A Garden Fresh Soup for Hot Days

I've been blessed to have friends and family that have an over-abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos, bell peppers, onions and garlic in their gardens (I have an over-abundance of basil...and one plant that may or may not be a weed). I'm telling you all of this because those ingredients are exactly what you throw into a blender to make the most refreshing and yummy gazpacho ever! (If you haven't heard of or tried this delicious Italian cold soup, you are in for a treat). AND if you don't have a green thumb (like me)...just go to the store and grab these yummy ingredients. Easiest soup EVER!

E.H. Fitness Garden Gazpacho

What you need: 

• 3-4 large, ripe tomatoes cut into chunks
• 1 large cucumber, cut into chunks
• 1/2 onion, cut into chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, you guessed it, cut into chunks
• 1 bell pepper (any color), cut into chunks
• 1 jalapeno if you like it a bit on the spicy side
  
  
• LOTS of FRESH basil  (if you don’t have any growing in your garden and can’t swipe some from a neighbor, pony up and get some fresh from the store)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

What you do: 

1. Throw everything in a blender and turn it on. Blend until it’s soup. Crazy easy, right? Put in the fridge and serve super chilled!

Tada! You did it! Enjoy!

Egg Drop Soup in Less than 10 Minutes

I’m a HUGE fan of egg drop soup but never once in my whole life thought I could make my own. Let me tell you a little secret...it’s the easiest soup I’ve ever made...ever. 

What you need:

• 4 Cups Chicken Broth (or Bone Broth* is even better!)
• 1 TBSP arrowroot powder
• a dash of onion powder (or add some leeks or green onion if you have some!)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• a pinch of fresh ground pepper
• a dash of ground ginger
• a smidge of ground garlic
• a splash of sesame oil
• 4 beaten eggs

What you do:

1. Add all the ingredients (except the eggs) to a large saucepan
2. Bring to a boil and let soft boil for a few minutes.
3. Add beaten eggs slowly...very slowly...to create yummy egg ribbons. They will cook immediately
4. Let soup stand for a 10 minutes or so

Enjoy with this one-pan cashew chicken!

Grilled romaine...it’s a thing...

Last night we grilled burgers...and with a good burger, comes all the toppings ...including a leaf of crisp romaine. Normally I would make the rest of the romaine heart into a salad (or, let’s be honest, it would wilt and get slimy in my fridge), but a sweet client of mine had just told me she grills romaine bearts.

 So I tried it. And I LOVED it!

It was so easy, simple and delicious!

Simple Grilled Romaine

What you need:

• Heart of romaine
• Oil of choice (I used avocado oil...I’m obsessed)
• Salt and pepper
• Toppings if you want (bacon, cheese, dressing)

What you do: 

1. Slice romaine heart in half lengthwise
2. Drizzle with oil on both sides
3. Salt and pepper
4. Grill for 3 minutes each side
5. Too with any toppings you’d like...totally optional...it’s amazing plain! 

Enjoy! 

Clean and Creamy Broccoli Soup

I know it's still summer but fall is right around the corner and that means SOUP! I love a creamy soup with a crunchy salad but, alas, I can't eat dairy. So, I made a Creamy Broccoli "Cheese" Soup that is WAY yummy and WAY easy...my two fav food things!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

What you need:

• 1 cup raw cashews 
• 4 cups chicken bone broth (or vegetable broth if vegan)
• 1 large white onion
• 3 stalks celery,  chopped 
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1.5 TBSP minced garlic 
• 2 bags of frozen broccoli (feel free to use 6-8 cups fresh, I’m just crunched for time)
• 1.5 tsp tumeric
• 1 tap curry powder
• 1 cup unsweetened original almond milk
• Salt and pepper to taste!

What you do:

1. Soak cashews in hot water for 15-30 minutes
2. Dump everything else into a large stockpot and heat to a boil
3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until everything becomes a bit mushy
4. Remove the stockpot from heat and let cool a while
5. Using a blender or food processor, add the almond milk and soaked cashews, blend until creamy and silky
6. Pour the stockpot contents into the cashew “cream” and blend until smooth.
7. Enjoy!

Blender Brownies (no added sugar!)

My sweet friend, Karlie, asked me yesterday about a brownie recipe for the Wellness Challenge I'm leading right now. I was sooooo interested, so I doctored it up a bit, and I'm a fan. These are paleo and Whole30 compliant (just leave out the vanilla) and are dynamite after letting them sit for a few hours or even over night.

What you need:

*2-3 very or over ripe bananas
*1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*2/3 cup salted almond butter (crunchy or creamy)
*1/2 tsp vanilla (leave out if on Whole30)

What you do: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a blender, mash up the bananas and then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until silky smooth
3. Pour into a silicone pan (or grease a pan with coconut oil)
4. Back for 15 minutes
5. Wait for a few hours...I know it's hard, but you will thank me
6. Enjoy!

If you wanted to make these fluffier, you could totally whip some egg whites and fold those suckers in as well. I think these would be even yummier with banana "ice cream." Enjoy!