Chaga, who!? Chaga, what!?

Adaptogens are popping up everywhere these days, in drinks, in coffee, in powders. But what the heck do they do? Well adaptogens do pretty much what they say, they help your body "adapt" to stressors.  Chaga is an adaptogenic mushroom that Birch Boys forages from the Adirondack Mountains. It's mainly known for it's ability to give you long lasting, sustainable energy but has SO many other health benefits! It's an anti-inflammatory, nutrient powerhouse, stress reliever, and immune booster. 

Chaga is something that can adapt to anyones lifestyle (see what I did there ;)) and being a fitness instructor,  it's important to include something in my life that's going to keep my energy levels high, help my muscles recover, and overall keep my body (and immune system) functioning. 

Birch Boys chaga coffee is my favorite product and gives me the energy boost of coffee, without the 3pm crash. I also love their maple chaga tea for an afternoon sip. It's a little earthy, little sweet, and lotta delicious. :D

I wanted to find a way to reuse my coffee grinds since I was brewing it everyday, so I came up with these Chaga-late Coffee Energy Balls! They are also made with cacao powder, flax meal, Further Food collagen, dates, and nuts, which all have their own extra health benefits. 

Check out this video to find out why Iove Chaga so much and how to make these all day energy fudge-like balls!
​
**Always consult your doctor before consuming new supplements.**

Yes, it's true - the BEST muffins in the world have just been born!! These came out perfectly crispy on the tops and with cloud like fluff on the inside. I mean, what else could you ask for in a muffin? 

I've made a Golden Oat Banana Bread before and the spices made it insanely flavorful so I knew these would be the same but they STILL blew my mind! I used a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks Against All Grain, Meals Made Simple by Danielle Walker for inspiration to make these grain free/gluten free. There's no added sugar in these muffins so they have the perfect amount of sweetness from the banana. With added protein from the Further Food Collagen Peptides, these make the perfect grab and go breakfast or pre/post workout snack. These muffins are definitely going to be on my weekly rotation! 

Servings: 10 muffins

2 eggs
3/4 cup of unsweetened sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup of mashed banana
3 TBSP of softened coconut oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of warming spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of coriander
1/4 tsp of sea salt
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup of arrowroot powder
2 scoops of Further Food Collagen Peptides*

*Use code BASOUSA10 for 10% off!

Preheat oven to 350 & place liners in (or grease) muffin tin.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients up to baking powder & mix well. Fold in arrowroot powder & collagen peptides until batter forms. Scoop 3 TBSP of batter into each tin (you should get 10 muffins). Optional to add a sprinkle of granola or nuts on top for some crunch. 

Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown & knife comes out clean. The knife may come out with some banana on it but as long as no batter comes out, they're done. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to finish. Once completely cool, store in airtight container in the fridge & reheat/toast to eat. ​

OK - WHY have I not been making chocolate filled cups at home until now!? It's insane how easy and simple this process was AND how amazing these taste. After seeing these healthy versions of chocolate filled cups popping up all over Instagram (like Eating Evolved), I finally decided to buy my own mold and make some at home.

I wanted these to be a late afternoon snack that I could grab before teaching that was filled with protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants to give me an energy boost before teaching at night. SO, I used raw cacao powder, coconut cashew butter and Further Food collagen peptides. I KNOW, these are like magic in a cup!! They are the perfect pick-me-up treat for a boost of energy or to satisfy a sweet tooth. 

If you have social media, you've probably seen collagen peptides popping up everywhere. Well, that's because collagen has so many amazing health benefits for your digestive system, skin/hair/nails, and bones/muscle recovery. I add it to my morning matcha or latte everyday and the best part is, it makes it SO frothy!! From taking collagen peptides daily, I've definitely seen my nails get thicker/stronger and from someone who has had wavy/frizzy hair her whole life, collagen has helped smooth it out and add shine. I do take a few supplements for my digestion but I would like to believe that collagen has taken part in helping strengthen the walls of my digestive system as well. You can visit furtherfood.com to learn more about the health benefits of collagen and if you want to try it, use discount code BASOUSA10 to get 10% off! 

Servings: 6 LARGE cups 

1 cup of melted coconut oil
1 cup of raw cacao powder
2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup of Further Food collagen peptides*
​big pinch of salt
​6 Tbsp of vanilla roasted coconut cashew butter (or nut butter of choice)

You'll also need:
silicon tartlet mold (mine is from Amazon)**

Notes:
*Use discount code BASOUSA10 for 10% off!
**If you have a cupcake/muffin tin, you can fill it with liners and use that. You may just need to adjust the amount of nut butter per cup. 

Make your chocolate: To a liquid measuring cup, add coconut oil, cacao, vanilla, collagen, and salt, then whisk until well combined. 

Place silicon mold on top of a cookie sheet, TRUST ME, this will make it easier to transfer without spillage. Add 2 tsp of chocolate to the bottom of each mold cup and swirl around until bottom is coated. Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes until hardened. 

Once chocolate bottoms are hardened, add 1 Tbsp of cashew coconut butter to each mold cup on top of the chocolate. Press down with fingers to flatten and spread out.  

Pour remaining chocolate on top of nut butter to fill each mold cup. Place in the fridge overnight (or freezer to harden quicker). Once cups are solid, remove from the mold & EAT THEM! Store extras in the fridge or freezer. 

Can a girl ever have enough nut butter? NEVER. Luckily, there's TONS of varieties of nut butters on the market today. So, I decided, why not try my own? The plus of making your own nut butter at home is you can make it any way you want and experiment with combining different nuts (and coconut). This will not be the last nut butter I make at home, stay tuned!

