Garbanzo Bean Burgers

This is an extremely simple and delicious burger. Top it with all your favorite veggies and enjoy!!

Serves 6
Printable Recipe

1 16 oz. can low sodium garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained - mashed
1 carrot, finely grated
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped finely
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. wheat flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (for cooking burgers in)

Mix all ingredients together (except oil for cooking burgers in). Form flat patties. Fry in oiled pan over medium heat on both sides until golden brown. Serve on a sprouted bun with lettuce, tomato & onion.

Garbanzo beans are one of the top plant sources of protein. A cupful gives a person 15 grams of protein.
Protein is needed for many functions in the body, including building muscle tissue.

Garbanzo beans are also one of the best non-meat sources of iron. A cup of garbanzo beans provides a person with 1/4 the iron needed for the day. Iron is very important for good health. Lack of iron can result in fatigue, anemia, and other health conditions.

Garbanzo beans are also excellent sources of manganese, folic acid, phosphorus, and copper.

Pumpkin-Sunflower Seed Smoothie

I absolutely love this smoothie because it is so packed with nutrients.  The recipe includes bananas, berries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and coconut based yogurt. It tastes heavenly! Thick, creamy and delicious. Adding the coconut milk yogurt gives you 35% of your daily Vitamin B12 needs as well as  beneficial live bacteria. Below are some benefits of the ingredients:

Pumpkin seeds are one of nature's almost perfect foods. They are a natural source of beneficial carbohydrates, amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. They contain most of the B vitamins, along with C, D, E, and K. They also have the minerals calcium, potassium, niacin, and phosphorous. They are very high in potassium, and have good amounts of beta carotene and vitamin C.

Sunflower seeds (1 oz.) contains more than 75 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin E ,about 15 percent of the recommended daily values of B vitamins, 6 g. protein and 2 g. fiber. Vitamin E is an antioxidant important for heart health while B vitamins, such as folate and B-12, are essential for heart health and healthy reproduction.

Coconut Milk Plain Yogurt: 35% Daily Vit. B12, 3g. fiber, 30% Daily Calcium, 30% Daily magnesium, 6% iron. Live Active Cultures include: L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Plantarum, L. Rhamnosus, L. Paracasei and Bif. Lactus.

Bananas have 4 g. fiber, 16% Daily Vit. C, 20% Daily B6. Bananas are the most potassium-rich fruit ,an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. It is amazing how many nutrients bananas have. It should be said "a banana a day, keeps the doctor away."

Berries are often described as “super foods,” Research shows that berries are among the fruits highest in antioxidant content and that they are excellent sources of several phytochemicals that seem to help block cancer development. They have health benefits in terms of cardiovascular disorders, advancing age-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and diverse degenerative diseases. Berry anthocyanins also improve neuronal and cognitive brain functions and visual health.

Soaking Nuts and Seeds
1.Gather your raw, organic nuts or seeds.
2.Rinse them in purified or distilled water.
3.Place them in a glass or stainless steel bowl.
4.Cover with twice as much water as the nuts or seeds. (1 cup of nuts to 2 cups of water).
5.Cover the bowl with something breathable like a cloth towel.
6.Drain and rinse the nuts or seeds every 3 or 4 hours.

The soak water will contain the enzyme inhibitors which is very acidic to the body so make sure to rinse your nuts and seeds well.

The Benefits of Soaking Nuts and Seeds

•Enzyme inhibitors get neutralized.
•The amount of vitamins your body can absorb increases.
•Gluten breaks down so digestion is much easier.
•Phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of vital minerals, is reduced.

Pumpkin-Sunflower Seed Smoothie
Printable Recipe

1 banana
1 cup frozen berries -can be any berries that you like
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (soaked at least 7 hours)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked at least 2 hours)
1 cup plain coconut yogurt
Almond milk (if mixture seems too thick)

Blend all ingredients together until thick and smooth. ENJOY!!

