Cinnamon Rolls – A Recipe

August 23, 2014

Lately, I have been cooking and baking a ton. I love using my Kitchen Aid Mixer and my Vitamix. I tend to make more baked goods (sometimes not so healthy) with my Kitchen Aid Mixer. However, when it comes to my Vitamix it is all very healthy eats.

So the other day, I pulled out my Kitchen Aid Mixer… After I was done playing… I posted this photo on Facebook and Instagram…

It got a lot of attention. A couple different people asked about posting the recipe… so here it is.

These cinnamon rolls are from the cook book, Cook’s Baking Book. They are quick because they do not contain yeast. Yeast is an ingredient that makes your pastry fluffy, however it takes time for yeast to rise. These cinnamon rolls are also egg free. Buttermilk is used in place of eggs and yeast.

To make it easy to understand, I’m going to break this recipe down in three different parts, dough, filling, icing.

Dough Ingredients:
2.5 cups of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Now let’s make the dough…

Whisk all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in bowl. Whisk all wet ingredients (buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter) in other bowl. Mix wet ingredients with dry (use a mixer or wooden spoon if you don’t have a mixer.) Transfer dough to a floured service and knead until smooth.

Filling Ingredients
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground clove
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of melted butter

Now let’s make the filling…

Combine all ingredients and stir with fork or hands until a sand consistency.

Assemble the cinnamon rolls and bake…

Pat dough flat into a 9×12 rectangle. Brush melted butter on and lay filling on top of melted layer.

Roll dough long ways so it becomes a narrow cylinder with cinnamon filling in center. Pinch seam to seal in filling.

Cut cylinder in to 8 pieces (cinnamon rolls.)

Arrange in pan. I used an 8×8 square pan and buttered the bottom and sides so it became non stick.

Butter the top of rolls with melted butter. Place on the middle rack in an oven preheated to 425 F.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Icing Ingredients
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup powder sugar.

Now let’s make the icing…

Combine cream cheese and buttermilk, stir until smooth. Add powder sugar slowly while stirring until smooth.

Top off the tools with icing…

Once the rolls have baked for 25 mins. and are golden brown, take out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Once cooled smother with icing.

Enjoy.

P.S. These cinnamon rolls are very fatty, lots of sugar and butter, but I promise you… You’ll love them and your whole house will smell sweet like cinnamon!

Recipe: Asian Broccoli Soup with pickled Ginger and Black Sesame

January 26, 2014

The winter months are days full of desiring real comfort food. Its cold outside so one wants to eat a filling warm meal. It doesn’t help that farmer’s markets are scarce and the colorful produce that existed during the summer is now limited or in many cases nonexistent.

I still want to eat clean, organic, plant based, because everyone knows, “A summer body is made in the winter.”

So what is a girl to do during these cold gray winter months.

Crave soup.

Eat soup.

The variety of soups are endless. Soups are easy to make. You can make a huge pot for the week. You can freeze left over soup. Not all but many soups are an amazing way to eat clean, and still feel satisfied. They are warm, and to even make them hotter, smokey, spicy, try adding a pepper, such as chipotle in adobo sauce.

The soup that I am going to introduce to you today, is made with Asian influence. Because I am heading to Asia this week, I am all about the asian flavors.

Broccoli Soup with pickled ginger and black sesame seeds.

Ingredients

1) Broccoli
2) Ginger
3) Ground Ginger
4) Soy sauce
5) Sea Salt
6) Sesame oil or toasted Sesame oil
7) Pickled Ginger
8) Black sesame seeds

Directions

1) Prep two small heads of broccoli by cleaning and cutting them into small pieces.

2) Place them in a pot of water with a chunk of natural ginger in it. Bring ginger water to a boil. Cool over high heat until broccoli is tender.

3) Once broccoli is tender, scoop out and discard ginger. Place broccoli into food processor or blender. Add two cups of the ginger infused cooking water.

4) Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce with grounded ginger, and sesame oil. Cook in a small pan over heat. Once heated pour over broccoli in blender.

5) Blend all ingredients.

