Tag: clean eating

Zaatar Parmesan Tahini Eggplant Boats

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This is a beautiful and elegant meal, which did not take long to prepare. It’s also can double as an appetizer if you use baby eggplants (cooking time would change). .
1 large eggplant, sliced in half 
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp zaatar 
2 tbsp Parmesan (plus some more later)
1 zucchini .
1/2 cup each ricotta and goat cheese 
1 cup canned chickpeas 
2 sundried tomatoes, chopped 
Handful marinated olives, sliced 
A few fresh basil leaves 
Freshly grated Parmesan .
Tahini, silan and sesame seeds to garnish
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Preheat oven to 425°F. 
On each eggplant half, score almost all the way through and them scoop out insides (leaving about 1/4 inch of insides). Chop eggplant into small cubes. 
Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch coins. 
Mix together oil, zaatar and parmesan. Brush some mixture onto eggplant boats, and coat eggplant cubes and zucchini rounds. 
Place eggplant skin side down on 1 baking sheet, with cubed eggplant next to it, spread out in a single layer. 
Spread zucchini on a separate sheet in a single layer (unless you have space for a single layer on the first sheet). Bake for about 10 minutes. Then broil each sheet separately for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully because each oven is different – they should easily pierce with a fork and maybe get a bit crispy but don’t let them burn! .
Mix together eggplant cubes, zucchini, cheeses, sundried tomatoes, olives, chickpeas and basil. I think roasted cauliflower would have also been delicious in here. .
Drizzle on tahini, silan and sprinkle on some sesame seeds

Pick your toppings – Quesadilla tortilla or Quesadilla bowl

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There are so many variations to this recipe. Here’s what I did but scroll down for more ideas. .
Preheat oven to 400°F. 
On a sheet pan, spread out 1 cubed sweet potato (tiny pieces), 1 head of cauliflower cut in small florets and 1 can drained chickpeas. Mix taco seasoning and some extra virgin olive oil to form a paste. Spread on vegetable mixture. Roast for about 30-40 minutes. .
In the meantime, prepare your salsa and toppings. Also, prepare 1 cup of quinoa according to package directions, if you’re making the bowls. .
Salsa (enough for 2-3 portions):
1 tbsp pickled jalapeños 
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes 
1/4 cup chopped physalis/golden berries 
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint or cilantro 
Juice of 1 lime 
1 tsp olive oil 
Salt and pepper .
Toppings (in addition to vegetables roasting in the oven):
Tomatoes
Cabbage 
Olives 
Spinach 
Black beans 
Chopped peppers 
Cheese
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Now you choose:
For a regular quesadilla: spread grated mozzarella cheese on your tortilla and cover half of tortilla with desired toppings. Pan fry on both sides until nicely browned and cheese is melted. You can top with salsa or sour cream. 
For a quesadilla bowl, add quinoa to bowl and add desired toppings. Top with lots of salsa, which doubles as a dressing. .
In addition to toppings listed, you can use avocado, mango, lentils, corn kernels, vegan sausages, vegan meat etc. You can also use avocado and mango in your salsa (and omit the golden berries if you don’t have) – you can even use a store bought salsa.

Homemade Almond Pecan Butter

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Why make homemade nut butter when you can just buy it in the store? 
A – it’s sooo much yummier 
B – you know what you’re putting into it 
C – you can add whatever flavors you’d like. .
Don’t get me wrong, I buy nut butters in store frequently. But here’s a ridiculously easy recipe if you want to try!
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1 cup almonds
1 cup pecans 
1 tbsp coconut (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp sea salt .
Preheat oven to 350°. Roast nuts on baking sheet for about 10 minutes – DO NOT LET THEM BURN (so watch carefully). They should be a deeper brown and be crackling a bit when you remove from the oven. 
Once cooled, blend in food processor. I used my regular kitchen aid- make sure to use a spatula to push down the crushed nuts on the sides. At this point add remaining ingredients. Process until nice and smooth. 
Enjoy! This was delicious topped with blueberries as pictured.

Eggplant Roll Ups with Sweet Tahini Sauce

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1 large eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch lengthwise
Olive oil to brush on 
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped, fresh basil 
1-2 tbsp chopped, fresh mint 
1/4-1/2 cup chopped, marinated olives .
Sauce:
1 tbsp silan
1 tbsp tahini 
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped 
Any leftover cheese mixture 
Water to thin .
Garnish 
Sesame seeds 
Mint .
Preheat oven to 400°F. 
Coat eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Brush off salt. 
Place eggplant slices on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. 
Bake for about 7 minutes per side, until a fork goes in very easily. .
In the meantime, mix together ricotta cheese, goat cheese, basil, mint, olives and freshly ground pepper. .
Spread a heaping spoon of mixture into each eggplant slice and roll up gently. Place in a greased baking pan. 
Bake covered for 5-10 minutes. .
Prepare sauce: mix together silan, tahini, mint, any leftover cheese mixture. Slowly mix in water to thin. For Passover, you can just drizzle silan over the eggplant instead.
Serve eggplant topped with tahini sauce and garnish with sesame seeds and fresh mint.

