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meghannbower
- Jul 29, 2019
- 2 min
Cauliflower Aguachile
The aguachile I had in Mexico recently was a tomato-based version that wasn't very spicy and had octopus instead of shrimp, which is the more traditional option. I knew I had to make a plant-based update as soon as I got back. One of my favorite dishes is a cauliflower ceviche from Forks Over Knives called Landlocked Ceviche and I used it as my inspiration to create this aguachile. Aguachile (literally translated means 'fire water') is traditionally a very spicy ceviche typi
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meghannbower
- Jul 11, 2019
- 3 min
Grasshopper Pie
I have a mint plant that, despite my neglect, is growing exponentially in my yard and I needed a good recipe in which to use it. It FINALLY hit me! I'd never had a grasshopper anything until I made this recipe. I went into it blind and I'm glad I did. I don't think I could ever have another version than this one right here. I got some help on the filling from Emily at Pretty Pies. You should definitely check out her stuff! Mint is incredibly calming and provides many digesti
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meghannbower
- Jul 3, 2019
- 2 min
Pineapple Green Chile Salsa
Ever since I discovered frozen green chiles at Trader Joes, I've been a bit obsessed. I never used to think much of them until I met a friend from New Mexico who SWORE by them. I'd never had one that was spicy enough for my taste and all but wrote them off after that. I was SO WRONG. The green chiles I've gotten from TJ's have been every bit as spicy as a jalapeno and I LOVE their flavor. I also LOVE a little fruit in my salsa. Sweet and spicy is such a legendary combinatio
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meghannbower
- Jul 1, 2019
- 2 min
Classic Potato Salad
I have never met a potato salad that I didn't like. And I LOVE that every family has their own recipe. I find that so exciting; every barbecue is a new adventure! My mother-in-law is from Spain and her potato salad is more mayonnaise-based with canned tuna (the good kind, packed in olive oil) and green olives. Its totally different from what I'm used to but so, so delicious. My mom's recipe is simple, but also delicious. She takes a mustard approach, with eggs, celery, onion
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meghannbower
- Jun 26, 2019
- 2 min
Golden Milk Popsicles
This is a cool twist on a classic Turmeric Latte (sometimes known as Golden Milk). I was looking for a way to enjoy this winter favorite during the hot summer months and I think I found it. Like ginger, turmeric is fantastic for just about every facet of our well-being. Turmeric root is part of the ginger family and originates from Southeast Asia, and is mostly associated with Indian food. Turmeric has been used in Asia for thousands of years for its medicinal properties, a
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meghannbower
- Jun 25, 2019
- 2 min
Healthful Horchata
This recipe was inspired by our recent trip to Mexico, but I wanted to give it an update. I tried to stick to the traditional recipe as much as possible, but subbed brown for white rice, and maple syrup for white sugar. Most horchata you get comes from a pre-packaged mix (like Kool-Aid), which includes a fair share of preservatives, additives, and chemicals. YUM! But making it from scratch takes very little effort. In fact, most of the magic happens while it sits in the fridg
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meghannbower
- Jun 20, 2019
- 3 min
Crabless Cakes with Pineapple Chutney
I simply love this recipe. The pineapple chutney pairs perfectly with the cakes, and I feel like I'm eating at a fancy seafood restaurant. This recipe is a bit more advanced, and requires a bit more time than most of my recipes, but its totally worth it. You could call this a Sunday Dinner or Special Occasion recipe, as it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. I use hearts of palm instead of crabmeat, which is essentially the inner core of certain types of palm trees. In the United
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meghannbower
- Jun 13, 2019
- 2 min
Marinated Artichokes
The term 'cool as a cucumber' should really be changed to 'cool as an artichoke', even though it doesn't quite have the same ring to it. If you need to bring more calmness into your life, try adding some artichokes. Artichokes have many components that contribute to its sedative nature. In addition to being high in magnesium, they contain silica, calming phytochemicals like lutein, and vitamins A, E and K. They are also dense with amino acids and powerful enzymes, and help t
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meghannbower
- May 30, 2019
- 2 min
Maple Cinnamon Granola
Nuts and seeds provide a lot of great nutrition in our diets, mostly fats and some protein. Pumpkin seeds, for example, are more than 30% protein. Seeds are a great source of healthy fats. More than 80% of this fat is from polyunsaturated fats, the essential fatty acids, and oil-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, and E. Seeds are also rich in minerals like zinc, iron, and magnesium. Nuts also have good-quality protein, but are even higher in fats than seeds. Because of thi
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meghannbower
- May 23, 2019
- 2 min
Ranch Pasta Salad
