Sour Cherry Berry Breakfast Bowl

Recently, I was gifted the most beautiful sour cherries by my friend Carolyn, who is also a chef herself (check out her site here!). She mentioned she turned around for a minute, and her kids ended up harvesting 13 pounds in no time, which makes me the lucky one...since she ended up sharing with me. 

Little did she know that sour cherries are very dear to my heart. They are very popular in Romania and I remember growing up eating them every summer...sometimes, picking them as a little girl, from my grandmother's cherry infused liquor (I ended up just fine, never got drunk, I promise), in glorious vanilla pound cakes, or straight from the tree (and everyone seemed to have one). But in all of these, I ended up isolating the cherries, dismissing anything that was around them, and just enjoying their pure taste.

I have to admit, I had to force myself to make something with them. My desire was two eat them straight out of the bag, but I had to come up with something more interesting than that. Also the whole low-glycemic thing came into play...if I made pound cake, well, there's not enough stevia to make pound cake palatable. But here's what eventually did happen:

1. I made a berry crumble for my boys, and they loved it (not pictured) with the crumble topping from Minimalist Baker found here. (I also cut the sugar in 1/2 and mixed cherries with peaches, gooseberries, blueberries and strawberries...a potentially weird combo, but it rocked!)

2. I froze some for my sister (since she has to taste them, but she's returning from a trip in July), and gave some to my mother (who was beside herself, since she obviously spent more time in Romania than I have and she remembers sour cherries fondly). 

3. I made a yummy raw hazelnut vanilla torte with sour cherries and chickory flowers, which I'll be using in my wild edibles book (out whenever I get my act together...currently working on two others now). 

4. And last but not least, this sour cherry berry breakfast bowl. In love with the last sweet tart tastes of these beauties, and breakfast is complete. 

1/2 cup coconut yoghurt (plain or unsweetened vanilla)

1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1/2 cup sour cherries, pitted

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1 scoop chocolate classic protein powder (Sunwarrior, vegan, raw)

sprinkles of blueberries, unsweetened coconut flakes,  cacao nibs, and chia

Blend yoghurt, milk, berries and powder until smooth. Pour into your favorite bowl and decorate with blueberries, coconut, cacao and chia. Enjoy!

Fresh Coconut Acai Love Bowl

During this quarantine, we may be doing more home cleaning than before…and if you’re up to your elbows in your fridge, scrubbing and discovering items you’ve forgotten about, you may by chance stumble upon your frozen Acai packets. If that’s the case, you just SCORED! We’re making a lovely Acai bowl today.

You've probably seen the glorious photos of Acai Bowls everywhere...on instagram, Facebook, even in some healthy restaurants, made at home by those of us who want to eat healthy. Why do we need ONE more, you ask? Well, this one is loaded with good healthy fats (that keep you satisfied, help your hormones, etc.), and it's also low-glycemic ~ that's the important part! Many of our common Acai Bowls contain sweeteners and are loaded with sweet fruit. While this works for some people, I'd like to make the sugar down a bit and increase the healthy fats. You'll enjoy this delicious bowl of superfood goodness, giving you energy while keeping you away from the blood sugar rollercoaster! 

Acai is a berry that's touted as a superfood, containing fiber, heart-healthy nutrients, Vitamin C, healthy fats, antioxidants and capacities to help us detox (Because the benefits are just SO HUGE and too long to list in this post, here are two super useful and fun articles to read to further your knowledge on Acai : HERE and HERE).  But the bottom line is: Acai berries are delicious, and that's reason enough for us to eat them! Eat more of the good and less of the bad. This fiber-rich antioxidant bowl works really well as a morning breakfast or a mid-afternoon pick me up. 

Also, I've recently ordered fresh frozen coconut meat from Exotic Superfoods in hopes of making low-sugar raw desserts, but I haven't even gotten to that part yet ~ I've just been eating it straight out of the bag and it's absolutely delicious! I did buy the case, which can get expensive, but cutting into regular young thai coconuts and not knowing if they're fresh or not, sprayed with formaldehyde to keep the outside white, or low-yielding, then you have to clean the meat....It's a lot of work! I figured this saves me time, hassle, it's all clean, and I can taste the purity. 

