The following recipes were generously provided by my good friend and colleague Dr. Steph Young, who is one of the best people I know at cooking both delicious and healthy meals.  You can also check out what other amazing things she has to offer at her website.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Green Smoothie


Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups spinach
  • Fresh 2 cups almond milk
  • Unsweetened 2 cups cherries, pitted
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbs cacao powder

DIRECTIONS

  1. Blend spinach and almond milk until smooth.
  2. Next add the remaining fruits and blend again.

TIPS

Use frozen fruit to make smoothie frosty and cold.

Antioxidant Green Smoothie

Serves two

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 sprig mint, fresh
  • 2 cups cantaloupe, ripe and rind removed
  • 1/2 cup blueberries, frozen
  • 1/2 cup water, optional and as needed
  • 1/2 lime, squeezed

DIRECTIONS

  1. Blend spinach, mint leaves, and ripe cantaloupe until smooth.
  2. Next add the remaining fruits and blend again.

TIPS

You do not need to add much liquid to this recipe because of the high water content in ripe cantaloupes.

Nutty Avocado Salsa & Greens

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ripe avocado, cut into medium sized chunks
  • 1 ripe peach, cut into medium sized chunks
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 1 heaping tbsp macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground chili powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Chop the peaches and avocados into similar-sized square chunks and place in a bowl.
  2. Add roughly chopped macadamia nuts.
  3. Squeeze lime juice over, and gently toss until well combined.
  4. Serve over a cup or two of fresh greens, grilled chicken or salmon.

TIPS

Macadamia nuts are not cheap. You can use any nut in place of these if you would like to save a little dough.

Loaded Sweet Potato

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup fresh kale, stems removed and chopped
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup carrots, grated
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (optional)
  • Black pepper and sea salt

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender.
  2. As taters bake, you can use a food processor if you have one to quickly shred the carrots and cabbage. If not you will need to do this manually. Once chopped, place shredded kale, cabbage, and grated carrots in a bowl. Cover with the avocado and seeds.
  3. In a separate small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, and mustard. Add to the shredded vegetables and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. When sweet potatoes are finished baking, cut a slit in the top and serve topped with the salad. Serve immediately.

TIPS

I personally like to use my food processor to roughly grind down the carrots, cabbage and pumpkin seeds together so all the flavors are nicely distributed.

Stuffed Bell Peppers


Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 medium bell peppers, any color
  • 2 tablespoons of olive or coconut oil
  • 1 cup mushrooms, diced (about one container of mushrooms)
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • ½ cup dry quinoa, cooked
  • 1 ½ cup spinach, fresh
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ tablespoon of red or green Thai curry paste (optional but yummy)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. General rule: Boil 1 cup of quinoa in about 1 ¾ cup of water. Once it reaches boiling, drop the heat down to simmering and cover for about 10-15 min until all the water has been absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.
  2. Cut your bell peppers in half, taking out the stem and inner parts so you can fit your filling in there. Place them on a baking sheet and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. In a skillet heat your oil over medium heat. Saute onions for several minutes until softened. Add in your chopped mushrooms and saute for a few more minutes.
  4. Add in your spinach now and let cook for a few minutes until the spinach cooks down. Add Thai paste, if using, basil and salt to your veggies.
  5. Stir in your fluffy quinoa and stir fry for a few minutes. Remove from heat.
  6. Fill your pepper halves with the stir fry.
  7. Place in oven for about 30 min until softened. You can cover or leave uncovered.

Creamy Sweet Potato Noodles


Serves 2-3

EQUIPMENT

  • Blender or Food Processor
  • Vegetable Spiralizer

Note: You can buy a veggie spiralizer from amazon, sears, macy’s or most anywhere where kitchen appliances are sold. I personally use Veggetti Pro.

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ cup cashews
  • 1/3 cup water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, spiralized
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • Small handful of fresh basil leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cover the cashews with water in a bowl and soak for 2 hours or so (this is not mandatory, but a good idea to soak nuts prior to use).
  2. Spiralize your sweet potatoes into “noodles.” Set aside.
  3. Drain and rinse the cashews. Place in a food processor or blender. You may get a smoother consistency in a blender. Add the water, salt, and garlic. Puree until very smooth.
  4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the 1/2 of the the spiralized sweet potatoes; toss in the pan for 6-7 minutes with tongs until tender-crisp. Remove from heat and toss in the spinach – it should wilt pretty quickly.
  5. Add half of the herbs and half of the sauce to the pan and toss to combine. Add a bit of water if the mixture is too sticky. Season generously with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil.
  6. Store your unused “sauce” and “noodles” separately for later or make the second batch for your loved one.

TIPS

You can also add a splash of coconut milk or cream while making the sauce for an extra creamy sauce.