
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
Juice of one lemon 
1 tablespoon of lemon zest (optional) 
Extra virgin olive oil 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large baking dish, toss together the tomatoes, onion slices, and garlic with enough extra virgin olive to coat evenly. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in oven for about 10 – 15 minutes, until the onions and tomatoes are soft. Remove from oven and place fish fillets on top of the tomato, onion, and garlic mix. Drizzle lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil over the fish. Sprinkle with dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake until the fish is opaque throughout — about 10-15 minutes or more, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Guacamole with Raw Vegetables 
1 avocado 
1 small ripe tomato, finely chopped 
1 tbsp raw onion, finely chopped 
1/4 cup chopped cilantro 
juice of 1/2 lemon 
sea salt to taste 

With a fork, mash the avocado, keeping some chunks for texture. Stir in the chopped onion, tomato, and cilantro. Add the lemon juice and sea salt to taste. Enjoy with raw celery, cucumber, and carrots. 

Green Juice 
1/2 cucumber 
2 stalks of celery 
2 leaves of kale 
1 green apple 
1/2 lemon or lime 
handful cilantro or parsley 
1 inch of fresh ginger 

Put all the ingredients through a juicer and sip it down slowly. 

Recipes originally found here.

Spring into Eating

With the warmer months approaching and spring cleaning on the brain, now is the perfect time to tidy up your eating habits. The transition into spring often sparks a desire to feel lighter, less cluttered, and to make space for fresh, new energy. Removing the foods that are a burden on your body is the ultimate way to feel more energetic. Although each individual person’s dietary needs vary based on age, activity levels, health concerns, and other factors, there are a few things that are helpful for everybody when it comes to cleaning up their diet. 

Eat Food That Your Body Recognizes As Food
In order for every system in your body to function efficiently, you need to be adding nourishment that your body understands and can use. When your body doesn’t recognize something as food, that’s when inflammation (often the root cause of disease and weight gain) begins. Kicking processed foods to the curb is an important part of cleaning up your body, and this means eating foods close to nature with as few ingredients as possible. Processed foods are often high in refined sugars, artificial flavorings, chemicals, and other things that your body won’t recognize as food. Can you picture the food or ingredients you’re eating in nature? If you can’t pronounce it or it has a long ingredient list, skip it. 

Eat Fresh Foods That Are In Season
Eating seasonally is a way to naturally support your body’s detoxification process. The foods that naturally grow in the springtime are designed to help our bodies get rid of excess. Eating fresh, leafy greens and the crisp vegetables you find at your farmer’s market will help transition you from a winter of heavy foods. Your body’s natural healing process will be promoted through this way of eating, so do a little digging and find out what’s in season near you. 

Avoid Foods That Commonly Cause Inflammation
Decreasing inflammation in the body and restoring balance is essential for health and vitality. Inflammation can lead to digestive issues, a suppressed immune system, fatigue, and a host of other health problems. Foods that commonly cause inflammation include gluten, cow’s dairy, processed soy products, fat-free products, alcohol, sugar, and artificial sweeteners, to name a few. By sticking to fresh fruits and vegetables, good quality proteins, healthy fats, and gluten-free grains, you’ll be making a big difference in your health.

Originally found here.

Michael Pollan's Food Rules

1.     Eat food

2.    Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food

3.    Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry

4.    Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup

5.    Avoid food products that have some form of sugar (or sweetener listed among) the top three ingredients

6.    Avoid food products that have more than 5 ingredients

7.    Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce

8.    Avoid food products that make health claims

9.    Avoid food products with the words “lite” or the terms “low fat” or “nonfat” in their names

10. Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not

11.  Avoid foods you see advertised on television

12. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle

13. Eat only foods that will eventually rot

14. Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature

15. Get out of the supermarket whenever you can

16. Buy your snacks at the farmers market

17. Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans

18. Don’t ingest foods made in places where everyone is required to wear a surgical cap

19. If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.

20. It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car

21. It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language (Think Big Mac, Cheetos or Pringles)

22. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves

23. Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food

24. Eating what stands on one leg [mushrooms and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl], which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs and other mammals].

25. Eat your colors

26. Drink the spinach water

27. Eat animals that have eaten well themselves

28. If you have space, buy a freezer

29. Eat like an omnivore

30. Eat well-grown food from healthy soil

31. Eat wild foods when you can

32. Don’t overlook the oily little fishes

33. Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacterial or fungi

34. Sweeten and salt your food yourself

35. Eat sweet foods as you find them in nature

36. Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk

37. The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead

38. Favor the kinds of oils and grains that have traditionally been stone-ground

39. Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself

40. Be the kind of person who takes supplements – then skip the supplements

41. Eat more lie the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.

42. Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism

43. Have a glass of wine with dinner

44. Pay more, eat less

45. Eat less

46. Stop eating before you’re full

47. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored

48. Consult your gut

49. Eat slowly

50. The banquet is in the first bite

51. Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it

52. Buy smaller plates and glasses

53. Serve a proper portion and don’t go back for seconds

54. Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like  pauper

55. Eat meals

56. Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods

57. Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does

58. Do all your eating at a table

59. Try not to eat alone

60. Treat treats as treats

61. Leave something on your plate

62. Plant a vegetable garden if you have space, a window box if you don’t

63. Cook

64. Break the rules once in a while

Processed Foods List

Baked goods
  White flour
  White rice
  Salt
  Baking powder
  Bread
  Macaroni
  Pasta
  Cakes
  Cake mixes
  Pies
  Pie crust mixes
  Cookies

Processed fruits
  Canned fruit
  Frozen fruit
  Fruit sauces
  Jellies
  Jams
  Pie fillings
  Fruit juice

Processed vegetables
  Canned vegetables
  Frozen vegetables
  French fries

Convenience foods
  Pizza
  Precooked foods
  Frozen dinners
  Breakfast cereal
  Granola
  Energy bars

Processed meat
  Canned meat
  Cured meat
  Ham
  Lunch meat
  Sausage
  Bacon
  Gelatins
  Fresh meat with additives

Processed Dairy Foods
  Cheese
  Cheese food
  Milk (homogenized, pasteurized, skim, low-fat, etc.) 

Processed fats and oils
  Refined oils
  Cooking spray
  Margarine
  Salad dressing
  BBQ sauce
  Mustard
  Ketchup
  Mayonnaise
  Peanut butter

Drinks
  Soft drinks
  Fruit drinks
  Instant breakfast drinks

Confections
  White sugar
  Brown sugar
  Corn syrup
  Rice syrup
  Honey (unless raw)
  Syrups
  Candies
  Soft candies
  Pudding
  Dessert mixes
  Ice cream
  Frozen desserts
  Whipped cream
  Chocolate
  Marshmallows
  Shredded coconut
  Sugar substitutes

List originally found here.