Recipes
Dirty Horchata Protein Smoothie
This cinnamony treat is the perfect way to start your morning, with coffee, protein, and lots of flavor…
It’s been a minute since my last post. I’ve been really busy with moving and I just haven’t had the perfect moment to start developing recipes again. Recently I decided to stop waiting for perfect, and to work with what I have right now. That does mean that the process is a little bit harder, but making recipes, like this dirty horchata protein smoothie, and sharing them with you is something that brings me joy, so it’s worth it.
Because of the move, I have to forego my usual festivities around this time of year. That makes me really sad, but it’s very impractical to do a bunch of holiday decorating in the middle of moving. That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy my favorite holiday treats, though.
When Unicorn Superfoods announced their newest protein powder flavor, I had to get back into my love for cinnamon, just in time for the holidays. Naturally, I made a big batch of horchata to play around with and add into everything. This horchata recipe goes so well with their new Cinnamon Dusted Churros flavor, so I had to find a way to combine the two. It’s also amazing on its own.
While this recipe is a little bit involved for a smoothie, the horchata can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and you can add it into so many things throughout every day (or just enjoy it on its own). I will be sharing more of my favorite ways to use this horchata but right now, I can’t get enough of this smoothie.
The combination of coffee, horchata, and the cinnamon-y protein powder makes for a very delicious way to get some morning caffeine. I added in some chia seeds for more fiber and omegas, and banana for sweetness, creaminess, and potassium.
Dirty Horchata Protein Smoothie
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
- This Horchata recipe is not traditional, but it is dairy-free and refined sugar-free, you can substitute it with your own recipe if you have one you love.
- This recipe makes about four serves of horchata and one serve of protein smoothie.
- You can soak the rice and cinnamon for a minimum of four hours and up to two days, the longer it soaks, the stronger the cinnamon will taste.
- You can use any rice you like in this recipe, my favorite is jasmine. I personally would avoid basmati, as it has a strong taste, but playing around with different kinds of long-grain rice can be a fun way to find your favorite way to make horchata.
- If you don't have an espresso machine, substitute the espresso with about 30ml of your favorite coffee.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
323.91Fat
7.4Sat. Fat
1.46Carbs
41.45Fiber
7.18Net carbs
34.26Sugar
25.57Protein
24.56Sodium
497.08Cholesterol
0Nutritional info will differ based on type of horchata used, this data assumes the smoothie is made with the refined-sugar free, dairy-free horchata recipe provided.
Tropical Green Smoothie Bowl
This tropical treat is packed full of nutrients from leafy greens and a large variety of fruit, making this the perfect summer smoothie bowl…
We’re nearing the end of our six weeks of smoothie bowls. This has been a very fun and very yummy project. I’m enjoying doing these 6-week series as a fun way to populate the recipe section of the blog. This week, I translated one of my go-to smoothies into a smoothie bowl. I love green smoothies but, a lot of the time, the flavor is lacking. That’s why this one’s my favorite, because it’s full of so much spinach (and you could add in some kale too!) but it also tastes like the perfect tropical treat.
This is similar to my ocean bowl recipe from a few weeks ago. They have similar summery vibes, the perfect summer duo. With mango and passion fruit as key ingredients in both, but they do diverge in other ways. They’re each a unique experience, honestly, but if you liked one you’ll love the other!
This one has a lot of goodness in all the chlorophyll from the greens powder or matcha, and the leafy greens. You could also add in some spirulina for an extra boost. Then for even more flavor and goodness, there’s coconut water for hydration, frozen coconut for fiber, potassium-rich mango and banana, and passion fruit for antioxidants. Flavor and nutrient-wise, this is the perfect summer smoothie bowl—add in your favorite protein powder (I recommend flavorless collagen) and some frozen cauliflower to make this an even more well-rounded breakfast!
Tropical Green Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Facts
Calories
292.28Fat
15Sat. Fat
12.35Carbs
42.7Fiber
8.54Net carbs
34.16Sugar
32Protein
4.38Sodium
96.73Cholesterol
0Nutritional information excluding toppings.
Ocean Smoothie Bowl
This pretty blue tropical breakfast is full of delicious fruits and vegetables for a balanced and nutritious meal…
During these gloomy rainy days I’ve been having, I often feel like something tropical that reminds me of fun days spent at the beach—or in an infinity pool. Just being in the sun and in the cool water. Maybe having some mango ice cream or an ice-cold drink. The smell of sunscreen and sea salt. So, because I’m dramatic, I came up with a smoothie bowl that looks a little like a beach. Pretty shade of blue, with a sandy gold shore.