Ingredients:

One packet of unsweetened Acai Berry Puree, defrosted (I like the Sambazon brand)

a few drops liquid stevia 

slivered almonds

blueberries

1/2 cup fresh raw coconut meat, sliced

chia seeds

bee pollen

In a bowl, pour out the Acai puree and stir in a few drops of the stevia. Start with three and taste as you go, making it sweet enough for you. Add in the rest of the ingredients, and eat with a spoon :)

That’s it! Besides, this makes a really good superfood treat in-between fridge cleaning sessions. Hope you enjoy it! Now, back to work.

Cabbage Carrot Slaw & Tempeh Love Bowl

I like to keep things simple, as simple as possible. If you know my recipes, most of them include 3-5 ingredients at most, mostly relying on the colors, textures, tastes and nutritive values of whole, organic beautiful produce. I don't think recipes should be complicated to be beautiful and nutritious, and this one is a perfect example. 

I grew up with cabbage slaw, the way my mother made it in romania: shredded cabbage, oil, vinegar and salt. It's not as much a slaw as it is a salad, and I was known (much to my parents' surprise) to take the bowl and drink the remaining dressing when all the slaw was gone. I remember it clearly: 6 or 7 years old, dinner table, I take the big bowl and sip. I knew back then what I know now: this salad is lean, mean, crunchy, satisfying, colorful, and simply the bomb. I've only changed it a bit by using oils and vinegars we find here in the US, and throwing in some shredded carrots.

The tempeh is a regular household staple. I keep a container of if in the fridge and use it to chomp on between teaching, writing articles, before a hike, you name it. It's salty, has a fun umami taste, is nourishing, high in protein, and it keeps well.

The tempeh and slaw together are also low-glycemic, which is ALL I ever think about these days, working with clients on insulin resistance and working to heal my own. It's a winner, I promise. 

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups super thinly shredded cabbage, any color

1/2 cup shredded carrots

drizzle of olive or flax oil, about 1 tablespoon

drizzle of raw apple cider vinegar, about 1 tablespoon

two to three pinches of salt

Combine the ingredients together and toss. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to let the flavors marry and so that the cabbage softens a bit. 

Tempeh ingredients:

1 package flax tempeh, cubed (preferably gluten free)

1 package original tempeh, cubed (preferably gluten free)

1/2 bottle of coconut secret garlic sauce (this brand)

Heat a skillet or heavy bottomed sauce pan, and add in the sauce. Add in the cubed tempeh, stir to mix, cover and turn heat to medium. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn, but heat through until the tempeh has absorbed most of the liquid, about 5-8 minutes. 

In a bowl, combine the cabbage slaw with the tempeh, and enjoy! 

Low-Glycemic Garlic Noodle Love Bowl

Noodle bowls are incredible; can I get an AMEN? Stir fry's are fun, warming, filling and nurturing, especially when you're cramped for time, hungry, and it's a cold, rainy night. I've found that I can't tolerate regular noodles in general, however, as they make me sleepy ~ probably from a carbohydrate coma. High in gluten, high in flour and carbs that spike your blood sugar, they can seriously impact your health if you have them often. They also impede digestion, as they're made of flour, and can often constipate sensitive digestive systems. 

Recently I've found a brand of noodles made from Konjac Flour named "Miracle Noodles": they're low glycemic, low in calories, gluten free, soy free, and made in the USA! Best part is that they're super delicious, easy to use, require minimal cooking time, are low glycemic and won't make you sleepy after you eat them. Since they're low calorie and high in fiber, many people use products made from Konjac to help with weight loss, and are also sometimes used as a vegan gelatin substitute. That said, you just need to stock up on these packages, which come in rice size, angel hair, and fettuccine. You can find them here in a bulk pack of 6. 

The noodles do have a funny smell at first, I won't lie. You need to rinse them well, place them in bowl and soak in boiling water for 2 minutes (I go to 5 just to make sure), drain, rinse again and by this point, the smell will be completely gone.

You really can use any veggies you'd like ~ make it fun, and use whatever is in your fridge and whatever is your favorite. 

