Black Bean Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Who doesn’t need a delicious, balanced, warming side dish or entree in the heart of winter?

The kids are off for winter break next week. While this brings a different level of (beautiful) chaos, it also means we can do a little more cooking and baking as after-school activities are cancelled and homework is pretty much non-existent. This chili-stuffed sweet potato recipe really hits the spot! It also happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free. Perfect for our family! Do you plan on trying this? Let me know what you think!

XO,

Tara

Black Bean Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 4 Sweet Potato (medium size)

• 1 tbsp Organic Vegetable Broth

• 1 Yellow Onion (chopped)

• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper (chopped)

• 2 Garlic (clove, minced)

• 1 1/2 tbsps Chili Powder

• 1 tsp Oregano

• 1/2 tsp Cumin

• 1 3/4 cups Black Beans (cooked, drained, rinsed)

• 3/4 cup Tomato Sauce

• 1/3 cup Water

• 1/4 cup Cilantro (chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Poke a few fork holes in the sweet potatoes and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until cooked through.

2. While the potatoes cook, in a medium-sized pot over medium heat, add the vegetable broth. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Then add the chili powder, oregano and cumin. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, and add the black beans, tomato sauce and water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Slice each one down the centre and stuff with the black bean chili. Top with cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

Summer Smoothies

Hey there,

Surprise! Today I wanted to share my new collection of summer smoothie recipes with you.

Smoothies are one of my favorite ways to get in extra nutrition as a meal replacement or snack. You'll notice each of the recipes is for one serving, but feel free to bump that up so you have some to share....or pour into ice pop moulds for a quick dessert!

My suggestion? Pick one or two of these to try this week. Add the ingredients to your grocery list and jot down a quick meal plan for the next few days or week.

Did you know that when you wait until it's time to eat to decide what you'll have, your primal brain takes over? That's why it becomes much harder to choose something healthy in the moment.

Instead, by planning your meals at least 24 hours (or more) beforehand, you can tap into your pre-frontal cortex (your "human" superpower brain) and make decisions based on your long-term goals.

You deserve to set yourself up for a win!


Enjoy,
Tara



P.S. Here's that link for the recipe book again. Feel free to print it out or save it for future reference. :-)

Greek-Inspired Veggie Balls with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce

Hey guys,

If you are anything like me, having a recipe that doubles-triples-quadruples as a variety of food types (snack, main dish, side dish, appetizer…) feels like a best-kept secret. This recipe has the potential to be that for you, too. Try it out and let me know what you think!

This recipe is plant-based / vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, no added sugar, egg-free, soy-free…but NOT free of flavor! ;-)

Oh, and the tzatziki sauce is really versatile as well.

Greek-Inspired Veggie-Balls with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce 
Makes 6-8 servings 

For the Veggie-Balls: 

16 oz. lentils, cooked 
3/4 cup onion, finely diced (set aside a little for the sauce) 
2 cloves minced garlic 
1 tsp dried oregano 
½ tsp cumin 
1 tsp coriander 
½ tbsp lemon zest 
1 tsp sea salt 
Ground pepper, to taste 

For the Tzatziki: 

1 ripe avocado 
1 medium minced cucumber, seeds removed. 2 garlic cloves 
1-2 tbsp diced onion 
2 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tbsp fresh dill (if using dried, use ½ tbsp) Sea salt and pepper 

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Mix together the veggie ball ingredients. Form into 2-inch balls, and place them on a baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes. 

3. When it’s time to serve, put all the tzatziki sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until creamy. 

4. Serve and enjoy! 



In good health,
Tara

P.S. If plant-based and gluten free meals are your thing, make sure you grab my FREE 3-day Meal Plan for Losing Body Fat. Not only will you be working on those health & body goals, but you’ll get an arsenal of new recipes to try at the same time!

FAT LOSS and Meal Timing

Fat loss - when the heck should I eat?

It's a common misconception that we need to be eating a million times a day in order to increase our metabolism and burn more fat.


First of all, let's talk about who is looking to burn more fat? If you are looking to lose weight or even just "tone up"…you're looking to decrease the excess fat you have on your body. 