I quickly assembled the most delicious tropical smoothie bowl using some frozen mango and cauliflower, and for that pretty blue, I threw in some blue spirulina. This is completely optional, but I believe you eat with your eyes first. I topped the whole thing with my favorite nut butter: cashew butter. I sprinkled some granola and pepita seeds on top and garnished it with half a passion fruit, which I’m lucky to have in relative abundance where I live (probably my favorite thing about Australia). And that’s it. It’s a bit of blending until you reach the right consistency, but just be patient and you won’t regret it.
Ocean Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Facts
Calories
169.46Fat
5.09Sat. Fat
1.65Carbs
30.39Fiber
3.99Net carbs
26.41Sugar
23.71Protein
5.54Sodium
53.29Cholesterol
0Nutritional value may differ based on the amount of granola and variety used.
Edamame Salad with Miso Chili Oil Dressing
This one’s a fun one. Who doesn’t love a good pasta or noodle salad? I wanted to come up with something a bit more substantial than just some fruits and vegetables—and I also really wanted to use miso in the dressing because it’s salty, delicious, and very good for you.
Considering all the things in my pantry, I experimented with this dressing until I landed on something spicy and full of flavor. All sorts of sesame flavor from tahini and sesame oil, and of course, some actual sesame seeds in the chili oil (I used a high quality store-bought one from my local Asian grocer).
One of my favorite Japanese restaurants does this delicious chili oil edamame, so I knew I had to use edamame in this recipe. By making it the star of the show, I could make this a really good, high-protein, lunch option. So, in went a whole bunch of frozen shelled edamame (thawed, of course).
Edamame Salad with Miso Chili Oil Dressing
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Facts
Calories
413Fat
16.87Sat. Fat
2.27Carbs
51.41Fiber
7.14Net carbs
44.26Sugar
4.82Protein
20.59Sodium
1058.38Cholesterol
0
Harvest Salad with Maple Cinnamon Vinaigrette
This comforting apple and brussels sprouts salad features a unique mix of autumnal flavors, making it the perfect accompaniment for your cold weather meals…
We’re just past the half-way point of our Six Weeks of Salads journey, and if this has taught me anything, it’s that I tend to think arugula is the only acceptable salad-leaf. Baby arugula is, in my mind, the undisputed champion of the salad world. Why deal with lettuce, which is essentially just less flavorful arugula? So, I guess, I learned two things: lettuce belongs on sandwiches, and arugula is king. Things would get pretty boring, though, if I kept offering you arugula salads every single time. So, I’m changing things up. No arugula here, and thankfully, no lettuce either.
I never was a big salad person growing up. Unless the salad had no lettuce in it, in which case I was easily convinced. So, when I grew up and started having to reason with my own self to eat my vegetables, I tried all sorts of different new and exciting salads. I had a very simple garden salad made on baby arugula with some feta, tomatoes, onions, and a simple lemony dressing. I also had raw broccoli in a broccoli salad. Similarly, I had raw brussels sprouts in a salad, too.
I’ve had many different salads over the years, but the most fun, stand-out experiences for me was when I had these vegetables, that I’d only ever had cooked, in salad form. That’s why when I was brainstorming ideas for this harvest salad, I knew from the start the base was going to be brussels sprouts. To me, they’re the ultimate cold weather vegetable.
Now that I’ve discussed the base, let’s talk about everything else! The weather’s been getting colder here in Australia, so a quick look at the produce section of my grocery store was plenty of inspiration for this. Beautiful dark kale leaves, ripe and juicy pomegranates, and all sorts of different apple and pear varieties. When it came time to dream up the dressing, it had to be made on apple cider vinegar, of course. Then came the risky, but rewarding, decision to add in the sweet, warm flavors of cinnamon and maple syrup. The result is a really comforting salad packed full of flavor.
Harvest Salad with Cinnamon Maple Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
- This recipe is vegan and gluten free.
- You can play around with the type of apples used in this salad, and you can even try pear!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
405.13Fat
23.54Sat. Fat
2.82Carbs
46.93Fiber
11.07Net carbs
35.87Sugar
28.5Protein
8.74Sodium
53.53Cholesterol
0Actual nutritional value may vary based on quantity of balsamic glaze and honey used.
Blueberry Smoothie Bowl
This berry popsicle-inspired smoothie bowl is a refreshing and nutritious option for a summer breakfast or snack…
This smoothie bowl recipe is another go-to for me, alongside my Ocean Bowl. It’s banana-less, which is my usual preference, and the berry powder in this adds an almost candy-like quality to this bowl.
I love this bowl after a summer hike or a walk on the beach. It’s refreshing, hydrating, and filling. Best of all, it’s fairly easy to make and the main ingredients keep for a long time, so you can always have them on hand. To make it more filling, you could add a scoop of protein powder or collagen powder.
