Veggieful Cold Noodle Bowl with a Mango Peanut Sauce

Cold noodle bowls are a great option as the temperatures begin to rise and you want something quick and refreshing for dinner. My goal with these bowls is to always balance the noodle content with veggies so that it doesn’t solely become a carb focused meal. Although I personally love kale, any greens could be swapped out to work for this bowl. The same goes for the sweet potatoes and cucumbers. You could use peppers or shredded carrots if you prefer. The real star of this bowl is the mango peanut sauce so if you can whip that up, the possibilities are endless. It’s not super sweet, but it’s incredibly delicious. It pairs perfectly with the veggies and noodles to create a really satiating dish that is easily adaptable with whatever you’ve got in your fridge.

Veggieful Cold Noodle Bowl with a Mango Peanut Sauce

Makes 4 bowls

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped

• 2 large sweet potatoes, diced

• 1 small cucumber, sliced

• 1 avocado, quartered

• 8 ounces of rice noodles or buckwheat noodles

• 2 tablespoosn olive oil, divided

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Protein of choice (tofu, chicken, chickpeas, etc.)

Mango peanut sauce:

• 1/2 cup frozen mango, thawed 

• 1/3 cup peanut butter 

• 1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar

• 1 tbs olive oil 

• 1 tablespoon cilantro 

• Salt 

Make the Noodles: First, cook your noodles of choice according the the package directions and then run the noodles under cold water to ensure that they don’t continue cooking. Set aside.

Roast the Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with 1 of the tablespoons of olive oil and then transfer to a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Place in the oven and bake until the potatoes are tender — about 25-35 minutes.

Prep the Kale: Toss the chopped and destemmed kale in a large bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle a little salt on top of the kale. With your hands, begin massaging the kale for a few minutes until the kale feels more tender. This only takes about 2-3 minutes.

Make the sauce: Because I despise cutting mangos and it can be tricky to ensure they are perfectly ripe at the exact moment you need them, I love to use frozen. Prior to making the peanut sauce I would recommend taking the mango out of the freezer and allowing it to thawTo make the mango suace go ahead and Combine all mango peanut sauce ingredients in a blender and process until completely smooth.

Assemble the bowl: Place the noodles, about 2-3 tablespoons of the mango peanut sauce (depending how saucy you like it), sweet potatoes, cucumber, avocado, and protein of choice in a bowl.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins with Toasted Pecans

Phew, that may be the longest recipe title I’ve used to date. BUT I feel equally excited about all of those elements of the recipe that I felt like I had to just lay it all out there at the beginning.

These muffins were born out of my necessity to get rid of 200g of sourdough starter as well as 5 very ripe bananas — both common things I find myself in abundance of.

I opted for a muffin, but this could have definitely been turned into a cake with the addition of a lightly sweetened cream cheese frosting, BUT to keep the recipe nutrient dense I kept them as muffins and opted to use whole wheat flour. Specifically I used Sunrise Flour Mill Heritage Whole Wheat Flour because it is more nutrient dense than traditional whole wheat flours. Heritage wheat is more digestible which is great for everyone, but espeically those who struggle to process gluten normally.

To give the muffins texture I wanted to add some chopped pecans, but once I started chopping them I remember that the only thing better than a regular pecan, is a toasted pecan. So I toasted the pecans in the oven. It only took an extra 10 minutes, but helped build more flavor.

The last thing I did was ferment the batter by leaving it in the fridge for 24 hours prior to baking it. This allowed the batter to build up a more complex flavor profile and break down some of the gluten in the bread — making it easier to digest.

I hope you like this recipe and find it to be a nice option the next time you find yourself with a lot of sourdough starter and a lot of bananas.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins With toasted Pecans

Makes 18 standard size muffins

• 200g sourdough discard, does not need to be active

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 5 very ripe bananas, mashed (It’s imperative that these be really ripe to provide adequate sweetness)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups (200g) whole wheat flour, I like to use Sunrise Flour Mill Heritage Whole Wheat to maximize the nutritional value

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped - reserve a few for topping the muffins

Step 1) Mash bananas in a bowl until they are smooth.

Step 2) Mix the sourdough starter, 2 eggs, honey, vanilla extract and applesauce in a bowl. Whisk together until well combined.

Step 3) Stir the mashed banana into the liquid ingredients.

Step 4) In a separate bowl mix together whole wheat flour flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.

Step 5) Now pour the liquid ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together until just mixed. It’s important not to overmix or the muffins will be tough instead of the nice tender texture we are going for.

