Citrus Roasted Carrots
Quinoa Pilaf: White Lima Beans & Currants
Arugula & Radicchio Salad
Hazel Nuts & Orange Champagne Dressing
For the paleo people and meat eaters…
Mini Frittatas:
Fill non stick muffin tins with veggies like:
kale. spinach. zucchini. sun dried tomatoes. feta. bell peppers. artichokes.
whisk eggs and poor over.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Keeps 5 days in the fridge
Enjoy at room temp or warm.
Medjool Dates, Almond Butter & Chia Seeds
My second favorite breakfast. This is perfect early in the morning when you are not quite ready for a meal but you’re needing a little bit of energy to get you going. I find this to be the perfect combination of carbs, sugar, fat and protein before a morning workout when I know I wont be having breakfast until around 10am. Note: 2 have about 200 calories.
3lbs OF A WINTER SQUASH!
I believe that you can eat as much from the EARTH as you want and you will NEVER gain weight.
my theory: our bodies recognize squash, seeds and salmon NOT maltodextrin & lecthin (found in almost anything packaged)
I don’t write about “dieting” and counting calories because I don’t live that way. Restricting myself from foods that my body wants (sea salty almond butter and egg yolks) does not work for me.
If I can give you one piece of staying slim advice, it would be to eat whole foods.
“it’s not about how much you eat – it’s about what you eat”
Also, listen to your body… Some mornings I wake up at 6am famished and make myself a bowl of oats, almond butter, banana and chia seeds, and other mornings a kiwi holds me over until noon…
So here it goes, the day I ate a 3lb squash:
watch the video here
It was a Tuesday and my first day off from “cooking for my job” in 12 days. So the laaaaaaast place I wanted to be on my day off was in the kitchen. These meals take less than 5 minutes of prep and are SO SIMPLE you don’t even need a recipe!
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner combined was LESS THAN 10 INGREDIENTS total!
(Hello, that’s less than the number of ingredients in a single CLIF bar)
and each meal took me less than 5 minutes to prepare.
Whoever said eating whole and healthy had to be hard, huh?!?
Winter Squash Recipe and Menu
Roasted Squash with
Breakfast: Tahini, Goji Berries, Chia Seeds & Hemp Hearts
Lunch: Roasted Kale & Poached Egg
Dinner: Roasted Broccolini & PanSeared Salmon
Grocery List
squash, tahini, chia seeds, hemp hearts, goji berries, kale, eggs, broccoli, salmon,
I ate more animal protein than usual because I took a Kick-A** TRX class here!
Haley and I also created a guide to healthy eating and living – it’s 25 pages packed with my recipes, a grocery list and Haley’s nutrition tips. Eating whole has never been easier – or more delicious – Grab your guide here!
My roommate (slash amazing close friend since middle school) is a pesca-vegan (a vegan who eats fish), and let me tell you, she is one knock out bangin chick!
Besides for me eating eggs, we eat the same. You will not find manufactured/processed boca burgers and soy milk in our fridge, or vegan/gluten free cookies and crackers in our pantry.
In our kitchen you’ll find: avocados, nut butters, beans, grains, homemade almond milk, fish, coconut oil and loads of veggies! The only animal products in our fridge are eggs (mine) and fresh fish occasionally.
I just spent a week in Mexico by myself and when I got home I realized that the only animal protein I ate that week was ceviche one night (since my friends went out on their boat and caught beautiful fish) and 2 eggs for dinner after a beach-cross-fit class. My point is, when you are laying in the sun all day reading, you do not need to eat as much as you would on a day you are running around and being active. LISTEN to what your body is asking for. Do you really need steak at 7pm when you’ve just been sitting behind a desk all day? Probably not.
The common thread here:
EAT WHOLE FOODS – you will never gain weight eating from the earth!
So there you have it, if it came from the earth (and not a factory) eat it!
ps: I do eat chips and salsa and wine with chocolate – in moderation 🙂
Hemp Heart Love,
Claudine
(drum roll please)
I teamed up with Haley (an awesome chick and nutritionist!) to create an eBook and guided program that makes healthy living FUN, EASY & DELICIOUS!
See HERE!
We believe that living healthy is a LIFESTYLE – not a strict diet plan –
which is why our guide is designed for real people, with real (busy) lives!
yes, you can eat your cake and have quinoa too :o)
sounds pretty awesome, right?
our beautifully illustrated eBook gives you the tools and guide to get you started and keep you motivated… forever!
