Healthy Samoas

Prep Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 30 mins | Makes: 11 cookies

It’s Girl Scout cookie season! If you haven’t seen the purple, green, and yellow boxes all around town, you better find them soon before they sell out. Local Hint: check out the base of Highlands…they even accept Venmo! But if you’re like me and want to enjoy the best Girl Scout cookie (obvi the Samoas) all year round, you have to make this recipe. I found this healthy, homemade Samoa recipe on the food blog Eating Bird Food. Only 4 ingredients AND in a side-by-side taste test, some preferred these to the packaged cookies…just saying :)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 1 cup pitted medjool dates, about 10 dates

• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate (for a low sugar option, try Lily’s chocolate chips)

• 1/2 tsp coconut oil

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Toast the coconut: Spread the shredded coconut onto a baking sheet. Place in oven for 3-5 minutes, until coconut is a light golden brown color. Make sure to keep an eye on the coconut, as it burns really easily. Alternately, you can toast the coconut in a pan on the stove top.

3. In a food processor, add dates and toasted coconut. Pulse until mixture is combined and starts to form a ball of dough.

4. Take 1 Tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball and then shape into a round cookie. Using a straw or chopstick punch a hole in the middle of the dough. Move the straw or chopstick around a bit to make the hole wider, if needed. At this point you’ll likely need to reshape the cookie a bit.

5. Place all cookies on a sheet lined with parchment and transfer to the freezer for 5 mins. to harden up a bit.

6. While cookies are in the freezer, add chocolate and coconut oil to a shallow microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20-30 second increments until the chocolate is melted enough to drizzle.

7. Grab cookies from the freezer and dip each one in the chocolate to coat the bottom. Place cookies on the parchment and use remaining chocolate to drizzle over top the cookies.

8. Transfer cookies back into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to let the chocolate harden. Once they’ve hardened you’ll be able to easily remove the cookies from the parchment paper.

9. For enjoying later, store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week.

Banana Drop Biscuits (Vegan)

Prep Time: 5 mins  |  Total Time: 20 mins  | Makes: 12 Biscuits

I stumbled upon this recipe by vegan and GF recipe blogger, Peanut Butter & Jilly, last winter and have made these delicious biscuits at least a dozen times since then. Usually, when my bananas start to get a little ripe and look uneatable, I make my go-to GF Banana bread. BUT ever since discovering these little gems, my banana bread making days are history and I’m pretty much addicted to biscuits now. Disclaimer: Only make this recipe if you plan to eat more than desired in one sitting. Enjoy!

What You Need:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

• 1 overripe banana, mashed

• 1/2 cup butter, melted (can substitute vegan butter here)

• 1 tbsp maple syrup, the real stuff!

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 2 cups flour or gluten free flour *if using GF flour: best option is King Arthur, Measure for Measure GF flour. I have also used almond flour, but the biscuits come out a little more dense and flat.

Maple Butter:

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

How To Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the almond milk, mashed banana, melted butter, maple syrup, and baking powder. Then, add the flour and mix just enough until a dough forms. If using gluten-free flour and the dough seems crumbly, add another 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of almond milk and work it into the dough. Don't over-mix or your biscuits will be dense.

3. Use a spoon to scoop the dough and drop onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Space evenly and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the biscuits are golden. Option to broil the biscuits at the end for about a minute to give them more color on top.

4. While the biscuits are baking, melt the maple syrup and butter together, either in microwave or on the stove top, to create the maple butter.

5. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, drizzle the maple butter over the warm biscuits and enjoy!

Dinner Party Ready Pad Thai

If you’re ever in charge of bringing a healthy dish for a large group dinner that will also make you look like a culinary master…this is your dish! I personally make this pad thai as often as I can and anytime I want to feel like a real chef. And the best part is you can whatever protein you’re in the mood for - shrimp, tofu, chicken, steak…this dish tastes amazing with any option.

What You’ll Need For Recipe:

• Protein of choice: 1lb of shrimp (uncooked), 1.5 lbs chicken, 1 lb steak, 1 block extra firm tofu

• 1 shallot, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3-4 green onions, chopped

• 1/2 cup cilantro, diced

• 1/2 cup cashews or peanuts, chopped

• Choice of noodles (spaghetti works best, about 1 box, or for GF use spiralized sweet potatoes, about 3 large)

• 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 2 eggs

• Salt and pepper

What You’ll Need For The Sauce:

• 1/4 cup cashew butter (peanut or almond butter also works)

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos

• 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional if you have)

• 1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• 1 juiced lime (use fresh lime for better taste)

How to Make:

1. First, make the sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a jar with a lid that you can shake or a bowl and whisk well. Mix until you get a creamy consistency. Set aside.

