Mango sweet farina

Hey guys it's been a while, I've been debating starting a new blog that has a easier format. Here is a quick easy breakfast recipe! 

Ingredients: 

1 mango sliced

1/2 a cup of brown rice farina (I used bobs red mill) 

1 tablespoon of coconut cream/butter (I used full fat) 

2 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of vanilla bean powder 

2 tablespoon of chia seeds 

2 tablespoons or more maple syrup (as sweet as you like it) 

Directions: 

1. In a medium sauce pan cook 1/2 a cup of farina with 1.5 cups of water on medium low for 5 minutes 

2. When farina is almost done (thick and creamy) add coconut cream & sesonings 

3. Add maple syrup last (to taste) 

4. Top with mango and chia seeds

5. Mix around and enjoy!! 

Roasted tomato salsa!

Ingredients: 

5 Roma tomatoes 

1 jalapeño pepper 

1/2 sweet onion (cut in half leave skin) 

2 garlic cloves (with skin) 

1 red bell pepper 

1/4 tsp of cumin powder 

1 tsp of chili powder 

1/4 a cup of cilantro diced 

1 tsp of sea salt (more to taste) 

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees 

2. Like a baking sheet with aluminum foil 

3. Place onion, jalapeño, garlic cloves, bell pepper and tomatoes without cutting (they roast better this way) 

4. Cook for 30 minutes 

5. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes. 

6. Remove stems and skin from onion and garlic. 

7. Add the rest of the ingredients plus roasted veggies to food processor. 

8. Pulse until desired consistency (for a chunkier sauce, pulse garlic, cilantro and onion till well minced before the other veggies) 

8. Let cool then place in fridge for at least one hour for flavors to mix. I let sit overnight for the best flavor 

Sweet potato mix (oil free and easy)

Ingredients: 

1 white sweet potato & one garnet sweet potato (any kind will work here) 

2 teaspoons of cinnamon 

2 teaspoons of vanilla bean powder 

Directions: 

Chop sweet potatoes into wedges, In a large bowl mix sweet potatoes with seasonings (add more if needed to coat). Place half the mixture into a piece of aluminum foil, cover completely. I being edges to middle then fold. Then place the other half in another sheet of aluminum foil.  Can be cooked in a baking pan covered with aluminum foil for steam. Heat at 450 for 45 minutes. Remove and open bag to let steam escape and enjoy!! 

Vegan cornbread with Bob's red mill mix

Ingredients: (I use organic for everything)

2 tablespoons of ground flax seed 

6 tablespoons of water (flax and water for flax egg) 

1 1/2 cups of oat milk (plain) 

3 tablespoons of maple syrup 

1 teaspoon of vanilla bean powder (optional) 

2/3 cup of unsweetened Apple sauce 

1 bag of bob's red mill cornbread mix 

Directions: 

1. Make flax egg. Mix water and flax seed and let sit for 10-15 minutes 

2. Measure out all ingredients and let sit at out till room temp. 

3. Add all ingredients and follow directions for mixing! 

4. These taste great as muffins makes around 13-14 

Delicious Cabbage mix!

Some of the tips for Maximum weightloss are to eat veggies and raw veggies before your starches. This is by far my favorite way to eat cabbage! So delicious

Ingredients:
1/2 a head of cabbage (sliced into bite sized pieces)
1/4 a cup of yellow onion sliced
1/4 a cup of cilantro or parsley
2 tsp of onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika

Directions:
Add 2 tablespoons of water into a pan with a lid, add all ingredients and cook on medium for 5 minutes. Remove lid and mix, add more water if needed and steam till you like the texture! enjoy

Tips to stay on Plan: Starch Solution

1. Vita-cost or other low-cost websites. I buy all of my breakfast goodies on this website. I eat a lot of Bob's red mill breakfast cereals, because they are delicious, gluten free and easy to cook. My favorites are the 8 grain hot cereal, the creamy farina, and the muesli (has honey).  The prices for Bob's red mill products are usually 25% off, plus coupons that they send you! You end up saving a lot of money. I buy 4-5 different kinds at a time. I go through one bag a week, and I switch them up. Last week I ate the 8 grain hot cereal, this week I am going to eat the creamy farina. You can also switch them up every-day to keep it interesting. I serve all of their products with either, raisins (oil free), maple syrup/coconut sugar, cinnamon and vanilla bean powder. Post about cereal coming soon.

