Vitality Oil Recipes

I recently became a wholesale seller for Young Living Essential Oils. I am loving trying out all of the oils in my starter kit. Along with the regular oil are a set of oils name Vitality Oils. hey are oils that you can ingest. So, being the food lover I am, I am having fun adding them to recipes. Here are a few of them:


Homemade Thieves Applesauce
5 large organic gala apples (or whatever variety you have)
1-2 drops off Thieves Vitality Oil

Chop up apples (DO NOT REMOVE PEELS) into small chunks and add 1/4 cup of water. Put in a pot and heat on stove. When apples are tender, remove and put them in Vitamix or other high speed blender. Only add cooking water if needed. Add 1 drop of Thieves Vitality and taste test. You can let cool in fridge or eat warm.


Peppermint Patties
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
6-10 drops Vitality peppermint essential oil
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled

Beat first 3 ingredients until smooth. Add peppermint oil. Taste test as you go from 6-10 and stop where you feel it tastes the best. Place mixture in freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden. Melt chocolate while coconut mixture is cooking. When coconut mixture is cool, divide it into 12 portions and roll into balls. You can flatten the balls or keep them circular. Dip into chocolate and put back in freezer to firm up. Can be left in refrigerator.

Maddy's Favorite Salsa

Some call it cowboy caviar. I call it Maddy's favorite. I make a bowl of it and she devours it. I don't have an exact recipe for it, but you will have a good base to start out with. It's good with chips, on rice, even over tofu scramble or atop a taco. 

Maddy's Fav
1 bag of frozen organic sweet corn
1 can of drained and rinsed black beans (no salt added)
1 lime
1/2 onion, chopped fine
A few shakes of salt
2 cloves garlic
1 few jalapeños peppers, chopped fine or more, depending on how hot you like it

Cook corn according to directions and let cool. 
Add rest of ingredients and let sit in the fridge for 20 minutes.

This dish is full of fiber and tastes delicious.

Zesty Sweet Potato Wedges

A nice sidebar to normal roasted potatoes. These have a little kick. I like to serve them with rosemary mayo. Which is literally a little earth balance mayo with rosemary sprinkled in. I also like to dip them in guacamole.

Zesty Sweet Potato Wedges

1 pound sweet potatoes

1 tbsp. Olive oil

½ tsp. Garlic powder

½ tsp. Paprika

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Mix spices. Add potatoes, oil, and spices to a bowl and mix well. Put on lined baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip and leave on for an extra 10 minutes.

Fruit Compote

Fruit compote sounds like a depression era food, but it is super versatile and I love to make it. It can be used as a side dish, to put atop some other food (ice cream or waffles), or to spread on bread for sandwiches. Here is my ridiculously simple recipe:

Super Simple Fruit Compote
Any small bag frozen fruit of your choosing
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. ground chia optional

Take a sauté pan and add frozen fruit and honey. Stir, cover, and cook on low. Continue stirring and once fruit starts to thaw out cook until desired consistency. I also add the chia at the end because it helps to thicken it up.

Large Lunch Salad with Balsamic Dressing

When I have a salad for lunch, I know that it has to have a lot to it. It can't be a small basic side salad. This salad has to have some gusto. I like to add some roasted cruciferous veggies to this one as well to bump up the nutritional profile. If you don't know how to roast veggies, please see my blog post on roasting vegetables: https://www.pranaholisticwellness.com/single-post/2018/03/10/Roasted-Veggies

Large Lunch Salad
Roasted brussel sprouts and broccoli or cauliflower
Organic romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 Avocado, diced
Onion, diced
Carrot, diced or shredded
1/4 cup low sodium white navy beans (rinsed)

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. good balsamic vinegar
                                         salt and pepper to taste

Put together salad. You can choose how big of a salad you would like, so    pile it high. Add enough dressing to coat and enjoy.

Easy "Peasy" Mom's Pea Salad

I believe in simple and it doesn't get any simpler than mom's pea salad. I grew up eating pea salad but would spend most my time picking out the chunks of cheese, yuck:(

Mom's Pea Salad
1 can drained low sodium peas
2 tbsp. earth balance mayo
Shake of paprika

This cannot get any easier:
Drain peas.
Add to bowl with mayo and a shake of paprika on the top.
Refrigerate for at least a 1/2 hour.

Baked Oatmeal

This is a very versatile recipe. You can add whichever fruit you like. It also refrigerates good for leftover snacks.

