low carb – Wellness and Well-Drinks

Fall Flavors: Sweet Treats (all-natural, non-dairy, low-carb, paleo and keto friendly)

As most of you babes know, I LOVE FALL! It is my favorite season because I love the colors, the weather cooling down, the flavors, Halloween…I could go on and on. I am proud to be basic and I am proud to have fallen in love with fall. There will be a ton of delicious recipes for my favorite season, and I already started with some Apple Fritters. However, my fall baking has not ended there. In fact since that post, I have created 3 new recipes that fit my dietary needs, give me the flavors I crave, and are made with all-natural ingredients. I was going to do individual posts, but I thought why not treat you all to 3-in-1!

So, I am going to organize this to the best of my ability. I will of course give my inspiration for creation for each recipe, but I am hoping to make this not too long of a read. I know I have been making some really long blog posts lately (which have felt AMAZING to post) but I know recipes are sometimes left short and…sweet (;

Just so you babes know, these recipes do not require anything too fancy. In fact, I got most of my ingredients at Trader Joe’s. I try to make my recipes lower in cost so you all can enjoy without breaking the bank. I know there are a lot of healthier recipes out there that require ingredients that are $20 each and for me, I cannot justify that! I want to be healthy, enjoy my treats, and still be able to make my student loan payment. Also, I do not know if these recipes are possible to make with regular flour, sugar, or butter because that is not how I choose to bake. I have restrictions in my diet and my blog sort of revolves around those. You are always welcome to try them out with any different ingredients and let me know how it goes! I love hearing about your experiences in the kitchen, and I always cry when I get sent pictures of you babes making my recipes (because it makes me feel like I helped some taste buds!) So, let’s get baking!

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Bread (gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb)

Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite fall treats. I used to always grab a piece with a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks before class in my college days. But, it’s definitely a lot more diet and budget friendly to make my own. I wanted to replicate the classic pumpkin flavor, while also making sure to include the spices that match pumpkin so well. With cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger…this bread not only tastes delicious but makes your house smell like fall without lighting a candle! It is a lot denser than typical bread, simply because of the flour used, but it is every bit as delicious and can easily be made as muffins!

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
4 eggs
1/4 cup all-natural honey
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger
Sunflower seeds as optional topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 °F and line a bread loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, almond flour, spices, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the honey, vanilla, and coconut oil. Mix thoroughly.
Add the pumpkin puree to the wet mixture and combine until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and combine until you have a smooth batter. Be sure that there are no lumps!
Pour your batter into the lined bread loaf pan, and sprinkle sunflower seeds on top.
Gently place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

“The Laura” Chai Latte Spiced Cookies (gluten-free, paleo, keto, dairy-free, vegan, and low-carb)

Okay, so this one goes out to the wonderful woman I spent all of last fall living in the mountains with…Laura Young! She and I had both changed our entire lives to take on jobs that ended up being absolutely insane. We lived in cabins with no running water or bathrooms, barely any electricity, and the closest town was about 6 miles away and as small as could be. Neither of us lasted long (she lasted longer than I did, of course) because the working conditions were just awful. However, we did experience a lot of fun fall things together, including the strangest haunted house ever and pumpkin searching in the grocery store parking lot. But one of the best memories were the times one of us would make a Starbucks run, because the closest one was about 40 minutes away, we would always bring back a drink for the other. Laura’s favorite fall order is a Venti Pumpkin Chai Latte with Soy. So, in honor of me missing my soul sister (who is now starting a new adventure in D.C.) I decided to make her favorite drink in the form of an Emilee friendly cookie. Laura, if you are reading this, I love you and you better make this. And if you aren’t Laura, then you should also make it and know that these cookies (I made 16) were gone within 2 days at my house! So delicious!

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup all-natural honey
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon cardamom
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place all of the ingredients (yes, all of them!) in a bowl and combine with an electric mixer.
When all ingredients are combined and a dough is formed, roll into a ball and store in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Once cooled, you can either form 2 inch balls and then flatten them, or you can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to create shapes. I used the first method, but also tested the second, too!
Place cookies on lined baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies turn golden brown. I’ve found my oven to bake a bit differently than others.
Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool.
Enjoy with homemade cashew milk, or your favorite fall drink!

