Tag

healthy

Browsing
30 Minutes or Less

Oat Flour Pancakes (Made in the Blender!)

By
maple syrup being poured over a stack of oat flour pancakes

Soft and fluffy oat flour pancakes, with a hint of sweetness! This quick and easy breakfast recipe is entirely gluten-free and dairy-free. Whip up a stack of delicious oat flour pancakes in the blender, with a handful of simple ingredients!

a stack of oat flour pancakes with maple syrup being poured on top

What You’ll Need To Make Oat Flour Pancakes

Rolled Oats – Rolled oats are key to making this recipe work! They blend and cook up beautifully in our pancake batter. Some recipes out there will recommend blending your oats into a flour before adding in the other ingredients. However, I found that adding the whole oats directly in with everything else made no difference in the finished dish, and cut out an extra step! Feel free to use either old fashioned rolled oats or quick cook rolled oats, both will work here.

Milk – I used non-dairy milk to keep these oat flour pancakes gluten-free and dairy-free, though you can use any milk you’d like. Some non-dairy milks I recommend are almond milk, hazelnut milk, coconut milk, and oat milk. I’ve also been loving the Elmhurst’s line of plant-based milks – super simple and healthy ingredients!

Maple Syrup – This unrefined sweetener tastes incredible not only on our pancakes, but inside them too! For a sugar-free breakfast, you can easily leave the maple out of this recipe, or substitute it with half a tablespoon of monk fruit sweetener.

a stack of oat flour pancakes with fresh blueberries on top.

Optional Toppings

Feel free to top your oat flour pancakes with…

  • Chocolate Chips
  • Blueberries
  • Sliced Bananas
  • Sliced Strawberries
  • Sprinkles
  • Raspberries
  • Pecans
  • Butter
  • Maple Syrup
  • or Whipped Cream!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: Use my dairy-free option and sub the regular milk for your favorite non-dairy milk, it’s that easy!

Make it Vegan: Turn these into vegan and gluten-free oat flour pancakes by replacing the egg with a flax egg. To make a flax egg, whisk together 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Let the flax “egg” sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, until it’s thickened, before adding into this recipe.

Oat Flour Pancakes

4 from 19 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

Soft and fluffy oat flour pancakes, with a hint of sweetness! This quick and easy breakfast recipe is entirely gluten-free and dairy-free. Whip up a stack of delicious oat flour pancakes in the blender, with a handful of simple ingredients!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup milk, I used almond milk

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 egg

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until a smooth batter forms (about 30 seconds).
  • Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scoop ¼ cup of batter into skillet and add any toppings you’d like.
  • Cook pancake 2-3 minutes per side, then repeat with remaining pancake batter. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Recipe Video

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

View Post
By
30 Minutes or Less

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Savory Peanut Sauce

By
overhead image of asian turkey lettuce wraps on a table.

Crisp, fresh, and flavorful Asian-inspired turkey lettuce wraps, topped off with a creamy, savory peanut sauce! Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and super healthy. These turkey lettuce wraps are the perfect addition to your weekly meal prep, best enjoyed as a quick and easy grab-and-go lunch!

four turkey lettuce wraps on a table, one being picked up.

What You’ll Need To Make Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Ground Turkey – Like chicken, ground turkey is a great source of lean protein. It’s a blank canvas to however you season it, and will leave you feeling full until your next meal. Though if you can’t find ground turkey for this recipe, you can easily use ground chicken instead.

Water Chestnuts – Don’t worry, I didn’t know what a water chestnut was until a few months ago. And while I’m still not exactly sure what it is, I do know that it’s some type of crunchy vegetable commonly sold in cans. You’re most likely to find these canned water chestnuts in either the canned produce aisle, or the ethnic food aisle of your local grocery store. However, if you can’t seem to track down any water chestnuts, don’t worry – this recipe will taste just as delicious without them!

Peanut Butter – The two main things your peanut butter should be for this recipe are creamy and unsweetened. Most peanut butters on the market today unfortunately come sweetened, with some kind of sugar added to them. While I never recommend buying sweetened peanut butter (it doesn’t need the added sugar!), I definitely recommend against buying it for this recipe. Any sugar in your peanut butter will definitely throw off the savory balance of flavors in this peanut sauce.