6) Once blended reheat over stove until desired temperature.

7) Serve in a bowl topped with pickled ginger and black sesame seeds.

8) Enjoy!

What are your favorite soups? How do you eat clean during the winter?

Turkey Trot and Pies…

November 30, 2013

“My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, and my favorite part is the Turkey Trot.”

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for so many reasons. Although, I have heard from others, it can be stressful, for me everything about it is relaxing.

After a really busy month at the salon – coming in early, staying late, and squeezing clients in… I finally get to leave work early on Wednesday- Thanksgiving Eve, and stay home, Thursday- Thanksgiving day. The best part is I don’t have to return to the chaos of Holiday Season at the salon, until Sunday. A couple of relaxing days off is just what I need, to rest, get refocused, and organized.

Some people get stressed over cooking a huge feast. The cost, the work, the clean up, but I love it. Cooking my own food, relaxes me. I am able to get creative, and stay in complete control. It is fun for me to discover new recipes, that are healthier alternatives then the traditional ones. All of my thanksgiving dishes and sister’s dishes, this year were organic, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, raw. Together we dominated the feast with healthy flavorful dishes.

You don’t have to have an unhealthy holiday. They say the average person consumes over 4,000 calories on thanksgiving. No wonder everyone is sleepy! Blame it on the turkey, but it is really your body trying to digest everything. You don’t have to indulge in that many calories, if you don’t want too. But if you do want to, don’t feel bad, it is a holiday – you can get back on track tomorrow. Just be happy with your choice. If you cook your own food, you can control everything.

A quick tip: for this holiday season research some new dishes to try. By cooking yourself instead, of ordering out, you have the control of all of your ingredients. You then know exactly what you are eating.

This year I contributed quite a few dishes to my family’s feast.

I decided I was going to make stuffing from scratch. So I made it from a whole wheat loaf, with rosemary from my garden. I also added, figs, cranberries, Tawny Port, and topped it off with hazel nuts.

In my family, we always have a couple appetizers so we can munch on something while the rest of the food finishes up. The bottom left photo are the two dips I made. One is roasted beet and lentil dip, the other one is Scott Jurek’s Salsa Verde. Both are vegan and gluten free.

I also made three pies. The bottom right photo are the two pumpkin pies I made. However, this year was fun because we ended up with a total of five pies. Two were pumpkin (raw, vegetarian.) Heather brought the fabulous pecan (gluten free, vegetarian.) I made my specialty date pie, (raw, vegan, gluten free.) Jackie made her famous grasshoper, which was not healthy, but a tradition in my family, so we all ate it anyway. Everything was delicious.

People get so worked up and forget the true meaning of the holidays. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and share great food with family and friends. However, Thanksgiving, for me because I am a runner, also means Turkey Trot time.

The traditional Turkey Trot I usually participate in on Thanksgiving morning is the DC 5k put on by an organization called SOME (So Others May Eat.) Normally 11,000 people run it every year. There is a DJ at the start. The route circles around the Capital.

However, this year, I decided to run the Alexandria Turkey Trot. This Turkey Trot is a 5 miler instead of a 5k. It also is a little closer to my house. I thought it would be nice to run a little further, and drive a little less. It also started at 9:00 AM, which is late for a race, but more sleep in the morning for me.

On Thanksgiving Eve, I went to the local school to pick up my bib and t-shirt. E was going to run this race with me, so I grabbed E’s bib too.

Thanksgiving morning was a cold one. It was around 30 degrees. So E and I bundled up. Other friends that were planning on running the race, bailed on us last minute because of the cold. E was really nervous about the cold, but we have run really cold races before, and I know that in the right running cold gear we would warm up quick. I have worn this hat, coat, and scarf snowboarding before, so I knew it would do the job, and keep me toasty. Turkey Trots are fun because just like the Thanksgiving holiday, they too are relaxing. It’s a 5 mile turkey trot, and although, I am competitive person, I think of this as just a fun run.