Pumpkin Butter Thumbprint Cookies using Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter (paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and low carb)

Another one of my favorite treats for fall is Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter. It’s absolutely delicious and made out of some pretty clean ingredients. I love the depth of flavors, and that its less than $3 a jar. I’ve always loved thumbprint cookies, whether it is filled with jam or chocolate, but I haven’t tried making them since becoming gluten-free. Luckily, the cookie portion of this is very versatile and is what I consider to be a healthier shortbread. It’s soft and buttery but without actual butter! Plus the flavors in the cookies mix perfectly with the pumpkin butter on top! This is a simple recipe, and another crowd pleaser in my household. Just be sure to store any leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container so they stay edible (pumpkin butter does need to be refrigerated!)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut four
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup all-natural honey
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 jar of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter

Directions

In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except the pumpkin butter. Combine until you have a dough-like consistency and roll into a ball. Place dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a tablespoon of dough per cookie, form into small balls. I was able to make about 15. Then, make an imprint in the center of each cookie with your thumb (get it, thumbprint cookies.)
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 minute. Then, repress your thumbprint down into the cookies and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Using a spoon, fill each thumbprint with pumpkin butter.
Let cool in the fridge for about 10 minutes to set!
Enjoy!

Green Monster Pizza

Finally, I am back to getting some time for recipe testing. The past few weeks have been very busy, but I am glad to be writing again. I will have a lot more content soon. My recipe today was inspired by my love and wanting for pizza, but not wanting something greasy or loaded with cheese. I am trying to be really good to my body for wellness and health reasons, but I do not deprive myself. I am traveling this weekend, so I know there will be plenty of times to indulge then, so I did not want to indulge today. I was pretty excited with the outcome of this pizza, and shocked that it fulfilled my craving and that I got so many nutrients in! Also, this pizza traveled well (I had it for dinner at work and it held together great!)

You might be questioning the recipe when looking at the ingredients. There are no tomatoes, no pepperoni, and a lot of greens! As my wonderful friend Ryan would say, this pizza is on the Emilee diet (putting kale in EVERYTHING!) So what did I do to make it taste more like pizza and less like salad on bread? I incorporated some of my favorite pizza flavors, olives, basil, and crushed red pepper. This gave me some pizza flavor without overloading on greasy or unhealthy toppings. Not that tomatoes are unhealthy, but they are higher in sugar, carbs and acid. I also wanted to experiment with a sauce different than the usual pizza sauce…and wow, I am glad I did!

Green Monster Pizza Recipe

This recipe yields enough ingredients for one 8-inch pizza. You can adjust for your pizza size needs! I also want to note, you can use any kind of dough that you please. Mine is a frozen, corn-based crust because I am gluten-free, but you can choose your own crust adventure (maybe zucchini crust for even more greens!!)

Ingredients

Sauce

1 medium ripe avocado
1 cup kale
1/2 cup your favorite herb (I used basil, but parsley would work great too!)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Toppings

3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a fiesta blend because it’s what I had, but any cheese works great, including vegan!)
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 cup steamed kale
1/4 various bell peppers, steamed and sliced
1/4 cup chopped black olives
Drizzle of olive oil (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to the appropriate temperature for your pizza crust. Mine was 425 °F, but times will vary.
Place your crust on parchment paper on a baking sheet. This calls for easy clean up!
In a blender or food processor, combine sauce ingredients. The water will help the kale and herbs get incorporated with the avocado.
Spread your sauce all over your pizza crust.
Time to add your cheese! Sprinkle the desired amount (I won’t judge you if 3/4 cup is not enough!)
Next, take your steamed broccoli and kale and arrange on the pizza.
Now comes for those bell pepper slices and black olives.
Drizzle with olive oil for an extra crispness on the veggies.
Cook to the time recommended for your crust. Mine was 12-15 minutes.
Take your pizza out of the oven and let sit for 2-5 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Kale and Lemon Immune Boosting Soup

I have a confession...I love soup. I love making it, I love eating it, and I love how many vitamins I can shove into one bowl. My family has been feeling sick on and off and I work with children/families, so I am exposed to a lot of germs. I need as many vitamins as I can get! Sometimes I make enough soup to share and freeze leftovers, but lately I’ve been making a fresh bowl of soup daily. It does not have to be complicated or simmer for a lengthy time to be delicious, especially when it’s a vegan soup! Meat tends to need more time in the pot, but herbs and veggies breakdown a lot easier. I also do not always need complex, flavor-building soup. Sometimes you need something simple, quick, and easy! I like to use as fresh of ingredients as possible, but if you prefer dried herbs or pastes, use what is best for you! Now, let’s talk about the benefits from this recipe!

Kale: this low calorie, non-fat, fiber rich, leafy green helps aid digestion, and helps promote iron absorption (hello vitamins B and C!) It is also a great source of vitamins K, A, B1, B2, B3, B6, and E. All the nutrients, and a great alternative to spinach or collard greens. If you are an avid reader on my blog, you know that I eat around 3-4 cups of kale a day, so I am personally a huge fan.

