Simple Trail Mix

I'm not the biggest fan of nuts and dried fruits but almonds and dried cranberries are my preferred choice. I recently chopped some almonds and cashews, sprinkled them with cumin and roasted in the oven for 10 mins. I added some dried cranberries to make a simple yet tasty trail mix - the perfect energy-packed snack for munching pre- or post-workout!

It's simple only because I don't have any other ingredients that are usually popular in trail mixes, like raisins, apricots, dates, banana pieces, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. Some trail mixes even contain cereals, popcorn, M&Ms and pretzels!

It's easy for calories to sky-rocket with trail mixes. Unless you're actually hiking a trail, it's advisable to keep a serving to 1/4 cup / approx. 50g. Nuts are loaded with healthy unsaturated fats as well as protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Always use unsalted, unsweetened nuts to limit sugar and sodium intake.

Whilst the softness and sweetness of dried fruit compliment the crunchy nutty taste of nuts, they are loaded with sugar. Some dried fruit even has added sugar and preservatives. There may be vitamins in the dried fruit but it's best to eat the whole, fresh fruit for full nutritional benefit. At least dried fruit in a home-made trail mix can be limited to a small handful.

Simple Trail Mix
Makes 1

Ingredients:
- 14g / 0.5oz cashews, raw
- 28g / 1oz almonds
- sprinkle of cumin
- 20g / 0.7oz cranberries, dried

Method:
Roughly chop cashews and almonds if desired.
Place on a baking tray, lightly spray with cooking oil and sprinkle with cumin.
Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

Once cool, add dried cranberries and mix together.
ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Cauliflower Pasta

Like my previous avocado pasta recipe, this is another quick and easy pasta sauce recipe which only uses simple ingredients and no dairy! A food processor is required to blend together the ingredients. The sauce can be made in the time it takes to boil the pasta, thus making it a super quick and delicious meal.  I added a couple of teaspoons of mustard to my cauliflower sauce but it can be eaten without.

I recently discovered nutritional yeast which I bought from Whole Foods. The yeast flakes - not to be confused or substituted for active yeast (used in bread) - is usually used in vegan cooking. It's a nutritious food - see info below - naturally low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar, dairy, and gluten. When mixed with the blended cauliflower it gives a great cheesy, creamy taste with a slight nutty flavour.

Taken from Wikipedia, I learnt the following: On average, two tablespoons provides 60 calories with 5 g of carbohydrates (of which 4g is fiber). A serving also provides 9g of protein and is a complete protein, providing all nine amino acids the human body cannot produce. It is also a source of selenium and potassium. While fortified and unfortified nutritional yeast both provide iron, the fortified yeast provides 20 percent of the recommended daily value, while unfortified yeast provides only 5 percent. Unfortified nutritional yeast provides from 35 to 100 percent of all of the B vitamins, except for B12. Fortified nutritional yeast adds 150 percent of vitamin B12 and 720 percent of riboflavin.

Cauliflower Pasta
Makes 2

Ingredients:
- 112g / 4oz  spaghetti or pasta, whole wheat
- 300g /11oz cauliflower
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 7.5ml / 1/2tbsp olive oil
- 4tbsp (approx. 20g) nutritional yeast
- 120ml / 4floz almond milk, unsweetened
- 10g / 2tsp mustard, whole grain or Dijion
- ground black pepper
- 1/2tsp onion powder (optional)

Method:
Boil the whole wheat spaghetti or pasta according to packet instructions, usually about 10 mins.
Cook the cauliflower florets on stove top or in a microwave until fork tender, 3-5 mins.
Blend the cauliflower with all the other ingredients in a food processor to create a smooth sauce.

Drain the pasta, mix in the cauliflower sauce. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Black Bean Hummus

I could eat hummus everyday - I occasionally do - as it's a great healthy snack and keeps me going between breakfast and lunch. I recently tried smoked black bean hummus which was delicious. As I don't own a smoker, the recipe below simply requires a food processor. An alternative recipe uses 2tsp soy sauce/tamari which could be tasty. I may have to play around with different flavours in the future.

Whilst all types of legume, including chickpeas, are very nutritious, black beans are better for allowing bacteria in the colon to produce butyric acid. Cells lining the inside of the colon can use this butyric acid to fuel their many activities and keep the lower digestive tract functioning properly. Given the impressive array of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in black beans, it's no surprise to see several studies connecting black bean intake with reduced risk of certain cancers, such as colon cancer.

Several websites list numerous benefits of black beans, including these six:
- Digestive Tract Benefits
- Blood Sugar Regulation
- Cardiovascular Health
- Cancer Prevention
- Nervous System Health
- Rich in Molybdenum (a trace mineral)

Black Bean Hummus
Makes 5 (67g per serving)
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 440g / 15.5oz / 1 can black beans (no added salt)
- 15ml / 1tbsp black bean juice
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil
- 30ml / 2tbsp lemon juice
- 3/4tsp cumin
- 1/4tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4tsp paprika

Method:
Drain the can of black beans, retaining 1 tablespoon of juice.
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend together.

