Tag Archives: Healthy Eating

No Bake Almond Joy Bars | Gluten Free + Paleo

Ever since finding out that Maya can’t eat a LOT of foods, baking has become a lot harder…

BUT!  My mom found this amazing Raw Almond Joy Bar recipe from Rawmazing , and it was a HIT with everyone!!

It’s SO hard to decipher recipes that LOOK good from bloggers, but…don’t really taste good.  THESE TASTE AMAZING!!

GREAT for the holidays for those that are allergy challenged…or for special occasions 🙂

Crust:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together and pour into oiled, parchment lined 8 x 8-inch glass pan. Set in refrigerator aside making topping. The bottom layer should be set up (but not completely hard) before adding the next layer.

Coconut Layer

  • 2 cups of dried, unsweetened, raw coconut
  • 2/3 cup coconut butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons raw agave nectar (or liquid sweetener of choice)
  • 1-2 teaspoons organic almond flavoring (not raw)
  1. Place coconut in medium bowl.
  2. Whisk coconut butter (not the same as coconut oil), agave and almond flavor. Pour over coconut and mix well.

Topping

  • 1/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
  1.  Sprinkle these on top of the coconut layer

Ganache:

  • 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup coconut butter, softened
  1. Drizzle ganache over the top and refrigerate to set!

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Chia Pudding with Blueberries + Rasperries + Almonds

“Brilliant Breakfasts”

How many of your girls read #FancyNancy?  Maya is a big fan, so when I saw @redtricycle was doing a @disneyjunior Photo Challenge, I thought it would be the perfect thing for Maya and I to do together!
No, this isn’t an ad.  Yes, it was somewhat staged.  But also yes, we had fun!  AND…ate some yummy chia pudding.
That’s where the “brilliant” comes in!  #ChiaSeeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron, and calcium.

Omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that protects against heart attack and stroke.

#RTDisneyFancyNancy

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup chia seeds (or more depending on how many people you want to feed-this would make about four to five 1/2 cup servings)
  • 2 Cups unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (or whatever milk you want to use)
  • 1 Tablespoon raw honey or agave, plus a little additional for drizzling.
  • Handful of Blueberries, raspberries, and almonds.

Directions

  • Mix, chia seeds and Honey/Agave in with the milk and let it sit overnight, or do it first thing in the morning, if you want to have it for dessert.  It will plump up, and ends up looking like tapioca pudding.
  • Scoop out into bowls.  Top with berries, almonds and drizzle a little more honey over the top.

Enjoy!

dit-elle-Lauren

Healthier Hello Dolly Bars

I haven’t had much time to bake lately, much less take pictures and blog about it!  BUT…I had a client reschedule this past weekend, and I knew it would make Maya super happy if we made something together, so…we did!

I’d been dying to try Feasting on Fruits “Vegan Magic Cookie Bars” recipe ever since I saw her post it on Instagram.  The originals are my husband’s all time favorite bar cookie, so I couldn’t wait to try a healthier version.

While they are not as ooey gooey and decadent as the original version, they are really good!  I got a thumbs up from all the taste testers, including grandparents, teenage stepson, Maya, AND the Huz!

What you need…

ALMOND CRUST OPTION (she posts an oat crust option too)

What to do…

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and grab a cute assistant 😉

  • For the almond crust, combine the almond flour and maple syrup in a bowl. Mix to create a sticky and clumpy dough that holds together when pressed. Add 1 tbsp water if it seems too dry.

  • Press the crust into an 8x8baking dish  lined with parchment paper (I didn’t have any, so I just greased the pan). Bake for 10 minutes at 350F. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes.

  • While the crust is cooling, blend the bananas until smooth.

  • Pour the banana puree on top of the crust.

  • Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut. Gently press down until the banana puree rises up covering everything.

  • Bake for 35 minutes at 350F.

  • Cool then chill (she said to do it overnight, but we ate them later that evening!)

