Breakfast Smoothies

Lately I've been making smoothies before I head to the gym in the morning. They are quick and filling and I like to drink a little before my workout and the rest afterwards. These are a few of my favorite combinations:

Cocoa Berry Smoothie:
1 large banana
3/4 cup of frozen mixed berries
1/2 avocado
1 cup of coconut or almond milk
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 Tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder
Blend!

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie:
1 large frozen banana
1 cup of coconut or almond milk
2 Tbs of peanut or almond butter
1 Tbs of coconut oil (great for post-workout!)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of maple syrup
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Blend!

Matt's Favorite Blueberry Smoothie:
1 large frozen banana
1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup of coconut milk
1 Tbs of almond butter
1 tsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
Blend!

What to do with leftover salmon??? Grain Free Salmon Cakes!

A few nights ago I made chili rubbed salmon and I had some salmon leftover so I decided to make delicious salmon cakes. These are great for dinner with some lemon aioli or for brunch topped with a poached egg over greens.

Ingredients:

1-2 fillets of salmon or 2 cans BPA free wild salmon
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
2 tsp of capers
2 Tbs of mayo (homemade or olive oil mayo)
1 Tbs of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of almond flour
2 Tbs of coconut flour
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
dash of cayenne
Coconut oil for cooking

Combine all ingredients and mix well. I pulsed all of the ingredients in the food processor for 30 seconds but you can combine by hand as well.

Heat a few tablespoons of coconut oil in a large frying pan. Roll the salmon mixture into golf ball size balls and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Enjoy!

Chili Rubbed Salmon with Strawberry Basil Salsa

Ingredients:
2 large salmon fillets
Chili powder
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lime
2 oranges
10 large strawberries, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 handful of basil, finely chopped
Sea salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place salmon fillets in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and juice from 1 orange. Season generously with sea salt, pepper and chili powder. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

While the salmon is baking combine the chopped strawberries, avocado, cucumber and basil in a medium size bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 of the lime and 1 orange over the salsa. Add a pinch of sea salt and gently combine.

Serve the salsa over the salmon with a squeeze of fresh lime and orange juice and enjoy!

Vegan Artichoke Pesto

This makes a very creamy, dairy free sauce that is great over baked spaghetti squash or brown rice noodles.

Ingredients:
1 cup of basil
1/4 cup of raw cashews
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of raw spinach leaves
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup of artichoke hearts (jarred)
1/2 cup of coconut milk (add more or less to make your sauce thick/thin)
1 splash of olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Combine basil, cashews, garlic, spinach, lemon juice, artichokes and olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend until the sauce is combined but still has a little texture. Transfer into a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for several minutes to incorporate all of the flavors. Enjoy!