Step 6) Place the mixture in the oven overnight or up to 24 hours. This step is optional, but I like the sour flavor that the overnight fermentation imparts to the muffins. I’ve baked it without letting them set overnight

Step 7) Preheat oven to 350F. Place muffin tin liners in a 12 hole muffin tin. Spray muffin liners with avocado oil to prevent the muffins from sticking.

Step 8) Remove the mixture from the oven and spoon into greased muffin tin, filling each muffin tin 3/4 of the way. This recipe will fill a 18 hole muffin (each hole around ¾ full). Sprinkle each muffin with a few of the remaining toasted pecans.

Step 9) Bake at 350F for approximately 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown. My oven tends to run a bit hot so yours might not take quite as long.

Herby Yogurt Plate + How I Approach Building A Balanced Plate

With nourish being my word for 2024 I’ve been striving to find sustainable ways to hone in on that. For me, the key to be sustainable when it comes to nutrition is balance.

Let me preface first by saying, I don’t have it all figured out. Believe me, if I did, you’d be the first to know, but I’m taking what I’ve learned and seeking a way of eating that fuels me to live the life I want to live.

A little background, when it comes to nutrition, I’ve been on both extremes. I’ve lived a life where my whole life revolved around “healthy” eating (low-carb, limited calories, etc.) and I’ve lived another (more recent life) where I was focused more on indulgence (if I want it, I eat it.) In those extremes I learned a lot of what I didn’t want. In my “healthy” extreme I learned that I didn’t want to feel like I was starving all the time. In my indulgent extreme I learned that my body aches when I don’t prioritize protein and reach for ice cream consistently. Both of those are really valuable lessons! With what I’ve learned, I’ve begun to move forward and try to strive for balance. I’ve moved towards a way of eating that makes me feel really, really good and doesn’t leave me starving.

This yogurt plate feels like the perfect example of balance to me. Here are a few things I considered when building this yogurt a plate that I hope you find helpful.

How I approach Building a Balanced Plate

When I’m building my plate there are four things I’m always looking for.

Protein - I strive for 20g-30g per meal, but if that sounds too advanced to calculate/track just focus on making sure that you have protein present (chicken, yogurt, tuna, steak, legumes, tofu, etc.). This should be about 25% of your plate.

Fat - Fat helps increase satiety and leave you walking away feeling more satisfied with your meal than if you didn’t have any fat. The most common way that I add a little fat to a plate is to drizzle olive oil on the vegetables and then sprinkle with a little salt. Another way is using olive oil or coconut oil to roast veggies. Although fat is important, you don’t need a lot of it to feel the satiety benefits. Aim for about 1 Tablespoon with your meal. Also, ensure that you’re not using canola oil, vegetable oil, or other processed oils that are actually more harmful than beneficial. Olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil are all good options. I also enjoy using nuts or seeds to add some fat — pumpkin seeds have been a recent favorite.

Carb - Carbs get a bad reputation. I could probably write an entire blog post about this, but for now just know that it’s okay to have carbs — especially if they’re complex carbs and paired with a protein and fat. When they’re paired with that protein and fat then the body won’t process them as quickly which means that they are more likely to keep you fuller longer. The carbs I strive to add to my plate are whole grains (oats, brown rice, farro, quinoa, whole wheat bread, etc.) as they are more nutrition dense than things such as (white rice, white bread, etc.) and they are metabolized more slowly in your body so you won’t get that blood sugar crash that the less nutrient dense options will give you. Although carbs are valuable, you don’t want to mainly consume carbs. You’ve got to leave room for the protein, fat, and veggies. Carbs should be about 25% or less of your plate.

Veggies - Last, but certainly not least is veggies. I generally try to make about 50% of my plate consist of veggies. They have lots of nutrients that are important, but also lots of fiber that will help keep you fuller longer. I get it though, veggies can get boring. One of my favorite ways to get out of a rut with veggies is to go to a new grocery store and see if I can find some fun options that inspire me. Some of my top current vegetables are purple sweet potatoes and watermelon radishes.

BONUS: (But also super important!) The last thing I look for when building a plate is flavor opportunities. I am always seeking ways to make a balanced and nourshing meal taste really great. For this particular plate pictured above i knew I wanted to use some yogurt so I started adding herbs and garlic to bring the yogurt to life. Other things i like to add to increase the nutrition and also flavor or a plate like this is to add kimchi, hot sauce, saurkraut, pickles, a drizzle of kefir, etc. These additions will keep your meals more interesting and make you more excited to keep eating healthy.

