3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

I heard today is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day. I'll take it! In honor of the holiday, I figured it was due time I share this recipe for 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies. Yeah, 3 ingredients. Does it get any easier than this? In the realm of daily desserts (ya'll eat dessert on the daily, right?), I love the combination of dates and nuts. So simple, so rich, and so clean. 

For these cookies, I use Adam's brand peanut butter. All natural, and it contains a little salt. If you're using an unsalted peanut butter, add a pinch of sea salt to the recipe.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies makes 16 cookies

peanut butter, dates, almond flour

• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup dates
• 3-4 Tbsp almond flour

   

Method

Combine peanut butter and dates in a food processor until smooth. You should have a fairly thick paste.

Add 3 Tbsp of almond flour, blend again. Add another Tbsp if necessary to thicken. You want to be able to press the dough between your fingers and have it stick together. 

Use a 1 Tbsp measure to scoop dough, roll into a ball with your hands, and use a fork to cross mark and slightly flatten the cookies.

Cover and refrigerate! These babies will last for about a week in the fridge-- If they make it that long! And they freeze great.

Healing Beetroot Raspberry Smoothie

So it's been freezing the past two weeks in beautiful Bellingham. Like scrape my car, sit in the cold, and make me late for my workout cold.

Not cool Robert Frost!

Kid President, anyone?

Anywhooo. I don't even care that icicles are forming from the tip of my nose, I'll still be making this smoothie and enjoying it from the comfort of my home, curled in front of the space heater.

Just kidding.

...kind of.

I mean, look at that shade of fuchsia! Let me tell you all about it.
Beets, raspberries, banana, ginger, lemon, almond milk. ZING. Talk about powerhouse of flavor and healing properties. Let's get clear, any smoothie packed with fresh foods is going to be healing. That's just how mother nature works. Give your body the right resources and it will heal itself. But what is so stand-out about these ingredients?

Beetroot

• improves circulation, cleanses the blood and vitalizes the liver
• moistens intestinal tract to promote bowel movements
•  promotes menstruation
•  alkalizing

Raspberries

• antioxidant-rich & anti-inflammatory
• reaps anti-inflammatory properties similar to that of aspirin and ibuprofen   

 Ginger

• warming effect on the body
• aids digestion, upset stomach, and intestinal bloating
• known to enhance the flow of saliva, relieving sore throat
• reduces nausea, used to treat motion sickness and morning sickness during pregnancy  

Beetroot Raspberry Smoothie makes 1 smoothie

ginger, lemon, almond milk

• 1 small beetroot, raw, peeled
• 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk + more for a thinner smoothie
• squeeze of lemon 

method

Combine all ingredients in a high power blender until smooth.  

Note; if your blender is not high powered, try lightly steaming the peeled beets before blending so that you can get a stellar consistency!

enjoy!

My Favorite Green Smoothie

It seems that within the past couple years the green smoothie has absolutely taken over. Any opportunity to get our greens before dawn, eh? Here's my own addition to the madness. Frozen banana, spinach, kale, coconut water, peaches, and lime juice. Boom!

I know many people who start their day with a smoothie. After all, they're easily digested, nutrient dense, made in moments, portable (did I miss anything?). Personally, I almost always opt for something more substantial in the mornings, oatmeal, vegetable hash with eggs, something of that nature. I usually wake up starving, so that feels more satisfying to me. But on the mornings where I jump right into a yoga practice or training at the studio, I definitely require some food in my belly to get me through.

In comes smoothies! 

 

Great pre-workout fuel

The above benefits will help you before a training session too. All of the ingredients packed into this smoothie, are quickly absorbed into your system so you’re not still digesting uncomfortably when you hit the track. Coconut water (find one that is non-heat pasteurized so you get all of the beneficial nutrients) is a natural isotonic, helping you maintain a healthy balance of electrolytes. Coconut water teaming up with banana, other than tasting ah-mazing, is like a powerhouse of potassium, which is great for preventing muscle cramps.

I’m one of those people that takes any opportunity they can to stuff more veggies into my day. Crushed it here-- we have not one, but TWO different greens to power you through. Spinach and kale come together to give you a full serving of leafy greens before the day even begins. Peaches add a frosty texture and sweeter palate, and fresh lime juice keeps things zesty.

An under-fueled body can put a serious damper on not only your training, but any daily activities. The importance of keeping your blood sugar stable, and the body well equipped to do anything from running hills to running errands is something that can not be stressed enough.

