Avocado Mango Black Bean Salad

Above is a picture of a salad that Esther and I enjoyed for lunch a few weeks ago.

It had never crossed my mind to put mango in a salad, but we went over to a friends house a few weeks ago, and they had put mango in a salad with avocado as well.

We both loved it, and decided we needed to make that salad again at home with those two ingredients!

To add some protein, I added black beans, and for extra flavor, I topped it off with a Cumin/Lemon Olive Oil dressing. Yum!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Here is a salad were the base is not lettuce! It was a nice change of pace at lunch for Hannah and I last week. We both love tahini so that's why we dolloped a little on top, if you prefer to leave it out I would recommend a good olive oil and garlic dressing for a little more moisture! It was a really quick lunch to put together once the quinoa was cooked, we left it warm but you could make it ahead of time and use it cold. Also one last side note, the tomatoes and kale were freshly picked from our garden!!!!Our Mom has a amazing green thumb:-) It's such a blessing to have fresh produce right in our back yard.

^{Genesis 1:11-12}

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Serves:1

1/4c. dry quinoa, cooked

3 leaves of fresh kale, de-ribbed chopped and steamed till al dente

1/4 c. cooked garbanzo beans

4 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

5 kalamata olives, sliced in half

1 1/2 tsp. tahini paste ( Made from Sesame seeds)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place cooked quinoa in a pile on plate, top with kale and garbanzo beans. Scatter tomatoes nicely over the top. Drop tahini in a nice looking 'drop' on top!

In rememberance of D-day I made this lovely dessert!

Normandy Apple Tart

1 batch of sweet tart dough enough for a 9 inch pan, partially cooked (about 8 min. )and cooled

For the filling:

2-21/2 cups of pear or applesauce

For the topping:

2 medium granny smith apples

1 egg, beaten with ½ tsp. water for egg wash

First make your tart dough and cool it all the way through. Next pour apple/pear sauce into crust till it reaches almost to the top of the crust. Peel and core apples for topping. Cut each apple into 4 pieces, and then slice into 7 thin sections. Arrange the slices in slightly overlapping concentric circles on the applesauce, starting at the edge and laying them down so their tips are against the crust. After finishing laying the apples, brush with egg wash. Bake at 400 for 50 min. Don’t worry if the apples burn a little! Cool and serve with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream

Bizarre Love Triangle Brownies GF

Bizarre Love Triangle Brownies:

Coconut Crust, Black Bean Brownies & Macadamia Glaze

Coconut Crust:

• 4 cups fresh coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup butter, soften/coconut oil
• 3/4 cup Earth Circle Organics coconut sugar/organic cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut out parchment paper for a 9x13 baking pan and lightly grease it with coconut oil. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour into prepared pan and spread the mixture evenly around the pan. Press lightly, but firmly. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. Do not overbake it! Pull crust out of the oven and let it cool a bit while making the brownie batter. If the crust puffs up a little, take a knife and poke slightly to allow hot air to escape. Leave the oven at 350 F for the brownies.

Note: If you opt to use dried coconut flakes. Add 1/3 cup of butter or coconut oil into the mixture.

Black Bean Brownies:

• 4 cups cooked black beans
• 7 eggs
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cup Earth Circle Organics coconut sugar/organic can sugar
• 1/2 cup butter/coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. instant coffee opt.
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Rinse out black beans with water and let it drain completely. Pour into your blender or food processor and blend for a couple minutes. Add in eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla, instant coffee & sea salt. Melt and briskly stir the coconut sugar, butter and coconut oil together over low heat. Add in with the rest of the ingredients. Blend till smooth. The batter should be thick, but slightly soupy.

Pour the mixture over the coconut crust evenly. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the brownies are set. But don't overbake! Use a knife to test the brownies... it should come out clean.

Set aside and let it cool in the pan completely while making the macadamia glaze. For quicker results, put them in the fridge.

Note: You can use 2 cans of black beans instead of making it fresh and use instant grain coffee substitute instead of instant coffee.

Macadamia Glaze:

• 2 cups macadamia nuts, soaked & dehydrated
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup Earth Circle Organics coconut sugar/organic cane sugar

Store macadamia nuts in the freezer for at least a couple hours. Pour into food processor or blender and give it a whirl till it starts to clump together into a ball. While it is still going, pour in coconut oil. It should look runny. Turn off motor and add vanilla & coconut sugar. Blend it till completely smooth (several minutes). If you want it sweeter... add more coconut sugar. Pour the glaze into a seal tight jar.

Note: you do not have to soak & dehydrate the nuts, but you'll be missing out the benefits and improved flavor from this nourishing technique.

Cut and serve these bizarre, melt-in-your-mouth brownies drizzled with Macadamia glaze.

17 Brain Boosting Foods!

1. Beef, extra lean: High in iron, a mineral that improves memory, alertness and attention span.

2. Beets: Contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that helps relay signals from one brain cell to another.

3. Blueberries: Excellent source of antioxidants and “anthocyanins,” compounds thought to help protect brain cells from toxins, improves use of glucose in the brain, and promotes communication between brain cells.

4. Broccoli: Packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients that help protect brain tissue from toxins.

5. Carrots: High in beta carotene and other natural substances that help protect brain tissue from toxins.

6. Chicken: High in tyrosine, an amino acid required for the production of the alertness chemicals dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. When your brain is producing these, you think and react more quickly, and feel more motivated, attentive and mentally energetic.

7. Citrus fruits: Contain vitamin C and other antioxidants that help maintain sharp memory and help brain cells resist damage.

8. Edamame: Contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that helps relay signals from one brain cell to another.

9. Eggs: High in the B vitamin choline, which helps with memory.

10. Egg whites: High in protein, which can improve alertness by increasing levels of norepinephrine, which helps keep your brain at its sharpest.

11. Hot chilies: Contains the fiery-tasting chemical capsaicin. Capsaicin stimulates circulation, aids digestion, opens your nasal passages and, even better, sends a feeling of euphoria straight to your brain.

12. Legumes: Provide glucose to fuel the brain, and the fiber they contain slows the absorption of glucose, helping to maintain stable levels of energy and support alertness and concentration overtime.

13. Pork: Loaded with vitamin B1, which protects myelin, a fatty substance that helps facilitate communication among cells.

14. Romaine lettuce: High in folate, a B vitamin important for memory and nerve cell health.

15. Spinach: Packed with iron, which is involved memory, concentration, and mental functioning.

16. Tuna: Full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help build and maintain myelin.

17. Yogurt: A probiotic food that has been found in many studies to boost mental alertness.

Mexican Salad with Tangy Cumin Dressing

Around lunch time at our house you can almost always find Hannah and I eating a salad of some sort. Lately I have been trying to be a little more creative with the ingredients we have on hand, so upon realizing all the fresh produce we had within our reach from our garden and in our fridge, I decided to give your 'traditional' Mexican Salad a new twist! I hope there a few brave souls out there who will be willing to try this new version of Mexican fare:-)

Fresh Mexican Salad
1/2 A head Romaine lettuce, chopped and washed
1/3 c. cooked black beans
1/4 avocado, thinly sliced
4 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 bell pepper, sliced
1-2 T. dressing(recipe below)

Pile lettuce neatly on plate. Top with beans, and arrange peppers, avocado and tomatoes in a orderly fashion. Drizzle with tangy dressing. Enjoy this refreshing salad with a cup of ice cold water!

Tangy Cumin Dressing
Serves 4-8
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried mexican oregano
Mix together and serve over lettuce.