There were hardly any other runners out and about, because a lot of the running community on Thanksgiving is doing some sort of Turkey Trot. I love it when the running community gets together. I also love seeing non runners and kids getting out there running. I saw Facebook statuses in which people claimed the Turkey Trot they ran yesterday was their first race. It is fun races like Turkey Trots that can help one find a passion for running. Maybe someone runs a Turkey Trot, then they love it so much, they sign up for another type of race. Then a new runner is born.

I love running! And running a Turkey Trot is my favorite part of my Thanksgiving celebration – It gets me in the spirit. Running in the morning, getting my work out in, and then filling my belly with amazing food, with great friends and family equals a perfect Thanksgiving!!

Do you run a Turkey Trot? Do you make any vegan or gluten free dishes on Thanksgiving?

Eat Clean – Mango Lassi recipe

October 20, 2013

What motivated you to go veg?

“I had a friend who went vegan and he looked so fresh, healthy, and glowing. I wanted that for myself.”

The above quote, I came across in the magazine, Vegetarian times. I don’t know if you have noticed, but I am pretty obsessed with quotes. Words are so powerful. And the above words… sound amazing to me. I feel inspired. I too want to look fresh and healthy. Wouldn’t it be nice to glow…

I have a confession to make, the last couple weeks, I have NOT been eating as clean as I should be. What has happened lately is…

Marathon training… all this running has made me a pretty hungry girl. All of the running has taken up a lot of my time too… so I have been skipping the grocery shopping, which led to no food to meal prep. No food to meal prep led to being starving at work. Being starving at work led to having to order food from a local restaurant for lunch. Eating lunch from a take out box has lead to only eating one big fatty meal a day. I also have been craving sugar. These cravings are the ultimate proof that I have not been eating clean, because when I eat clean the cravings disappear and I can no longer tolerate the sweetness level I once could.

So yesterday I decided to get back on track. I went to MOM’s Organic Market and stocked my fridge.

Now I have a great stash of fruit and veggies which include the super foods- kale, pomegranates, beets, chickpeas, eggplant, and pumpkin. I bought a variety of nuts and seeds. Apples, pears, and avocado line my windowsill. I also found a huge ripe sweet Mango. This to me was rare considering it is fall, but I’ll take it because it may be one of the last times until my trip to Thailand.

I have a tons of new recipes I am discovering and can’t wait to share them with you.

The first one I want to share is my recipe for Mango Lassi, since I found such a beautiful mango.

I first heard of Mango Lassi at a raw farm in Martha’s Vineyard. It is a delicious mango yogurt drink originated from Northern India. It is so simple to make at home. It can be a healthier alternative to dessert or you can have it as a breakfast on the go. Try adding a scoop of protein powder to it post work out.

Enjoy this recipe and let me know what you think.

Salsa Verde: a vegan recipe by an Ultra runner.

September 30, 2013

“That’s when I heard part of the secret. What we eat is a matter of life and death. Food is who we are.” ~ Scott Jurek : Eat and Run.

With all the running I have been doing, I have been busy trying to update you on that, and in the mean time have neglected posting any recipes. So here is one for you because Food is who we are…

Salsa Verde means Green Sauce.

Several countries have its own variation of it. The Italian version is made from capers and anchovies. The German version is made from hard boiled eggs. The version from Argentina is used with roasted meats. But the Mexican version is by far my favorite and it is most likely the version you are most familiar with. Mexican Salsa Verde is made from the oh so delicious tomatillo, and is normally eaten with tortilla chips or you can find this sauce smothering your tacos at your favorite local Mexican restaurant.

One thing I want to make clear is that Salsa Verde is one of the easiest things to make, so stop buying Salsa from a jar! When you buy salsa from a jar, you don’t know what is truly in it. You can make your own Salsa, and customize it to your own taste buds, buying organic local ingredients. The best part is how FRESH your salsa will be. Tip: you can refrigerate your salsa for up to five days, or make extra, and freeze it, so you always have some on hand. (It can last in the freezer for several months.

Okay, so now that you know what Salsa Verde is, and about it’s background lets begin making it.

