I remember my dad making cocoa dusted chocolate truffles when I was a child. To me truffles were the epitome of a fancy grown-up dessert. The classic truffles my dad made were everything a truffle should be: rich, creamy, sweet, with a slight bitterness. He used heavy cream, “good” chocolate, and rolled the truffles in cocoa powder. One Christmas he gifted his famous truffles in pretty holiday tins to all of his brothers and sisters. Even though I was little, I remember how m

Does anyone else love the pairing of blueberry and banana? Baked into whole grain oats it makes for a perfect breakfast combo. You'll start by blending a creamy banana batter by combining dates, non-dairy milk, banana, cashews, vanilla, and hemp protein powder. You won't have to add any additional sweeteners as the dates and banana both add enough natural sweetness. Whole food sweeteners are really the best, as they have nutrients and fiber still attached and refined sweetene

When your sweet-tooth chocolate loving husband gobbles it up and says, “This is delicious. Is it going on the blog?” Of the food Shounek asks for most I think it might be dessert. Honestly, I don’t make dessert often (probably because I’m not much of a baker). So, when I do whip up a dessert, I like it to be with few ingredients and no bake. Chocolate pudding made with avocados fits the bill. The recipe uses only 6 ingredients and it’s rare we don’t have already have them all

Butternut squash soup tends to be a classic cold weather soup. It purees beautifully into soup and pairs well with many flavors. This winter vegetable is shaped like a large pear, has cream-colored skin, deep orange-colored flesh and a sweet flavor. Butternut squash is noted for its health benefits, containing supportive properties like lutein, zeaxanthin. Butternut squash is notoriously tricky to cut. Winter squash have starchy, hard flesh, and an odd shape which requires a

I'm always in search of solutions to simplify meal preparation, without sacrificing nutrition or flavor. Healthy food doesn't have to be complicated, it can really be incredibly simple. I’ve been inspired by the way Deliciously Ella creates her food which tends to be layers of batch cooked food in one bowl. Check out her Instagram feed or blog, she’s got healthy “bowls” all over the place. They are always so colorful and delicious looking and don’t require intensive cooking o

Three of my favorite healthy foods in one dish. What could be better? I combined simple, hearty chickpeas mashed with creamy avocado and topped with sweet and tart pomegranate seeds to make a quick, nutritious lunch. This season I've been buying pomegranates much more often as I've found myself craving the delicious tart seeds. The idea of pairing avocado with pomegranate seeds came from a recent lunch out at a Mexican restaurant. Shounek and I ordered the "seasonal" guacamol

Let's be real for a moment. The world is not set up to be conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Although we've slowly seen a trend for healthy fast casual restaurants and smoothie bars popping up , there's still a fast food joint on every corner, and convenience stores aren't necessarily stocked with wholesome options. It's important to set up the space around you and take time each week to prepare food that's nutritious and transportable. So I'm sharing an on-the-go snack you ca

I’m looking out my window as I write this blog post. It’s pretty ugly out there. We finally got some typical Chicago winter weather today with high winds, freezing rain and cold temperatures. Whenever the weather is cold and wet, I automatically crave warming spicy foods. My friend from New York is in town and coming over for dinner tonight. Brainstorming a meal for us to led me to whip up an Indian inspired sweet potato dish.This mixture of vegetables cooked in dry spices (w

A few days ago a friend and I were discussing our love of Asian peanut sauces. She told me she just made a peanut noodle stir-fry with tofu and her meat-loving husband gobbles it up. Earlier today, I stood looking through my pantry pulling out items to make a peanut sauce of my own. Although I’m certainly not the first person to think it, I decided to make an almond butter based sauce instead. Why not? I’d made a few version of an almond butter dipping sauce at my old job and

Since healthy eating has been part of our lifestyle for a long time, the holiday season doesn’t throw me off too much. There are occasions where I indulge when I typically would not, but I embrace those moments. In between holiday parties, cocktails and dinners out, I make an extra effort to eat as clean and healthy as possible. A huge pot of vegetable soup is what I normally crave to keep me on track. I made this huge pot of Cleansing Winter Soup to keep up our veggie intake