by Christina | Aug 21, 2019 | Recipes, Wellness
I don’t usually think of soup when I think of my ideal summer meal, but gazpacho is the one very important exception. If you haven’t had a good gazpacho yet, GET READY FOR THIS!
The first time I ever had real gazpacho, I was in Sevilla, Spain, visiting a friend who was studying abroad. Most days I would explore the city while she was in class, but I decided to join her for just one class… cooking.
Guess what we made that day? Gazpacho! I was shocked at how few ingredients it took to make such a delicious gazpacho, and how much better it tasted than any gazpacho I had tried in the U.S. Gotta love real ingredients!
That experience definitely turned me into a gazpacho fan, especially because I discovered that it was so easy to make. If you haven’t had gazpacho before, it’s a cold soup made from tomatoes and other blended vegetables. It’s a Spanish staple for good reason!
It really is that simple – tomatoes, some other vegetables, spices, olive oil… and blend it all up! This is a great soup to whip up if you’re short on time or just want something simple, and it’s perfect if you want a liquid meal on a hot summer day!
This is definitely not your average boring tomato soup. It will turn you into a soup lover! This cool, refreshing soup with light summer flavors is the perfect addition to anyone’s meal rotation. You can serve it as a main or a side! It’s paleo, vegan, vegetarian, packed with veggies, easy to make, and a dish everyone will love!
Paleo / Vegan Gazpacho
Yield: 2-3 large bowls
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Gazpacho:
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (16 oz)
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- juice of one lime
Garnish:
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1 small tomato, diced
- Chiffonade of basil
Instructions:
- Blend all of the gazpacho ingredients together.
- If you want the texture to be thinner, add some filtered water. Stir in up to 1 cup of cold water to your liking, if needed.
- Stir in the garnish ingredients, saving some to be placed on top.
- Serve in 2-3 bowls with olive oil drizzled on top.
by Christina | Aug 18, 2019 | Member Exclusives, Wellness
If your hair is feeling thin, brittle, or slow to grow, you’ve probably been looking into ways to grow your hair back fuller and stronger. First, I caution you against falling for any of the quick fixes / marketing schemes out there. Throwing chemicals at your hair follicles is not the way to go. When it comes to hair growth, you want to take a natural approach so it doesn’t backfire on you in the end. The key to getting longer, thicker, fuller hair is to support your body from the inside out so that the new hair that grows in is exactly what you want. If you’re interested in hair growth, let’s get into what you need to know!
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by Christina | Aug 17, 2019 | Wellness
This workout is perfect for targeting your upper body and abs if you don’t have any equipment – all you need is your body! You can do this on travel, in your room, or anywhere you’re caught without a gym.
Adjust the rep ranges to your fitness level, and make sure that you’re doing each rep with proper form. If your form breaks down, you’re doing too many reps! Make sure you warm up / prime your body before getting started.
This workout is divided into supersets after one straight set. Perform each exercise in the superset one after another, and then rest 30 seconds. Repeat the superset 3 times total. After you’ve completed the superset 3 times, rest 1 minute before moving onto the next superset.
Crab reach, 8 per side (video)
Superset 1:
Skaters, 12-15 reps each side (video)
Cross-Body Push-ups (modify to push-ups on knees if needed), 8-10 reps each side (video)
Superset 2:
Commandos, 8-10 reps each side (video)
V-ups, 20 reps (video)
Superset 3:
Dolphin Push-Ups, 8-10 reps (video)
Tricep Dips, 12-15 reps (video)
Superset 4:
Diamond Push-Ups, 10-12 reps (video)
Reverse Crunches, 15-20 reps (video)
Superset 5:
Scissor Kicks, 30 seconds (video)
Plank Jacks, 12-15 reps (video)
by Christina | Aug 15, 2019 | Recipes, Wellness
If you love both chocolate and super soft, chewy cookies, you’ve come to the right place. These Paleo Chocolate Tahini cookies are almost too good to be true – they’re very dangerous to keep in the house. In the best way possible, though…ya know?
My friend Nicole Modic has a famous cookie recipe on her website for Life Changing Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies, and they truly are life-changing. If you have not made these cookies yet, they are a MUST. (And if you haven’t listened to my podcast interview with Nicole, head here to listen!)
Nicole changed the cookie game with her tahini cookies, and that recipe was the inspiration for these! With just a few changes, these Paleo Chocolate Tahini Cookies were born.
Most people who bake healthy treats are used to using nut butters in cookie recipes, but tahini is definitely less common. Tahini has always been one of my weaknesses, but I usually pair it with something more savory! If you haven’t tried tahini yet, I highly recommend doing so. Tahini is the seed butter made from ground sesame seeds, and it tastes amazing with a number of dishes…but also as the main ingredient in COOKIES!
The tahini gives these cookies a really unique flavor and the absolute BEST texture. They’re perfectly soft and chewy – my ideal cookie. These are best slightly undercooked so they’re extra soft. When you first take them out of the oven, they might not look totally done because they won’t be hard like regular cookies. Let them set for a bit, though, and they will firm up and have the ideal texture.
