Articles & Recipes

Serves 4

This smoothie bowl is so easy to make! The flavor is very fruit-forward (you don’t even taste the spinach!), and the texture is creamy and refreshing. The heart-healthy ground flax seed makes this smoothie bowl very filling, as well!

Smoothie Ingredients:
1 cup fresh blueberries
1-1/2 cups fresh, sliced strawberries
1 banana
1 cup frozen mixed berries
2 cups baby spinach leaves 
2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Top with:
Blueberries
Strawberries
Chia seeds
Shredded coconut

Directions: 
In a powerful blender, combine all of the smoothie ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour the smoothie in a bowl, and top generously with blueberries, strawberries, chia seeds, and shredded coconut.

Serves 4

If you prefer savory breakfasts, this is the power bowl for you! With a base of cheesy grits, this bowl gains additional health benefits from the blistered kale, grape tomatoes, protein-rich egg, and potassium-filled avocado. Finish it off with a dash of hot sauce and a sprinkle of chives for a very satisfying start to the day.

For the Grits:
2-1/2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
1-1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 cup grits
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For the Blistered Veggies:
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch kale washed, stemmed, torn into bite-sized pieces
16 grape tomatos
4 eggs, poached

Top with:
1 avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste  
Dash of hot sauce 

Directions: 
1. Boil the water, milk and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the grits while constantly whisking. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to whisk until the grits are incorporated, roughly 5 minutes. 

2. Use a wooden spoon and stir until the grits are thick and creamy, about 15-20 minutes. Add the butter and cheese and stir until melted.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the kale and tomatoes until the tomatoes are blistered and the kale is wilted and slightly charred. Remove the greens and tomatoes from the skillet. 

4. Poach the eggs. In a medium sauce pan, bring 2 inches of water to a low rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the water. (The vinegar will help keep the egg white together.) Break each egg into a small ramekin, and lower each egg slowly into the water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the water with a slotted spoon.

5. Build the bowl. Add scoop of cheesy grits, then top with the blistered greens and tomatoes, poached egg, avocado slices, chives, salt, pepper, and a dash of hot sauce.

Serves 2

This bowl features a blend of bananas, oats, and Greek yogurt -- a tangy and filling base. The toppings add a bit of crunchiness, saltiness, sweetness, and healthy nutrients to the experience. Fun Fact: did you know cocoa nibs are actually good for you? It’s true - one ounce has 9 grams of fiber- what a delicious reason to eat them for breakfast!

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, peeled
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Top with:
1 cup granola - (about 1/2 cup per serving)
1 ripe banana, peeled and thinly sliced - (1/2 banana per serving)
2 tablespoons cocoa nibs - (1 T per serving)
2 tablespoons sliced almonds - (1 T per serving)
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

Directions: 
1. In a powerful blender, combine the bananas, oats, yogurt and vanilla and blend on high until smooth.

2. Pour the banana and oat mixture into bowls and top with granola, banana slices, cocoa nibs, almonds, and pumpkin seeds.

Serves 4

This chunky tomato soup assembles quickly and is filled with savory, satisfying flavors. Nothing pairs better with tomato soup than grilled cheese! For a complete meal, garnish this soup with grilled cheese “croutons.” Simply cut up a few grilled cheese sandwiches into bite-sized pieces, and add to each bowl. For extra flair, finish it off with some fresh basil, chiffonade.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, minced in food processor
2 stalks celery, minced in food processor
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Garnish:
fresh basil, chiffonade
Grilled cheese “croutons”

Directions: 
1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the minced onion and celery, and sauté until translucent.

2. Add the tomatoes, broth, honey, and spices and simmer until the flavors have melded together about 15 minutes.

3. Remove half of the soup, and blend with a high powered blender until smooth. Add the pureed soup back into the chunky soup.

4. Stir in 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.

5. Serve hot with a garnish of grilled cheese croutons and fresh basil.

Serves 6-8

This soup features low-calorie and high in protein green lentils! - a great choice for a healthy meal. Lentils are packed with fiber and iron - making them both filling and good for you. The savory aromatics, warm spices, and flavorful coconut milk round out the flavors of this soup. Garnish with some fresh cilantro and lime juice for a feel-good meal.

Soup Base:
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 28oz can diced tomatoes

For the Lentils:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne 
2 cups green lentils, uncooked
3 cups chicken broth
1 can full-fat coconut milk

Garnishes:
6 oz fresh spinach
Juice of one lime
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Directions: 

1. In a food processor, blend together the soup base ingredients until smooth, then set aside.

2. Set a multi-cooker to the sauté function. Heat the butter, then add the spices, and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

3. Add the blended soup base to the spices and sauté for another 3-5 minutes.

4. Add the lentils and chicken broth to the pot and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes.

5. Carefully release the pressure according to your machine’s instructions. Stir in the coconut milk and spinach and serve hot with a garnish of fresh lime juice and cilantro.

