Tag: staying fit

Vegan Basil Pasta with Soy Free Gluten Free Chorizo Sausage

Published on by Life with Lisa Washington1 Comment

I was in great debate about posting this blog. This sausage recipe is very delicious and the powers that be, suggested that it needs to be in my new cookbook:  Set the Table with Love, plant based recipes to make you look and feel great. So stay tuned for that recipe. But keep reading the Vegan Basil Pasta is delish!!

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I will share this amazing and easy Vegan Basil Pasta. Here is what making this pasta very special. One of my best friends gave me today this wonderful Kitchenaid food processor. I never had a big professional food processor. I know I cook a lot, but I am so primitive. I do everything on hand. I even make my pasta from scratch with no processor, but I think I am hooked.

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Vegan Basil Pasta with Soy Free Gluten Free Vegan Chorizo Sausage

Thanks Andrea for making my life easier. I love my new food processor.

 Vegan Basil Pasta

Ingredients
1 cups semolina flour

1 3/4 cups organic unbleached pastry flour

1/2 cup basil leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 – 1 cup room temperature water

Directions:

Place flours and basil in the food processor and pulse to combine.

While the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil.  Add the water 1 Tbsp at a time through the spout while the processor is running.
I used almost 1 cup of water. Remove dough from processor and place on a modestly floured clean surface, knead briefly until smooth. Rolling the dough into a ball.  Cut in half. Take one of the halves and  pass through your pasta machine as per its instructions, dusting with semolina flour as needed. Once the dough is thinned out to your preference, you can send it through your fettuccine attachment, dusting your pasta and the pasta machine with semolina flour, so it doesn’t stick .

If you do not have an attachment or a pasta maker, you can roll the dough with a dusted rolling pin with semolina flour. Take a pizza cutter or knife to cut into small strips. Place the strips on a lightly floured surface and dust with more flour, so that pasta will not stick together.

Toppings for the pasta:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup onions, diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

sea salt

basil leaves ( for garnish)

Directions:

I sautéed the onions and garlic in a sauce pan. I added it over the pasta, with a few chili peppers, sea salt and basil leaves.

Five things you can do to stay on track for the New Year

Published on by Life with Lisa WashingtonLeave a comment

 

Today I am talking about “food for the soul”, but will be back to our regularly scheduled food program tomorrow. 🙂

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Does your surroundings reflect your goals?

Did you know According to U.S. News, approximately 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February, so the odds are against you. Source: Business Insider

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Drink more water. Keep a filled water bottle next to your bed at night. A great reminder in the morning to drink up.

Wow! Really?  That means we only have a couple of weeks before most of us stop going to gym, our closets look like a hurricane hit them, and that plant based “What the Health” diet, has us pulling up to the closest fast food chain. LOL. 🙂 Okay all kidding aside, staying true to our goals can be pretty challenging,  if you do not start off with the right intention, as well as, giving ourselves a bit of grace and lots of support. I wanted to share on this blog a few things I do to keep myself focus and on track. It’s not going to cost you tons of dollars, maybe not even a dime, just a moment to breath, slow down and make some conscious decisions . So, here we go, are you ready! This is a big one!

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Keep your goals visible
  1. Be determine to not give up! Keep trying!
  2. Do not be so hard on yourself. Remember this is a journey and along the way we have to pace and reset. Give yourself grace and take time out to go back and look at your goals. Ask yourself a few questions: How is this going? How is this making me feel? Do I need to reevaluate a few things or maybe change this goal to something more realistic? We can easily be pumped up by the beginning of the year with all the it’s “A New Year, so you much become a New You” talk. There’s nothing wrong with growing in all areas of our lives, but do it with lovingkindness.
  3. Make sure you have encouragement around. Get a goal buddy, or join a Groupme, an amazing app where you can find like minded individuals, moving in the same flow of energy as yourself.
  4.  Set yourself up to win. I have throughout my home mantras, affirmations and positive words to remind me of my goals. My fridge, pantry and counters, reflect my goals for healthy eating.  My yoga mat is laid out in my yoga space, so I can see it. I put my water jug on the side of my bed every night, so I can make sure I drink my water as soon as I get up.
  5. Reward yourself appropriately. If it’s about eating healthy, do not reward yourself with a bucket of ice cream, maybe reward yourself with a massage or a new pair of shoes, and if you want the ice cream or cake, just a  few bites and PLEASE enjoy it. How we feel about food affects how we digest our food, so be happy eating that cake.

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A Bonus Tip:

Stay positive, making goals can be so much fun! It allows us to open up our minds to all the possibilities out there waiting for us. We get to try new things, connect with people moving in the same direction and possibly change our lives for the better.

YOU CAN DO IT! 🙂

Blueberry and Lemon Zest Pancakes ~ Gluten Free and Dairy Free

Published on by Life with Lisa WashingtonLeave a comment

This one is just yummy .

Ingredients:

1 cup ground gluten free oatmeal flakes

1/4 cup oat groats

1 cup brown rice flour

1 tbsp chia seed

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

¾ tsp salt

1 cup blueberries or frozen blueberries for the pancake mix (organic)

1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsps maple syrup

1/2 tsp lemon juice

3 tbsps softened coconut oil

¼ cup ground flax seeds

Instruction:

1. In a food processor add the oats and flour, blend until you have a flour consistency. Add frozen blueberries and blend until the blueberries are just little specks in the flour. Transfer the flour to a mixing bowl.

2. Add the baking powder and salt.

3. Put maple syrup, vanilla and lemon juice, almond milk, 2 tbsps of the coconut oil, and ground flax seed in a pot on medium low heat and stir until the coconut oil is heated and melted completely.

4. Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix until blended. If the batter is too thick add a little almond milk to thin it out. It should have a nice smooth consistency. Not too thin or too thick.

5. Melt the third tbsp of coconut oil in a pan on medium heat.

6. Add the batter into the heated pan to make 3-4 inch sized pancakes. When the edges start to dry and bubbles start to appear on top, flip the pancakes and cook them on the other side until golden brown. Add them to a platter and top with the Wild Blueberry Maple Syrup and serve.

WILD Blueberry Lemon Zest Maple Syrup

Ingredients

¼ cup real maple syrup

1 1/2 cups organic blueberries (frozen)

1/2 tsp of lemon zest (save some for garnish), just add a pinch or two for the syrup

Instruction:

In a small pan over medium-low heat, simmer the berries for about 2 minutes until some of the

juices evaporate.

Add ¼ cup real maple syrup and lemon zest for about 30 seconds. Allow to cool down for few minutes and add to our pancakes or to some creamy greek yogurt. Serves 6