Spa Foodie: Gluten-Free Cranberry Coconut Avocado Smoothie

June 28, 2012 | By

By Amie Valpone

There’s nothing like a chilled summertime smoothie. It is just simply fun to slurp n’ sip on when the summer heat is getting to you. Instead of the traditional smoothie, I decided to get a lil’ bit creative. You will LOVE this recipe. Refreshing is an understatement – it’s flavorful, smooth, sweet n’ fun to sip. I added a fresh and ripe avocado just because, then a few raw cashews, chia seeds and flax seeds to add a nice balance of protein and healthy fats. You can add in or substitute the cashews for another nut but I just love the creaminess in raw cashews.  This succulent smoothie is hands down one of my top 5 favorites. I may just have to make it again tomorrow. I simply can’t resist the coolness this brings to my mouth and I know it will do the same for yours…

Ingredients

Serves 1

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 10 fresh cherries
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1 large, ripe banana
  • 2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
  • 1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt)
  • 2 fresh Basil leaves
  • 1 tsp. chia seeds
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut flakes
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 5 raw cashews
  • Dash of cinnamon

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender; pulse until smooth
  2. Pour into serving glass; serve chilled
  3. Enjoy!

Amie Valpone is a Manhattan based Personal Chef, Culinary Nutritionist, Professional Recipe Developer and Food Writer specializing in simple Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free “Clean” recipes for the home cook. She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Healthy Apple and the Publisher and Marketing Director of the online gluten-free magazine, Easy Eats. See more of her posts on Spa Week Daily, here.

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Spa Foodie: A Journey to “Clean Living” + Vegan, Gluten-Free Summer Potato Salad

June 7, 2012 | By

What would you do if you struggled with chronic leg swelling, stomach problems and colitis? See a doctor, right? What if every doctor you visited, including those at the Mayo Clinic, told you nothing was wrong with you? Would you continue to let your health deteriorate or do something about it?

Do something about it.

After spending several years dealing with severe digestive issues, Amie Valpone, an aspiring marketing and advertising exec at the time, decided to take her health into her own hands and seek some alternative options. It wasn’t until she began working with an Integrative Medical Doctor that Amie learned she was suffering from heavy metal accumulation and was born without the gene to absorb folate, key in detoxification. Amie is unable to digest gluten, grains, sugar, oils, fruits and dairy. In the past few years, Amie has also discovered she is allergic to sulfates and cannot digest packaged foods. She can’t even go to the corner store and pick up a pack of pretzels or chips without getting sick. This made Amie realize that medicine can only do so much – it wasn’t offering her body what it needed to heal. This realization lead Amie on a “Clean Living” journey and now, using acupuncture, yoga, meditation, herbal medicine, and fresh, whole, unprocessed foods, Amie is healed and remains 100% symptom free nearly five years later.

Now, Amie is a Manhattan based Personal Chef, Culinary Nutritionist, Professional Recipe Developer and Food Writer specializing in simple Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free “Clean” recipes for the home cook.  She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Healthy Apple and the Publisher and Marketing Director of the online gluten-free magazine, Easy Eats.

Over at The Healthy Apple, Amie offers delectable, inspiring and easy recipes that are vegan, dairy and gluten free. One of my favorite recipes is her Gluten-Free Vegan Potato Salad, this mayo-free creation is healthy, delicious and perfect for a hot summer day.

Positively The Best Potato Salad with Parsley Pesto

By Amie Valpone

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

  • 2 lbs. small red new potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1/2 cup fresh curly parsley, finely chopped plus more for garnish
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 tsp curry
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook potatoes until soft but not falling apart, approximately 25 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine parsley, mint, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper; pulse until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Drain potatoes; slice in half as soon as they’re cool enough to handle.
  4. Gently toss potatoes with parsley pesto mixture; season with curry and chili powder.
  5. Garnish with additional parsley; serve chilled
  6. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Health & Wellness, Spa Cuisine Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Spa Foodie: Lemonade Cucumber Spa Pops

May 17, 2012 | By

Naturally, I found this recipe on Pinterest. What better place for a simple, crafty, delicious Spa Pop than Pinterest? In your tummy. After a barbecue. On a blazing 95 degree midsummer day.

Courtesy of Family Fresh Cooking, try this tasty combo of spa ingredients for a light, sweet, cold and refreshing summer popsicle treat! Not to be confused with Hiccupops.

Lemonade Cucumber Spa Popsicles

makes 3 cups of popsicle mix

NOTES:

  • These spa pops are a healthier & more cost efficient alternative to store bought pops. More eco too, no packaging to toss!
  • As always, use your own taste buds to determine how sweet you want your ice pops.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup julienned seedless Cucumber
  • 1 fresh squeezed Lemon, remove any seeds
  • 2 cups cold Water
  • Natural Sweetener added to taste: use your favorite, I use Stevia. Maple Syrup, Honey & Agave are good too

METHOD

Slice lemon in half and squeeze it over a strainer into 2 cups of cold water. Sweeten lemon water to taste with your favorite sweetener. Fill popsicle molds 2/3 with lemonade. Freeze uncovered for about 1 hour. Take pops out of freezer. Scrape and stir any ice crystals that have formed. Add a spoonful of the julienned cucumber to the pop molds. Be sure to leave a tiny bit of room at the top of your popsicle mold so they don’t overflow when you add the stick. With a popsicle stick or a butter knife, press the cucumber into the mixture so it is evenly distributed. Add your popsicle sticks, freeze pops for another 3-4 hours until solid.