2. Keep your pantry stocked with different kinds of rice, including instant rice if you live a busy life. There are also lots of other flavored rices that are fat free that you can have on hand. Currently I have instant brown rice, white basmati rice, brown rice, white rice, sticky rice, black rice, wild rice, Quinoa and a couple quick rice mixes (Cajun, and veggie). Having a variety of rices insures that I do not get tired of what I am eating and that when I am getting home late I have a quick 10 minute meal. (rice and steamed veggies usually). *I also keep rice noodles handy (check ingredients to make sure that they only have rice and water)


3. Keep your fridge stocked full of healthy organic frozen veggies & fruits. I have about 2 bags of mixed veggies (central market brand), 2 bags of a Normandy blend, 2 bags of peas, 2 bags of corn, 2 bags of steamed spinach. 2 bags of berry blend fruit, 2 bags of blueberries, and 2 bags of strawberries. I buy all organic because the quality and taste is great.

4. Make sure you have a lot of fat free salad dressings on hand. If you are going to a restraunt make sure to bring your own dressing or just ask for lemons! I love salads with lemon and little bit of salt and pepper. Vita-cost also has a great sale on maple grove brand dressings with are vegan, gluten free and fat free.

5. Make sure you have canned beans and dry beans in your pantry. I currently have 2 cans of organic low-sodium black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans and white beans. I also have dry kidney beans, white beans, black beans, and pinto beans.

6. I live in Texas so I keep my potatoes and sweet potatoes in my fridge and they last all week or two weeks. I always keep russet, gold and sweet potatoes in my fridge.

7. Keep salt-free seasonings in your pantry Ms. Dash is really good as well as HEB or other low cost brands (make sure to get gluten free seasonings if you have an allergy)

8. I drink at least 8 cups of water a day, I have a huge jug that I fill and make sure to drink at least two and I have really seen good results weight wise.

Chia seeds for weightloss!

Hey guys,
So a few weightloss tips that have been really helping me get back to my normal size is adding chia seeds into my juices, waters and food. Chia seeds expand in your stomach and keep you full and satisfied! Try adding at least 2 tablespoons daily to really see improvements. I also started drinking at least 10 cups of water everyday! More if I really want to, of course I am peeing alot but I feel so much better and the belly is slimming down!

http://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds/

Easy Baked Beans

Quick and easy slow cooker beans! all you need are a few ingredients and time, (I cooked mine overnight and they were perfect in the morning.

Ingredients:
1-2 cups of white northern beans
Water to cover beans plus one inch (sub veggie broth for a real treat!)
1 cup of organic bbq sauce (sweeter kinds work best)
1 cup of organic dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of paprika
2 tsp of black pepper
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1/2 an onion (sliced, more if you love onions)
1 bell pepper diced
1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce (you can also use sea salt, I would season with 1 tablespoon and more to taste when they are done)

Directions:
Rinse and sort beans, put beans and seasonings in crock-pot then water to fill one inch over beans. Cook for 3 hours on high heat, then reduce to low and cook for 10 hours. (you can possibly cook for 8 hours if you leave heat on high, depending on the type of slow cooker you have.
Enjoy!

30 days on starch solution starting March 1st

I have finally found my way back to self-love and starch solution. Never have I felt so alive and full of energy and satisfied, then when I commit fully, to this lifestyle. In order to show you how amazing I have decided to document my full journey to a healthy starch based, high carb low fat vegan lifestyle. Due to recent stressful life events, I have fallen off track and added a lot of vegan junk food to my diet and boy does it show! My skin is fighting back, my energy levels are up and down and I have been getting bloated and congested. I have decided to document on instagram and on here my daily meals. I plan on providing recipes and pictures as well as a video documenting my journey with a before and after. 30 days HCLF starchivore style starts tomorrow March 1st.

Sweet and spicy noodles! Day 1 of 30 days of recipes

Ingredients: 

1-2 cups of cooked rice noodles. Some types of noodles only need to be in hot water for 1 minute before you use. I used thick noodles that had to be boiled for 2 minutes before cooking. You can also sub gluten free pasta 

1 tablespoon of coconut nectar (more if it's too spicy) 

1 tsp of ginger & garlic powder (add more to taste) 

1 tablespoon of chili flakes or siracha or similar Asian chili sauce 

1 cup of veggies (I used shredded carrots, bell peppers, onion and broccoli/cauliflower. 

