Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel

Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel

Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine’s Day!

Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~

 Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~

Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel
 
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Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 large beet or 2 small beets, roasted and cut into hearts
  • 4 cups baby arugula
  • ½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • ½ avocado, diced
For the dressing:
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½ shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap beets in tin foil and bake for 30-45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. (cooking time depends on size of beets) When tender, remove from oven and let cool. Remove skin and slice into ¼ inch pieces. Use a heart cookie cutter or paring knife to make heart shapes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk dressing ingredients together adding sea salt and pepper as desired.
Assemble salad and top with dressing, enjoy!

    Not only is February Valentine’s Day, but it’s also Heart Health Month.  I guess the two go hand in hand!

    This salad is beaming with heart health benefits:

    ~Fiber filled arugula

    ~Vitamin E rich walnuts

    ~High antioxidant beets

    ~Monounsaturated healthy fats from the avocados

    ~Potassium packed fennel

     Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~

    Not familiar with fennel?

    I admit, it’s an odd looking vegetable.  One that’s easily passed by in the grocery store.  It kind of hides out down by the beets, rutabagas and parsnips.  It is a root vegetable that has a long history of medicinal uses including improved digestion, treatment for anemia, boosting the immune system and increased heart health.  One of the reasons it is so beneficial for your ticker is its high level of potassium.  Potassium acts as a vasodilator, which means it relaxes the blood vessels allowing blood to easily pump through the body and in turn normalizing blood pressure.

    Fennel has a sweet aromatic flavor, similar to licorice.  The bulb is the main part of the vegetable; however, fennel fronds can be clipped and tossed into salads or used as a garnish.  Raw fennel is crispy and crunchy, which makes it great in a salad!

    Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times

    Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~

    Chocolate Sheet Cake

    Chocolate Sheet Cake…

    Gluten-free, vegan and topped with velvety chocolate frosting made from avocados!  There’s a secret ingredient to this one-bowl cake that makes it super fluffy without using eggs.  Can you guess what it is???

    Chocolate Sheet Cake, gluten-free, vegan and topped with velvety chocolate frosting made from avocados! There's a secret ingredient to this one-bowl cake that makes it super fluffy without using eggs. Can you guess what it is???

    I am a true believer that everything comes into your life at just the perfect time.  For instance, this amazing chocolate sheet cake.  This past week I didn’t want to “adult” any more.  One kid with pink eye, the other kid with a fever, sick husband, computer problems, house problems and zero sleep.  Let me tell you, the struggle has been real!  Just when I couldn’t take it any longer this chocolate sheet cake entered my life.  Now, I know I shouldn’t drown my first world problems in an ooey gooey chocolate cake, but sometimes it’s necessary!  (and any dietitian out there that says they never do it is lying, we’re all human!)  Just don’t make a habit of it :)

    Anyway, there is so much amazingness about this cake I don’t even know where to begin!  First, it’s gluten-free.  Second, it’s simple to make.  Dump all the ingredients in one bowl and stir…done and done!  Third, the chocolate frosting is made with avocados.  Yes, avocados!  Lastly, it’s vegan.  Instead of eggs I used aquafaba.  Aqua who?  Aquafaba, the brine from canned chickpeas.  (Don’t stop reading!)  I know it sounds weird, but this “juice” is the perfect egg replacement for vegan baking!

    “Aquafaba generally refers to the liquid in a can of chickpeas, and is a revolutionary new vegan egg replacer which can be used in recipes like meringues, confectionery, and baked goods. It’s probably in your pantry right now!”  www.aquafaba.com

    This month’s Recipe Redux asked us to share a recipe with an ingredient that we’ve been wanting to try out.  I’ve seen the world “aquafaba” floating around the web, but never really paid much mind to it.  I’m not sure why I haven’t tried it yet, but now it is my new favorite ingredient!  To replace one egg, use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba.  Don’t like the taste of chickpeas and afraid it will ruin your recipe?  Don’t worry, it doesn’t have the flavor of chickpeas, or any flavor at all!

    Chocolate Sheet Cake, gluten-free, vegan and topped with velvety chocolate frosting made from avocados! There's a secret ingredient to this one-bowl cake that makes it super fluffy without using eggs. Can you guess what it is???