Spoon into a container for storage. 
Serve with chopped vegetables. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Stuffed Sweet Potato

This recipe idea was taken from the Revive Cafe Cookbook step-by-step stuffed veges guide. From their suggestions, they state 2,903,040 different combinations! I guess it's an ideal opportunity to get creative. 

I had a spare sweet potato and instead of simply baking it and topping with tuna or cottage cheese, I took inspiration from their stuffed veges guide and created the recipe below. The crunch of the celery went well with the softness in the potato and oats. Cumin and black beans always go well together and didn't overpower the dish, still leaving the sweetness of the potato.

Obviously this is one of many outcomes (quite experimental) but it tasted good and one potato served two people for a quick and easy lunch.

Other ideas for stuffed vegetables include regular potatoes, aubergines, peppers, squash or courgettes. I could have used rice or quinoa instead of oats but didn't have any already cooked up. I had to be careful not to over do the flavour and texture of the dish - it's probably easy to get carried away with so many options: garlic, onions, paprika, honey, mustard, chili powder, combined with peas, sweet corn, mushrooms, chickpeas, almonds, olives.

I didn't bother with additional toppings like sesame seeds, chopped nuts or any garnishing like coriander, parsley, hummus, pesto. Maybe next time....

Stuffed Sweet Potato
Makes 2
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 350g / 12.5oz sweet potato
- 40g / 1.4oz oats
- 5g / 1tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
- 1/2tsp cumin
- 50g / 2oz / 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 80g / 3oz black beans (no added salt)
- 120ml / 4floz almond milk, unsweetened

Method:
Cook sweet potato in microwave for 5-7 minutes, until soft.

In a bowl, combine oats, nutritional yeast flakes (if using), cumin, celery and black beans.

Half the sweet potato and scoop out the insides. Add to mixing bowl.

Add half cup (120ml) almond milk and mix all ingredients.

Spoon mixture into potato skins, spray with cooking oil, and bake for 20 minutes at 350F / 180C.
ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Curried Cabbage Stir Fry

Another vegetable stir fry recipe using cabbage, spices and ginger, and almonds! I chose to add in celery, sweet corn and green pepper. I did plan to use peas until I discovered we had none! Red peppers can be used to give the dish some extra colour and natural sweetness.

The chopped almonds are a great source of fat. Tofu can be added for additional protein if desired. The more ingredients added to this dish, the more spices you'll need. The next time I make this dish, I'm tempted to add 1/2 tablespoon instead of a teaspoon of curry powder, cumin and mustard. I love garlic and ginger so may throw a bit more into the wok. The recipe below makes approx. three servings (relative to the nutritional information). However, add more vegetables, chicken or tofu to serve four, or serve between two for hungry appetites!

The cabbage reduces down when cooking so a large wok is required.

Try these other stir fry recipes:
Sweet and Sour Tofu Stir Fry
Vegetable and Quinoa Stir Fry

Curried Cabbage Stir Fry
Makes 3
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:

- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil

- 110g /4oz onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 10g / 1tbsp ginger, chopped

- 1tsp curry powder

- 1tsp cumin

- 5g / 1 tsp mustard

- 330g / 12oz green cabbage, chopped

- 110g / 4oz sweet corn

- 120g / 4oz / 2 stalks celery, chopped

- 170g / 6oz pepper, chopped

- 56g / 2oz almonds, roughly chopped

Method:

Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the chopped onion, garlic and ginger for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the spices and mustard.

Add the chopped cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining vegetables and cook for another couple of minutes.

Roughly chop the almonds and add to the wok.

Cook until the vegetables have softened slightly but still retain their crunch! ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Tofu Mushroom Tacos

As mentioned in my previous post about veggie egg tacos, eggs are great for a quick and easy snack or light lunch! However, I often crack an egg in my porridge at breakfast so I'm reluctant to go over my one daily egg allowance.
Eggs have about 180-200mg cholesterol and the average daily cholesterol allowance is only 300mg.

Therefore, eating tofu instead of eggs is a great alternative. This tofu mushroom taco recipe is cholesterol free and super tasty.

Tofu Mushroom Tacos
Makes 2

Ingredients:
- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped
- 2g / 1tsp ginger, chopped
- 170g / 6oz mushrooms, chopped
- 220g / 8oz tofu, chopped
- 140g / 5oz tomato, chopped
- 30ml / 2tbsp soy sauce, light
- 1/4tsp turmeric

Method:
Cook onion, ginger and mushrooms in a pan, lightly sprayed with cooking oil, for 3-5 minutes.

Add chopped tofu and tomato and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add soy sauce and turmeric and cook for another couple of minutes until soy has been absorbed.

Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas or ENJOY as is!

Nutritional Information:
N.B. nutritional info below is only for tofu and veggies. Add another 100 calories for your choice (and serving) of tortillas!