    Enjoy!

    dit-elle-Lauren

 

Healthy Chocolate Chip Mint NiceCream

Ever since I successfully made a Healthy Cherry Garcia, I’ve been dying to make a Mint Chocolate Chip version.  I’ve had this recipe in my mind for a LONG time, and finally got around to making it last night.  I might play around with it a little more, but overall, I think it was pretty good for the first try!Blog Healty Mint Chocolate Chip NiceCream-1 Blog Healty Mint Chocolate Chip NiceCream-2 Blog Healty Mint Chocolate Chip NiceCream-3Ingredients (serves 3-4)

  • 3 Frozen Bananas (cut into 2-3 inch pieces prior to freezing)
  • 1/2 cup frozen Avocado (cut into cubes then frozen)
  • 1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • Half of a vanilla bean (slice open and scrape inside out)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract
  • Garnish with dark chocolate chipsBlog Healty Mint Chocolate Chip NiceCream-4

Directions

Put frozen bananas, Avocado, almond milk, peppermint extract and inside of vanilla bean in a high speed blender or Cuisinart, and pulse/stop and stir occasionally until it gets to a creamy consistency.  You might need to add more almond milk.

Maya loves to push the button 🙂 Blog Healty Mint Chocolate Chip NiceCream-5

That’s it!!

Garnish with the dark chocolate chips (although, omit this if you are strict on certain diets). Blog Healty Mint Chocolate Chip NiceCream-6

Enjoy!  We did 😉dit-elle-Lauren

Grilled Onion, Cantaloupe, Goat Cheese, Almond, and Spinach Salad

One of my favorite things to make in the summer is a grilled fruit salad.  It may sound strange, but after you try it once, you will be hooked!

Blog Grilled Onion Cantaloupe Goat Cheese Almond and Spinach Salad-1The cantaloupe in this particular salad isn’t grilled, but when it’s mixed with the caramalized grilled onions, it cooks them juuuuust a bit, and it’s so good!

Ingredients (to serve 4)

  • 1 Cantaloupe (cut into bite sized pieces..
  • 1 large sweet onion
  • 4 Tablespoons of goat cheese
  • Handful of diced almonds
  • 4-6 Cups of salad greens.  Your choice, but I like to use a mix that has both spinach and arugula, because those wilt nicely.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (amount not measured, but will describe in instructions :))
  • Sea Salt and Pepper
  • Trader Joe’s Reduced Balsamic Glaze.

Directions

  • Light your grill and set it to a medium heat.
  • Cut your onion into 1/2 inch slices.
  • Lightly coat onions on both sides in a tiny bit of olive oil and salt and pepper
  • Set on the grill for 8-10 minutes
  • While the onions are grilling, dice up the cantaloupe and almonds.  Take both the cantaloupe and almonds, along with broken goat cheese and toss over the salad greens in a big bowl.Blog Grilled Onion Cantaloupe Goat Cheese Almond and Spinach Salad-2
  • Once the onions are caramelized, dice them up and toss into the salad.
  • Drizzle a tint bit of olive oil (a little goes a long way!) and Trader Joe’s Glaze, and a bit of sea salt and pepper over and toss it all together.

The creamy  goat cheese will melt with the caramelized onion.  That all blended with the light olive oil, the balsamic and the moisture from the cantaloupe…SO GOOD!!!!

And so good for you!

If you liked this recipe, then you might enjoy these two others as well.

Grilled Chicken, Onions, and Peaches with Avocado Tomato Salsa

Grilled Chicken, Onions, and Plums, and Goat Cheese Salad

Blog Grilled Onion Cantaloupe Goat Cheese Almond and Spinach Salad-3Enjoy!

dit-elle-Lauren

 

Healthy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas | (can be made gluten, dairy, and soy free)

Chicken enchiladas are pretty simple to make.  There are a bunch of different things you can throw in there, and let’s be honest…if it’s drenched in yummy sauce you can’t go wrong. 🙂

When Maya was 5 weeks old, she was diagnosed with a dairy and soy allergy.  Since I was breastfeeding…that meant no dairy or soy for me either :(.  Dairy isn’t so hard, but finding things that don’t have soy is REALLY HARD.  Making dinners was really hard (wait did I say that already?).  I had to get creative.  Did I mention I have two hungry teenage stepsons?  SO…I made this recipe just thinking of things that would taste good that didn’t have dairy and soy.

