agave nectar

,

Matcha Chia Pudding

,
Matcha Chia Pudding

I live for simple recipes. Being able to throw a few ingredients together to create something special and tasty is my type of cooking, haha. Chia pudding is so incredibly easy to make, and its versatility makes it even more appealing. Check out my Raspberry, and Mint Chocolate Chia Pudding recipes! My favorite version of this pudding is plain chocolate (so awesome with bananas), but you can add virtually any flavor to plain chia pudding to use seasonal fruit, or satisfy your cravings. Mangoes are coming into season, and can't wait to enjoy some juicy, sweet mango pudding. 

Matcha powder is a fine, velvety powder made from high grade green tea leaves. Matcha contains 137 times more antioxidants than green tea, and the flavor shifts from grassy to sweet. Matcha pairs beautifully with dark chocolate, almond, white chocolate, and raspberry. Adding matcha powder to your traditional chia pudding livens it up, bringing a wonderful earthiness to this breakfast/dessert. Watch the video below and let's get cookin! 

Breakfast Yogurt Bowls

Breakfast Yogurt Bowls

I like to start every morning with a bowl of yogurt and fresh fruit. It's a really satisfying way to get the day going. Yogurt has tons of health benefits, including a hefty dose of animal protein, calcium, vitamin B-2, B-12, potassium, and magnesium. Whenever you hear about yogurt, you hear about probiotics. Probiotics are friendly bacteria that are naturally present in the digestive system. Eating yogurt regularly helps to regulate the digestive system, and making yogurt bowls at home is a really great way to cut down on unnecessary sugar that can come with pre-made fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt cups. Plus, they're simple to make, since you can use whatever you've got at home! Use your favorite seasonal fruit and granola in a hurry, or add in fun twists like toasted coconut, chia seeds, maca powder, or other nutritional boosts. There's not much to this recipe - I'm here to give you some inspiration (and food porn!) Let's get eating! 

,

Pumpkin French Toast

,
Pumpkin French Toast

#PSL... not Pumpkin Spice Latte, but Pumpkin Spice Life. Are you about it? I personally don't drink coffee but tend to get a kick out of how the food industry rolls out countless Fall twists on our favorite foods; simply by making a Pumpkin Spice version. I decided to give in a little this year, and experiment with pumpkin! I love Pumpkin Pie... the ginormous $5 Pumpkin Pie from Costco is one of my favorite things about the holidays. Adding pumpkin puree and a few spices to a classic French Toast recipe is an easy way to get in the holiday spirit. I love the twist on simple French Toast. The spices are so warming and cozy, and the pumpkin flavor compliments the custard so well! Let's get cookin :) 

 

,

Grilled Halloumi with Herbed Strawberries

,
Grilled Halloumi with Herbed Strawberries

Cheese. I think it's safe to say that for some, cheese is its own food group! Cheddar, Gruyere, Jack, Parmesan, Cotija, Brie, Fontina, Feta, Mozzarella...the options are deliciously endless. One of my favorites is Halloumi, which is a semi-soft, brined cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. Because of its high melting point, it can easily be fried or grilled. Grilled cheese.

Halloumi is salty, and really wonderful when paired with mint. It's nice to eat during the warm months. The flavor of the cheese is perfect with fruit like grapes, watermelon, figs, and strawberries. Today's recipe is a surprising mixture of flavors that really play off each other and create a fun dish where spicy meets sweet and salty. This would be beautiful when served at brunch or as an appetizer . The macerated strawberries get a little kick from Serrano pepper, and fresh mint and cilantro top it all off. Let's get cookin :) 

Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups

Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups

This month’s #MISSDISH is a fun one. Growing up, fruit roll-ups and fruit snacks were some of my favorite snacks at lunchtime. One pack was never enough, and I always saved the strawberry ones for last. Over the years I’ve learned about what types of ingredients make these type of snacks so yummy. Tons of sugar, corn syrup, and other GMOs. One roll of Fruit by the Foot contains 2 tsp of sugar. Often fruit roll-ups don’t even contain real fruit. I decided to experiment with different ways to make snacks that were just as delicious but much more health conscious. 
Making homemade fruit roll-ups is way easier than you think. You can use this recipe with any fruit! It’s delicious with strawberries, mango, any blend of berries, even apples and watermelon. With two organic ingredients, you know exactly what’s going into these snacks. These are great for everyone in the family - perfect for kids and great to pack for work. Let’s get cookin!

Watermelon Margaritas

Watermelon Margaritas

It’s watermelon season! Watermelon is available year round, but its peak season is May through August. Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits! It has a ton of nutritional benefits, such as a significant source of the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C. It contains lycopene, and is composed of 92% water, making it great for snacking on during warm weather since it helps to keep you hydrated. 
Watermelon is soo versatile! You can make smoothies, salsas, sorbets, salads, on its own with lime and salt, or into a refreshing cocktail! This margarita is a crowd pleaser - the perfect mix of sweet and tart - with a good amount of booze that’ll get your party goin.

,

Simple King's Hawaiian French Toast for Two

,
Simple King's Hawaiian French Toast for Two

King’s Hawaiian Rolls make everything better, and the fact that King’s Hawaiian makes a giant round loaf is sheer genius. The sweetness of the Hawaiian bread is perfect for French Toast. In the past I’ve been frustrated by recipes that yield 4-6 servings of French Toast - not everyone is trying to feed a family or have a ton of French Toast sitting around. Sometimes you just want to make a little batch to satisfy your cravings. This recipe is perfect for one or two people to indulge in some delicious breakfast in bed. 

, ,

Strawberry Chia Seed Jam

, ,
Strawberry Chia Seed Jam

By now I’m sure you’ve heard of the amazing health benefits of chia seeds. Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica. In the past few years they have gained popularity because they are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid. They also provide about 10 grams of fiber per oz. They contain protein, antioxidants, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Chia seeds are also gluten free! 

This jam is simple.. organic strawberries, a little agave or organic honey, and chia seeds. Normally, when cooking jam, pectin is necessary to enable the jam to gel. In this case, since the chia seeds bulk up and gel naturally, they easily thicken your jam without any additives. It’s really delicious. Not too sweet, and such a fun texture that is great for spreading on any multitude of things. Enough talking, let’s cook