Kale and Walnut Pesto

I love pesto. Pesto is a great way to incorporate healthy fats, greens, and herbs into an every day diet. It is high in protein and pairs well with almost any type of vegetable or meat. I use it as a spread, dip, marinade, or dressing. There are many different recipes and types of pesto. Here is a recipe that I recently came up with and I eat with absolutely everything! 

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
8 small kale leaves (about 2 cups), stemmed
2 Tablespoons thyme leaves
1 clove garlic
zest and juice of one lemon (about 3 Tablespoons juice)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Place walnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. 
3. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust with sea salt or lemon juice. If pesto is too thick, add more olive oil. 

Notes

• Toasting of nuts is not necessary, but it will enhance their flavor. 

Author: Giovanna Garcia, Natural Chef

Almond Pulp Crackers

Don't know what to do with that left over almond pulp from making almond milk? Here are some ideas. There are lots of ways you can use the remaining pulp without sending it to waste. You can use a dehydrator to make almond flour and use it in baking, make dips with it, make crackers, or simply sprinkle it on your salad or throw it in your smoothie. If you're not planning on using the pulp right away, you can freeze it and use it at a later time. 

My favorite way to use the left over pulp is to make crackers with it. These crackers are a great high-fiber snack and are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Enjoy them with some cheese, hummus, or your choice of spread. 

Ingredients

1 cup firmly packed almond pulp (or however much you have leftover from Almond Milk Recipe)
2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 Tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil (melted)
1 Tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to lowest temperature possible (mine only goes as low as 170 F)
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and press into a ball
3. Transfer "dough" to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness
4. Cut dough into squares with a knife or pizza cutter
5. Bake for about 17 hours, or until crunchy (I leave them in the oven overnight)
6. Let crackers cool completely on baking sheet before serving

Notes

Get creative and use your favorite herbs and spices to create different flavors. 

Store crackers in a cool, dry place. They will only keep for about 4 days (Trust me, they'll be gone sooner than that)


Sources

Adapted from Elana's Pantry www.elanaspantry.com

Happy Snacking

Half a grapefruit and 1 Tablespoon of almonds

I frequently get asked about healthy snack options. When we're on the go, It's not always easy to find a healthy snack in a vending machine, gas station, or coffee shop that will give us the nutrients our body needs to go on with our busy life. I recommend having 2 to 3 small snacks throughout the day to keep the metabolism up and prevent overeating at meal times. A good snack should be a good balance between complex carbohydrates* to give you a good energy boost and protein to keep you full longer. Here are some delicious snack ideas that I like that will hold me over until the next meal and won't take much time to prepare:

• Celery sticks with 1 Tablespoon nut butter of your choice (Make sure you get a natural kind and not one with added sugar. Ingredient list should only read: nuts, That's it!)
• 2 Tablespoons raw nuts
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• Your choice of vegetable(s) with 2 Tablespoons hummus
• 1/2 cup shelled edamame sprinkled with sea salt
• 1/2 apple or 1/2 banana with 1 Tablespoon nut butter and sprinkled cinnamon
• 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt with 1/2 cup berries and/or 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
• 3 oz (about 1/2 cup) steamed sweet potato with 2 Tablespoons goat cheese
• 1 oz smoked salmon on top of seed crackers (I make my own, but I buy 'Mary's Gone Crackers' when I don't get to baking) and sprinkled with black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons goat cheese with seed crackers (One serving is 13 crackers) or cut up vegetables
• Mix 2 Tablespoons nonfat greek yogurt with any herb and/or spice (I make mine with dill and black pepper) to create a dip and enjoy with carrot sticks or cucumber
• 1 string cheese (part-skim) and 1/2-3/4 cup of berries
• 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal (you can prepare this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for later) topped with 2 Tablespoons chopped nuts and cinnamon

I know you might think these portion sizes are very small. These will obviously vary depending on each individual's calorie needs for the day, but these are the average serving sizes. Just remember, this is only a snack, not a meal. Although all these snacks are healthy, portion control is always something to consider. This goes for beverages as well, they count towards your daily calories and sugar intake if drinking something sweet. Drink lots of water and herbal tea to stay hydrated. If you don't like the taste of water you can squeeze some lemon juice in it or add cucumber or fruit to give it flavor.

Trust me, you'll feel way better after having one of these energy boosting snacks and won't be inserting all the empty calories and high amounts of refined sugar that other snacks out there contain. Try having a healthy snack with you at all times to avoid going for something packaged that will do your body no good.

* Complex carbohydrates are those that are not refined and take longer to breakdown, keeping your blood sugar balanced. These are found in whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots. 

Orange bell peppers and cherry tomatoes with 2 Tbsp goat cheese sprinkled with fresh ground pepper and dried basil leaves