Mexican Chickpea Wrap

I get bored very easily. As much as I love a good salad, I can only eat so many before I never want to see another salad again. I feel the same way about chicken and beef. I'm also an extremely busy woman. I'm a student, I work, and I also try to make time for my significant other, my family, and friends. Therefore, I don't have time to sit and really think about what I'm gonna make behold my quick, easy, and HEALTHY Mexican Chickpea Wrap!

So here's what you'll need:
- Gluten free wraps
- 1/4 cup Organic Chickpeas
- 1 Tbsp of Taco Seasoning
- Organic Salsa
- Pepper Jack Cheese
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Jalapenos

Directions:

1. Toss chickpeas in taco seasoning and salsa. Microwave for 3 minutes until warm.

2. Put chickpeas, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapenos in wrap and roll it up.

DONE! It's that easy and quick!

Enjoy,

Giuliana

Zucchini Hash Browns

If you love hash browns you'll love these Zucchini ones! It's a great healthy switch up from the normal potato. Enjoy! 

Instructions:

• Shredded zucchini 

• 1 egg lightly beaten 

• Sharp cheddar cheese 

• Panko bread crumbs 

• Dried basil 

• Salt 

• Garlic powder 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 425 

2.) Coat pan with coconut oil. You can dip a paper towel in the oil and spread it onto the pan

3.) Wring out shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel

4.) Mix together all ingredients 

5.) And make your new and improved zucchini hash browns 

6.) Bake for about 18 mins or until golden brown 

"Nooch" Sauce

  Cheese. Ahh just the word makes me happy inside. To say it's one of my favorite foods is an understatement, if I could eat it for every meal I would! A few weeks ago I started to notice a lot of texture on my skin. I'm someone who hardly gets a pimple so to suddenly have all this texture it was hard not to notice. Ask any nutritionist and they will tell you to cut out gluten and dairy when you see a change in your skin and see if that makes any difference. The "dairy-free" part of the deal almost killed me. After talking to my sister and several others who are either vegan or doing the non dairy thing they told me that dairy free cheese sauce was "so good" and "tastes just like cheese". My reply was I thought they were liars. How could anything be as delicious as cheesy nachos? Or as comforting as creamy mac and cheese?
   After a few convincing arguments (mostly from my sister) and some in depth Pinterest searches I finally decided to give it a try. SURPRISE! A concoction that tastes almost exactly like the delicious and creamy cheese sauce that I've loved for a very long time. With only a few new ingredients I was able to create a sauce that tastes just like cheese. No squash, No cauliflower, no nuts.
  The secret? Nutritional Yeast. You may be wondering, "What the heck is nutritional yeast?" It is an inactive yeast made from sugarcane and beetroot. This savory powder has a flavor that emulates cheese. It's low in sodium, fat, and is gluten free. It is also a great source of vitamin B6 and B12. So now that you know the benefits give this recipe a try and let me know if you think it's as good as your typical cheese sauce.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of EarthBalance Vegan, Soy Free Butter
1/3 Cup of Gluten Free Flour
1/3 Cup of Nutritional Yeast
1/2 Cup of Water
Pinch of Garlic Powder
Ground Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon of Mustard Powder
Chives

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan add in flour to create a rue. Whisk together. Add in water and simmer until it becomes thick.

2. Add in the nutritional yeast, mustard powder, and garlic powder. Add in salt and pepper to taste.

3. Garnish with chives. Serve with chips or over gluten free noodles

4. Enjoy!

As you can see this recipe is super easy and quick. Makes for a great weeknight meal and can go with absolutely everything from pasta to tacos!

-Giuliana

Quinoa Burrito Bowls

If you're like me tacos are a very important food group and Chipotle is likely one of your favorite restaurants. I love Chipotle but I almost feel bad going to eat there when you can make your own healthy alternatives at home, so I give you my Quinoa Burrito Bowl. This meal is so versatile, it can be made meat and dairy free, thrown in a wrap for a burrito, or tossed on lettuce for a salad.

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup of quinoa; cooked
- 1/2 cup of black beans
- 2 Tbsp of taco seasoning
- 2 Tbsp of salsa
- 1 Tbsp of olive oil
- 1/4 cup of peppers and onions
- Taco toppings( I chose lettuce, jalapenos, cheese, tomatoes, avocado)
- Garnish with a squirt of lime and cilantro

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to directions. Microwave black beans with taco seasoning. Combine the black beans and quinoa.

2. Add salsa and stir. Sauté peppers and onions over medium heat in olive oil until fragrant and cooked down about 3-5 min.

3. Top mixture with your favorite toppings and peppers and onions.


As you can see this recipe is super versatile. You can add any toppings of your choice. Feel free to add chicken, steak or ground beef instead of black beans or in addition to them. The quinoa adds extra protein to this meal making it super filling. Enjoy a Chipotle-like meal in the comfort of your own home!

-Giuliana

Organic Popsicles

With summer coming to an end we have an excellent way to keep the summer alive! What’s better than an ice cold Popsicle on a hot summer day? Not many things. However, many of the popsicles that we buy at the grocery store are loaded with artificial sweeteners, coloring, and preservatives. Even the ones that claim to be made of 100% real fruit are comprised of mostly sugar. There’s no reason to buy these sugary treats when Popsicles are the easiest treat to make at home. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients

·      A bag of frozen organic mixed berries(fresh works too!)

·      1 small banana

·      ½ cup of water

·      Popsicle sticks

·      Small paper cups

Blend the berries, water, and banana.

Pour into paper cups and place stick in center

Freeze for 2 hours

Enjoy!

This batch came out a little tart for my taste because my berries weren’t the sweetest and the banana wasn’t that ripe. Next time I think I would add either a touch of organic raw honey or a riper banana. The fruit in this recipe could always be substituted with whatever is in season or your favorite. I do always recommend using organic fruit. Who needs those sugary icy treats when you can make these delicious ones right at home.

-Giuliana