Chocolate-Dipped-Strawberries Breakfast Cake

Please excuse the big photo of my head....

I was conducting a workshop this week on how to make quick meals.  So the night before I quickly made a batch of my famous Mimi's bars.  In a snap, I decided to make another flavor as well that was equally as healthy.  Enter these Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Breakfast Bar.  The ingredients were all things I had lying around and the prep work was ridiculously simple.  

The real shocker was when they were nearly all eaten half way through the workshop.  They were definitely a hit!

“Word to the Wise: Oats are generally heavily sprayed with pesticides, do yourself a favor and purchase organic oats and oatbran. ”

What I love about them (in addition to how easy and delicious they are), is is that they are full of fiber.  Oat bran, which by now, you know I eat daily, is so full of really good for you fiber and protein.  It makes a wonderful on-the-go breakfast that keeps your body healthy. 

 These bars are wonderful for either breakfast or a healthy dessert.  They are also intensely moist, which I personally love!

It was a seamless process to make.  Toss in blender, then bake.  Full recipe deets below. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups raw almonds (can sub almond butter or almond flour)
• 2.5 cups oatbran 
• 2 heaping tablespoons coconut butter 
• 3 ripe bananas 
• 1 handful of pitted dates
• 1 pack frozen strawberries 
• 1-2 cups of plant based milk
• 1 pack frozen raspberries (or another pack of frozen strawberries, bur raspberries work best)
• 1 cup sugar free chocolate chips ( I used stevia sweetened Lily's brand chocolate chips)
• OPTIONAL: coconut flakes for topping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend almonds in a high speed blender until a powder is formed. 
3. Throw everything else except the raspberries and the chocolate chips in the blender. 
4. Blend until smooth.  Adjust the amount of milk until you get desired consistency.  More milk will yield more baking time and more moisture in the bars. 
5. Toss in chocolate chips and frozen raspberries.  Mix into batter. 
6. (Optional) Top the batter with coconut flakes. 
7. Throw batter onto a parchment paper lined baking pan and into oven.  Remove from heat when the outside is perfectly cooked and the inside is cooked but still slightly moist.  (About 40 minutes). 
8. When cooled, cut into bars and eat!

As with all FastBeets Recipes, please use your very own tastebuds in measuring the amounts of each ingredient.  You can't go wrong with how much of anything you add or subtract.  

I'm so happy you're making one of my quick + healthy recipes! Please make sure you share it on Instagram and tag @FastBeets so I can see your masterpiece or leave a comment below with any questions! 

xx, SS

Mighty Mexican Beans

 Time: 10 minutes                

Who's excited about Cinco de Mayo? It probably one of my all time favorite holidays.  Like Taco Tuesday, but on steroids.  What's not to love when you've got margaritas, sombreros, piñatas, and guacamole?  

When done right, Mexican food can be one of the most #FASTBEETSAPPROVED meals around. 

Whether you're going all out like I will or you just want a Mexican dish that is EASY, TASTY, & SUPER HEALTHY, make these Mighty Mexican Beans. 

I made this dish for friends last week and have since got a few phone calls asking for the recipe.  I'm laying it all out on here for you and your Cinco do Mayo festivities or just your next Tuesday night... 

If Mexican independence isn't your thing, just know that the United Nations made beans (pulses) the food of the year.  So drop your quinoa spoon and dig in. The fiber in beans supports your good gut bacteria, it's a great source of plant based protein, and has a plethora of antioxidants. Kinda like your own personal fountain of youth. 

Pair it with guac, sauteed peppers and lettuce leaf for an awesome wrap. Enjoy it with the rest of your taco festivities, or just eat it as is.  Its really that good. 

FAST TIPS: 

Since the beans are canned it takes literally no time to put this dish together.  When buying canned beans, always purchase ORGANIC & BPA-FREE, and make sure your beans have no additives in them.  You can find varieties that are just beans and maybe sea salt.  Stay away from the variety with any kind of added fat or oils.  You wont need that. 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Organic and BPA-free can of refried black beans
• 1 can of Organic and BPA-free can of refried pinto beans
• 1 can of Organic and BPA-free can of pinto beans (do not drain)
• 1 onion
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 3 teaspoons of cumin powder
• 3 teaspoons of paprika
• 3 teaspoons chopped garlic
• (optional) 1-2 teaspoons (or to taste) of chipotle chile powder 
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of filtered water
• Himalayan salt to taste

Method:

1. Add oil to a medium hot pot. 
2. Add all seasoning to the oil. 
3. Add onions to pot and saute until soft but not cooked all the way through. (FastTip: You retain more vitamins when the onions are not completely sautéed and will retain some crunch.)
4.  All the rest of the ingredients to the pot and still until it reaches desired consistency. Add more water or seasoning if it needs it. 
5. Eat!

Thanks for making this! I would love it see how it turns out. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @fastbeets so I can see your #fastbeetsapproved healthy creation! Any questions on it? Message me on Snapchat.  