2-3 tsp of coconut soy sauce or braggs 

Directions: 

1. Prepare noodles for cooking( follow bag directions) rinse with cold water and set aside

2. Cook veggies in 2 tablespoons of water 

3. When softened to your liking add in noodles and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well on low heat. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring then remove from heat and serve! 

3. I like to serve this over chopped lettuce. 

Simple 4 Ingredient Cuban Black Beans

I was searching through my cabinet looking for a delicious vegetarian dish to bring to work when I remembered a post I had seen a while ago, talking about how to cook beans without soaking. I had a bag of black beans, 3 cloves of garlic and one shallot left so I figured why not. This dish came out so delicious! In cuba they add an orange, into their black beans which adds so much depth to this simple earthy dish. Enjoy! I serve these over white rice (traditional cuban way).

Ingredients: 

1 Bag of black beans (rinsed, plus remove any bad beans and rocks) 

1\2 a sweet orange, preferably organic because the peel will soak in the water

3 cloves of garlic (uncut, but you can cut if you want to) 

1 shallot (you can dice, I put in the whole one without cutting)
Enough water to cover beans plus about 1/2 an inch. *
1-2 tablespoons of sea salt/Himalayan salt. (omit if you are salt-free)

Directions:
In a ceramic or clay pot, add all ingredients. Add water last filling till all of the beans are covered plus 1/2 an inch more. Bring to a boil, using medium heat, then reduce to low and cover and cook for 3 hours. Yes these beans take 3 hours, but without pre-soaking, I expected to have to cook with them for a while.


*I like to really taste the beans when I eat them, if you do not enjoy a simpler black bean then you can add a lot of flavor to this dish, by using veggie broth instead of water and adding in 1-2 tablespoons of chili powder (or curry powder), 1 tablespoon of pepper and 1 tablespoon of paprika. Enjoy!
 

Potato chalupas!

I used to love Picadillo, the traditional version has potatoes, meat, onion, tomatoes and sometimes corn and bell peppers. Omit the meat and you still have a delicious filling for tacos, chalupas or even to eat by itself. This recipe requires no oil and is very simple and quick. If you follow me on Instagram you have seen these kind of potatoes in many of my photos they are by far my favorite way to cook potatoes. 

1 serving 

Ingredients: 

4 teaspoons total of chili powder 

3 teaspoons of garlic powder 

2 teaspoons of ground cumin 

2 teaspoons of paprika 

1-2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced small (the smaller the quicker they cook, and less water you need) 

1/2 a bell pepper sliced and diced small (roughly 1/2 a cup) 

1/4 a cup of yellow onion diced 

1 cup or 1/2 a cup of corn (I used frozen) 

Directions: 

(In a small bowl add all of seasonings and mix well, you will use 1/2 in the first part of the recipe and the rest towards the end) 

1. Add in all chopped veggies into a non stick pan, add enough water to cover veggies (see picture) 

2. Cook on medium heat until mixture starts to boil, turn heat to medium low. Add in 1/2 the seasonings and Mix well 

3. Mix every couple minutes, when you notice the water is starting to evaporate, and potatoes are getting soft, add in corn. Mix and add in the rest of the seasonings. 

4. Mix and cook until the majority of the water is gone. Remove from heat and let sit for 3-4 minutes before using!! 

5. For chalupas spoon 1 tablespoon of refried beans onto a baked chalupa shell, add potato mixture then your choice of veggies! I use 1/2 an avocado diced, 1 tomato diced and 3 tablespoons of chopped onion for 3 chalupas!! So delicious. (Make sure to use fat free chalupas and beans) 

(Note if potatoes start to stick before they are nice and soft just add in more water in tablespoon amounts) 

Simple butternut squash soup!!

