Vegan

Why I Am Doing a 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge

September 23, 2019 by Rebecca Rosati

I am starting a 30-Day Smoothie Challenge on Monday, Sept. 30 – I invite anyone to participate, I am looking for people to join me for support and motivation. This is all about making green smoothies a part of your lifestyle. All you do is drink at least one green smoothie per day. Keep eating regular meals, this is an effort to increase your fruit and veggie intake, no special ingredients or supplements required.

What is the Green Smoothie Challenge:

I am doing the challenge through Simple Green Smoothies. You drink at least one green smoothie a day for the next 30 days…and you can do whatever it takes to make that happen for you. Simple Green Smoothie put together a whole guide of tips and tricks, provides the grocery list for each week, and gives you a recipe for each of the weekdays. This challenge allows you to “freestyle” on the weekends. I plan to pick two of my favorites smoothies for the week and make those for the weekend. Or maybe get creative and use leftover ingredients to come up with my own recipes. Each recipe makes 1 serving, so if you’re doing this challenge with someone else in your household then be sure to double the shopping list and recipes when blending!

Reasons For My 30 Day Smoothie Challenge:

Adding more fruits and veggies into your lifestyle: This 30-Day Smoothie Challenge is all about making green smoothies a part of your lifestyle. Most importantly for me this is not a diet. I don’t believe in diets, they never work because it’s not sustainable. I want to include more types of fruits and veggies in my life and I want to encourage other people to do the same.
Feel better by Eating Better: Some of the results you can expect during this challenge – more energy, boost your immune system, clearer skin, better mood, lose some weight, and less time in the kitchen.
Challenges Motivate Me: I am the type of person that when I put my mind to something or set a goal, I won’t give up and I make it happen. I am also very competitive by nature so when there is a challenge I am ALL in. It’s always better to do something in a team versus alone so I hope having a small group to motivate each other and keep us going will help. We can post pics, tips, and tricks on social media to send motivation each day. I am a bit nervous about the commitment of posting a new smoothie picture each day for a whole month, but I think this challenge will help spark more creativity.
Instagram is many people’s favorite social media platform. Starting an Instagram challenge not only builds your presence, but gives people an incentive to interact more with your brand and create a stronger community. I want to build more trust and connect with my readers to build more of a camaraderie.

If you want to join the Smoothie Challenge follow these steps:

Purchase your Smoothie Guide: Through Simple Green Smoothies, here is the link: For a limited time the guide is available for only $17 (normally $35). Click here to purchase Smoothie Guide!!!
Take pics and use these Hashtags in ALL your pics and posts: #thefitnessfoodgals #localfitnessandfood #girlsthatdrinksmoothies #simplegreensmoothies @thewelldressedkitchen @karas_fit_squad
Watch this video for more details, tips and tricks.

Swap to a reusable straw versus plastic. I drink my smoothies with Mermaid Straws!! They are stainless steel, eco-friendly, fun & stylish! Shop the straws HERE!!! And use my coupon code for 10% off you entire purchase: TWDK10

TRY MY RECIPES:

Simple Avocado Toast

Avocado Caprese Toast + Balsamic Drizzle

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ALONG! XOXO, BECCA @ THE WELL DRESSED KITCHEN! 💗

Nutrition Disclaimer

Sweet Potato & Kale Soup

February 17, 2019 by Rebecca Rosati

Beans, Kale, and Sweet Potato make for a hearty, satisfying soup. This Sweet Potato and Kale Soup is one of my new favorites and I hope it will be yours too!

As soon as the temperature really starts to drop, soup and chili is all I want to eat. They are warm, filling and generally quick and easy to make.

My meal prep routine in the warmer months is typically a lot of salad and grain bowls. So come winter time I make some slight adjustments. Instead of whisking up vinaigrettes and tossing together bowls of green and fresh veggies, I start cooking larges batches of soup to freeze and eat later.

Soups are the perfect option for freezer meal prep because soup stays good in the freezer for months. When you come home on a busy weeknight and you want a quick and nutritious meal all you have to do is defrost a serving in the microwave or in a pot on the stove… and just like that, you have a hearty, warm meal that is ready to eat in just a few minutes.

*TIP* Noodle soups don’t freeze well because they get soggy and overcooked if frozen and defrosted.