Butter Lettuce Leaves – This particular variety of leaf is perfect for filling, folding, then eating. They’re crisp, mild, and pretty much melt in your mouth. Though if you can’t find butter lettuce leaves, you can use either iceberg lettuce leaves or romaine lettuce leaves in their place. Really, any type of leaf that will cradle your filling will work here!

turkey lettuce wraps being assembled

Tips and Tricks

  • I highly recommend prepping a big batch of these turkey lettuce wraps ahead of a busy week! They’re my all-time favorite grab-and-go meal, requiring no time at all to heat up and assemble. If meal prepping, I recommend storing the turkey mixture separate from the peanut sauce, and keeping lettuce and any toppings separate as well. When ready to eat, simply reheat the turkey, then fill your lettuce wraps any way you’d like!
  • Feel free to top these wraps however you’d like! I’ve topped mine with everything from kimchi, to shredded carrots, to even simply eating them on their own. It truly doesn’t matter which way you serve these guys, they’re always going to taste delicious.
  • If you’re like me and like a little spice, go ahead and spice these babies up with a little sriracha! Add a couple teaspoons of sriracha to either the filling, as a topping, or both.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo: For an entirely paleo meal, use creamy almond butter instead of peanut butter in the savory sauce. Otherwise, these lettuce wraps are an entirely paleo recipe!

Make it Nut-Free: Make this recipe nut-free by swapping out the peanut butter for an equal amount of creamy sunflower seed butter (just make sure it’s unsweetened!).

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Savory Peanut Sauce

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

Crisp, fresh, and flavorful Asian-inspired turkey lettuce wraps, topped off with a creamy, savory peanut sauce! Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and super healthy. These turkey lettuce wraps are the perfect addition to your weekly meal prep, best enjoyed as a quick and easy grab-and-go lunch!

Ingredients

  • For the turkey:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 pound ground turkey

  • pinch of salt

  • 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

  • 1 (8-ounce) can chopped water chestnuts, drained

  • 3 scallions, chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos, see Notes

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

  • For the peanut sauce:

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, unsweetened

  • 2 tablesoons coconut aminos

  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, optional

  • 1 garlic clove, grated

  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

  • 2-3 tablespoons warm water, add more to thin sauce

  • For the lettuce wraps:

  • 12 butter lettuce leaves

  • shredded carrots

  • bean sprouts

  • fresh cilantro

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in ground turkey and a pinch of salt, cook until no longer pink.
  • While turkey cooks, whisk together all peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  • Once turkey is cooked through, add in mushrooms, scallions, garlic, ginger, and water chestnuts. Cook 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.
  • Add in coconut aminos and rice vinegar, stir and cook for about 1 minute then remove from heat.
  • Fill butter lettuce leaves with ground turkey mixture and top with peanut sauce, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, and fresh cilantro.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Coconut Aminos: If you don’t have coconut aminos, you can use soy sauce instead!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

View Post
By
Dairy-Free

Healthy Gluten-Free Donuts (One-Bowl!)

By
gluten-free donuts coated in powdered sugar

Perfectly soft, sweet, and delicious gluten-free donuts! Finish em’ off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a simple glaze for a healthier version of a classic dessert. Made entirely with whole ingredients, these perfect gluten-free donuts are also vegan and refined sugar-free!

a stack of gluten-free donuts covered in powdered sugar.

What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Donuts

Oat Flour – Oat flour bakes up beautifully in this gluten-free recipe. It’s also super cheap and easy to get your hands on! You can either buy oat flour, or make it yourself. To make it yourself, simply pulse rolled oats in a blender until very fine. Once the oats resemble the texture of flour, they’re ready to use in this recipe!

Flax Eggs – This vegan egg substitute is also very quick and easy to make yourself. To make one flax egg, combined one tablespoon of flax meal with three tablespoons of water. Whisk that mixture up and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before adding to your donuts batter. As the flax egg sits, it’ll thicken into a gel-like consistency.

Almond or Peanut Butter – Really any nut or seed butter will work here! I used peanut butter because I personally love the taste. Though almond butter will add little to no nutty flavor. And for a nut-free version, simply use sunflower seed butter instead.