 

My Favorite Green Smoothie (2 servings)

• 1 cup coconut water
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup kale, torn
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup frozen peach slices
• 1 frozen banana

Method

Blend coconut water, lime juice, kale and spinach on a high setting to liquify. Add frozen peaches and banana, blend to fully incorporate.

What are some of your favorite smoothie combinations? Do you find that they help you stay energized throughout the day?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Enjoy!

Raw Buckwheat Porridge

Thanks to the influence of my lovely kitchen mates, porridge has become my go-to breakfast since coming to Fuerteventura. My morning is not complete until there's a steaming bowl of oats with dried figs, nuts, cinnamon and apple marmalade sitting in front of me. Do we all get in these ruts of eating? Same breakfasts day after day, even the same lunches. Just different dinners. So long as dinner is different it's all good, right?

So to change the order of my breakfast routine? The horror!

Truth is, the weather's warming up on the island, so I'm no longer feeling the need for a warm heavy breakfast, (lunch, and dinner), but I still want to feel nourished, energized, and sustained for the day ahead. Enter Raw Buckwheat Porridge.

Soaked buckwheat groats, blended with almonds, apple, orange juice, and cardamom serve as a lightly sweetened sturdy base for fresh fruit, ground seeds, honey, dried coconut, nut butter, truly anything your heart desires.

Raw buckwheat groats, not to be confused with Kasha which is toasted buckwheat, is a special grain. Despite it's name, buckwheat actually contains no wheat, which is good news for anyone adhering to a low-inflammation diet. As a whole grain, buckwheat is a complex carbohydrate, filled with fiber, and all 8 essential amino acids. It also touts the benefits of B-complex vitamins, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Unlike cereal grains such as wheat and barley which grow from a grass crop, buckwheat grows from a plant crop, which technically makes it a seed. It is of a similar family as quinoa, amaranth, and chia seeds. It can be though of as a super food as it is nutrient dense, not to mention easily digested by many.

Soaking makes digestion and absorption even easier on your body. Did I mention it tastes great? Win, win.

Let's get soaking!

Raw Buckwheat Porridge 

with Apple, Orange, and Cardamom   serves 2

• 2/3 cup raw buckwheat groats
• 2/3 cup almonds or walnuts
• 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• filtered water for soaking
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

 1. Place the buckwheat groats and nuts in two separate bowls to soak. Cover with filtered water, add lemon juice to the buckwheat and let rest overnight or for at least one hour. Drain, and rinse.

2. You may want to reserve 1/2 cup of soaked buckwheat groats to add later for more of a chewy texture, otherwise, place all ingredients into a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth. If you set aside some groats, add them now, separate into three bowls and go wild with the toppings!

 
There's a great cafe in Seattle, called Portage Bay, that serves a phenomenal breakfast, the star of which being their toppings bar. Any time you order oatmeal, pancakes, or french toast, you're granted a trip to the toppings bar, which is filled with fruit, nuts, whip cream (hello!), and some others. The first time I went was with my best friend Alix, who also has a great love for food, we spent the first ten minutes eating in silence and admiring our plates. This is what a great breakfast will do to you.

Go soak some buckwheat groats and nuts right now and you'll have a marvelous morning under way.

Enjoy!

Raw Vegan Apple Pie

What could be more American than sweet apple pie? What could be more west coast American than making it raw and vegan friendly? I present to you, this Raw Vegan Apple Pie.

I was given free reign to choose a dessert for Friday evening's meal. I'll take any occasion as an opportunity to make a healthy dessert. Birthdays, potlucks, new pair of training shoes. All pie worthy, no?

 Friday evening is the farewell meal for our guests at Villa Azul and the menu is filled with traditional Spanish fare; paella, tortilla, tomato salad with fresh goat's cheese, pimientos de padron, mojo, etc. I felt like we could use some west coast love. Thus this pie was born.

This pie is something truly special, it maintains all of the flavor components of traditional baked apple pie, lightly crisp apples tossed in cinnamon, with undertones of lemon to brighten it up. The addition of date puree adds a rich, almost carmel, flavor, all on top of a buttery crust thanks to walnuts and almonds. The best part about this pie? It takes only moments to toss together, entirely from scratch.

