The Sunny Side Up Recipes

Fresh. Clean. Radiant. Living life on the sunny side.

Rosemary Sourdough Croutons

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Often, I find that the best and sweetest moments come from small, simple things that elevate everyday life. This recipe is one of those things.

After months of being a regular at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, I finally took the plunge and decided to try a homemade loaf of honey sourdough bread from one of our local farmers. The smell is amazing each week, and the loaves are often still warm as they’re unloaded out into the market.  All I can think now is, what took me so long? 

To make croutons,  I simply tossed diced pieces of slightly stale bread in some high-quality olive oil, fresh rosemary, and sea salt. It’s so simple, but the result was so good that I have to confess they hardly made it off the baking sheet this week. Once they’re cooled, remove the croutons to an airtight bag and store in the fridge for three to five days. I add them to salads for a bit of extra crunch, but they might be even better in a hot cup of soup. Or, on their own–they’re that good.

Rosemary Sourdough Croutons
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 loaf of good sourdough bread
  • 3 tbs good extra-virgin olive oil (bonus if you can use rosemary or lemon infused flavors)
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, stems removed and finely diced
  • 2 tsp fleur de sel
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
  2. Stack slices of bread and dice into small, bite-sized pieces
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add bread, olive oil, rosemary, and salt, and toss everything together using your hands (no bowl needed).
  4. Bake croutons for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Note that staler bread will brown faster than fresh bread.
  5. Storage: Croutons will keep in an airtight container or bag for a couple days at room temperature, or up to week in the refrigerator. Make sure the croutons are completely cool before storing.

 

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Apple

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This gorgeous seasonal salad is the perfect compliment to heavier winter meals. The arugula gives a fresh, peppery flavor, the pomegranate adds tremendous color, and the fruit and walnuts add great texture and crunch. Best of all, the dressing seals the deal with a hint of sweetness. Enjoy! 

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Apple
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 6 cups baby arugula
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced (I recommend a crisp, sweet variety like Fiji or Honeycrisp)
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
  • ⅓ cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup parmigiano-reggiano, grated or shaved
  • 2 tbs apple cider vinegar (you can also use a flavor infused balsamic; I love to use a raspberry or pomegranate balsamic glaze for added sweetness)
  • 2 tbs raw honey
  • ½ lemon
  • 6 tbs olive oil
  • Salt and pepper as desired
Instructions
  1. Lightly toss arugula, pomegranate, apple slices, walnuts, and parmesan shavings in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk apple cider vinegar, honey, and juice of lemon in small bowl, slowly pouring in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. When ready to eat, toss in dressing and serve. If you're serving guests, I like to add extra pomegranate seeds for garnish to make each plate more colorful.

 

 

 

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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These oven roasted sweet potato wedges (like sweet potato fries) are one of my go-to sides every week because they are so easy and so good! They also have tons of fiber and are incredibly versatile, perfect for any meal, salad, or in smoothies during the week.

To sweeten the deal, I like to use cinnamon and a drizzle of orange blossom honey. I think that they are flavorful enough on their own, but you can also skip the honey and serve with a quick honey mustard dip (3/4 cup greek yogurt, 1/4 cup dijon mustard, 3 tbs honey). Enjoy!

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • Drizzle of honey (I use orange blossom)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Wash your sweet potatoes and cut in half length-wise. Continue cutting into long strips or wedges until they are your desired size.
  3. Transfer potato wedges to a lined baking sheet and toss in olive oil and cinnamon.
  4. Bake for 35 minutes or until tender, remembering to flip wedges halfway through with a spatula to keep from burning the edges. When cooked through (they should be tender), drizzle with a little bit of honey and serve warm.

Nutty Granola Clusters

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I recently ordered Angela Liddon’s amazing Oh She Glows cookbook and was so excited to try out some of her vegan, plant-based recipes. This granola recipe is one of the first ones in the book and looked so amazing I knew I had to try it! I love that it has a lot of extra crunch from all of the extra nuts and seeds in it and her idea of packaging it as a gift for friends or family. Check out her blog here: http://ohsheglows.com/. Enjoy!
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Nutty Granola
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (250 mL) whole raw almonds
  • ½ cup (125 mL) raw walnut halves or pieces
  • ¾ cup (175 mL) gluten-free rolled oats
  • ½ cup (125 mL) raw buckwheat groats or gluten-free rolled oats
  • ⅔ cup (150 mL) mixed dried fruit (such as cranberries, apricots, cherries, etc.)
  • ½ cup (125 mL) raw pepita seeds
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) raw sunflower seeds
  • ⅓ cup (75 mL) shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) fine-grain sea salt
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 mL) pure maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) coconut oil, melted
  • 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F (140°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place ½ cup (125 mL) of the almonds into a food processor and process for about 10 seconds, until a fine meal forms (similar in texture to sand). Transfer the almond meal to a large bowl.
  3. In the food processor, combine the remaining ½ cup (125 mL) almonds and all of the walnuts and process for about 5 seconds, until finely chopped. You'll be left with some larger pieces and some powdery meal which is what you want. Add the mixture to the bowl with the almond meal.
  4. Add the oats, buckwheat groats, dried fruit, pepita seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl and stir to combine.
  5. Add the maple syrup, melted oil, and vanilla to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
  6. With a spatula, spread the granola into a ½-inch (1-cm) layer on the prepared baking sheet and gently press down to compact it slightly. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 18 to 25 minutes more, or until the granola is lightly golden on the bottom and firm to the touch.
  7. Cool the granola on the pan for at least 1 hour before breaking it apart into clusters.
  8. Store the granola in a glass jar in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks or freeze it for 4 to 5 weeks.
  9. Tip: If you'd like to make a completely grain-free granola, simply replace the buckwheat groats and rolled oats with an additional 1 cup (250mL) finely chopped nuts.
  10. Makes 6 cups.
  11. Source: Oh She Glows Cookbook

