Zucchini Cashew Soup Healthy Recipe

This soup is sure to satisfy you, whether you are vegetarian, vegan or a meat eater! If you are looking for a super easy recipe, that even my meat eating hubby loved, try my Zucchini Cashew Soup Healthy Recipe!  He turned up his nose, when I told him what I was making for dinner.  But he was pleasantly surprised that it tasted very much like Cheesy Broccoli.  In fact, we are going to actually steam some broccoli next time and put bits of steamed broccoli in the finished product…for a bit of chunkiness.  We paired this with some cucumber and tomato salad!  I must STRESS that you need to use organic ingredients for this recipe too.  This is a good detoxing recipe as well.  I love meals that are super healthy, but make me feel like I am eating something I should feel guilty about!  ha ha!

Here is one of my favorite places to get my organic produce and other various things like my Veggie Broth I used for this recipe!

 

I used these in my recipe as well!

This is what it looked like in my blender, before I blended it altogether!

I blended it in my Hamilton Beach Wave Station Express and this is what it looked like!

For 1 Serving

Ingredients

• 2 Zucchinis
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• Organic Vegetable Broth
• Bragg Liquid Aminos (To Taste) or Pink Himalayan Salt
• Herbal seasoning or fresh herbs, like basil, dill, tarragon or thyme (I used Spike Seasoning and Fresh Dill)

Directions

1. 1.) Soak Raw Cashews in filtered water for 1-2 hours. The longer you soak, makes the cashews blend creamier.
2. 2.) Steam 2 organic zucchinis with skin on until tender.
3. 3.) Drain the Cashews and add it to the blender, along with the zucchini, fresh or dried seasoning (I used Spike Seasoning and Fresh Dill) and enough veggie broth so it blends well. Add some Pink Himalayan Salt or Liquid Aminos. (Liquid Aminos is like soy sauce, only this one is good for you).
4. Reheat if needed. You can always add some steamed veggies, if you like it chunky! 

We ended up going and getting some broccoli.  I steamed some and put it in the soup!  Soooo delish!

Inner Goddess Detox Salad

Serves 1
Ingredients:
2 cups loosely packed fresh kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
10 raw, unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
3 strawberries, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled & sliced
1/4 cup blueberries
1/3 cucumber, peeled, seeded & sliced
1/4 cup raspberries
Olive oil based salad dressing

Directions:
1. Massage kale in a large bowl for 1-2 minutes, or until broken down and tender. Combine with spinach and cabbage, then turn out onto a plate.
2. Top with remaining ingredients, then drizzle with a good, olive-oil based salad dressing.

Immaculate. Sweet, earthy, crunchy, chewy, and oh-so satisfying.



I debated making homemade Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette to drizzle on top, but my inner goddess was starving, so I saved time by using Marzetti Simply Dressed Pomegranate Vinaigrette instead. I’d recommend any good, olive-oil based dressing though.














 

By the way – if you’ve got a guy and his inner “god” to please, throw a grilled chicken breast on top of this salad, and serve it with a piece of broiled garlic bread on the side. They’ll both dive right in!



http://iowagirleats.com/2012/05/29/inner-goddess-detox-salad/

Almond Butter and Banana Granola Bars

Ingredients:
Yields 8 large bars

1/ 2 cup almond butter
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup mixed seeds (I used raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds )
1 cup regular oats
2 tablespoons flax seed meal

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 8x8 baking square pan with parchment paper.

In a small pot heat almond butter and mashed bananas. Stir gently until well combined. Set aside. ( It takes about a couple of minutes or so)

In a food processor, coarse chop the almonds, apricots, and cranberries. Transfer to a bowl. Mix in seeds and oats. Fold in the almond butter mixture. Press the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let granola cool before cutting into bars. Wrap each one and store in the fridge.

You can add any nuts or dry fruit of your choice. The combinations are endless!

http://eatgood4life.blogspot.com/search/label/Breakfast

Egg Baked in Avocado

Bake an Egg in an Avocado for a Fast and Healthy Breakfast Treat

Avocados are amazing things—they're delicious on their own, but they also have a lot of healthy fats, dietary fibers, and vitamins, and despite their high caloric value, they're remarkably easy to prepare. If you have an avocado that's too firm to use for something else, or you're just in the mood for something new and healthy for breakfast, slice it in half, remove the pit, and carve out a little space in the center. Crack an egg where the pit was, and bake. In a few minutes, you'll have a delicious, protein and vitamin-packed breakfast treat that's rich enough to keep you going all morning.

