Recipe

Super Simple Green Smoothie Recipe

| Melissa @ Nourished & Vibrant

super simple green smoothie

You know how sometimes you’re running reallyyyy late in the morning, but still want to start your day off with a healthy breakfast?

If you don’t know this feeling, I deeply admire you and wish you could teach me your ways. For the rest of us who tend to hit the snooze button hard and often, I want to share my super simple green smoothie recipe that only takes a mere 4 minutes to make. Yes, 4 minutes!

From gathering your ingredients, to twisting the lid on your mason jar before running out the door, this green smoothie is easy, nutritious, and so quick to make you’ll have no excuses for not having a healthy start to your day.

Four ingredients are all you’ll need: spinach, banana, almond milk, and chia seeds.

Spinach is one of my favorite greens to add to a smoothie, because it’s not very bitter. Plus, the sweetness of the banana mellows the spinach out so that it doesn’t taste like you’re drinking a salad. I promise, this drink is super tasty!

Also, this smoothie is loaded with fiber, which will help keep you full until lunch. #ALLthebenefits

SUPER SIMPLE GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup organic almond milk
  • 1 1/2 cups loosely packed organic baby spinach
  • 1 banana
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients together in a blender, cover, and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy, or into a mason jar for an on-the-go breakfast.

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon with Eggs | Whole 30 Recipe

| Melissa @ Nourished & Vibrant

Brussels sprouts, bacon, and egg dish that is paleo and Whole 30 approved

Like so many others, I’m on the January Whole 30 train with the hope of resetting my body after a December of chocolate, cheese, and enough wine to make any Game of Thrones character blush. By the end of December, I was feeling sluggish, bloated, and lazy about making food choices.

 

Enter the Whole 30! An eating program that cuts inflammatory, processed, and hormone-unbalancing food groups (like grains, dairy, artificial sugars, and alcohol) for a full 30 days. If you haven’t heard about it, check out the details here.

 

I completed my first Whole 30 in August of last year, and while it was hard at times (like anything worth going after), I felt incredible by the end of the month. In fact, by the end of my second week on the program, my energy levels were through the roof. I was running faster, lifting more weight, and once home, sleeping more peacefully. The Whole 30 creators call this energy Tiger Blood, and it’s ah-mah-zing.

 

Besides the increased energy, I love that the Whole 30 never made me feel totally deprived. (Well, except for when I had to order a water with lime when going out for drinks with friends. Let’s be real; that part sucked.) I LOVE food and cooking, and both are an essential part of who I am. The Whole 30 celebrates healthy food and allows you to enjoy tons of nourishing, homemade foods—like this brussels sprouts and bacon dish with eggs.

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Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

| Melissa @ Nourished & Vibrant

slow cooker kalua pork

Today’s message is: “fake it ’til you make it.”

I’ve never been to a Hawaiian luau, and I’ve never seen nor enjoyed any bit of a whole pig smoked in a sand pit, but I made this kalua pork in my slow cooker yesterday and shamelessly admit to having firsts, seconds, and an extra bite or two as I wrapped up leftovers. Is this recipe authentic? No. Is it tasty. YES.

slow cooker kalua pork

Kalua pork is traditionally smoked in a sand pit with sea salt, banana leaves, and koa wood. When you don’t have the luxury of a sand pit, a slow cooker and a little natural liquid smoke can be a girl’s best friend. Simply toss three ingredients in a slow cooker before work (pork roast, Hawaiian sea salt, and liquid smoke), and by evening you’ll be saying mahalo to yourself for making such a smart, delicious decision.

slow cooker kalua pork

I was way lazy with this dinner, so I just paired the pork with sautéed bell peppers, a little quinoa, and some gluten-free soy sauce, which was perfect. Next time I make it (which will probably be sooner than I’d like to admit) I’d like to be more ambitious and try my hand at a pineapple quinoa “fried rice” to go along with it.

You can always slow cook the pork overnight too. In fact, the longer you cook it, the juicier and better it’ll taste. I’m going to use my leftovers by scrambling the shredded meat with eggs and veggies for weekend brunch.

Now go make this!

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lb pork shoulder or butt roast, fat removed
  • 1 tbsp liquid smoke, hickory flavored
  • 2 tsp Hawaiian Sea salt

Directions

FYI, I just kinda eyeballed it with measurements. Wash and pat dry the pork, and place it in the slow cooker. Pierce the pork with a fork (that’s a funny thing to say), sprinkle with salt, and pour the liquid smoke evenly over the roast.

Close your slow cooker, and set the time for anywhere from 8-12 hours on low. When done cooking, shred with a fork and ENJOY!

(This entry was originally posted by me on my original blog What She Makes.)