Ingredients:

1 tsp coconut oil

2 pinches of sea salt

1 clove garlic, sliced thin

1/2 cup sliced shitake mushrooms

1 cup sliced broccoli

1 small bunch thin asparagus, woody ends cut off, and sliced into 1 inch pieces

3 scallions, sliced in 1 inch pieces

2/3 cup of 1 package Miracle Noodles, Angel hair, rinsed well, soaked in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and drained

2/3 cup Coconut Aminos Garlic Sauce

1 tsp white sesame seeds

a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce (I love Ninja Squirrel)

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the coconut oil and melt. Add in the garlic & the sea salt, and sauté for one minute to release the flavors. Add in the mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, and scallions and sauté another 3 minutes or so, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the veggies turn bright green. Add in the sauce and noodles, cover and turn down to medium heat just until heated through, about 5 more minutes. Place in two bowls, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce. Makes two servings.

NOTE: One time when I didn't have the garlic sauce on hand, I actually used a little bit of vegan Worcestershire sauce and some vegan hoisin Sauce and it came out really tangy, dark, rich and delicious. Feel free to experiment. 

Light Breakfast Bowls

Breakfast is a funny thing. Sometimes I wake up and don't have to eat until 11:00 am. Sometimes I'm ravenous at 6:30 am. Most of the time, I keep it simple and just have a satisfying protein smoothie, but there are some days when I want something light and refreshing.

These are two of my signature bowls that I've made over and over and they fit the bill perfectly. The first is tart, sweet, and just the right thing when I need something to hold me over, but I'm not starving. The second is a little more substantial and holds me over for longer...but it still follows the same formula. Some fruit and almonds. Love the both and hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Interestingly enough, they're sweet enough (but low-glycemic) to pass for a dessert. 

GRAPEFRUIT ALMOND BREAKFAST BOWL:

1 grapefruit, cut in half, flesh scooped out

1 banana, sliced

a handful of pumpkin seeds.

Combine ingredients and enjoy.

COCONUT YOGHURT BLUEBERRY BOWL

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut yoghurt

1/2 cup blueberries

a handful of slivered almonds

Combine ingredients and enjoy.

Enjoy! And let me know what you're having for breakfast! 

Coconut Blueberry Love Bowl

There is just SOMETHING about bowls. It might be linked to my "mild" obsession with wooden boxes, shoes, bags, other things that hold other things...I think it's their nurturing aspect, of holding something, taking care of something, taking that something special with you... that I really just love. But bowls are in a field of their own ~ they are regal, majestic, beautiful, and so the food we put inside of them should also be majestic and beautiful.  And most of all, nurturing. 

"Love Bowls" are also something that we can all make that just look beautiful ~ and as long as you layer different colors of nutritive foods and play with your "art", play with your food, they pretty much create themselves and the delivery system is just two hands, holding a bowl, and noshing. I've even just thrown stuff together and didn't necessarily care how the food landed, and it's always beautiful. It doesn’t get better than that! I love it. 

For me, I really need to chew something in the morning, and it has to be high in protein and fiber and low-glycemic. Smoothies are great, but I bore easily with them ~ not so much the flavors {since those are endless} but more so for the texture - it's predominantly smooth and I wanted something that was more gritty, something that would make my jaw work and "wake me up". That's why bowls are just perfect....

This pretty much is my new favorite thing ~ blueberries are just the bomb, every which way, the coconut yoghurt and the protein power are both very filling, lightly sweet, and taste indulgent in the morning, and the crunch from chia, flax, coconut can't be beat! Mix it up any way you want, grab a big spoon and dig in!

The basic template for this love bowl is:

Bottom: could be coconut yoghurt, granola, etc.

Fruit: berries are my faves but you can add kiwi, oranges, etc.

A good fat/crunch: coconut, chia, flax, walnuts, etc

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup probiotic coconut yoghurt

1 tablespoon protein powder (I love Sunwarrior Classic Chocolate)

1/2 cup blueberries

1 tablespoon each: ground flax, chia, unsweetened shredded coconut

Sprinkle of walnuts, optional

Combine the coconut and powder together until it's mixed well. Just know, different protein powders differ in sweetness ~ I tried this with a whole scoop of protein powder (one whole serving) and it was just too sweet, so I added only 1 tablespoon powder instead, but you be the judge on how much you like. Place the yoghurt mixture in the bottom of the bowl and layer with the blueberries, flax, chia and coconut (and walnuts, if you're adding them). Enjoy!