healthy

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Beet and Mandarin Orange Salad

I am just in love with all of the healthy meals that Paulette Lambert, R.D. made for us at the DOLE Summit. I felt so spoiled having all of these incredible meals prepared for me during my trip. I pretty much died and went to rabbit food heaven! I learned so many creative healthy ways to use DOLE packaged foods that I never would’ve thought of before! If only I could have Paulette in my kitchen every day! Le sigh.

I am definitely a texture person, and this salad was filled with the perfect combination of textures from chewy quinoa to juicy mandarin oranges and crisp lettuce. I loved the addition of quinoa because it makes the salad extra filling and satiating. Plus, it’s Rabbit Food Pyramid approved! I’ve broken it down for you at the end of the post!

This salad would be just delightful for a weekend brunch with a Pineapple Apricot Bellini!
Oh yes, I have a recipe for that too!

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Beet and Mandarin Orange Salad
Recipe By: Paulette Lambert, R.D., CDE
Serves 8
Calories per serving: 95

Salad
4 large beets, rinsed and trimmed
2 heads of frisee lettuce, outer leaves removed (or baby greens)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup DOLE Mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup DOLE golden raisins
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 cup cooked tri-colored OR red quinoa
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Vinaigrette
1 1/2 Tablespoons grape seed oil
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon orange flower water
1 1/2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap beets in foil and roast on a rimmed baking sheet for 45-60 minutes, until tender. When finished roasting, and cool enough to handle, peel and dice beets into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. In a large serving bowl, toss frisee, beets, onion, oranges, raisins, olives and quinoa. In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, toss gently and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: frisee, beets, red onion, mandarin oranges, golden raisins
Whole Grain:  quinoa
Protein: goat cheese
Plant Based Fat: olives and grape seed oil from vinaigrette
Free Extras: orange flower water, red wine vinegar, parsley , salt & pepper

Brunch it up, take a walk on the wild side and pair this with Pineapple Apricot Bellinis!

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Pineapple Apricot Bellinis
Serves 4

1 cup sparkling white wine or sparkling cider
1/2 cup DOLE Pineapple Juice
1/2 cup apricot nectar

Combine sparkling wine, pineapple juice, and apricot nectar in a pitcher. Stir with a spoor; pour into champagne flutes. Garnish with apricot or pineapple wedges, if desired.
Please drink responsibly!

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Gingered Carrot and Orange Soup

The healthy DOLE recipes continue!

This is a Gingered Carrot and Orange Soup that we got to enjoy at the DOLE Summit. The soup is vegan and gluten-free, while still remaining creamy and thick. There’s also an unexpected ingredient; DOLE Mandarin Oranges, that give it a little extra flavor! Paulette Lambert, R.D. also added a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt atop of our soups which is of course optional, but totally delicious!

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Gingered Carrot and Orange Soup
Recipe By: Paulette Lambert, R.D., CDE
Serves 8
Calories per serving: 95

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 quarts reduced sodium, fat-free, organic vegetable broth
1 cup DOLE Mandarin Oranges, drained
1 teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt (optional)
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Saute carrots, onions and ginger until soft. Add broth and simmer until carrots are fork-tender. Working in batches, puree Mandarin oranges and cooked vegetables in a blender, food processor or use an immersion blender (or your Vitamix! Just add to blender at this step then puree until smooth and very hot, continuing on with step four). Return soup to Dutch oven. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold. Garnish with Greek yogurt and chopped cilantro.

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| 3 Comments
Breakfast, Contests & Giveaways, Recipes, Reviews, Smoothies

Barbie Bowl + Pitaya Plus Giveaway

Today’s recipe and giveaway is brought to you by my new favorite superfood brand: Pitaya Plus!
Ummm, how gorg is this color?
Seriously, to die for.

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I’ve been obsessing over pitaya smoothies and smoothie bowls at my favorite local spot Nekter, and when Pitaya Plus caught wind of my new healthy addiction, they offered to send me some of their smoothie packs to try! They were also kind enough to giveaway some Pitaya Plus Smoothie Packs to one lucky RFFMBT reader!

can’t. contain. my. excitement. right. now.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok. excitement is now contained.

So… what is Pitaya?
Pitaya, otherwise known as dragon fruit, is a fruit that comes from the cactus species. It’s native throughout Asia as well as Mexico, Central America, and South America. It’s glossy magenta exterior cuts open to reveal a gorgeous vivid pink interior (Central America), studded with black seeds. Depending on where the fruit is from the flesh can also be white inside (Asia).

What does it taste like?
Its texture is very similar to a kiwi, but its flavor is more mild, almost a cross between a kiwi and pear.

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Here’s why I love Pitaya Plus Smoothie Packs:

Raw // Did you know that Pitaya Smoothie packs are never cooked or heated? Most other smoothie packs are cooked and pasteurized. Our pitayas are picked at the peak of ripeness, and flash frozen to ensure you get the most nutrients. Maybe that is why it looks so bright and alive when blended?

No added sugar //  Helping maintain healthy levels of insulin in the blood, keeping energy levels stable, a low-carb, low-sugar diet has proven to be a good weapon in the war against obesity. A low-carb diet is essential to maintaining safe blood sugar levels for diabetics, and can help reverse the onset of adult diabetes.

Antioxidants  // Helps neutralize the formation of cancer causing free radicals.

Fiber // Helps to lower cholesterol, Lower blood-glucose levels and improve you digestive health by removing harmful toxins.

Vitamin C // Experts say Vitamin C is one of the safest and most effective antioxidants. Benefits of vitamin C are known to include strengthening and protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling.

