Tomato Duxelle

1 plum tomato

3 small mushrooms (cremini or white) 

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Cut tomato in half and scoop out the center. Place in oven at 400 degrees. They should be baking for 30 minutes while you prepare the stuffing, and they will cook the last 15 minutes together (45 minute total) 

Mince the mushrooms, after removing the stems. Sauté in olive oil until golden brown. Add the breadcrumbs and stuff your tomatoes. 

Garnish with lemon if desired. 

Enjoy!

Peppers and Onions

2 small onions, sliced 

5 peppers, small

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Salt and pepper 

Place your peppers directly over your open flame. Make sure all sides are perfectly blackened before placing in a bowl covered in plastic wrap. 

Carmelize your onions, placing them in a pan with the olive oil. Keep your flame low. Low and slow is the correct way to carmelize onions - it should take around 30 minutes to properly brown your onions. 

Remove the skin from your peppers and cut into strips. Add to your onions and toss together until your flavors marry together. 

Enjoy! 

Health Smoothie

My sister was getting sick today so I made her this immune system boost! 

1 banana, sliced and frozen

1/3 cup blackberries, frozen 

1/4 cup raspberries, frozen 

4 large strawberries 

1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt 

1 tablespoon raw honey 

1 grapefruit, juiced 

Blend until smooth. Berries are full of antioxidants and nutrients to boost your immunity. Honey is soothing to sore throats! Greek yogurt is full of probiotics to help your digestion, which is helpful for pushing bugs out of your system. Grapefruit juice is helpful as well - citric acid is good for helping you to get over flu like symptoms. 

Pineapple Parfait

Grilled pineapple parfait! 

Peel pineapple and quarter. Grill for no longer than 15 minutes in total. Slice into bite sized pieces. Cool before refrigerating. 

Mix together 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Reduce on the stove until only half remains. Place in the fridge to cool - you just want it to become more viscous. 

Take fat free, plain Greek yogurt (1/2 cup) and mix in 2 tablespoons vanilla extract and 1 1/2 tablespoons honey. 

Place yogurt on the plate with a drizzle of honey if desired. Top with pineapple and balsamic vinegar reduction. 

Enjoy! 

Grilled Pineapple with Crabcake

Crabcake: 

1/4 cup lump crab meat

1 tablespoon bread crumbs 

1 teaspoon minced onions (toasted) 

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 egg 

1 tablespoon flour 

Toss together all ingredients - carefully, so as not to detach the lump meat. I baked mine in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes, but if you would prefer you can pan fry it in some oil. 

Grilled pineapple:

Grill pineapple on both sides for no longer than 15 minutes (total). Allow to cool then cut into bite size pieces. Refrigerate until cool. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar atop - trust me, it's amazing. I sometimes use a balsamic reduction, which is delicious as well. Garnish with chives if desired. Served with yogurt and balsamic reduction it makes an amazing (and guilt free!) dessert. 

Banana Raspberry Smoothie

2 bananas, chopped and frozen 

8 raspberries 

1 cup water 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Blend until smooth and creamy! Frozen bananas are perfect to use because then you do not need to add any ice. This smoothie is full of body (thank you starch from the bananas) and creamy, you could trick people into believing it is an ice cream smoothie. 

Enjoy on a hot day! 

Waffle with Banana and Honey

Waffles: delicious, filling, and hearty. This waffle is healthier for you than most. Maple syrup isn't bad for you, but it is honestly harder to find than you'd think. Next time you buy syrup look at the label. If high fructose corn syrup is the first, second, or third ingredient then think before buying it. Those commercials in which high frustose corn syrup is made to look as good for you as any other sweetener is not remotely accurate. "Sugar is sugar, your body can't tell the difference," - I'd like to call bull on that. Just like not all fats are created equal (avocado vs pork fat), neither are all sugars. Honey and pure maple syrup are the best sweeteners for your body. 

Waffle:

1 cup flour (whole wheat/grain is best)

3 tablespoons almond flour

1 tablespoon flaxseeds (I used flaxseed flour) 

1 tablespoon vanilla 

1/2 cup fat free milk 

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1 tablespoon whole oats 

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Banana compote:

1 banana, sliced 

3 tablespoons honey (I used raw honey) 

Toss together your dry ingredients in a bowl, and your wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix together and allow to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. If you think your waffles are not liquid-y enough add another 1/4 cup milk. 

Slice your bananas and place them into a pot with honey. Using high heat allow the mixture to bubble and boil for a few minutes, infusing the banana flavor into the honey. Turn heat off. 

Place waffle batter into the iron and cook to the desired texture. Lay the banana and honey mixture on top and enjoy! 

Grilled Corn

Corn, peeled 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Dash of salt 

Dash of pepper 

Dash of rosemary 

Dash paprika 

Dash of garlic powder 

Grill the corn on the cob until golden in color. Mix together the spices and olive oil. Rub the spice mixture on the corn. 

Enjoy! 

Banana smoothie

Okay, you hear banana smoothie and you think "ice cream" or some kind of dairy. Surprise - my banana smoothies consist of 3 ingredients. Banana, water, and vanilla extract. 

1 cup water 

1 banana 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

The key is how you put this smoothie together. I typically chop up and freeze my bananas when they get ripe too fast. Once they are frozen they're their own little ice cubes ! Purée the water with your frozen banana (add the vanilla) and you'll have a very thick, creamy, delicious smoothie that is 110% guilt free. 

Enjoy!