Chelsea Harrison4 Comments

Whole Roasted Carrots & Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Chelsea Harrison4 Comments

I was originally planning a completely different post.  I did not really have carrots in mind at all.  But then my mom showed up with a bag of veggies from her CSA.  Inside were some irresistible, colorful carrots.  My parents are without a refrigerator due to renovations, so my mom thought the carrots would be better appreciated at my house.  She was right.

The carrots my mom brought me were red, yellow, and orange.  The wonderful thing about having different colored carrots is that they have different nutrients.  Orange carrots of course are packed with beta-carotene.  Red carrots have anthocyanins, while yellow have lutein.  By eating a variety of colors, we broaden the vitamin and antioxidant content of our diets.

Whole Roasted Carrots & Lemon Yogurt Sauce


Ingredients:

6 whole carrots

1-2 tsp coconut oil

2 sprigs thyme

1/2 cup unsweetened yogurt (goat's milk yogurt tastes especially nice here)

zest of one lemon

1 tsp lemon juice

pinch of salt


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Evenly coat each carrot with coconut oil and place in baking dish.  Sprinkle fresh thyme leaves over the carrots and bake for about 30 minutes or until soft.  Meanwhile, stir together yogurt, lemon juice, zest, and salt.  Drizzle lemon yogurt over the carrots and serve. 


Chelsea Harrison7 Comments

Quinoa and Avocado Veggie Bowl with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Last week marked the autumnal equinox, the end of summer and the beginning of fall, a day when sunlight and darkness are equal in balance.  As this day approached I was feeling completely out of balance.  In an effort to "reset" myself, I decided to try a juice cleanse.  I had tried one five years ago, but I wasn't as invested in my health at that point in time, so I decided to give it another shot.

While I know that many people benefit from juice cleanses, I can now safely say that juice fasting is not for me.  As someone who typically has a good relationship with food, I suddenly felt obsessed.  I was so hungry that I was craving junk foods that have never interested me.  I don't normally have any "rules" about what I eat.  I simply eat what appeals to me while trying to make the most nourishing choices I can.  But as soon as foods were off limits, they were all that I could think about.  Half way through the third and final day I decided to break the cleanse.  I was so hungry that I knew if I kept it up I'd end up eating something unhealthy.  By stopping early I was able to make a more sensible yet delicious choice: quinoa and avocado veggie bowl with tahini lemon dressing.

Chelsea Harrison7 Comments
Quinoa and Avocado Veggie Bowl with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Chelsea Harrison1 Comment

Baked Vegetable Pockets + Orange Peanut Dipping Sauce

Most days I wake up craving fresh fruits and vegetables, raw foods, and earthy flavors. They energize me and leave me feeling pure and on top of the world. But other days…I really miss junk food. That is to say I miss the warm salty flavors and reassuring feelings I get from eating familiar foods. What I don't miss is the inevitable can't-move, bloated, sick feeling that comes along with junk food, not to mention the unseen havoc it causes my digestive and immune systems. 

It was on one of these junkfood-minded days that I came up with this recipe. My perspective is that eating should be fun and intuitive and not about deprivation so when I feel like I need comfort foods, I embrace it. I wanted to make something comforting to satisfy my craving without the heavy feeling and negative repercussions. With this criteria in mind I came up with Vegetable Pockets stuffed with eggplant, mushrooms, cashews and more. It's not quite Indian, not quite Chinese, although it hints at both dumplings and samosas. Usually stuffed foods are wrapped in white flour based pastries or noodles which offer little to no nutritional benefits. White flour also spikes your blood sugar (hello, disease fuel) and is one of the most common triggers for people with food sensitivities. Instead I used rice paper because they are light and gluten free. Rice paper wraps hold everything together without adding much to taste, allowing the vegetable flavors to shine through.

Chelsea Harrison1 Comment
Baked Vegetable Pockets + Orange Peanut Dipping Sauce
Chelsea Harrison1 Comment

Lentils with Curried Yogurt and Roasted Grapes

I think I was an adult before I realized there were more varieties of grapes than "green" and "red." OK, that's not entirely true. Growing up I would pick muscadines off the vine and eat them, but I had never seen another variety of grape at a grocery store. This time of year you can find types of grapes that are so much more delicious than the most common ones. With that in mind, I created this lentil recipe with roasted grapes to celebrate the season. I used champagne grapes (because they are tiny and cute), but any variety will work. Concord would be especially delicious.

Chelsea Harrison1 Comment
Lentils with Curried Yogurt and Roasted Grapes
Chelsea Harrison3 Comments

Banana Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese and Chocolate Frosting

My best friend Emily of Whisk and Whittle makes this amazing cake with caramelized bananas and Nutella.  If you are in the mood for all the butter, flour, and sugar (which sometimes I am!), her cake is definitely the winner.  But last week I was in the mood for that cake, but I wanted a healthier version. I decided to adapt the recipe from my Maple Pecan Banana Muffins to make a healthy gluten-free/refined sugar-free version. And while it is a different cake experience completely, it turned out great!

Chelsea Harrison3 Comments
Banana Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese and Chocolate Frosting
Chelsea Harrison9 Comments

Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Growing up, lemon or almond poppyseed were my favorite muffins.  And I've never been that big on muffins.  I prefer savory foods and muffins are basically breakfast cakes.  But poppyseed muffins are the exception to the rule.  And the good news is, poppy seeds are good for you.

Chelsea Harrison9 Comments
Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Muffins