Juice Pulp Bread

My Husband and I are big juicers. We love the jolt it gives us in the morning and typically 3 times a week we juice a vegetable blend for breakfast and sip while we get ready for work. On weekends however we prefer a fruitier mix. Makes it taste more like a weekend treat. Also we usually drink a much smaller portion followed by homemade chocolate chip pancakes (because that's what you just do on Saturdays!). This is what we do with all that fruity juicy left over pulp!

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups pulp from fresh juice (see below for my favorite mix)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 or 2 very ripe bananas
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1tbsp flax meal (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2 medjool dates (pitted) 
• Toasted coconut flakes for topping (optional)

This is my go to juice blend: 3 large carrots, 2 large red apples, 1 large cucumber, 4 celery stalks, 6 medium sized strawberries, and occasionally one orange. The juicer I use is this one and I love it. It's affordable, easy to clean, and pretty compact.
     After I make the juice I set it aside.  I put a hand full of kale or spinach into my magic bullet and puree. Then I mix the juice and the puree together. It's refreshing and delicious!! To make bread or muffins with the pulp left over from the juice blend, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put all the above ingredients (minus the coconut flakes) into a blender till it's well blended. Then I either just make muffins or one whole bread loaf, and top it off with the toasted coconut before baking for 30-40 minutes.  
    The medjool dates add just a hint of caramel sweetness. If you want a sweeter taste feel free to add 2-3 tbsp of brown sugar. Personally I enjoy mine best when cold, but I can never help myself when it's hot right out of the oven! This recipe will work with any juice pulp really so feel free to get creative.

P.S. My shop and blog are now on facebook! WOOHOO! Feel free to like me over there! :) xoxo
LA BELLA VIA on Facebook.

Spring Shrimp Salad

So here's how Saturday went: We wake up after a long night of picking up our little dog from my parents on LI. He was staying with them while we vacationed in Mexico. Mexico, as amazing as it was has left me feeling, bloated, fat, sluggish, and everything that pounds of guacamole, rice, and mimosas will do to you after 4 days of indulging in the sun. So we made a pact to get back on track before it gets any worse. We started the morning with fresh juices, then I made some muffins with the pulp for a snack (no sugar added just 2 medjool dates for sweetness) and then this salad for lunch. It was light, and crisp. The perfect spring salad. It also satisfied us enough that a little snack was sufficient enough for dinner. You can also sub the shrimp for chicken (my husband needs to watch his cholesterol so it's a good option). I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked and peeled shrimp
1 1/2 bags fresh spinach
1/4 cup whole walnuts
1 orange peeled and cubed (you can also use a mango with is amazing as well!)
1 avocado cubed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
crushed red pepper (to taste)
Blue Cheese (as much as you like!)
Cooked Quinoa (see cooking direction here)

Directions:
Marinate the shrimp in lemon, crushed red pepper, and cilantro for about 20 min. Toss  the shrimp and everything else together adding the avocado and blue cheese last. Top with warm fluffy quinoa, and a little dressing. My friend Annie's (of All Natural Annie) husband introduced me to his homemade dressing which is similar to this one and it is just perfect for this salad!

Bacon & Maple Pancakes

 Happy Friday!
 This weekend I intend to do a lot of indulging. And I'll start by making these perfect, crunchy, salty, sweet pancakes.

 I use this recipe for the base of my pancakes and they always come out perfect. Just add super crispy pork bacon or turkey bacon and top with more crumbled bacon, and drizzle the best maple syrup you can find! A Perfect way to start a Saturday morning. Have a wonderful weekend!

Date night at LOKAL

Last week John and I were invited to try out dinner at one of our favorite brunch spots LOKAL in Greenpoint Brooklyn.  When I got the email I was thrilled, not only because I'm so obsessed with the brunch at Lokal and had not yet had the privilege of trying out their dinner, but my little blog and a little previous post I did about Lokal actually grabbed their attention!!

In my last post about Lokal I raved about how great their brunch was, in particular their french toast, so when we ventured there for dinner we expected no less. And after last weeks date night at Son Cubano being a total bust, we were due for a really enjoyable meal. We were SO NOT disappointed. Its was as expected, perfect!

We started with fried calamari....YUM

For dinner I had meatball casserole which I had never heard of before, but it was absolutely divine! Sorta like a meatball stew. So perfect for the chilly weather we've been having here in NY.

John had homemade ricotta ravioli. I was lucky enough to taste one (lucky because I swear he wolfed that down so fast I barely saw the dish) and they were smooth and buttery and amazing!

For dessert we had a chocolate soufflé. Totally worth the calories. Of course the service was fantastic as well. If you live anywhere near Brooklyn or the L train you should def grab a bite at Lokal!

This post wouldn't be complete without a shot of my "look" for the evening.

A little rayon romper from H&M with black tights

Lace up booties

Patent Chanel

It's great when you can find a place that you can call "your spot" and I think after finally trying the dinner John and I can officially call LOKAL "our spot". Interestingly enough, the first time we both expressed to each other that we were, in fact, IN LOVE, we had brunch there the next day, for the first time. SO really, it is our spot!! We'll be back for sure. Actually probably this Saturday, the day after my birthday for my favorite Brunch. :)

Red Potato and Yellow Squash Yummyness!!!

