7/2/2014 Coconut Vanilla Chia Pudding ParfaitsThese cute little chia pudding parfaits are absolutely "parfait" for this 4th of July. Sometimes it's hard to stay healthy on the 4th with all the BBQs and the oh-so-tempting patriotic desserts, but this recipe has got you totally covered and will keep you feeling light and healthy while strutting your bikini bod on the beach all weekend.
You'll LOVE this Coconut Vanilla Chia Pudding. It's sweetened with stevia, packed with protein, and topped off with antioxidant-rich berries. My favorite ingredient is the fresh vanilla bean - it is just magical and gives the pudding a gourmet twist, and makes me feel a little fancy every time I use it in a recipe! The combo of the vanilla bean and coconut flavor is so scrumptious and sweet. If you love coconut, you'll be in heaven with the parfaits - they taste like summertime! And nothing tastes better than summer right? If you're hosting a brunch on the 4th or if you want to serve some guilt-free desserts, this is the perfect recipe for you. I ate it for breakfast today and it was perfectly filling and satisfying. What's extra fab about this recipe is that it literally takes 5 minutes to prepare, then you just put it in the fridge, go run some errands, workout, do something productive, and come back and your pudding is ready to go. Another option is to pop it in the fridge overnight and you don't even have to think about it. Then you can assemble it into fruit parfaits whenever you feel like it.
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5/14/2014 Chocolate Fig Truffles with Sea Salt (Vegan & Gluten Free!)OMG. I can't contain my excitement. There's nothing that gets me more in the mood to write up a WeekNight Bite post than sharing an amazing dessert recipe. It's no secret that I'm a major chocoholic. Dessert is really my true love (besides you Mitch, obvi!), and when it's soft and chocolatey with a little hint of saltiness, oh boy - there's no stopping me. So I saw Giada on The Today Show talking about her new cookbook, Giada's Feel Good Food, which is all about her favorite healthy recipes and lifestyle secrets. Now that's what I'm talking about, Giada! I know you're not actually sitting at home with Todd and Jade eating lasagna rolls and chocolate cake, and washing it down with milkshakes garnished with a mini brownie on the straw! I have to admit, I have almost all of her cookbooks, but they've really just become kitchen decor since most of the recipes are too heavy for an every day meal. After trying out her Chocolate Fig Bites (which I had to rename Chocolate Fig Truffles because it sounds so much better), I'm so excited to try her other healthy recipes. The truffles did not disappoint . . . I literally tasted them and my first response was "am I in heaven?!" as you will see at the end of the video. Let's talk about figs for a second here . . . They're high in calcium, full of fiber, and packed with antioxidants and vitamins (iron, magnesium, potassium, B, and vitamin K). Also, they're really delicious and naturally sweet enough so that we don't even need to add anything else to the filling of the truffles, besides some almond butter for a dose of healthy fats. Dried figs are the perfect ingredient for low-cal, low-sugar desserts, and they work perfectly with these truffles. This gluten-free, vegan dessert is the perfect way to cure my very demanding sweet tooth, while still staying true to my pre-wedding clean eating routine. All you need is one or two truffles and you'll be completely and totally satisfied. How excited are you to make them? I'm considering eating one with my breakfast as I write this post. Ingredients
Recipe inspired by Giada's Chocolate Fig Bites 12 ounces dried Mission figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped 1 1/2 tablespoon creamy almond butter (I used Justin's Honey Almond Butter) 2 tablespoon water 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (or milk, or dark - up to your preference) 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil Pinch of flaked sea salt Serving: 15 truffles Now here's how you're going to make these bad boys: - Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. - In a food processor, combine the chopped figs, almond butter and water until it forms a smooth paste. Blend until combined, scraping down the side of the bowl, as needed. It should look something like this: 5/7/2014 Mother's Day BrunchingWhat on earth would we do without our moms? I've been feeling terribly sick all week, and even at 26 (and-a-half) years old when my fiancé was asking me what I needed or what he could get me, all I could think of was "I need my mom!" Without even asking her, my mom just knew, and within 2 hours she was out of San Diego and at my door, soup-in-hand, ready to take care of me. There's just nothing better. For all they do for us, we need to spoil them big time - every day, but especially this Sunday for Mother's Day. Brunch is my absolute favorite meal. It's like an occasion all on it's own. There is so much deliciousness packed into the all-encompassing meal that is brunch - I like to start it off with tangerine mimosas, then have some breakfasty bites, then throw in a few fresh salads options, and end it with some sweets - now that's how to throw a brunch. And that's exactly what you should do on Sunday to honor your moms! Here's some WeekNight Bite recipes that will fit perfectly into your homemade (& healthy!) Mother's Day Brunch! Are you hungry yet?