These chocolate tahini cookies taste a lot like peanut butter chocolate cookies, but way better. Personally, I don’t usually like peanut butter unless it’s combined with something else and the flavor has shifted a bit. But I LOVE these cookies, and I admit they have a peanut butter undertone. So if you love PB but can’t eat peanuts, I highly recommend trying these out! These are great if you eat a paleo diet but love peanut butter, because you can get a similar taste without eating a peanut (which is a legume, BTW).
I got my inspiration for the spices in this recipe from Phat Fudge – a clean source of fuel originally designed for athletes that’s also a great snack! Phat Fudge contains tahini, cacao, vanilla, turmeric, cinnamon, and more, and I wanted to bring those flavors into this cookie! (You can use my code “CRW” for 10% off Phat Fudge!)
In the end, all of the flavors mesh together perfectly to create these beauties! This is definitely one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes, especially because it’s unique from most other cookie flavors out there! Any chocoholic will adore these.
One thing to keep in mind – when you make these, you’ll need to refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes before putting the cookies in the oven. This will allow the dough to firm up enough to form cookies. Also, the cookies will spread out, so give them space!
These Paleo Chocolate Tahini Cookies will become a staple in no time. They’re the perfect texture and flavor, and no one will guess they’re paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free. If you have any tahini in your cupboard, you know what to do!
Paleo Chocolate Tahini Cookies
Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 10-12 cookies
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups almond flour
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ – 1 cup gluten-free / dairy-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life or Lily’s)
Instructions:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Place the bowl of dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350*F.
- Use a spoon or cookie scoop to form 1o-12 cookies, and place them on the baking sheet 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to set completely. (When you first take them out of the oven, they’ll be too soft to pick up, but as they cool they’ll firm up!)
- Once the cookies are set, enjoy!
by Christina | Aug 13, 2019 | Recipes, Wellness
With grilling season upon us and barbecues in full swing, it’s very necessary to have a go-to potato salad recipe on hand, don’t you think?
I spent years avoiding potato salads because they’re usually filled with inflammatory ingredients like vegetable oils, unhealthy mayo, sugar, and who knows what else. Potato salads remind me of mystery meats. What’s really in them? Does anyone even know?!
Even in my “unhealthy” eating days, I always strayed away from potato salads. Even when I used to eat dairy, soy, vegetable oils, and sugar on the reg, potato salads always seemed questionable to me. I’ve had delicious potato salads, and I’ve had awful ones. You never know what you’re gonna get.
If, like me, you’ve had reservations about potato salads, FEAR NO MORE. This Paleo / Vegan Fingerling Potato Salad will change the game. If all potato salads were like this, they’d have a very different reputation.
Now you can join in on this American favorite without compromising your health! I love healthier takes on old classics, and I honestly think they often taste better, too. With this recipe, you definitely won’t miss your old unhealthy potato salad.
For that unique potato salad flavor, traditional mayo and vinegar are replaced with Primal Kitchen Mayo and apple cider vinegar, which are two of my favorite foods. If you haven’t tried Primal Kitchen mayo yet, you will become obsessed with it, too. I used to think I didn’t like mayo in general, but Primal Kitchen completely changed my mind. If you follow me on social media, you probably remember when I used to put Primal Kitchen Mayo on literally every meal… I couldn’t get enough. (You can use my code “WELLNESS” for 10% off any Primal Kitchen products!) If you are vegan, then check out their egg-free mayo!
The mayo, apple cider vinegar, and mustard all work together to create that creamy, classic potato salad flavor that’s become so well-loved. When it comes to mustard, make sure you’re checking your ingredients, because many contain sugar. Look for something that just has vinegar, mustard seed, and maybe salt. Some brands I like are Primal Kitchen, 365 by Whole Foods, and Eden Foods.
This recipe is super simple, but the flavor packs a big punch! All you have to do is boil the potatoes, refrigerate them, make the creamy dressing, and mix it all together! Potato salad is also great because it stores so easily since it’s meant to be served cold anyways!
This Fingerling Potato Salad will become your family staple, too, once you give it a shot! No one would ever guess it’s paleo and vegan, and it’s great because everyone will love it, and everyone can eat it, no matter what their dietary restrictions are. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and nut-free!
Paleo / Vegan Fingerling Potato Salad
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs fingerling potatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 2 tbsp minced chives
- 2 tbsp minced green onions
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo (Use code “WELLNESS” for 10% off Primal Kitchen products!)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
- ¼ red onion, sliced thinly with a mandoline
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions:
- Boil potatoes in heavily salted water for 10-15 minutes, or until you can pierce them with a fork. Drain the potatoes and refrigerate them.
- Slice potatoes into thin rounds and put them in a bowl.
- In separate bowl, mix the mayo, ACV, minced garlic, and whole grain mustard. Mix this in with the potatoes to coat them.
- Add in the remaining ingredients – all of your minced herbs and sliced red onion. Add more salt if needed.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
