Fizzy Grapefruit Slushy!

It’s summer, it’s hot and I’m ready to beat the heat with ice, cold, frothy goodness! I came up with the idea in the blink of an eye–not only did it hit the spot, but how can you resist the lovely pink hue of this deliciousness?

Fizzy Grapefruit Slushy

Here’s my recipe for a great, quick and easy Fizzy Grapefruit Slushy:

1 medium grapefruit
1/2 to 1 c lemon (or plain) mineral water
1 to 2 c (more or less) ice!!!
2-4 drops of stevia extract (or any sweetener of your choice, to taste)

1. Cut your grapefruit, carefully removing the segments ONLY (no pith) and place in a bowl/cup.
2. Place ice, mineral water, grapefruit & stevia into a blender–mix!
3. ENJOY!

Obviously this recipe is SO simple! I find that my smoothies and slushies blend MUCH better with store-bought ice and/or ice crushed before blending (I’m manifesting a Vita-Mix! lol)… so feel free to tweak this however you wish–it was DEFINITELY a nice treat on a hot day!

Chai Spice Latte & Zucchini Griddle Cakes (Almond & Coconut Flour)

If you’re anything like me, chai lattes are hands down a favorite… Even though I love my coffee and espresso, chances are I’d choose a chai spice latte over a cup of joe any day… Anyway, it was after I had been given some of the most INCREDIBLY gorgeous and potpourri-like loose leaf chai spice tea that I came up with this recipe.

I really should have posted this MONTHS ago (as I created this insanely delicious recipe back in January, I believe) but alas, here it is!

Chai Spice Latte Zucchini Griddle Cakes w/ No Sugar Apricot Preserves & Almond Butter

I know you must be wondering, “zucchini???” Yes, zucchini… the idea came from my overly abundant package of zucchini just sitting in the fridge. Additionally, I know that zucchini adds a nice amount of moisture to breads/cakes so I thought, “Why not?”

Here’s the recipe for my Chai Spice Latte & Zucchini Griddle Cakes made with Almond & Coconut Flour:

1/4 c. almond flour
2 T coconut flour (sifted)
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t sea salt
1 t cinnamon (omit or add to taste)
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 T loose leaf chai tea (depending on how strong or not you prefer; or a tea bag)
2 T to 1/4 c. almond milk
2 T finely shredded zucchini (I squeezed mine with a paper towel to drain excess moisture)

1. Gather materials; measure out the dry ingredients first
2. Sift and combine the almond & coconut flour with the sea salt, cinnamon and baking soda
3. Prep chai tea by placing the almond milk in a small saucepan & warming to a simmer/just before boiling (you don’t want to boil the milk)
4. When the almond milk reaches a nice simmer, add the loose leaf chai and let steep for a good 10 minutes or so (more or less, it’s really up to you but I like to get that strong flavor, personally) and let the temperature come down a bit
5. Beat the egg in a separate bowl (try to get it a bit foamy), add the vanilla to the egg then mix this in with the dry ingredients
6. Strain the chai from the saucepan/milk (unless you used a tea bag, in which case, remove it) and add it to the griddle cake mix
7. Add the zucchini to the mixture
8. Spoon your batter onto your griddle or pan, cook and voila!

I added some apricot preserves to mine with a dollop of almond butter and it was hands down, the best griddle cakes I’ve prepared to date… I really should take the time to make another batch at some point in the very near future

Oh also, if you like your pancakes a bit sweet, I’d recommend using a couple of drops of stevia extract to the batter… I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did (and will continue to!)…

Much Love and Deliciously Healthy Eats!
~K

Hawaiian Kine Papaya Starberry Smoothie Bowl

In the lyrics of local Hawaii recording artist, Brother Noland, I’m “a coconut girl in a high fashion world…” LOL

Hawaiian Kine Papaya Starberry Bowl

If I haven’t already mentioned this, I’m originally from Hawaii–born and raised, Native Hawaiian. I grew up with tropical fruits, papaya being one of those essential local fruits. Both of my grandmothers ate one half to one whole papaya almost every other day. In fact, one of them was a serial papaya purchaser. She’d go to the farmer’s market and come home with like 12 papayas! LOL

Papaya is an incredible fruit. It’s very nutritious and the enzymes are great for the digestive system. I knew this beforehand but upon looking up the calorie count, I stumbled upon some great info at the Hawaii Papaya Industry Association’s website. Apparently the papaya is ranked among the top 5 most nutritious fruits by the Center for Science in DC.

I won’t name names but I will ONLY eat Hawaiian papaya… I’ve tried other papaya before and frankly they smell like vomit and taste… well, let’s not go there. Here’s a photo for reference as to what type of papaya I recommend (disregard the blueberries, lol). I do NOT recommend that you purchase any papaya that smells funky–that’s just… no.