INGREDIENTS:

oil, I used olive oil, but you can use coconut or whatever you have on hand.
12 medium tomatillos
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 small white onion, peeled and quartered
1-2 jalapeno peppers (optional) depends on how much spice you want. Hot (2), Medium (1), Mild (0)
1 poblano pepper
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Oil baking pan.
Place tomatillos, garlic, onion, peppers flat in oiled baking pan. Cover with foil.
Roast for 40 min. until veggies are soft and golden browns.
Remove veggies from oven, peel roasted garlic.
Place all veggies in food processor or blender, along with sea salt and cilantro.
Blend until smooth.
Serve. Enjoy.

Tip: Try this sauce warm on a sandwich, as a healthy alternative to mayo. Try this sauce chilled with tortilla chips.

Do you like Salsa Verde? What is your favorite healthy alternative to mayo?

Post Workout Drink

July 8, 2013

Everyone who lifts, knows protein is the best thing for your muscles to repair and grow. This is true, so I always try to have a protein shake with in 30 minutes after my workout. However, July is here, which means hot and steamy, air smothering days. And although, I have found a new passion for weight lifting, my love is for running, that is where my heart is and always will be.

Week 1 of Marathon training is over. I am officially in marathon training mode. And training in this hot July weather, has made me craving something a little more refreshing then my traditional protein shake. Protein shakes are great ways to refuel, but after a run outside in the heat, my body needs hydration.

Well after flipping through the pages of my favorite cook book, Super Natural Every Day, I found the perfect drink to hydrate me post run.

Cucumber Cooler

INGREDIENTS

1 cucumber
A couple cucumber peels
1/2 cup of water
3 cups of ice
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lime juiced
mint leaves or you can garnish with a cucumber slice or lime wedge.

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a blender until slushy like consistency.
Pour into class and Enjoy!
Garnish with mint, cucumber slice, or lime wedge. (Your choice)
Store in a pitcher in the refrigerator for up to a day or freeze as popsicles.

Cucumber is a Super food. It is a good source of silica, which helps promote joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. It is also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. Cucumbers are also 95% water, but always remember to chose ones that are organic because pesticides can be hard to remove from skins.

*This would also be a wonderful drink after Bikram Yoga!

Questions for You…

What is your favorite post workout drink?
How do you hydrate and prepare for the heat?
Do you like cucumber flavored drinks?

Almond Butter stuffed Dates

July 6, 2013

Ingredients
1) Dates
2) Almond Butter
3) Sea Salt
4) Cayenne

Directions
1) Cut a slice in each date.
2) Remove pits if they have them.
3) Spread almond butter in between slice of each date. Stuff them good.
4) Sprinkle sea salt on each date.
5) Sprinkle cayenne on each date.

Enjoy the sweetness from the dates. Enjoy the salty from the sea salt.
Enjoy the spicy from the cayenne.
Enjoy the nutty creamy flavor and texture from the almond butter!

Yum!

Try it and leave a comment below! Let me know what you think.

Date Pie Recipe

July 5, 2013

I have talked about it time and time again on this blog – over the last two years I have developed this new passion for food.

Not just any food though…

I have very high standards.

The type of food I’m talking about is…

colorful…

organic…

flavorful…

raw…

fresh..

vegan…

gluten free…

clean…

It pisses me off that this type of food is so hard to find in the USA. It pisses me off how expensive it is to purchase these types of foods. However, it is important to me and I make it one of my highest priorities – and you should too.

I am always on a never ending quest to find new unique foods and recipes. My new favorite place to explore is Instagram (follow me!) I came across this fitness enthusiast/foodie BRIANNA_SKY, (follow her!) She has several recipes posted, but one that I had to try the Date Pie.

My version is a little bit different. This Date Pie consists of 5 ingredients.

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Chips
Coconut Oil
Almond Flour
Pitted Dates
Water

Tip: When buying Coconut Oil look for the higher quality and less processed. This will say words like unrefined, virgin, cold pressed, expeller-pressed, raw.