Protein Packed Clean and Healthy Brownies

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Ingredients:
1 cup black beans
1 cup cubed avocado (not mashed, I used frozen and gave it some time to thaw)
3 eggs
2 tbsp nut butter (I used cashew butter)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cup oatmeal
5 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla 
1/2-2/3 cup mini chocolate chips . 

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor. Once mixture is smooth and well combined, pour in chocolate chips and pulse a few times. .
Bake in 9×9 square pan at 350° for about 20 minutes. .
Enjoy!!

My Everything Salad

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This salad is all about variety and what you have on hand – it’s so easy to swap ingredients. The key is this incredible salad dressing that brings it to the next level.
Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp @heavenandearthfoods beet juice
2 tbsp silan (date syrup)
2 tbsp zaatar
1-2 cloves garlic
Freshly ground pepper and salt
Salad (sorry, no specific amounts)
Spinach (or kale)
Quinoa
Green cabbage
Roasted squash (or sweet potato)
Mango
Beets
Avocado
Craisins
Blueberries
Candied pecans (or pumpkin seeds)
Chopped fresh mint
Goat cheese (optional)

Chocolate Almond Ganache Tart

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Inspired by 2 recipes from @ohsheglows every day (Meyer lemon cheesecake and peanut butter lover’s chocolate tart)

Crust:
1.5 cups pecans 
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut 
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates 
1 tbsp melted coconut oil 
Pinch of sea salt 
1 tsp water 
Filling:
1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled for 24 hours 
1 cup chocolate chips 
1/3 cup silan 
1/3 cup almond butter 
Pinch of sea salt 
Topping:
Crushed candied pecans
Slivered almonds
Melted chocolate (method to pipe it below)

For the crust:
In a processor, pulse pecans. Then process with remaining crust ingredients until mixture comes together. Spoon crust into a greased 9” spring form pan. Press down evenly in pan. 
For the filling:
Open can of coconut milk and scoop out solid cream and place in medium saucepan. Remove 1/3 cup of water and discard, add remaining to the pot. Add chocolate chips. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture melts. Mix in remaining ingredients until smooth. 
Pour filling mixture over crust and transfer dish to the freezer. 
For topping, place some chocolate chips in ziploc bag and put bag in boiling water, until chocolate melts. Make a small hole in the corner of the bag and pipe onto pie. You can then top with candied nuts and slivered almonds. 

Mixed Herb Chicken with Olives and Sumac

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Ingredients:
1 chicken, divided into 4 or you can use just breasts or legs 
2 lemons – zest of 1, juice of both
2 cups packed chopped fresh herbs – I used a combination of mint, parsley, basil, rosemary and tarragon 
8 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp sumac
1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
Freshly ground pepper 
Silan (date syrup) for drizzling 

Directions:
In a bowl, mix lemon zest and juice, fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, sumac, pepper and kalamata olives. Reserve a few tbsp of mixture for garnish (alternatively just sprinkle on a few fresh herbs once cooked). Spread the remaining herb mixture all over the chicken pieces, including under the skin. Throw remaining squeezed lemons into the pan. Let marinate for 1-8 hours. 
Bake at 400° for about 40 minutes – check your chicken because every oven is different. You can broil for 2 minutes at the end to get a the chicken nicely browned. 
Drizzle on silan before serving and garnish with remaining her mixture. 

Passover-friendly 6 layer bars, adapted from @minimalistbaker(vegan 7 layer bars)

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Ingredients:
1 cup @pereggourmet quinoa flakes 
1 3/4 cup pecans, divided
Pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp silan (date syrup)
2 medjool dates 
3 tbsp melted coconut oil 
2/3 cup almond butter 
2/3 cup chocolate chips 
1 cup date spread mixed with 2 tbsp or of warm water (to thin) and a pinch of sea salt 
2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes, processed at high speed to create “coconut butter” – I wasn’t patient enough 🙈

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F
In a processor, mix oats, 1 cup pecans and sea salt to form a fine meal. Add silan, dates and coconut oil and pulse until it sticks together nicely. Press into the bottom of a parchment-lined square (8×8) pan. Bake for 12 minutes. 
Start layering – crust then date spread then pecans, almond butter, coconut and chocolate chips. 
Bake for an additional 12 minutes. 
Allow to cool and cut into squares. 
Alternatively to putting chocolate chips on prior to baking, you can melt chocolate chips and drizzle melted chocolate on after cut into squares. 

Zucchini Crusted Pizza

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Ingredients:
3 zucchini, grated
2 eggs
1 cup grated cheese
1 tsp garlic powder 
1/2 cup almond flour 
Salt and pepper 
Preheat oven to 450°F. 

Directions:
Place grated zucchini on kitchen towel, fold up towel and squeeze out liquid over the sink to drain as much liquid as possible. 
Mix zucchini and remaining ingredients. Spread mixture thinly in a circle on a pizza pan or cookie sheet (I was able to get 1-12” and 1-8” pizza). Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until edges are browned and pizza crust lifts easily and without falling apart. 
I topped 1 pizza with marinara and grated cheese; and the second pizza with marinara, grated cheese, goat cheese, sliced green olives and sliced sundried tomatoes. 
Bake at 450° for another 10-15 minutes. 
To take this to the next level, you can add some basil or oregano on top