This recipe is super simple, the only frills are the powders which are totally optional! I added blue spirulina in this to give it a deeper purple hue, but in addition to almost all the other ingredients in this bowl, spirulina is a powerful antioxidant. Mangoes, blueberries, and açaí are great sources of vitamin C and antioxidants.
Antioxidants are important for neutralizing free radicals in the body. Oxidative stress, which can occur from pollution, excessive exercise, inflammation, certain foods like artificial sweeteners, and even mitochondrial activity, occurs when free radicals are not processed efficiently by the body. Oxidative stress has been linked to many diseases and health conditions. That’s why it’s important to try to minimize the production of free radicals in the body, and it’s also important to consume a diet rich in antioxidants.
Berry Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Facts
Calories
495.13Fat
12.91Sat. Fat
1.14Carbs
94.53Fiber
24.13Net carbs
70.4Sugar
60.35Protein
10.2Sodium
47.4Cholesterol
0
Blackberry and Fig Salad with Goat Cheese and Rose
This elegant salad makes for a decadent and sophisticated side dish that's guaranteed to impress…
Very, very excited to share this salad. It is so simple to make and comes together in no time—but it tastes like it should’ve taken way more effort. The sweet-salty combo is a tale as old as time, but add in peppery from the arugula, add in floral from the rose petals and the fig, and each bite is just perfection with the sparkles emoji.
I wanted a fun, elevated take on fig and prosciutto salad that could totally hold its own without the prosciutto (which btw would be a very tasty addition to this salad). First thing I thought of was pistachio and naturally (for some reason) I thought about rose. At first I was thinking about making some sort of rose water-blackberry jam dressing (which did absolutely taste amazing with some balsamic vinegar), but then I felt like things were getting out of hand and the more delicate flavors were easily overpowered.
On a quest to lean into the pepperiness of the rocket, the sweetness of the berries, and the earthiness of the figs, I figured two components were a must: balsamic glaze (I always have a bottle on hand, but if you don’t, it’s very simple to make, instructions in the notes), and honey. The honey would bring in a new floral note to complement the rose and the fig. To balance out the sweetness, some goat cheese and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt seal the deal.
So, this recipe is purely for fun. Unlike my last two salads, I wouldn’t recommend this one as a meal. This is a very fun, very exciting snack. It’s also a very impressive side dish. These flavors would pair beautifully with lamb in particular if you were thinking about serving this at your next dinner party.
With a very simple and short ingredient list, I’m pretty confident that this beautiful salad will become a staple once you give it a try—it’s just so much flavor pay-off for so little work. I don’t want to over-hype this, so I’ll just stop and tell you to give this salad a try. Then try it with the blackberry jam-rose water dressing if you want more sweetness and a stronger floral flavor.
Fig and Blackberry Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
- If you don't have balsamic glaze on hand, or just want to make it yourself: for 1/4 cup of balsamic glaze, simply bring a cup of balsamic vinegar to the boil then simmer for about 20 minutes or until it has reduced to a thick syrupy consistency. Allow to cool completely before using.
- To make this recipe vegan, simply omit the honey and goat cheese. An extra sprinkle of salt will help bring out the sweetness of the fruit and glaze.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
93.35Fat
2.26Sat. Fat
1.13Carbs
17.81Fiber
2.41Net carbs
15.38Sugar
15.14Protein
2.56Sodium
32.05Cholesterol
3.22Actual nutritional value may vary based on quantity of balsamic glaze and honey used.
Roasted Tomato Soup
This super simple Roasted Tomato Soup is packed with flavor, even though it is made with few ingredients. This garlicky, herby, tomatoey soup is perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich to the side or with rice cooked through, for an elevated tomato rice soup…
Growing up, my mom would make a few different really good soups. There was Tom Yum soup, spinach soup, pumpkin soup, mushroom soup, and so many more. The first time she made broccoli soup (still a favorite of mine), I had nearly the whole pot. I broke out in a rash the next morning and my mom pinned it on the soup, to my dismay. I was banned from having broccoli for years. I can now confirm that I am not allergic to broccoli, and my mom banned me from having a vegetable most mothers beg their children to have for nothing. Net zero gain for both of us.
Anyway, this fun anecdote was all to say I really love soup. I know soup’s one of those contested courses, but we had a bit of a soup culture in our household growing up. My favorite of all of the soups I’ve ever had is this one I’m about to share with you, though—actually it’s a tie, the aforementioned spinach soup my mom makes is too good.