You can purchase the eBook at anytime for only 30 bucks, or you can
Buckwheat Crackers with Edamame & Avocado Spread
If not, let me familiarize you with this great grain. Not only is it a hearty whole grain that transforms into tasty little puffs when cooked, but when milled into a flour it becomes a wonderful gluten free substitute for all sorts of baking….
I recently started experimenting with buckwheat, and to my surprise, have been love, love, lovin it
Why, you ask?
– It’s quite sticky, “glutinous” and “starchy” so does well in recipes that need a lil’ binding love like crackers and crepes.
– The flavor is deep and earthy, but mild enough to still be paired nicely with sweets like buckwheat crepes & Nutella!
– It’s naturally gluten free, high in protein (contains lysin, an amino acid not found in many other plant based sources), high in fiber, B vitamins, copper and magnesium.
Say HELLO to my new favorite grain!
These Crackers are ridiculous!!! 4 ingredients and SO SIMPLE-
YOU WILL NEVER BUY PACKAGED crackers again.
Packed Lunch for my friend who just had a baby – that’s avocado edamame spread under the lemon (so excited for the day I can pack my kiddos lunches!!!!)
Buckwheat Crackers with Almond Butter and Banana
Crazy (simple) Crackers:
I promise, these are so easy, after making them once, you’ll never buy crackers again!
Combine 1 ½ cups of buckwheat flour and 1 cup of Almond Flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup of hemp hearts. mix well. Add ¾ cup of water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well with a spatula. Divide into 2 balls and and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375.
Roll out one ball between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Place on a cookie sheet and remove the top piece of paper. With a pizza cutter, cut into whatever shapes you fancy! Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges turn golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before breaking the crackers.
So honored to be included in One Medical Group’s round-up of:
And if you are not interested in my healthy meals delivered to your door, I also give private and group cooking lessons and parties! See HERE
And my favorite quote…
Hemp Heart Love,
Claudine
Not only is this a delicious salad, but the benefits of the combination will boost your health and slow down aging by reducing cellular inflammation!
Photograph was taken by the talented Eric for my Decadent Detox website – thank you, my friend!
I love learning about foods and their medicinal purposes, and in addition, what foods paired together create an even bigger beneficial bang (than when eaten on their own)!
When I cook for myself, I cook with a purpose and choose foods for their health benefits 🙂 do I always want flax seeds on my yogurt? No, but I always sprinkle a little on because probiotics (yogurt) need high fibrous foods (flax) to thrive and do their thang’ in our tummies!
When I cook for my clients, it is with these intentions as well…every ingredient I choose serves a specific purpose… I LOVE IT… So fun!
Anyway, I love this combination and have been eating it almost every day down here in Mexico… can making fruit facials….check it out here!
Grapefruits are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that’s been shown to reduce inflammation and prevent cell damage. But when you pair grapefruit with avocado, the avocado’s healthy fats actually help increase lycopene absorption, making it more available for your body to use. says Dr Oz
Lately I’ve been enjoying making a Lemon Honey Flax oil dressing for this salad. I like this Flax oil for dressings. And anything tastes better with chopped nuts on top and fresh greens.
More powerful combinations here on Men’s Health
That’s called passionate about your work! Eric in his element
Hello Friends,
Welcome to Day 1 of Wellness Wednesdays! I’ve started this weekly news letter as a way to share tips, advice and wisdom on “Living Deliciously Well”. If you haven’t noticed, I LOVE an alliteration. So clearly, Wednesday must be the day to share Wellness Wisdom 🙂
Why “wellness” as opposed to “recipe” or “health”? Because wellness incorporates ALL aspects of living a whole, healthy, happy and mindful life! And yes, “wisdom” sounds a little hippie dippie or self-salvant of me {I made up that term}, just don’t over think it…it works well with my alliteration obsession 🙂
Day 1 on Living Deliciously Well… drum roll please…
Happiness!
I truly believe happiness is the foundation for overall wellbeing, health and success (in relationships, career, finances, etc). If you are living a life of resentment, substances and greed, it won’t mater the number of yoga classes you attend and green smoothies you down, you will never reach a level of contentment and true happiness.