I split the big batch into 2 smaller batches with different fruit

2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
3 tbsp. ground chia
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 olive oil
1 cup berries or fruit of your choice. I like blueberry and mango
(frozen fruit works just as well as fresh)

In a small bowl combine chia an d1/4 cup water and let sit 5 minutes
Assemble dry ingredients in one bowl.
Add wet ingredients (including chia egg) to dry.
Lastly, fold in fruit
Pour into greased 11 X 17 baking dish. Mixture will be thick so you will have to really spread it around. Put in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before eating

Sweet Potato Morning

This recipe is just sweet enough and has enough fiber to keep you full all morning long. The name Sweet Potato Morning sounds very 1970ish to me. I can almost see a hippy running through a field of daisies only to plop down upon a grassy hill to eat her bowl of sweet potato morning.

Sweet Potato Morning
1 sweet potato peeled, diced, and boiled (can do night before if you want)
1 apple diced
1 banana diced
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp coconut or olive oil
1 shake cinnamon

Heat up oil and add apples to pan. When semisoft, add sweet potatoes and cook till heated through. Lastly, add bananas, honey, and cinnamon. Top with coconut and shake of cinnamon and heat warm

Simple Stirfry

It doesn't get simpler and more tasty than a veggie stirfry. I wish I had more of a recipe for you. It's hard for me to put together recipes since I am such a little bit of this and a touch of that cook. Below I have listed the ingredients. You can change your amounts listed, sauces, or seasonings.

Veggie Stirfry
chopped up green beans
frozen peas
chopped onions
garlic
pineapple
diced carrots
ginger powder (a sprinkling)
ready made rice

Fry veggies in olive oil. Add rice and cook until warmed through. A few shakes of tamari sauce (GF soy sauce), a drizzle of sesame oil and you are done. Can also add chopped lettuce, cilantro, or diced peanuts atop if you prefer.

Lasagna

This lasagna is so good! You won't feel like you are missing a thing. I have this recipe written in 3 parts that all come together for layering at the end.

Tofu "Ricotta" Layer:
1 lb. tofu, shredded with fork
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, drained and squeezed water out.
Combine all together in bowl.

Sauce: can buy a jar of sauce or make your own using tomato sauce, garlic, and basil

Tinkyada lasagna noodles

Layer as stated in 9 X 13 dish from the bottom up

sauce very thin layer
noodles (dry, no need to cook)
tofu ricotta
thin layer of zucchini if wanted
cheese (daiya if wanted)
noodles (dry, no need to cook)
sauce
tofu ricotta
thin layer of zucchini if wanted
cheese (daiya if wanted)
noodles (dry, no need to cook)
sauce
cheese (daiya if wanted)

Cover with tinfoil and cook in 375 degree over for 40 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting

Tofu Scramble

Tofu Scramble is a great savory option for breakfast. There are so many sweet options, that it is nice to add a savory one to the mix. Full of protein, looks like scrambled eggs and could also be put in a burrito with some salsa for an on the go breakfast burrito.

One block firm tofu, drained and shredded with fork
2 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
Spice blend:
3/4 tsp. tumeric
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt 

Optional: any vegetables you would add to scrambled eggs

Add oil to pan. Stir fry veggies if any.  Add garlic and tofu. Sprinkle with seasoning and sauté until cooked through. Serve with toast, potatoes, hash browns, fruit, etc.

For more plant based recipes like this one, please visit my website at:

www.pranaholisticwellness.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The coconut oil in these gives them the crispy goodness and their soft middle. These are actually a really good sweet treat with many benefits. The antioxidants in dark chocolate, good fats in the hemp hearts, and the fiber in the coconut oil make this cookie a healthy snack.

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
5 tbsp. coconut flour
1/4 cup other gf flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (pacsha brand)
1 tbsp. hemp hearts

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Melt coconut oil. Add coconut oil, honey, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Lastly, mix in chocolate chips and hemp hearts. Let mixture sit 10 minutes. Scoop by the teaspoon onto parchment paper covered baking pan. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes. Let cool on cooling rack.

Ice Cream Pie

Nothing can be easier than making ice cream pie. You just have to have a little patience and time.
I am so happy that this is an adaptable recipe. I couldn't live without it. Im not saying this is an everyday food. Its full of sugar whether its gluten or not but it is a nice treat every once and a while.