Watch my latest live video (or just listen - you don't need to see my face) as I get into how to tap into your fat stores to use them up as energy. We're discussing meal timing (when and how often) and we nerd out on what insulin is and the role it plays in fat storage and fat loss. It's a pretty unknown concept to most. Definitely worth the 35 minutes if fat loss is on your agenda!


Here's a quick summary:


1) Insulin is a fat-storage hormone that helps us carry sugar into our cells to use as energy. Whatever we don't use gets stored as fat to use at a later time.


2) If insulin remains elevated, our bodies remain in fat storage mode and do not switch over to fat burning mode.


3) Lowering insulin is what allows us to switch over to fat burning mode. We can lower our insulin by focusing on nutrition upgrades and timing our meals properly (hint: eating every 2 hours will not allow your insulin levels to come down for you to enter fat-burning mode).



Watch or listen to the video for lots more details and for the 3 tips I share at the end so you can get going on your fat loss goals right away!!

In good health,

Tara

P.S. If you’d like a (FREE) 3-day meal plan designed to help you with WHAT to eat and WHEN to eat for healthy fat loss, you can grab that right here! Enjoy!

3 NEW things to consider when meal planning

Hey guys,

In my latest live Workshop Wednesday video, I mentioned 3 important things I see so many of my clients skipping when they go about planning their meals out for the week. While almost everyone considers what they have in the kitchen, their budget, what they enjoy eating, and when they’ll be going shopping, these 3 things are often overlooked.

1. Goals - are you putting together your meals with your ultimate goals in mind? Does the meal plan reflect the types of food your body needs, the amount, the meal timing…?

2. Schedule - are you a bit overzealous in trying to cook too many new recipes in one single week? What days are busiest? Are you utilizing your leftovers in the best possible way? Leftovers save sooooo much time, money, and stress if done right. ;-)

3. Other people - who will you be cooking for? Are you making side dishes work for you so that everyone can enjoy the same meal and still be eating according to their body’s needs?

Check out the video for my tips and let me know in the comments…do you meal plan?

In good health,

Tara

P.S. Would you like a FREE meal plan to get you started? I’ve created “The Hangry Women’s 3-Day, Plant Based Meal Plan for Losing Body Fat” and would love to get you your copy!

Meal Plan Sign-Up:

Pea Protein and Shape Magazine

Hey there, inter-web friends,

I have some exciting news to share with you!  I was recently featured in Shape (yup...that publication) in an article all about pea protein.  Pea protein has been gaining popularity lately thanks to the fact that it's free of gluten, grains, dairy, and not on the list of common allergens.  It's use is versatile - mix it in smoothies, baked goods, oatmeal, pudding, and fruit dips.

Check out the article here.

Have you ever tried pea protein?  What's your favorite kind?

In good health,

Tara 

"Tara, what do YOU eat?!"

Hey there,

There's been one question that I've been hearing for years and years now..."Tara, what do YOU eat?!"  Ever since I became a vegetarian at the age of 8, people have been wondering what a day in the life of....my plate....looks like.  :-)

Well, today I figured I'd address this question as I reveal an exciting announcement.  My next 10-Day Healthy New You Reset is now open for enrollment at the early bird pricing!  This reset is for you if you're interested in heading into the Summer with a body you love living in.  You can expect weight loss, increased energy levels, and decreased sugar cravings, to name a few things.  Check out this page to read the testimonials and find all of the details!  

Spots are limited and the early bird pricing is only up until tomorrow at 11:59 PM, so grab your spot NOW and join us!

In good health,

Tara

EATING MORE for weight loss

January is almost over!

How are those resolutions coming along?

I recorded a video LIVE on facebook last week that may help you with your weight loss goals AND hunger pangs.  We got into macros, portion sizes, quality foods, and how to ADD more food into your day while crowding out the junk.  This won't just help your waistline, it will help improve your overall health!

Happy Saturday,

Tara

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hummus

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hummus (Servings 4)

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet potatoes

• 2 tablespoons sea salt

• 1-2 cups baby kale leaves 

• ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes 

• 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 

• Sea salt and cracked black pepper 

• 1 sweet onion, chopped

• 1 cup hummus

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 

2. Place the sweet potatoes on an baking sheet, pierce a few times with a fork and rub with salt. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until cooked. 

