June 2019 – Green Cupcake

Summer BBQ season has arrived! 😃 I love a good salad or pasta salad as a side but I try to at least add some additional nutrients or health benefits to the salad like leafy greens or in this in case Apple Cider Vinegar. I made a traditional Pasta salad that was tossed with homemade low calorie italian dressing. This salad after being chilled was so refreshing. It was so simple to prepare and it was just as good or better in my opinion as a traditional recipe. I added a ton of vegetables I tend to enjoy but feel free to make this recipe your own and add whatever veggies your love. I don’t eat meat or seafood so I kept this very simple. However this salad would pair nicely with chickpeas or even some grilled tofu. YUM!

Here is everything you will need for this delicous salad:

1 cup of rotini pasta

1/2 cubed cucumber

1/2 celery diced

1/2 yellow and red peppers sliced

1 large onion chopped in to large pieces.

1 large tomatoes diced

1 leaf basil

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

1 tsp of raw honey

1 tsp of nutritional yeast

1 tsp of red chilli flakes

1/2 tsp of garlic salt

1/2 tsp of orengro

1/2 tsp of parsley

1/2 black pepper

This dressing was full of flavour and so simple. it would be fantastic on any salad.

Simple steps to follow so you can enjoy the time with your friends and family.

Step 1: Boil pasta until its cooked about 9 mins for a rotini.

Step 2: Mix oil and vinegar into a bowl add all of your spices and nutritional yeast. Whisk ingredients until well combined and set aside.

Step 3: Prepare Vegetables and set aside. Strain Pasta and place into large bowl.

Step 4: Add raw veggies to pasta. Mix well. Add dressing and toss the pasta to make sure everything is coated.

Step 5: Place into refrigerator for up an hour before servering. Allow all of the flavours to marinate. Serve and enjoy!!!

I love recipes that are even better the next day, this salad is one of them. So I prepared this the night before. SOOOOO FLAVOURFUL!!

Please share your favourite BBQ favourites. I would love to hear about all of them. Happy Summer 🙂

GreenCupcake

Summer Coconut Smoothie Bowl.

June 18, 2019 Green Cupcake

I love a good smoothie bowl for breakfast or brunch. I usually do intermitted fasting so my first meal is after 18 hours of fasting and I quite hungry by that point. I like to have a nutrient packed meal. I like to add healthy fats to my smoothie bowls. This is a rich and creamy smoothie bowl made with Coconut milk.

We are so lucky to have so many great options for Milk alternatives. One of my favourite milks to add to recipes is Coconut milk. Coconut milk contains Medium – Chain Triglycerides. (MCTs). These MCTs have been linked to weight-loss. MCTs produce energy through a process called thermogenesis, or heat production. Coconuts also contain a Lipid “Lauric acid” . Lauric Acid has many anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties which support a strong immune system. Coconut milk is very high in nutrients and minerals. It is delicious and a great addition to a lot of my favourite recipes. I even use coconut milk in my beauty routines.

How do you like to incorporate coconut milk into you meals or beauty routine?

Now back to the super easy smoothie bowl. Here is everything you will need.

I can not wait to share more of my smoothie bowl recipes. I love to play with different favours and toppings. This recipe was fresh and tangy with the cranberries. How do you top your smoothie bowls ?

GreenCupcake

Spicy Guacamole. Turn up the Heat Guac!

June 11, 2019June 11, 2019 Green Cupcake

I love a good creamy avocado on almost anything. Avocados in my smoothies, on my toast, and on their own. Eating a lot of avocados can seem like a lot but this superfood has so many benefits you can enjoy them guilt free. High in nutrients like potassium and Vitamin K. Avocados and avocado oil are high in monounsaturated fat and so many other health benefits.

Tonight is the Nba finals!! I’m not a huge basketball fan but I’m from Toronto so I have to watch. GO RAPTORS! I need healthy snacks when I watch any major sporting event! Tonight in honour of turning up the heat on the warriors I decided Spicy Guacamole was only right! This recipe was so good, and simple to prepare. Here is what you will need:

Ingredients :

2 Avocados

1 large tomato

1 onion

2 chilli pepper chopped

1 lemon

2 tsp siracha

1 tsp sazon

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp red hot chilli flakes

Use a fork to mash Avocados. Combine tomatoes and onions together and add dry seasoning to mixture. Fold in the tamales and add tomato mixture until will combined. Finish with lemon juice. Enjoy it with corn tortilla chips 🙂

I hope you try this spicy recipe and have a gallon of water close by! It’s super hot but flavourful.

Enjoy!!! We the north!! Let’s turn up the Heat tonight! GO RAPTORS!!

GreenCupcake

Watermelon Sorbet. Perfect for a Pre/Post workout Snack.

June 5, 2019 Green Cupcake

Watermelon is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B5, and vitamin C. Watermelon is the richest known nutrient source of the amino acid citrulline. The highest amount is found in the white rind that surrounds the flesh. Drinking watermelon Juice before a workout can boost performance and help reduce recovery time. Push through your workout with Watermelon Juice. Watermelon is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B5, and vitamin C. Watermelon is the richest known nutrient source of the amino acid citrulline. The highest amount is found in the white rind that surrounds the flesh.

Watermelon is a good source of citrulline, which is converted into arginine in your body. This amino acids contributes in the nitric oxide production process. Nitric oxide is a gas molecule that causes the muscles around your blood vessels to relax and dilate. This leads to a reduction in blood pressure.

I love to read research studies on supplements because I want to know how the supplement performs. Twenty-four male soccer players ingested either Cit + Arg or placebo (both 1.2 g/day each) for 6 days. On day 7, they ingested Cit + Arg 1 h before performing a 10-min full-power pedaling test on a bicycle ergometer. Power output was significantly greater with Cit + Arg than in the placebo group. The conclusion was that seven days of oral Citrulline (1.2 g/d) and Arginine (1.2 g/d) ingestion improved 10-min cycling performance and the perception of physical exertion in male collegiate soccer players. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30847640

This watermelon sorbet is so refreshing! The lemon gives the sorbet a tangy taste, which makes this taste like a healthy jolly rancher candy. Lemon is highly acidic and when fully digested, it has many alkalizing health benefits for our bodies. I love watermelon and I know feel even better about eating it. I like to be intentional about what I consume so creating this Sorbet recipe is perfect for me. So many benefits, pre workout sorbet, Post workout sorbet and Low calorie snack.

Here is what you will need: