hemp seeds

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! 

Crack Broccoli - The Best Broccoli You'll Ever Eat

Crack Broccoli - The Best Broccoli You'll Ever Eat

This is the best broccoli you'll ever eat. Roasting is such a delicious way to prepare veggies, and broccoli absolutely transforms when cooked in a hot oven. They turn golden brown, the stalks turn tender, and their flavor is enhanced. When roasting any vegetables, it's super simple: don't be afraid of oil & salt! Don't skimp, and toss the vegetables so that they're properly coated in oil and seasoning. 

This roasted broccoli really wakes up the taste buds. Flaky sea salt, cracked black pepper, and thinly sliced garlic are the base for great seasoning, but what really brings this broccoli up a notch is the addition of shichimi. Shichimi Togarashi is a Japanese blend of seven spices that varies depending on the region or cook. The typical ingredients include sansho (Sichuan pepper), dried citrus peel, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, shiso, nori, hemp seeds, and chiles. This mixture is wonderful on meat, noodles, rice, and fried foods. I love adding shichimi to my eggs or on top of my avocado toast!

After the broccoli is roasted, finish it off with a good squeeze of lemon juice and fresh lemon zest for some good brightness and acid. The cake topper is tossing in shaved Parmesan cheese for some nuttiness. This recipe works well for regular weeknight dinners, or as a side for entertaining. There's no need to measure a ton of ingredients - just toss it all together and roast it off in the oven for 15 minutes :)

Raspberry Chia Pudding

Raspberry Chia Pudding

Chia pudding is one of the easiest ways to work superfoods into your diet - not to mention how incredibly tasty and versatile it is to make! It takes virtually 5 minutes to whip together, and then all you've got to do is have enough patience to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. I like to make my pudding at night so that there's no waiting ;) Chia pudding works beautifully as an alternative to overnight oats, cereal, or your morning yogurt for breakfast; or really wonderful as dessert. 

The only thing you need to remember when making chia pudding is a simple ratio of 1 cup milk to 4 tbsp chia seeds. You can use any type of milk, such as coconut, almond, rice, soy, or cow :) You can stir in greek yogurt for some more texture and fluff. When it comes to flavoring your pudding, anything goes! Blend up some fresh fruit, use chocolate, mint, peanut butter, nutella... the list goes on and on. 

An easy treat for Valentine's Day is to toss some raspberries into the blender and add them to your pudding. Serve it with fresh mint, or shaved chocolate for a sweet, healthy treat. Watch the video below to find out how :)

Homemade Hummus

Homemade Hummus

Ok, so I'm never buying store-bought hummus again! I've always heard about how easy it is to make your own hummus at home, but haven't ever given it a try. I recently got a blender during a pretty epic White Elephant, and have been so excited to blend everything. This recipe for hummus is super simple - bright and lemony, and ready to enjoy with carrots, pita, whatever you like. Watch the recipe video below and get blending :) 

Hemp Crusted Chicken Tenders

Hemp Crusted Chicken Tenders

Today I'm sharing a really fun way to get hemp seeds into your families' diet. I am never one to turn down a chicken tender. Seasoned almond flour and hemp seeds are the perfect crust for baked chicken tenders - they turn out deliciously crisp on the outside and are great for dipping. Watch the video recipe below and let's get cookin :) 

Honey Baked Pears with Walnuts

Honey Baked Pears with Walnuts

These baked pears are the quickest way to indulge in some holiday goodness. Anyone can make them - just 5 minutes of prep and 25 minutes in the oven (I made them in my toaster oven!). Beautiful fresh pears are drizzled with a quick mix of honey and vanilla extract, and sprinkled with cinnamon, your favorite granola, and crushed walnuts. There is nothing quite like the smell of warm cinnamon filling your home to remind you how close we are to Christmas! 

Feel free to add your own homemade granola - I love using Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Granola on my morning yogurt and on treats like this. I also love adding a sprinkle of hemp seeds for an extra boost of nutrition - they're packed with amino acids, Omega-3s, fiber, and more. Once the pears bake up in the oven, they transform into tender, spoonable desserts that are warm with holiday flavor. Top the baked pears off with plain yogurt or your favorite ice cream. These are simple to make and are easy on the wallet - ideal for entertaining :) Let's get baking!

Holiday Roasted Pumpkin with Cranberries

Holiday Roasted Pumpkin with Cranberries

Speaking of the holidays, this week's recipe is a simple and cozy side dish that is wonderful for this time of year. Roasting vegetables brings so much depth of flavor to the party, and also gives each piece of pumpkin a nice toasty edge. Adding pumpkin seeds for crunch, and dried cranberries for a tart contrast makes this the easiest dish to bring to your holiday parties this year. 

This recipe is completely adaptable. Don't have pumpkin? Try butternut squash or sweet potato. I like adding cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries, but roasting the veg with trimmed Brussels sprouts, bacon, prosciutto, shallots, pecans, kale, ginger, chili, or cumin is wonderful as well. In this recipe, I finish off the dish with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, and flaky sea salt, but fresh parsley, feta, or even tossing it with pasta is delicious, too! Watch the video recipe below and let's get cookin! 

Apple Pie Overnight Hemp Oats

Apple Pie Overnight Hemp Oats

I love Fall!! Hoodie weather, the holidays...and food. Roasted veg, casseroles, pie, roasts, baked fruit...mmm!! Some of my favorite comfort food is made during the Fall and Winter months. Overnight Oats are a Pinterest favorite, and make busy weekday mornings a little easier. Today we're adding a Fall twist to Overnight Oats by adding cinnamon-spiced apples and a nutritional boost from hemp seeds :)

Hemp seeds are a nutritional powerhouse that actually do not cause any psychotropic reaction. They are packed with tons of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, amino acids, calcium, iron, magnesium, and tons of Vitamins. Adding hemp seeds to your diet is a complete bonus. Watch the recipe below! Let's get cookin :)