Superhero Antioxidant Smoothie

Wonder Woman Antioxidant Smoothie 

I’ve been drinking 2-4 cups of this smoothie for almost a year and I never get sick anymore! My family comes down with a cold and the virus just passes me by. The secret ingredient is my hibiscus elderberry tea. I brew it in large 4-8 cup batches at the beginning of the week to have on hand for my daily smoothies so that it’s fast and simple. Mix up the veggies every day if you can to get a variety of vitamins and you will be feeling fierce and alive in no time! Notes: I think a vita mix blender is worth the money if you can swing it but the recipe can be scaled back for a bullet blender also (which is what I use when I travel). You can pack it in your carryon, but know that they will for sure pull aside your bag and swab the mother of the blender to make sure it’s nothing crazy. I usually double this recipe and feed it to my four boys when they get home from school. Lastly, I think it’s worth going organic on your produce. Costco has the best prices on organic frozen fruit.

Hibiscus Elderberry Tea

4 cups boiling water
4 rounded Tbsp loose leaf hibiscus tea (buy on Amazon or your local Vitamin Cottage Grocers)
4 rounded Tbsp dried elderberries ((Amazon or Vitamin Cottage)
1/2 cup raw unfiltered honey
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Pure Liquid Stevia drops
32 oz French press (I bought a stainless steel one off of Amazon for $22 that works well)
1 quart mason jar for storing
1 16 oz mason jar for storing

1. Start heating the water to a boil (I love my electric kettle because it’s so fast). Put the Hibiscus and elderberries in the French press.

2. Pour the boiling water into the French press and cover for 5-10 minutes.

3. Press the tea down and pour into your mason jars leaving room at the top for the lemon and honey

4. When the tea is almost cool stir in the lemon, honey, and add stevia to taste. The tea is very concentrated so if you want to drink it iced throughout the day you will need to dilute it with more water. I like to brew it concentrated so that it takes up less room in the fridge, and then add the water later as I use it. Store with a lid in the refrigerator for up to seven days.

For the smoothie

1 cup hibiscus elderberry tea
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups veggies (power greens, summer squash, cucumber, sweet potato, you name it)
1 1/2 cups frozen fruit (I usually do a strawberry , raspberry, wild blueberry combo)
1/2 inch square of fresh peeled ginger (optional)
Lemon juice 3 Tbsp approximately is helpful to add if you need to cover up strong flavors like Arugula or celery
Pure liquid stevia 2-10 drops
Mason jar with lid
Manuka Honey for an extra antibacterial kick or wildflower honey to taste. Maybe 2 Tbsp to start with.

1. Combine the tea and water in your blender. Push your veggies down into the water until you reach the 4 cup mark on your blender (that way you know you got two solid cups of veggies without measuring.

2. Top with fruit, lemon juice, and honey, and two drops stevia. Blend until smooth and then taste test for sweetness. You might need a little bit more water if the blender is struggling. Add more stevia if needed. Drink immediately for maximum vitamin content. Pour extras into into mason jars with lids and store for up to two days.

Texas Sheet Cake Cinnamon Coffee

I can’t believe I never tasted a Texas sheet cake until a few years ago! It’s classic and addictive. I added cinnamon and coffee to this recipe which is optional, but oh so good. The coffee flavor won’t come out unless the coffee is extremely strong. I doubled the coffee grounds for this cake but I think I might triple them the next time. The cake is usually thinner than my picture because I doubled the recipe and crammed it in a larger pan. I wanted to taste the flavors side-by-side. The cinnamon coffee version next to the plain chocolate. The cinnamon coffee was hands-down my favorite, but they are both amazing! This recipe is perfect for a crowd and will not disappoint!

Texas Sheet Cake Cinnamon Coffee

For the sheet cake 

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)
1 cup very strong coffee (or water if you don’t like coffee)
2 cups flour
2 scant cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups toasted pecans (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan bring butter, cocoa powder and coffee to a boil, whisking occasionally. Once it reaches a boil and the cocoa is dissolved, remove from heat.

2. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.

4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture until combined, and then slowly start adding the cocoa mixture until well combined and there are no lumps.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of your 18 x 34” pan and pour the batter in it. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. It’s usually ready by 15 minutes.

For the frosting 

1/2 cup butter
6 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar sifted

1. In a medium sauce pan bring the butter, milk, cocoa powder to a boil and whisk together. Take off heat.

2. Sift powdered sugar into a mixing bowl and then add the cocoa mixture and beat until all the lumps have dissolved.

3. If you’re adding the pecans, scatter them over the baked cake first. Pour hot frosting onto the hot cake and let it set for 15-30 minutes.

Mexican Quinoa Toss

This is one of my favorite lunches to have on hand during a busy week. It’s a perfectly delicious and healthy high protein meal or snack. It also makes a great quesadilla filling!

Mexican Quinoa Toss

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 large tomato or two small diced
1 small avocado chopped
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 red onion diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 small jalapeño finely diced
1 clove garlic finely diced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
3 dashes Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning (optional)

1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil and then add the quinoa. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until tender.

2. While the quinoa is cooking chop your avocado and toss it in the lime juice in a medium sized bowl to keep the avocado from discoloring.

3. Add the tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, black beans, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, pepper, salt, and chili lime seasoning and toss to coat evenly.

4. When the quinoa is done cooking spread it out on a heat safe place and set it in the freezer for a couple of minutes to cool it down if you need to eat in a hurry. Otherwise wait till it cools and then toss it together with your veggies, and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.

Chocolate Sauce

My kids love chocolate milk for an after school treat, and I love giving it to them without all of that refined sugar! This chocolate sauce makes great chocolate milk added to the milk of your choosing. It's also great on ice-cream. Win win!