Garlic/Onions: Ah, the Allium family. Garlic, shallots, chives, leeks, onions..oh my! I love the flavors of all alliums, but garlic and onions are by far used most in my daily life. They help with cold and flu relief, as well as provide great anti-inflammatory benefits due to the vitamin C and manganese content. While you can get heartburn from both of these ingredients (my grandmother could not stand garlic), when eaten in moderation, you should be okay. I typically do not have side effects, so I eat a lot of garlic! Again, modify for yourself.

Ginger: I’ve been a fan of ginger for quite sometime now. I love ginger tea, ginger chews, and fresh ginger in soup. Ginger is typically known for its relation to relieving stomach pain. Whether it be motion sickness, nausea, morning sickness, or just an upset stomach, ginger is a great option to try! It is also known to help relieve cold and flu symptoms, as well as help reduce inflammation.

Lemon: Fresh lemon juice has so many great benefits. Again, a great source of vitamin C (do you see the theme here?), but lemon juice also promotes weight loss, aids digestion, and can help promote hydration. When making soup, add your lemon juice in when serving. Just like with all vegetables and fruit, it is best to consume them in the rawest form possible (if safe) so you can really get the nutrients than can be cooked out.

Kale and Lemon Immune Boosting Soup Recipe

I made a single serving for this soup, so feel free to double, triple, or make as much as you want! It’s easy to digest, low calorie, non-fat, vegan, gluten-free, and filled with immune boosting goodness!

Ingredients

1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup ginger, chopped in large pieces
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups kale, chopped
1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pour water into a medium sauce pan. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil and continue to let it boil for 5 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium low for 10-15 minutes covered.
Remove ginger if you do not want to eat it in your soup. Personally, I do remove it at this point, but if you want to consume the pieces, go for it! Remember to remove the skin before cooking if eating.
Add your kale. Let the kale cook for about 5 minutes.
Pour your soup into a bowl. Pour lemon juice into the soup and give it a stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy and try to keep the germs away!

Spaghetti Squash with Protein Sauce

I have an obsession with squash, but more importantly spaghetti squash. I am gluten-free, and as much as I love gluten-free pasta options, I still hate how many carbs are in a single cup. My parents used to serve us spaghetti squash as a treat when we were kids, and all three of us would gobble it up. In college, I rediscovered how cheap and easy it was to have a squash fill you up and be just as tasty as actual spaghetti. You can replace spaghetti squash in any of your favorite pasta dishes, or simply enjoy with olive oil and seasoning. There are virtually endless possible ways to consume this yummy squash.

Even if you aren’t gluten-free or on a low carb diet, this is an easy way to get a ton of vitamins in your diet. Spaghetti squash is high in fiber, vitamin B, potassium, and omega-3 fats. It also contains the essential minerals calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. With all the benefits, spaghetti squash can help aid in weight loss, lower cholesterol, and help regulate your blood sugar. Who knew you could replace regular spaghetti with something so nutritious!?

For this recipe, I decided to make a meat sauce with ground turkey, garlic, olive oil, and fresh tomato and basil. I’m sure a meat substitute, such as lentils, would work fine (I was a vegetarian once, I get it!) or even without the meat substance at all. This is how I chose to fuel my body, and I have no regrets!

Spaghetti Squash with Protein Sauce Recipe

This recipe includes how to prepare a whole spaghetti squash, so there will be enough for leftovers. I made enough sauce for a single serving, but feel free to double or triple it to serve your whole family! Sorry, I do single girl servings!

Ingredients

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1/2 a cup ground turkey
1 roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For spice, you could add crushed red peppers, but I didn’t have any on hand!

Directions

Start by cooking the spaghetti squash. To do this, preheat your oven to 450 ℉. Pierce your squash with a fork so it can steam. Put your squash on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. This allows the squash to soften making it easier to cut. Cut the squash in half (I cut mine long ways, but the choice is yours) and remove all seeds. Evenly distribute olive oil and seasoning on the squash. Place the halves back on the baking sheet with the inside facing down. This helps the squash steam and not burn. Cook for about 10-15 more minutes. Take out of the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before trying to touch. With a fork, carefully scrape your squash and create long strings. Boom. Spaghetti in squash form.
For the sauce, start by cooking your protein. I put the ground turkey in a skillet on medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil, flavored with salt and pepper, and occasionally stirred until it was fully cooked.
Next, turn down the heat down to medium. Add your tomato and garlic to your protein. Cook and stir until the tomatoes have softened.
Slowly incorporate the basil and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the rest of the sauce.
In a bowl, portion yourself a serving of spaghetti squash (I eat about 1 1/2 cups at a time) and add your sauce on top. Top with salt and pepper for added taste.
Enjoy!