Made with a blend of oat flour and gluten free flour, these tangy and fluffy muffins are bursting with blueberries and guaranteed to make your morning that much better.

This recipe will make 9 bakery style muffins or 12 snack muffins. If you do bakery style you’ll get that nice crack at the top which is oh so satisfying.

Here’s how you can DO IT🏼

1 cup Gluten Free Flour blend 

1 cup oat flour (made by blending rolled oats)

1/2 cup raw cane sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2.5 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup cashew milk or almond milk

juice and zest from one meyer lemon

1 egg

1/3 cup oil (I used a light olive oil)

6-8 oz. package of fresh blueberries 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your nut milk in a bowl with the Meyer lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredient. This will help to “curdle” the milk to act more like buttermilk in the recipe. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Add the remaining wet ingredient plus lemon zest to the bowl of nut milk and whisk. Add to dry ingredients and stir, careful not to over mix or the muffins won’t rise. Fold in the blueberries. Add to a greased muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy! 

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The temperatures are officially starting to drop and it’s time for everything pumpkin spice. I know, I know… pumpkin spice may be a little overplayed this fall and winter according to some, but just wait until you try this bowl for yourself! I promise you will be boarding the pumpkin train and embracing the seasonal goodness when you have this.

This bowl of oats is nourishing, grounding and absolutely delicious! It is also so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients that you have on hand in your pantry.

Here is how you can make this for yourself, and enjoy a warm breakfast and celebrate the new season and changing leaves!

Ingredients:

1 cup water
½ cup rolled oats
2 tbsp. nut milk (cashew or almond works best)
3 tbsp. pumpkin purée
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Method:

Bring one cup of water to boil // add 1/2 cup oats // cool until the oats absorb the water // add your cashew or almond milk and stir // add 3 tablespoons of pumpkin purée + a pinch of sea salt + 1 tsp. cinnamon + 1/4 tsp. ground ginger + 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg* // spoon into a bowl and top with maple syrup and pumpkin seeds.

*if you have a pumpkin spice blend on hand, you can use 1.5 tsp. of this instead of the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg combo.

Now sit in your favorite chair or couch, put those cozy socks on and dive under a warm blanket. Things are about to get cozy! Enjoy!

For more warming breakfast recipes, download my free breakfast recipe ebook!

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If there is one thing I have been cooking more of during this uncertain time it has been comfort food. More specifically, my childhood favorites. There is something about the nostalgia of a childhood favorite that is so comforting.

When my family took road trips when we were younger, we used to stop at Burger King and I would always get the chicken tenders. They were my absolute favorite. Now that I am older, I wanted to recreate them.

Enter this delicious and healthy version of my childhood favorite. I am so happy I discovered Open Nature® products that are available exclusively in my area at Albertsons and Safeway, especially Almond Flour which is used for the crispy coating on O Organics® Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts. They are so easy to make and I love to eat them with a crunchy side of carrots or celery, O Organics Kettle Cooked Potato Chips and ranch or buffalo dipping sauce.

Here’s how you can make these paleo chicken tenders come together. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:

1 pound O Organics Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 egg
1 cup Open Nature Almond Flour
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. dried parsley
½ tsp. each salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a small bowl whisk together the egg with 2 tablespoons of water to make the egg wash. In a separate bowl, mix the almond flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, parsley, salt and pepper together.

Cut the chicken into tenders. Place a chicken tender in the egg wash and shake off the excess. Immediately place the chicken tender in the almond flour mixture and coat liberally. Shake off, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for remaining chicken tenders.

Bake at 400 degrees for 16 minutes flipping half way through. After 16 minutes, turn the broiler on high. Broil 4-5 minutes to make the chicken extra crispy. 

While the chicken bakes prepare your veggies for the side, grab a handful of chips and pour your sauce of choice!  

If you are eating more plant-based or gluten-free for health reasons, your local Safeway and Albertsons stores have thousands of products to choose from. I especially love O Organics because they are USDA certified I can find all my favorites at affordable prices and Open Nature makes products with simple ingredients and great quality. In the San Francisco area Open Nature products are available exclusively at Albertson’s and Safeway.

