Crunchy Veggie Medley with Fresh Lime

This fresh pop of flavor is great as a snack, on tacos, 

as part of a salad, or anything you can think of! 

Crunchy Veggie Medley with Fresh Lime:

1 organic cucumber

1 organic red yellow pepper

1 organic green pepper

2-3 organic celery stalks

1 organic lime

Optional: fresh spearmint and a variety of other crunchy veggies like red peppers!

Dice the veggies to the size of your liking (I think the smaller, the better), combine them in a bowl, and top with the juice from the lime to taste. That's it!

Healthy Life Tip: prep this at the beginning of your week and separate into several different grab-and-go servings for an easy snack! 

Pairs excellently with these BBQ Seitan Skewers 

and may also want to check out this Pepper & Lime Salsa:

         

Sweet Corn Salsa

I love this recipe for so many reasons! This salsa has a great pop of flavor and it's perfect any time of year and at any occasion! I especially love it outdoors in the summer! It's so easy to make and all of the veggies can easily be prepped the night before! Enjoy this super healthy salsa knowing it's made entirely of real, whole foods!

Sweet Corn Salsa:

16oz organic sweet corn
1 organic jalapeño, diced
1 organic poblano pepper, diced
3/4 organic red onion, diced
1/2 freshly chopped organic cilantro
juice from 2 organic limes
juice from 2 organic lemons


Dice the jalapeño, pepper, and onion and combine with the sweet corn. Chop the cilantro and mix in with the veggies. Finally squeeze the juice from the lemons and limes onto the veggies and mix together and enjoy!

Serve this alongside some Southwest Taco Wontons & Avocado Lime Dip to really step it up a notch!

                   

Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving can always be a tricky time to stay on track with your health goals or your healthy lifestyle, whether you're hosting a gathering or traveling to one. Here are some
of my favorite healthy recipes that can help you have both a flavorful,
fun thanksgiving, and remain on track as well!

If you're planning on having a heavier meal, here are some light appetizers you can easily make ahead of time to serve or bring with you:

      

Warmer finger foods are always fun as well. All of these wonton recipes are fun and healthy for everyone:

     

For the two taco wonton recipes above, you absolutely can't be without this Easy Avocado Dip:

And, finally, for some heartier appetizers, you'll want to check out these:

     

     

My family has always started Thanksgiving dinner with a traditional Italian tortellini soup. However, this light vegetarian seasonal soup would be a perfect start to any Thanksgiving meal. It's smooth and packed with flavor:

Here are some fun, healthy, and seasonal sides to include as well:

     

I hope this helps give you a few ideas as to what you can include in your Thanksgiving day, whether you swap out an older, less healthy recipe on your menu, or you simply bring along a healthier appetizer. For more recipes, you can check out the All Recipes tab, or check out my Pinboards for hundreds of different healthy recipes, especially Healthy Party Ideas.

A website I always check out when I'm busy planning for a party is Raise.com. They have hundreds of different gift cards to buy and sell for a discounted rate. It's such an easy and 

quick way to add some savings to all of your 

holiday and party purchases!

https://www.raise.com/buy-gift-cards
https://www.raise.com/sell-gift-cards 

For more, check out:

     

Cheesy Vegan Quinoa Taco Dip

Cheesy Vegan Quinoa Taco Dip

1/2 cup organic quinoa dry
4 tbsp organic vegan cream cheese
5 tbsp 365 Pepper Duo Hot Sauce
1/8 cup shredded organic vegan cheddar or pepper jack
1 tsp organic paprika
3/4 - 1 cup your favorite organic salsa
1/4 cup no salt added organic black beans
1/4 cup organic yellow corn


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook quinoa as directed and add to large bowl. While the quinoa is hot, add in the cream cheese and mix throughly until the cream cheese is melted and mixture is one texture.

Next, add the hot sauce, salsa, and paprika and and combine. Finally fold in the beans and corn and transfer to an oven safe serving dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and sides are bubbling.

Serve with organic tortilla chips and garnish with freshly sliced organic avocado. Enjoy!

Easy Pepper & Lime Salsa!

Peper & Lime Salsa:

1/2 organic red pepper

1/2 organic yellow pepper

1/2 organic orange pepper

1/2 organic red onion, minced

Juice from 1 organic lime

Chopped fresh cilantro to taste

Dice peppers and combine with lime juice, onion, and cilantro. Let sit for 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, then enjoy!

This salsa goes great with these Veggies Burgers:

                  

These Tofu Dishes:

                  

And these Wontons:

    

                 

Peach Mango Tofu Wraps with Pepper Lime Salsa!

Peach Mango Tofu Wraps:

Makes 8-10 wraps

1 package organic firm tofu

2 organic avocados

1 jar 365 Organic Peach & Mango Salsa 

Peper & Line Salsa to taste

To prepare the tofu drain and then slice into strips. Place the tofu in a baking dish (with a cover) and mix 1 cup of the salsa in with the tofu. Let the tofu marinate, preheat the oven to 350, and begin preparing the Easy Pepper & Lime Salsa.

Once the salsa is complete and marinating, put the tofu in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes.

When the tofu has 5 minutes remaining, cut up the avocado, and place wrap rolls on a baking safe dish and place in the oven to warm for final minute of cooking. 

Once everything is complete place desired ingredients in warmed wrap, add a tbsp or two of extra salsa to the wrap and enjoy! 

Healthy Life Tip: When calculating nutrition information, take into account about 1 tablespoon of salsa per wrap in addition to what you add, as this represents the marinade. 

Fresh & Light Cucumber Salsa

Fresh & Light Cucumber Salsa:

2 organic cucumbers, chopped
11 organic grape tomatoes diced (should be 1 cup diced)
1 organic jalapeño deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 small organic red or yellow onion, chopped
1 tblsp parsley (fresh and finely chopped is best)
1 organic garlic clove finely minced
(fresh dill, spearmint, and/or cilantro would also go well)

1/4 cup organic vegan yogurt
2 tbslp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice


First, chop and combine all of the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together well and set aside. Next, measure out the greek yogurt into a separate bowl, then add the lime and lemon juice to the yogurt and stir until fully combined. Once combined, add 4 tblsp of yogurt mixture to the chopped veggies, and toss until evenly coated.

Serve immediately with organic tortilla chips and enjoy!

Makes 6 servings:



Healthy Life Tip: Since the dip is so low in sodium and carbohydrates, make sure to pay close attention to the chips you select to serve with the dip to keep the values in a healthy range. Always choose organic chips whenever possible (that way you'll be guaranteed that none of these ingredients are in them and that the chips are non-gmo) and make sure to compare the nutrition info on of the chips first to make sure you're making the best choice - especially the sodium values.