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Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Cooling Cucumber Salad for Hydrated Skin and a Radiant Complexion

Posted in Beautiful SKIN, Lunch, pH and The Body, Sides, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 3, 2013 | 1 Comment »

I cannot believe I am admitting this, but I used to despise cucumbers. I don’t exactly remember why, but their wet cucumbery-ness was just a total turn off. What a shame, when it was at this point of my life, blemished skin and all, when I could have really used the skin beautifying properties of cucumbers.

Cucumbers are an excellent source of antioxidants, beautifying minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and enzyme rich water.

Dewy complexion anyone?

Dry skin accentuates wrinkles and imperfections in the skin. Acid forming foods, and diuretics, like caffeine and alcohol, dehydrate the body, causing rough and flaky skin. A cucumber is mostly water (an upwards of 96%), and it is rich in active enzymes that help the body to breakdown waste materials as it hydrates.

Hallelujah.

Antioxidants, like Vitamin A, and K help to prevent free radical formation, a major culprit in aging. Vitamin A Carotenoids, are plant-derived and are needed to absorb bone strengthening calcium. It also plays a role in cell production, the immune system, vision and the skin. Vitamin A is often used to fortify foods. Unfortunately, Vitamin A retinoids, derived from animals, are linked to bone weakness and fractures. Vitamin K helps to prevent our blood from clotting, and also plays a role in our bone density, as well as cell growth.

Magnesium is a highly alkaline and beautifying mineral required by every part and system of the body. A  balance of calcium and magnesium is essential for strong bones. As far as our skin is concerned, stress speeds our aging process. Magnesium counteracts this by relaxing all of our muscles, regulating our heart rate, and lowering high blood pressure. It also aids in our regularity, easing constipation, and helping to rid the body of toxic wastes and byproducts.

Cucumbers are also a good source of the anti-inflammatory mineral, copper. Copper is needed to carry oxygen in the blood, and it is also an important factor in cell respiration, as well as thyroid function. Beyond these important roles, copper has a key role in producing collagen. Collagen is vital for the renewal of our skin cells and for skin elasticity. It is what gives the skin that firmness and suppleness we all desire, especially as we age and the skin starts to sag.

For beautiful skin, try out this recipe!

When combined with the purest fat in Nature, this Cooling Cucumber Salad with Avocado Chunks and fresh herbs, is just a delight on the taste buds, and promotes an absolute radiant, glowing, and dewy complexion.

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Have fun in the sun!

Cooling Cucumber Salad

  • 2 large English cucumbers, thinly sliced into medallions
  • 2 large English cucumbers, peeled, and thinly sliced into medallions
  • 1 large avocado, cubed
  • 1 cup shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced on a mandolin
  • 4 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint leaved, chopped
  • ½ tsp pink Himalayan salt

Slice the cucumbers into skinny medallions, leaving the skin on half of the cucumbers for color (about 4.5 cups total). Sprinkle with salt and set aside cucumbers in a colander for 20 minutes in a sink.  This will allow excess water to drain. After 20 minutes, press the liquid out of the cucumbers with a paper towel or a clean cloth. In a mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients and toss. Use fresh ground pepper to taste.

Follow it up with this Sweet Potato Noodle Recipe with a Roasted Red Pepper Coconut Curry Sauce, and you are ready to entertain.

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Sweet Potato Noodles in a Roasted Red Pepper Coconut Curry Sauce

Posted in Beautiful SKIN, Entree, Lunch, The Truth About Dairy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Eat well and your skin will radiate.

I am absolutely loving sweet potatoes for my clients right now, and this is one sexy dish you won’t want to miss.

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Sweet Potato Noodles are not only delicious and unique, but so easy to make. Combined with a dairy-free, rich and creamy Roasted Red Pepper Curry Sauce, this recipe helps to promote a radiant, youthful and clear complexion. Because I just could not wait another minute, you get a sneak peak at one of my new favorite recipes that will be featured in my upcoming book on beautiful skin.