Maya is still what I’d call “dairy intollerant” (she gets really congested), but we have a little bit here and there and she does ok.  The entire recipe only has 1 cup of cottage cheese, and 1/2 a cup of shredded cheese.  Adds the perfect amount of creaminess to the enchiladas and a hint of cheese on top.

They are packed with low fat protein and taste delicious!  Blog Gluten Free Healthy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas-1 Blog Healthy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas-7

Ingredients

  • Bag of Tortillas.  I love these, and you could easily sub in any gluten free options.
  • 7-8 chicken breasts (depending on size)  Basically each enchilada has almost a full chicken breast!
  • Large jar or can of enchilada sauce.  I go back and forth between red and green.
  • Small yellow onion
  • Jar of diced chiles (they aren’t that spicy if you’re worried and add a great flavor and moisture to the mix)
  • Can of refried beans (I like to use black bean, but use whatever!)
  • 1 C low fat Cottage Cheese (I love the one that has Chive in it!) don’t use for dairy free
  • 1/2 C Shredded cheese don’t use for dairy free
  • 2 TBL of Olive Oil

Directions

  • Start boiling your water for the chicken.  I have NO idea why I boil the chicken!  I saw a friend do it once, and then have done it ever since when making enchiladas!  It’s easier, doesn’t have any added fat from cooking it with oil, and it requires less attention-WIN.
  • Add chicken and cook for 10-12 minutes (until they rise to the top)  They will cook more in the enchiladas, so you want to make sure you don’t overcook them.
  • Put olive oil large a non stick pan.  Add onions and stir for about 5 min (or until they start to get soft).
  • Once chicken is cooked, let it sit on a cutting board/plate/bowl.  You will want it to cool before you shred it (I’ve burned my fingers WAY too many times)  Oh, and note-if you have a dog…don’t let the chicken sit out on the counter.  Do I need to tell you what happened when I did that?? 😦
  • Dump refried beans, chilis, cottage cheese (opt out for dairy free)  into the pan with the onions.  You can add a little bit of your enchilada sauce to the mixture if you aren’t using the cottage cheese to make it a little moister.  Start finger shredding the chicken into this mixture and stir.  (or do it all in a big bowl)  Maya loved helping stir it all together!
  • Pour about 1/4 C of enchilada sauce into a 9×13 pan, so they don’t stick.
  • Scoop about a cup of mixture into each tortilla, roll and place (seam side down) into 9×13 pan.  Repeat until all tortillas are filled or you run out of mixture.
  • Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas and add cheese on top (opt out for dairy free)
  • Bake at 350 for 20.  Garnish with avocado, some plain Greek Yogurt, salsa (or all three!)

Keeping it real…

I actually first wrote this post 2 and a half years ago, but hated the picture I took.  The kids were hangry haha.  SO, I never posted it.  I was super excited to find it in the archives after making it again for dinner on Monday!  This time I snapped a few slightly better rushed picture before we ate (oh, to have TIME!!), and had the post all ready to go-WIN!!

Here’s the first picture from 2.5 years ago with green sauce… 🙂Blog Healthy Chicken Enchiladas-9Enjoy!!

dit-elle-Lauren

Mango, Avocado, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Salad

One of my favorite combinations is mango and avocado.  It’s refreshing and light, yet filling with the good fat from the avocado.  Add in a little goat cheese, drizzle with a balsamic glaze + Olive oil, then toss over arugula, and you have a ridiculously easy and delicious summer salad!Blog Mango Avocado Goat Cheese Arugula Salad-1 Blog Mango Avocado Goat Cheese Arugula Salad-2 Blog Mango Avocado Goat Cheese Arugula Salad-3

 Ingredients

  • One Mango
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 oz Goat Cheese (I love the individually wrapped oz medallions that you get at Trader Joe’s.  NOT AN AD, just love them 🙂  They stay fresh longer, and…portion control!! haha)
  • Balsamic Reduction ( you can reduce your own by boiling Balsamic Vinegar, and then simmering on the cooktop until thick), OR…you can cheat and use this from Trader Joe’s 🙂
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Serve over a bed of Arugula or spinach would be great too!

