Food & Recipes

Is it fall yet? {2 Recipes to Get You in the Spirit}

2 Comments / Food & Recipes /

Is it fall yet?

Seriously, I’m so ready.

With this 90+ degree heat wave in Boston, I’ve been daydreaming about boots + leggings, pumpkin (everything) and crisp afternoon strolls in the park.

Unfortunately, my daydreaming isn’t making the season change any faster, so I decided to bring fall to me! Try these 2 pumpkin-themed recipes for a little taste of fall in your summer home.

Autumn Rosemary Pumpkin Hummus

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ½ c. pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
  • dash of maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • pinch of sea salt
  1. Blend all ingredients except rosemary in food processor until smooth.
  2. Stir in the rosemary, and add any additional spices or salt to taste.

Serve with warm pita bread, apple or pear slices, crackers, carrots or other fave veggies!

Pumpkin Pie + Dark Chocolate Energy Balls

  • 12 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1/2 c. raw pecans
  • 1/3 c. pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 c. unsweetened coconut flakes (+ another ¼ c. for rolling)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ c. chia seeds
  • dash of raw honey or maple syrup,
… Read More!

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Quinoa Stuffed Peppers {Gluten Free}

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When it comes to dinner, we’re all about simplicity in this household. (Oh, and flavor of course!) These easy-to-make gluten free quinoa stuffed peppers did just the trick for our Monday night dinner this week. Hubby approved!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers {Gluten Free}

makes about 4 servings (2 peppers per person)

What ya need:

  • 8 medium bell peppers (mix of yellow, orange & red!)
  • 1 c. quinoa (rinsed)
  • 1 jar all-natural marinara sauce
  • 1 package ground turkey
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
  • olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • about 2 c. shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar or monterey jack best!)
  • salt & pepper to taste

1. Rinse quinoa & add to pot with about 2 c. water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover for about 15 minutes.

2. In the meantime, sauté onion in olive oil on medium heat until cooked through. Lower heat, add in crushed garlic, and stir for another minute. Set aside.

3. In same pan, cook the turkey burger on medium heat. Once cooked, add in the marinara sauce, lower heat and let simmer. Mix in cooked quinoa, onion & garlic, and can of black beans. Add salt & pepper to … Read More!

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Lazy Ladies Banana Green Smoothie

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Lazy mornings are the best kind of mornings, aren’t they? There’s nothing like starting the day with some incense, journaling and self-care to really set your mindset for the day.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and a place for buzzing mornings too — long runs, brunch with your girlfriends, a 45-minute spin sesh — but lazy mornings have a special place in my heart lately.

And on said mornings, my body really doesn’t feel like cooking one bit. Even the thought of turning on the stove and having to clean the dishes just makes me cringe. That’s where the Vitamix + green smoothies come in to save the day! I’m a “whatever is in the fridge” kind of girl when it comes to recipes, and this simplified banana smoothie did just the trick.

Lazy Ladies Banana Green Smoothie

What Ya Need:

  • 1 frozen banana
  • large handful leafy greens (kale or spinach — the more the merrier!)
  • ~ 3/4 c. almond milk; add more or less based on desired consistency
  • 1 scoop of all-natural peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. raw cacao powder

Blend together in Vitamix or powerful blender, and enjoy chilled! (Note: If you do not have frozen bananas … Read More!

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My Journey Through Overcoming Food Fear

7 Comments / Food & Recipes, Health & Wellness /

I spent a large portion of my life — that is, the majority of my upper teens and early twenties — hating food.

It’s not that I didn’t like the taste of food; now that I loved. That certainly wasn’t the problem.

It’s that I hated the way food made me fat (or so I thought.) Regardless, it made me feel fat and for that reason alone I grew to despise it.

Even worse than hating food was that I was well aware of this “issue” of mine, and wanted so badly to be normal like the rest of my friends. I was ashamed of myself and my weird ways with food.

I’ll never forget that feeling of watching my beautiful + lively college roommates enjoy pizza, pasta and beer without a care in the world, as I’d sit there starving myself. Literally. “Thanks, but I already ate dinner,” or “I’m stuffed,” I’d lie to myself (and my friends) and I sat there salivating watching them eat, feeling 100% empty.

Whether I ate a spoonful of peanut butter, some rice cakes, roasted chicken or a half of a bagel, I was left feeling guilty; it was … Read More!

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Cooking in the Bean: Just Add Cooking Review

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I have a confession: While I do love eating healthy meals + cooking, sometimes I just don’t feel like putting in the work. Ever since I started working a full-time job, I’ve found it a bit trickier to do as much home cooking as I used to do.

To be honest, sometimes when I come home from a long day, all I want to do is put up my feet, plop on the couch, grab a cup of tea (or a glass of vino) and order takeout sushi. I’m a real girl, after all.

That’s why when I heard about Boston start-up Just Add Cooking (JAC), which delivers pre-portioned meals to your door all ready to go, I was intruiged.

The Scoop

Just Add Cooking is exactly what it sounds like: a meal delivery service that takes the stress out of cooking. Instead of worrying about the stress of prepping and grocery shopping, you can really focus on the fun part, that is cooking.

You get to hand-pick which recipes you + your fam will love, and then the friendly folks from JAC deliver a box of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients directly to your door each week, chock-full of … Read More!

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Eating with the Seasons: 5 Fall Foods to Add Into Your Diet Today

6 Comments / Food & Recipes, Health & Wellness /

If you don’t already know by now, I am a huge fan of eating with the seasons, that is as nature intended us to. When we eat foods that are naturally harvested that season it supports our body, and creates a sense of balance (mind, body & soul!).