Your Turn

I hope you now feel empowered to build a plate that feels balanced and nourishing! Below I’ll share the recipe for the herby yogurt I used to build the plate pictured. Again, I don’t have all the answers, but this is how I’m seeking to find balance as I strive to nourish my body and live a vibrant life. This formula has been helpful to give me a little struture while still maintaining freedom to get creative and enjoy food.

What’s on the plate pictured?

• Herby yogurt (Recipe below)

• Chicken meatballs

• Watermelon radishes

• Cucumbers

• Tomatoes

• Farro

• A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt

Herby Yogurt

Makes 4 servings

• 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt — I really like this brand

• 2 green onions, chopped

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped finely

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped finely (or use 2 teaspoons dried instead)

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread onto a plate using a spatula or spoon and top with your favorite protein, carb, veggies, and fat. Enjoy!

Our Favorite Coffee, Food, + Sights in Barcelona and Seville, Spain

We visited Barcelona + Seville, Spain over New Year’s this year and I thought it would be fun to share a few of the places we loved and some thoughts I had that might help you in planning your future trip.

When we go back to Spain I think we will skip Barcelona, but it was an experience worth having. Seville on the other hand, I could have definitely have spent more time in. Below I’ve separated each city and then shared our Airbnb, transportation suggestions, whether or not Spanish was necessary, as well as our favorite coffee, food, + sights.

As always, feel free to send me any addiitonal questions or let me know if you’ve visited either of these cities and what your experience was!

Barcelona

Where we stayed

This was the Airbnb we stayed at. The asthetic of the space was everything we were looking for! It was clean and had everything we needed. The location was great. We were in the Vila de Gracia neighborhood and it was perfect! I would definitely recommend this place.

Transportation

Barcelona has a very strong public transportation system. They have both buses and a metro that can get you wherever you want to go. We used the metro to get to the airport and train station, but because of our great Aribnb location mainly walked otherwise which was perfect.

Language

The primary language used in Barcelona is Spanish. We are not fluent in Spanish by any means and we were able to navigate our way through pretty well. There was a significant amount of people that could speak English, but it’s always polite to at least attempt to communicate in Spanish first. It’s deifnitley worht learning a few phrases to help communicate.

Additional Tips / Thoughts

We went during a non-busy time (January) and the weather was a bit chilly (50’s/60’s) but the crowds were much more mild. You kind of have to pick your poison per se. We really don’t enjoy crowds so we were willing to brave the slighly chilly temps, but if you are looking for a warm Spanish getaway and aren’t deterred by crowds, then you might want to go closer to Summer or Fall.

Coffee

Three Marks Coffee - This was our top coffee in Barcelona for sure. I had read about this coffee shop in Standart and knew I had to go. Their coffee selection was fantastic and the vibe was bright and spacious. One of the pour overs we tried had mint as a tasting note which was super interesting!

Right Side Coffee formerly Satan’s Corner - Really great pour over menu with unique offerings. A bright space you could definitely sit and read or get some work done for a few hours.

Nomad Coffee - Tucked away in an adorable alley way you’ll find this small but mighty shop. When we first arrived there wasn’t anywhere to sit. There’s really only a few bar seats and then two benches to sit and wait for your coffee so if you’re looking for a place to sit and work for a few hours this probably isn’s the place. But if you want a pour over that will knock your socks off, you’re in the right spot. They had an extensive menu of pour overs that had us struggling to make a decision on which one to get. All of the baristas were incredibly kind and knowledgable. It’s also worth noting that the counters behind bar were incredibly clean — like unbelievably clean. I’ve worked in a coffee shop and I know that’s not easy to do. This is definitely our #2 pick for coffee in Barcelona.

Brew Coffee - Knowledgeable and kind baristas and a great pour over selection.

Slow Mov - This shop won our hearts over with great coffee and even better food. Both the cortado and pour over were incredible. We discovered this shop on our last day, but if we had found it on our first day I can guarantee we would have gone here multiple times.

Food

Bru - This place was located right next to Nomad Coffee. It had a super cute Scandinavian diner vibes that caught our eye. It’s located in a fun, secret passageway. The food was delicious. Josiah got the Eggs Benedict and I got the Shakshuka.

Honest Greens - If you’re looking for a cultural experience, this probably isn’t it, BUT this place is delicioys. We stumbled upon this place on New Year’s Day when we arrived in Barcelona and struggled to find food that was open. We lucked out though because the food was both delicious and nutritious! I wouldn’t say fly to Barcelona to go here, but if you need a healthy bite to eat this place will fit the bill.