Raw Vegan Apple Pie makes one 9" pie

Ingredients

• 80g date puree/ 8-10 dates soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
• 1.5 cups raw unsalted almonds
•  3/4 cup raw unsalted walnuts 
• 1/4 tsp sea salt 
• 3 apples, cored and peeled
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Line a 9" tart pan with parchment paper, set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse almonds to a fine meal, set aside in a medium bowl. Next, pulse walnuts. Walnuts are considerably more oily than almonds, so watch closely, if you see the walnuts start to stick to the sides and bottom of your food processor, scrape them off into the bowl with the almonds. Continue to pulse until all of your walnuts are of a uniform texture, combine with almond meal.

3. If using dates, pulse them in your food processor to make a mini batch of date puree. Add about half of this mixture to the almond/walnut meal along with sea salt. Start modestly with the date puree, you can always add more. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix until just combined. The dough should be crumbly, but stick together when pressed between your fingers. 

 If it's too dry, add more date puree, if too moist, add more almond meal. Press this mixture into your prepared tart pan, cover, and place in the freezer to chill.

4. Meanwhile, thinly slice your apples. This can be done with a mandolin to get uniformly thin slices, or you can simply use a sharp kitchen knife. I used a soft golden apple for this pie. Because it is raw, the soft apples don't give you too much crunch or overpower the other subtle flavors. This is however, totally adaptable to your personal tastes. Toss the sliced apple in lemon juice and zest, set aside.

5. Combine the remaining date puree with filtered water, and cinnamon in your food processor until smooth, about 15 seconds. Pour over sliced apples and toss to evenly coat.

6. Remove crust from the freezer, layer in apple sliced. Freeze for at least 45 minutes before serving. This is also great to enjoy within the next few days (if it lasts that long), just be sure to remove from the freezer 30 minutes before serving if completely frozen.

 Enjoy in good company. Que aproveche!

Fruit Feast Recap + Spicy Melon Gazpacho Recipe

What on earth is a fruit feast?

A three day fruit cleanse, as prescribed by certified Baptiste Power Yoga Teacher, Kristy Summers. This cleanse comes into week four of Baron Baptiste's 40 Day Revolution (read more of the back story here). Those three days had more of an effect than I originally thought.

Honeydew, papaya, mandarin, and kiwi fruit salad

  Here's a little recap of my three day detox.

Day One:

I worked to find a balance between eating enough in the morning, and then snacking every two or so hours. I found the trick is to eat before hunger strikes. I made the most instant quick fix meals I could, a lot of mixed fruit salad, avocado with cucumber and lemon juice. As easy and instantly gratifying as possible. I had a massive persisting headache, probably the result of zero sodium, caffeine, and a lack of water. My strength felt very low but you are encouraged to maintain physical activity, so I practiced yoga for half an hour and got so upset when my body wasn't performing to the degree that I'm used to. From there, I went on a mini roller coaster of emotions. Feeling everything from homesickness, to frustration, to guilt, to just plain pissed off. Cleansing is not just a physical task, we end up cleansing from the inside out, emotions, skin impurities, etc. Day one was rough, but it gets better.

Day Two:

No headaches whatsoever, my energy levels increased dramatically. After I got off of work, I got in a solid hour of yoga. And in the evening, went on a hike up to the volcanoes with Manuel and had a little yoga photoshoot for his upcoming Ashtanga Specialty Week at Azul. I made a conscious effort to drink more water, and started drinking coconut water to restore my electrolytes. This wonderful isotonic saved me. I continued to eat very plain meals, with lots of grab-and-go raw fruit snacking. In the evening, I steamed a courgette and ate it alongside my avocado salad. I truly underestimated the power of a warm meal. This made me feel so satisfied, so nourished. I started to get a little creative, and simmered some sliced apples with chopped dates and a squeeze of lemon juice. Quite the treat.

Day Three:

My strength and energy stayed steady. My biggest challenge continued to be getting creative in the kitchen. On my final day I made a gazpacho consisting of a small avocado, two small tomatoes, half of a bell pepper, and lemon juice. I also blended up some frozen watermelon cubes with the fresh lemon juice and zest for a refreshing afternoon treat. My third day was a lot like day two. I really had to keep up with my hunger and make sure I was eating enough (as an aside, I was still eating between 1,800 and 2,100 calories, this cleanse is not meant to deprive the body of energy).  

I enjoyed the lightness I felt in my body. My food never weighed me down. I could eat lunch, and then exercise right afterward without feeling strained or uncomfortable. In every day life at home, what I eat and when usually depends largely on my physical activities for the day. For example, I would eat more complex carbohydrates and grains earlier in the day when I knew I would be endurance or interval training, and then intentionally not eat anything too heavy before training. I would consciously eat more protein after weight lifting and the day after. And for yoga as well, I would try not to eat anything too heavy before my practice so that I could move and twist without strain. Here, I found I didn't have to worry about that, I was in a constant state of lightness.

