Quinoa Lasagna with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

I was really hesitant how this would turn out, but it was amazing. Completely enjoyed this. My kids wouldn't try it, but next time they will...I know it! David and I ate this with lots of salad and grilled asparagus.

The picture above is from the website: www.danielschallenge.com. It was posted by a guest chef from the Healthy Seekers Kitchen.

Click HERE for the recipe.

I followed it exactly. The pumpkin seed pesto was my favorite. Make sure you use a speghettis sauce you really love. Enjoy!

Vitamineral Green

If you haven't heard of this stuff before, it is amazing! It is concentrated green super foods! This is my key to get through the winter without getting sick. I even have one out of my three children who will take it now. For my older daughter, I will be making capsules for her, because she can swallow pills.

I have even talked with a lady I know that lived solely off of this for two weeks and she did it! For food storage purposes, she has now added this to her storage supply and feels that if we are in an extreme situation without fresh foods, this will give your body all the greens it needs to stay healthy and thrive!

From the bottle itself:

100% actual food
100% super food
Gluten-free
Yeast free
100% focused: not diluted with grains, beans, seeds, fibers, fruits, fillers

100% pure raw vegan
massive probiotics
glass bottle and oxygen absorber preserves nutrients, enzymes and probiotics

This one 5.3 oz bottle contains:
from the land:
nettle leaf, shavegrass, alfalfa leaf juice, dandelion leaf juice, barley grass juice, oat grass juice, barley grass, wheat grass, American basil, holy basil, morinca lead, yacon leaf, nopal cactus, chickweed, ginger root, broccoli juice, kale juice, spinach juice, parsley juice, carob pod and amla berry.

from the waters:
spirulina and chlorella.

from the oceans:
iceland kelp, dulse, nori, alaria, bladderwrack.

enzymes:
protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, bromelain, papain, alpha-galactosidase.

probiotics: 10 million per 2 tablespoons


This is not the best taking stuff, so if you can't handle it with water, mix it in a little of your smoothie and chug it, or put it in capsules, using a capsulator.

I started with a teaspoon and am now up to a tablespoon. For the winter, I will consume this and my apple cider vinegar concoction (found here).

Easy Snack

If you are tired of eating salad, try rolling it up like tacos. I left one open so you can see what is in it. I like to use butter lettuce, because it rolls nicely and isn't too crunchy. To my lettuce tacos, I add:
alfalfa sprouts
red pepper, thinly sliced
cucumber wedges
broccoli slaw (in a bag by the coleslaw)
avocado slices

I like to dip these in a raw ranch dressing from www.danielschallenge.com. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 C. raw cashews (one review said you could cut the nut amount in half...so I will try that next time)
3/4 C. - 1 C. water, depending on thickness of dressing
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. sea salt
1 t. dried basil
1 t. dried dill
2 T. chia seeds (optional)

Put all in your blender and blend on high until smooth. Refrigerate before serving. Perfect for dipping!

Sprouted Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

This is my favorite "whole foods" dessert I have ever made. Don't be intimidated by the instructions. It really was easy and the final product was well worth it. Don't get me wrong, this is not your CINNABON roll or a cinnamon roll you would buy loaded with sugary white frosting. This is a dense roll, slightly sweet and very filling and satisfying. My friend Jen made these the other day and we ate one after a long run. I find this the perfect thing to eat after a long workout...full of good carbs, fats and some protein.

A recap on sprouting. If you are new to my blog, or new to the whole foods world in general, you might be wondering, what the heck is sprouting? Basically you are taking a dormant food and bringing it back to a live food. I sprout grains, quinoa, seeds, nuts and legumes. There is a significant increase in protein, vitamins, enzymes, fiber and it becomes more absorbable.

So...with that said...here is what to do for this recipe. I sprouted spelt, but you can use wheat (preferably white wheat.) Take 4 cups of wheat and soak it in a bowl with filtered water overnight.

In the morning, pour grain into a colander and rinse. Cover grain with a damp clean towel and rinse several times throughout the day. By the next day, you should see tiny white ends on the grain...your sprout. When you see this, you are ready to use them in this recipe:

Flourless Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from Diet Rebels Cookbook:

Rolls:

6 cups sprouted, moist white wheat, spelt or kamut
2 T. raw honey
1/2 t. sea salt
2 t. baking soda

Filling:

1/4 C. good quality butter melted (for vegan rolls, use earth balance) (I used some coconut oil instead)
2 T. raw honey
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 C. raisin
1/4 C. chopped raw almonds
1/4 C. chopped raw pecans

Topping:

1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. coconut oil
3 T. raw honey
1 packet stevia
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla

Directions:

1. Blend wheat sprouts in a food processor until they form a ball of dough

2. Add honey, salt, and baking soda and mix well.

3. Roll dough in a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Make sure to have an oiled surface or dough will stick

4. Mix butter and honey and cinnamon and spread out over rolls. Sprinkle raisins and nuts

5. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4 inch thick wedges and lay in greased 13x9 or jelly roll pan.

6. Bake at 350 for no more than 20 minutes. I think mine were about 14 minutes.

While making, mix together topping ingredients with a hand mixer. Top rolls while hot.

This is the perfect treat, when you want something sweet, or just to eat because you had an awesome day or because you love yourself so much, you want to indulge on some awesome whole-food goodness!

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

The other morning, while I was riding my bike in the basement (its getting too cold to ride outside), I turned on Rachel Ray and she was at the end of her show making this beautiful squash soup that I had to try. Here it is. I made it pretty much to the recipe. Enjoy! Perfect for a chilly fall day!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper

3 T. butter (can use earth balance if you don't eat dairy)

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T. each lemon and orange zest

2 pinches saffron threads

1 T. honey

1 quart water or chicken stock

toasted chopped pistachio nuts, for garnish

toasted pumpkin seeds

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees

2. Dress squash with olive oil (I used a tiny bit) to coat lightly and season with salt, pepper, and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Toast to golden edges and very tender, about 25 minutes.

3. In a soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onions, garlic, citrus zest, salt and pepper. Cook to soften vegetables...about 10 minutes. Add saffron, stock, and a drizzle of honey. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer to soften vegetables, 20 minutes.

4. Puree with an immersion blender (I used my vitamix). Add roasted squash and blend to combine, thinning with extra water to the consistency you want.

Top with toasted pistachios and pumpkin seeds!