Good Eats // Superfoods Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

I love this salad! I enjoy making salads because they are a great way to incorporate healthy items with bursts of delicious flavors despite the healthy factor. I also find them to be forgiving in taste even while getting experimental with the ingredients. While flavoring other foods can be a delicate thing (not too little, not too much), giving salad a kick or twist of flavor usually lends to it becoming a delicious favorite. Plus it's fun to find new ways to combine flavors within a salad that you can then use in other dishes too!

I came up with this salad while taking the Healthy Start 7 challenge earlier this month and I promised the recipe would follow. So here it is packed with the following superfoods:

Spinach:: packed with antioxidants and vitamins, it is anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and a source of Omega-3

Quinoa:: high in protein, contains all 9 essential amino acids making it a complete protein, rich in fiber and minerals, and it's gluten-free

Beets:: fights disease, strengthens neural tubes, regulates digestion with fiber, high in immune boosting vitamins A, B & C, and they are packed with potassium

Pomegranate:: filled with B & C vitamins, potassium, and folic acid, anti-inflammatory, improves blood flow, anti-cancer, heart healthy, antioxidant packed, and contains folate which helps repair DNA

Sunflower Seeds:: aid digestion, improves memory, increases energy, provides protein, fiber and complex carbs

Cherry Tomatoes:: a powerhouse of vitamins A, C & K, potassium, fiber, and most importantly beta-carotene and lycopene (a powerful antioxidant when paired with a healthy oil), all while being low calorie

Celery:: Vitamin C, fiber, minerals (potassium, calcium, molybdenum, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron, as well as the B vitamins thiamine, niacin, folate, and B6), anti-cancer/Alzheimer’s, eliminates toxins from the kidneys, anti-inflammatory, low calorie and boosts metabolism

Carrots:: high in beta-carotene, anti-cancer, low calorie, immune support

Red Onion:: antioxidents, banishes free radicals, anti-cancer, helps fight the virus of the common cold, reduce high blood pressure, and can help control glucose levels

Citrus Vinaigrette:: more vitamin C and healthy fat to make those vitamins work at max capacity

Ingredients::

Several hand fulls of spinach and mixed greens

1 C cooked quinoa

1 medium red beet, cooked and diced

1-2 stalks celery, chopped

1-2 carrots, shredded

1/4 red onion

handful of cherry tomatoes, whole or sliced

2-3 Tbsp sunflower seeds

1/2 the seeds from 1 pomegranate 

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1 orange, juiced

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 tsp brown mustard

Salt/pepper

How to make it::
1. Cook your quinoa ahead of time (I usually use leftover quinoa in a salad or it's great for breakfast). Check out some great tips on how to cook your quinoa.
2. Cook beet ahead as well. I roast mine in the oven with skins on covered in EVOO for roughly 40 min at 350, or until fork tender. Then I peel them (while wearing gloves since they stain) once they've cooled.
3. Prep your veggies/fruits. Fill bowl with greens and top with veggies.
4. Make dressing and toss over salad. 
Enjoy!

Check out our other recent recipe creations from out Healthy Start 7 journey:  Chili Lime Sweet Potatoes and Fruity Brussel Sprouts. 

Lemon Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes // Gluten & Sugar Free!

I am so excited to share our first recipe that I developed out of our Healthy Start 7 challenge (which I first introduced to you yesterday in my New Year's Resolution #3 (Part 2) post). While a pancake recipe was not included in the Healthy Start 7 meal plan for breakfast, quinoa was a huge staple of the challenge. When first preparing for this challenge I remember thinking, What are we going to eat for breakfast? While I enjoy smoothies, I don't want one every day. And eggs are great (which was the only dairy included for extra protein), but I often enjoy warm grains in the morning - oatmeal, whole wheat pancakes or toast. When quinoa pancakes were suggested as an alternative to my normal whole wheat, I was up for a new cooking challenge.

