Spinach Cheese Cakes

I used love the spinach cheese dip appetizer served at a lot of restaurants. However, it's shocking to discover what most of those dips consist of...let alone the calorie content. Therefore, I wanted to come up with a spinach dish that was similar to spinach cheese dip but healthy. I also wanted something that could be used as a stand alone or main dish. With all this in mind, came these yummy spinach cakes. They are hearty enough to be served as a vegetarian main dish and you don't need chips to eat them unlike actual spinach dip!

Worth mentioning - Spinach is number 5 on the dirty dozen list so it's worth it to buy organic!

Ingredients:

16 oz bag frozen chopped organic spinach, thawed
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1 cup organic light cottage cheese
2 eggs, free-range organic if possible
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain or squeeze excess water off spinach. Place in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese plus all the remaining ingredients and pulse until well combine leaving texture. Set aside. Next, coat a muffin pan with cooking spray or light oil. Fill muffin cups to top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until set and slightly golden on top. Let stand 5 minutes to set. To remove, loosen edges with a knife then use a flexible spatula to scoop out. Makes 8-10 spinach cakes.

Pineapple, Carrot and Mango Salad

This is a sweet and spicy salad that's bursting with flavor. It combines sweet fruit, carrots and spicy radishes to add a kick of flavor. You can leave the radishes out, but they really add another level to this salad. Plus, because of the high vitamin content of radishes, they are helpful for colds, flu, cancer, skin disorders, asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Ingredients:

1 small pineapple, peeled and cubed
1 large mango, peeled and cubed
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bunch radishes, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 orange, juiced
Pinch of stevia or honey to taste
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Add pineapple, mango, carrots, radishes and cilantro to a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, orange juice and stevia. Pour over pineapple mix and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato, Feta and Olive Salad

I love the sweetness and color variety of grape and cherry tomatoes this time of year. They are so yummy just by themselves, that I can't help but sample them while I'm in the store! In this dish, I decided to pair them with delicious tangy olives and creamy feta. These classic Mediterranean flavors mingle so well together and offer a totally tasty dish!


Ingredients:

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup large green olives, cut in half
4 oz feta cheese
1/2 red onion, diced
Juice of one lemon
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine tomatoes, olives, feta, and onion in a large bowl. Whisk oil and lemon juice in a small bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill or serve at room temperature.

Raw Blueberry Tarts

My Grandma always made fruit pies all of which were delicious. However, my favorite was always her blueberry pie. It was so sweet, and the beautiful deep purple color of the blueberries made it beautiful to look at as well. With this inspiration, I wanted to make a healthier blueberry dessert that would preserve the nutrients of the blueberries as they are packed full of disease reducing goodness. And here's my healthy version of the famous blueberry pie!

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 cup almonds
1 cup dried apricots (if hard, soak for at least one hour)

Filling:
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups cashews
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, for garnish

Directions:

For crust - Place almonds in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Add apricots and blend until mixture forms a smooth dough. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Next press about 1/2 tablespoon of dough onto the bottom only of each liner. Set aside.

For filling - Place all ingredients into a food processor except the blueberries for garnish and blend until smooth. Add more water if necessary. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each cupcake liner and place in fridge for several hours until firm. Alternatively, place in freezer for a frozen treat until firm. Garnish with blueberries and enjoy. Makes about 18 tarts.

Raw Cinnamon Rolls

I used to love walking over to my Grandma's house for her famous made from scratch cinnamon rolls. She'd always have a fresh hot pan waiting for me and my friends which we'd quickly eat up. I can still smell the cinnamon that would fill her house from these fluffy delights. YUM...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

In trying to create a healthy version of my Grandma's cinnamon rolls, I thought I'd try a raw version to make them as nutritious as possible. These turned out fantastic! Don't let the steps fool you, these are amazingly easy to make. :)

Ingredients:

Dough
2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch sea salt

Cinnamon Filling
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup dried plums, chopped
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch sea salt

Icing:
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup almond meal for garnish, optional


Directions:

Dough - In a food processor, blend dates, coconut oil and vanilla until a paste forms. Add almond meal, flax seed, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and sea salt. Pulse until a cohesive dough forms. Add a bit of water if necessary. Remove and set aside.

Filling - In a food processor, add dates, plums, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and cashews. Blend until smooth adding a bit of water if necessary. Remove and set aside

Icing - In a food processor, add cashews, honey, vanilla and water. Blend until smooth adding more water if necessary. Remove and set aside.

Method - Place your dough on a large piece of parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll into a large rectangle shape about 1/8 inch thick. Damp your roller with a bit of water to prevent sticking! Next, spread the cinnamon filling on top of the dough using a flexible spatula. Wet spatula to prevent sticking. Using the paper, roll dough into a log. Place in freezer a few minutes to firm up, then cut into sections of desired thickness. Place on a serving tray and top with icing. Garnish with almond meal if desired. Warm gently in oven or dehydrator if desired.

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Sweet Purple Power Crunch

This is my 2 year old son's new favorite salad recipe, and mine too! It's super sweet and crunchy with an unexpected orange based dressing. I also just love to look at this salad with it's amazing purple color contrasted by the pretty green pumpkin seed....it's beautiful! :)

Ingredients:

1 small head purple cabbage, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup purple raisins
1/2 cup raw pumpkin sees

1 orange, juiced
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Stevia or honey to taste

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To a large bowl, add chopped cabbage, onion, raisins and pumpkin seeds. Set aside. To a small bowl, add orange juice, vinegar and olive oil and lightly whisk together. Add stevia or honey to taste. Pour onto cabbage mixture and lightly toss. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or allow to sit for 20 minutes for flavors to incorporate.

Kiwi Sorbet

Kiwi's are an amazing fruit. They are packed with vitamin C and have this amazing bright green color that is very unique. They are also a great meat tenderizer because they contain a protein dissolving enzyme. Because of this enzyme, you won't find them in any dairy based ice creams. Knowing this, but wanting a kiwi flavored ice cream, I came up with a kiwi sorbet instead. It's still creamy without the cream....and oh so yummy!

Ingredients:

10 kiwi
1/2 cup organic raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of stevia or honey to taste

Directions:

Peel and cut the kiwi into small chunks. Next, place in a freezer safe container and freeze for several hours until frozen. Once frozen, take out of the freezer and let soften for 15-20 minutes. Place frozen kiwi, raisins and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add honey or stevia to taste and pulse several times to mix. Serve immediately.