And how coincidental that this was my YOGI tea mantra this morning. So true:
“Inspiring others towards happiness brings you happiness”
Ben sent me an article today published in the Elite Daily titled, “15 things that emotionally strong people do not do” And number 15 nailed my happiness philosophy to a T! Here it is verbatim… I wont even paraphrase, that’s how spot on this is:
“They don’t forget that happiness is a decision: Most importantly, the emotionally strong have learned to understand the power their brains have over both the mind and body. They understand that emotions are reactions, not reactions to direct physical causes, but to the way we perceive those causes. In other words, our emotions don’t reflect reality; rather, our emotions reflect the way we interpret reality. Understanding this gives us near-full control of our emotions and, therefore, our lives.”
I read this quote in Oprha on the plane yesterday, and though Iyanla is speaking of LOVE, I believe it applies to happiness as well.
“Don’t expect to get all you need from someone else. Whether we are talking about romantic relationships, deep friendships, or close bonds with family members, love is never codependency, validation, self-worth, self-value, or self-esteem. It’s an experience that should fill us with joy – not serve as a replacement for loving ourselves.”
Happiness and love begin from within. You must be happy and content in your life, in your body, and with yourself FIRST and not seek it through external sources (relationships, materialism, food, etc). Your GLASS must already be FULL before moving into a deep authentic relationship with someone.
I’m writing to you from Baja. On Halloween, I packed up my entire life, left SF and drove to the very most southern tip of highway 1….you can read about the journey HERE. Anyway, point being, I thought a life of beach, sun, tacos, organic farming and yoga would be the happiest place on earth. And as it turns out, even though I accomplished and learned a lot while living here, a slow-paced Mexican beach town, away from my friends and family, is not for me.
Your takeaway from Day 1 of Wellness Wednesdays:
Nori Rolls are a great healthy lunch option for while on the go.
If you haven’t tried making Nori Rolls before, I suggest you give it a shot… once you get the hang of rollin, they are super simple and you can fill them with practically any vegetable and grain! Roll them right into a piece of aluminum foil and just turn over the ends. Perfect for a for easy grab-and-go lunch and you can enjoy like you would a burrito – pulling down the sides of the foil as you munch down.
Limy Miso Ginger Dressing:
These are a few ingredients I always keep on hand – they last for ages in your fridge and you can have fun playing with the ratios….
Miso Paste (made of chickpeas, soy free gluten free), Organic Honey, Rice Wine Vinegar, Amino Acids, Crushed Ginger, a little Sesame Oil and Fresh Squeezed Lime.
Easy Peasy!
I’ll be hosting a Wellness Weekend in Baja, Mexico January 23-27th…and YOU are invited!
I’ve teamed up with 4 experts in the women’s wellness world to provide you with an unforgettable and relaxing weekend! Your stay includes morning meditation with my cousin Laney, rooftop pilates with Kelsey, holistic cooking/nutrition demos with Andi and Christian and 1 restorative massage. I’ll be cooking 3 nourishing meals a day with organic produce picked that morning, eggs from our farm and fish caught in the afternoon.
As you probably know by now, my passion in life is to spread health and wellness through personalized nutrition, cooking lessons and detoxes so I figure what better way to educate and inspire women than in a beautiful home on our own private beach.
We’re keeping the group small to just 9 girls, so sign up soon!
Offered at a discounted rate of $1,300 until January 4th, after which it is $1,500.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity as it will never be offered again. I hope you can join the fun!
Shoot me an email at visit@organicfarmgirl.org by January 10th!
Form this weeks Menu:
Japanese Bowl: Sprouted Rice, Edamame, Marinated Shiitake and Carrot Ginger Dressing
Sign up for for next week’s delivery HERE
Photo by the talented Eric Wolfinger
Yes, we pick your produce too!
We’re at Bloomfield Farms for a morning of “U PICK” – and guess what else… every Sunday a guest chef is on the farm whipping up breakfast with produce from the farm… AH talk about a day of farm to mouth!