I scoured Pinterest and my other go-to sites for a start on a good recipe. Many of the quinoa recipes I found still include all-purpose flour...not allowed on our plan. Or there was the other extreme (one of which I attempted), which included no flour and was super wet and watery, and lets just say it ended up in the trash. Quinoa alone didn't work out for me. Many recipes also called for traditional sugars, which we were also avoiding during this challenge. (To get super technical, we weren't supposed to be using any flours, baking soda, etc., but at the end of the day, this is still the healthiest pancake I've ever eaten!)

So what's a girl to do? I wanted a truly healthy pancake that met our challenge requirements and still tasted good...not some I'll-choke-it-down-because-I-know-it's-good-for-me experiment. I took the tips I found from the all-quinoa recipes and what I know from making my own whole wheat versions and *boom* this recipe was born. It was a major hit with both the hubby and our little one who regularly begs for "cakes" (aka, pancakes)...my true motivation for making a healthier version.

NOTE:: I have made this recipe with and without a sugar substitute. It is just as yummy without. I'd encourage you to try it without and opt for your sweetness to come from a small amount of maple syrup, raw honey or sugar-free jam on top! However, if you so choose, I recommend a dry sugar substitute, such as stevia. I originally used coconut sugar (shown in the photos below) in this recipe but I didn't feel it made a huge difference in the taste. If you want to try a wet sugar substitute, try using less lemon juice and more lemon zest to keep the lemon flavor while reducing your liquid. Try 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 Tbsp raw honey, molasses, or fresh (not from concentrate) apple juice.

((Stay tuned:: I'll be sharing my research on sugar substitutes soon and will post the link here when it's published. What I found may surprise you.))

Ingredients::
1 C uncooked quinoa
3/4 C almond milk
2 Tbsp shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 Tbsp coconut oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp ground flax
1/4 tsp sea salt
(optional: alternative sugar*)
2/3 C coconut flour
1tsp baking soda
1 C wild blueberries

How I made it::

1. Thoroughly rinse your quinoa (this is good to do anytime you make it as it helps remove the bitterness). Soak in filtered water overnight, or for several hours. Drain and rinse.

2. Add rinsed quinoa to blender with almond milk, coconut shreds, coconut oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, flax, and salt. Also add sugar substitute at this point, if using. Blend thoroughly. You can't over blend it so make sure the quinoa is really ground.

3. Whisk baking soda and flour in separate bowl, stir into wet ingredients until incorporated. Batter will be fluffy and slightly thick.

4. Stir in blueberries and set griddle/pan to medium heat.

5. Use a small bit of coconut oil to coat pan so the batter doesn't stick. Then follow this timer flow I use to cook each pancake evenly and without burning them. Plus, I only have to set my timer for one time, which is helpful. But do whatever works for you!

• Set timer to 2 minutes.
• Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into pan, shimmy pan so batter spreads out. 
• At 2 minutes, flip cake. 
• *Reset 2 minute timer.*
• At 1 minute, remove pancake from heat, add more coconut oil to grease pan, pour batter to make next cake. 
• Allow 20-30 seconds of timer to run out, reset timer and continue cooking first side of pancake for 2 minutes. 
• Flip and repeat from ** until out of batter.

6. Serve with maple syrup and butter, or honey and/or sugar-free jam (on pretty paper plates for easy clean up...because, hey this mama has plenty of other dishes to do already with all the cooking that goes on around here!).

Enjoy!

**Baby and husband approved**

Good Eats:: Homemade Almond Milk

I am so excited to be making my own almond milk. It's one of those things where I found myself thinking, "Why haven't I been doing this all along?" Well, when I realized how easy it is with a little foresight and a great blender (If I haven't shared before, I ♥ my Ninja blender!), I had to try it. 

I learned how to master this little task by following these instructions at The Kitchn (by apartment therepy). Voila! My very first bottle of homemade almond milk.

