Browsing Tag

vegetarian

Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

January 7, 2013
whole-wheat-berry-muffins

It’s Monday morning and I’m packing my suitcase. I’m heading off to America tomorrow to spend time with my family in Iowa. You can be sure I have my warmest sweaters, scarves and mittens thrown in the mix somewhere. The entire mid-west is under a blanket of snow – a concept I’m come to forget living in Ireland. I’m eager to spend some time outdoors going sledding and chasing our dogs around in the backyard.

If you remember my post from last summer, you know I am always well prepared for long hours of traveling. I never leave home without copious amounts of food and snacks. I think these muffins will make a nice addition to the other homemade in-flight munchies I have packed.

Ever since I started making homemade almond milk, I’ve found myself with an overload of almond pulp. With a bunch of almond pulp and frozen berries in hand, it seemed like the perfect excuse to make muffins. The brilliant thing about this recipe is it works well even without the almond pulp – just replace it with one cup of any flour of your choosing.

These muffins are not monster big or heavy like the American version. They are quite small, very light and filled with a wonderful berry flavor. They totally melt in your mouth! I like that they are not overly sweet, so you could have them for breakfast as well as a snack.

whole-wheat-berry-muffins-vegan

Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

Vegan

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • 1 cup almond pulp*
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 3 Tbsp. flax seed + ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • zest of 1/2 an orange
  • 1 cup frozen berries

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°c). Grease a muffin tin thoroughly or if you prefer, line with muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl mix the flour, almond pulp, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. Whisk together the maple syrup, flax mixture, almond milk, olive oil and zest until they are combined well. Add them to the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients until the batter is almost fully combined. Add the frozen berries, careful to not break up the berries too much.
  4. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake until the muffins are browned and a knife goes through cleanly, about 25 to 35 minutes.

*if not using almond pulp, replace with 1 cup of chosen flour

wholewheat-berry-muffins

I will continue to post on the blog while I’m away. In the meantime, connect with me through twitter, facebook, pinterest, instagram and my newsletter! Hope you all have a lovely week!

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Grapefruit, Lime & Ginger Juice

January 3, 2013
grapefruit-lime-and-ginger-juice

Happy New Year, dear readers! I hope you all had a delightful holiday filled with love and tummies filled with delicious food! Mine was slow and relaxing, with plenty of time for cooking, playing and reflections. Over the break, I came up with some new year’s goals and I thought it might be fun to share them with you. I hope that this inspires you create your own list!

  1. Consume more fresh pressed juices.
  2. Eat a greater variety of fruits and vegetables.
  3. Compete in a triathlon.
  4. Volunteer in the community.
  5. Live every day fully.

If one of your resolutions is eating healthier in the new year, this juice is a good tasty place to start. Kick things off with this beauty – a lovely pink, citrus-centric Grapefruit, Lime & Ginger Juice. This detoxifying and immunity-boosting juice recipe is easy to embrace post-holiday! It packs such a fresh punch of citrus and ginger flavor that you won’t feel you’re missing out on a thing. And by providing your immune system with a strong dose of vitamin C you’ll be putting yourself in the right frame of mind to embrace the new year in health.

grapefruit-lime-ginger-juice

Grapefruit, Lime & Ginger Juice

Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 grapefruit, peeled (I used ruby red)
  • 2 apples
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1/2 lime, peeled
  • 1/4 inch knob of ginger
  • fresh mint (optional)
  • sparkling water (optional)

Directions:

  1. Place grapefruit, apple, celery, lime, and ginger through juicer.
  2. Pour fresh juice into a glass and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Enjoy.

This juice is quite strong – but invigorating! And if you like, you could even add a splash of sparkling water.

I wish everyone the best for 2013. Thanks for continuing to discover the beauty of becoming the healthiest, most vibrant self through figgy & sprout! What are your resolutions? Leave a comment below, start a conversation, make a friend, inspire one another.

Stay connected with me in 2013 through twitter, facebook, pinterest, instagram and my newsletter!

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Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato

December 5, 2012
wheat-berry-salad-roasted-sweet-potato

With the cold and rainy days here in Ireland, this has been the perfect soul-warming kind of meal to cozy up to in front of the Christmas tree. The familiar flavors in this dish are reminiscent of the holiday season. This salad is something to savor with it’s mix of fresh greens, wheat berries, roasted sweet potatoes, pecans, cranberries and a few herbs and spices. Everything comes together for a good cause: feeding your body with warmth!

Wheat berries are the whole grain form of wheat – the whole complete grain before it has undergone any processing. They’re a high-fiber whole grain that can be used much like any other whole grain. When boiled, cooked wheat berries have a chewy bite and subtle nutty, earthy flavor. They are loaded with B vitamins for extra energy and battling holiday stress; as well as fiber, protein, folate, vitamin E, and calcium. Consuming whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. Substituting whole grains for their refined counterparts can also help with weight control.

This dish combines some serious fall power-players when it comes to nutrition, and not coincidentally, are excellent choices for preparing the body as we head into a long winter. It can certainly be served as an accompaniment alongside a main course, but it is also hearty enough to suffice as a comforting dinner. It is delicious warm or cold.

wheat-berry-salad-with-roasted-sweet-potato

Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato

Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked wheat berries
  • 1 large sweet potato, chopped into cubes
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 2 cups mixed greens
  • a few fresh or dried cranberries
  • 2 Tbsp. pecans or walnuts

Dressing:

  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
  • pinch of salt & pepper

Directions:

  1. Cook wheat berries according to package directions.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).  Chop the sweet potato into bite sized cubes. Drizzle with olive oil, chili powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Place on a baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until they are soft and slightly browned.
  3. Stir the dressing ingredients together, set aside.
  4. Place washed greens in a large bowl. Place the wheat berries and hot sweet potatoes over them. Add the dressing and toss. Add in the cranberries and nuts or seeds of your liking. Gently toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!

How are you staying warm during these colder months?

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Orange Cacao Goji Balls

November 28, 2012
orange-cacao-goji-balls

You probably eat a lot of raw foods already: fruit, salads, smoothies – but here is a recipe for a raw food snack that will hopefully inspire you to include more raw foods in your diet – it’s simple!

One of the bases for this snack comes from dates. They are filled with nourishing carbohydrates, fiber and naturally occurring sugars, which are quickly assimilated in the body. This makes them an excellent alternative for those wanting to cut back on simple-sugar desserts and confections. They are also an excellent source of potassium. In addition, dates are an excellent source of B-complex vitamins for energy and magnesium to metabolize that energy.

Goji berries are small, red, dried berries that are super-charged with antioxidants. This amazing little superfruit also contains natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. Their powerful antioxidant properties and polysaccharides help to boost the immune system.

I have already tooted this horn (here), but to sum up – raw cacao is one of the best sources of magnesium found in nature, in addition to containing high amounts calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur and potassium.

This snack also contain nuts and seeds, which are excellent sources of healthy fats to satisfy hunger in a hurry, and vegetarian protein for non-meat eaters like me. You can mix and match the nuts and seeds to suit your dietary, nutritional and flavor preferences.

cacao-goji-balls

Orange Cacao Goji Balls

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted
  • 3 Tbsp. goji berries
  • 2 tsp. liquid sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup)
  • 1 tsp. raw cacao powder
  • pinch of sea salt
  • zest from one orange

Directions:

  1. In a food processor, add sunflower seeds and almonds. Process to a slightly fine consistency.
  2. Add dates and goji berries to food processor with nuts and seeds. Add your sweetener of choice, raw cacao powder, sea salt and orange zest. Process until well combined.
  3. Roll into balls and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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