Ok Nutella lovers; who knew our fabulous Michaela was also a chef! Here is her recipe for all organic, guilt-free Nutella!
Ingredients:
1 cup Organic Hazelnuts
3 Oz. Organic, 80% Cacao Dark Chocolate
2 Tbs. Flaxseed Oil
2 Tbs. Organic Confectioner’s Sugar
2 Tbs. Organic, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
3/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
Hummus is an awesome, healthy go-to snack that is surprisingly easy to make and always great to have on hand. The protein and fiber from the beans keep you sustained and satisfied for a good amount of time and the nutritient to calorie ratio is very high. Sometimes, however, roasted red pepper or garlic hummus can get a bit boring. We also need to expand our views of hummus to go beyond chickpeas. In this light, I give you an exotic hummus substitute, CURRIED WHITE BEAN DIP. This dip is thick and hearty like hummus but features white beans instead of garbanzo beans and packs a powerful curry punch. I had this dip with a sliced cucumber for lunch today and it kept me full for hours, not to mention how delicious it is!
Curried White Bean Dip (Based on recipe from Foodnetwork.com)
15 ounces white beans (drained)
1 packed cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped (I used dried parsley and it worked out fine–use 1/2 cup if using dried)
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil (Start with 1/4 cup and add more as needed when processing)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic (peeled and roughly chopped)
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt as needed. Enjoy with fresh veggies, or multigrain chips.
Be well!
I love bowls of rice. I love veggies. I love avocado. I love tahini sauce. Don’t you? This bowl has all of those things and then some. It’s chock full o’ healthy starch, protein, vitamins, nutrients, healthy fats, and flat out deliciousness. I adapted the recipe from this one here to fit my likes and what I had in the fridge/pantry. Feel free to try my version or the one from Food & Wine Magazine.
Verry Veggie Vegan Rice and Lentil Bowl 
1 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils
4 Tbsps olive oil, separated
1 small onion, finely diced
1 whole carrot, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
1 zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise then cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Salt
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1 bunch kale, large stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup tahini, room temperature
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3-5 Tbsps warm water
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
More salt
1 ripe avocado, diced
Directions
1. Cook the rice as indicated on package. In the meantime, cook the lentils as indicated on package as well.
2. Heat 2 tbsps of olive oil up in a large skillet and, over medium heat, cook the onions for about 4 minutes, until they turn translucent. Add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally for another 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, a healthy dose of salt, and cook until tender (about 4 minutes). Transfer into a bowl.
3. Put remaining olive oil in the skillet and over medium heat cook the broccoli, covered for about 5 minutes–stirring occasionally–until broccoli is dark green. Add the kale and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with some salt, mix in the other vegetables, and remove from heat.
4. Whisk together your tahini, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, garlic, and warm water. Add more water as desired for a thinner sauce.
5. Mix together your rice, lentils, and cooked veggies. Serve topped with avocado and tahini sauce.
**Note for the carnivores: My boyfriend topped his dish with a chicken breast that he cooked in a light coating of teriyaki sauce. He said it was phenomenal.
Be well!
I’m a greens girl, always have been, always will be. I’ve always been the only one of my friends 
who picked up Kale, Swiss Chard, or Escarole on a regular trip to the grocery store, and I’ve been teased about it for years. I like my greens raw, juiced, sauteed, baked in casseroles, really any which way. So you can imagine my delight when I was introduced to a blended LETTUCE soup.
Don’t be scared; the soup is actually simple and mighty delicious. I heard about the recipe through one of my Pilates clients and couldn’t wait to try it. I actually searched the internet for a similar recipe before I made her version and found that a “green leaf” blended soup isn’t actually all that common. I finally found a recipe that I was eager to try with romaine lettuce, potatoes, broth, and leeks. The soup takes about an hour and a half to make because the potatoes need to simmer for quite a while, but it’s worth it. The soup is thick and warming yet feels fresh and extremely healthy. There is no heavy cream or butter or flour used to thicken the soup so it’s just plain good for you.
The recipe is from The New York Times and can be viewed in its entirety here. I highly recommend giving the recipe a try, or exploring different ways to get your greens in soup. My client’s recipe is similar but uses tons of scallions instead of leeks; I can’t wait to try that next week!
Be well, Buffalo.