The Sunny Side Up Recipes

Balance Bowl

July 15, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

Having a balanced breakfast is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Specifically, having a grounding breakfast that’s high in protein, grains, and healthy fats and low in sugar can really change your day around. Here’s a super simple breakfast I love to make during the week to make you feel light but balanced throughout the day. Make a small batch of hard-boiled eggs at the beginning of the week, serve over a bed of greens like arugula or spinach, and enjoy!

This recipe is so simple. Quite literally all I do is slice avocado into diced cubes (sprinkle with a hint of lemon juice to prevent browning from oxidation) and toss with a few hard-boiled egg whites, one tablespoon of high-quality olive oil or flaxseed oil, and one to two tablespoons of fresh dill. For a more filling option, serve with smoked salmon and Ezekiel toast or fruit.

Chilled Spanish White Gazpacho

July 10, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

Last weekend I had the pleasure of going back to California for the Fourth of July and tried this incredible Spanish white gazpacho from Flour Bakery in Boston. If you’d tried gazpacho before, you’ve probably had the red tomato-based kind, but this “white” one is far less acidic and is a wonderful fresh summer treat or palate cleanser for a dinner party. It’s made with a base of almonds and tangy green grapes (which is what makes it “Spanish”), so it’s incredibly light and refreshing! Bonus–is also pretty low in calories as well.

To make your own batch, you’ll need seedless green grapes, blanched almonds (regular okay too), garlic, cilantro, and cucumbers with sherry vinegar and lime juice for an extra kick. I like to add extra grapes and cucumber to sweeten the deal, with mint for extra freshness. Combine in a high speed blender, let chill for an hour, and then serve to your heart’s content!

Pro Tip: Use English cucumbers rather than regular ones. You’ll usually find them in grocery stores wrapped in plastic, because they have less wax on their exterior. They’re extra crisp and have smaller seeds, making them perfect for a gazpacho or summer soup.

Fourth of July Tasting Menu

July 3, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

The Fourth of July has always been one of my very favorite holidays. It’s the perfect holiday right in the middle of summer and it’s so reminiscent of all of my favorite things–sunshine, beach days, picnics, sundresses, and quality time with family and friends. Here’s the tasting menu I made this year, including strawberry mint salad, pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, assorted vegetable kabobs, rosemary sweet potato fries, and a decadent gluten free blueberry crisp to top things off. Individual recipes will be posted tomorrow so that you can make them in time for the 4th!

Strawberry Mint Salad: Spinach, strawberries, blueberries, feta, sliced almonds, and a balsamic raspberry reduction

Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries: Recipe here

Vegetable Kabobs: Zucchini, Peppers, and Mushrooms

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Blueberry Crisp

Rosemary Swordfish with Garlic Sauteed Tomatoes

July 2, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

I rarely eat red meat, but I find that this dish is so satisfying and filling that it takes away any cravings I might have for a really hearty steak or burger. This swordfish recipe is always a family favorite, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Always start with the freshest fish and make sure that it arrived in the store that day. Swordfish has a lot of natural moisture, but for measure I like to add just a teaspoon of olive oil to make sure that it doesn’t dry out.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with fresh rosemary, lemon juice, and minced garlic, and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown on the edge.

While the swordfish is cooking, mince 2-3 cloves of garlic in olive oil until golden brown. Add cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered into smaller pieces, and sprinkle with rosemary. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened. I usually use half the tomatoes for garnish, and mix the second half in with green beans that have been boiled for 6 minutes and blanched for a quick side dish.

When your swordfish is ready, it should look something like this–very moist, with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Top with tomatoes and rosemary for garnish and enjoy!

Acai Smoothie Bowl

June 27, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

When it starts getting so hot out, one of my absolute favorite summer treats to make is an acai bowl! For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of trying these delicious treats before, acai bowls are essentially smoothie bowls blended with acai berries–a high antioxidant superfood from Brazil– and are topped with granola, fruit, or any other goodies that your heart desires. *Translation: It looks like ice cream, it tastes like ice cream, and you get to have it for breakfast, totally guilt-free. Sound good? Sounds like a total win-win situation to me.

Acai bowls are commonly found in smoothie or juice spots in major cities or in more tropical destinations, but have no fear–they’re also easy and very cheap to make yourself! Here’s my step-by-step guide to making the perfect acai bowl.

First, for the smoothie base, I love to use these acai berry superfruit packs made by Sambazon. I buy mine from the freezer section at Whole Foods, and I love that they’re already portioned out into ingle serving sizes and come unsweetened. Typically, I’ll blend mine with 1/4 – 1/2 cup almond or soy milk for a smoothie bowl, or a full cup for a smoothie drink.

You can really use any type of vanilla-flavored protein powder here, but my favorite comes from a little superfood store in LA called Live Breaming, which also sells individual packs. For those of you in LA, their vanilla bean and cinnamon protein blend is great! Not only does it have 12 grams of plant protein per serving, but it’s also low glycemic and is soy, dairy, and gluten free and is packed with condensed superfoods like spirulina, maca, coconut sugar, chlorella, and hemp and pea proteins.

*Translation for all of you non-foodies out there: it tastes great and is really, really good for you, especially in terms of boosting energy and muscle recovery after a workout.

Back to the recipe! Blend together your acai pack, protein, and liquid of choice together until smooth. The result should be a thick, creamy smoothie that looks something like this:

Now, for the best part–toppings! This is where we have some fun. For my base, I always start with granola. This granola also comes from Live Beaming and is a beautiful mix of oats, chia, sunflower seeds, and other whole ingredients.

