Quarantine or not, recipes at home can be fun and healthy. Switch up your weekly cooking routine with the following healthy and vegan summer inspired recipes.
From Probiotic Smoothie Bowls to Avocado Caesar Dressing, Kelly offers recipes your palette will desire, featuring elements of gut health or simply for fun refreshment. The Salmon burger is also the perfect plant based alternative for National Burger Day coming up on May 28th, and to enjoy all summer long.
Probiotic Smoothie Bowl:
- 1 Cup Yogurt or Kefir
- 1 banana
- 1 avocado
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/3 cup blueberries
- 1/3 diced mango
- (Or use any fresh fruit you like)
- Fresh Mint to garnish
- Blend first 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth, pour in a bowl.
- Layer the fruit and chia seeds in a striped pattern across the top and garnish with fresh mint.
Mediterranean Salmon Burgers:
Recipe:
Add 1/2 lb of cubed fresh raw Atlantic salmon to a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, handful of parsley, salt and pepper, 1 clove garlic, juice of 1/2 a lemon, and it’s zest & 1 egg white. Blend until chopped finely & combined. Add another 1/2 pound of cubed salmon and pulse gently until roughly chopped. Remove and form into four patties.
Lemon Basil Aioli:
In a food processor add juice of one lemon, 1/3 cup light or avocado mayo, one clove garlic, salt, pepper, and a small bunch of basil. Blend until all combined and set aside.
In a pan or on a griddle, cook the burgers two minutes per side over medium high heat and cover to steam through. Assemble the burgers on a brioche bun with fresh arugula, sliced onion, and heirloom tomatoes. Drizzle the aioli on both buns and over the burger. Enjoy!
Healthy Blueberry Gin Smoothie:
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 1-2 tbsp elderflower cordial or flavored syrup
- 1 tsp Manuka Honey
- 1.5 oz of good quality gin
Blend all together in a blender/Vitamix until very smooth, can add a touch of water if you need to thin out the mixture. Garnish with more fresh Basil.
Light & Fit Sicilian Summer Guacamole (Vegan):
- 4-6 perfectly ripe avocados
- ½ small onion, finely diced
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 5-10 grape tomatoes or 1 roma tomato, finely chopped
- 1-2 tbsp of hot giardiniera, chopped (or Calabrian chilies)
- Several large basil leaves, chopped chiffonade
- 1 large lemon (juice and zest)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 4 Endive separated into spears
Mash avocado flesh in a large mixing bowl with a fork. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Garnish with fresh basil and an extra squeeze of lemon on top to preserve color.
Serve with endive spears, veggie spears, or any other desired accoutrement.
Light Avocado Caesar Dressing:
- 1 large ripe avocado
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 anchovy filets (optional)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1-2 tbsp water (to reach desired consistency)
- 1 dash hot sauce
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Blend all ingredients in Vitamin or blender until very smooth, add a small amount of water or olive oil if necessary to thin out dressing to desired consistency.
Zesty Vegan Italian Tacos: (makes 6 tacos)
- 6 gluten free tortillas
- 1 package Beyond Meat Vegan
- ½ onion finely diced
- ½ cup mushrooms chopped
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- ½ cup vegan Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup arugula
- Fresh basil, chiffonade
- Hot giardiniera
- Good quality olive oil
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, mushrooms and zucchini for 1 minute. Then add sausage (the vegan sausage can be added directly to pan.) Mash the sausage in the pan and flatten and brown it until it begins to crumble. Mix it in with the veggies and cook together for about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Once cooked and all crumbled together, turn off heat. Take tortillas and wrap them in damp paper towels and cook in the microwave to steam them (about 50 seconds). Then fill each tortilla with meat mixture and top with arugula, basil, vegan cheese and hot giardiniera to taste. Finish with an extra drizzle of good-quality olive oil.
These recipes are sure to wow your quarantine companions, family, friends, or enjoy them solo and show them off on social media!