Calcium & Magnesium // Calcium is essential for the  body to protect and heal. Magnesium increases the absorption of calcium in the body. Both are required for general health. They work in harmony to help the body in numerous ways to keep illness and disease at bay.

Omega-3s // Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
(source)

I  would definitely say that Pitaya puts the “Super” in Superfruit!
These smoothie packs are an easy way to add pitaya to your daily noms. Since pitaya can be tricky to find (often at Asian and exotic food markets), it’s great to have it right at my fingertips and year round in my freezer!

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Barbie Bowl
Serves 1

1 Pitaya Plus Smoothie Pack
1/4-1/2 cup coconut water
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 tbsp coconut butter

Toppings:
1/2 banana, sliced
2 Tbsp granola (I love Nature’s Path Hemp Plus)
1 Tbsp shredded coconut

Blend until smooth. Start with 1/2 cup of coconut water and add until desired texture is reached. Add toppings, and enjoy!

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WIN PITAYA PLUS SMOOTHIE PACKS!

Thanks to Pitaya Plus, one lucky RFFMBT reader will win a case of Raw Organic Pitaya Plus Smoothie Packs!
Giveaway ends on Sunday, March 9th at 11:59pm PST.
Winner will be announced on Monday, March 10th.

*Must use a valid email address and be a US resident to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Show Pitaya Plus some love:
Instagram // @pitayaplus
Facebook // fb.com/pitayaplus
Twitter // @PitayaPlus
Pinterest // pinterest.com/pitayaplus
Google + // pitayaplus
Website // pitayaplus.com
Where to buy // store locator
I need to buy it right now // online

| 200 Comments
Breakfast, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Overnight Oats

The following post is sponsored by ICED Media on behalf of Arrowhead Mills and Maranatha. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

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My favorite thing about overnight oats is that they’re so simple to make, and easy to grab and go in the morning. There is no cooking when it comes to “ONOs,” just combine everything, mix it up, and let it soak overnight while you get your beauty sleep! Then come morning time, you can quickly grab your jar of fully prepped oats amidst the morning madness and eat them on your way to work or while getting ready. There is no excuse for skipping breakfast when it’s already prepared for you! I loveeee eating them cold, right out of the fridge.

Some of you may ask, what is the difference between whole rolled oats & steel cut oats?
The difference between rolled and steel cut oats is that while both contain whole grain oats, they are processed differently. Rolled oats are steamed, rolled, steamed again and toasted, ending up as thin flakes. Steel cut oats are made from oat kernels that have been chopped into thick pieces.

Both types of oats are great choices (especially compared to extremely processed instant oatmeal), but steel cut oats get even more points in my book because they digest slower than rolled ones. Like all other grains in whole or cracked form, steel cut oats rank lower on the glycemic index than rolled oats because they take longer for digestive enzymes to reach the starch inside the thicker pieces, slowing down its conversion to sugar. In a nutshell, they don’t cause a spike in blood sugar!

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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Overnight Oats
Serves 1

1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup almond or soy milk
1/4 cup Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and mix until well combined. Cover with lid and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Tip:
If you’re feeling adventurous, add some fun healthy toppings to send your tastebuds over the top into mouthwatering goodness!

Optional Toppings:
1 Tbsp Maranatha Sunflower Seed Butter
1/2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips

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The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: strawberries and banana
Whole Grain: steel cut oats
Protein: milk
Plant Based Fat: chia seeds
Free Extras: cocoa powder and vanilla

Show Arrowhead Mills & Maranatha some love!

Arrowhead Mills
Facebook: facebook.com/arrowheadmills
Pinterest: pinterest.com/arrowheadmills
Twitter: @arrowhead_mills
Website: arrowheadmills.com

Maranatha Foods
Facebook: facebook.com/maranathanutbutters
Instagram: @maranathafoods
Website: maranathafoods.com

| 46 Comments
Raw, Tips, Vegan

Banana Freezing 101

“How do you freeze bananas?”
This is a super common question that I get all the time. And no, it’s not a stupid question! Freezing bananas is something that I discovered along the way of my weight loss/healthy eating journey. I would buy a bunch of bananas and some weeks I could eat them all, and others they would be left alone on the kitchen counter to wither away and turn into brown blobs. Instead of wasting bananas and throwing them away, I learned about freezing them for smoothies! Frozen bananas are the best discovery I’ve made! When you use frozen bananas in your smoothie, there is no need for ice because it makes your smoothie so thick, creamy, and cold!

Now before we get into Banana Freezing 101, I want to teach you guys about ripe bananas. A banana is fully ripened when it is CHEETAH SPOTTED! There should be absolutely no green, even around the stem. At the cheetah spotted stage, the starches will have fully developed into sugars. If you have the astringent puckering feeling in your mouth after biting into one, you will know that it isn’t fully ripe! You know what weird taste/feeling on your tongue that I’m talking about? Yuck! Wait for the cheetah spots : ) they are the best for perfect shmoozies!

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Banana Freezing 101

1. Wait until the bananas have become cheetah spotted.
2. Peel
3. Place in a Ziploc bag.
4. Freeze!

-If you don’t have a high powered blender such as a Vitamix, you can chop up the bananas before freezing so it’s easier on your blender. I like leaving them in one piece so I know I’m getting a full banana serving when I use them in smoothies! You can literally store them in the freezer for months (although I make a lot of smoothies, Banana Nicecream, and Yonanas, so I go through them pretty fast)!

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I hope you learned something new today!
Have a healthy & happy weekend!
xo Catherine

| 24 Comments

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