Fall is one of my favorite times of year to play with seasonal food since everything is just so darn tasty! Here are 5 of my favorites to experiment with right now:

Pears: Add them into a salad with goat cheese, dip ’em in almond butter, chop them up into yogurt or oatmeal or eat as is. This crisp & slightly sweet fruit is perfect for autumn dining.

Make it: Asian Pear & Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Food & Wine

Fall Squashes: Fall squashes like butternut and spaghetti squash are my all-time favorites! Both sweet and savory, these gems are sure to satisfy your seasonal cravings. Roast ’em up with oil, salt & pepper, or tantalize your sweet tooth by adding maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Hosting pasta night at your place? Turn it into a “Spaghetti Squash” party instead for a healthier remake.

Make it: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, … Read More!

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Healthy Chick(en), Broccoli & Avocado Fettuccine “Alfredo”

7 Comments / Food & Recipes, Lifestyle /

I’ll let you in on a little secret: my go-to requested birthday meal is Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken Parmesan. Yes, the two of them together. But it has to be homemade by my mother. And it only tastes that good on my birthday. It is my birthday meal, after all. I simply adore the combination of a hearty, homemade marinara with the creamy white Alfredo. Not a likely combination, but it’s genius.

Sometimes I think I could eat that meal every day for the rest of my life, but then again it wouldn’t taste as good that way. Since it isn’t my birthday every day (and no one should consume that amount of cream & cheese 365 days of the year), I’ve created my own health-i-fied version. The Healthy Chicks version.

Using avocados in place of cream and just a pinch of optional parmesan cheese, you can feel a bit more confident indulging. I’m not saying you should eat this meal every day of the year either, but you can feel a little better about it (as will your tummy) when you do prepare it. Enjoy!

Healthy Chick(en), Broccoli & Avocado Fettuccine “Alfredo”

Makes 4 to 5 servings

What Ya … Read More!

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Must-Have Recipe: Strawberry, Avocado & Bacon Spring Greens Salad

3 Comments / Food & Recipes /

When I was on vacation with my family in Clearwater Beach, Florida I pretty much ate the same thing for lunch every day: the Spinach Berry Salad served pool-side at our hotel. It was light enough for a sunny dine-in-your-bikini lunch but hearty enough to tide me over until dinner. Plus, it had crunchy BACON in it. Not too much….just enough. Some days I enjoyed as is, while others I topped with fresh grilled grouper, chicken or shrimp.

Seeing as though I’m a salad fanatic (especially when it comes to making my own) I knew I needed to come up with some sort of variation to take with me back to Boston. And so I did. Enjoy this Strawberry, Avocado & Bacon Spring Greens Salad when you’re looking for a little sun-shiny boost.

In the Mix

Makes 2-3 large servings

For Salad:

  • 5 oz. package mixed greens of choice (I used Oliva’s Organics Spring Mix with Herbs)
  • 6 large strawberries, stemmed and sliced
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin circles
  • 1/4 c. chopped green onions
  • 1 hardboiled egg, chopped
  • handful of alfalfa sprouts
  • 3 strips crispy all-natural bacon, chopped

For Dressing:

  • 1/4 c.
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“The Bowl Of Goodness” {Warm Vegan Quinoa Bowl with Greens & Creamy Ginger Garlic Sauce}

8 Comments / Food & Recipes, Health & Wellness /

It’s no surprise that The Boy and I like to make our own creations in our tiny box kitchen! We’re always playing with different greens, oils, herbs, meat, seasonal produce and garlic (lots and lots of garlic) to tantalize our taste buds.

Then we have our classic dishes, our staples if you will. The Boy’s include soup (particularly his heart-warming Potato Corn Chowder), Breakfast Frittatas and his famous meatloaf (which he literally won’t stop talking about…he keeps telling all my friends and family to “Ask Rach about my meatloaf!”)

Classic Rachel dishes include Almond-Crusted Coconut Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries/Mashed Sweet Potatoes, fancy salads, and an apartment favorite: Warm Quinoa & Veggie Bowls which The Boy just dubbed “The Bowl of Goodness.”

The original inspiration came from our favorite local organic cafe Live Alive, as we are absolutely addicted to their warm grain bowls. That’s when I decided to get my experimenting — and my apron — on!

I never make one bowl exactly the same, but all are vegan and free from gluten and dairy ingredients. Sometimes I add in raisins or curry powder, while other times I load up on the garlic and create a more … Read More!

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Make This: BBQ Chicken Sausage Pizza with Cauliflower “Crust” {Gluten & Dairy Free}

2 Comments / Food & Recipes, Health & Wellness /

The Boy & I have been trying to severely cut back and/or eliminate both gluten and dairy from our diets. While gluten is something I’ve learned to eliminate over the years (due to personal digestion issues and bloating), I occasionally indulge in a tasty snack or fresh-baked slice of bread made with real ingredients. I know my limits, and I’ve pretty much learned to live without it. I guess I’m lucky because I’ve never really had a sweet tooth so fresh bread is really my only temptation.

However, dairy is a completely different beast. You see, I love cheese. Nothing beats a slice of fresh mozzarella, hard cheese paired with fruit, or local feta from the farmer’s market. That being said, this past year I’ve also come to the conclusion that my love for cheese may have some sort of connection  to my skin issues. So I’ve been trying to cut back as much as I can to experiment. Again, this is just my own personal experiment and I’m not saying everyone should give up dairy for clear skin. After all, we are all different and what works for one may not work for another (see: bio-individuality).

I’m … Read More!

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