• preheat oven to 425, have cast iron pan in there
  
• Slice avocado in half, take out pit
  
• take pan out, put avocado half on, crack egg in
  
• put whatever you want on top
  
• place in oven and cook till your eggs [are done how you] desire
  

Avocados are used in all sorts of breakfast dishes, but this is a great example of using the avocado as a breakfast dish, and pretty tasty one at that.

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

(Makes 30 cookies)

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mash bananas in a large bowl, then stir in remaining ingredients. Let batter stand for approximately 20 minutes, then drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Freezing Directions:
Cool completely, then place cookies in a freezer bag. Seal, label, and freeze.

Nutritional Information (per cookie):
47 calories; 7.5 g carbs; 1.6 g fat; 1.5 g protein; 1.3 g fiber; 1 WW PointsPlus

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/05/skinny-chunky-monkey-cookies-recipe.html

Protein Powder Muffin

makes 1 large muffin
bake in a large muffin pan or we used a ramekin to bake ours in.
bake 350 for about 20 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup protein powder (we used vanilla flavored brown rice protein)
• 1/4 cup flax meal ( just grind up flax seeds into a powder form)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia (adjust to taste, add in more if you want it more sweet)
• 5 tablespoons water

Directions:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Place protein powder and flax meal into a bowl. Next add in your baking soda and baking powder and stevia. Begin to stir. (if you do not want to use stevia in this recipe, use about 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite sugar)
Next add in your 5 tablespoons water. You can use a non-dairy milk alternative if you would like.
**Batter will be REALLY THICK.
Place muffin batter into a lightly coconut oiled pan. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Take out from warm oven let cool slightly and then enjoy.

Grilled Tofu on a Stick

Serves 4

Easy to make and fun to eat, this crispy wake-up-your-tastebuds tofu provides a delicious vegan version of traditional corn dogs. Sweet and hot mustard is the secret ingredient in the tangy, delicious coating.

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package firm or extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup sweet and hot mustard
1/2 cup seasoned dried bread crumbs
Pinch of chile pepper flakes
6 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Olive oil cooking spray

Method

Place block of tofu on cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into three equal sections lengthwise. Cut each section in half lengthwise so that you end up with six "sticks." Arrange several layers of paper towels on a plate and place tofu on top. Place several layers of paper towels on top of tofu and press down to remove excess moisture.

Arrange tofu in a container large enough to store the pieces in a single layer. Using a knife or a brush, spread mustard evenly on all sides of the tofu. Cover container and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Transfer bread crumbs to a large plate. Add pepper flakes and stir together. Thread each piece of tofu onto a skewer. Coat each piece of tofu in bread crumb mixture, pressing down gently to make sure the crumbs stick. Transfer to a plate as done and spray tofu all over with olive oil cooking spray.

Lightly spray grill with olive oil cooking spray and preheat. Grill tofu over medium heat, turning so that all four sides become browned and crispy. Remove from grill and transfer to a platter. Serve immediately. (To cook in the oven, preheat oven to 375°F and omit skewers. Use a fork to place marinated tofu into bread crumbs to coat. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until browned and crispy.)

Nutrition

Per serving: 160 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 410mg sodium, 11g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 16g protein

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1795

Metabolism Drink

Increase metabolism.

ingredients

• 8 oz. Water
• 0.06 tsp. Pepper (red or cayenne)
• 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 oz. sugar free Apple Juice
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

directions

Mix together.

Source: Tone It Up

Hot Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1  Tablespoon  olive oil
• 2 1/2  cups  (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1 – 2  teaspoons  crushed red pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 14-20 Shrimp
• 1  cup vegetable broth
• 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 cup prepared Brown Rice

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus, garlic, salt, and peppers; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add shrimp, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in broth and juice; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; serve with brown rice or other grain.

Garlic Teriyaki Tempeh with Broccoli

Garlic Teriyaki Tempeh with Broccoli 

• 1 package of LightLife Three Grain Tempeh, cut into ¼ inch strips
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• ½ pound of brocolli
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

Teriyaki Sauce:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ½ tbsp maple syrup
• 2 gloves of garlic, chopped fine
• ½ tsp. fresh ginger, minced 

How to Prepare:
Combine all the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-low heat brown the tempeh strips in a small amount of olive oil, adding more oil a little at a time as necessary. When tempeh is golden brown add teriyaki sauce and sprinkle generously with nutritional yeast and simmer tempeh for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. In another large skillet over medium heat, add a small amount of olive oil and saute broccoli for a few minutes. As the broccoli begins to brighten, add garlic and saute a few minutes longer. combine the teriyaki tempeh and broccoli-garlic saute and toss together. ENJOY!