Our beautifying ingredient all-stars in this dish are the:

  • Sweet-Potato: Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, which is then converted, and utilized by the body as Vitamin A.  Vitamin A is an antioxidant and helps combat free-radicals that cause aging. Sweet potatoes are also fairly high in potassium, iron, C, and some of the B vitamins, essential for a healthy body and a radiant complexion. (What is the difference between and Sweet Potato and a Yam?– Read on here).
  • Organic* Red Bell Pepper: Ripened green bell peppers, red bell peppers are loaded with antioxidants, Vitamin C and A, and are also a great source of magnesium, which is an essential mineral for detoxification, digestion, and radiant skin. Green bell peppers are off limits to my clients, as they are very difficult to digest, and are not as nutrient dense as the more colorful variety. *Go organic when you can. Bell peppers are one of the dirty dozen.
  • Raw Young Thai Coconut: Young Thai Coconuts have a neutral pH and therefore do not lower our body’s pH level, inviting in pathogens. Dairy products, especially those that are pasteurized, homogenized, and fortified, are highly acid forming, and therefore steal our youth, and can cause acne. (Check out this article for more recipes, and a How to Video of opening a young Thai Coconut here). Coconuts are also a chockfull of skin beautifying vitamins, minerals, protein, and health promoting fats. Particularly, the fatty acid, lauric acid is thought to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which cause acne.
  • Garlic: Garlic’s potent odor comes from sulfur gas, and it has been used for centuries for medicinal reasons, as well as to ward off evil spirits (or unsuspecting strangers). Sulfur has been shown to promote the elimination of toxins from the blood, lymph, and body. Garlic also has strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Read more about it here.
  • Curry Spice: The blend of spices that make up curry combat inflammation, and help with detoxification. Curry spice has been extensively connected with anti-cancer growth and is thought to have many healing and medicinal properties. It a great source of antioxidants, ideal for youthful skin.
  • Red Onion:  Red onions are a great source of antioxidants which help fight free radicals that cause aging. Read more here.

Recipe alert! 

For the Sauce:

  • 1 Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 large bell peppers, deseeded, diced
  • 1 yello onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp curry, or more to taste
  • 1-4 tbsp vegetable broth for stir frying
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, or 1 cup of meat from 1-2 young thai coconuts
  • 1 tbsp raw coconut aminos, or gluten-free tamari

Heat a skillet to high heat and add just enough broth to coat the bottom of the pan. Add sweet potatoes and cover, allowing to steam for a minute. Remove lid and add peppers, and onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the peppers are sweating, adding broth only as needed (to prevent sticking). Transfer all ingredients into a high-speed blender and pulse until smooth. Add in coconut meat, or coconut milk, and curry powder. Blend until smooth, and serve over noodles and veggies.

Vegetable Noodles:

  • 3 Sweet potatoes, made into noodles with a spiralizer
  • 1 Zucchini, made into noodles with a spiralizer

Using the same skillet, add just enough broth or water to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the skillet to medium high heat and add in your sweet potato noodles, covering for 2 minutes. Toss in your zucchini noodles, and pour in your blended sauce. Cover for another 30 seconds- 2 minutes to allow your sweet potato noodles to get to the desired softness you like. Add more curry (+Salt and pepper) to taste and Serve!!

I served these up a cooling cucumber salad and an anti-pasta platter of roasted red bell peppers, baked curried cauliflower and eggplant, as well as shiitake mushrooms.

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It was divine.

Enjoy and share!

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California Barbecue (Vegan and Soy-Free)

Posted in Entree, tagged , , , , , , on April 15, 2013 | 4 Comments »

I learned to appreciate healthier food during my college experience in the Sunshine state of California. Believe it or not, one of my absolute favorite dishes, and last memories of barbecue, was a barbecued salmon dish. This of course was well before my knowledge of Farmed Fish and how it can offset our blood pH, causing skin, weight and health issues.

Inspired by a past life in California, and my present living arrangements in Texas, I hope you enjoy this updated version of healthier but authentic “barbecue”. I am soy-free, but there is also no oil, added sugar, or animal products. That said, the mighty mushroom, sweet bell peppers and spices sure did impress.

(Don’t let this photo fool you. The finished product disappeared too quickly for photographs).

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Lauren’s Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

  • 1 cup 365 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 8 minutes
  • 1/2 cup medjool dates, soaked till soft (remove the pits), drained
  • ¼ cup sundried tomato “soaking water”, discard the rest
  • ½ red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
  • 2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 ½ tsp chipotle powder (I used chipotle peppers. Remove the seeds and soak to hydrate, or run under warm water for 5 minutes)
  • 1 tsp fresh chopped garlic
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne

(Double up this recipe and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for 7 days).

