Recipes

Another Way to Eat Leftover Turkey or “Turkey Roast”

~ Gina Briganti ~ Leave a comment

Not only have I been posting a lot of Veggies Don’t Bite recipe links, but I’ve also been making and eating them. With the colder weather, an easy-baked pasta dinner is perfect and you can add in leftover turkey or any protein you want.

Are you ready for some pasta? Check out Baked Vegan Feta Tomato Pasta. For gluten-free pasta options, Dellalo and Jovial are both great for their flavor and texture.

I recommend Trader Joe’s Vegan Feta or Violife’s Just Like Feta for dairy-free options. Both companies have amazing feta-like taste and texture.

Remember to add Reiki.

Happy Friday!

Gina

Sweet & Spicy Taco – Dedicated to Childhood Friendships Which Have Stood the Test of Time

~ Gina Briganti ~ Leave a comment

Miriam, Melissa and Charlene. We met in our school days. Charlene and I met on our Elementary school playground. Melissa and I in our 7th grade homeroom, simply because of the alphabet. Miriam and I were kismet from day one. These three women have been part of my life for more than thirty years. I am blessed!

Grammar Girl had a podcast about made up languages, which added to my fond reminiscing about those school days. We had made up languages that I think are known as carnival talk, z language and the ever-popular pig latin.

We were sweet and spicy as children, as we are now as women. The name for the recipe came first as I was trying to get more vegetables into my taco lunches and so added onions and corn. That made them too sweet for me, so I added green chiles. Now I had a little fire in them. Miriam’s family introduced me to glorious homemade Mexican food and then, voila, I wanted to dedicate this recipe to the women who were such a huge part of my childhood.

When you try these tacos, I hope it reminds you of your formative friendships, and to maybe call one of them, or visit, if you’re close by.

As we’re all grown with families now, it’s handy that this is a good make ahead meal. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a jar or food saver bag once in a while and have tacos at a moments notice.

Sweet & Spicy Tacos (pic with chile guy prop and recipe name in it)

Ingredients are listed per person so you can easily adjust for the crowd you have. All of the Thrive Life ingredients in this recipe are Preferred items and Preferred customers get free shipping on them when the order is over $100. Find out more about the Preferred customer program here. link

2 Tbsp. sweet corn

2 Tbsp. sliced onions

2 Tbsp. green chiles (if you like it spicier, add another tablespoon) link

2 Tbsp. cooked, leftover meat of choice

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

Combine all of the above ingredients in a saute pan set to medium heat. Stir. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, until all of the ingredients are tender. Remove the lid, stir and cook until vegetables have the color and texture you want. For me, this is another 5-7 minutes.

Corn tortillas

Guacamole

Pico de gallo

Use two tablespoons of filling per taco. Top with guacamole and pico de gallo.

Thank you for walking down memory lane with me!

Gina

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#Tastytuesday #Recipe Review – Spinach Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche #gluten-free

~ Gina Briganti ~ 1 Comment

Mrs. Plant In Texas is a talented cook with an inspiring healing journey. If you don’t already know about her I am pleased to introduce you and to share my experience with making her quiche recipe.

Follow this link to see the whole story on Medium.

Remember to register for the Healthy Habits Challenge starting June 1st, I can’t wait to see where this challenge takes us!

Thanks for reading!

Gina

Nutiva Hemp Protein Review + Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe -Tried It, Reviewed It, Recommend It

~ Gina Briganti ~ 1 Comment

Nutiva Protein Powder

After trying every protein powder in the health food store and in my Urthbox delivery for the last three years, I know this is the best. Why? It’s organic. It’s hemp, which is a known superfood for its complete protein profile. It’s 100% hemp protein, no sugars or flavors added. I love the grind they use, which isn’t too fine, the way you often see with rice protein powder, which means that it blends well and has a nice texture. More bonuses – widely available, gluten-free, dairy-free, and there’s no bitter taste like you see with rice protein powder or pea protein powder.

Here’s an easy recipe to try out. Once you know the basics, you can take your smoothies as far as your imagination will go.

Banana Berry Smoothie

Ingredients

1 Banana

1 C. Strawberries (note: freeze if you want a chilled smoothie and freeze the banana, too,  if you want an icy smoothie.)

1 1/2 C. milk of your choice (choose one with protein). We use Trader Joe’s Simply Almond and Good Karma + Protein. Both are unsweetened. If you use animal-derived milk, buy organic, grass-fed, and raw, if the laws where you live allow for it. If not, get as close to that standard as you can.)

1/4 C. Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein Powder

Tools

Measuring cups

Smoothie blender and attachments

Directions

Put the fruit into the blender cup. Add protein powder. Then add milk. If you like a thinner smoothie, you may want to add more milk at this point.

You bought the wrong smoothie blender (4)

Blend for 45 seconds. Enjoy!

You bought the wrong smoothie blender (6)

One handy reason why smoothies became and stayed popular is how versatile they are. You can hide put supplements in and never taste them. I use MSM powder (known for its bitter taste and for its effectiveness) for inherited arthritis. It helps me use my hands all day long without painful, forced rest breaks. Another supplement I put in my smoothie is liquid iodine, which I personally have a high need for to keep my thyroid happy.

Smoothies are fast, easy, and delicious. Pro tip: use only the best ingredients. The fewer toxins you take in, the fewer you have to detox. This way all the good stuff works extra well to give you longevity, happy taste buds, and the freedom to satisfy your cravings.

I have a delicious mocha smoothie recipe. If you want to see it, comment and I will share.

Do you have a favorite smoothie combination?

Nutrition is one of my greatest passions and it’s important for every living being. That’s why I love sharing easy, tasty ways to nourish yourself.

You know what else is important? Having lots of organized tools to turn to when you’re figuring out new parts of your life. Like the ones in this workbook.

One reviewer called it “A personal blueprint for happiness.” You can get your copy here.

I include a monthly workbook exercise in my newsletter, which you can sign up for here. You’ll get 6 Fast Vitality Boosters delivered to your inbox immediately.

Keep It Simple Cover

Thanks for the time we spent together today!

Gina

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Refreshing Chocolate & Raspberry Frozen Treat – Guilt Free!

~ Gina Briganti ~ 7 Comments

Dairy-free Chocolate Raspberry Frozen TreatI read Fiesta Friday every week to drool over lots of talented contributions, promising myself that I will bring a dish worthy of the fiesta. Today is the day! I hope you’ll visit Fiesta Friday #175 to see the features and next week’s entries.

This week’s hosts are Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Suzanne @ A Pug in the Kitchen.

Recipe:

1/2 Cup frozen banana slices

1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. freeze-dried raspberries or freeze-dried raspberry powder

Add all three ingredients to the blender. Use the blend button, stopping to move chunks down, until you have creamy, frozen deliciousness.

Now you can taste and adjust if you want more chocolate or raspberry flavor. I shared what tastes good to me.

Eat immediately or freeze for later. This is enough for one person.

If you haven’t played with freeze-dried foods, you are going to be so surprised! They are packed with flavor, color and versatility. They chose my recipe for the site, too! So exciting!

See you at the fiesta!

Gina

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