My Sweet Potato and Kale soup will freeze well and is perfect for adding to your meal plan. Make a few batches at once and enjoy quick, cozy leftovers all winter long.

Why I love this Soup:

This Healthy soup recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
Perfect for meal prep and freezes well.
Hearty and flavorful this soup is full of sweet potatoes, kale, and beans.

Sweet Potato & Kale Soup

Author: The Well Dressed Kitchen

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

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Beans, Kale, and Sweet Potato make for a hearty, satisfying soup. This Sweet Potato and Kale Soup is one of my new favorites and I hope it will be yours too!

Ingredients

2 to 3 large sweet potatoes (roughly 3 cups cubed)
4 cups Kale, roughly chopped (about 3 ounces)
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
11/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
1 quart (4 cups) SimplyNature Organic Vegetable Broth
3 green onions
1 lemon, juice of

Instructions

Dice sweet potato into cubes and set aside. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the beans.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté a few minutes, until translucent. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne (optional), and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in the sweet potatoes, then add the vegetable broth, beans, and salt and bring to a slight boil.
Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer 15 minutes until the sweet potato is tender. While simmering, roughly chop the kale and thinly slice the green onion.
When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove from the heat and stir in the kale, green onions, and lemon juice. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Taste, and if desired add additional salt, to taste. Serve garnished with fresh parmesan cheese and a small dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream (optional).

More Soup Recipes…

Chicken Tortilla Soup

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Tag @thewelldressedkitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #thewelldressedkitchen

Easy Homemade Creamy Hummus

November 8, 2017 by Rebecca Rosati

Hummus makes an excellent snack or appetizer. With only a few simple tricks, you really can make smooth, creamy homemade hummus from scratch in your own kitchen. Hummus is made with chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. This super easy hummus only takes minutes to make and tastes better than store bought.

You can almost guarantee every time I am in the grocery store I throw hummus in my cart. Now, I make this simple recipe at home, it’s better than store bought and I know all the ingredients in it. I added fresh garlic cloves, but you can leave the garlic out and it still tastes delicious.

With this trick you can make smooth, creamy hummus at home:

The key to smooth and creamy hummus is as simple as the order you add the ingredients in food processor. Add the tahini and lemon juice first and pulse for a minute or so before you add any other ingredients. This process whips the tahini resulting in a smooth and creamy hummus. For even smoother hummus, remove the skins of the chickpeas. This can be done by rubbing them with a paper towel or by pinching the beans between your thumb and index finger (the beans should pop right out of their skins).

What is Tahini and where can I find it in the grocery store:

Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds and is used in many Mediterranean dishes. You can find it in the condiments aisle usually near the olives or in the ethnic isle. My favorite brand is Ziyad Tahini Sesame Paste which you can purchase here Ziyad Tahini Sesame Paste.

Easy Homemade Creamy Hummus

Author: The Well Dressed Kitchen

Recipe type: Snack

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

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Ingredients

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (skinned removed for creamy texture)
¼ cup tahini
1 lemon, juice of
2 tbsp olive oil, + more to drizzle for serving
1 small garlic clove
½ tsp salt, more to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons water, if needed
dash of paprika, for serving

Instructions

In food processor, add the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process again for another minute. This process whips the tahini resulting in a smooth and creamy hummus.
Add the olive oil, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Process again for 30 seconds, continuing to stop and scrape sides of bowl to combine. Add half of the chickpeas to food processor and process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl and add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
If the hummus is too thick and there are bits of chickpeas, slowly add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water (or more as needed) and process until you reach the right consistency.

I topped with a drizzle of olive oil and paprika and served with pita chips and veggies – carrots, bell pepper strips, cherry tomatoes, cucumber… anything you desire. Hummus also goes great on sandwiches as part of your lunch with turkey in a pita pocket or on thick, hearty bread.

Chickpeas make a filling, healthy snack. Keep these Roasted Chickpeas on hand for an on-the-go, nutritious snack.

Shop Products I used in this recipe:

I can’t wait for the day I have a huge Food Processor, but for now my Cuisinart does the trick and I am really impressed with it. It’s reasonably priced, easy to use and makes REALLY good hummus!!! Click here or on the picture below for the link:

William Sonoma Nonstick Baking Sheet