2 cups of raw cashews
2 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
big pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Parchment a large cookie sheet. 

Spread cashews and coconut flakes out on the cookie sheet, bake for 12-15 min. until golden brown. 

Right out of the oven, transfer toasted cashews and coconut to the food processor. This is important, it will blend and smooth out easier when it's hot! Add vanilla and salt. 

Turn on the processor and begin blending until it becomes a coarse meal. Scrape down the sides and keep blending. A sticky ball of paste will start to form, ALMOST THERE, keep going!! Eventually, the mixture will start to smooth and the "butter" will form. See photos above.

Once the butter is to the consistency you prefer, transfer to an airtight jar and store in the fridge. Then, put that *ish* on EVERYTHING! 

WARNING: These are insanely addicting, I just about ate half of them right out of the oven. Spicy, salty, and sweet, you just won't get enough.

These pepitas match wonderfully with Fall flavors including butternut (or any) squash, sprinkle them over some roasted, mashed, or squash soup. They are also the perfect topping for oatmeal, yogurt, or salad so feel free to make a double batch and store in an airtight container. 

Servings: ~1.5 cups

~1.5 cups of raw pepitas
1.5 Tbsp of avocado oil (or olive oil)
1 Tbsp of maple syrup
1 Tbsp of coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/4 tsp of fall warming spice (or pumpkin spice)
1/8 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of paprika ​
few dashes of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Parchment a cookie sheet.

Combine all ingredients (minus the pepitas) in a medium size bowl and mix until well combined. Add pepitas and toss until coated then spread the mixture in an even layer on the cookie sheet. Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes until caramelized and fragrant. 

The shining star behind this golden bread? TURMERIC! Its anti-inflammatory properties make it one of my favorite spices but it also gives that gorgeous golden color. I've been obsessing over golden mylk so why not try a golden bread? Thank you to the bananas who sacrificed their lives for this one, this recipe will be on REPEAT. 

1 cup of mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of fall warming spice
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
scant 1/2 tsp of turmeric
1 cup of rolled oats (plus a bit more to sprinkle on top)
1/2 cup of roughly chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or parchment a small loaf pan (mine is 8.5x4.5x2.5). 

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the mashed banana, yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined. Turn down to med-low and beat in the eggs one at a time. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, warming spice, cinnamon, and turmeric. On low again, (so you don't cover yourself) slowly add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until the batter just comes together, don't over-mix!! Lastly, gently fold old in the oats and walnuts. 

​Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle some oats over the top. Place in the oven on the middle rack for 55-60 minutes or until fully cooked through and a knife comes out clean.*

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so then transfer to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely or at least until it's no longer hot (just barely warm) before cutting it.**

Notes:
*The knife test is hard with this one since you will have some banana chunks throughout that may coat it. Use your best judgment, it should be done after 60 minutes. Also, check your bread at about 40 minutes, if it's looking dark brown already on top, cover it with a foil tent to prevent burning. I covered mine for about the last 10 minutes or so but it will depend on your oven. 
**​ If you cut your bread while it's hot, all the moisture and air will escape and it will become dense. You can always reheat it or toast it after. 

I am all for quick and easy (but still healthy) recipes. These egg rolls are beyond delicious and are absolutely fool proof. The bonus: they only take 5 ingredients!! I use a few little short cuts that skimp on time but NOT on flavor. 

Servings: ~12 egg rolls (depends on how much you fill them)

1 lb of ground turkey
2 tsp of taco seasoning*
2 cans of southwestern vegetable soup*
egg roll wraps
shredded cheese - 3 cheese mexican blend
+1 egg
+ olive oil

 
Notes:
+ Since these are pantry items, I consider them "free" ingredients and they don't count towards the five. :P

* I made my own taco seasoning! Check out recipe below. It also includes salt & pepper so if you use a store bought packet and it doesn't have salt & pepper, be sure to add to seasoning. 

* Using the vegetables from a canned soup, genius shortcut! I used Amy's Organic Southwestern Vegetable soup. It had fire roasted vegetables which are so flavorful! It included corn, beans, green chili, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and spices. Feel free to use any type of vegetables you like in this recipe. 

Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 Tbsp of chili powder
1/4 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 tsp of onion powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of paprika
1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Parchment (or grease) a large baking sheet. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey & taco seasoning. Use a wooden spoon to crumble the turkey as it cooks and mix a few times to incorporate the spices. Let sauté until golden brown and no longer pink.  Meanwhile, beat 1 large egg with a splash of water (this is your egg wash), set aside. 

Once the turkey is done, remove from the heat and add your veggies. If you're using canned soup with veggies, just scoop the veggies out with a spoon, trying not to catch too much liquid. If you decide to use frozen veggies, heat with the turkey for a few minutes to defrost them. 

Drizzle your baking sheet with olive oil (only if you used parchment) so your rolls get crispy. Begin filling your egg roll wraps with turkey/veggie mixture, sprinkle with cheese, and roll them up. The package should have directions! Mine even had pictures, which made life easier. You can google or youtube is necessary. :) 

Before placing the oven, brush the rolls with the egg wash. This will make them golden brown, it's very important! Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and crispy. I flipped mine about 7 minutes in so they could crisp on both sides. 

Serve rolls with your favorite dipping sauce like avocado ranch, salsa, sour cream, or guacamole & enjoy!! 

Seriously, these are THE BEST (according to me anyway). Crunchy bite on the outside and the perfect amount of chew on the inside, exactly how a cookie should be.