1 Mi-Del Gluten free pie crust (sold at walmart as well as grocery stores)
1 container cocowhip
1 container so delicious cashew milk ice cream
Santa Cruz chocolate syrup
Nuts (any type) I use peanuts

Let ice cream sit out until mixable. Mix up and put into pie crust. Place in freezer for 1/2 hour.
Take out and add peanuts and chocolate sauce. Place in freezer for 45 minutes
Take out and add container of cocowhip. Place in freezer with cover until ready to eat.
Drizzle chocolate on top before eating. You can also put some diced maraschino cherries atop.
When layering you can also cut amounts in half for a multi layered effect.

Couldn't Be Easier Pancakes

Jackson found this pancake recipe and it has saved our weekend mornings. So easy to put together and they are very tasty. 

Jackson's Pancakes
1 banana
1 cup gf oats
1 cup coconut milk

Blend in a vitamix or good quality blender
Let sit for 5 minutes. Pour out onto hot griddle. Add blueberries, chocolate chips, or coconut shreds.
We top these with maple syrup but you don't need too much because the banana in the batter really sweetens the pancake. 
(fyi, these are not your light and fluffy variety pancake but they taste great)

Fill Up Your Tummy Morning Oats

This recipe is so good and amazingly filling. I eat it in the morning and am not even hungry by 11:00 in some cases. Filled with fiber, protein, good fat, and antioxidants, it is my breakfast of choice.


Morning Oats
1/3 cup bobs red mill gf oats
1/4 cup hemp hearts
2/3 cup water or nondairy milk
3 dried dates cut into pieces
1/2 apple diced 
1/4 cup frozen wild blueberries
stevia 
cinnamon
1/2 banana diced

Combine all but banana, stevia, and cinnamon in microwave safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, for 1 minute 45 seconds. When done add stevia (or honey) to sweeten, cinnamon to taste, and top with bananas. If you have time you could cut apples into thin slices and fry in coconut oil to top with instead of microwaving.

Chocolate Donuts

I was having a craving for chocolate....donuts specifically. I remembered seeing this recipe that was posted for Valentines Day on a Milwaukee Area Vegans social media page. I spent 5 minutes flipping through old posts to find it. Low and behold,  there it was

in all it's chocolate glory. I doubled the batch and made mini donuts and instead of chocolate glaze, I opted for coconut. 

Donut:
1 chia egg (1 tbsp. chia, 3 tbsp. water and let it sit a few minutes)
3/4 cup gluten free or regular flour 
1/4 cup cocoa powder 
1/2 tbsp. baking powder 
1/4 tbsp. soda  
1/4 cup coconut sugar
4 T olive oil
1/2 cup so delicious coconut milk  
2 tsp. vanilla 


Bake 375 for 12 min in greased doughnut pan

Glaze: 
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 cup water
handful of coconut shreds
1 tsp. coconut extract
      - if this seems a little thick, add more water.
      - dunk donut tops in icing and let sit on rack to drip dry.
 

Christmas Sweets #2

Vegan/GF Puppy Chow

So this puppy chow could use a little more powdered sugar but still tastes the same as the "regular version."

9 cups rice and corn chex
1 cup chocolate chips (I use Pascha brand, 88% cacao)
1/2 cup nut butter of choice (I use sunbutter)
1/4 cup earth balance butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Combine chips, nut butter, and butter in pan and melt. Once melted mix in vanilla. Coat cereal with this and mix until well incorporated. Put powdered sugar in plastic bag. Poor cereal mixture in bag. Close bag and shake it up until coated with sugar. Put on co

until till cool.

Christmas Sweets #1

Here is an easy one. I loved chocolate covered peanuts growing up and most people don't know how easy they are to make. This is also a very easy one to make vegan.

Chocolate Covered Nuts and Raisons

1 bag (80% cacao) chocolate chips (not milk chocolate)
1 container walnuts/pecans/peanuts/raisons (whatever you prefer to cover)

Melt chocolate in microwave or on stove.
Mix in item you are covering.
Scoop out in dollups onto wax paper and wait until set.

*This one is perfect for dark chocolate fans. Although there is also a 55% 
cacao version that I also make for those who like it less bitter.

Breakfast of Champions

I have mild adrenal fatigue. A large part of recovering is through nourishment. I don't eat gluten, dairy, or eggs and get asked all the time "What DO you eat then?" So here's a sample. With adrenal fatigue, a protein packed breakfast is preferred over a carb laden one or one that's filled with sugar.  I have found some balance by adding protein powder to oats or hot farina cereal. But, this breakfast is my favorite and it's a nice change to my breakfast routine.