This one’s a great recipe for when you get overambitious with the amount of tomatoes you intend on eating during the week, maybe two weeks in a row, and you end up with a bunch of soft squishy tomatoes in the back of the fridge. To make it even more of a no-waste option, you can use homemade vegetable stock in this recipe to use up even more of your less than fresh vegetables.
I like this soup as a tomato-rice soup, it just makes it a more filling option. But if you prefer to have your tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich to the side, go ahead and ignore all of the rice instructions. It is delicious either way.
Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
- You can roast the entire head of garlic as is, in its entirety, without peeling it or separating the cloves. You’ll just need to cut the top off of it first to make squeezing the roasted garlic cloves out of it at the end easier.
- If you choose to peel the garlic cloves before roasting, try to place them close to the tomatoes on the baking trays to avoid overcooking them (Look at the small pieces of garlic pictured on the roasting tray above).
- If you choose to roast the garlic bulb whole, squeeze the garlic cloves out of it into the pot after it is done roasting. Do not simmer the garlic skin with the other ingredients. However, do simmer the tomato vines and thyme sprigs to extract more flavor from them.
- If you’re buying tomatoes specifically for this recipe, get the vine-ripened ones. The tomato vine has a lot of great herby, tomato-y flavor in it, it’s really underrated. Before adding it to the tray, smell it and see for yourself.
- Fresh herbs are great here, but dry herbs work well too. If you have to replace the fresh thyme sprigs with dried thyme, you’ll need about 3-4 teaspoons.
- When transferring the roasted vegetables and herbs from the baking tray to the pot, remember to also transfer all of the pan juices and drippings into the pot as well.
- With this recipe, it’s really important to taste for seasoning at the very end, as, depending on what you use for stock, the amount of salt you’ll need can vary greatly.
- Vegetable stock is really easy to make with whatever herbs and vegetables you have in your fridge + scraps from meals you’ve cooked within the last couple of days. A really simple option is a brown onion, a couple of carrots, and a few stalks of celery, plus a teaspoon of peppercorns.
- You can also totally just throw in a couple of bouillon cubes and save yourself the effort. I also just make this soup with water all the time and it still turns out pretty tasty.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
197.96Fat
9.94Sat. Fat
1.75Carbs
19.85Fiber
1.60Net carbs
18.25Sugar
7.98Protein
7.69Sodium
423.92Cholesterol
7.20Nutritional value for Roasted Tomato Soup as a tomato-rice soup option (including 1/2 cup rice)
Honey Lavender Iced Latte
A floral coffee perfect for spring, made with a very easy honey and lavender syrup and made colorful using superfood powders!
My last recipe was a bit of a gamble, to be honest. Matcha is growing in popularity worldwide, but I’m pretty sure coffee still reigns supreme in most households. I’m personally a huge fan of both. I started working on both of these recipes together. Initially I thought of offering each flavor with either coffee or matcha. On my first trial, though, I quickly realized how delicate rose and matcha flavors were. On the other hand, it was obvious that coffee and lavender were very strong flavors that could easily dominate and overpower most other flavors. So I chose not to mix the strong flavors with the delicate ones.
This one is inspired by the cold brew stall’s offering at my local farmers’ markets. First of all that cold brew had such a chokehold on my life—it is really really good. I stopped going to the farmers’ markets at some point in the pandemic, so I’m really missing them*.
Anyway, the Serious Deliria stall at the farmers’ markets would sell iced coffees and lattes with these optional herbal and floral syrups. I never got to try all of them, but they had a lavender one which I got on multiple occasions. It was eye-opening. Never had a floral cup of coffee before then in my life. So, I worked on my own lavender syrup recipe to accompany my homemade lattes. I also found a fun way to dress them up and add a micronutrient boost!
*So, I just looked them up and they actually deliver. New weekend plans.
Honey Lavender Iced Latte
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
- The blue spirulina and pink pitaya powders give the milk a pretty lavender color, but they are not necessary for the recipe. They can be swapped with food coloring or removed altogether.
- To layer your drink, consider the density of your liquids and the sugar-content. Your milk will most likely be denser than your coffee— especially if you add your syrup to the milk. Depending on how much syrup you add to your coffee, though, it may be convinced to sit on the bottom layer. For best results, add your syrup to the milk and pour them into the glass first. Then gently pour the coffee in over a spoon. Top it up with the foam.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
135.43Fat
4.09Sat. Fat
2.59Carbs
18.55Fiber
0.02Net carbs
18.55Sugar
19.09Protein
6.88Sodium
104.21Cholesterol
16.50Nutritional value can differ greatly depending on quantity of honey syrup used in final preparation
This cinnamony treat is the perfect way to start your morning, with coffee, protein, and lots of flavor…