California “Beef”:

  • 3 pounds portabella mushrooms, sliced (about 12 portabella caps)
  • 4 leaves fresh sage
  • 4 fresh or dried bay leaves
  • 4 raw garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • 5 tbsp raw coconut aminos, or gluten-free tamari
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large casserole dish lay out mushroom slices. While oven is preheating, combine all barbecue sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour sauce over mushrooms. Toss, and let mushrooms marinate while you prepare your other ingredients. The longer the mushrooms marinate, the better the flavor so this dish can be prepared the night before and allowed to marinate over night in the fridge. Before baking, add remaining ingredients, except for the bay leaves and sage, and toss until well combined. Lay bay leaves and sage on top of mixture and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and discard leaves. Serve it up!

(Tip: You may place the casserole dish back into the oven on warm before serving.)

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Dinner for One– Quick Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

Posted in Entree, tagged , , , , , , on April 9, 2013 | 3 Comments »

A few weekends ago I had the weekend to myself with my husband.

Still under the weather, he was not precisely a ball of enthusiastic energy.

A hopeless romantic, I could not put aside my desire to share a romantic and “parent-free” dinner together. (Don’t get me wrong. I love the kids but I rarely sit down these days).

Fast forward.

Romantic was not exactly in the cards. Luckily, delicious and simple were.

So here is a super quick recipes that I absolutely loved… and I hope you will too.

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Serves 1

  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
  • 3/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/2 heirloom, or beefsteak tomato
  • 2-4 tbsp water or veggie broth (for oil-free sautéing)
  • 4 sun dried tomatoes, no-oil, soaked for 8 minutes in warm water- then drained and chopped
  • 1/2 small avocado
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
  • 1 medium zucchini, spiralized

Method:

Heat a skillet on high heat for 1 minute, adding about 2-3 tbsp of water.

As water/broth sizzles, reduce heat and add red pepper, garlic, and onion. Stir constantly to avoid sticking, adding in broth only when needed. As peppers begin to sweat, and onions become translucent, add tomato, and reduce heat to low. Stir frequently, with the goal of warming your vegetables, not sizzling them.

Carefully scoop all ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse 2-5 times until mixture is well combined but chunky. Add in avocado, sea salt, and pepper, and pulse. Serve over your spaghetti and enjoy!

Did I feed this to my husband too?

Not Exactly. I doubled up this recipe and subbed in olive oil for him, where I used avocado (about 1 tbsp). I served his up with a piece of fish and a chopped salad with raw apple cider vinegar and cerignola olives.

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Quick Bake Cinnamon Bun Oatmeal Loaf– Vegan, Gluten-Free

Posted in Breakfast, Desserts, tagged , , , , on March 30, 2013 | 1 Comment »

Why hello!

I wanted to breakaway and share this delightful little breakfast inspiration for those of you that are steering away from gluten, but still looking for that muffin-y feel.

This recipe was inspired by Katie, at ChocolateCoveredKatie.com and is meant to be enjoyed after your green smoothie or juice.

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Cinnamon Bun Oatmeal Loaf

Serves 10-15

  • 8 cups of Organic Rolled Oats
  • 2 tsp of Vanilla, or Vanilla Stevia (I Like NuNaturals)
  • 2 cup unsweetened Organic Applesauce– I used Cinnamon
  • 10 tbsp raw coconut butter
  • 2 cups, or 1 can of coconut milk (I used the can only to avoid the fillers found in most of the “milks” these days)
  • 8 tbsp Maple Syrup, Grade B
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 boxes of raisins, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease or spray 5 small baking loaf pans. I used the aluminum disposable kind because I did not have another option. Heat your coconut milk and coconut butter in a stove stop pot for 10 minutes, on low heat. When coconut bits are melted, stir in your remaining liquid ingredients. Combine well and remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, salt, and raisins if using. Pour in your liquid ingredients and stir well. Scoop out mixture into your loaf pans. The mixture will not rise, as it does not contain any agents that cause this reaction, so don’t worry about saving too much space on top.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes and let cool until you can safely pop out each loaf. Heat them back up to serve, or! Eat them right out of the tin!

Sorry for the unappealing photo. I did not have the time to get it ready for the camera!

All my love,

Lauren

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The New Dip, High Protein, Low Fat, Vegan, Creamy, Delish.

Posted in Entree, Recipes, Sides, The Truth About Dairy, tagged , , , , , on March 18, 2013 | 3 Comments »


image-1St. Patrick’s Day is over, but don’t be sad.

For my hummus loving friends, try this refreshing dip instead.

A chockfull of pea protein, beautifying raw fat (from the avocado), and that “barely there” hint of raw garlic and lime juice, this creamy dip is ideal for veggies, on a bed of greens, or thinned out as a tasty and refreshing soup!