So far, I've used it in my morning oatmeal, my tea latte (I make a heavenly, frothy and delicious tea latte - possibly a recipe share in the future), smoothies, and I'm sure something else I can't remember right now. 

Ingredients::
1 C almonds
water
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tbsp honey (optional)

How to::
1. Place almonds in a glass jar, cover with water and soak overnight or all day (roughly 12 hours).  Drain and rinse thoroughly. Add to blender with 3 cups of water. Add cinnamon and honey to taste. Blend until almonds are finely ground.  Strain with a fine mesh strainer over a wide bowl (you can also use cheese cloth, but I never seem to have it around when I need it). Let sit until most of the liquid drips out.  

2. Next, get a metal cookie sheet for your almond meal. Oh yeah, this lovely little recipe also yields you the bonus of some healthy almond meal for baking. The almond meal will be left over in the strainer still sopping wet with milk. I just squeeze out the milk with my hands and crumble over my cookie tray. Then set the oven to 400 degrees and toast the almond meal, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. (This will make your house smell all warm and toasty like a fresh bakery. Do this before having company over instead of lighting candles.) Pulse the almond meal quickly in the blender to break it up and make sure it is a fine meal for baking. Store in an airtight container.

Don't forget to also store your almond milk in a sealable container you can keep in the fridge. Don't make too much at once as it only lasts a few days.

Banana Nut Muffins: Gluten Free (GF) & Sugar Free

Seriously?! GF and SF?  Yes, it's possible for something so healthy and tasty to exist. With a little research and finesse, it can be done.

This recipe is based on one from my trusty Joy of Cooking cookbook. For me, it's that cookbook I've owned forever, because my mom, and her mom, and her mom before her had one just like it - it's been a staple in our kitchens. It has everything in it.  While I rarely make a recipe straight from the Joy book anymore, it's a great starting place for deciding what ingredients should be in most basic recipes. It has a lot of cooking and food storage tips as well...I learn a lot here.

- a glimpse of the original recipe -

The next step was to research an all-purpose (AP) gluten-free (GF) flour mixture. I have a coconut AP flour mix that I found online, but have yet to create anything successful with it. Fortunately, I came across this amazing GF site Gluten Free Girl and their trusty advice on how to make your own gluten-free all-purpose flour mix.  I discovered that using the Coconut flour mix on it's own wasn't sufficient. It needed to be anchored with a wheat flour. Coincidentally, the original Banana Nut Muffin recipe also called for wheat flour. I was in business.

Ingredients::
1 C coconut flour blend (I like Mama's Coconut Blend by Gluten Free Mama)
1/2 C whole wheat flour (Bob's)
1/4 C ground flax seed
1/4 C Almond meal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C coarsely chopped walnuts
----
1 large egg
1/2 C applesauce
1/4 C brown rice syrup (or honey)
3 very ripe bananas
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C almond butter

Servings:: Makes 12 standard-size muffins

How to::
1. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl.
2. In stand mixer (or in a large bowl for a hand mixer), beat wet ingredients until mixed.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a third at a time making sure to incorporate. Since you are using GF flours you don't have to worry about over mixing since there is no gluten to break down! You want to make sure all the flour is mixed in so you don't end up with white lumpy patches in your muffins - ew, gross.  If you so choose, add in some walnuts for added healthiness and yummy texture.

4. Divide the batter among muffin cups. You can line your muffin tin with liners or I used a little coconut oil to grease them up.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for the following times::
mini - 10-12 minutes
standard size - 20-25 minutes
jumbo - 22-25 minutes

6. Insert a toothpick in 1 or 2 muffins to be sure they are done. Let cool 2-3 minutes before removing from pan, which makes them easier to remove. Preferably serve the day they are baked, but I store mine in the refrigerator to enjoy all week for breakfast and snacks.

**Baby and husband approved** I love giving these to my little guy because it's an easy finger food when cut up and his favorite food is currently bananas.