 Try any of these clean, free-from Open Nature products and USDA certified organic O Organics products exclusively at stores and online.

• VISIT www.albertsons.com/exclusivebrands

• VISIT www.safeway.com/exclusivebrands

This is a sponsored blog post in which I received payment for my opinion on all products.

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I am originally from California so I like eating my tacos with melted cheese. It’s definitely a thing, versus eating traditional street tacos that are just the meat, onions and cilantro. And when you don’t feel like eating meat, cheese is a great substitute with your beans of choice for extra protein.

I actually had a debate the other night on what the difference between tacos and quesadillas are. Like if there is melted cheese is it automatically a quesadilla? If you add beans is it automatically a taco? Does how you hold it or prepare it matter? Apparently so! And if you want to go down a Google rabbit hole like I did on the subject, feel free to do so.

Otherwise, I highly recommend you make THE BEST vegetarian tacos you will ever have.

(Serves 1) Depending on Hunger Level

Check out my Fear to Freedom Online Course to learn more about how to listen to your hunger cues in Module 2.

Ingredients:
2-3 tortillas of choice (I used a wheat and corn combo)
1/2 cup pinto or black beans
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar or jack cheese
2 large handfuls shredded cabbage
1/2 ripe avocado
2-3 tbsp. of green salsa

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Shred your cheese using a box grater (I prefer how freshly shredded cheese melts vs. pre-shredded). Open, drain and rinse your can of beans. Split beans and cheese evenly between your tortillas. Pop into the oven on a cookie sheet. While your cheese melts, thinly slice your cabbage and chop up your avocado. Remove tortillas with beans and cheese after 7 minutes, or as soon as the cheese melts. Assemble your tacos and top with your salsa. Dig in and ENJOY!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Albertsons and Safeway. All opinions are 100% my own.

The best way to celebrate the end of the summer, in my opinion, is to soak up the last rays of sunshine and warm weather with a creamy and rich smoothie using late summer fruit. Strawberries are forever my favorite to use in smoothies, and when you combine them with thick Greek yogurt and bananas the result is amazing.

I love using yogurt in smoothies for added protein without having to use protein powder. By doing so you are reserving the full flavor of the fruit without overwhelming it with flavored powders.

When eating smoothies for breakfast, it is also important that it substitutes a filling meal so that it keeps me energized until lunch.  To do so, I always add a fat and a fiber to my smoothie as well.  For this recipe, I am adding chia seeds (fiber) and creamy cashew butter (healthy fats).

I am so happy I discovered Open Nature® products from, Albertsons and Safeway especially the Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt and Creamy Cashew Butter. They make the perfect addition to any smoothie to keep you full and satisfied for hours.

I personally love using O Organics® Unsweetened Almond Milk as a base as it provides a smooth flavor and compliments the fruit without being overwhelming.

This smoothie has been on high rotation at my apartment, and I have been loving making double the serving to have the second as a snack in the afternoon. Especially on busy days, knowing that I have a healthy snack in my fridge is so helpful.

If you want to make this delicious smoothie, here is how you can do it!

Ingredients

1 container of Open Nature Greek Yogurt Plain Nonfat

1 tbsp. of Open Nature Creamy Cashew Butter

1.5 Cups of O Organics Original Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 peeled, ripe and frozen banana

1.5 cups of frozen strawberries

1 tbsp. chia seeds

Method

Add all ingredients above into a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds until smooth. Pour into two glasses, top with fresh strawberries. Enjoy with someone you love or store the second smoothie in a mason jar in your fridge for later.

 If you are eating more plant-based or gluten-free for health reasons, your local Safeway and Albertsons stores have thousands of products to choose from. I especially love O Organics products because they are USDA Certified Organic and I can find all my favorites at affordable prices, and Open Nature products with simple ingredients and great quality. In the San Francisco area Open Nature and O Organics products are available exclusively at Albertsons and Safeway.

You can also find them at the other Albertsons Companies family of stores, including ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets and Carrs/Safeway.

Also, make sure to check out Grocery Delivery and DriveUp & Go™ for convenient ways to shop!

Try any of these clean, free-from 110 additives Open Nature products and USDA Certified Organic O Organics products exclusively at stores and online.

VISIT www.albertsons.com

VISIT www.safeway.com

Raise your hand if you used to get Chinese take out growing up. Ok sure, I won’t actually see you raising your hand, but I am guessing that most of you reading this raised your hand. As children of the 90s with parents who worked, or equally exhausted stay at home parents, it is likely that they succumbed to pizza or Chinese take out every once in a while. Or late night in college, as I did many times.

My favorite dish was always the kung pao chicken. Perfectly spiced and sticky. I always went for the white rice and scooped up extra sauce for each bite.

I wanted to recreate this childhood and college favorite of mine, but without the food hangover. Enter my healthy kung pao chicken dish! It is so freaking good. I couldn’t be happier with how this turned out!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound chicken breast (cut into 1-inch pieces)

2 cups chopped broccoli 

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

2 tbsp. tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos

3 tbsp. rice vinegar 

2 tbsp. coconut sugar 

4 tsp. arrowroot powder

1 tbsp. sriracha 

3 cloves garlic, chopped 

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger 

METHOD:

Heat a bit of oil in a nonstick pan on medium-high and add the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until done. Set aside. In the same pan, cook broccoli on medium heat with the garlic, ginger and a bit of oil and a few splashed of soy/tamari/coconut aminos and cook until tender (you can steam the broccoli for a few minutes before to cook faster in the pan). 

While you cook the broccoli and the chicken, combine the tamari, rice vinegar, coconut sugar, arrowroot powder and sriracha to a bowl and stir to combine. 

When the broccoli is done, add the chicken back to the pan on low heat and stir in the sauce until it thickens. Serve with the peanuts over a bed of white rice.

ENJOY!

We have all had those days – the type that feels like you need more hours to get everything done, or where it feels like the day drags on and you are beyond exhausted by the time you hit your mattress to sleep. The type of day where you are running a mile a minute just to check a few things off of your to-do list only to pile on 10 more things. A report is due at work, the kids need to be picked up or you are so immersed in a project that you look up and somehow it is already dinner time.

Then panic mode sets in. What do I make for dinner? I am so hungry, but I don’t feel like cooking. I don’t have time to go to the grocery store and pick up anything healthy or nourishing.

Thankfully there is a solution. This super simple and nutritious dinner is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free and can be made in 30 minutes all while answering work emails, helping the kids with homework or taking a moment of self-care instead of cooking.

I am so happy I discovered Open Nature® products that are available exclusively in my area at Albertsons and Safeway, especially this Gluten Free Cornbread Mix. It is the perfect partner in crime for a lazy weeknight dinner with O Organics® Three Bean Chili & Kale Bowl when you don’t have time to cook, let alone think about what you want to make.

If you remember how much I loved the brownies I made in this post, I am equally loving the Open Nature Gluten Free Cornbread Mix. It cooks up perfectly, isn’t too dry or too sweet. Honestly, in my opinion, it is the best gluten free cornbread mix I have ever made. I’ve slaved over making my own from scratch and I will never need to again now that I know how easy and fluffy this cornbread comes out.

I usually don’t eat frozen meals because of the added preservatives in most that you find, but this Plant-Based Chili from O Organics doesn’t have any processed ingredients. Perfect for when you can’t make that trip to your grocery store and you want to grab something healthy from your freezer to heat up.

Here’s how you can make this nutritious dinner come together. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:
1 Box Open Nature Gluten Free Cornbread Mix
1 cup O Organics Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 egg
1/2 stick of vegan butter (or regular butter), melted
1 O Organics Three Bean Chili & Kale Bowl
Shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions to top

Method:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you combine the cornbread mix with the almond milk, egg and vegan butter with a whisk. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove to cool for 5 minutes while you make your chili. Follow the directions on the package to heat up your chili, place into bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions.

If you are eating more plant-based or gluten-free for health reasons, your local Safeway and Albertsons stores have thousands of products to choose from. I especially love O Organics because they are USDA certified I can find all my favorites at affordable prices and Open Nature makes products with simple ingredients and great quality.