Coconut Brown Rice and Beans

• 1 TBSP extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 3 cups of cooked brown rice
• 1 (16 ounce) can of adzuki beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (16 ounce) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can of light coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp. dired thyme
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until the onion becomes soft and translucent.

Add the rice, drained beans, coconut milk and thyme. Bring the pot to a simmer and cover and cook over low heat until most of the coconut milk has evaporated. It should take about 15-20 minutes and the mixture should be moist, but not watery.

Season with sea salt and pepper.

Brown Rice Porridge

 

Heres a recipe for a different way to spice up your regular oats in the morning – I know they don’t look much different, but they have a different, but delicious texture!

Makes 2 servings:
1 cup cooked brown rice (I used leftovers)
1 cup water
2 T rolled oats (uncooked)
1 whole banana (or 1/2 of one)
Some cinnamon

Heat these ingredients on high until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 7-8 minutes. The porridge will thicken up like regular ol’ oats. I sprinkled flax and had a spoonful of pb on top. This makes two servings so I just eyed it and put about half in the fridge for later or tomorrow.

Raw Broccoli Raisin Salad

 

Serves 4-6
The cashew dressing is creamy, nutty and delicious and makes this broccoli salad one of the best I’ve ever had! This recipe isn’t 100% raw because it does have dijon mustard. If you’re following a raw diet, you can tweak the recipe to your needs.
Ingredients

• 6 cups broccoli (two small to medium sized crowns), chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• Cashew dressing (recipe below)

Preparation

1. Mix together broccoli, raisins, red onion, raisins, and sunflower seeds.
2. Top with dressing and combine until all ingredients are covered.

Cashew Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 1- 2 hours
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon agave (or other liquid sweetener like maple syrup)
• 1 Tablespoon shallot, chopped (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender or processor until completely smooth.

http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/03/raw-broccoli-raisin-salad/

Baked Banana Oatmeal Cups

 

These baked oatmeal cups are just like oatmeal in the sense that you can add different mix-ins. I used bananas, raisins and walnuts but I’m sure they would be amazing with different fruits, nuts or even chocolate chips. This recipe is dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free by making sure all your ingredients are certified gluten-free.
Ingredients

• 2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup egg whites
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, in liquid form
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• 6 drops liquid stevia OR 1packet of powdered stevia OR 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 medium bananas, mashed
• 2 cups Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup walnuts OR almonds OR other nut
• 1/2-3/4 cup raisins

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray one 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.
2. In a bowl, mix oats, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. In another large bowl, mix egg whites, vanilla, coconut oil, stevia and mashed bananas until combined. Dump dry ingredients into wet ingredients; mix well. Pour in almond milk and stir until combined.
4. Gently stir in walnuts and raisins.
5. Scoop mixture evenly into muffin cups.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until the center of each baked oatmeal cup is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

You can store any extras in the fridge or freezer and reheat them in the microwave when you want to eat them. If you are freezing them, I would take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge the night before to thaw, then microwave for a few seconds before eating in the morning.
This recipe was developed for Almond Breeze and is now featured on the recipe section of their website!

Avocado, orange and mixed green salads

With its creamy texture and mild, yet fragrant aroma, the avocado is perhaps my favorite aphrodisiac food. The provocative shape explains why some call it the testicle tree. It is a versatile fruit, excellent on its own, on sandwiches, even in smoothies. In this recipe, the avocado shares the stage with another arousing fruit, the orange in a mixed green salad with poppy seed dressing.

Prep time: 15 min
Equipment: Paring knife, 1 bowl, cutting board
Serving Size: 2

2 c mixed greens (your favorite)
1/2 avocado
1 small orange (cara cara or blood orange recommended)
1 small red onion

Poppy seed Dressing
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 t poppy seeds
Pinch of salt

Slice avocado in thin long slices. Peel orange and slice into rounds. Slice the onion in thin rings, cut rings in half. In a salad bowl mix greens, avocado and orange. Sprinkle in a few rings of onion – to your taste.
Combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, poppy seed and salt, drizzle over salad. Plate and serve.

Seaweed Wraps

This recipe satisfies the palette’s taste of sweet, salty and umami. It’s fresh, raw and full of flavor.
I prep the night before so the vegetables are tender and well seasoned. It takes just moments to assemble before you’re out the door. Alternatively, take the ingredients with you and make them during your lunch hour. This recipe is surprisingly filling and is very high in vitamin A and C. It also pairs nicely with a bowl of soup or a serving of beans and rice.
Prep time: 15 min (active) overnight (inactive)
Make time: 10 min
Equipment: Knife, bowl, measuring spoon, sushi mat (optional)
Serving size: 2-3
Wrap:
4-6 sheets nori
¼ c shredded cabbage
¼ c grated zucchini
¼ c grated carrots
¼ c grated beets
½ c sprouts
½ sliced avocado
4-6 lengthwise slices cucumber
Marinade:
1 T apple cider vinegar (raw)
1 T tamari
1 T extra virgin olive oil
Rinse and prepare cabbage, zucchini, carrots and beets. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over vegetables. Toss to equally distribute. Refrigerate overnight.

