Year: 2013

Pineapple Mango Salsa

Melissa King 11 Comments

Pineapple Mango Salsa.  Made healthy and vegan.  On Saturday we picked up our co-op basket.  Some weeks there isn’t much, but this week we hit the jackpot.  It was time to make a pineapple mango salsa.  Here is another delicious mango salsa recipe.

 

Pineapple Mango Salsa

 

The little hand at the bottom trying to grab an apple is my 22 month old Olive.  My three year old shrieked with delight when she saw the pineapple and the mango.

The kid loves fruit.  So immediately we decided to make Healthy Pineapple Salsa.  This was another one of my husband’s creations.  The photo was taken before we added the cilantro.

 

Pineapple Mango Salsa

 

We shot a short video for this recipe.  You can view it below.  For more recipes, you can subscribe to my You Tube Channel.

Pineapple Mango Salsa

Pineapple Mango Salsa

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Prep Time 10 min

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mango diced
  • 1/4 cup pineapple diced
  • 2 vine ripe tomatoes chopped with seeds removed
  • 1 cup corn (I used organic frozen corn)
  • 1 yellow pepper diced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno peppers, diced
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • Juice of one key lime (small)
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Throw everything in a bowl and mix well. 
  2. Then add it to black beans or your favorite protein and you have a handy little meal.

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Recipe Notes

It would also be great with my Healthy Corn Tortilla Chips . We got about 3 large servings out of ours. Enjoy!

Pineapple Mango Salsa

Grain Free Energy Bites (Vegan)

Melissa King 29 Comments

I made you some Grain Free Energy Bites.  Vegan too!  So the other day I made some Hazelnut Milk.  It was delicious!

 

Grain Free Energy Bites

 

When you make nut milk, you are left with a “meal.”  You can dry it out in the oven and use it in gluten free baking.

I have not had much success with my leftover almond meal in the past.  I had always tried making baked goods, but could never really get anything to bind.

Then an idea came to me.  Make some energy bites.  The dates helped with the binding.  Success!

These are vegan, dairy free, grain free and gluten free. I would love to hear other success stories when it comes to re-purposing leftover meal.  Please share in the comments!

Grain Free Energy Bites

Grain Free Energy Bites

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Prep Time 10 min

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Throw everything in the food processor and mix until a dough forms. If it seems a bit dry, you can add more water. 
  2. Roll into balls and chill in the fridge for an hour to set.

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Recipe Notes

This also would work with leftover almond meal as well. I would like to note that these are mildly sweet, so if you like an extra sweet flavor you probably want to add a few tablespoons of liquid sweetener. I liked them just the way they were.

Black Bean and Spinach Salad (Vegan)

Melissa King 28 Comments

Black Bean and Spinach Salad.  Spring is coming soon and it’s time to say good bye to the soups and hello to salads.  This light and fresh salad would be a good healthy addition to any bbq.

 

black bean spinach salad

 

I love dishes like this.  They are easy to make and always a hit.  This particular dish was inspired by one that my mother in law made.  I made a few changes to the original.

This healthy salad is vegan and gluten free too.

Black Bean and Spinach Salad

Black Bean and Spinach Salad

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Prep Time 20 min

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups black beans (I used dried, but measured after they were soaked and cooked)
  • 2-3 cups baby spinach
  • 2 cups organic corn (I used frozen and thawed out on the counter)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 shallot chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper chopped
  • 1 heaping T pomegranate molasses
  • Juice of 1/4 orange
  • 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 1 T avocado oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Throw everything in the bowl and mix.

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Recipe Notes

I think it tastes better the next day because the flavors have had time to marinate. This makes a good amount of salad. I would guess about 4 large portions. Should keep for a week, but ours will not last that long.

Healthy Easter Basket Ideas

Melissa King 21 Comments

Easter doesn’t have to be a time to load up on candy and chocolate.  It’s more about spending time together as a family. Here are some healthier ideas for Easter baskets.

SAMSUNG

1.  Fruit leathers
2. Organic Animal Crackers
3. Organic Fair Trade Chocolate
4. Coloring books
5. Crayons
6. Bouncy balls (my kids love these!)
7. Temporary tattoos
8. Stickers
9. Stuffed Animals
10. Books
11. Outdoor chalk
12. Games
13. Jump rope
14. Bubbles
15. For budding chefs: kitchen tools or an apron

My 3 Ingredient Chocolate Bars or my Copycat Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs would be great as well.  My kids love them.

If you are looking for a natural way to dye Easter eggs, I found a great site here.

What are some of your best ideas?

SAMSUNG

 

Healthy Sweet Potato Chips (Gluten Free)

Melissa King 93 Comments

I made you Healthy Sweet Potato Chips.  Who doesn’t like healthy potato chips?  Most everybody likes sweet potato chips, right?  They don’t have to be fatty and greasy.

This healthy baked potato chip recipe is delicious and can be made easily too.

I have more of a sweet tooth, but my husband loves potato chips.  He always has had a bag of Kettle Chips in the house. My daughters love chips too!

Hopefully, he will just eat my baked sweet potato chips from now on.  These healthy sweet potato chips did disappear pretty fast!

healthy sweet potato chips

I did two batches of these.  One in the oven and one in the food dehydrator.  Both came out great and my kids loved them.  We made more the next day.  If you eat a whole bunch, who cares?  They are healthy.  It’s like eating a whole tray of Kale Chips.  Delicious and guilt free.

Healthy Sweet Potato Chips

Healthy Sweet Potato Chips

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Prep Time 15 min Cook Time 3 hr

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200.
  2. Peel the sweet potato and slice it thin. I used a mandoline for this.
  3. Line a couple baking baking sheets with parchment.
  4. Place the chips on the baking sheet.
  5. Using a brush , brush a small amount of oil onto each chip.
  6. Sprinkle with sea salt.
  7. Bake for about 2-3 hours.

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Recipe Notes

Check on them often as everyone’s oven is different. I didn’t have to shake mine at all. I just let them cook and I would touch them every so often to see how crisp they felt. That’s it.

Adzuki Bean Veggie Burgers

Melissa King 31 Comments

I love veggie burgers.  It seems you readers love them too because my Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers is one of the most popular recipes on the blog.  As you may know, most store bought versions are not very healthy.  That’s why I make my own.  So much cheaper too!  These adzuki bean veggie burgers are my latest creation.

burgers1

My younger daughter Olive loved these!  She is mostly tube fed and still learning how to eat by mouth so it was kind of a big deal to see her stuffing this into her mouth.  You can read more about her in the About Me section of the blog.  We liked these so much that I made a second batch yesterday.  Adzuki beans are mainly grown in East Asia.  They are tiny red beans, but don’t let the size fool you.  These little beans are packed with healthy nutrients.  They are high in iron, potassium and folic acid.  I got mine out of the bulk bins at Whole Foods.

Adzuki Bean Veggie Burgers

Adzuki Bean Veggie Burgers

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Prep Time 30 min Cook Time 30 min

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. In a saute pan , saute the onions and carrots in the oil on med/high heat for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. In a food processor , pulse the beans several times until they are half mashed.
  4. In a bowl , mix the quinoa, beans, onions, carrots, garlic, bbq sauce, egg and water until everything is incorporated.
  5. Add the salt to taste.
  6. Using your hands, form patties and place on a lined baking sheet.
  7. Bake for about 30 minutes.
  8. Remove and serve.

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Recipe Notes

This recipe may seem like it has a lot of steps, but you can cook the beans and the quinoa ahead of time. You can also chop the onions and the carrots in the food processor ahead of time as well. That’s what I did. Enjoy!