Happy brunching and happy Mother's Day to my amazing mom and my soon-to-be Mother-in-Law! 2/26/2014 Cinnamon Glazed Almonds & Hazelnuts (sugar-free!)To some of you, this may not be a huge accomplishment, but I'm VERY proud to report that I've officially gone two weeks without eating dessert. For a girl who grabs a handful of chocolate chips every time she walks by the freezer, two weeks without chocolate, cookies, or baked goods is pretty major. I've always had a serious sweet tooth, and even though I make an effort to eat really healthy meals and snacks, I always leave room for some delicious treats. Lately, this habit of mine has gotten a little crazy, so two weeks ago (after Becca and I scarfed some chocolate chips without even thinking about it), we made a deal with each other that we'd go THREE WHOLE WEEKS without dessert. Neither of us will dare cheat our way through this deal, especially since we have a calendar taped on the fridge where we check off our dessert-free days. If either of us screwed up during our dessert detox, it would say it right there on the fridge and remind us of our total lack of self control. So yes, absolutely no cheating during these three weeks. Our hope is that we'll have broken our daily dessert habit by the end of this, and moving forward we'll have more control when it comes to our sweet cravings. We'll see how it goes . . . stay tuned. But in the meantime with one week left of our challenge, I'm racking my brain for recipes that I can whip up quickly, that are sugar-free, healthy, and satisfying enough for my demanding sweet tooth. SO . . . You know those candied, cinnamon-glazed nuts that they have at fairs, farmers markets, and football games? The ones that smell amazing when you walk by them? I LOVE those. They're so freaking good. I mean, how could they not be good when they're coated in oil, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon? Mmmmm. I decided to make my own version, without the sugar or oil, but still delicious, crunchy, and sweet. Using just egg white, stevia, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, my hazelnuts and almonds turned out perfectly. If you're looking for healthy, sugar-free and guilt-free sweet, these Cinnamon Glazed Nuts are your new bestie. Here's how to make them: Ingredients 1 cup raw almonds 1 cup raw hazelnuts (or any other nuts that you love! I'm trying pecans next time) 1 egg white 4 packets Stevia 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Wouldn't this be a great gift? I'll have to remember it when the holidays come up!
2/5/2014 White Chocolate, Cran, Cacao Power CookiesToday we're making cookies. And not just any cookies - these cookies are packed with POWER ingredients like oats, almond butter, flaxseeds, banana, cinnamon, and cacao nibs. I find that when I get stressed, all I want to do is bake. And I can't be productive until I just get it out of my system and bake some freaking delicious cookies. I don't know what it is . . . maybe the heavenly smell of cookies baking in my oven, or the fact that my crazy sweet tooth has to be satisfied (or else!), but baking just calms me, takes away the stress, and makes me happy. My past two weeks have been filled with boring classes and studying to get my Insurance License. Tomorrow is the big test and I couldn't think of a better study break than whipping up some serious cookies to brighten my day. So why these cookies? First of all, I wanted to bake something that would only take me about 5 minutes to prep and only a few minutes in the oven, so that my study break doesn't get too out of control where suddenly I find myself on the couch eating cookies and almond milk, while binge-watching GIRLS on HBO. Secondly, I didn't want to clean up a ton of dishes, so whatever I baked had to be mixed together in just one bowl with one utensil. Third, my Guilt-Free Oatmeal Banana Cookies are by far the most popular recipe on my blog, so I wanted to create something somewhat similar with a few fun changes to spice them up. Lastly, I wanted something healthy and filling to keep me going through this afternoon of studying, and not leaving me feeling bloated or blah - especially since I have some wedding dress shopping to do after my test tomorrow. One more thing - my wooden spoon says "life's short, eat cookies", and that's persuasive enough for me. Lots of good reasons to make these cookies, right!? Right. Let's move forward . . . So here we go - White Chocolate, Cranberry, Cacao Power Cookies. These have some of my favorite ingredients including Nativas Naturals Cacao Nibs. Cacao Nibs are "nature's chocolate chips" and they're a major source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. The perfect way to get that chocolately taste in a healthy, natural way. The flaxseeds in these cookies will give you a boost of healthy omega-3s, the cinnamon revs your metabolism, and the oats and almond butter will keep you full and satisfied. Enough health validation - now I need tell you how delish these cookies are. SO delish. I topped them with some sea salt flakes for my favorite salty-sweet combo. The dried cranberries and white chocolate chips add the perfect amount of sweetness and the bananas keep the cookies chewy and moist (hate that word - but I can't avoid it in this situation!). I have to say, this recipe rivals the famous oatmeal banana cookies! I'm officially encouraging everyone to take a little break from the stresses of their day and go make these cookies. I promise they will bring some extra sunshine and sweetness to your day! :) Here's what you need for the quickest and easiest cookies eva. Ingredients 1 1/2 ripe bananas 1/2 cup creamy, natural almond butter 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 1 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 tbsp cacao nibs 1 1/2 tbsp dried cranberries 1 1/2 tbsp white chocolate chips Sprinkle of sea salt flakes (my fave brand is Maldon)
Back to the insurance books now! I'm feeling much better . . . phew! What ever would I do without my sweets!?
Enjoy! |
CATEGORIESPOPULAR POSTSJuly 28th, 2016Almond Milk Matcha LattesJune 23, 2017Almond Butter Cup SmoothieABOUT LINDSAYLindsay is a Holistic Nutritionist who lives for a great meal, a beautiful farmers market, daily matcha lattes, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Weeknight Bite is Lindsay's happy place where her nutrition practice, simple recipes, and wellness tips come together to inspire you to live a healthy, balanced life.
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