What you do…

  • Put a few handfuls of Arugula in your bowl.
  • Dice Up your mango, toss them in.
  • Dice up your avocado, toss them in.
  • Crumble your goat cheese over everything.
  • Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze + Olive Oild, and that’s it!

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Ginger, Chicken Sausage, Spaghetti Squash, Egg Muffins | Paleo, Whole30

I have always loved the taste of ginger, but have been even more inspired to add it into things after reading Esther’s post on the health benefits of it.  I mainly just loved the taste haha.

I had made another variation of these muffins a few months ago (with spinach!), and have kept meaning to make them again.  They are a little time consuming, but it’s SO worth it to have these ready to eat in the morning!  OR…for a snack 🙂Blog Whole 30 Paleo Ginger Spaghetti Squash Chicken Sausage Egg Muffins-1 Blog Whole 30 Paleo Ginger Spaghetti Squash Chicken Sausage Egg Muffins-2

What you need… (12 Muffins)

  • 5 Large Eggs
  • 2 cups spaghetti squash, cooked with water squeezed out.
  • 6 precooked chicken sausages, chopped into bite size pieces (I used these)
  • 1 Teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 Teaspoon crushed garlic
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (or fat of choice)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

What to do…

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Squeeze out all the moisture from the spaghetti squash with a paper towel and evenly distribute into lined muffin tins (This is my 2nd time making these and I spent almost as much time scrubbing the tins both times, even though I greased them!!).  I had Maya push a paper towel into them to get even more moisture out.  She thought it was fun, and it helped pack them in there!
  • Bake for 10 minutes til the spaghetti squash gets slightly browned at the edges.
  • While that is baking…In a large frying pan, heat up your oil (or fat of choice) with the ginger and garlic, and cook diced onions until soft.  I let Maya stir these up.  🙂
  • While these are cooking you can dice up your chicken sausage.  Once the onions are soft, add in the chicken sausage for a few minutes to warm them up and release the juices.
  • After the spaghetti squash has cooked, reduce  your heat to 350.
  • Evenly distribute the onion/chicken sausage on top of the spaghetti squash in the muffin tins.
  • Whisk all the eggs, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Maya loves whisking eggs, and it was an easy way for her to help!
  • Pour over the sausage and onion mixture until you can see the egg.  Not quite covering the sausage.
  • Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the eggs are all the way cooked through.
  • Store in an air tight container, and eat through out the week!

Here are some behind the scenes video from us making these.  I’m totally inept at Snapchat, but we are both having fun with it.  Find us at lkahan-ditelle 🙂

ENJOY!! 🙂dit-elle-Lauren

Chicken Sausage, Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins | Paleo, Whole30

I’ve seen so many variations of eggs in a muffin tin.  The possibilities are almost endless!  I saw a version of this recipe posted on the @Whole30Recipes page on Instagram by @dollyessfit, although I couldn’t find it on her website, Unapologetically Living, but there are a lot of other yummy recipes there.

I changed it a little, but basically stuck to what she did, and these were amazing!  And better yet.  I had breakfast every day for a week, and Maya asked for them for lunch too!

She also helped with almost every step.  She’s totally getting into cooking with me and wanting to help with everything!  Yes, it takes a little longer, and some ingredients are lost along the way, but it’s so worth it for her to know that she helped make what we are eating!  Especially when it’s healthy!  I mean, what kid doesn’t want to make cookies?  I love that she was excited to make these with me, and more importantly that she wanted to eat them!  Although, that last part isn’t a real shock.  She eats just about anything. 🙂Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-1 Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-2 Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-3What you need… (12 Muffins)

  • 6 Large Eggs
  • 2 cups spaghetti squash, cooked with water squeezed out.
  • 4 precooked chicken sausages, chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup spinach, kale (or any leafy green) chopped
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (or fat of choice)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