Coconut Sugar – While still sugar, coconut sugar is an unrefined, slightly healthier version of white sugar. It offers up the same amount of sweetness as regular sugar, but less of a blood sugar spike. Also unlike white sugar, coconut sugar contains fiber which helps to slow down the rate at which it metabolizes in our body. If you’ve got a sweet tooth like me, you’re all too familiar with that famous energy spike, then crash from eating processed white sugar. Well, with coconut sugar, you can expect much less of that!

a gluten-free donut in a bowl of powdered sugar.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use a large cookie scoop to transfer your gluten-free donut batter to your donut pan! A cookie scoop allows for a more precise transfer of batter. Also, while I’ve never tried it myself, I’ve heard people have a lot of success with piping batter into the donut pan from a large zip-top bag (similar to how you’d pipe frosting on a cupcake)!
  • No donut pan? No problem! Simply bake these donuts into muffins instead.
  • Finish these gluten-free donuts off any way you’d like! I went this classic powdered sugar route. Though for a krispy kreme copycat, dunk them in a simple glaze.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free donut recipe, replace the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter!

Healthy Gluten-Free Donuts (One-Bowl!)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

24

donuts
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Perfectly soft, sweet, and delicious gluten-free donuts! Finish em’ off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a simple glaze for a healthier version of a classic dessert. Made entirely with whole ingredients, these perfect gluten-free donuts are also vegan and refined sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 flax eggs, see Notes

  • 1 cup milk, I used non-dairy milk

  • 1/2 cup almond or peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Topping options:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar

  • 1 cup coconut sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar + 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a donut pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • Form a well in the center of your flour mixture and add in flax eggs, non-dairy milk, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
  • Slowly whisk the batter starting at the center, slowly moving outward until both wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.
  • Carefully fill your donut molds with the batter, then bake for 20-22 minutes. Once done, pop donuts out of the mold and onto a cooling rack.
  • Once cool, dip in either powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar to coat.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Flax Eggs: To make on flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit on the counter for 10 minutes to thicken.
  • Store these gluten-free donuts in an airtight container at room temperature where they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

View Post
By
30 Minutes or Less

Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

By
overhead image of maple dijon salmon salad in a bowl.

Buttery, flaky salmon atop a simply dressed maple dijon salad! This quick and easy recipe yields perfectly seasoned, and cooked salmon every time. A complete meal, loaded with fresh veggies, then finished off with a tangy maple dijon dressing, ready in under 20 minutes!

close-up overhead image of maple dijon salmon salad on a plate with a fork

What You’ll Need To Make This Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

Dijon Mustard – We do NOT use this ingredient sparingly in our maple dijon dressing! An entire 1/4 cup gives this entire meal tons of tangy, delicious flavor. In case you’re not familiar with this French ingredient, dijon mustard is creamier, spicier, and has less vinegar than yellow mustard. It’s a favorite in my home, for everything from sandwiches to salad dressings. It’s among one of the healthiest condiments you can use, with no added-sugar or preservatives!

Maple Syrup – A touch of maple syrup is necessary to balance out the intensely savory flavors in this salmon salad recipe. And if you don’t have any maple syrup on-hand, you can use an equal amount of honey instead.

Salmon Fillets – Feel free to use any variety of salmon fillets you’d like! Sockeye salmon and atlantic salmon are the two most common types, and are only slightly different from each other. Sockeye salmon is a bit more lean, and has a stronger fish flavor, while atlantic salmon is fattier, with a more mild flavor. I personally love atlantic salmon for it’s ultra-soft, buttery, and flaky qualities. Though again, you can use any type of salmon fillets you’d like for this lunch or dinner recipe!

Green Apple – I know, not all of us are fans of fruit in our salads. However, green apple is much more tart than sweet in this salmon salad. Also, remember we have a bit of sweetness in our dressing – so the little bit of natural sweetness from a thinly sliced green apple works to compliment that. If you don’t have any green apples, you can easily leave them out or use a red apple in its place.

Pecans or Walnuts – I have just one rule when it comes to salads, they all must include a crunchy component. A little bit of crunch goes a long way in rounding out the textures in this dish. Roughly chopped pecans and/or walnuts are a healthy alternative to standard croutons. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and plenty of healthy fats!

maple dijon dressing being poured over salmon salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • Feel free to add or remove any salad ingredients you’d like! Not a fan of nuts? Simple leave them out. Prefer a certain type of lettuce? Then definitely use it! This super simple salad recipe is incredibly easy to customize.
  • For anyone who cooks meat or fish regularly, I highly recommend investing in a kitchen thermometer. This is the thermometer I use on pretty much a daily basis. It’s the easiest way to ensure perfectly cooked salmon every time!
  • This salmon salad can be enjoyed hot or cold! Salmon’s one of those things that tastes delicious at just about any temperature. I often double this recipe for easy grab-and-go lunches all week long – no need to reheat!
Maple dijon salmon salad on a serving platter.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Sugar-Free: For an entirely sugar-free recipe, use Lankanto Maple Flavored Syrup in place of the maple syrup.