2 hearty servings (plus leftovers with rice) 

Ingredients: 

1 organic butternut squash  (cubed, skin cut off) 

1/2 cup of carrots (diced or matchstick) 

1 shallot (diced, sub white or yellow onion 1/4 a cup) 

1 tsp or ground curry powder (optional, add 1 tablespoon for a spicy soup) 

2-3 cups of vegetable broth (3 cups for a thinner soup) 

1 garlic clove minced or (1/8 a tsp or garlic powder) 

Directions: 

1. Heat veggie broth, seasonings, onion and garlic in a large soup pot with a lid. Bring to boil on medium high heat

2. Add in veggies and reduce head to low 

3. Cook for 30 minutes or until all veggies are tender 

4. Blend until desired consistency is reached. I use the purée setting on my blender and blend for 30 seconds 

5. Serve warm with white rice for a filling meal!! 

Enjoy! 

Caldo

1 serving if your eating the whole soup, or 2 if you serve with white rice! I like to eat this kind of soup with a corn tortillas! The broth is great for dipping. Works when doubled or with different veggies. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of sliced cabbage 

1/2 a cup of matchstick carrots 

1 ear of corn cut in half 

1/2 a can of organic diced tomatoes (in juices) 

1 cup of broccoli 

1/4 a cup of sliced celery 

2 broiler onions (1/4 a cup sliced, any kind works) 

1 cup of diced potatoes (I used Yukon gold) 

3 cups of veggie broth (bouillon cubes work as well) 

1 tablespoon of cumin & chili powder (plus a couple shakes) 

2 tsp of garlic & black pepper 

1 clove of garlic, minced or cut small as you can 

Directions: 

Throw all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil! Cover and turn heat to medium low. Cook for 30 minutes!! Serve with cooked white rice for a filling meal 

Psssss add in 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce while cooking for a real spicy treat 

Curry spiced sweet potato soup!

I think I am starting to fall in love with curry, seriously. I have been putting it in my veggies, in my salads, in my rice and soups, everything, curry all day everyday. I am currently using the sprouts brand organic curry mix, it is so delicious and suits this soup very nicely! Enjoy and please tag me if you use my recipes, I would like to see how they turn out. 

Ingredients: 

1 large sweet potato (around 3 cups) 

1 shallot (diced or sliced) 

1 cup of peeled carrots (diced) 

2 tsp of curry powder (less if you don't like it spicy) 

1/4 a tsp of ginger 

2 cups of veggie broth (low sodium, or made from bouillon) 

1 cup of distilled water 

Directions: 

1. Bring all of the ingredients to a boil, cover and let cook for 30-40 minutes. Take off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a high speed blender until well pureed. Enjoy hot! Tastes even better the next day (lunch for 2 days, double mixture for more) 

Apple cider vinegar cole slaw

If you like a sweet cole slaw than this recipe is for you! the smell is a little pungent from the apple cider vinegar but it tastes oh so good! especially with the potato packs from the post before. I was searching for an oil free cole slaw recipe and I could not find one that sounded like it would work. Spur of the moment decisions make great recipes! Apple cider vinegar has tons of health benefits so I try and sneak it into recipes all the time! so good

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of coconut sugar
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 tsp of black pepper
2 tsp of chili powder
1/4 a tsp of garlic power (optional)
1/4 a cup of chopped cilantro (diced small)
1/4 a cup of matchstick carrots
4 cups of cole slaw mixture ( I used pre-made) 
 Sub 2 cups of chopped green and red cabbage and carrots.

Directions:
1. Mix seasonings before you add veggies in a large bowl.
2. Add veggies and mix until well coated (If you want more dressing add 1 more tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 2 more tablespoons of coconut sugar as well as adding a little more of the seasonings to taste.

Fat Free BBQ potato packs (oven recipe)

Ingredients:

4  small organic yellow potatoes (what I had handy) 

1/4 a quarter of a yellow onion sliced

1/4-1/2 a cup of diced bell pepper 

1/4 a cup of matchstick carrots 

1 ear of corn 

2-3 tablespoons of Organic BBQ sauce (I used Annie's Brand) or really any fat free kind you have handy 

2-3 teaspoons of Bragg's liquid aminos 

1/8 a tsp of liquid smoke (optional tastes great with or without) 

1 tsp of garlic powder 

1 tsp of chili powder 

1 tablespoon of water 

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 450

2. Pour all ingredients in a non-stick bread loaf pan, cover pan with aluminum foil so no steam can escape pan. (If you have a pan with a top that can be in the oven you may use this if you prefer not to use foil. I am still in the market for a dutch oven or similar pot for the oven. (You can double this recipe for a larger pan to save some for lunch, tastes great the next day).