Fresh Papaya & Frozen Blueberries

Hawaiian Kine Papaya Smoothie Bowl
1/2 fresh papaya (reserve 1/5 of the papaya for garnish, optional)
1/2 to 3/4 c frozen blueberries (plus 5 or so on the side for garnish, optional)
1/2 c non-fat kefir (or almond milk for a lower calorie/less dairy option)
1/2 c 0% fat Greek yogurt
2 T flax meal

Garnish
2 T chopped raw macadamia nuts
1 to 2 T unsweetened shredded coconut
reserved papaya
reserved blueberries

p.s.-I used the word “starberry” in place of blueberry because Native Americans referred to it as such (due to the star shape at the top of the berry) and besides… I love stars

Acai Bowl & Gluten Free Griddle Cakes (2)

A Bowl of Acai w/ Gluten/Grain Free Griddle Cakes (2)

Breakfast is a running theme for me, isn’t it? I swear, I’m going to add other recipes–I promise! I have a tendency to stick with something until I’ve perfected it, luckily, I think the following recipe for gluten/grain free pancakes (I like ‘griddle cakes’ better, I’m a Southern girl in my heart, lol) is getting there.

This recipe, in particular differs from the first one in that I actually enjoyed eating it… remember the last batch that totally sucked? Yeeeah, this one was SO much better! Go ahead and click on the link if you’d like the recipe for the Acai Bowl. Otherwise, without further ado…

Coconut Flour & Flax Meal Griddle Cakes with Almond Butter & Raspberry Preserves

This recipe makes 2 medium/small pancakes so double it or triple it accordingly

Coconut Flour & Flax Meal Griddle Cakes

2 T coconut flour
1 T ground flax meal (soaked in 1 to 2 T drinking water, you may omit the water if you want)
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t Himalayan Pink Salt (or any good sea salt)
1 egg (beaten for a good 2-3 minutes before adding to mix)
stevia extract to taste (I used 2-3 drops but you may omit or add a bit more if you want)
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 T to 1/4 c almond milk depending on the type of consistency you prefer (I use Almond Breeze or Whole Foods 365 Brand)
*coconut oil or butter for the griddle

As a note, these pancakes will be a little “mealy” due to the flax meal but I love the texture of flax so it was fine for me. It also could have been a BIT more moist but who’s complaining, really? I just love that I can eat healthy, gluten/grain free pancakes! These also came out MUCH more fluffy and light in comparison to the first batch, which obviously made me very happy.

Also, I created another recipe for griddle cakes using almond flour and coconut flour which I will be posting in a few days… That one came out even better and has a couple of special ingredients which I think you’ll find pretty interesting.

Coconut Flour Flax Griddle Cakes with Almond Butter & SF Raspberry Preserves

Now isn’t this just the sweetest little short-stack of pancakes EVER?! I paired my griddle cakes with a gorgeous dollop of fresh roasted almond butter and Smucker’s Sugar Free Raspberry Preserves (I put a tablespoon of it in a small pot with about 1/2 T of water to thin it out a bit) which, I know… Splenda is ‘no bueno’. I don’t like Splenda and I really didn’t want to “go there” in buying it but it was the best option that I could ‘live’ with for the time being. Until I have my own place and can dedicate time to making my own sauces and compotes, I’ll deal… so please forgive me for that! LOL

Anyway… I sincerely hope that you enjoy this recipe, I know I did!

Many Blessings & Warm and Fuzzies in your Bellies!
Kapua

The Guided By Spirit Kitchen

I love food…

One of my goals with Guided By Spirit is to create healthy meals and snacks from an intuitive and mindful place. I’ve been researching, brainstorming and jotting down ideas for recipes and dishes and am eager to see what I can cook up and share with you all.

As a relatively experienced personal chef cook to individuals of varying eating habits, backgrounds and special diets (i.e.-vegans; vegetarians; no-salt/no-sugar; etc), I am confident that my cooking is at least “pretty good”… I’ll put it to you this way, I’ve never received a single complaint… perhaps a bit extra this or that here and there but never a single complaint! I’d never serve anything I wouldn’t eat (unless, of course, it’s red meat–in which case, I do not eat red meat).

I try to use as many whole, organic foods/ingredients as possible and I always recommend this to my clients and friends. If you are restricted in your budget the three items I wholeheartedly recommend that you “go organic” (or ‘wild caught’) on would be: fish/poultry/meat, apples (bugs love them and so do pesticides) and/or milk. I’m not a big dairy-milk drinker, but just think about it… Milk is something that is directly sourced. If any hormones, etc are added to the animal’s diet, then it’s being added to yours as well!

That being said, I hope that you enjoy what I cook up in the Guided By Spirit Test Kitchen… I look forward to sharing with you and even exchanging ideas!

I will be posting photos, recipes and reviews (of my own cooking, testing out other people’s recipes and possibly of my dining excursions too)… So stayed tuned!

Much Love and Joyful Feasting! <3