Hey Guys! Here’s the recipe to my Decadent Chocolate Protein Smoothie Bowl that I shared via my Instagram story not too long ago. It’s a delicious treat especially in the summer time post workout!
Ingredients:
Half a cup of unsweetened Coconut Milk (you can use any milk alternative like almond or cashew milk)
1 Very large frozen banana
2 Tablespoons of avocado
1 Scoop of neutral flavoured protein powder (I used a plant-based chocolate protein powder)
2 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 to 3 pitted Medjool Dates, Stevia or any liquid sweetener to taste
Add all the ingredients in the blender starting with the coconut milk. Blend until fully combined into a thick, creamy consistency.
Pour into a bowl and add any toppings you desire! In the photo below I topped my smoothie bowl with some fresh banana and my Fruit and Nut Granola Clusters
This past Mother’s Day I made my mom some Homemade Gluten-Free Fruit and Nut Granola Clusters. This is probably the best granola recipe I’ve made so far! It was also inspired by the Oh She Glows Cookbook. My mom is constantly buying Gluten-Free Granola from the store because her favourite thing to have for breakfast is Greek Yogurt and Granola, so I thought, why not make her some from scratch? Not only do I think this tastes better than store-bought, it will save you money in the long run, and who doesn’t love that?
Ingredients:
1 Cup of whole raw almonds
1/2 cup of raw pecans
1 1/4 cup of Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
1 cup of mixed dried fruit (I used half cranberries (unsweetened) and half chopped apricots)
1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds or pepitas
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of fine-grain sea salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or other liquid sweetener (first batch I made I used raw honey, and the second batch I made I used maple syrup, both are amazing)
1/4 cup of coconut oil melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 275ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put a 1/2 cup of the almonds into a food processor and grind them down into a fine meal (similar to the texture of sand). Then transfer to a large bowl.
Place the rest of the almonds, along with the pecans into the food processor and finely chop the nuts. The nuts should be chopped into various sizes, you will even have some powdery meal, it’s all good. Add the nuts to the large bowl with the almond meal.
Add the oats, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt to the large bowl with the nuts. Stir to combine.
Add the syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice, melted oil, and vanilla to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until thoroughly combined.
With a spatula spread the granola out onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure that you spread the mixture out evenly into a single layer. Press down the granola as you spread it along so that it is slightly compact. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 18-20 minutes more, or until the granola is lightly golden and firm to the touch.
Cool the granola on the pan for at least 1 hour before breaking it apart into clusters.
Store the granola in a glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 weeks or freeze it for 4-5 weeks.
Hey Guys! Here’s a simple tofu scramble recipe that you can eat at any time of the day. This recipe is originally from the Thug Kitchen Recipe Book, however, you can interchange the vegetables and make it your own. I definitely made this recipe again and did just that. This recipe is easy, and it doesn’t take long to make! The only thing that takes a while is the prep work of washing and chopping all the veggies but once you get through that its smooth sailing!
Ingredients:
1 Broccoli Crown
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
1 Carrot
4 Cloves of Garlic
1-2 Jalapeños
1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon of Cumin
2 Teaspoons of Oregano
2 Teaspoons of Olive Oil
1 Block of Extra Firm Tofu
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce or Tamari (I changed this part from the original recipe)
2 Tablespoons of Lemon or Lime Juice (I use lemon for this recipe)
1/3 Cup of Nutritional Yeast
2 Teaspoons of your favourite hot sauce
Cooking Instructions:
Wash your broccoli, pepper, carrot, and jalapeño. Cut your broccoli crown into little trees about the size of a quarter no bigger than that. Cube your bell pepper. Dice your onion and shred your carrot. Mince your garlic and jalapeños. When I made this recipe I placed the prepped broccoli and pepper in one bowl. The Onion in a separate bowl. The carrot in a small bowl alone. The garlic and jalapeño in a small bowl together. Once you’ve prepped all your veggies, mix the chili powder, cumin, and oregano in a small bowl.
Finally! Now we can start cooking! Phew! In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Then add the broccoli and bell pepper, cook for about 3-4 minutes. Once the veggies have softened a bit, add the garlic and jalapeños.
Once you got all the veggies in the skillet cooking, drain the tofu and wrap it in some paper towel so you can squeeze some of the water out. Don’t go too crazy squeezing the water out. Hold the tofu over the skillet and crumble it into the pan. Don’t worry about making the crumble chunks small, it will further breakdown as you cook, so it may be wise to start off a little bigger at the beginning. Sauté the tofu with the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and lemon juice, make sure to pour these ingredients slowly over the entire pan so that it spreads out a little more evenly (tofu is very absorbent, so it will quickly absorb the liquid if you just dump it in one spot). Stir, after you’ve added the soy sauce and lemon juice. Then add the spice blend, carrot, and nutritional yeast. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in your hot sauce and serve.
You can serve this dish any way you like. You can put this scramble into taco shells, or make it into burritos. Totally up to you! You can put it on top of a bed of lettuce or just have it on its own. Have fun with it!
This recipe for Gluten Free Granola is perfect for parfaits, or to add some crunch to your smoothie bowls. Honestly, I love it on its own as well with some almond milk and banana.
Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of raw unsweetened organic coconut chips
2 cups of gluten free rolled oats
1 cup of raw sliced almonds
1/2 cup of hemp hearts
2 tablespoons of coconut sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of any nut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a small saucepan melt the coconut oil. Once it’s melted, take it off the heat and add the maple syrup, nut butter, and vanilla. Combine everything well and then pour it all over the dry ingredients.