Serves 6

This soup is filled with colorful veggies, lean chicken, and savory broth. But let’s face it, the real reason we love this soup is that of the garnishes! Elevate your experience with toppings - load up on green onions, avocado, cilantro, a zing of fresh lime juice, and even a little sour cream. So delicious!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red pepper, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
1 orange or yellow pepper, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
1 onion, cut into a 1/2 inch diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound chicken breasts
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Juice of 1 lime
15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups black beans (canned or cooked dried beans)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups frozen corn

Garnishes: 
Green onions, sliced
Avocado, diced
Cilantro 
Sour cream

Directions: 
1. In a large soup pot, sauté the red pepper and onion in the olive oil until the onion is just translucent. Add the garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes.

2. Season with the spices, and then add the chicken breasts, lime juice, tomatoes, black beans, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Remove the chicken breasts and shred with two forks, then return the cooked and shredded chicken to the soup. Add in the frozen corn, stir and heat until soup is simmering.

4. Serve hot with a garnish of green onions, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream.

Makes 2 logs - or about 24 cookies

Looking for an alternative to sweet things this season? These savory cheese shortbread are guaranteed to be a hit! The dough is easily mixed, and quickly formed into two log forms. Once chilled, it’s a slice-and-bake routine. Pair these handcrafted savory shortbread with a bottle of bubbly for a charming gift offering this season.

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled salted butter
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, reserve 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, reserve 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon flake salt

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and blend on medium-low until the butter becomes creamy. 

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, Parmesan, salt, cayenne, and rosemary. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

4. Add 1 teaspoon of water to bring the mixture together.

5. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill until firm, roughly 1 hour.

6. Slice the log into 1/4” cookies. Sprinkle the cookies with the remaining Parmesan and rosemary and bake for 12 minutes or until the edges begin to become lightly golden brown.

7. Once baked, transfer the shortbread to a cooling rack and sprinkle with flake salt.

Makes about 100 strips

A classic pairing around the holidays, orange and dark chocolate are delicious together! We will never look at an orange peel in quite the same way. It’s a simple process, just be sure to allow 1-2 days of “hands-off” drying time for the candied orange peels to dry into the perfect chewy consistency before dipping them into the dark chocolate.

Candied Orange Peel Ingredients:
4 organic navel oranges 
6 cups water, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar, divided

Chocolate Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
8 oz dark chocolate, melted

Directions: 
1. Place a cooling rack over a parchment-lined sheet pan.

2. Slice the oranges into 8 segments and remove the peel. Use a paring knife to remove as much of the white pith as possible. Scrape any remaining pith off of the orange peel using a grapefruit spoon.

3. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 cups of the water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and boil the orange peels for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain again.

4. Place the orange peels back into the saucepan. Add 4 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar to the saucepan. Reheat the orange peels over medium high heat stirring with a silicone spatula until all of the sugar dissolves. 

5. Once the syrup boils, reduce the heat and bring the syrup to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, continuing to reduce the heat every so often to retain a low, constant simmer. The peel should become very soft and the syrup should reduce and become thick and syrupy.

6. After an hour of simmering, remove the orange peels with tongs and let them cool on the prepared cooling rack for 10 minutes, separating the peels with a spatula before beginning the drying period.

7. Cut the candied orange peels into even thinner strips. Toss the smaller strips in a bowl with 1 cup of sugar until all the strips are coated. Place the strips back onto the cooling rack and let them dry for 1-2 days.

8. Dip the dried orange peels in melted chocolate. First, temper the chocolate in a double boiler by melting 2/3 of the chocolate and stirring it until it reaches 180 degrees F. Remove the chocolate from heat and add the remaining chocolate pieces, stirring the chocolate gently as it cools to 82 degrees F. Reheat the chocolate to 90 degrees F and dip an end of each orange peel strip into the chocolate. Lay flat to dry on wax paper. Once the chocolate hardens, the candied orange peel is ready to share and enjoy.

Makes about 5-6 cups of hot fudge sauce

Short on time? This homemade treat is fast to make, and guaranteed to elicit ooh’s and ahh’s. You'll find that this hot fudge delivers on a rich dark chocolate flavor experience and seasonal peppermint flavors. Drizzle over your favorite ice cream, and enjoy spoonfuls of decadent pleasure.

Ingredients:
2 cups unsweetened dark cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
2 cups half-and-half
1-1/4 cups light corn syrup 
1 cup salted butter, cut into pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions: 
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cocoa powder and brown sugar. Whisk in the half-and-half and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

2. When the mixture begins to warm and the sugar dissolves, add the corn syrup and butter chunks. Stir the fudge sauce until the butter melts and all of the ingredients are evenly combined.

3. Once the mixture is hot, remove from heat, and add the peppermint extract stirring to combine.

4. Cool the sauce for 5 minutes, then pour the hot fudge into small canning jars or other vessel of your choice.

5. When ready to serve the hot fudge, heat in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 seconds, stir, and heat for another 10 seconds. Drizzle over your best ice cream and enjoy!

6. This hot fudge may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.