Directions:

Combine 1.5 cups of almond flour with 1/4 cup of coconut oil in a food processor or blender. Blend on pulse, until combined.
Take 1 cup of this mixture and press it to the bottom of a pie pan, forming pie crust. For a thicker crust, add oats. Keep the left over 1/2 cup of mixture and set a side.

Combine 2 cups of pitted dates and 1/2 cup of water in food processor or blender. Blend on pulse, until jam like consistency.
Spread date mixture on top of newly made pie crust.
Take 1/2 cup left over pie crust that was set a side, and crumble it on top of date layer.
Combine dark chocolate and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan. Simmer on low, continuing to stir until chocolate is totally melted to a liquid.
Drizzle chocolate combination to top layer of pie. If you want to keep this pie 100% raw, omit this step.
Put in freezer for 1 hour, or refrigerate for 2 hours.

This pie is amazing and super easy. There is no added sugar. There is only five ingredients. It is gluten free, organic, raw, and vegan.

Because I am cooking more and more, I am also going to add a recipe page, which will have links to every post I write with a recipe or is food related. So keep your eyes open for that.

I hope you all are having a wonder July 4th, and eating fabulous food.

Alive Juices

June 17, 2013

I first learned about juicing when I read the book The Crazy Sexy Diet, by Kris Carr. Immediately after reading this book, I knew I had to try juicing. This led me to buying a juicer, purchasing organic produce, and later even growing my own organic vegetables.

Soon after learning how to make my own juices, I started to see juicing everywhere, including on Dr. Oz. It was refreshing to see that my new healthy habit became trendy and went main stream.

WHY JUICE?

The Pros
The health benefits of juicing are never ending. When you juice the organic produce’s enzyme, antioxidants, and vitamins are absorbed into the blood stream immediately. Consuming freshly juiced juice also helps balance the pH level of the body. Because these juices are normally alkaline they help eliminate any acidity and toxins.

The Cons
Even the most healthy, positive thing, has some negative traits. In order to achieve the most high quality juice, you need a cold pressed juicer. These juicers are very expensive. The more affordable juicers make fine juices, but these juices need to be drank immediately after juicing. The longer you let them sit, the more they loose their healthy benefits. Also juicing takes a lot of time, produce, money, and can be very messy.

However, these negative aspects can be eliminated with Alive Juices.

ALIVE JUICES

Alive Juices is a new juice company located in Washington, DC. They are unique and different from any other juice because…

They use USDA certified organic produced.
They freshly press their juices and do not pasteurize them, preserving all living nutrients and enzymes.
The juice recipes are NOT based on a raw food diet, but rather are based on nutritional research, which supports the combination of both raw and cooked ingredients. The goal is to ensure that all nutrients is absorbed directly by the body as efficiently as possible.
Alive Juices also used ingredients such as ginger, garlic and sprouts

Because of Alive Juices you can now have all the healthy benefits of juicing, but you don’t have to do any of the work.

No purchasing an expensive juicers.

No wasting your time shopping for organic ingredients.

No making the juice itself.

No cleaning up a messy kitchen.

Because, Alive Juices does all of the above and they deliver.

MY REVIEW

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to try Alive Juices. The green one of course was my favorite. The thing that I liked best about the flavor of these juices is that they are not over powered by sweetness. The juice itself was very smooth and mild. These juices are amazing by themselves, but you could also get creative with them by blending them with your protein powder.

I am so happy Alive Juices stumbled upon my website, because their juices are amazing and they want to give you a gift. All of my readers receive 10% off their first purchase. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. And for more information on Alive Juices please check them out on Facebook.

Beet and Lentil Dip

June 14, 2013

Inspired by Hummus. On the right is Beet and Lentil dip.

Ingredients:

1 large roasted or boiled beet
1/2 cup of cooked green or black lentils
lemon zest
garlic clove
2 tbsp of cold pressed olive oil
2 tbsp of tahini
sea salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
Blend until smooth.
Pair with cut veggies and/or pita bread.

Note: This dip is sweeter than hummus. Feel free to add any other ingredients to enhance flavors. Get creative and make it your own.

Enjoy!

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