4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until all the dry ingredients are covered.
5. Spread evenly on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Take the granola out, stir it. Spread it out evenly again and place it back in the oven for 8-13 minutes. Granola should be golden but soft. The granola will harden as it cools.
The granola will keep for 3-4 weeks in an air tight container. Or for a couple of months if you freeze it in ziploc bags.
I was thinking the other day about how much our society obsesses over food, in not necessarily a good way. I mean there have been a lot more discoveries about food, and the potential harmful side effects of various food products like artificial sweeteners, genetically modified foods, hormones, artificial colors, artificial flavors, and the list goes on. I love that people are becoming much more aware of what they are putting into their bodies, and are educating themselves about nutrition. I think it’s great that more and more people want to be healthy, and that they are a lot more conscious of not only their health, but the environment as well. However, there are a lot of us who are not educating ourselves properly about nutrition, and are falling into diets because we think it’s healthy, based on what we’ve heard but not on what we actually know. Eating gluten-free does not necessarily mean that you’re eating healthier, and it also doesn’t mean that you’re going to lose weight. I mean you may lose weight by cutting down on processed carbohydrates, that’s always a good thing, but don’t cut gluten completely out of your life if you don’t need to. This is because, if you go on long enough without eating gluten, then you may start to develop an intolerance to it when you were perfectly fine digesting it in the first place!
Eating gluten-free has become super popular, it seems like more and more people are reaching for gluten free options because they think it’s healthier for them, and they also believe that it will help them to lose weight. Now these claims are not necessarily false, however, there are plenty of gluten free products out there that are just as bad for you as the original. For example, gluten free cookies are still cookies!!! That means they are still full of sugar and fat just like a regular cookie! Gluten, is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barely. These are all various types of grains. Gluten is a protein that is found naturally in these grains, this does not mean that it is bad for everyone! Some people like my mother, can’t eat gluten at all because of an intolerance that was diagnosed by the doctor. My mom however, doesn’t just have an intolerance to gluten, she actually has a hereditary autoimmune disease called celiac. When people with celiac ingest gluten, their body has an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks damage the lining of the small intestine (the villi) which promotes nutrient absorption into the body. When the vili is damaged, it is much more difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, which can lead to further health complications. When the body is attacking the small intestine because gluten was eaten at some point, it is very painful. The person will bloat terribly, and have terrible gas as well. No one wants to feel this way, and no one wants to be around a gassy person, and the only treatment for celiac so far is a gluten free diet.
If you don’t experience terrible bloating, gas, cramps, or irregular bowel movements when you ingest any wheat product, then there is no real need for you to eat a gluten-free diet. Gluten CAN be an inflammatory for some people. Just like lactose, eggs, and alcohol can all be inflammatory to people, but not to everyone. Sugar can be an inflammatory! It may not be the gluten that is bothering you, but the amount of sugars you’re consuming in your diet! So if you’re eating a gluten free cookie, you may still experience inflammation, gas, and weight gain. If you can eat toast, or regular wheat pasta without getting super gassy and uncomfortable then you most likely don’t have a gluten intolerance, and becoming gluten free won’t necessarily help you. However, cutting down on processed foods like store-bought breads, pastas, cakes, cookies, pastries, granola bars, boxed cereals, the list goes on, can help you lose weight, and will help you feel better overall. This is because, a lot of these food products contain high amounts of sugar, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, and so on. All of these things can cause inflammation, and weight gain. Plus, because they are all high on the glycemic index, they will also cause your insulin levels to spike. This will give you a sudden burst of energy, and then a heavy crash if you’re eating too much of it at a time. So, if you enjoy bread, and pasta, then make it a once in a while treat. Eat it in MODERATION but you don’t have to get rid of it completely.
In conclusion, what I’m trying to say is this. Eating less packaged and processed foods will be better for your health overall, even if you’re gluten-free or not. However, ordering a gluten free pizza from Pizza Nova, will not make that meal choice any healthier FYI. I know for myself personally, when I eat too many artificial sweeteners, I can get headaches, and I can get gassy. I can also get really sick from eating really fatty foods, like too much cheese. Nobody wants to be around me after that! Last summer, I had a terrible episode in Miami… All of my closest friends know exactly what happened!! I ate a super greasy lobster roll, and let’s just say it didn’t end well… It was also soggy and gross 😦 serves me right for eating a New England food in Miami in the summer time. So, if you experience any real discomfort after eating certain foods the best way to discover what the actual culprit is, is to talk to your doctor first or any other healthcare professional! If it’s nothing serious just gas and bloating, then the best thing to do is to eliminate all possible inflammatory foods. So, eliminate dairy, gluten, alcohol, eggs. Do this for a month, and then introduce one of these foods at a time. So one week introduce eggs and see what happens, then introduce dairy, and so on and so forth. You may not need to eliminate things completely, but you may need to restrict certain foods because they make you uncomfortable. Having terrible gas, or bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or even heat burn/acid reflux, is NOT normal, and you shouldn’t keep taking antacids, or Pepto Bismol because that is not actually solving the problem! You need to cut down or cut out the foods that are causing you this discomfort! Everybody’s body is different, and you need to figure out what types of foods make you feel your best, and help you to perform your best when exercising and going about your daily lives.
A picture of a breakfast that I made for myself recently. I actually eat eggs, or egg whites every morning. It’s my favorite way to start the day 🙂
Alex Rinaldo 