In the San Francisco area Open Nature products are available exclusively at Albertsons and Safeway. You can also find them at the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets and Carrs/Safeway.

Try any of these clean, free-from Open Nature products and USDA certified organic O Organics products exclusively at stores and online.
VISIT www.albertsons.com/exclusivebrands
VISIT www.safeway.com/exclusivebrands

This is a sponsored blog post in which I received payment for my opinion on all products.

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This recipe is definitely one of my favorite pasta dishes to make on a weeknight. Or really any night of the week, because let’s be honest they all kind of blend together during home quarantine in this pandemic. Not only can you whip it up in under 20 minutes but it's also an impressive and flavorful dish to share with those you are sheltered in place with. Something about the combination of the lemon with the artichokes is absolutely divine.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package brown rice pasta

1 can of artichoke hearts

1 package of chicken sausage, sliced

1/2 cup shredded fresh pecorino or parmesan cheese

1 head of broccoli, chopped

A handful of spinach

Olive oil

Juice and zest of one lemon

METHOD:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Sauté your sausage, artichoke hearts and broccoli in olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Add everything to your pot of drained pasta. Melt in your cheese, wilt your spinach and add a few glugs of olive oil plus lemon juice and zest.

Making overnight oats with yogurt is my favorite way to make this creamy breakfast bowl. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe of mine that I have been making for years!

Want more breakfast recipes? CLICK HERE for my free breakfast recipe ebook!

Did you know that Bircher Muesli is actually the proper name for soaked and fermented oats? I learned this from a British friend of mine. Also, the proper way to make this gut-boosting bowl is with whole milk dairy yogurt. I like to make mine with Straus Whole Milk Yogurt or Redwood Hill Farm Goat Milk Yogurt. Soaked and fermented oats with yogurt give you a probiotic boost in the morning on an empty stomach, to give you energy and get things moving for the day. These are wonderful for your digestion as well. If you want to make the most delicious bowl of oats there is, here's how you can DO IT.

Ingredients:
(serves 2)

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup and 2 tbsp. filtered water (you can also eyeball and add water until it is about 1/2 inch above the oats)

2 big spoonfuls of whole milk yogurt

1 tbsp. sunflower seeds

1 tbsp. pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp. shredded coconut

1 tbsp. raisins (optional)

Method:

Mix everything together in a bowl. Cover with a plate and leave out on your counter overnight. I keep my next to my stove for a little warmth, bacteria loves warmer climates. You want the good bacteria from the yogurt to do it's work! You don’t get this magical effect when you make overnight oats with nut milk. The fermentation happens because of the cultures in the yogurt. If you refrigerate you also aren't providing an environment for fermentation. Also if you heat your oats after soaking in yogurt, you will kill any bacteria that has grown. These are meant to be eaten at room temperature!

Overnight Oats, aka Bircher Muesli, is a great breakfast to enjoy any day of the week. Top with honey and fruit of your choice. When I first began my health journey, this was my go to breakfast. I also love it because it keeps me regular :)

ENJOY!

I’m going there by saying that this is hands down my favorite smoothie combination that I have made so far in 2020. I wasn’t sure how the combination of pear and blueberries would turn out but it is heavenly.

This is why I love making smoothies for breakfast. Not only are they a nutritionally balanced breakfast but you can have fun and get creative with combinations.

I followed my own advice on How to Make the Perfect Smoothie by combining the right amount of veggies, fruit, fats, fiber and protein. The outcome? Creamy, filling and delicious.

Here is how you can DO IT:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 pear chopped and frozen
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen riced cauliflower
1 pitted date
1 tbsp. almond butter (use BBM25 for a 25% discount)
1/2 tbsp. chia seeds
2 scoops collagen peptides

Method:
Combine everything into a high speed blender and blend until smooth (longer that you think, you want it to be creamy).

Sip and say AHHHH!

FOR MORE SMOOTHIE RESOURCES:

My Top 5 favorite smoothie recipes (other than this recipe)

The best supplements to add to your smoothies

The best healthy fats to add to your smoothies

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