Honestly, we did a lot of snacking during our time in Barcelona versus stopping for a full meal. There were a lot of restaurants that were closed since we were there around New Year’s. Definitely worth noting if you’re planning to be there around that time.

SIGHTS

La Sagrada Familia - This stunning cathedral is reason enough to visit Barcelona. We didn’t end up going inside because although we are interested in Architecture the 36 Euros to get inside didn’t necessarily seem worth it to us, Even just getting to see the outside was an experience. Take note is is currently under construtction and is not scheduled to be completed until 2026 so it’s very difficult to get photos without construction equipment.

Gothic Quarter - This neighborhood is definiteluy worth walking through if you love architecture.

Park Guell - This area was originally going to be a development for the rich, but it ended up being turned into a park. It’s 16 Euro to walk through.

La Rambla - A touristy tree lined road with shops. I definitley recommend taking a stroll down this street and landing at Mercari de La bouqueria (a really large market) to grab lunch or some fruit + veggies to take back to your Airbnb.

Picasso Museum - We ran out of time, but next time this will be a must for us.

Paella making class - This was a definite highlight of the trip. The class was offered in both Spanish and English. We chose English (Maybe one day we will get brave and take a Spanish only cooking class). We learned how to make traditional tapas, sangria, and paella. The class was about two hours and very interactive. There were about 8 total participants and we all contributed to the meal — chopping ingredients, adding ingredients, stirring, etc. The was cost $45/person and the experience was 10/10. I would highly recommend booking!

SevillE

Where we stayed

This was the Airbnb we stayed in. It had an adorable patio where we could sit and enjoy the fresh air and city sounds around us. A major bonus of this airbnb was the access to a washer (note: there is not access to a dryer so plan accordingly. Make sure you request access from the host when you meet her at the house.) Our host was such a gem and the location could not have been more perfect. We were right in the city center so we could easily walk anywhere we wanted in less than 20 minutes. It was perfect and I would definiltey recommend staying there again.

Transportation

Since our Airbnb location was so central we literally walked everywhere. When we arrived to Seville from Barcelona we arrived at the train station that was about a 25 minute walk from our Airbnb. You could have definitely gotten an uber if you preferred, but we both like walking and it gave us an excuse to see more of the city. When we left Seville we were flying out of the airport so we did have an Uber drive us there because walking was not an option. It was relatively affordable though.

Language

The primary language of this area of Spain was Spanish. We don’t know a lot of Spanish, but we did know enough to get around. It would be good to at least know a few phrases for ordering at restaurants and basic greetings, but you by no means need to be fluent.

Coffee

Muy coffee - I’d be lying if I said that this wasn’t the top reason we ended up visiting Seville. They serve Ineffable coffee and since we’ve been obsessed with them ever since we stumbled upon them in Lagos, Portugal we knew we had to visit the shop that works closely with the roastery (We had also hoped to visit the roastery that is also located in Seville, but we weren’t able to because of timing). They coffee shop has 500+ 5 star reviews on google and from our experience, I would say it is well deserved. The space is very small and earthy and warm, but also eclectic. Their pour over menu was impressive and the owners are three brothers who immediately make you feel like family. With this being the reason we traveled to Seville, they absolutely lived up to the hype and our travels were well rewarded.

Food

BraXAS - This tapas spot was right across the street from our Airbnb and was the perfect spot for us to indulge in some classic Spanish cuisine. We had a variety of tapas that had us both speechless!

Takitos Granitas - This place served up some really delicious cheese and dried meat in a cone. It was located right below our Airbnb and lended itself as the perfect stop for a snack or small dinner.

Sights

Plaza De Espana - This was easily one of our favorite things we saw on the trip. It’s a very, very cool plaza designed to sympolize peace between Spain and its former American colonies. It’s so detailed and gorgeous. It’s the perfect place to bring a picnic and hang out for a few hours.

Royal Alcazar of Seville - A royal palace that is still in use today. We didn’t actually visit the palace because we honestly weren’t interested in dealing with the crowds, but people talk highly of it.

Trianna neighborhood - This was a fun neighborhood to get out of the touristy areas and explore more of how the working class of Seville live. It gives a more authentic persepctive of what it would be like to live in the city.

Barrio Santa Cruz neighborhood - If you visit the palace you’ll end up in this neighborhood and be greeted with lots of incredible arcitecture that will have you

Metropolitan Parasol - This is the largest wood structure in the world and it was so cool to see! We didn’t actually pay the 5 Euro to go on top of the structure and take in the views and to be honest, i am kicking myself. If we go back we will definitely pay to go on top.