Gazpacho

I wish I had more spectacular fruit recipes to share with you. Pictured above is the gazpacho that I made on day three. While it was refreshing, it could have seriously used some non-fruit ingredients, like salt and olive oil. I have another recipe for gazpacho that makes for a really lovely, velvety soup for those warm summer days (trust me, save this recipe, you'll be glad when you dig it up six months from now)

Spicy Melon Gazpacho (serves 4)

• 1 ripe cantaloupes (a ripe cantaloupe will smell slightly sweet, and will give a little when you press your thumb into the end opposite the stem- ripe cantaloupe is they key)
• 1/2 english cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped (buy organic or wash well, pesticides really stick in to the skin of bell peppers and can leave a terrible after taste in your soup)
• 1/2 cup sweet grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 extra small habañero chili (about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon, depending on your spice tolerance, chopped)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 ripe avocado 
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Olive oil and fresh coriander to garnish

Directions

1. Cut your cantaloupe in half, spoon out the seeds, discard, and continue spooning out the melon into a large bowl.
2. Add to the bowl, chopped cucumber, onion, bell pepper, grape tomatoes, habañero, garlic, sea salt, vinegar, lemon and orange juice, toss to combine.
3. You may want to work in two batches depending on the size of your blender or food processor. Add the ingredients from your bowl to your food processor, pulse a few times to get a uniform, slightly chunky texture. From here, add the avocado, this will give your soup a beautiful velvety thick texture, without the addition of bread as more other recipes call for. Let your food processor run on a high speed for a few minutes until fully pureed. Continue to let it run as your slowly drizzle in the olive oil, this will further emulsify your soup and enhance the texture.
4. Strain your soup through a large fine meshed sieve and into a large bowl. This will sift out any remaining chunks, or bits of skin from the bell pepper, etc. 
5. Cover the soup and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors mingle, it's even better the day after. 

Enjoy with grilled shrimp, fresh crab or a green salad. This soup is sweet, savory and adds a nice little kick to any meal.

 .     .     .     .     .

What the Fruit Feast Taught Me

• Keep up with your hunger.
• Eat before you feel famished, this inhibits eating large portions trying to catch up with your hunger. It also keeps cravings from sneaking up on us. When our blood sugar is stable, we are stable. 
•  Add kindling to the fire.
• Eating smaller amounts in more regular intervals is like adding kindling to the digestive fire, it still allows the fire to burn furiously, whereas a big dense log takes considerably more energy to burn, and slows down the flame.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
• This aids digestion and keeps things moving throughout the day and between meals. A tall glass of lemon water in the morning does wonders for detoxifying the body. Chase that with ~64 oz more throughout the day.
• Cleansing isn't just for your body.
• My mood and emotions got stirred up as well. Changing our physical circumstances allows other things to bubble to the surface as well. I like to think we cleanse from the inside out.
• We have hard-wired eating patterns and we don't even know it.
• I began to notice how I seek a particular foods after my meals to somehow 'fulfill' my hunger. It's usually something sweet like dried fruit or bread with honey, and it was like once I ate that my meal time was over, that's when I was satisfied. Cleansing, I was able to see that habit, and make a conscious change to stop it. Our personal satiety should be the cue that mealtime is over, not a specific food or taste on the palate. Think about your own eating patterns, do they serve you well?
•  Be adaptable to change
• We get upset when we get attached to a situation, a way of eating, a way of working, a system that we use, etc. and that situation changes. When you are able to change with your circumstances and surroundings, you can thrive happily. Work with what you're given, and create the things you want.
• Cleansing is not for everyone
• I have admittedly been anti-cleansing. I think the body has an amazing ability to cleanse itself, organs like the liver and kidneys are detoxifying machines. When we feed our body with whole foods, as close to nature as possible, we give the body they necessary tools to cleanse itself and get rid of the trash. However, what I got from this cleanse was not physical. It was much more of an exploration of my own habits and tendencies. I do think it's a good learning experience. I do not think it's a good way to lose a few inches before your reunion. If you do decide to cleanse, do your research. Some cleanses do more harm than good and deprive the body of essential nutrients, consult a physician and know what you're doing.

Detoxification can be such a controversial subject, I'd love to hear about your thoughts and experiences with cleansing, comment below!

Until next time,

Ciao!