3. Cook for 60 minutes (until potatoes are soft try not to check so that steam does not escape!)

Serve with fat free bbq beans, or eat as a meal! Your choice, also goes great with toasted vegan bread, or cornbread! I ate mine with a apple cider vinegar cole slaw! recipe in next blog

Veggie "Fried" Brown Rice

I made a Veggie bowl and had about a cup left of brown rice. I decided to experiment and try something new with my veggies and rice and boy am I happy that I did!! You will need 1 cup of cooled brown rice for this recipe! I used short grain and I think that added to how awesome this rice was.

Ingredients:
1 cup of cooled Brown rice (More more more than one serving)
1.4 a cup of diced zucchini
1/4 a cup of sliced yellow onion
1/4 a cup of diced broccoli
1/4 a cup of matchstick carrots
3-4 chopped Bok Choy leaves ( I used baby bok choy, can be subbed for Kale or Spinach)
2 minced garlic cloves (again I love garlic so if your not a big fan just use one)
1 tablespoon of ginger
1 tsp of garlic powder
2 tsp of black powder
2 tsp of onion powder (optional, not too much of a taste difference)
2-3 tablespoons of Bragg's liquid aminos or other low sodium soy sauce
1/4 a cup of your choice of sweet and sour sauce either my homemade recipe or a store bought no fat one.

Directions:
1. Heat a non stick pan to medium heat, add in veggies and 2 tablespoons of water. (keep adding water until veggies are well cooked)
2. Once the broccoli is soft (not mushy) add in brown rice, seasonings and 1 tablespoon of water. Next add the soy sauce and stir around until warm. (I took the pan off the heat and mixed in sweet and sour sauce, I personally like all my food mixed)
3. Serve with sweet and sour sauce, or if already mixed in serve with siracha. Enjoy!

Oat and banana Cookies! No oil

Hey guys,
I was browsing around for recipes for bananas cause I have a lot of extra ripe ones when I ran into the perfect cookie recipe! Seriously all you need is two ingredients for a delicious cookie! Best of all you can alter this recipe to suit your own taste buds! I used cranberries and dairy free chocolate for my mix-ins but the possibilities are endless!! The following is the exact recipe for how I made these cookies! I used frozen bananas and normal gluten free oats so I had to alter it a little for the recipe. These aren't the prettiest cookies but boy do they hit the spot. Plus you can make a small meal out of these since you are basically eating 1 cup of oats and 2 bananas!
Original Recipe Modified so no oil is involved
Ingredients:
1 cup of rolled oats
2 very ripe bananas, frozen or regular (defrosted, let them sit out at least 15 minutes next to pre-heating oven until its soft) 
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of coconut sugar
2 tablespoons of cranberries

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375
2. Add 1 cup of oats into a food processor and pulse 3 times (make sure not to make oat flour, you just want the oats a little crushed so they mix with bananas) *skip step if using quick oats 

3. In a large bowl mix banana and oats until well combined
4. Next add mix ins, I have also added freeze dried fruit with good results. 
5. Spoon mixture onto cookie sheet with either silicone, or parchment paper so that it is non-stick. (Note this recipe uses oil, instead of greasing the cookie sheet with oil I use parchment paper)
6. Cook for 14 minutes and let cool for 5 minutes!

Enjoy your healthy treat!!

Polenta "fries"

If you have leftover polenta either from the recipe I posted, or your own, don't throw it out!! You can make some delicious oven baked fries that are super crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside! You can also use store-bought polenta for this recipe. I served mine with homemade salsa and fresh veggies!

Ingredients:
Leftover Polenta: Place cooked Polenta in a square Tupperware container (I used a glass pyrex one). Let cool completely (20 minutes) before you put it in the fridge. Leave in fridge for at least 1 hour, can be left for longer with same results.
2 tsp of chili powder
2 tsp of black pepper


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Link cookie sheet with parchment paper (unless you have a silicone sheet)
3. Cut Polenta into fries (try and cut them thin for best results)
4. Lay out on cookie sheet, make sure they have room and none are touching.
5. Season and put in oven
6. Cook for 25 minutes then flip and cook 10-15 minutes longer till desired crispyness is reached (mine took 15 minutes longer)

Enjoy!!!