What to do…

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Squeeze out all the moisture from the spaghetti squash with a paper towel and evenly distribute into greased muffin tins (overly grease!!  I had to do a lot of scrubbing to get all the egg off after, because I only lightly greased).  I had Maya push a paper towel into them to get even more moisture out.  She thought it was fun, and it helped pack them in there!
  • Bake for 10 minutes til the spaghetti squash gets slightly browned at the edges.Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-4
  • While that is baking…In a large frying pan, heat up your oil (or fat of choice), and cook diced onions until soft.  I let Maya stir these up.  🙂Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-5
  • While these are cooking you can dice up your chicken sausage.  Once the onions are soft, add in the chicken sausage for a few minutes to warm them up and release the juices.
  • After the spaghetti squash has cooked, reduce  your heat to 350.
  • Evenly distribute the onion/chicken sausage on top of the spaghetti squash in the muffin tins.Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-6
  • Whisk 6 eggs in with diced greens.Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-7
  • Pour that evenly over muffin tins til the mixture reaches the top.  They don’t rise that much.Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-8
  • Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the eggs are all the way cooked through.Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-9
  • Store in an air tight container, and eat through out the week!

Keeping it Real…

The number one hardest part of cooking and baking with a toddler?  Or at least MY TODDLER, is stopping them from licking the spoon and eating along the way.  But…whatever.  Oh, and we made these at 5:00 at night, so there was NO natural light, which bums me out, but such is life.

Blog Paleo Whole30 Egg Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Squash Egg Muffins-10The second hilarious thing that happened (which I’m only admitting at the very end of this post, knowing most people won’t get this far hahaha.)  I accidentally turned the oven off when I thought I was turning it down to 350.  So…I put the muffins in, checked them at 20 minutes and thought.  WHY don’t they look more cooked??  Did I not get enough moisture out of the squash??  SO…10 more minutes.  STILL not looking done.  5 more minutes.  Then I started getting confused on how long they’d been in there and wondered how I would tell people how long they should cook!  SO, I checked them again, and realized…my hand wasn’t hot when I stuck it in to shake the pan.  Um….hmmm, yeah, turning the oven on.  Important step!!!!  I was actually making these for dinner and had to scrap it and make something else while they cooked for their appropriate 20 minutes.  GRRRR.

ENJOY!! 🙂dit-elle-Lauren

4 Ingredient Healthy Banana Maple Sunbutter Mini Muffins!

Every once in a while, I stumble upon a food blogger than not only makes me want to make every single recipe they post, but also…makes me die laughing!

One of those would be Arman, from The Big Man’s World.

I finally dove in on his Healthy 4 Ingredient Chunky Banana Bread, but subbed out the almond butter for Sun Butter (I have a bit of a nut intolerance and with most schools being nut free now, it’s all we eat + YUM!)

I made them into mini muffins instead of a loaf, because…portion control 😉  He is totally right.  The texture is gooey deliciousness!!  I mean, is there ever an adjective that makes you want to dive into a dessert other than “gooey”???!!  No. 🙂Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-1 Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-2 Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-3What you need… (made 19 mini muffins)

  • 3 cups overripe banana, mashed roughly
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup smooth Sun Butter (can sub for any nut butter, if you’d like)
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

What to do…

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease mini muffin tins
  • In a large mixing bowl mash bananas til they are smooth with a few chunks.
  • Add in sifted coconut flour, sun butter, and maple syrup.  If spills occur, guess on how much more to add 😉  Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-6 Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-7 Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-8
  • Lick the measuring cup…oh, wait 🙂  BUT…the great thing about only 4 ingredients (with no eggs!) is that you totally CAN lick the spoon and measuring cup worry free!  Although, let’s be real.  In my day, I made cookie dough with eggs and ate so much dough while making them, that I didn’t even want the cookies. 😉 I turned out just fine, but…whatever.  Play it safe, no?Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-4 Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-5
  • Spoon out about 1/4 cup into each mini tin.  Or, if you want to make regular muffins, until they look like this.  They don’t rise much.Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-9
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden on top. Remove from oven and allow to sit until completely cool. Blog 4 Ingredient Paleo Banana Maple SunButter Mini Muffins-10Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren