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Golden Spiced Smarter Smoothie {Keto, Paleo, Vegan-option} + Video
My Golden Spiced Smarter Smoothie is my go-to smoothie when I am looking for a post-workout complete meal and it’s perfect for the fall and winter months, in all it’s cozy aromatic spices. This blood sugar balancing meal replacement shake gives you enough protein, fat and fiber to keep you full for hours on end and it’s loaded with so much goodness.
In case you missed it over on Instagram, I am calling this week Smoothtember Week and it’s a full week all about the Smarter Smoothies. In addition to sharing the brand new video for my Smarter Smoothies formula, this week I will be sharing three of my personal, MOST favorite Smarter Smoothie recipes. These are my classic go-to smarter smoothies!
Next up, I am sharing my Golden Spiced Smarter Smoothie. This smoothie is one of my absolute favorites, when I am looking for a quick and easy post-workout meal, with flavor, vibrant color and lots of healing benefits!
This Golden Spiced Smarter Smoothie is loaded with so much good stuff, it’s crazy! The reason I particularly love this smoothie post workout is the carbohydrates from the butternut squash, while it’s under 12 net carbs (less if you make this two servings), it’s still a bit more than my traditional smoothies, since they tend to be quite low carb. It’s a nice way to replenish, without the crash of many other carbohydrates, it’s especially great after a more intense workout, I will actually add more like 3/4 to 1 cup of the squash if it’s more of a carb-up meal or if I am making servings for two.
The ground turmeric is also a nice addition as it’s a powerful anti-inflammatory that is wonderful for supporting your muscles and joints after a workout – read more about the benefits of turmeric here, (this is the already boosted turmeric powder I use, most times). Obviously more or less turmeric will change the golden color of the smoothie, I recommend going with 1 – 2 teaspoons, based on what you prefer taste wise. But please BE CAREFUL, turmeric will stain your hands, clothes and basically anything it touches. Of course, we are also getting amazing benefits for our muscles and our recovery with the high-quality full amino acid profile protein by way of the grass-fed beef isolate protein (this is the one I prefer), a high-quality protein is necessary for repairing and rebuilding your muscles.
I prefer to use Ceylon cinnamon in my pumpkin pie spice blend, because Ceylon cinnamon has been shown to lower fasting blood glucose levels. Is a little cinnamon in your smoothie gonna cure your diabetes, nuh uh, but it you are in the prediabetic range, adding a little Ceylon cinnamon to your diet every day, may offer some help in your blood sugar management.
Our fat is working to keep us full and satiated, it helps to mitigate blood sugar spikes, and when using MCT oil, you get an easy-to-burn fuel source that brings a nice hit of energy. Of course, the fiber, as usual is great for keeping you full and satiated, as well as feeding your healthy gut microbiome.
As always, this smoothie is creating my Smarter Smoothies formula. If every meal-replacement smoothie that you create has adequate protein, fat and fiber, if you make sure you are getting loads of nutrients from leafy greens, veggies and/or herbs and you add those crunchies on top, so your digestion is working at it’s full potential – you will always be getting everything you need! The fruit and those bonuses/boosts we talk about in the Smarter Smoothies post, those are extras – have fun with those, but don’t make the sugary fruits the shining star!
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Spicy Pumpkin Fries {Paleo + Whole30}
Fall is officially upon us, which means we can finally celebrate all things pumpkin! For what it’s worth, I believe in waiting it out, slowing down and fully holding onto summer as long as we can. Each season flies by far too quickly, so I truly try to savor each moment and live in the present. The next season always comes.
But the time has come, where we can go hog wild on pumpkin everything. While there is a plethora of pumpkin recipes here on Tasty Yummies, these Spicy Pumpkin Fries may be one of my all time favorite pumpkin recipes. I shared these last year as an exclusive email list-only recipe and the response was so huge, I just couldn’t let these get lost in the abyss of email inboxes gone by, so here we are!
Savory, spicy and just a little crisp – this is what fries are all about, no matter what they are made from. Traditionally we know that fries out in the wild, are submerged in a vat of adulterated vegetable and seed oils, these oils are truly some of the worst things we can put it our body. (read more here) But, when made at home, baked with high quality oils, you can enjoy without the worry of toxic fats.
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Sheet Pan Roast Chicken and Veggies Dinner {+ Video} Gluten-free + Paleo
This Sheet Pan Roast Chicken and Veggies Dinner is extremely simple to toss together, it’s ready in just about 30 minutes and you can easily adjust the recipe’s ingredients to your personal favorites. Swap out the veggies, try a different herb and spice blend.
Sheet pan dinners are the ultimate in one-pan meals. These versatile meals are easy to customize for even the pickiest of eaters. With a trusty sheet pan, just a few pantry staples and your favorite in season produce in just about 30 minutes of cooking, you can have a hearty, tasty dinner on the table any night of the week.
Get Creative
This recipe is highly versatile, you change out the veggies depending on the season and your family’s preferences. Here we went with Brussels sprouts and butternut squash, two of our personal favorites – but you can also use cabbage, green beans, squash, peppers, onions or shallots, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes (white or sweet), zucchini, carrots, etc. Go with the best the season has to offer and of course, your family’s favorites.
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Crock-Pot® Chicken Chili with Squash and Kale
Disclosure: Post sponsored by Crock-Pot® brand slow cooker & Mirum Shopper, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure.
With the new year upon us, for many people this month is about a reset. This can take on so many different faces and applications, depending on the person. Working as a Nutritional Therapist and seeing clients, it is never my job to tell anyone what their diet should be. I work together with each of my clients to devise a plan and a course of action that works for them based on foundational nutritional information and of course, their own health needs. We are all bio-individuals who each need very different things. What I love so much about the work that I do, both here on the website and with my one-on-one nutrition clients, as well as when I am teaching yoga, is the distinct privilege I have in helping to empower people! To educate and provide them with the tools to make the very best choices for themselves, whatever that looks like for them and whatever they are ready for.
Whether it be in the kitchen with cooking, on the mat with their yoga practice or when it comes to making decisions about their health and their highly individualized path to healing, it’s an incredible honor that I never take lightly and am constantly beyond grateful for having the opportunity to share.
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Grain-free Savory Butternut Squash and Kale Crumble
If you haven’t noticed, it’s become Thanksgiving central around here. We’re tackling the the traditional dishes, as well as some unique and creative takes on this often very classic meal. Mostly, I want to remind you that comfort food doesn’t have to be synonmous with “bad for you” or “junk”, you can have comforting cozy foods and not pay for it later. But, we also need to remember that the holidays aren’t about perfection and rules, of course food allergies and intolerances and making choices that are appropriate for you and your healing journey is one thing, but go easy on yourself you guys. This is just one day. As I always say, honor your individuality and your personal path to health, love your body and treat it with respect – whatever that looks like for you, is right!!
I am excited to be partnering with Nuts.com for today’s Thanksgiving recipe, bringing you a completely new autumn-inspired, comfort food side dish, that is bound be a favorite for years to come.
This Grain-free Savory Butternut Squash and Kale Crumble bridges the gap between stuffing and starches, veggies and gratins. Instead of the usual pureed or roasted squash, that will get left behind, rather than steamed greens that no one gets particularly excited about, this comforting, creamy, hearty crisp is a new way to enjoy a crumble and a tasty option to enjoy your squash and greens. With a creamy sauce, smokey, crispy bacons, fresh herbs and a golden topping this is truly what comfort food is all about.
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Summer Squash Salad with Basil Vinaigrette and Crispy Prosciutto
Summer is definitely all about the fuss-free eating, but to me, it’s also all about enjoying the abundance. With so much beautiful produce in season, there is no shortage of foods to be inspired by and get creative with.
To me, zucchini gets all the love during the summer and admittedly, I likely eat a farm’s worth myself every year. But lest we forget about the yellow summer squash, the beautiful golden sibling to the zucchini. While the flavor is very similar, the only real major difference is their skin color, so I find the yellow squash to be as equally versatile as the zucchini and it too is a mainstay in my summer kitchen.
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Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Turmeric Roasted Pepitas
Looking at the foundations of optimal health and overall well-being, it is safe to say most of us, whether having endured chronic illness or not, understand that it’s more than just the food we eat and the exercise we choose. Our physical body and the structural state of our person, the environment we reside in, our emotions – they all play a role in the delicate balance within our body. Just as important and often underrated, the subtle body, or our energetics, also contribute to our health and vitality. In a perfect world, these factors all come together in harmony, to allow us to be the healthiest version of ourselves. Balanced, happy, well and at peace.
When our health is out of balance, we can’t expect to simply change our diet, take some supplements and hit a yoga class or the gym and BAM we’re back to 100%! Sadly, it is never that simple. We are complicated beings, with many layers and levels of complexity that come together to create a unique and very special bio-individual. Ultimately, we seek to maintain balance within our body, but if we are holding onto anything, energetically, it can create blockages which keep the free-flowing nature of our truest self, challenged.
As part of my current healing plan, I have been approaching my health from all avenues, honoring every modality presented to me and every opportunity to heal. Beyond my yoga and meditation practices, recently I have added reiki to the energetic side of my healing protocol and I am so very fortunate to have an incredible friend and reiki master, Brook Albrigo living very nearby. I have been spending time celebrating the moon cycles each month, at Brook’s sound healing ceremonies here in Long Beach and now seeing her for one-on-one reiki sessions.
What is Reiki?
Have you ever noticed that your first reaction to an injury or pain is to put your hands on that area? Or that when a loved one is suffering, you automatically hold their hand, touch their shoulder or embrace them? We all have this instinct to use our hands to comfort, heal and console.
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Garam Masala Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges
Do you keep with your standard, classic, traditional Thanksgiving dishes or do you like mix it up a little every year? I generally stick with the classics – turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and of course, pumpkin pie – these are non-negotiable for me. From there, I like to have a little fun with the other sides. I mix it up with the salad and the green beans and I always try to do something a little unexpected with the squash.
This year, I am not hosting Thanksgiving, we are mixing it up a bit and headed to Mexico, to celebrate with our very good friends, Dan and Debbie, and their family. I am definitely planning to bring a few classic gluten-free dishes to share, but I eagerly await to see what else they may need and I will offer from there.
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Thai Pumpkin Curry with Salmon and Shrimp
There is something so comforting about a warm bowl of homemade curry. Though it isn’t a food I grew up with eating, I often find myself craving it, seeking that warm hug in a bowl feeling. More importantly, one of my very favorite things about homemade curry, beyond the delicious flavors, is that it’s a quick meal that can be whipped up in under 30 minutes, tops! Great for using up whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand and super versatile when it comes to your protein choice.
This is a good fool-proof, quick meal to whip out on those busy school/work nights, when you can’t be bothered with too much else. Like many of the recipes I share, you can also be quite liberal with the substitutions on this one, choose your favorite squash (just adjust cooking time as need), opt for sweet potatoes instead of squash, add broccoli, greens or whatever you have on hand. If you aren’t a fan a seafood, leave it out, add more veggies, try chicken or tofu. (FYI chicken will take much longer to cook, so adjust accordingly)
I serve this in a big cozy bowl on it’s own. You can also serve it over rice, if you’d like. It’s unique, beautiful in color and full of robust and well rounded flavors. The creaminess of the coconut milk, the vivid color and texture from the pumpkin puree, the hint of brightness from the lime, a subtle heat from the red curry and the aromas will have you drooling before you even sit down to eat. Read the rest of this entry »
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Autumn Harvest Salad with Green Horseradish Vinaigrette
There is something about the fall and the winter and the cooler weather they bring, that not only elicits those feelings of cozy comfort, for me it also brings a desire to gather and share nourishing food, with others. With the holidays on the horizon, this love of community and connection is strong and needed, in these darker, cooler months ahead.
Earlier this month I hosted Gather, a women’s retreat here in Southern California. Beyond teaching yoga every morning, I also had the wonderful pleasure of preparing all of the delicious, seasonally-inspired food for all of the meals we shared together. Mostly vegetarian and exclusively gluten-free, the meals highlighted light, comfort food, the flavors of the fall and as always when I am cooking, nutrient-rich, whole foods. Read the rest of this entry »
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Spicy Butternut Squash and Kale “Cheezy” Mac
Let’s just get this out of the way right now, yes I ironically used a z in the word cheese and yes, I also put quotes around it. That’s happening and I am totally into it. OK onto the show.
My hubby is like most, a meat and potatoes man. He’s a no-frills, gimme what’s easiest, fastest and tastiest – kinda guy. Of course, being that I make most of the meals around here, I can keep his poor decision making and junk-food loving ways in check. Over the years I have proudly gotten him off soda, I have proven that a piece of good quality dark chocolate after dinner can be just as satisfying at 4 Oreos, I have convinced him that it’s possible to eat more than just meat and still eat well and my latest feat, showing him that we don’t necessary HAVE to have a starch or grain at every single meal.
Football season however, this is a tough time around here, it can be a hard sell on the plant-based, less processed foods. Mark LOVES football and he LOVES eating the worst foods while watching it. If he had it his way, he’d be munching on fried chicken, eating a pile of nachos, diving face first into pizza and Buffalo wings and I don’t even want to think about what sweet he’d finish it all off with. He’s always asking me to come up with fun football snacks for him and of course, I try to always deliver him a much more mindful, yet still comforting treat. He never asks me to make him something “healthier”, per se, but I am smart enough to read between the lines. He could easily go to the store and get the junk for himself, he certainly knows how to pick up the phone and order a pizza. I think deep down, though he may never admit it, he wants me to take care of him and make these better choices for him. No complaints here!
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Summer’s Harvest Farmers Market One-Pot Zucchini Pasta
We have all seen the one pot pasta phenomenon and while I am a big fan and even shared a gluten-free rice pasta version of this today, I also wanted to create a grain-free version, highlighting my personal favorite, noodle – zucchini noodles/pasta AKA “zoodles”!
This veggie-centric take on the classic, simple, weeknight meal is not just a great way to enjoy the best of the season, but I have found it’s also a wonderful way to use up some of those last bits of veggies, the things in the fridge you aren’t sure what to do with, the scraps from another recipe. Toss them in and go to town. You can’t go wrong.
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Spiced Coconut Squash Breakfast Porridge
Sometimes, I find the hardest thing about having restrictions on my diet is the uncontrollable cravings for a dish that is simply off-limits. Try as you might to quiet them, but I can promise you your Pinterest feed and Instagram feed will be filled with that very food, for days on end, mocking you until you either give in or find an alternative! (Not that I know from personal experience, or anything) Regardless of retraining your brain to look at food differently to cater those thoughts to your current needs, oftentimes we just can’t help those random hankerings. We are, after all, human.
I find this breakfast porridge to be the perfect stand-in for traditional oatmeal, while still being free of grains, dairy, nuts and seeds. It’s warm, comforting and creamy and the texture is spot on. I tend to alway have a spaghetti squash on hand, so if I cook one up for dinner the night before, I will save half to make this breakfast the next morning.
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Veggie Mole Bowl
This month for my ongoing series with Beachgreens Organic Produce Delivery rather than focusing on a single vegetable or fruit, we wanted to share a recipe featuring one of our favorite local foods, this Mole Monarca sauce from Peppered Up, right here in Long Beach. This traditional red mole sauce is inspired by owner Griselda’s mother and grandmother and it stays true to its roots from central Mexico.
This sauce has incredible flavor notes. Rich, dark, smoky and earthy with a spicy kick, this unique blend of peppers, spices, seeds and nuts can literally turn any dish into a party! For those following along with my Autoimmune Protocol journey, you can obviously guess that this isn’t bowl of deliciousness sadly doesn’t fit my current restrictions. I created this recipe before I started AIP earlier this month, so I was able to happily able to enjoy it then. Now I am just dreaming of it, it’s that good!
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Butternut Squash Noodles with Harissa Cashew Cream and Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips
I have had a long and very romantic love affair with my spiralizer, since the moment we met. It just gets me and it has never, ever let me down. So, it only seems appropriate to share another spiralized recipe, this Valentine’s week! This post is part recipe for Butternut Squash Noodles with Harissa Cashew Cream and Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips and part ode to my spiralizer!
Every single time I pull my spiralizer out to use it, I find myself blown away, not just by how simple it is to use, but also by all of the fun and creative recipes I can create with it. I find myself making the ever-popular zucchini noodles (aka noodles) on a nearly daily basis when I have zucchini growing in my garden, but I am also quite obsessed with yellow squash noodles, as well. Some of my other favorites are sweet potato noodles, cucumber ribbons and celeriac noodles. I have also been known to spiralize apples and pears, onions, and the list goes on and on and then on some more.
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Slow Cooker Coconut Red Curry Vegetable Soup
With this being only our second winter in California I am pleasantly surprised this year by the cooler weather and the rain. It really feels wintery to me (in comparison to our usual warm and sunny days). As much as I know we needed the rain and I of course wanted it, I really just was starting to believe it didn’t actually happen here.
Last year was pretty much just hot and sunny the entire winter season, very little rain, it basically just felt like a continuation of the rest of the year. I assumed that was the norm and was really only bummed about it because I was missing comforting winter foods like soups and stews and other winter weather favorites.
This year we have had some wonderfully welcomed grey and chilly days, complete with rain and the need for cozy-time. I’m talking a hot fire, lots of blankets and comforting hot foods and drinks. I have made lot of soups and my love of hot drinks has been taken to a new level. In fact, while I write this, I am sipping away on a steamy mug of dairy-free hot cocoa, while under a cozy blanket, in front of the roaring fire place. I know, I know, those of you dealing with single digit temperatures and loads of snow, probably think this Southern California girl who hails from Buffalo, NY, should shut up about rainy 50º weather, but it’s all relative, friends. Promise.
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Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple and Leek Bread Stuffing with Collard Greens (Grain-free Option)
I am totally aware that I am coming in down to the wire with this recipe. Thanksgiving is just a few short days away and maybe some of you have had your menu’s planned for days or even weeks, but I am not quite that put together. I am serving dinner to somewhere between 7 and 10 people on Thursday and I am still working on what I plan to serve.
With my weekends being consumed by yoga teacher training and trying to maintain a social life amidst a busy work schedule plus making time for my own yoga practice and personal training sessions, life has been feeling a tad hectic, as of late. My saving grace has been our CSA boxes that get delivered every Wednesday. Most weeks I plan our meals based on what shows up in that box, so I always know that we will be eating healthy and well, no matter how busy life gets.
This stuffing was born on a day that a new CSA box showed up and I still had a couple things from the previous week’s box. So, it’s partially a recipe created with Thanksgiving in mind and partially and more simply, a fridge/pantry cleaning recipe. After getting some beautiful butternut squash, leeks and apples, plus some gorgeous collard greens, I was finding myself inspired to create a dish that used all of them.
This fun version of a classic bread stuffing is so easy to throw together and it is just full of so many incredible comforting flavors. The best part of this recipe is how versatile it is. You can use whatever your favorite bread is, try kale instead of collard greens and you could even add meat, if that’s your preference.
I created a super quick and easy to make grain-free bread to make this stuffing with, I kinda impressed myself with how simple it is to make and how perfectly it works in this recipe! What more could you ask for on a busy holiday?
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Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bake
I feel like I say this every year, but although there is far more produce available in the summer months, I am much more excited about cooking with the late summer, fall and winter produce. There is something so comforting and hearty about the foods in season right now, these are the vegetables you can create an entire meal around.
I am especially fanatical about it all this year, as I am very consciously trying to consume less grains and starches as I work towards learning to eat smarter for my body, given a recent diagnosis (more on that another time). I have been looking at food in new and different ways and trying to get creative with foods I have cooked with time and time again over the years.
In the summer months, I live on zucchini and yellow squash noodles, as an alternative to pasta, so I have been having fun coming up with the fall/winter equivalents. Sweet potatoes work great but all of the many squashes available come to the rescue time and time again. I’ve been enjoying butternut squash noodles, but most especially spaghetti squash, since no special tools are required.
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Autumn Harvest Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
This healthy, fall-inspired Autumn Harvest Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette, is the perfect way to enjoy all of the many amazing flavors of the season in one flavor-packed healthy salad. It is light enough to not leave you heavy and weighed down, but also hearty enough to be a meal on it’s own. This makes 2 large meal sized servings or 4 side salad-sized servings. I like to make this salad and dress the servings individually so I can enjoy the leftovers later. This was the perfect lunch during a long day of yoga teacher training, a few weeks back.
Lately, this is one of my most favorite ways to enjoy raw kale and I find even those not super crazy about the superfood green, absolutely love it in salad like this. The key is to massage the kale to get rid of the toughness and the bitterness. Yup, I said “massage”! No, you don’t have to whisper sweet nothings to it or buy it dinner first, just a good ‘ol fashioned no-strings-attached massage.
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Za’atar Roasted Squash with Crispy Kale and Pomegranate
Squash season is my favorite of all the seasons! I honestly have a really hard time believing that squash is good for me, that it isn’t one of those foods you absolutely LOVE, but really know in your heart you should enjoy in moderation, like white potatoes or chocolate cake! This time of year, I find myself planning all of my meals around what squash we are going to eat.
Lately, I have been enjoying these beautiful Chile Delicate Squash Rings for breakfast with an egg , I made a bit pot of this Butternut Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup for lunch and I have been roasting butternut squash like it’s my job. Of course, though I haven’t yet, I will be making my popular Butternut Squash and Chickpea Slow Cooker Curry very soon, too! I could go on and on telling you the ways I have prepared squash over the last few weeks but instead I will share this amazing, simple new recipe with you.
This recipe features two of my favorite varieties of squash, at least this week, acorn and delicata. I love how sweet and delicate they both are and I love that you can eat the skin on both varieties. Both of these squash are insanely versatile and are wonderful in a savory dish, but just as good with a little maple syrup and some fresh cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Chile Spiced Roasted Delicata Squash Rings
If you have never had delicata squash, you are seriously missing out. This squash is so delicious, sweet and delicate and the best part is – you can eat that beautiful, colorful striped skin, no annoying peeling required. In my opinion, delicata squash really doesn’t get enough love – besides being so tasty, how adorable are those little scalloped edges on the rings?
These Chile Spiced Roasted Delicata Squash Rings are my new favorite thing – I love recipes like this that are versatile enough for any meal! They are great as a side dish to any meal, try them with some eggs and bacon in the morning and they are perfect with lunch or dinner, as a side or on top of a autumn-inspired salad. I have even enjoyed them as a mid-day snack! You can even cut them thinner to get them crispy and you have a squash chip of sorts, just reduce the cooking time, slightly so they don’t burn.
Head over to the Free People Blog BLDG 25 to get the recipe for these Chile Spiced Roasted Delicata Squash Rings
