Month: May 2015

Creamy Asian Pear, Ginger and Citrus Smoothie

This is one of those happy accident recipes, where I just threw together what I had in the fridge and it turned out to be too delicious to not share. It’s creamy and sweet with the perfect little tang and spice. If Asian Pears are unavailable, try using another type of pear or sweet apple. This is a great morning smoothie with a nourishing dose or protein, healthy fats, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Apple cider vinegar, ginger and lemon are all energizing and give your digestive system a nice little kickstart. It’s an especially satisfying smoothie for those who, for whatever reason, are avoiding bananas or want something a little out of the ordinary. Enjoy! xJacq Ingredients: 1-2 servings 1 Orange 1/2 Asian pear 3/4 inch chunk of Ginger, peeled 1/2 Avocado 1/4 cup Cashew Nuts, soaked* 3 medium Kale Leaves 2 Romaine Lettuce leaves 1/2 cup Orange Juice 1/2 cup Almond Milk 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar 1 large Lemon wedge, juice only Peel and break the orange up into wedges. If you are using …

Carrot and Carrot Top Pasta with Walnuts, Pesto and Cashew Cheese

Published by Jacqueline King

I love this pasta so much! Not only is it delicious but it’s also beautiful. I love that it uses the whole carrot including the nutritious tops. Since the main ingredients are carrots and pasta it’s also a pretty inexpensive dish which makes it perfect for a family meal or a casual dinner party. Carrots are nutritional heroes. Few other vegetables or fruit contain as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A. They are an excellent source of vitamins B and C as well as calcium pectate, an extraordinary pectin fiber that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Lightly cooking carrots actually helps to break down their cell walls which means your body can absorb the nutrients more easily. The peel of the carrot is the post nutritious part so it’s always best to just give them a good scrub, rather than peeling them. Enjoy! Serves 4 Ingredients: 3 Tbsp Coconut Oil 1 small Onion, thinly sliced 4 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/4 tsp Herb d’ Provence 4 medium Carrots, …

High Protein Black Bean Brownies! You won’t believe how good they taste.

Published by Jacqueline King

After reading a friends post about delicious black bean brownies, I knew I wanted to try them for myself. When I read the recipe, however, I realized it contained a lot of butter and eggs. I figured if I was making “healthy” brownies, I wanted them to be dairy-free and suitable for plant-based diets, so I would have to make some adjustments. I tried to adapt the original recipe and it turned out to be a dry, crumbly baking fail. I looked at other vegan black bean brownie recipes online, but to be honest, I didn’t like the looks of them. They didn’t look like real brownies in the pictures, so I didn’t bother trying them. It was back to the drawing board. After a few more attempts (OK, 6) I finally came up with a recipe for these gorgeous things. They have the perfect balance of ingredients to satisfy your sweet tooth, while still being packed with nutrients. When I finally got the recipe right I must admit I was feeling pretty sassy. One of the …

The Joy of a Juice Cleanse! Yes, really.

Published by Jacqueline King

I haven’t posted any recipes for a while because I was doing a juice cleanse ahead of a trip to Europe. I figured it would be good preparation before the culinary and bacchanalian adventures to come. I know there is some controversy about the benefits of fasting, but the practice has been around about as long as man and virtually every religion recommends some kind of fasting or ritual which helps the body to heal and regenerate. This historical precedence is not, however, why I fast a couple of times a year. I do it because of how it makes me feel. I’m not saying it’s always easy but I do genuinely enjoy focusing on my health by juicing for a week. It makes me feel cleaner, lighter and energized. And sure, the fact that I look better after a cleanse doesn’t hurt either. Clearer skin, brighter eyes and few lost pounds are all pleasant side effects. I’ve tried the famous Master Cleanse before, but subsisting on lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup felt …

Top 10 Ways to Eat More Sustainably

Published by Jacqueline King

As Mad Men showed us, there was a time when a person could feel good about their consumption if it included only a minimal number of cigarettes, cocktails and calories. Yes, it was a simpler time…Today our greater awareness leads us to consider not only the healthfulness, but the carbon footprint, environmental impact, and sustainability of what we consume. This article is not meant to send you on a guilt trip. I know sometimes one must succumb to the craving for a perfect Peruvian mango in the dead of winter. I’ve been there. What I hope it will do is give you the information to make better choices most of the time. Striving to do so (in any area of life) is a noble pursuit and far more rewarding than striving for perfection. 1. Remember this quote from sustainable food advocate Anna Lappe: “Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want” I find if I keep this in mind when shopping I am automatically more conscious of …

Feel Good Blended Iced Mocha-Vanilla

Published by Jacqueline King

Before I started to focus more on healthy eating I was addicted to a certain national coffee chain’s blended iced mocha drinks. It was pretty much a daily ritual. I decided to quit cold turkey when I did my yoga training several years ago which left me feeling pretty bad and groggy the first couple of days, but when you’re doing yoga all day you won’t feel miserable for long, so it certainly could have been worse. After training I decided that if my worst vice was morning coffee I was doing Ok, so I switched to a simple homemade brew with almond milk, which was great and definitely has a lot less crap in it than those blended drinks. Sometimes though… I still wanted my old fix. Which is why I’m so excited about my new mocha-vanilla ice-blended recipe made with only natural whole food ingredients. Did you know cacao has a higher anti-oxidant rating than blueberries and coffee is the number 1 anti-oxidant source in the American diet? This is mainly because americans in …