2. Chop shallot, garlic, green onions, cilantro and cashews. Set aside.

3. (If using spiralized sweet potato) Spiralize your sweet potatoes. Once finished, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in 2 tbsp sesame oil. Once hot, add the sweet potato noodles. Toss with oil and season with a big pinch of salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender but not too soft, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a plate.

4. (If using regular noodles) bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook spaghetti al dente, strain and set aside in a large bowl.

5. In the same pan over medium heat, add in 1-2 tbsp of sesame oil. Add in shallot and garlic to saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.

6. Next, add your protein to the pan and cook fully. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Either remove protein when cooked or move to the side of the pan.

7. Crack the eggs into the pan and scramble until the eggs are cooked through.

8. Add back into the pan the protein, if removed, your noodles, and mix in the sauce.

9. Toss to mix and then serve. Top with green onions, cilantro and crushed cashews or peanuts.

No Joke, The Best GF Banana Bread

Jumping on the COVID-19 baking craze, I stumbled upon this delicious GF banana bread by The Kitchn that is seriously delicious. I’ve cooked a lot of GF things that turn out to be better door stops than actual food, but this recipe is easy, stress free and super moist (terrible word I know, but it’s true).

I pretty much followed the recipe to a tee with only a few modifications, which is very unlike me and why baking has never been a strength of mine. I prefer the game of “what can I make with what’s in my fridge” as opposed to actually planning a meal.

If you can still find bananas out there, I encourage you to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray or vegetable oil, for coating the pan

• 3 medium, very ripe bananas

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup and used just under 1/2 - modification #1)

• 1/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil (I used 1/4 cup melted coconut oil - modification #2)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour (I made my own by adding old fashioned Quaker Oats to Cuisinart and ground up until looked like flour - about 3 mins in total)

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips (optional - modification #3)

• Cinnamon (optional, but I added about a teaspoon - modification #4)

Method

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Make sure oven rack is in the middle. Line an 8x5-inch loaf pan with a parchment paper OR coat the pan with cooking spray, butter or oil.

2. In a large bowl, mash up the bananas with a fork until not many large clumps are left. Add in the eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, coconut oil, and vanilla. Use the fork to whisk and combine. Add in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon (if adding).

3. Fold in the oat flour and almond flour with a rubber spatula until just combined. If adding chocolate chips, combine to batter and mix in to finish.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer.

5. Bake for about 50-55minutes, until the top is browned and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the loaf - if it comes out clean, it’s done.

6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

The Superfood Supplement You Have to Try

If you are like most everyone I know, getting a healthy start first thing in the morning seems to be more work and hassle than it’s worth, especially when you have a full day ahead. Eating healthy in the morning typically means cooking, followed by cleaning, using lots of ingredients and takes too much time. If you’re looking for something quick, nutritious, super healthy and filling - I have the perfect solution! Prasada is a hot new raw, vegan, gf, soy-free superfood & adaptogen powder that makes it incredibly easy to drink your day’s worth of nutrition in one sitting. Plus, it’s loaded with everything you could want to start your day: organic plant protein (12g per serving), antioxidant-based adaptogens, super greens, sea vegetables, probiotics, bitter melon…and the list goes on! This wont necessarily replace your caffeine fix BUT it’s a delicious and easy way to get your morning started.

Almeda Labs is the creator of this wonder product and I’ve been obsessed with the cacao flavor for my morning lattes.

Here’s my go-to morning Prasada Latte recipe. Warning - you’re going to love this product

• 1 heaping scoop, or more, of the Prasada powder (either the regular or Cacao flavor)

• 1 cup milk (I prefer almond or macadamia milk, but use any kind you’d like)

• 1 teaspoon unsweetened coconut milk, hardened portion towards top of the can (optional)

• 1/4 cup water

• Cinnamon, to taste

• Turmeric

• A crack of freshly ground black pepper

• Anything else you’d like to add (MCT oil, coconut oil, matcha or splash of coffee, etc.)

Method

1. In a small to medium saucepan, warm the milk and water gently over low heat. Add the hard coconut milk (optional), and Prasada, whisking well to combine. Add the cinnamon, turmeric, and crack of fresh *black pepper, keep whisking together.

   • *Black pepper, when combined with turmeric, helps the curcumin, the healthy compound found in turmeric, absorb into the body by up to 2,000%.

2. Taste and adjust as necessary. Add any other ingredients you’d like. If you’re looking for a caffeine buzz, add a little matcha green tea or even a splash of coffee.