Why is this better than hummus?

Most hummus’s are a combination of seeds, legumes, and oils. That’s a lot of combinations of concentrated fats.

  • For many, fresh peas can be easier to digest than chickpeas.
  • Frozen organic peas can be easily, and cheaply purchased in the frozen section of most grocers, whereas chickpeas come in toxic cans.
  • Canned foods are not an ideal source of nutrition.
  • Seeds + Oil + Legume = Digestive Distress (Translation: Fat/Protein + Fat + Fat/Protein)

Chickpea-less Hummus 

  • 16 oz organic frozen peas, thawed for 20 minutes
  • ¾ cup ripe avocado
  • 4 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tsp garlic
  • 2 tbsp chives
  • 1/8 tsp celtic sea salt
  • 2 cups of water
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Sprinkle with chives for garnish. Enjoy as a chilled soup, or as a dip for vegetables, or in replace of hummus. Add more water for a thinner consistency.

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Roasted Garlic Avocado Pesto, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Posted in The Truth About Dairy, Entree, Beautiful SKIN, tagged , , , , , , on March 11, 2013 | 4 Comments »

Can you love pesto without the cheese and nuts?

For sure!

The combination of cheese and nuts is like a headache for your stomach (oh, or a stomachache). Both concentrated fats (cheese and nuts) blended with protein, they each require different enzymes for complete and proper digestion. The result? Neither happens and it slows the digestive process, creates a lot of stress for the liver (that aids in fat digestion), and beautiful skin? Not so much. 

That’s why you will absolutely love this simple version. Nix the nuts and cheese for some skin beautifying avocado. That’s what I call guilt-free!

This gorgeous and gluten-free avocado pesto dish was as classy and aesthetically appealing, as it was creamy, light, and refreshing. Place it on a pretty platter, or in a single-serve glass cup and you are ready to impress.

Behold… beauty and the avocado.

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Roasted Garlic and Avocado Pesto with Zucchini Noodles

Serves 4-6

  • 3 large avocados
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 ½ cups basil, tightly packed
  • 1 large cluster of garlic, roasted
  • ½ tsp salt (more to taste)
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 6 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
  • Optional Ingredients:
  • 1 ½ Artichoke Hearts
  • ½ cup Castelvetrano olives, rinsed and halved
  • ½ cup Nutritional Yeast (gives a cheesy taste)
  • 1 cup loose spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To roast garlic, chop off the head of each garlic cluster, exposing the white of the garlic cloves. Wrap the cluster in foil and bake for 30 minutes. Prepare zucchini noodles with a spiralizer or julienne into match sticks and put to the side. In a food processor, combine avocado, lemon juice, and herbs, and process until smooth. Carefully remove garlic from oven and squeeze roasted garlic into the mixture. Process again until smooth. Pour pesto sauce over noodles and combine with additional optional ingredients.

This is one delicious recipe you will not want to miss out on… not to mention how much lighter it feels. Hello! More energy!

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Two Quick Recipes!

Posted in Desserts, NuStevia Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on February 14, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Hello and Happy February 14th!

After an exhausting day yesterday, I was eager to jump in bed. But before I did, I wanted to leave you with two quick and romantic recipes. Trust me, they taste much more desirable than they look in this sleepy photos. 

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Cashew Sun Milk

Makes about 4.5 cups.

  • 3/4 cup organic raw cashews
  • 1/4 cup organic raw sunflower seeds

Soak the nuts and seeds for around 3-4 hours in a bowl of water. (You do not have to soak but it is preferred– I made this beverage last night without soaking. The soaking softens their density making it easier to blend and for the water to absorb more flavors). Drain water and add nuts and seeds to a high-speed blender. Blend with 4 cups cool water. Strain through a “nut milk bag” (which can be purchased on amazon), over a large bowl. Squeeze the liquid into the bowl, leaving the “pulp” behind in the bag. Toss the pulp (or use it for another recipe), and add 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 14 drops alcohol free NuStevia, and/or 1 tbsp Maple Syrup, Grade B (optional). Stir and serve cool, or add to your tea or hot cacao.

Creamy. Delicious. A wonderful source of beautifying minerals.

Next up… Got a date? 

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Grab two Medjool dates. Cut little slits down the top, exposing the pit inside. Remove pits and “stuff” each date with 2 tsp of raw almond butter. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and sea salt. Serve.

Dates are a great source of potassium, and fiber.