Make it Nut-Free: Simply replace the nuts with sunflower seeds to make this a nut-free lunch or dinner recipe.

Maple Dijon Salmon Salad

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

12

minutes
Total time

17

minutes

Buttery, flaky salmon atop a simply dressed maple dijon salad! This quick and easy recipe yields perfectly seasoned, and cooked salmon every time. A complete meal, loaded with fresh veggies, then finished off with a tangy maple dijon dressing, ready in under 20 minutes!

Ingredients

  • For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

  • juice from 1 lemon, see Notes

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • For the salmon:

  • 4 salmon fillets, boneless

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • For the salad:

  • 4 cups lettuce, see Notes

  • 1 cucumber, sliced

  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 green apple, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet and pat dry with a paper towel. Season filets with salt and black pepper, then drizzle half the maple Dijon dressing evenly over top of the salmon.
  • Bake salmon for 10-12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into thickest end of the salmon read 125° Fahrenheit.
  • While salmon cooks, place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Once salmon is done, divide salad between four plates, top each plate with a salmon filet and serve with remaining dressing.

Notes

  • Lemon Juice: If you don’t have any fresh lemons, you can use 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar in place of the lemon juice in this recipe.
  • Lettuce: Use any type of lettuce you like, I used mesclun!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

View Post
By
30 Minutes or Less

Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

By
avocado pasta on a plate with a fork

Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

close-up image of avocado pasta with roasted garlic and tomatoes on a plate

What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Pasta

Avocado – LOL, duh! Pick up two perfectly ripe avocados for this plant-based recipe. To know whether your avocados are ripe or not, give them a gentle squeeze. If the skin gives a tiny bit then they’re ready to eat! Though if your avocados feel hard as rocks, leave them out at room temperature for another day or two until ripe. I almost always buy a big bag of avocados while at the store, and use leftovers to make avocado toast in the morning – yum!

Fresh Herbs – Feel free to use any fresh herbs you’d like, or have on-hand! I used a combo of fresh basil and fresh parsley, which made for a perfectly fresh-tasting sauce. However, a bunch of fresh cilantro would taste equally as delicious.

Garlic – Plenty of garlic is necessary for this avocado pasta recipe! We pretty much use an entire garlic bulb between the roasted garlic and tomatoes, and the avocado sauce. When roasted, garlic releases intense flavor which is straight up heavenly. I could eat roasted garlic all by itself, it’s that good! Together with the tomatoes, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper – the roasted garlic in this recipe is to-die-for.

overhead image of avocado pasta on two plate

Tips and Tricks

  • Use any pasta shape you’d like! I used bow-ties since they’re what I had, but shape truly makes no difference here. I can imagine this avocado pasta tastes just as delicious with spaghetti, penne, fusilli, elbows, etc.
  • Remember to reserve half a cup of pasta water! This pasta water will be added back into the pasta, after you’ve strained it, and added the avocado sauce in. The starches from the reserved water help your sauce latch onto the pasta.
  • Typically served hot, this pasta can also be served cold as an avocado pasta salad. For a cold pasta dish, cook up everything the same. Then, cover and leave to chill for about an hour before serving.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: This pasta is easily made gluten-free with the use of your favorite gluten-free pasta. Now my personal favorite gluten-free pasta is Jovial’s Brown Rice pasta, and is actually exactly what I used in the photos here!

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo pasta, simply use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash in place of the pasta in this dinner recipe.

Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta, uncooked

  • For the roasted garlic and tomatoes:

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes

  • 6-8 garlic cloves, sliced

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • For the avocado sauce:

  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, parsley, and/or cilantro

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Make the roasted garlic and tomatoes by placing tomatoes and sliced garlic on a baking sheet, then drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until soft and very fragrant.
  • While garlic and tomatoes roast, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente and reserve ½ cup pasta water.
  • While pasta cooks, add all avocado sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Once pasta is cooked, strain then add back into pot along with avocado sauce and reserved pasta water. Toss pasta in sauce before adding in roasted garlic and tomatoes, serve immediately.

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

View Post
By