Here are a couple of healthy recipes from my kitchen. They use some of my favourite superfoods.
My famous smoothie
2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 banana and 1 cut-up apple
1 big handful of kale or spinach
(and/or 2 scoops green powder or spirulina)
A small handful of sprouts if you have them
1/2 avocado (fresh or frozen chunks)
4 oz of our Berry Elixir (cherry or blueberry)
½ c almond or oat milk
1 c coconut water
1-2 scoops protein powder
1 scoop of powdered collagen
1 cup kefir and/or 1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
½ - 1 cup of pomegranate juice
1 tbsp each: chia seeds, flax seed, hemp hearts
(flax seeds must be pre-ground in a dedicated coffee grinder)
Blend till smooth (in a good blender). Yields four to five servings
Homemade salad dressings
(For leaf lettuce or romaine)
2 oz of our lemon turmeric-ginger elixir
1-2 oz olive or avocado oil
1-2 crushed cloves of garlic
½ tsp Dijon mustard or pinch of dry mustard
1 oz apple cider or other vinegar
splash of organic lemon juice
(1 canned anchovy and a dash of Lee & Perrins if you want a caesar dressing)
Blend or shake and toss with green leaf lettuce
(add croutons and parmesan cheese if desired)
(For spinach or kale mix)
2 oz of our cherry or blueberry turmeric elixir
1-2 oz olive, flax or avocado oil
½ c of any berries (or 1-2 oz juice concentrate)
1 crushed clove of garlic (optional)
1/2 oz of balsamic or 1 oz of other vinegar
Blend till smooth, toss with spinach or kale mix
(add avocado, fresh berries, goat cheese or kefir cheese, pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds)
Everything but the kitchen sink oatmeal
Cook whole flake or steel-cut oats (to package instructions)
I only cook for about five minutes or a non-cook variety where you soak overnight
Add apple juice or juice of any home canned fruit to the cooking process substituting for some of the water
To the cooked oatmeal add:
Apple sauce (homemade preferred)
Add as much as desired of any or all
Chia, ground flax seed, hemp hearts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Add pieces of fresh apple and banana
Add walnuts and any other nuts
Drizzle honey to taste and enjoy
Scrambled eggs supreme
This recipe takes a bit of time but so worth it
Sautee small chunks of sweet potato, onion, 1 clove of garlic and chopped-up asparagus
Add several farm fresh eggs and stir
When nearly cooked add crumbled goat cheese and fold in
Serve with a big spoonful of sauerkraut on top, kefir cream cheese and sprouts
Add salsa or olives for more flavour (but not needed)
Bean dip or humous
If you use canned beans or chick peas rinse very well to reduce sodium
Put 2 cans worth in a blender
Add 2 tbsp organic lemon juice and/or apple cider vinegar to taste
Add 1 tsp crushed garlic cloves
Add a splash of Bragg (from health food store)
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
Blend and use as a dip for carrots, snap peas, or gluten free crackers
7-layer dip
In a serving dish layer the following:
½ c of the above bean dip or humous
½ c cooked brown rice
Can of corn (not creamed)
1/3 c sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/3 c salsa and/or freshly diced tomatoes
¼ c grated white cheddar cheese
Smattering of cut-up Kalamata olives (de-pitted)
Serve with pita bread, crackers or tortilla chips
After school snack
Spread nut butter on a whole wheat tortilla
Wrap it up around a banana
Cut into pinwheels and serve
Claire Nielsen is a columnist, health coach, public speaker, author and founder of www.elixirforlife.ca.