For added protein and crunch, I also love to add hemp seeds. Raw hemp seeds are a complete protein and are rich in Omega 3 & 6, vitamin E (for beautiful skin and hair), and fiber. Fun fact for you vegetarians out there: hemp seeds have more digestible protein than meat, whole eggs, cow milk, or any other high protein food. Who knew? 2 tablespoons contains 11g protein, 1 g fiber, or about 20% of your daily iron value.

Next, I love to add in berries. Here I used blackberries and strawberries, but bananas, raspberries, or almost any other fruit will do.

Finally, for some good measure I love to add in sliced almonds for extra crunch. Unsweetened shredded coconut is also a favorite. Enjoy!

Eastern Market Review

June 22, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

This weekend a friend and I stopped by Eastern Market to check out their outdoor crafts and farmer’s market. Located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, it’s a great spot to pickup fresh produce or speciality food items. Here are a few of my favorite finds, recipes coming soon!

Nourishing Oatmeal

June 16, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

There’s nothing quite as wonderful as a beautiful breakfast to get you out of bed and ready to take on the day! I’m always tempted to skip breakfast altogether, but this delicious homemade oatmeal always hits the spot and energizes me for the day ahead. Rather than buying the store bought variety, which often has too much added sugar and will make you crash by the mid-morning, this one is made from scratch. Best of all, you’ll feel so nourished, confident, and strong as you head into your day.

Now, the first key to oatmeal is the toppings (always the best part, right?) ! I loved these berries from the Farmer’s Market in LA, but I also love to add apricot, peaches, or any other fresh or dried fruit I have in my pantry. More on that later..

The next key is the type of oat you use. While most people see oatmeal as a very healthy breakfast, they’re also usually choosing instant oats that have been so processed in the factory that by the time they make it to your pantry they’ve lost most of their nutritional value. My tip here is to use non-instant steel cut oats (my favorite brand pictured below), which are virtually untouched and keep their whole nutritional value. Steel cut oats taste a little nuttier, but they’re packed with fiber that will keep you full and your blood sugar levels even.

Here’s a close up! As you can see, the oats look different but you can tell they’re still in their whole form.

Now, once you’ve measured out your water and brought it to a boil, add your oats and let them simmer for about 5 minutes, adding additional water as needed. Gradually add in almond milk and chia seeds and stir, for about 5 more minutes. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and flax seeds.

Now, for the best part, toppings! As I mention above I always add fruit, but I also love sliced almonds, honey, walnuts, or hemp seeds. Have fun with it!

Nourishing Oatmeal

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Prep time

1 min

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

11 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

⅓ cup steel cut oats
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tbs chopped walnuts or chopped almonds
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs vanilla
1 tsp raw local honey
1 handful of berries

Instructions

Bring water to a boil, stirring in oats. Let simmer for 5 minutes, while gently stirring. Add almond milk and chia seeds and let simmer for another 5 minutes.
Stir in honey, vanilla, and nuts if desired. Serve with fresh fruit.

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Zucchini Ribbon Salad

June 15, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

A few years back we went on a trip to Florence and stumbled upon an incredible hole-in-the-wall, family owned restaurant that was so good that we went back for all the other nights of the trip. Since we’ve returned back to the States I’ve tried creating a handful of the recipes but this is by far our family favorite. As my mom says, once you have this you’ll never go back to “plain lettuce salads” ever again. With a few simple, high-quality ingredients you really can make an unforgettable dish.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

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Ingredients

2 large zucchini
1 block fresh parmigiano reggiano (not pictured)
2 tbs olive oil
⅓ cup basil
⅓ cup pine nuts
Juice of ½ lemon
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
Note: Edible flowers added for garnish

Instructions

Using a vegetable peeler, peel zucchini into thick ribbons by applying pressure as you peel in a downwards motion.
Once your zucchini is peeled, gently toss in lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle pine nuts, basil, and salt and pepper and toss in as well. Top with shaved parmesan (tip: use the thickest setting on your cheese grater for the most authentic look)

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Travel: Taste of Como

June 10, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

Home to beautiful lakeside villas, winding alleyways, scenic mountain views, (and most famously, the George Clooney estate), Como is one of the most sought after destinations in all of Italy. Its beauty is truly unparalleled and in typical Italian fashion, it offers some of the best and most decadent cuisine in all of Europe. Here are a few of my favorite dishes from Como as well as a few snapshots from Bellagio, the scenic tourist hub on the perimeter of the lake. I hope you enjoy these beautiful pictures of my favorite place as much as I do!

Thin Mint Smoothie

June 9, 2015 by The Sunny Side Up Recipes Leave a Comment

Now that summer has officially begun and it’s starting to warm up, it’s all about the smoothies! This smoothie is based on one of my favorite ice cream flavors, mint chocolate chip, but I’ve made a totally guilt-free version for you to enjoy for a refreshing summer treat.

This one is totally vegan (don’t let that scare you!) with over 25 grams of protein. Most importantly, it really does taste like the real thing! YUM!

First, chop up fresh mint with stems removed (substitute 1 tsp peppermint extract if you don’t have any on hand)

Add to your blender along with unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, and spinach. I used a NutriBullet, which gives it a thick, creamy consistency that makes it feel extra decadent.

Throw in your favorite glass with a sprinkle of cacao nibs or mint for garnish, relax, and enjoy! Wishing you and your loved ones a beautiful Memorial Day outside in this beautiful sunshine!

Thin Mint Smoothie

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

6 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 serving vanilla protein powder (Note: Try to use one on the sweeter side since this recipe doesn't use added sweetener)
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup ice
½ cup mint, finely chopped
½ banana
2 generous handfuls of spinach
2 tbs cacao nibs

Instructions

Add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

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