 

Filed Under: Food + Drink, Spa Cuisine, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

5 Cocktails Under 100 Calories by TY KU

April 26, 2012 | By

Drinking is a wicked high calorie sport. A 10 oz margarita will cost you 550 cals and a 10 oz Long Island iced tea will set you back 543 cals. A tiny 4.5 oz. dirty martini sure plays dirty too, with over 240 calories a glass, although probably less because you are definitely going to spill at some point. But the good news is, alcohol in moderation can be a good thing!

A rapidly growing number of alcohol brands are very conscious about remedying this diet-killer situation, and have created low calorie beverage lines to keep your buzz going without your butt growing. One of the best-tasting and most well-recognized brands in this competitive arena is TY KU Premium Sake & Spirits, a portfolio of Asian spirits that combine all natural ingredients and age-old Japanese distillation/brewing techniques with modern flavors. It’s a naturally low cal beverage (compared to vodka) with an additional low calorie Soju option. It’s totally something I’d recommend bringing to your next dinner party, you cultured little health nut! It’s more unique than wine and less aggressive than vodka.

Kung Fu Cutie! TY KU was also the company that served up spa-tinis at our Spa Week Media Party a few weeks ago. They were so good and refreshing that we wanted to give you some recipes from where that came from – all bikini friendly.

5 Cocktails Under 100 Calories by TY KU:

SUPERFRUIT MOJITO: 2 oz TY KU Liqueur, fresh mint, squeeze of lime, splash of diet citrus soda

SPA DAY: 2 oz TY KU Soju, squeeze and drop in wedge of orange,  splash of club soda, hard shake with ice

TOKYO TEA: 2 oz TY KU Soju with iced green tea

ASIAN SANGRIA: 2 oz TY KU Sake, fresh berries and seasonal fruits, splash of agave nectar

GINGER CRUSH: 2 oz TY KU Sake, 1 oz ginger ale, muddled fresh ginger, hard shake with ice

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Quick and Healthy Microwave-less Recipes, Nutrients Included!

March 1, 2012 | By

So you’ve been dared to rid your kitchen of your microwave. Now what? We’re here to help you through this difficult transition from appliance-dependent to good old-fashioned cooking. It might take more than 60 seconds, but we promise these substitutes for your favorite microwave treats are so easy and so much better for you; you’ll forget all about old hums-a-lot. Trust us, you won’t miss the sound or the rubbery texture, and you definitely won’t miss the dreaded splatter situation. Start thinking of what you’ll do with all that extra counter space!

Popcorn

One of our favorite couch snacks, microwave popcorn, contains chemicals that are probably scarier than that horror movie you’re watching. With only a large pot with a lid, oil (grapeseed oil works great) and popcorn kernels – you’ll be popping in no time.  Try seasoning with salt and pepper, chopped fresh herbs, grated Parmesan, and smoked Spanish paprika instead of butter for healthy snack with all the pop! Bon Appetit has a complete tutorial.

Heating up leftovers

Many of us do cook. We cook so much we even have leftovers. Or we bring home leftovers after dining out. Either way, food from every night of the week can start to pile up, but there’s no need to waste. You can quickly heat up food by using the steam from a saucepan with a lid and a little water.  Someone’s late to dinner?  Put a saucepan lid over the food and place the plate on a simmering saucepan of water. It will stay warm without drying up, although the tardy diner may get a cold shoulder.

Melted Cheese

Everything‘s better with cheddar! But what if you could make your cheese taste even better? Nachos, quesadillas, and other melted, savory delights may be something you rely on the microwave for. If you slow down a second and cook these creamy snacks on the stove, we guarantee you will never nuke your cheese again. Pair piping hot, never rubbery cheese paired with crisp tortillas or chips make the perfect vehicle for all that oozing goodness. Try these healthy nacho and quesadilla recipes!

Frozen Veggies

Frozen veggies are a convenient way to avoid prep work and still get the same nutrients, that is, until you zap ‘em. So while it’s OK to skip the fresh veggies, to get all the vitamins and minerals, don’t skimp on the cooking. Here are over 1280 frozen veggie recipes that can all be prepared on your stove top.

Mac and Cheese

Instant mac and cheese is a comfort food at our finger tips. But there are tons of ways to whip up your own batch without much work, or a microwave. Try Rachael Ray’s healthy recipe for mac and cheese. It’s YUM-O, takes under 15 and its better for you than the microwave version, so it won’t leave with you the mac and cheese blues.

Hot Pockets

A guilty pleasure in a flaky, crusty sleeve. When microwaved, these little treats turn into fire pockets and often destroy your mouth (and aren’t any nicer on your waistline). Why not make yourself something more satisfying and less processed? To fulfill your hot pocket craving, make own homemade calzone. Use refrigerated crescent-shaped dinner rolls and roll out the dough into rectangle. Cut into squares, fill with the pickings of your liking,  lightly moisten the edges with water, fold dough over, seal and press with a fork. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve hot (not hot pocket hot) and enjoy.

Hot Chocolate

On a cold day or a chocolate-craving day, you may go to your microwave to make a little cup of love. You can still use an instant hot chocolate mix, but try warming milk in a double-boiler instead. To really tickle your taste buds, you can get an inexpensive frother and froth the milk. Now that’s a real cup of love. Plus, frothing is fun!

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