Chocolate Avocado Mousse

INGREDIENTS
4 oz semisweet chocolate
1 tbs canola oil
2 avocados
2 tbs cocoa
2 tbs pure maple syrup
2 tbs honey (if you don’t eat honey, agave nectar or more maple syrup is fine) 2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 cup natural peanut butter

PREPARATION
Put the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and stir to coat with the canola oil.  Microwave for 45 seconds.  Stir, then microwave for 30 seconds.  Repeat with decreasing times until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Mash the avocado in a food processor until smooth or mash roughly with a fork, then whisk to get the lumps out.  Combine the melted chocolate with the smooth avocado.  Add the remaining ingredients except for the peanut butter.  (Measure the syrup and honey with the same spoon you used for the oil so that it slides right out.)  Then add the peanut butter.  Makes four servings.  Small but rich!  Top with sprinkles, fruit, or anything your heart desires and dig in. 

This dessert is a favorite on the “Be Fierce & Flourish Mt Leconte” Excursion. Click HERE to find out more about the trip!!

Black Bean Espresso Chili

I found this awesome recipe on Epicurious and I didn't change a thing.  It is perfect as is.  Definitely try this out.  I like serving this over cheesy polenta!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
5 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup dried oregano leaves
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/3 cup honey
6 large garlic cloves, minced
7 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or chili powder
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Assorted toppings: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños, and shaved bittersweet chocolate

PREPARATION
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in espresso powder, 1/4 cup chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, honey, and garlic. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans, 2 cups water, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cinnamon. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)
Place toppings in individual condiment bowls. Ladle chili into bowl and serve toppings alongside.

A Recipe for Success! Top 9 Tips to Eat Better In 2016!

Eating healthier is one of the top 10 New Year’s Resolutions.  How many of you set that as an intention this year?  How is it going?  I’m guessing many of you may not have yet started or started and have already strayed from the path.  Eating healthier is an easy goal to set, but not so easy to maintain.  So, I’ve created a recipe for success for you!  

These are my Top 9 Tips to Eat Well in 2016.  I use these tips myself and I know they work long term.  Whenever you start to struggle with eating well, simply place these tips in a large mixing bowl in any amount and stir them around.  Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees.  Now, sit back and watch success start to bubble up into a delicious meal.  ENJOY!  Cheers to your amazing year of eating well.

If you would like to really bring these tips to life join my next 5-Day Real Food Reset March 6th-11th.  Find more information on my website.  

1.  Plan your meals each week.  Planning is key.  I like to plan my meals over the weekend so that when Monday comes I am ready to go and organized.  You can pick any day of the week.  I just happen to like starting my meal plans on Mondays.  I write my plan down.  There is magic when you put pen or pencil to paper.  It seals the deal and the plan become more tangible and real.     

2. Prep as much as you can.  After I purchase all of my ingredients I prep as many of the ingredients as possible.  This means chopping vegetables and cooking things ahead of time.  Place items in clear containers so you can see everything and be sure your refrigerator is clean and organized.  

3. Don’t diet.  EAT WELL.  Eat to be healthy and strong.  Enjoy your meals.  Do not pick meals that make you feel deprived and will cause you to lose weight quickly.  Do not pick meals that make you feel like you are dieting.  Remember, we are working on being more balanced.  Have fun with your meal planning!  

4. Give yourself credit for the smallest effort.  A healthy breakfast is something to celebrate on days when you feel like you just aren’t motivated!  Who knows?!?!  a healthy breakfast could lead to a healthy lunch, dinner and snacks.  Every time you feel like you are falling off the wagon, refocus on what you are doing well!

5. Think about context.  Where do you eat?  Are you eating in a comfortable and relaxed environment?  Are you eating with people you enjoy?  Is the conversation stimulating?  Yes, all of this affects how we eat.  How does the area you typically eat in feel to you?   Seek out places and people that promote a healthy eating environment.  One thing I really like to do is light a candle at mealtime.  This helps to relax me so that I take my time eating.

6. Meditate and/or Pray.   Meditation and/or prayer can help to curb unhealthy cravings.  Just 3 minutes of meditation and/or prayer can make a big difference.  When you notice yourself starting to reach for foods mindlessly, take some time to sit, watch the breath and notice how your are feeling.  By tuning in and feeling the sensations that are arising in the body and mind you will cultivate lasting change.  

7. Seek Community and Support.  Community and support is invaluable.  There is so much to learn from each other and it is helpful to know that you are are not alone and someone else has the same struggles.  You will also see that people have successfully overcome obstacles you might be currently experiencing.  This will give you hope and encouragement to know that it is possible to create lasting change.     