Things involving dinner or anything other than baked goods in the kitchen is not my forté, BUT I've been getting creative and trying new things and this Tart/Quiche I made for dinner the other night is just to DIE for. I know that sounds a bit dramatic (typical of me) but really it was just SO good. I made this little number up as I went along so I didn't measure anything but I'll try and give you the recipe to the best of my knowledge. I had some left over Mini Red Potatoes, Ricotta Cheese, Fresh Rosemary, Fresh basil, one whole squash, and red onion in the fridge so this is what I did...

Ingredients:

1lb (approx) red potato - Sliced very thin

1 whole squash sliced very thin

2-3 TBSP (approx) of red onion chopped small

1 cup (approx) ricotta cheese

1/2 cup cubed fresh mozzarella

few sprigs of fresh rosemary

1/2 TBSP (approx) fresh parsley finely chopped

Generous dash of Kosher Salt

Generous Dash of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup of milk

1 egg

1 Pillsbury pie crust

 

Directions:

Boil the red potatoes for 10 min. Saute the Squash in olive oil, salt and pepper till they are very soft and slightly golden on both sides. Drain the potatoes and put in the bowl (leaving out a few to spread along the top of the tart) with the ricotta cheese, squash, fresh mozzarella, pepper, salt, parsley, red onion, and rosemary and mix well. In another bowl whisk milk and egg together till incorporated then add to the ricotta mixture and mix well. Pour into Pillsbury pie crust and spread evenly, place remaining boiled red potatoes over the top. Also you can crumble a few bits of fresh mozz on top also.  Bake for 1 hr. Then ENJOY!

Brunchin' this weekend???

Head over the Lokal!! Located in WIlliamsburg/Greenpoint directly across from McCarran park this Mediterranean Bistro is now on my top 5 list of best brunch spots.

Photo Credit: Shake it app for iPhone

This place is in a great location and has a really nice vibe. They pull back all the windows and doors to create a super relaxed open and airy ambiance. My boyfriend and I both commented on how we sorta felt like we were on vacation, Being so close to the park sitting outside with all the other brunchsters. Def not a typical brunch experience. I'd highly recommend this place and I will for sure be back! I think I'm actually going to have to try this place out or dinner one night as well! A recommendation on food I'd give the french toast an 11 our of 10!!! It was just to die for!!  Its Slightly crispy on the outside and amazingly soft and sweet on the inside. I don't even like french toast usually but this was absolute heaven!! if your in Manhattan this pretty close to the L train stop and most certainly worth the trip!

LOKAL
905 Lorimer St. (near Nassau Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11222

3:00 Pick me up!!

Low Fat brownie sundae!!! Photo Credit: Shake it app for iPhoneSo I made these for dessert last night and they were amazing! Using the Fat free No pudge fudge brownie mix (original), some ice cream (I'd say stick to a low-fat low cal one to keep this treat "skinny") My fav. Ice cream (unfortunately not low-fat, but organic!) happens to be Coconut Bliss. As I've stated before I LOVE coconut and this non dairy non-soy, gluten-free ice cream is made from delicious organic coconut milk! And Last but not least my new fave topping: Photo Credit: Shake it app for iPhoneChocagave - this stuff is amazing! A good for you twist on chocolate syrup made from agave nectar, also gluten-free, dairy free, vegan and low fat. It tastes amazing!! It was the perfect ending to this decadent (not so fattening) chocolate treat! Now for those of you in an office don't get huffy bc you think these must be made at home bc...hold your breath!....No Pudge fudge can be made in single servings too!!! Just put two Tablespoons of mix into a small container with 1 tablespoon of fat-free vanilla yogurt mix well and microwave for one minute! Now that's really perkin up that 3:00 lull!

3:00 Pick me up!

3:00 again! Need a Treat! Try an interesting twist on chocolate. Chocolate and bacon OH MY!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Vosges chocolates! They are the most delicious, glamorous, and beautiful chocolates ever! (oh and they make great gifts....hint hint). Check out their other great chocolates here. www.vosgeschocolate.com

3:00 Pick me up - Skinny Cow!

Its 3:00 o clock again!! Time for a pick me up!A friend of mine (thanks LJ) told me I just needed to blog about the Skinny Cow Ice Cream treats. Of course I told her! But def NOT without trying them! And after a run to the grocery store and a chocolate and peanut butter ice cream sandwich later I can say I'm def a lover of the skinny cow!!!! You would NEVER think these are 150 calories each! and since I'm an obsessive calorie counter and have a strong affinity for snacks and treats, this is one that will most definitely be stocked in my freezer! Thank you Skinny Cow for keeping our waistlines glamorously thin and our taste buds totally satisfied!!! Check out their other great skinny products here www.skinnycow.com

Check out these buns!!!

A co-worker of mine brought these in all the way from Bucks County Pennsylvania today! The gooiest, most delicious sticky/Cinnamon buns ever from the famous Fritz Bakery!!! Best breakfast ever! Most certainly not the most healthy but you gotta live every once and a while!!