Green Juice Recipe

| Melissa @ Nourished & Vibrant

green juice ingredients - kale, celery, apple, ginger, lemon, cucumber

I’ve been massively craving greens lately—kale, broccoli, and asparagus have been my favorites—but spending quality time in my kitchen has been on the back burner the last two weeks.

To balance out lots of evenings spent away from home (when satisfying greens aren’t always the most convenient), I’ve been trying especially hard to get my fair share of vegetables in before dinner.

Green juice to the rescue!

green apple

While I don’t like missing out on the fiber I’d get by eating my veggies whole, I personally feel invigorated after gulping a glass of green juice and find it to be a suitable substitute for healthy eating (errr sipping) on the go.

This juice recipe doesn’t taste “green.” In fact, it has a sweet, spicy, citrusy taste because of the apple, lemon, and ginger (an always winning combo).

I try to drink my juice within 12 hours of juicing, but it should stay good for up to a full day if stored properly. Also note, this recipe makes two servings, because I always make enough juice for myself and Michel. Feel free to half it for a solo serving, or just make two and have one for breakfast and one for an afternoon pick me up.

How do you balance out busy evenings away from home when cooking a veggie-loaded dinner isn’t an option? Do you make your own juice too? Have any favorite recipes?

healthy green juice in a mason jar

My Favorite Green Juice Recipe (Serves 2)
Ingredients:

2 apples (I prefer any green variety)

6-8 big kale leaves

1 small cucumber

4 celery stalks

I lemon, peeled

2″ piece of ginger, peeled

Directions:

JUICE! (Hint: put the apples through last for best results.) Pour into a glass and serve.

Feel like something a little thicker? Try my favorite green smoothie recipe instead!

baker cat sleeping

I hope you enjoy this recipe just as much as this sweet cat is enjoying her nap.

xoxo,

Melissa

The Power of Leftovers

| Melissa @ Nourished & Vibrant

Bolognese served over broccoli

Is it really only Tuesday??

These last few days have felt like a whirlwind. The good kind, but, still, the “get-home-around-8-PM-exhausted-after-being-gone-all-day-I-just-want-someone-to-rub-my-feet-and-feed-me-chocolate” kind of days.

It’s on evenings like this that I am thankful for the power of leftovers. When I cook my favorite recipes, I usually prepare about twice as much a Michel and I eat during dinner and either 1) Save the rest for leftover lunches or 2) Freeze the remainder for a leftover “emergency dinner.”

Tonight I’m thankful for the bolognese I froze a few weeks back. It’s one of my FAVORITE recipes ever, but it takes hours to prepare and simmer for optimal flavor. Fortunately, my recipe (which I’ll post soon) serves 8-10, so when I make it we enjoy two nights of it – served over zucchini pasta or steamed broccoli – and then I freeze the rest for nights like tonight.

Seriously, if you’re committed to saving money, eating healthfully, and avoiding takeout, whip up twice as much soup, stew, or healthy casserole as you normally would, and freeze it for a “rainy day.” When you come home stressed or worn out, you won’t be tempted to order pizza or binge on junk in your pantry, especially if it’s a healthy favorite.

How do you try to stay healthy after a long day away from home?

 

 

Recipe: Spicy Asian Chicken Salad

| Melissa @ Nourished & Vibrant

Spicy Asian Chicken Salad

The way I see it, “cooking slow” doesn’t always have to involve slaving away in the kitchen for hours. Whether dinner prep takes 20 minutes or 5 hours, taking some time to consciously prepare a heartfelt and healthy meal using the best ingredients at your disposal is the foundation of a happy, delicious meal.

Take this Spicy Asian Chicken Salad recipe, for example. Brimming with flavor, it didn’t take long at all to prepare, and was the perfect go-to dinner after an evening workout. Whatever it looks like, I promise it’s delicious, and (at least to my palate) slightly spicy thanks to the addition of jalapeno and Sriracha.

I’ve made similar Thai-inspired salads with a more ginger-y appeal, cilantro, and a slightly different vinaigrette, but this one, based off of Linda Wagner’s recipe, offered a delicious alternative.

Spicy Asian Chicken Salad Recipe

(modified from Linda Wagner’s recipe)

Ingredients
  • 1 head cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced finely and cut into halves
  • 1 large cooked chicken breast, shredded
  • 2 tbsp toasted cashews or peanuts
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 4 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (tamari or soy sauce work too)
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha
  • drizzle of honey or maple syrup
  • juice of 2 limes
Directions

Place all ingredients into a large plastic bag and shake vigorously until well mixed. Pour into bowls or onto plates. Enjoy!

Serves 3-4