8. Spend money on your food and programs that will guarantee your success.  Nutrition  is a high life priority, so this is the place to splurge a bit if that helps.  Honor and spoil yourself!  Spend a little more on that great piece of salmon, search for the best produce, buy yourself that organic chicken or milk, sign up for a program that will help you achieve your goals.  Invest in your health now and you will reap the benefits.  Have faith that this is truth.  

9. Compassion, Compassion, Compassion.  We are all going to mess up.  There will be setbacks.  Your journey to eating well will not be easy.  Let’s just admit it.  It WILL not be easy.  You must have compassion for yourself in these moments.  Here is a great practice to strengthen your compassion muscle.  Simply place your hand on your heart, close your eyes and say to yourself, “I’m sorry body.  I love you body.  I will feed you healthy and nourishing foods, strong body.”  Do this over and over again for 3 to 5 minutes.  You may shed a few tears and that’s a good sign!  Every time you start to beat yourself up, do this!

Chickpea Granola Bars

I got this recipe from the No Meat Athlete.  It is a great resource for recipes that work!  The one tip I suggest is to place the sheet pan in the refrigerator uncovered so that the bars can dry out a bit.  This way it is easier to cut them into bars.  I also tripled the recipes so you can fill a whole large sheet pan to make a lot of bars.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 cans chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp sugar
4 1/2 cup oatmeal
3 cup whole grain brown rice cereal
3 cup dried fruit (I used Sunmaid’s variety pack of “Fruit bits”)
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
9 Tbs canola oil,
3 Tbs ground flax seed

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix ground flax seed with 3/4 cup warm water, set aside to thicken.  Toss chickpeas in sugar and cinnamon.  Bake 10 min, stir in the pan, and then 10 min more.  Add oatmeal to the pan and bake 5 min.  Stir together the peanut butter, honey, canola oil, and flax paste.  Combine chickpeas, oatmeal, cereal & dried fruits.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir to combine.  Press mixture into large greased cookie sheet.  Really PRESS and PACK IN the mixture as hard as you can.  Refrigerate until firm, then cut into bars.

Heather's Chocolate Black Bean Smiley Bars

INGREDIENTS
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
½ C almond butter
1/2 C maple syrup
1 mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1/2 C oats
1/2 C cocoa
½ C coconut flour
½ C shredded coconut
½ C raisins
1/2 C water

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, combine beans, almond butter, syrup, banana, vanilla, spice and salt until smooth.  Add oats, cocoa and flour and pulse to combine.  Add coconut, raisins and water and pulse to combine.  Grease 13×9 pan with baking spray or rub with 1 tablespoon oil, then spread mixture into pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  

Slow Cooked Ratatouille over Polenta

This is a delicious Winter meal and is super filling!  Be sure to cook the polenta at least one day ahead.  This will make meal time even easier too.  I hope you enjoy!

For the Polenta:
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 1/2 cup polenta
1/2 stick butter
4oz goat cheese or another cheese of your choice
10 grinds black pepper

For the Ratatouille:
2 large eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
One 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
10 grinds black pepper
1/2 cup packed freshly grated parmesan
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

For the polenta, add the stock and salt to a medium, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring every 3 minutes, until creamy and thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, cheese, and pepper.  Pour into a greased dish and allow to firm overnight.  1-hour before mealtime, place pads of butter on top of polenta and bake polenta at 400 degrees until nicely browned.  Remove from heat and cut into squares.  Serve squares topped with ratatouille.

Grease the slow cooker with cooking spray.  Place the eggplant and zucchini in a large colander and toss well with 3 tablespoons of the salt; let sit for about 45 minutes. Rinse well to remove the salt, then dry well, gently squeezing out excess water with a kitchen towel. Add to the greased slow cooker. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. When warm, add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. As soon as it melts, add the flour and tomato paste, and cook until the mixture is thickened and the flour disappears, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium high and add the tomatoes with their juices, thyme, and pepper. Cook, crushing the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon, until thickened and smooth, about 6 minutes. Mix with the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 hours. Uncover and remove from the heat; immediately stir in the cheese and basil.

Overnight Pumpkin Oatmeal

This recipe is easy and can be eaten cold or warmed in the microwave. I prefer it cold :-) Serves 5.

2 cups almond milk
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup pumpkin
4 cups oats
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Mix together milk, yogurt and pumpkin. Add oats, spice and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly and divide among glass jars. Leave in fridge overnight. Toast seeds in olive oil and season with salt. Top oatmeal with pumpkin seeds & serve!

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream

5 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
1 chopped peeled carrot
1 chopped celery stalk
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
Chopped fresh chives

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss butternut squash with olive oil and salt.  Roast 40 minutes or until nicely browned.  Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.  Add roasted butternut squash

Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pan. Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Bring soup to simmer. Mix in whipping cream. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cider cream. Top with chives.