Chocolate Sauce

8 ounces (about 1 1/3 cups Ghirardelli chocolate chips) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream plus more for thinning the sauce as needed
5 Tbsp Kerrygold butter
1/4 cup blue agave
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar (optional)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the chopped chocolate (or chips), heavy cream, butter, agave, and brown sugar (if using). Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overheat or scorch the chocolate.

2. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes before adding the vanilla. If you need to you can add more heavy cream to thin out the sauce. Store extras in the refrigerator for up to a week and heat in the microwave to use again.

Brioche Donut Bites with Chocolate and Raspberry Filling

I kid you not, these will be the best donuts you ever put in your mouth! The raspberry filled are by far my favorites of the two varieties. The Brioche dough is so incredibly tender and soft and buttery. It compliments the bright raspberry flavor perfectly. Expect everyone in the house to start crowding around to snatch up the donuts as soon as they are ready! Thank you Paul Hollywood for the recipe. I added strawberries to his recipe and a couple of small changes.

Brioche Donut Bites with Chocolate Strawberry and Raspberry Filling

Brioche Donut Dough

250 grams flour
4 grams salt
25 grams caster sugar
5 grams Instant yeast
70 mL whole milk
2 large free range eggs
125 g unsalted butter softened
Sunflower or avocado oil for frying

Donut Decorations and filling

9 large raspberries
2 strawberries cubed (about 2 grams each)
50 grams semi sweet or milk chocolate broken into 9 equal pieces
9 strawberry slices 
Caster sugar

1. Put the flower in a freestanding mixer. Add sugar and salt on one side of the bowl, and used on the other. Add the milk and eggs mixing on low speed for two minutes. Then mix on medium speed for an additional 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is soft, glossy, and elastic.

2. Add soft butter and mix for 4 to 5 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally to get all of the butter mixed in. Door will be very soft.

3. Place the dough in a plastic or glass bowl covered with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight or for at least seven hours.

4. Tip dough onto a very lightly floured surface and kneed it a few times.

5. Divide dough into 18 equal portions. Approximately 26-28 g each. Flatten each portion with your fingers and place a piece of chocolate (I use 2 milk chocolate chips) and 1 strawberry cube in the center and then gently fold the dough up and over the chocolate, pinching the dough together at the top. Shape into a ball and set aside on a baking tray to prove for 20 minutes. make sure to keep the chocolate and raspberry donuts separated so that you will know which is which after they have been fried.  Continue flattening the dough and put a raspberry in the center of the remaining 9 portions, folding the dough over each raspberry and pinching at the top. Roll them into a ball and prove for 20 minutes. Don’t be tempted to prove more than 25 minutes or else the donuts will deflate as you transfer them into the fryer. I also think it’s helpful to slightly flatten each ball of dough after you put it on the tray so that the donuts are easier to manage in the frying pan as you flip them on each side.

6. Preheat the oil to 170°C. Lower the chocolate donuts carefully into the fryer cooking each side for about three minutes until they are golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the donuts from the oil instead of side on a paper towel covered cooling rack. Continue this process with the raspberry donuts. After each raspberry donut comes out of the oil it needs to be rolled in caster sugar immediately so that the oil from the frying will help the sugar to stick.

7. To decorate the chocolate donuts, set a strawberry slice on each donut. Microwave the chocolate in small ramekins at 20 second intervals, stopping to stir every 20 seconds. When the chocolate is melted, spoon the white chocolate into a piping or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Spoon the melted milk chocolate into a separate bag with the corner snipped off and then drizzle first the milk chocolate, and then the white chocolate over the donuts in a zig zag pattern. Leave the chocolate to set, and then serve.

8. To decorate the raspberry donuts, put the caster sugar in a small bowl and roll the fried raspberry donuts into the caster sugar as soon as they come out of the fryer so that the oil helps the sugar stick to the donuts.

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

This is surprisingly delicious and such a good replacement for boxed Mac n cheese. I got this recipe from Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook Deceptively Delicious and made a few small changes.

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

3 cups Italy imported macaroni noodles
1 1/4 cups pasture raised milk
1 Tbsp mild flavored extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Tapioca flour or white flour
1/2 cup butternut squash, cooked and puréed
1 3/4 cups shredded pasture raised cheddar
2 ounces pasture raised cream cheese
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp pepper freshly ground

1. Boil the noodles according to package instructions. Drain in a colander.

2. While the macaroni is cooking, heat a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Add oil, then flour, Cook stirring constantly until mixture resembles a thick paste but not browned (1-2 minutes). whisk in the milk and cook, stirring every now and then until the mixture thickens (3-4 minutes). Add the vegetable purée, cheese, cream cheese, and seasonings, and stir until the cheese is melted in the sauce is smooth. Every once in a while the sauce will separate. If it does that you can still save it by putting it in a blender on medium high speed for 30 seconds.

3. For the sauce over your noodles and stir to coat well. Serve immediately.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs

12 hard boiled eggs, peeled
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
3 Tbsp cauliflower steamed, puréed, and cooled
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Braggs apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
Paprika to sprinkle on top

1. Placed the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise and remove all of the yolks, putting them on a plate.
Mash all the yolks with a fork and then slide them into a small bowl.

2. Whip in the mayonnaise, cauliflower, mustard, vinegar, and sea salt.

3. Put the egg yolk mixture into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off. Pipe the yolk mixture into the center of the egg whites. Sprinkle paprika over the tops placethe finished eggs on your serving platter. You can just spoon  the egg  yolk mixture into the egg whites if you are pressed for time.