This is the perfect summer BBQ potluck dish. It doesn't have to stay refrigerated, because there is ZERO mayonnaise in it. Its packed with flavor and all the essential nutrients-complex carbohydrates (brown rice), simple carbohydrates (carrots), protein (quinoa and peas), and fat (cashews). Its also high in dietary fiber, vitamins like beta carotene, vitamin C, and B-complex, and minerals like zinc, iron, and calcium. Your fellow potluckers will never know that its gluten fr
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meghannbower
- May 16, 2019
- 2 min
Blackberry Serrano Cooler
Blackberries are powerful antioxidants, which means they are warriors against free radicals that can age us. We all get old, no matter how many blackberries we eat, so why is this important? We need antioxidants to fight the oxidation or aging process. In the modern age in which we live, we come into contact with chemicals, food additives, and toxins that cause oxidative stress within our bodies. Things like cigarette smoke, alcohol, certain medications and antibiotics, p
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meghannbower
- May 9, 2019
- 2 min
Ranch Seasoning
Next to salsa, ranch is a big deal down here in Texas. I was pretty horrified the first time I looked at the ingredients of the ranch seasoning packet at the grocery store. Monosodium Glutamate, or MSG, is the second ingredient! Other ingredients include 'spices' and 'natural flavors', which are veritable minefields of harmful chemicals that your body cannot functionally use. Your body will either try to eliminate it by sending out antibodies to attack and contain the chem
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meghannbower
- May 2, 2019
- 2 min
Mango Pitaya Ice Cream
I've had quite a sweet tooth lately, and I can never get enough mangoes (...or ice cream). Mangoes are probably one of my favorite foods ever. I can't express to you the awesome powers of mangoes, especially when it comes to sleep. When you eat a mango before bed, phytochemicals, amino acids (such as glycine, glutamine, and cysteine), fructose and glucose travel to the brain and restore depleted neurotransmitters. Mangoes also contain highly bioavailable traces of magnesiu
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meghannbower
- Apr 23, 2019
- 2 min
Sweet Potato Brownies
Want to get your kids to eat vegetables? Put chocolate on it. Seriously. I'm super proud of this recipe. I think I've said before, I'm not a baker, but I impressed myself with this one. Sweet potatoes are a super food for good reason. They promote productive bacteria in the stomach, small intestine, and colon while starving out unproductive bacteria and fungi (like mold) that like to hang out there. Sweet potatoes also enhance the body's production of vitamin B12 and are a
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meghannbower
- Apr 18, 2019
- 2 min
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Nothing says carrot cake like Easter. I don't know why. It's the only time of year I crave it. But I'm not a baker. I'm too free-spirited for baking, I think. I don't like the commitment of baking. I need to be able to taste and adjust as a I go...and that's just not the way baking works, in my limited experience. Naturally, I was pretty excited about turning a baked good into an oatmeal that's ready to eat in 20 minutes or less. Let's talk about carrots for a sec, more sp
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meghannbower
- Apr 11, 2019
- 2 min
Asparagus & Wild Rice Bowls
Spring has officially sprung, marked by super cheap asparagus at the grocery store. It is one of my absolute favorite vegetables of all time EVER. Asparagus is an incredible healing vegetable. Its high in essential minerals like zinc, selenium, and manganese that support a healthy immune system. Its also high in vitamins A, K, B-complex, and folate which are super important for cardiovascular health and for women trying to conceive. Asparagus contains an important amino ac
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meghannbower
- Apr 9, 2019
- 2 min
Spinach Walnut Pesto
Leafy greens (lettuce, Swiss chard, watercress, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, arugula) are so much more than the base of every salad. When ingested, these leaves scrub and massage the linings of your stomach, small intestine, and colon, loosening up old, trapped yeast, mold and other fungi, along with debris and pockets of waste matter, so they can be carried out, making elimination very productive. If you experience digestive discomfort when consuming raw salads, t
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meghannbower
- Apr 3, 2019
- 1 min
Zesty Zucchini Sauce
I've started focusing on food combining lately, to cut down on some digestive discomfort I was experiencing. Food combining is a way to streamline the digestive process to help with the bloated, sluggish feeling after meals. Basically, you choose one dense food (i.e. animal protein, starchy vegetable/grain, or nuts and seeds) at every meal and fill the rest of your plate up with raw or cooked leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables. Personally, I noticed that every time I co
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meghannbower
- Jan 31, 2019
- 2 min
Wild Blueberry Chia Jam
This jam is so easy to make. You're going to think, "I can't believe she even made that a blog post." And you wouldn't be wrong. But sometimes, we need easy wins in life. So I'm going to take this one. I've made several variations of this jam, but this one is my favorite (and my kids' favorite too). You could switch out the blueberries for cherries and add lime juice instead of lemon. Around Thanksgiving, I made a cranberry orange version that was a hit at Friendsgiving
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