Bursting with sugar, dates taste like candy. This treat is decadent, delightful, and if you were planning to reach for a reeses, or commercial candy, it is a much better alternative to your traditional candy coated desserts. I had one of my client’s call this a healthy peanut butter cup, though clearly there is no chocolate.

Enjoy!

I personally love the cashew sun milk!

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How to bake shiitake mushrooms– oil-free

Posted in Lunch, Sides, tagged , , , , , , , on February 5, 2013 | 1 Comment »

I absolutely LOVE mushrooms.

An excellent source of protein and B vitamins, mushrooms are a blissful addition to any recipe, salad, pasta, or sandwich. With the right seasoning, these little incredible fungi are the perfect meat alternative, quick to mimic the meaty texture and flavor of  beef. In fact, baked shiitake mushrooms remind me of little meatballs. You can read a little bit about more about why I love mushrooms at The Beauty Bean.

Last week I highlighted an incredibly delicious fajita mix in which I substituted mushrooms for meat. It was a crowd pleaser.

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It was not exactly a labor intensive production, but the majority of my time I am making multiple meals at dinner time for “selective” eaters, and then myself. Anything additional is not always in convenient. Not to mention, why would I dirty another pan when I can create something delicious without any work?

That’s where this recipe, in all of it’s simplicity and flavor, is ideal.

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Step one– buy mushrooms. I like portabella and shiitake. Cut bigger mushrooms into bite size pieces.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Toss your mushrooms (I love shiitake) on a cookie sheet (line with foil for less clean up). Sprinkle with seasoning. Bake for 10-12 minutes, serve them on up!

  • 1 lb Shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • sprinkling on cayenne (optional)

What is even more amazing about this recipe is that it requires absolutely no oil! When you heat oil, you change the molecular structure of the fat making it more difficult for the body to break down, digest, and then assimilate the nutrients. This lengthy process slows down your metabolism and steals your energy. We don’t want that now, do we?

Enjoy these in minutes!

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Vegan “Beef” Fajitas

Posted in Entree, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on January 30, 2013 | 1 Comment »

Our town is lacking in the restaurant department. Slightly spoiled, having lived in New Jersey (excellent Italian), close to the big city of Manhattan, then in the ever amazing and unique Los Angeles, I would not call myself a food critic but rather, I have a great appreciation for fresh, and wholesome food.

One of the restaurants in our town that always seems to be bustling with singles, couples, and families, is a little Mexican restaurant I have truly grown to appreciate. I can’t say there is much going on on the menu I am too interested in, but I do love the guacamole. And hey, when there is nothing else in town, and avocados are the highlight of the menu, you really start to appreciate the smaller things in life.

My version of chips and guac is a bit different than the average person. I dunk whole organic romaine lettuce leaves into my guac, which serve as my “chips.” These “chips” travel with me into the restaurant via my handy bag. Although it may seem weird to others, it is just one less thing a restaurant has to do for me (especially when salad greens are not their strong suit).  I see myself as un-complicating a rather unique situation. Judge if you like, but I am a happy paying customer.

Truthfully though, one need not give up their fajita affection for health. In fact, you can quite nicely create your own fajita dinner with some spices, tamari, peppers, mushroom and onion. Try this one out!

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Vegan Fajitas

Serves 6-8

 Fajita Marinade

  • ·         2 tbsp water
  • ·         1 tbsp orange juice
  • ·         Juice of 2 limes
  • ·         3 chipotle chiles, chopped
  • ·         3 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • ·         ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ·         ½ tsp chili powder
  • ·         ¼ tsp paprika
  • ·         1 tbsp gluten-free tamari, low sodium

Fajita Mix

  • ·         8 oz small portabella mushrooms, sliced into strips
  • ·         1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
  • ·         1 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
  • ·         1 orange bell pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
  • ·         1 large red onion, diced
  • ·         1 cup scallions, chopped
  • ·         4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • ·         8 soft gluten-free tortillas and your favorite fajita toppings!

Heat a medium pan to medium-high heat. Add garlic, peppers, red onion and 2-4 tbsp of water or vegetable broth to prevent sticking. Sauté for 4 minutes and add mushrooms and scallions, stirring constantly. Sauté for 4 minutes, or until peppers and onion are sweating, and add remaining marinade ingredients. Cover and let steam on low heat for 6 minutes to absorb marinade flavors.

Serve it up with guacamole, salsa, and rice.

I chose to treat my guests with quinoa over rice.

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