MENU BELOW… Shoot me an email HERE
Southwest Burger
Black Beans and Spinach
Pepita Lime Pesto
Japanese Bowl
Sprouted Black Rice & Edamame
Sesame Marinated Shiitake
Carrot Ginger Dressing
Shredded Kale Salad
Rainbow Carrots & Quinoa
Curried Coconut & Almonds Crumble
Nori Rolls
Quinoa and Summer Veggies
Miso Dressing
Seasonal Frittata
Rainbow Chard, Sun Dried Tomatoes
Feta & Caramelized Shallots
Gluten Free and Paleo Baked Goods
Double Chocolate Brownies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
RSVP by Sunday Morning
~
view past menu HERE
Back to reality. Back to the grind. Back to the fog. Oh how I missed the San Francisco.
After 3 weeks of vacation (Nantucket and Baja pic here), the things I am happy to come home to: that leaf blowing on the ground is NOT a cockroach, a shower warmer than the ocean, and oh, you can flush the toilet paper!
On my last day in Mexico I threw together this breakfast just with what we had on hand. Was ready in 5 minutes and was so simple I feel silly even writing the recipe. The beet’s came from Logan’s farm, the eggs were SO local and organic that there were still feathers on them, and the rice was made the day before with our Chicken Mole dinner (I’ll post recipe later…used the chicken we slaughtered).
This is a FANTASTIC breakfast for a hangover! There’s really something to be said for a greasy fried egg after a night out…. truly magical. Plus, the starch from the rice and vitamins in the greens… add a sprinkle of chia seeds and a glass of coconut water and you’re game!
Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad with Desert Cattle Cheese, Toasted Almonds and Honey Dressing
Recipe
Mix about 1/2 cup cooked rice with an egg white. Form into 2 patties and fry. Sautee Beet greens, red onion and garlic. Fry an Egg. Done and Done!
SUMMER VACATION IS HERE!
Which means lots of temptations in airport snack shops.
Stay healthy while on the road by packing your own munchies.
For 1 month I’m living out of the same suitcase:
1 week sailing in Nantucket
10 days in Todos Santo, Baja
2 weeks house/pet-sitting a hamster, cat & great dane
6 heart healthy foods in my carry-on
Homemade Instant Oatmeal. Fruit with a peel incase it rolls out onto the airport floor.
Baked sweet potato. Avocado. Hard boiled egg. Dates filled with almond butter and sprinkled with chia seeds
I always pack my own instant oatmeal (pictured above):
oats, raisins, almonds, coconut and cinnamon
Just ask the flight attendant for a glass of boiling water. mix. wait. enjoy.
I recommend these packaged foods.
All provide lots of nutrients, vitamins and are minimally processed
If you always stock your pantry with these basics then packing for the road is simple
Staying healthy can be tough while traveling. There are times when you may not see any thing fresh and not from a package for hours, maybe even all day!
It’s important to plan ahead and pack healthy snacks for the plane and layovers. Your body is already working hard enough to stay healthy in the crowded dirty places…. Don’t add extra stress to your body by asking her to digest chips and soda.
It only takes a couple minutes to throw together a couple carry-on snack
Chia Seeds. These are a must. They fill you up not to mention super good for you! Think of flax seeds but on steroids. At hotels, when the breakfast is limited, add chia seeds to your coffee and grab a piece of fruit.
Oranges and Peel Fruit: Apples used to be my go to, but I find oranges are a safer choice. Like when fruit falls out of your purse and rolls across the airport floor, you can still peel and enjoy J Also, I find sometimes apples can be hard on a empty stomach.
Nuts and Fruit: hello. Talk about perfect carb, fat, protein combination…. And SO simple.
Every week I offer 5 vegetarian and gluten free meals to clients through out the Bay Area. Menu changes weekly and is based on what’s in season! Want health delivered right to your door? Drop me a line HERE
AH this is gooood.. even if you do not like cauliflower…you will like this! Who would have thought that cauliflower, flax seed meal and eggs could make a crust.
Pesto: Basil, Walnuts and Parmesan Cheese
Tomatoes: Toss in olive oil and Roast at 415 for about 10 minutes, toss with Herbs de Provence crushed garlic and roast 5 more minutes
Was inspired by Beard and Bonnet for the crust HERE
First bake the crusts for about 10 minutes. Add the pesto and already roasted veggies, more herbs, chopped walnuts and bake for another 5 minutes. I topped with Fresh parmesan and basil before serving.