I'm not the best photographer:)
But, trust me it's delicious

Avocado Toast: Enough said:) YUM!
Ener G brand gluten, dairy free bread (toasted) 
1/2 avocado, mashed
salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Sausage
1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 apple diced
1/4 onion diced
2 tsp. poultry seasoning

Combine all and form into patties. Put in 385 degree oven for roughly 25 minutes
These are easy to make at the beginning of the week and store in fridge.

Wild Blueberry Smoothie
1/2 banana 
1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
3/4 cup water
1 scoop 3 grass blend powder
1 scoop collagen powder
1 slice lemon, squeezed
1 cup frozen spinach or kale

This is the breakfast of champions because of all the variety of nutrients involved. Avocado is a great fat and will keep you full longer. It helps balance the sugar in the bread so you don't have a sugar spike and then a drop. Chicken and collagen powders are proteins. Also very satiating and filled with amino acids.  Lemon in the smoothie is alkalizing. Wild blueberries are a superfood. Filled with antioxidants, they help your body heal from the inside out. I can eat this at 8:30 and not be hungry until noon.

Just Three Things....February

Here are my Just Three Things topics for this month:

Organic vs. Conventional Apples

For real people, this is not right?
(organic normal sized apple on the left)

Mercury Levels in Tuna: Is it Safe?
The Many Benefits of Liver

Organic vs. Conventional Apples
My kids know that when an apple looks all shiny and beautiful that that is not the apple you want to pick. At school, my son, told his friend that his shiny apple had pesticides on it. At first glance, I'm raising food snobs:) At second glance, he's educating others. Apples are always on the dirty dozen list of fruits and veggies with the highest pesticide loads. And yes, that shiny apple is coated in wax and other pesticides. Lately, I have been noticing HUGE apples at the store. I am sure they are GMO. Either way, SO wrong. No apple needs to be that big. It just doesn't seem right. Now I hear they are "creating" an apple that doesn't brown. Is this really such a big deal? Squeeze a little lemon juice on those apple slices before sending them off in your kid's lunch. Let's not create in a lab something that is not natural. When it comes to apples, bigger is not always better. 

Mercury Levels in Tuna

I love tuna. I used to pretend I was sick from school just so my mom would make me a tuna sandwich and mushroom soup. Tuna day was every Monday. Tuna with cucumbers on fluffy white bread....YUM! Ah, food memories...little did my parents know, or did I until recently, the amount of mercury in that tiny can. Mercury can really do damage to the body. Did you know that unless you intentionally try and clear it from your system, it will just sit there forever. Most of us even have mercury that has been passed down from our ancestors. Here is a link to the environmental defense fund's website with more detailed information on the topic: https://www.edf.org/oceans/mercury-alert-canned-tuna-safe-eat
I use canned salmon as a substitute. I also have found this tuna and have been using it. It tastes just as good and I feel better feeding it to my family. 
https://safecatch.com * TIP: A good first step to clearing your body of mercury or any other heavy metals, start eating cilantro. Its the best at detoxifying it and moving it out of your body.

The Many Benefits of Liver

Don't let the pic fool you. It's not chocolate mousse:)

Most of you are cringing I know. There are 2 frames of thought around liver. One is that it's a superfood. Full of amazing vitamins and minerals. The second is that its the liver. It filters through toxins all day long and why would I want to eat that? I'm on the side of superfood. Although, it's important to buy liver from grassfed and responsibly raised animals. The liver does filter toxins but it doesn't hold onto them. Liver is full of iron and zinc. So, if you are borderline anemic or have a low immune system, its a good thing to eat. It also has a healthy amount of Vitamin A and Vitamin B12. Vitamin A is an amazing antioxidant and vitamin B12 is essential for a healthy nervous system and keeping your red blood cells healthy. Liver has a very odd texture, so I cannot fry it up and eat it but I do make a killer liver pate that is so good with veggies or plantain chips. Its creamy and tasty. It may not look the best but I urge you to try it. 

My Liver Pate
1 lb chicken livers
1 onion sliced 
1 piece of nitrate free bacon
a few shakes of thyme, salt, and pepper

Preheat oven to 385 degrees. Put all ingredients in an oven safe dish. Cook in oven for 35 minutes. When it is done, put in ninja, vitamix, or food processor. Blend until smooth. Let cool in fridge. 
Enjoy.
* TIP: its also really good alongside of guacamole. Sounds odd but don't knock it before you try it.