3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, place the kale, chili, oil salt and pepper on a baking sheet with parchment paper and toss to combine. Cook for 8–10 minutes or until golden. Set aside.

4. Heat a sauté pan to medium-high heat.  Add 1 tsp. of olive oil and add chopped onions.  Sauté until golden brown.  (about 15-18 minutes)

5. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, and top with the hummus, caramelized onion and crispy kale to serve.

If your family is anything like mine, hummus is an entire food group!  Sometimes homemade, usually store bought (because...time saver), but no matter what, there's always a shelf in the fridge dedicated just to our hummus.  An occasional container of salsa, dressing, or dip might try to sneak up there with the hummus, but that usually doesn't last long.

So, why not pair something warm, sweet, delicious, and colorful like sweet potatoes with one of the only foods that every person in our household eats?!

If you try the Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hummus recipe, drop a comment and let us know what you think!

In good health,

Tara

P.S. If you are enjoying these recipes and are looking for more delicious plant-based & gluten-free options, make sure to sign up for my email list!  I will hook you up.  ;-)

You can sign up right on my homepage at TaraAllenHealth.com

Spring is here - what should I eat now?

There may still be some patches on snow hunkering down here in New York, but the calendar has moved on.  Spring has SPRUNG!  Along with all of the extra cleaning, organizing, outside walks, and Summer vacation planning that people seem to always squeeze into the first week of Spring, we're usually ready to change up our food.  WIth lots of green and sprouts starting to come up this time of the year, Spring makes for the perfect time to introduce new greens into your diet.  When we are more conscious of eating in-season, we derive health-benefits from fresher and less pesticide-ridden foods, can enjoy locally grown plants, and save money (!) in the process (Remember that whole supply and demand thing from High School Economics class?).

The following is a list of vegetables that are in-season for this time of year here in the U.S.  Some of these grow year-round or are harvested during multiple seasons, so if you thought of any as Winter or Summer crops, you may not be wrong.  However, these are all great choices for *at least* March, April, and May.  

Pick up your favorites and maybe challenge yourself to try a new veggie every week or 2.  Let the Spring meal planning and cooking begin!

Artichokes

Arugula

Asparagus

Beets

Bok Choy

Broccoli Rabe

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Celery

Chard

Chicory

Collard Greens

Cress

Dandelion Greens

Endive

Fava Beans

Fava Greens

Fennel

Garlic

Kale

Kohlrabi

Leeks

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Mustard Greens

Nettles

Onions

Parsnips

Pea Shoots

Peas

Purslane

Radishes

Rutabagas

Scallions

Spinach

Sprouts

Turnips

In good health,

Tara

Vegan "Cheesy" Broccoli Soup

This week brought some much-needed rain here on the East Coast of the U.S.  The trees were happy and our bellies wanted us to hunker down and eat some warm soup!  

This vegan and gluten-free Broccoli Soup brought us just the warmth and coziness we were looking for.  For Magnolia, this doubled as a dip - as everything seems to these days.  ;-)

The secret to the creaminess without the cheese in this soup is cashews!  They get soaked for a few hours, drained, and the blended with the other ingredients to get the desired texture; plus extra protein, fiber, and healthy fat!

The cashews are getting a bath before go-time!

The kiddos enjoying some comfort food!

VEGAN "CHEESY" BROCCOLI SOUP

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 T turmeric
• juice from 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak cashews for 4 hours in enough water to cover.
2. Drain and rinse cashews and set aside.
3. Put coconut oil, garlic, and onions in large pot and sauté for about 5 minutes.
4. Add vegetable broth, broccoli, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and turmeric.
5. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
6. Cook an additional 5-8 minutes - until broccoli is soft.
7. Use an immersion blender or transfer 1/2 the soup into a regular blender.  Add cashews and blend until smooth.  *Note: Carefully cover top of blender with a towel and hold top on to prevent the hot liquid from leaking out through the top.
8. Transfer second half of soup to blender and blend until broccoli pieces are smaller, but do not blend until smooth if you'd like more texture in your soup (for a very smooth textured soup, blend both batches completely).

Vegan "Cheesy" Broccoli Soup