Place nori sheet on a plate or sushi mat, start by layering sprouts about an inch from the edge of the sheet. Add marinated vegetables, leaving the liquid in the bowl. Continue the layering with a long slice of cucumber and a few thin slices of avocado. Carefully wrap the nori up and around the ingredients until it is a roll (think thick cigars), use a little of the marinade or warm water on your finger tips to wet the outside edge of the nori and seal the roll. Slice in 2” pieces and enjoy.

http://carolefrenche.com/2011/03/seaweed-wraps-vegetables/ 

Avocado Smoothie

For a healthy, creamy refreshing wake up...try an avocado smoothie!

This smoothie consists of:

1/2 Avocado

1/2 banana

Half an orange or fresh 100% orange juice

Ice

Make your own Coconut Butter

• Shredded, unsweetened coconut
• Oh wait, there aren’t any other ingredients!

I took a bag of shredded coconut (Let’s Do Organic brand) and simply blended it in my Vita-Mix for about 2-3 minutes. (Note: If you use a food processor, blend for 10-ish minutes.) That’s all there is to it!
While you’re at it, why not also make your own Homemade Cacao Bliss?
Side note: Depending on where you live–and the temperature/altitude–you might have trouble with this recipe. It works perfectly for me (and many of the commenters). But coconut butter is very tempermental and reacts oddly in different temperatures. My wish is that this would work for everyone, but a few people have left comments saying they’ve encountered trouble. So please know before trying that there’s a chance this recipe might not work for you.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Makes 1 huge serving)

• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• scant 1/16 tsp salt (don’t omit)
• sweetener (such as 1 stevia packet or 1tbsp sugar)
• 1 cup milk of choice (I used Silk unsweetened almondmilk. See directions below for other types that work.)
• 1-2 tbsp chocolate chips (or a big piece of your favorite chocolate bar), plus a few to mix in–post-blending–if desired
• 3 drops pure peppermint extract
• optional: I like to add 1 tsp cocoa powder (I also added a little green food coloring for the photo shoot. But when I make this to eat, I leave it out.)

Mix the ingredients together in 1 or 2 shallow plastic containers. Freeze. (You could also use an ice cube tray.) Once frozen, pop the blocks out of the container (I thaw for 30 seconds in the microwave first) and blend in your Vita-Mix. (If you don’t have a vita-mix, you’ll probably have to thaw longer, but you can still get a yummy ice milk. Or try this in your ice-cream maker.) Feel free to add more chocolate chips, post-blending. But be sure to add the 1-2 tbsp before blending!
Calories and Nutrition Info
This ice cream—when made with almond milk—has a very light texture (perfect for summer). For a creamier texture that’s more like real ice cream, try using at least 1/2 c canned coconut milk (or maybe even non-dairy creamer?). You can, of course, also sub other non-dairy milks for the almond. But if you do this, play around with the amount of vanilla extract, sweetener, and add-ins. (For example, an already-sweetened milk will probably need less added sweetener.) To make it look like real ice cream, scoop out with an ice-cream scoop.

Serving suggestion: Serve with a side of fresh mint. And…

Accompany it with this recipe: Mint Chocolate Milkshake.

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/07/06/mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream/

Raw Thin Mint Brownies

• 1 cup walnuts (120g)
• 1 and 1/3 cups pitted dates (230 grams) (I highly recommend Sunmaid, because they’re softer.) 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• A few drops pure peppermint extract (depending on how minty you want them… Start with less; you can always add more.)
• Optional: for even more chocolate flavor, add chocolate chips. Or add cacao nibs.
• Optional: tiny dash of salt (I always add this and recommend it.)

Directions: Combine  all ingredients, using a food processor. (No need to blend the dates first; I just blend everything all at once. But if you use a Magic Bullet, you might want to do it in batches. I’ve not tried this in a regular blender and therefore can’t vouch for it.)Form into brownies or balls or bars… or even cookie-cuttered shapes!
(I don’t have specific nutritional info for this recipe, but the nutrition stats are probably pretty similar to a Larabar.)
You know what would go well with raw thin-mint brownies?







 


http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/03/10/thin-mint-brownies/