All tagged Avocado Oil

Grilled Cinnamon Pineapple with Toasted Coconut and Vanilla Cinnamon Yogurt

Grilled Cinnamon Pineapple with Toasted Coconut and Vanilla Cinnamon Yogurt

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Grilled Cinnamon Pineapple with Toasted Coconut and Vanilla Cinnamon Yogurt is a fun twist on eating your fruit and yogurt for breakfast! The pineapple sugars caramelize on the grill, which adds a subtle smoky flavor to the dish. Juicy pineapple, sweet cinnamon, rich toasted coconut, creamy yogurt- it all comes together in only 15 minutes! Grilled Cinnamon Pineapple with Toasted Coconut and Vanilla Cinnamon Yogurt is perfect for a quick and easy (and nutritious) dessert, too. A pineapple’s antioxidants are “bound,” which means they last longer in the body and survive harsher conditions in the body…which means that their positive anti-inflammatory effects last longer in the body!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Rice with Capers (Vegan, GF)

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Rice with Capers (Vegan, GF)

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Rice with Capers (Vegan, GF) is a flavor powerhouse, and could not be easier to make! Simply roast the peppers and tomatoes, toast and cook the brown rice with garlic, garnish with capers and spring onions and voila! Dinner (or the perfect side dish) is served 😊 This dish makes great leftovers and meal prep easy! It’s perfect for a quick lunch, since it can be enjoyed room temperature, cold, warm, or hot.

Creamy Mushroom Soup (Vegan, GF)

Creamy Mushroom Soup (Vegan, GF)

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Creamy Mushroom Soup tastes like pure comfort food but is loaded with veggies and has no cream or half-and-half!  It’s as easy as cooking onion, mushrooms, and potatoes in broth and blending until smooth with nondairy milk.  The chanterelle mushrooms from @MushroomMikeLLC add both elegance and a peppery, earthy flavor. 

Serves: 4-6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 tablespoon avocado oil

½ yellow onion, diced

Pinch of salt

28 oz. white mushrooms, diced

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup dry white wine

3 russet potatoes, diced

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk (I used Ripple)

10 chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons butter (vegan)

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional: Drizzle of olive oil

How (your directions):

Heat avocado oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. 

Add the diced yellow onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add diced mushrooms, salt, and dried thyme.  Sauté, stirring frequently, until liquid from mushrooms evaporates, about 5 minutes.

Add white wine and stir for 30 seconds.

Add potatoes and vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat vegan butter in a small pan over medium heat.  Add chanterelle mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Season with a pinch of salt.   

Turn the stove heat off and stir in nondairy milk into the soup.  Using an immersion blender or high-speed blender, blend the mushroom soup until smooth.

Serve soup with freshly ground pepper and a spoonful of chanterelle mushrooms on top.  Drizzle with good olive oil and enjoy hot!

Why (the science):  Fiber-rich potatoes and nondairy milk add a plant-based creaminess to the soup without the need for heavy cream or half-and-half!  Mushrooms are prebiotics, which feed the healthy bacteria in your gut to help reduce inflammation and boost your immune system.

Acai Bowl with Vanilla Bean Granola |+Video|

Acai Bowl with Vanilla Bean Granola |+Video|

Chelsea Gloeckner

Acai bowls can be expensive, unless you make them at home!  This recipe is inspired by one of my favorites in Charlottesville, VA but costs significantly less.  The vanilla bean granola is special- slightly chewy, but rich in flavor from the vanilla bean and cashews.  This recipe makes a lot of granola, which stores beautifully in an airtight container for a week.  What are your favorite acai bowl toppings?

Serves: 1 acai bowl, 10 servings granola

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

What (your ingredients):

Vanilla Bean Granola:

3 cups rolled oats

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup cashews

pinch of pink Himalaya sea salt

½ vanilla bean

Acai Bowl:

Handful of spinach

1 frozen banana

2 handfuls frozen mango

½ cup plant-based milk

2 tablespoons hemp protein powder

1 scoop greens powder with probiotics

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

For the vanilla bean granola, add all ingredients to a large bowl and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour mixture onto lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove granola from oven and allow to cool.

For the acai bowl, place all ingredients in a highspeed blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into bowl and top with favorite toppings (frozen blueberries, coconut flakes, chia seeds) and the vanilla bean granola!

Why (the science):  Acai is a trending “superfood,” but for good reason.  Rich in antioxidants to reduce inflammation, acai also contains heart-healthy fats.

Wild Rice Casserole | + Video |

Wild Rice Casserole | + Video |

Chelsea Gloeckner

While Wild Rice Casserole can certainly be a scrumptious side to your holiday meals, it can shine as the main entrée for a Meatless Monday.  Wild rice contains protein and fiber on its own, but when combined with beans like the cannellini beans in this wild rice casserole, you are left with a complete protein!  That means this vegetarian casserole will keep you full for hours.  It makes a great leftover lunch the next day or two as well 😊

Why (the science):  Wild rice, which is actually not rice but rather a grain, contains twice as much protein and just as much fiber as brown rice! 

Shakshuka-Eggs Poached in a Tomato Stew

Shakshuka-Eggs Poached in a Tomato Stew

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Shakshuka is the fancy name for a one-skillet dish of eggs poached in a tomato stew or sauce.  While shakshuka originated in North Africa, it is now a breakfast favorite in Israel.  While you can certainly wow your friends and family at a weekend breakfast or brunch, I prefer to make it as an easy weeknight dinner.  Shakshuka is warm and comforting at the end of a workday 😊  Serve with crusty bread, or my favorite way, over brown rice with a drizzle of good olive oil!

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 tablespoon avocado oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, diced small

1 yellow squash, diced small

1 bell pepper, diced small

5-6 Roma tomatoes, diced small

1 head of kale, roughly chopped

 Salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

½ cup water

4 eggs

How (your directions):

In a medium cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent.

Add diced zucchini, squash, pepper, tomatoes, kale, and salt.  Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to brown slightly.

Add garlic and cumin and sauté for 1 minute.

Add tomato sauce and ½ cup water, then simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Using the back of a wooden spoon (or just a spoon or ladle), create four wells for the eggs.

Crack an egg carefully to keep the yolk intact and gently allow egg to slip into one of the wells.

Repeat for remaining three eggs.

Cover and allow to simmer until eggs are cooked to desired doneness (about 10 minutes).

Serve hot over brown rice with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkle of salt!

Why (the science):  You may know that tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is protective against prostate cancer, but did you know that the more processed the tomato is, the more lycopene there is?  Canned tomato sauce and tomato paste have a higher lycopene content than raw tomatoes!

Eat the Rainbow Bowl

Eat the Rainbow Bowl

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Isn’t there a tag line that goes something like taste the rainbow?  Well I say, don’t just taste the rainbow, but eat the rainbow!  This bowl could not be more colorful or more nutritious, so grab a big fork and dig in :)  Serves 4

 

Red Curry with Rice

Red Curry with Rice

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

My husband and I are huge Thai food fans and love going to Thai restaurants for a warming dinner.  But when I made Red Curry at home (my favorite Thai food), he praised it for being tastier than the curry at our favorite Thai restaurant!  And since Red Curry takes only 30 minutes to make, it’s faster than eating out.  Tastier, faster, cheaper, and healthier… that’s a win-win.  Makes great leftovers too!  Serves 6-8