A couple other hits last week:
Ricotta Pea Puree, Roasted Zucchini with Lemon Zest and Basil on a Cornmeal Crust
Zucchini Ribbon, Chickpeas and Quinoa Salad with Feta and Lemony Mint Dressing
Meet Logan Vail
“My goal is to produce quality food and make healthy eating more accessible. I want to leave this world a little better than I found it” he says, and explains that “People in the States are just uninformed, they are given the wrong information and labels don’t mean anything” Talk about magic to my ears. Many people think about making a difference in the world, but few actually take action to do so. You can imagine how excited I was when Logan invited me to accompany him on his morning rounds at the farm? Even if it meant waking up before the roosters, this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
History: Logan’s parents moved from Santa Barbara to Todos Santos in 1985 to follow their dreams of becoming the first organic farmers in Baja. They now grow around 20 different varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs. His father now gets to enjoy surfing the Baja waves while Logan manages the 500 acres of ocean front family farm land! Yes, at the ripe age of 27, Logan is the brains, ambition, drive, sweat and muscle behind it all! Impressive.
So, the basil that you (and everyone in North America) bought this week from Whole Foods or Trader Joes… I PICKED on Tuesday May 7th! 6am and covered in dirt, I was picking the basil ya’all are havin in those Basil Gimlets!
Currently he’s shipping 20, 000 lbs of basil across the boarder a week. Can you believe it? And, it’s all grown organically, sustainably and picked by hand. To make matters even more impressive: Conventional farms grow on the same land for years, and never give the soil rest. Whereas, on Logan’s farm, he believes in letting the land rest for 8 months out of the year and changing the crop in the soil ever season. This is natures way of keeping the land free of bugs and critters. Also, when letting the land rest, there is no need to use heavy chemicals and pesticides like massive conventional farm.
At 10am I turned to Logan and said, “I’m pooped. I don’t think I can farm anymore.” He looked at me with a “Are you kidding, we’re just getting started” expression and lead me back to his truck, “Alright, let’s get breakfast” he said. “Now we’re talkin!”
Finish a day’s work with:
Authentic Baja fried empanadas filled with Slow cooked desert cattle.
A cold beer at his dad’s beach hut. Outdoor shower under a mango tree (that was solo)
Rewind to the beginning of the morning: Logan picks me up before the sun comes up. On our way to the farm we stop at a little roadside coffee stand where the fishermen stop on their way into town to drop off their fresh catch. There’s one option on the menu: coffee served with a carton of milk. We then followed a dirt road for about 10 minutes along the ocean before arriving to his farm. Every morning Logan picks up the workers who live in simple “shacks” on the farm…they all hopped into the back of his truck, looking quite happy and cheerful I must say. Maybe it was the gringa chica in the front seat, who knows? Between 6-10am, we had already picked and eaten, basil, green beans, cucumbers, bell peppers, asparagus, avocado, sweet corn, grapefruit, guava, cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, herbs and saw a rattle snake! You’d be pooped too, right?
Curious to know what a farmer makes for dinner? It was so good, I’m still thinking about it. I’ll give you a hint, he shot a wild animal CHECK IT OUT HERE
Driveway to Heaven
What’s on the horizon for his future? Bringing the full farm-to-table experience to people. Allowing people to visit his farm and get the full experience as I did. Logan said he wishes to, “Create a platform where people can reconnect with their food. People don’t appreciate where their food comes from. We’ll get dirty, grow, pick, cook. It’s the full circle”
Did you know that hundreds of lbs of perfect produce is wasted ever day? Just thrown into the compost. You see, us Americans like our produce to look perfect, without scratches or natural marks. Whole Foods sends back the entire crate of produce if ONE cucumber in a box is a little boat shaped. Even though cucumbers naturally grow on the ground in a boat shape… they’re only straight because farmers hang them on vines. Anyway, getting off track. This is where the farm-to-table experience can come in. People can come to the farm and pick, cook and can the otherwise wasted produce. It’s perfect, right?
One might imagine how growing up on a farm in Paradise would inspire you to follow the path of your parents, however, it was professors at UCSB and authors like Joel Salatin and Michael Pollan who taught Logan the importance of sustainable and ethical farming practices.
Note: Logan’s parents played a huge role in inspiring him and still play a huge role in the success of their farm 🙂 want to be sure that’s clear.
We ended the day with a beautiful dinner at Mac’s house. Couldn’t ask for a better last day in Baja!
And in the end, Logan said, “I hope to change the minds of people and inspire people, so that the world doesn’t get ruined before it’s too late”
|
|
