Delish Pesto Zucchini Spinach Salad

This one was a hit with the ladies this past weekend on our Oregon Coast getaway! This salad is incredibly flavorful and filling enough to be served as a main dish. Everyone who tried it had a second serving. I even caught some of the ladies dipping their chips in the leftovers! Love that. 

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchinis-grated

1 whole red bell pepper-chopped

1 whole orange bell pepper-chopped

1 cup fresh corn

1/4c. sweet onion-chopped

1 clove garlic-minced

1 large avocado-sliced

2 tbsp pesto-(store bought or hand made)

4 cups baby spinach (I prefer to chop the leaves into bite-size pieces)

2 tsp balsamic vinegar 

Ground Pepper to season

How to:

Add Zucchini, bell pepper, onion, garlic, corn and pesto together in a large bowl and mix well. 

Lay the spinach on the bottom of the large salad bowl, sprinkle the leaves with the balsamic vinegar, and lightly pepper. 

Top the spinach with the pesto mix and sliced avocado. Dish out and ENJOY!!!

Makes 6-8 servings. 

Healthy bonuses:

*Bell Peppers are very high in Vitamin C. One whole medium pepper has 250% RDA!

*Avocados are a great source of "healthy fats." High in Omega-6's (If you are like    me, and love eating avocados on a daily basis, it is good to balance with foods high in Omega-3's, like ground flax and chia seeds.

*Spinach is my "lettuce." I always substitute spinach for regular lettuce in my salads to increase the nutrient value of my dishes. Plus, it just tastes better! 

A Savory treat and a Sweet!! VEGAN.

Kale Tempeh Veggie Stir Fry

What you need:

2 Cups chopped organic Kale

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped sweet onions

1 clove garlic chopped

2 cups cubed tempeh

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large avocado for garnishing

2 tablespoons shelled hemp seeds

1/4 cup Annie's Sesame Ginger salad dressing

How to:

 Chop, slice, and cube ingredients and have ready to add to the pan. Heat cast iron pan to medium heat. Add olive oil, onions and carrots to pan, sauté until the onions are golden brown. Aprox. 5 min. Add tempeh, sauté with onions and carrots until sides are golden brown. Aprox. 3-5 min. (You may want to turn heat lower than medium so as not to burn tempeh, better slow cooked than burnt.) Turn heat off, add Kale and 1/4 cup of dressing, let simmer for 2-3 minutes. You want the Kale only slightly heated so as to soften the texture, but not too cooked so it gets soggy. Sprinkle hemp seeds over stir fry, and add sliced avocado.
This will make 2-4 servings, depending on how hungry you are!

Healthy bonuses:
*Shelled Hemp Seeds contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids that our bodies need-making them a "complete protein."
*Tempeh is a great source of protein.
*Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, Lutein, and reasonably high in calcium.

Banana Mango Peanut Butter Muffin Drops

What you need:

1 large banana

1 ataulfo mango

1 cup organic oats

1/4 cup organic peanut butter

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of cinnamon

How to:

Peel and cube mango, add sliced banana to a mixing bowl. Mix together with peanut butter, hemp seeds, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. 

Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup, scoop drops of mixture onto parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min. Check muffin drops at 15 min. 

Serve warm with your  favorite tea for a delish vegan healthy treat! 

These make a wonderful breakfast or mid day snack. 

Thanks for reading!! Happy healthy eating! 

Namaste,

Lisa

Health "NUT!!" - Insane not to be one.

My "rants and raves" about healthy eating, excercise, and balanced living has put me into somewhat of an extremist status with my friends and aquaintences. I have found it interesting and somewhat sad to think that because I strive towards a healthy lifestyle using diet and nutrition, I am in the minority of our population. Diet related diseases are among the top killers in this country. Heart Disease, stroke, and diabetes are a few among many PREVENTABLE diseases plaguing this country. 


People will look at my organic steel cut oatmeal with sprouted almonds, hemp seeds, cinnamon, agave syrup, and bananas, and say, "EWE, what is that?!" 
Or when I am enjoying a fresh organic everything salad, with nutritional yeast, (which happens to be a savory vegetarian source of vitamin B12, and amino acids...), edamame, and quinoa, I will often hear, "where's the meat?", or "enjoying your rabbit food?"


I am considered weird that I don't think of a bagel and cream cheese as a meal option. I am called a hippy because I buy and cook grains OTHER than wheat and rice. I have been refereed to as obsessive because I actually read the labels on food items, I am called a health NUT, implying a bit of insanity because I have made a decision to give my body WHAT IT ACTUALLY NEEDS and thrives on.......


*Amino Acids - (from whole foods and "live" sources)
*Nutrients - macro/micro

*Protein - (not from GMO grain fed animals, or from animals at all)

*Carbohydrates - mostly from complex sources

SIMPLE. Not weird, extreme, bizzare, nutty, etc. 

I won't go into our societal influences on eating, the crooked FDA, and it's government ties to aggricultural subsidies, but  I will say it is not easy to nourish the body sufficiently in todays world. It takes dedication, education, local resources,  and a inner drive to obtain a healthy lifestyle in order to make it happen. When fast food meals cost less than a bag of organic apples, I can understand the delima families face when attempting to feed the entire table. However I think it is also important to understand that what we are consuming when we eat fast food is actually doing more damage to the body than good. 


As a nation we are spending BILLIONS, yes BILLIONS on treatment for preventable diseases and health ailments that could easily be avoided by diet and physical activity alone.(*)


CANCER = 172 bil.
CORONY HEART DISEASE = 130 bil.
OBESITY = 117 bil.
DIABETES = 132 bil.
STROKE = 51 bil.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE = 50 bil.
OSTEOPOROSIS = 17 bil.


*(From the Center for Disease and Control website)


Below I have included some links to films and resource pages that I found to be particularly helpful and also inspiring to continue on the path of healthy living, and promoting health and wellness. 






http://www.cdc.gov/


http://www.forksoverknives.com/


http://www.takepart.com/foodinc

http://www.vegan.com




I am a strong advocate for fueling our bodies with whole organic foods. Finding a physical activity that feels good, is challenging and provides inspiration to keep doing it. If we feed ourselves well, our moods change, our energy levels rise, our sleep improves, and we will be more opt to make the healthy choice the next time. 


So after all is said and done, eat a good meal, get out and play, and inspire others to do the same!!