Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This is a fantastic make ahead lunch or side dish!

Ingredients:

3 Cups cooked quinoa

1 Cup quartered cherry tomatoes

1 Cucumbers, diced

1/2 Cup halved pitted kalamata olives

1 Can of organic BPA-free chickpeas

1/2 Cup of chopped fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, and basil

1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 Cup olive oil

1 Clove of garlic

Sprinkle of salt and pepper

Optional: 1/4 cup of dairy free feta OR organic sheep and goats milk feta (easier to digest than cow’s milk)

Want to customize it? Add avocado before serving for an extra healthy fat. Add a bunch of chopped curly kale (massage in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt to soften it first!) for a veggie boost!

Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Enjoy!

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For recipes and more, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join my Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

Italian Quesadillas

Recipe adapted from “Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen” cookbook

Ingredients:

1 (15oz) can of white beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove

sea salt and pepper, to taste

Grain free tortillas (I like Siete almond flour tortillas which can usually be found in the freezer section of a grocery store)

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes

2 sliced avocados

Fresh basil and/or parsley, chopped (just sprinkle with a tiny bit of dried italian herbs if you don’t have any fresh)

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1. Combine the beans, olive oil, water, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Generously spread the bean mixture onto a tortilla, top with sun dried tomato, sliced avocado, and fresh or dried herbs. Place another tortilla on top.

3. Add a little bit of avocado oil (or another high heat cooking oil) to a hot pan. Using a spatula, carefully place the quesadilla onto the pan. Let cook 1-2 min or until browned and crispy. Carefully flip over the quesadilla and cook on the other side.

4. Add a little more oil and repeat step 3 until you use up the filling ingredients, this recipe usually makes 4 quesadillas.

5. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut quesadillas into quarters. Serve and enjoy!

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For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

With love, Amanda

Lazy "Huevos Rancheros"

1. Warm up 1/2 a can of organic BPA free black beans and a couple scoops of your favorite salsa

2. Slice avocado, scallion, lime

3. Fry the egg

4. Scoop bean mixture in a bowl, top with fried egg, more salsa, avocado, scallions, and a squeeze of lime! Serve with a grain free tortilla, Siete Almond Flour Tortillas are my favorite if you don’t make your own!

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For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

With love, Amanda

Vegan Kale Basil Pesto

Vegan Kale Basil Pesto served with zoodles and butter beans.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cashews

2 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp sea salt

pepper

2 cups of raw kale, packed tightly*

1 cup of basil leaves

2 Tbsp of lemon juice

1/2 cup of quality olive oil

optional: 1 tsp nutritional yeast

*spinach or another green can be used instead of the kale!

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1. Add cashews and garlic to a food processor and process for a minute until evenly combined.

2. Add salt, pepper, kale, basil, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast (if using) and process until well combined.

3. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, scraping down the sides if needed.

4. Taste it! Feel free to add more lemon juice, nutritional yeast, etc. Enjoy!

Basil pesto is my personal favorite, yet it is hard (or expensive!) to get enough basil to make pesto. I find that using another green such as kale or spinach still allows the basil to shine while also making it more nutrient dense!

For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

With love, Amanda

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NOTE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS WHICH MEANS I MAY RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION FROM PRODUCTS THAT YOU BUY USING MY LINK (AT NO COST TO YOU). IT DOESN’T INFLUENCE WHICH PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND AND IT NEVER WILL

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Pizza Muffins (or Mini Calzones)

If you’re looking for a healthier or vegan/gluten free version of those frozen pizza bites or pizza pockets, look no further! I try to keep my recipes very simple but this one is an exception. There are a lot of steps but I promise it is well worth it! And if you mess it up (like I did a couple times while creating the recipe, it will still taste amazing! I ended up with biscuits stuffed with filling and even those were great. Because of the effort required to make these, this recipe makes a lot! I freeze most of them to be able to pull out for a quick snack.

Dough:

1.5 cups full fat coconut milk*

1/4 cup ground flax seed

4 cups blanched almond flour

4 cups arrowroot powder (or tapioca starch)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

ice water

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Filling:

1 3/4 cup of your favorite cheese (Kite Hill ricotta mixed with my homemade mozzarella is my personal favorite)

1 1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce

1 Tbsp dried italian herbs

2 tsp avocado oil

1 tsp salt

+Any of your favorite pizza toppings, broken into tiny pieces

*If using canned coconut milk, shake it well before opening to avoid separation. Warm it up a little if it is chunky or separated!

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Directions:

1. Add coconut milk and ground flax seeds to a large mixing bowl (see note above about coconut milk). Whisk and let sit for a few minutes.

2. Gradually add arrowroot powder to the coconut milk mixture, stirring frequently. Add Baking powder, salt, and almond flour and stir until well combined. Add a tablespoon or two of ice water until a workable dough forms. Knead by hand or use the dough hook attachment for your mixer if it isn’t mixing well.

   Note: if it is horribly sticky or looks nothing like dough but you did follow the recipe, don’t worry and read below.

3. To make the filling: add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

4. Preheat the oven to 375F.

5. Work in sections. Take out about 1/4 of the dough to start and roll out in between parchment paper until its about 1/4in thick. If it is hard to work with, refrigerate or pop in the freezer for a minute.

   Note: If it is really difficult to roll out or just sticking to the paper, use arrowroot powder on your hands and roll it out like you would a pie crust on a floured surface!