    Recipe inspired by Dr. Axe

    Chocolate Sheet Cake
     
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    Chocolate Sheet Cake, gluten-free, vegan and topped with velvety chocolate frosting made from avocados! There's a secret ingredient to this one-bowl cake that makes it super fluffy without using eggs. Can you guess what it is???
    Author:
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Serves: 12
    Ingredients
    For Chocolate Sheet Cake:
    • 1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour
    • 1 cup oat flour
    • 2 cups coconut sugar
    • ¾ cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup soy milk (or milk of your choice)
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • 6 tablespoons aquafaba
    • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup strong brewed coffee
    For Avocado Frosting:
    • 2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
    • ½ cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
    • ½ cup maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • pinch sea salt
    • ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional, depending on how sweet you like it!)
    Instructions
    To make Chocolate Sheet Cake:
    1. Grease or spray a 7x11 baking dish with all-natural cooking spray, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    2. Add dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir. Add in wet ingredients and mix with a hand held mixer or stir by hand until light and fluffy.
    3. Pour batter into baking dish and cook for 30-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Note: Cooking times may vary depending on glass vs metal dish/pan and oven.
    4. Let cool.
    To make Avocado Frosting:
    1. Scoop out avocados, place in a food processor and puree. Add cacao powder, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt and blend until well combined scraping down sides as needed. Option to add powdered sugar if needed.
    Frost cake, slice and enjoy!
      Nutrition Information
      Serving size: 1 Calories: 405 Fat: 17 Carbohydrates: 63 Sugar: 37 Fiber: 5 Protein: 5

       Chocolate Sheet Cake, gluten-free, vegan and topped with velvety chocolate frosting made from avocados! There's a secret ingredient to this one-bowl cake that makes it super fluffy without using eggs. Can you guess what it is???

      I love this cake.  

      Sometimes happiness is in the form of chocolate!

      Chocolate Sheet Cake, gluten-free, vegan and topped with velvety chocolate frosting made from avocados! There's a secret ingredient to this one-bowl cake that makes it super fluffy without using eggs. Can you guess what it is???

      Here’s to a happy weekend and a better start next week!

      Don’t forget to check out the other recipes from The Recipe Redux Crew!

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      mixed berry breakfast quinoa porridge

      Mixed Berry Breakfast Quinoa Porridge is a heart healthy way to say “I love you” this Valentine’s Day!

      Mixed Berry Breakfast Quinoa Porridge ~vegan, gluten free~

      Berries are bursting with antioxidants and flavonoids.  The Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study that demonstrated women who eat three or more servings of berries per week may have a lower risk of heart attack.  They found that the flavonoid anthocyanin in strawberries and blackberries improves blood flow, which reduces the amount of plaque build up and ultimately lowers heart attack risk.

      The other proven factor to decrease risk of heart disease is fiber, which quinoa has plenty of!  1 cup of cooked quinoa contains 5 grams of fiber!  Similar to berries, quinoa also contains flavonoids that lower inflammation in the body.  Quinoa is also a gluten free alternative to other wheat based breakfast cereals.

      Mixed Berry Breakfast Quinoa Porridge ~vegan, gluten free~

      mixed berry breakfast quinoa porridge
       
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      Serves 2, nutritional facts calculated with 1 tablespoon slivered almonds on each serving
      Author:
      Recipe type: Breakfast
      Cuisine: Vegan
      Serves: 2
      Ingredients
      • For the Berry Compote:
      • 1 cup frozen mixed berries or berries of your choice
      • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
      • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
      • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
      • ¼ teaspoon pure almond or vanilla extract
      • For Quinoa Porridge:
      • ½ cup water
      • ½ cup soy or almond milk
      • ½ cup quinoa
      • pinch sea salt
      • Toppings:
      • soy or almond milk
      • sliced almonds
      Instructions
      1. For the Berry Compote:
      2. Put all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a low simmer. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until berries are thawed and sauce starts to slightly thicken.
      3. For the Quinoa Porridge:
      4. Bring water, milk and pinch of sea salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add quinoa, cover and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked through.
      5. Once cooked, divide quinoa into two bowls and top with berry compote. Add sliced almonds and a splash of soy or almond milk. Enjoy!
      Nutrition Information
      Serving size: 1 Calories: 314 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 55 Sugar: 17 Sodium: 90 Fiber: 7 Protein: 10 Cholesterol: 0
      Mixed Berry Breakfast Quinoa Porridge ~vegan, gluten free~

      Belly wants to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day!