 

Summer Corn Salad

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When there’s such beautiful produce in the summertime I love experimenting with recipes from our local farmer’s market. This week my favorite farmer was selling the most beautiful tomatoes and I knew I wanted to find a simple summer side to compliment them.

This corn salad is the perfect summer side–it’s light and has lots of crunch and fresh flavor. I also love that it is so wonderfully colorful and cheery!

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Summer Corn Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 3 ears of sweet corn, shucked
  • 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (best if you can use a variety of colors)
  • ½ cucumber, finely diced
  • ¼ cup mint, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup basil, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Shuck and clean corn and cook for 3 minutes in boiling water or until starchiness is gone. Drain, and once cool use a sharp knife to cut kernels off of the cob.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, lightly toss all ingredients together. Serve at room temperature as a side and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

(Lightened Up) Deviled Eggs

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Looking for an easy last minute app for your Christmas or New Year’s Eve parties?

I love deviled eggs, but wanted to make a lighter version that uses Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. I also used this mustard that my boyfriend brought us for Christmas–it’s so delicious! Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to you and your families!  🙂

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(Lightened Up) Deviled Eggs
 
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Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 dozen eggs
  • ¼ cup light mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • 3 tbs. fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 2 tbs. fresh chives, finely chopped
  • 1 tbs. mustard
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tbs. paprika (for garnish)
Instructions
  1. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks from one dozen eggs, setting aside in a small bowl, and place whites onto a serving platter.
  2. Combine egg yolks and all other ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
  3. Scoop yolk mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe mixture into hollows. Garnish with dill, parsley, and/or paprika. Serve immediately or let chill.
  4. For perfect hard boiled eggs: Add one dozen eggs to boiling water and reduce to a low simmer. Let sit for 10 minutes and transfer eggs to ice water bath. Let sit for 5 more minutes until cool, peeling shell off of eggs. Ideally, try to peel eggs while still slightly warm and the shell should come off easily.

 

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

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We’re doing a quick post today! Here’s a super simple (and delicious) recipe for one of my favorite fall treats, pumpkin cheesecake dip. This recipe is wonderful when you want something extra sweet but don’t want to have a full-out dessert–I love pairing this with apple and banana slices. So good!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 8 oz package of reduced-fat cream cheese
  • 1 can pumpkin pie filling
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbs cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients together (making sure to use cream cheese once at room temperature) and serve.

 

 

 

Sesame Kale Chips

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I don’ know about you, but I love snacking. Here’s one of my favorites–baked sesame kale chips–that takes under  5 minutes to prepare and is perfect after a long day at work when you don’t want to spend  all night in the kitchen!

Here’s the before:

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…And the after. Viola!

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Sesame Kale Chips
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 bunch kale
  • 2 tsp olive/sesame/coconut oil
  • 1 tbs soy sauce
  • A handful of sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Rinse kale, tear into bite-size pieces, and pat dry. Set out for 20 minutes or until leaves are mostly dry (this is very important, since otherwise you'll have soggy chips)!.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit
  3. Transfer kale to lined baking sheet and toss with olive oil and soy sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and place in the oven.
  4. After five minutes, flip kale pieces with a spatula. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until you reach your desired consistency.
  5. Note: I prefer my kale chips to be less crunchy, so experiment with your own cooking time. Have fun with it!

 

 

 

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Healthy Almond Butter Greek Yogurt Dip

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This delicious snack takes less than 5 minutes to make (that’s right, I actually timed it out!) and it’s one of my favorite snacks in the afternoon to counteract that 3:00 pm slump or for after a workout. Dips are usually very high in fats or sugar, but I love that this one just uses a few simple ingredients and has a Greek yogurt base, so it’s packed with protein. I love the creamy texture and the sweetness of the cinnamon and vanilla add a nice warmth.

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Healthy Almond Butter Greek Yogurt Dip
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Snack
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of Greek Yogurt
  • 2 tbs Almond Butter
  • 1 tbs Honey
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • Note: For Greek yogurt, I love FAGE Total 0% or 2%. For almond butter, it's really important to splurge a little on the natural kind, because processed almond butter has extra hydrogenated fat. Justin's has a great brand, and many Whole Foods have machines that allow you to churn your own almond butter on site.
Instructions
  1. Stir everything together and enjoy! I love using this dip with apples, but this works for almost any fruit.

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