Macadamia Nut Pesto (with vegan option)

I love this pesto that uses delicious macadamia nuts instead of pine nuts, which can be expensive and tricky to come by. Macadamia nuts are a great source of magnesium and potassium and are fantastic in recipes ike this or just to eat plain as a snack. Also, see below for a vegan recipe option if needed.

• 2 cloves garlic peeled and trimmed

• ¼ cup macadamia nuts shelled and roasted

• 2 ounces Manchego cheese broken into ½ to 1 inch pieces (or see note for dairy free)

• ¼ teaspoon salt reduce to a pinch if nuts are salted

• 2 cups basil leaves washed and dried

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Note: The cheese in this recipe can be easily omitted, but if you are dairy free and would like more of a “cheesy flavor” try adding some nutritional yeast and a bit more lemon juice. Start by adding a small amount of nutritional yeast, mixing and sampling, up to 1 or 2 tablespoons for this recipe, plus a splash of lemon juice. Nutritional yeast is also a great source of B Vitamins!

See the entire recipe and directions at Parsley and Parm.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread is amazing, but it's usually full of dairy products. This recipe is a great option if you or your friends are dairy free or vegan! Erin go Bragh!

1 cup unsweetened plain oat milk or other non-dairy milk + 1 tablespoons white vinegar*

1/2 cup dried currants (or raisins)

2 cups all-purpose flour (plus another 1/2 cup or so for the light kneading and another 1 teaspoon for the currants/raisins)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain salt

1/4 cup 1/2 stick vegan butter, cut into squares

See the entire recipe and directions at Kitchen Treaty.

Any Greens Pesto

This is a simple way to get some extra greens in your diet, and switching up the greens can really give this recipe some interesting flavors (plus it’s SO healthy)!

INGREDIENTS:

2 c greens (kale, spinach, arugula, chard, baby lettuces), chopped

1 Tbsp tahini

1 garlic clove, sliced

1/3 c. olive oil

1/4 c. walnuts, toasted*

pepper and sale to taste

*Note: you can try this with different varieties of nuts for a new flavor- cashews work well!

See the entire recipe and directions at Lettuce Grow.

Healthy Watermelon Shushie

This is the perfect summer drink, for kids and adults alike!

INGREDIENTS:

10 cups Seedless Watermelon Cubes, frozen for at least 24 hours

2–4 tbsp Maple Syrup to taste, or use liquid stevia

Juice of 1 large Lime

1/4 cup Fresh Mint or Basil leaves, loosely packed (Optional, but recommended)

1 1/2 cup Filtered Water (or seltzer water!)

See the entire recipe and directions at From My Bowl.

Detox Green Matcha Smoothie

This smoothie is absolutely full of antioxidants; I’ve been drinking every day for breakfast and absolutely love it. It’s a great way to start the day! Feel free to double this recipe depending on the size of your blender!

INGREDIENTS

Note: this recipe fits perfectly in a 16oz. blender cup like the Ninja Fit

1 tbs. flax seeds

2 tbs. hemp seeds

1 frozen banana (halved)

2 tsp. matcha powder

1 cup of almond milk (or water)

½ - 1 cup fresh spinach leaves  

DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients in your blender cup, with spinach leaves last.  I have a 16 oz blender cup, so I just push in as many spinach leaves that will fit and have the blender top fit on.

Blend until well combined.  If the mixture is too thick after blending, add a little bit of water and blend again to the desired consistency.

Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars (GF & Vegan)

This recipe is a great way to satisfy a craving for pumpkin pie with a lot less work, plus it’s allergy-friendly!

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST:

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp coconut sugar

1 Tbsp maple syrup

4-5 Tbsp melted coconut oil 

FILLING:

2 3/4 cups pumpkin purée

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut sugar (or substitute your favorite natural sugar)

1/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or sub mix of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves)

1/4 tsp sea salt

FOR SERVING optional: Coconut Whipped Cream

See the entire recipe and directions at the Minimalist Baker.

Matcha Blender Muffins

These delicious muffins are from a great new gluten-free recipe blog I discovered- Erin Lives Whole. Matcha is a green tea powder full of antioxidants and gives baked goods a unique flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cups rolled oats

2 tbsp matcha powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 large bananas

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup almond milk

1/2 cup sliced almonds

See the entire recipe and directions at Erin Lives Whole.

Lemon Glazed Donut Holes (Keto, Paleo, GF, Vegan)

If you’ve ever made regular donuts from scratch, this recipe is 1000 times easier since it’s made almost entirely in a blender. It’s also secretly healthy and makes an amazing sweet treat!

The ingredients are simple and wholesome. Nothing crazy or unusual. Nothing artificial.

1. almond flour

2. neutral oil (I used avocado oil)

3. lemon

4. monk fruit (or coconut sugar)

See the entire recipe and directions at Pretty Pies.

Blueberry Quinoa Smoothie Bowl

I was reading something that said how Smoothie Bowls are the hottest thing- then, since I had to look up what a "smoothie bowl" even was, came across an article that said, "Smoothie bowls are SO 2017"! Well, before today I had never heard of them, so maybe I just live under a rock. They do sound neat though, a smoothie that's a little more filling, that you eat with a spoon rather than a straw- sounds good to me!

My coworker, Liz, loves smoothies for breakfast, but personally, I feel like I need something I can chew a little. Well, smoothie bowls are the perfect happy medium (plus they're a great way to get more fruit in your diet), and since this recipe contains quinoa (a great high protein grain), it can help you to feel more satisfied than a plain fruit smoothie.

This recipe makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the quinoa:

1 Cup Quinoa uncooked
2 Cups Almond Milk  

For the smoothie:

2 Cups Almond Milk
4 Cups Frozen Blueberries

For topping:

1/4 Cup Honey
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Almond Milk
1/2 Cup sliced almonds, toasted 

See the entire recipe and directions at the Food, Faith Fitness Blog.

Dairy Free Alfredo Pasta Sauce

This is a great dairy free sauce that's much healthier (and significantly lower in calories) than the original.  I won't say that it's exactly the same as its the original, but it's a nice, healthy alternative!

The original recipe was made for two servings, but I scaled it up to use a whole cauliflower and an entire package of pasta.

INGREDIENTS:

3 clove of garlic
1bs extra virgin olive oil
3 cup cauliflower (100 grams
2 1/4 cup almond milk (175 milliliters)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
12 ounces uncooked pasta (gluten-free if necessary)

See the entire recipe and directions at Simple Vegan Blog.

Raw Chocolate Smoothie with Avocado and Raw Honey

This recipe uses cacao powder which is also known as raw chocolate.  It's full of nutrients, and this shake has lots of good fats to keep you satisfied.  It makes a great fast breakfast or a healthy snack.  The avocado gives it such a creaminess, it tastes like an ice cream milkshake!

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 avocado, pitted, chopped
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp raw honey
1 cup raw almond milk

See the entire recipe and directions at Organic Authority.

Easy Peanut Butter Banana Blender Muffins

These are fantastic!  They have such a light, fluffy texture- my daughter absolutely loves them! If you don't have a great blender, these may work better in a food processor (though I was able to make them in my cheap blender, I just needed to stop the blender and stir the ingredients several times).

1 cup natural peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 medium sized very ripe bananas
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey (optional, but I added it!) 
Optional toppings of choice: dark chocolate chips, coconut, raisins, craisins

Read the entire recipe and directions at Miss Recipe!