Watercress Salad with Miso-Lime Dressing

This crunchy-delicious salad is alive with power packed nutrients and is very easy to digest. Give this highly nutritious salad a try over the holidays when you need extra immune protection.  It is fun to indulge in all the holiday goodies, but make sure you are getting the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy:)  What a combination with watercress, sprouts, bell pepper, onions, tomatoes, cilantro and sesame seeds. Watercress is among the most highly nutritious vegetable, many of the great herbalists wrote of the revitalizing power of watercress. The health benefits are attributed to its nutrient content. Watercress is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, E, manganese, and carotenes. It also a good source of calcium, fiber, iron and copper.  Health Benefits include anticancer properties, protection of the the eyes because it contains a high level of two carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin). There's also evidence that these carotenoids may reduce the incidence of another common vision robber, cataracts. Watercress helps to normalize cholesterol and blood pressure, increases energy and enhances fertility. It helps to improve memory, mental function and retard aging as well as a powerful cleanser of the body, especially the bloodstream. It helps improve digestion by regulating the flow of bile and is valued for clearing and improving the complexion. The chlorophyll-rich leaves can be chewed to absorb breath odors and cure bleeding gums. Watercress is a good source of iodine, which is important to the function of the thyroid gland. It is also rich calcium which can strengthen the bones and teeth.

Buying and storing: Buy fresh-looking greens with springy leaves that show no evidence of wilting and yellowing. Store it in large plastic bags in the refrigerator for two or three days.

Watercress Salad with Miso-Lime Dressing

 Printable Recipe

Serves 4
2 cups fresh sprouts of your choice (alfalfa, broccoli, lentils, green peas, etc.)
1 cup mung bean sprouts (make sure they are fresh with no brown on them)
3 green onions chopped (use entire onion)
3/4 cup sliced grape tomatoes
3/4 cup diced orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
4 cups watercress leaves with some stem

Toss together all ingredients except watercress. Mix in Miso-Lime Dressing. 
Divide watercress between 4 plates.  Divide mixed sprout salad with Miso-Lime Dressing between the 4 plates.  Delicious!!

Miso-Lime Dressing
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. white miso

Mix well.

Thai Fried Rice Noodles

This delicious dish is my creative twist on Pad Thai.  You will love how good this meal makes you feel with all the romaine lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, green onions, garlic, paprika and the yummy rice noodles. Only one tablespoon of olive oil for the entire recipe, so it is very heart friendly.  Add a squeeze of fresh lemon and ground walnuts to finish off your dish. Makes two very large dinner size portions - you won't need anything else to go with this meal unless serving more than two people. 

Thai Fried Rice Noodles

                  Printable Recipe

Serves 2

8 oz. Phad Thai Rice Sticks (Dry) 

1 tsp. extra virgin olive Oil

1 clove garlic minced

2 green onions (use entire stalk) Slice at an angle

1/4 cup water

4 carrots (Use a Julienne Slicer) See photo above.  This tool creates long thin slices

3 cups sliced romaine lettuce

2 cups sliced red cabbage

2 Tbsp. agave nectar or sweetener of choice

1 tsp. paprika

4 Tbsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Lemon slices

Ground walnuts

1.)  In a large bowl, soak the rice sticks in warm water for 30-45 minutes, until tender but firm. 

2.)  Heat oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add minced garlic and sliced green onions.  Stir-fry on medium heat for 1 minute.

3.) Add carrots and continue to stir-fry 30 seconds.

4.) Add drained rice sticks. Add 1/4 cup water and continue to stir-fry until noodles are  translucent. 

5.) When rice sticks start to stick together and stick to pan, add soy sauce, agave and paprika. Stir and cook 1 minute.

6.) Add romaine and cabbage. Turn off heat and stir until mixed well.

7)  Serve topped with ground walnuts and a lemon wedge.  Squeeze lemon wedge  over noodles and enjoy:)