Xx, SS

Chicks Please Sandwich

The Hubs was in the mood for a tuna sandwich for lunch.  I'm all about honoring your cravings so you won't feel deprived and believe in enjoying all things in life in moderation.  But tuna is not the healthiest choice as it comes with a hefty dose of mercury. We think he can do better on a weekend lunch.  

So I was on a mission to come up with something that was equally satisfying but had a higher nutritional value and no mercury....Enter in the Chicks Please Sandwich. 

“if you can satisfy your craving with a healthier option, choose that option 100%”

To test out if it would work in curbing his appetite, I made BOTH a tuna sandwich and the Chicks Please Sandwich. You know, to level the playing field.  He eats what he wants, and we see what he decides to eat.  Needless to say, because I wouldn't have posted this recipe if the results didn't come out in its favor, the ChicksPlease won out! Picky hubs even asked for more. 

Bottom line here is even though we should never deprive ourselves, if you can satisfy your craving with a healthier option, choose that option 100%. The recipe happens to be ridiculously easy.  We are adding it our household rotation and think you should too. 

*Please note: if you think this is going to taste exactly like a tuna sandwich, you got the wrong recipe. This is simply a replacement, but some believe it to be far tastier ....:)

The Low Down

We all know chickpeas to be an excellent source of protein and fiber.  

But did you know that a 1-cup serving of chickpeas provides you with 94% of your daily recommended amount of manganese and 71% of your daily recommended amount of folate?

Manganese is so important for bone development and wound healing.  It also supports your metabolism.  I'm all in favor of anything that boosts metabolism.  That's definitely a winner in my book.  

Folate is like the queen bee of minerals. Folate is responsible for new cell growth and brain cell development.  It protects against genetic mutations, aka it prevents cancer.

Since most woman are lacking in this essential mineral, manufacturers created folic acid which you may see listed on your vitamins.  Folate is the real deal and naturally occurring in chickpeas.  With 71% of what you need in a cup of chickpeas, warding away cancer seems easy peasy. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 can organic, bpa-free chickpeas
• 2 slices bread of choice (I always prefer Food For Life Baking brand's Ezekial sliced bread)
• 1 tsp liquid smoke (you can omit this if you don't have it)
• 2 tsp bbq sauce 
• 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp flax seed oil (optional)
• Himalayan salt or sea salt to taste
• a couple shakes of garlic powder or to taste
• Handful of organic tomatoes (I used organic grape tomatoes).

Method

1. Drain the chickpeas and place them in a bowl.  Using the back of a fork mash them.  (You can also use a food processor for this, but I find that a fork is easy enough and involves less clean up after!)
2. Add the liquid smoke, bbq sauce, salt, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and flax seed oil (if you're using it)  to the bowl. 
3. Chop the tomatoes & toast the bread.
4. Assemble your sandwich with a layer of the chickpea mixture and a layer of tomatoes.  You can add any other garnish you prefer. 
5. Eat!

Thanks for making this! I would love it see how it turns out. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram so I can see! Any questions on it? Message me on Snapchat.  

Xx, SS

Cardamon Curry in a Hurry

The other day, I found the most divine recipe that was absolutely perfect for a dinner party I was having.  It was a gorgeous cardamom curried eggplant stew that even got the attention of my husband. I studied the recipe, then looked at all 1,432 steps involved in making it. 

Kudos to those people who can labor for hours to produce a meal.  I am not one of them.  I prefer to prepare my food fast, tasty and healthy.  So needless to say, this 2 hour labor intense stew was just not going to happen.  (Sorry hubs.) 

I took out my secret weapon, the electric pressure cooker (If you don't have one, seriously consider saving your life with one) and created a very FastBeets Approved version.  It took all of ten minutes to prep and another 10 minutes to cook. Leaving me with ample time to do the much harder work, like set a gorgeous table.  

The best part is that if you didn't know any better you would have seriously thought I was in the kitchen forever. 

Ingredients:

• 1 -2 teaspoons cardamom powder 
• 2 teaspoons curry powder of choice
• 1 onion 
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon liquid aminos (can substitute salt to taste)
• 1-2 eggplants chopped into squares
• 1/5 a butternut squash chopped into squares
• Any other veggie of choice (optional)
• 2 15oz cans of organic, bpa-free chickpeas
• 1 can of organic, bpa-free, coconut milk
• 1 can of organic, bpa-free of diced tomatoes

Method

1. Set a pressure cooker to the sear/sautè setting.  Add coconut oil and spices, toast for 10 second. Then drop in diced onions and liquid aminos. Sautè until onions are done.
2. Add chopped eggplant and mix with seasonings for 2-3 minutes.  
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and close pressure cooker. 
4. Cook on pressure cooker setting for 10 minutes. 
5. Open, taste, add any additional salt or seasoning if necessary. 
6. Serve with quinoa, brown rice, or as is. 

Thanks for making this! I would love it see how it turns out. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @fastbeets so I can see! Any questions on it? Message me on Snapchat.  

Xx, SS