recipes | Sunny Slide Up

guest blogger: alivia jane

I am so excited to be a guest blogger on Sunny Slide Up! My name is Alivia and I run a self-titled food blog called Alivia Jane. I started a blog as a way to tap into my creative side and showcase the foods I love to eat. Most of my recipes revolve around a whole foods and a plant-based way of eating, although I do sneak in a meat recipe here and there. Everything in moderation is my motto!

To keep innovative in the kitchen I experiment with a new ingredient every few weeks. It is so rewarding to try slightly off-the-beaten path ingredients that open up the door to new flavors and kitchen creativeness. My hope is that through the simple and delicious dishes I create, I will inspire others to be inventive in their kitchens with healthy and incredible tasting foods.

This week, I’ll be sharing five simple recipes that incorporate a new ingredient that you may not use in your every day cooking. Today, I’d like to share my recipe for Cacao Coconut Granola Clusters! If you are not familiar with cacao, it is a sugar-free raw powder and a healthy alternative to conventional over-processed “cocoa” used often for baking and desserts. Cacao is a top source of antioxidants, and it contains an abundance of magnesium and iron. It is amazing!

Finding a healthy snack can sometimes seem like such an impossible mission, especially when trying to maintain a healthy diet. These Cacao Coconut Granola Clusters are the perfect snack not only because they are totally delicious and made with whole foods like nuts, seeds and cacao powder, but also they’re filled with antioxidants, protein, and fiber. You can eat them plain, for breakfast with almond milk, or in yogurt.

Cacao Coconut Granola Clusters

Ingredients:

½ cup cacao powder
1 cup of gluten free oats
1 cup pecans, lightly broken up but not crushed
½ cup dried coconut flakes
½ cup flaxseed
½ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
3 bananas
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons almond butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a medium baking dish.

Place oats, pecans, coconut, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and sunflowers seeds into a medium sized mixing bowl. Toss to mix and set aside.

Into a food processor place the almond butter, maple syrup, bananas, and cacao powder and blend until smooth. Pour this mix over the dry ingredients and stir well until all dry ingredients are coated.

Add the granola into your baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the dish to toss the flattened granola mixture to create clusters and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Tip: Don’t be shy about adding additional maple syrup or honey drizzle to the finished granola for an extra sweet finishing touch!

Referring link: http://www.seasonallyjane.com/2014/07/cacao-coconut-granola-clusters.html

Excited to share a week of recipes with you!

black bean quesadilla

by Mandi | recipes

I love mexican food just as much as the next person and so when I made this at home and everyone loved it, I knew it was one I had to share! We do one that is all vegetarian, but you could always add a meat of your choice.

Black Bean Quesadilla with Spinach, Green Peppers and Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

Tortillas
Shredded Mexican Cheese
1 can of Black Beans
Salsa
1/2 of an Onion chopped (any kind will work)
1 Green Pepper, sliced – not pictured
1 package of sliced Mushrooms cut into pieces
1 bag of Spinach
2 tablespoons of Butter
Lime Juice
salt, garlic salt, and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Prep all ingredients and then begin to sauté each individually. Set each aside as they are finished. Once all ingredients are prepped, toast one of the quesadillas, add cheese until it melts, then ad toppings. I start with beans then add all veggies. Add additional quesadilla on top and carefully flip it over until it is toasted on both sides and cheese is completely melted. Set on a plate, cut into sixths and serve with toppings of choice. I use salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Begin by cooking all of the toppings to add to your quesadilla. I warm up a can of black beans on the sot ve top, just until they are warm. I also add a bit of salsa to the beans while they are cooking for additional flavor.

Add some butter to a large sauce pan and sauté mushrooms and onions until the mushrooms turn golden brown and the onions are transparent. I add salt, garlic salt, and pepper to taste.

Set mushrooms aside and in the same pan add more butter before adding green pepper. Cook until the pepper begins to soften. About half way into your cooking, I added a bit of lime juice for additional flavor.

Set the peppers aside and again add butter and cook spinach. I cook the spinach until it is a dark green color and soft.

Once all toppings are cooked, add one tortilla to the same pan and add one layer of cheese. I just add some until it is covered. Let the cheese melt down before you add other toppings.

Once the cheese is melted, add other toppings. I start by adding black beans and then all others in anyway.

Add the other quesadilla, carefully flip over (I use two spatulas) and let it toast on the other side.

Once all cheese is melted, you are done! Set on cheese and cut to the size you like!

Enjoy with any toppings you like. We used salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Enjoy!

greek turkey burgers and cucumber salad

by heather | recipes

Tis the season for fresh produce stands! I just came back from a long weekend in the mountains of North Carolina and picked me up a huge basket of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. This was the perfect recipe to use my local farm fresh goodies!

Greek Turkey Burgers with Cucumber Salad

FOR THE BURGER PATTIES

1 pound ground turkey breast meat
1/2 box of frozen spinach (typical box is 10 oz)
1/2 small red onion chopped finely
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of dill weed
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
1 egg
salt and pepper

Thaw spinach and then remove all water through strainer or by squeezing in hands. Remember, you only need to use half of the spinach for this batch of burgers. Add all ingredients above in a large bowl and mix well. Form 5-6 patties depending on how large you want the burgers. Add a little olive oil to a skillet and cook on high/medium heat, flipping to get a good crisp on each side. I cooked mine about 2 minutes each side AND then turned down to medium heat for another 4 minutes each side. Just cut one open to check to be sure they are done. *These would also be great on the grill….mine just happened to be out of order right now 🙂

Serve tzatziki sauce on the side to dip the burgers in, or add to the top of your burger if using a bun. I tend to not eat my burgers with a bun to save on the carbs and calories. To make your own tzatziki sauce (cucumber dill sauce) click here for recipe.

FOR THE CUCUMBER SALAD