6. At this point, you can get creative. See photos below!

   -Use a mug to cut the dough into circles to place in an oiled muffin tin. The circles should be big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the muffin. Press the dough around to fit the muffin cup, then add filling. You may add a smaller circle “lid” of dough or scrap pieces of dough on top (see picture below).

   -Use a bowl to make circle cut outs to place on a cookie sheet. Add filling to half of the circle, fold over, and seal with a fork.

   -If your dough is a disaster or you simply want to be lazy, spoon a little dough into an oiled mini muffin tin, spread out with your fingers, and add some filling! I promise they will still taste AMAZING. Yes, I’m speaking from experience from that time I forgot about the dough in the freezer…

7. Once all of the pizzas are done being assembled, brush the top with a little coconut milk and ground flax seed to mimic an egg wash and help the top get a nice golden brown (optional). Use a fork to poke holes in any that need it to prevent pizza explosions!

8. Bake at 375F for about 25-30 minutes or until they feel hard to the touch!

Cut outs from a small bowl to make the calzones.

Added filling to half of the circle and folded over. Crimp with a fork.

Looks messy but an easy way to use extra bits of dough! You could also add a smaller circle on top as a “lid” just poke holes in it.

Finished pizza muffins. YUM!

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For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Your True Peace

With love, Amanda

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NOTE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS WHICH MEANS I MAY RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION FROM PRODUCTS THAT YOU PURCHASE VIA MY LINK (AT NO COST TO YOU). IT DOESN’T INFLUENCE WHAT ITEMS I RECOMMEND AND IT NEVER WILL.

Heirloom Tomato Avocado Toast

When it is tomato season, you find every delicious way to enjoy your harvest! This tastes like bruschetta meets avocado toast…and it’s glorious.

Ingredients:

1 clove of fresh garlic, peeled

1/2 ripe avocado, mashed

1/2 of a medium size heirloom tomato, diced

Everything bagel seasoning

EVOO

1 Slice of Simple Kneads GF sourdough bread

Directions:

1. Toast bread.

2. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub cut side directly onto the warm toast.

3. Spread avocado onto toast.

4. Top with tomatoes.

5. Sprinkle some everything seasoning and drizzle good olive oil on top.

6. Enjoy!

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For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

With love, Amanda

Mediterranean Zoodles

Ingredients:

Avocado oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 small zucchini squash (or 1 large), spiralized

1/4tsp dried Italian herbs

1/4 cup of chopped cherry tomatoes

1 Tbsp capers

Small handful of Kalamata olives

Juice of 1/4 lemon

Fresh herbs for serving: basil and parsley

Olive oil

Optional: If you’re making this as a meal and not a side, add some protein such as butter beans or canellini beans in the first step! You can also add organic grilled chicken, fish, etc.

Directions:

1. Place a large frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add a little avocado oil and minced garlic.

2. Add zoodles and sauté a minute or two until they heat through.

3. Toss in tomatoes, capers, and olives and sauté just until heated.

4. Squeeze a little lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil. Toss and top with fresh herbs!

*Note: Make sure to not overcook the zoodles. They really only need a few minutes to heat up!

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For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

With love, Amanda

O.G. Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

1 slice of toast (Simple Kneads is my favorite)

1/2 of a fresh avocado*

Thinly sliced organic cucumber

Everything bagel seasoning

Squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:

Toast the bread. Spoon the avocado flesh into a small bowl and mash with the lemon juice OR mash with a fork inside the avocado skin and top with lemon juice (I can’t be the only one who doesn’t like doing dishes). Spread avocado on the toast, add sliced cucumbers, and sprinkle on everything bagel seasoning!

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*A trick to always have fresh avocados: I buy several at a time while they’re hard (unless it’s the rare occasion I get a perfectly fresh one at the store) and store a few in the fridge and a few on the windowsill in my kitchen. After usually 2 days at room temp, they are perfect and buttery smooth. As I eat the room temp avocados, I pull a new one out of the fridge to sit at room temp.

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For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

With love, Amanda

Superfood Toast

This is one of my favorite snacks or a light lunch!

Ingredients:

1 slice gluten free bread (Simple Kneads is my favorite)

2 Tbsp of your favorite nut butter (Nuttzo nut and seed butter is my favorite)

1 Tbsp goji berries

1 tsp cacao Nibs

Additional optional toppings: agave nectar, hemp hearts, nuts, banana)

Directions:

Toast the bread, spread on nut butter, and top with whatever you’re feeling like today!

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For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

With love, Amanda

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Note: This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission from products that you purchase via my link (at no cost to you). It doesn’t influence what items I recommend and it never will.

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

For the salad:

4 cups of washed organic Frisée lettuce (spinach, mesclun, any other salad green will work!)

3/4 cup sliced organic strawberries

1 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds (or pistachios)

Hemp Hearts

For the dressing:

1 cup organic strawberries

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp shallot

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (if you don’t have poppy seeds, sprinkle some chia seeds on the salad right before eating, otherwise they’ll hydrate and get jelly)

Directions:

1. Toast the pumpkin seeds on the stove with a little bit of avocado oil and sea salt. I do this in a small frying pan on medium heat.

2. Blend all of the dressing ingredients together and then stir in the poppy seeds.

3. Add salad ingredients to a bowl. Top with toasted seeds, dressing, and Hemp Hearts!

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For more easy, healthy food ideas, find me on Instagram @yourtruepeace or join the Facebook group Healthy Holistic Living

With love, Amanda