coconut oatmeal muffins.

coconut oatmeal muffins

(courtesy of Ellie's kitchen)

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut yogurt

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl with chopped nuts and dates. In your mixer, mix the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients. Wipe down your muffin tins with coconuts oil and sprinkle with a little flour to prevent the muffins from sticking to the pan. Pour muffin batter into the muffin tins, about 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. Watch the muffins carefully because they are easy to over bake.

creamy basil spinach soup.

creamy basil spinach soup

(Courtesy of Lori's kitchen)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 large leeks, green parts trimmed, whites washed and chopped

4 medium zucchinis, washed trimmed and chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

1 bunch fresh basil, washed, trimmed and chopped

6 cups organic spinach, coarsely chopped

10 oz organic frozen broccoli florets (optional)

In a large stock pot heat the oil and the garlic. Add the leeks and zucchini. Stir in the salt and pepper. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes until leeks have softened. Add the cups broth and optional broccoli (I added the whole bag because I wasn’t sure it was going to be enough soup for the whole family—adding the broccoli made enough for my family and was delicious). Cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the spinach and basil. Transfer the mixture to a high speed blender (in batches, if needed) and blend to desired consistency. Pour soup back into the stock pot and keep warm.

Serve with a loaf of warm whole wheat bread and balsamic for dipping.

warm & sweet pasta salad

warm & sweet pasta salad

1 lb cooked organic whole wheat rigatoni

1/2 red onion chopped

1 orange organic bell pepper chopped

1 pint organic cherry tomatoes cut into halves

1 cup chopped black olives

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 cup chopped organic spinach

1/3 cup fresh chopped basil

vinaigrette dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot. Drain. In a sauté pan sauté the onion and bell pepper until it's soft, but firm in the center. In the same large pot used to cook the pasta add the onion, bell pepper, pasta and remaining ingredients. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette. Serve warm.

sweet potato hash.

sweet potato hash

1 or 2 large sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper

Clean and peel the sweet potatoes. Use a food processor to shred them.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for just a minute or two. Add the garlic. Add the shredded sweet potatoes. Mix a little with a spatula and spread out the mixture evenly over the pan. After a few minutes flip over the potato patty—don’t worry if it falls apart just flip it in sections so all the potatoes are cooked. Serve warm.