Raspberry "Cheesecake" Smoothie

Raspberry "Cheesecake" Smoothie (best if for recovery)
Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients
2 scoops Arbonne Vanilla Protein
1/2 scoop Arbonne Fiber
1 cup of almond milk
1 cup of raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 fresh or frozen ripe banana
1 tablespoons of cashews
1 small dates, pitted and roughly chopped
ice and water

Cashew cream is made from raw cashews that get soaked overnight, drained all but 1/4 of water, and then blended into a creamy paste. This mild-tasting yet quite rich paste can then stand in for dairy in a great many recipes, everything from creamy sauces for pasta to raw vegan desserts. Great as a spread inside a wrap too

Put your time IN - If you want RESULTS!

Creamy Zucchini Leek Soup

Thick and creamy soup… dairy free!

This week brought two important revelations. First, no matter what Allure says, I can not pull off the orange pedicure. Second, I discovered that Trader Joe’s carries bags of frozen leeks. 
I grabbed a couple of the bags along with some organic zucchinis, some lemons, and a fresh jar of Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. The perfect start for a creamy, no-stress soup dinner! 

Thin, watery soups leave me wondering why I wasted so much time lifting the spoon to my mouth. Zucchini and a dash of coconut milk makes this creamy zucchini leek soup a satisfying but light meal. 

Don’t have access to a Trader Joe’s? Use fresh leeks–just slice the white and light green parts and discard the tough upper stems. You’ll need about two pounds, which might be 5 or 6 medium leeks. As for the magical 21 Seasoning Salute, you can substitute a big pinch of Italian seasoning and a pinch of onion powder. The 21 Seasoning lends a faint touch of heat from cayenne, so you can also add cayenne if you wish. Also, FYI, Seasoning Salute contains a small amount of dehydrated carrot and tomato granules.

Creamy Zucchini Leek Soup
3 Tbs. olive oil or coconut oil
2 1 lb. bags frozen leeks (or sliced fresh leeks, see above)
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 zucchini, grated
4 cups chicken (or veggie or beef) broth
1 1/2 tsp. Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute
1 cup coconut milk 
Juice of half a lemon 
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, sauté the leeks over medium heat in the butter or oil until softened. If using frozen leeks, sauté until the water is released and evaporated–about 7 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and sauté briefly until fragrant. 
Add the zucchini and sauté until they release a lot of water, about 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and 21 Seasoning Salute. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and partially cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, until zucchini is tender. 
Puree until smooth using a blender or an immersion blender. Add in the coconut milk, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Wonderful hot or chilled.
Makes almost 8 cups, enough for generous 6 servings.

Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant Steaks

Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant Steaks

Ingredients
2 medium eggplants
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 roasted red peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-10 oz. boxes fresh or frozen  spinach, thawed and drained
Pinch of nutmeg
8-10 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
½ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped


Directions
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut each eggplant length-wise into 4 steaks, about 1 inch thick. Brush the eggplant steaks with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on one side. Lay the steaks on the grill pan, seasoned side down. While they are cooking, brush the top side with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant about 3-4 minutes on each side until they are tender but not fully cooked. Depending on the size of your grill pan, you may have to do this in batches to cook all 8 steaks. When they are done, transfer them to a baking sheet.

While the eggplant is cooking, heat 2 tsp. oil in a skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the roasted red peppers and the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach, separating it with your fingers and mix it into the peppers. Add a pinch of nutmeg. Heat the spinach through. Add the olives to the mixture and remove from the heat.
Top each eggplant steak generously with the spinach/pepper/olive mixture. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with 2 tsps. oil and most of the parsley, retaining a bit for garnish. Sprinkle the crumbs over each steak. Just put a little. Don’t put so much that you can’t see the pretty colors of the veggie mixture. Bake the eggplant steaks for 5 minutes until the bread crumbs start to brown. Turn the oven to broil and cook an additional 5 minutes or until the crumbs are browned and crispy. Check on it often to make sure it doesn’t burn. Transfer steaks to a platter. Garnish with remaining parsley.

Zucchini Linguini Aglio-Olio

 Zucchini Linguini Aglio-Olio

Ingredients
3-4 large zucchini or 6-8 small zucchini, ends trimmed (more if using as an entrée rather than a side dish)
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Nutritional yeast to top

Directions
Julienne the zucchini using a mandolin, a peeler or do it by hand. Heat the oil in a skillet (you can just wipe out the one you used for the spinach mixture above) over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute until the garlic begins to brown and is fragrant. Add the zucchini and salt. Sauté until the zucchini is softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Season with fresh black pepper. Top with nutritional yeast, if desired. Serve while hot. Enjoy!

Thin Mint & Shamrock PROTEIN Shake

Thin Mint & Shamrock PROTEIN Shake

It’s the time of year when thin mints & shamrock shakes sneak their way into my life. We all know there’s nothing thin about those cookies, so this year I’m telling the Girl Scouts & St. Patrick to hit the road because I’ve got a secret protein shake that’s sure to take any craving away!

Ingredients:
-1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
-2 scoops Arbonne protein powder—chocolate
-1 tbsp coconut butter
-2-3 sprigs of fresh mint
-Handful of spinach (I promise you can’t taste it!)
-1 packet stevia (optional)
-ice

Directions: Place all ingredients in your blender & pulse baby!

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

 

From One of my favorite Recipe Books:  Paleo Slow Cooking, page 88
Serves 6-8, Prep Time, 10 minutes; Cook Time 4-6 hours on low, then 2-3 hours on high

Ingredients:
3 pounds of lean stew meat (we like to use buffalo).  Cut into 1-inch pieces.

1 quart beef broth
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp marjoram
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 cups organic carrots, sliced
5 cups celery, sliced
-------------------------------------
2 cups Japanese sweet potato (white), peeled and diced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
 Cook on low for 4-5 hours, leave out the mushrooms, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.  After 4 hours, add these missing items in, stir around and cook on low for 2-3 hours on high.