Smoky Roasted Chickpeas

    If you are anything like me, finding a good and healthy snack option isn't always easy! Maybe its pretty healthy, but its probably super expensive, or, its pretty cheap but not so healthy! What are we to do? Settle for expensive healthy snacks or cheap unhealthy ones?! No Way! There is a much easier and better solution than that!

     I have been seeing these roasted chickpeas all over the place lately. Lots of stores are selling them and a ton of people are posting recipes for them! The only problem is most of the time these chickpeas are covered in oil and ( if you get the store bought ones) preservatives! So, while they may be delicious, they aren't so healthy.
     So how do we solve this problem? We make our own of course! Not only is it cheaper to make your own snacks, its also so much healthier! You get to personalize it to your unique taste and you know exactly what went into it! Making these roasted chickpeas at home allows you to have a personalized and healthy snack, without losing taste or lots of money!

Ingredients:
1 can Chickpeas
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

or
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Maple Syrup or Brown Sugar

As you can see, this recipe really customizable. If you like savory snacks, go with the smoky flavor like I did. If you have more of a sweet tooth, go with the sweet option! I might also add, a little lime juice on the savory ones would be amazing!

First, open your chickpeas and rinse them really well. Then, pour them on a paper towel and dry them. Add them to a bowl along with your spices of choice.  Stir until each chickpeas is coated.

 

Preheat your oven to 450 F. Pour your coated chickpeas onto a baking sheet- large enough for them to be in one flat layer. Looking back, I would have put down some parchment paper to protect my pan, so you might want to do that as well!

 

 

Bake for 35-45 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes or so for even roasting. Once they are done, allow them to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes.

 

Once they are cool, remove them from the pan and enjoy! What you don't eat right away can be stored in an air tight container!

 

 

Besides being a great snack, these roasted chickpeas are also great on salads, in wraps, in tacos, or even to replace the croutons on top of a soup! However you choose to eat these roasted beauties, I know you will enjoy them as much as I did!

 

Chickpeas are full of fiber and protein, so they are a great thing to add to you diet! Roasting them and adding flavor is just one way of making these cute little beans extra delicious!

If you enjoyed this post and the recipe, please share it with your friends and family! Everyone needs this healthy snack in their life!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. I look forward to connecting with you guys!

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!
H. Banana

Homemade 'Mamma Chia' Drink for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is coming up, and we all want to find a way to show our moms how special they are! My mom recently bought a Mamma Chia drink at Whole Foods and she loved it! Unfortunately, these drinks can be expensive so they aren't something she can enjoy every day. So, I did some research and came up with my own spin on these drinks! Now she can have a homemade version of Mamma Chia's drinks whenever she wants!

When I first heard about these drinks, I was a little skeptical. How could mixing chia seeds and fruit juice be that amazing? Boy , was I wrong! These drinks are like drinking jello (Sounds weird, but believe me, you won't be able to get enough after the first sip!) and the flavor combos are endless!

So, lets get into making these delicious drinks!

First you need to make the chia mixture.

3 TBS. Chia Seeds
1 Cup Water

Add the seeds to a bowl and slowly add the water, bit by bit. Make sure to stir well after each addition.
You'll end up with a gloopy consistency.

 

You need to over this with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 6-8 hours or over night.

 

Now, lets make the flavoring for the drink. I decided to make a lemon and mint one! Its a perfect drink for cooling off on warm days!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup Lemon Juice

3 TBS. Honey

1 Tbs Fresh Chopped Mint

 

 

Warm the lemon juice and honey together to make it easier to combine the two together.

Then, add the chopped mint and shake. I made mine in a mason jar to make this easier!

 

Let this sit in the fridge for a good hour, or even two! Then, take the set chia seed mix and the lemon mix out of the fridge. Strain the mint leaves out of the lemon juice and pour in 1 cup Cold Water. Then add the chia seed mix and shake. The color won't be too great, but the smell is so inviting!

This was so good! I love the sourness of the lemon and the freshness of the mint together! I know the color isn't to appealing but once you taste this, the color won't matter! Once I made this, I was sipping it all day long!

You, of course, can add any fruit juice blend to the chia seeds to make tons of flavors!

 I also did a batch with pomegranate juice and it was delicious as well! All I did was, make the chia mixture and let it set. Then I poured it into a container along with about 2 cups of pomegranate juice and shook well.

This one's color was beautiful! The flavor was nice as well!

Experiment with the flavor combos and let me know which ones you like! Don't hesitate to make this delicious, hydrating, summer drink! Make it for Mother's Day, and give your Mamma some Homemade 'Mamma Chia' to make her feel as special as she is!

Let me know what you think! Share this post with a friend and follow the blog to stay up to date on all my healthy lifestyle post! Also, follow the blog on Twitter @ Spinachisgood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

Keep Healthy and Safe, and Happy Mother's Day!
H. Banana

Smoothies

  I love smoothies at anytime and for any meal! They are a great way to get necessary nutrients in to your diet. Not only are they a easy and quick meal to make and eat but they can and are delicious and satisfying. I think a lot of people don't like smoothies because they don't feel full or satisfied by them. The way to fix that it to know what to put in them and how much.

Often I get into a habit of throwing the same things into my smoothies every day and I tend to get bored by them. But, I also have found several combinations that I just love and I make all the time! These recipes are simple yet pack a power combo of flavors and nutrients! I hope you like them!

#1 Mean Green Smoothie
1/2 ripe Banana
1/2 cup fresh Spinach
1/2 apple(with peel and seeds)
1/2 orange( or a whole 'Cuties' orange)
Cube of fresh Ginger
Spoonful of Chia Seeds
Spoonful of Ground Flax Seed
1/4 cup Coconut Water
Splash of Lemon Juice
Enough Water to Blend.

# 2 PB and Banana Smoothie
1/2 ripe Banana
2 TBS Peanut Butter(or more if you want)
Spoonful of Chia Seeds (Optional but they don't have a taste and they're super good for you!)
Spoonful of Ground Flax Seeds
1/4-1/2 cup Almond Milk(depending on how liquid you like it)
Ice


#3 Good Morning Smoothie
1/2 frozen Strawberries
1/2 frozen Pineapple
Spoonful ground Flax Seeds
Spoonful Chia Seeds
1/4 cup Coconut Water
1/4 cup Coconut Milk(or Almond Milk)
Scoop of Protein Powder( I suggest a vanilla flavor)

#4 Blueberry 'The Bomb' Smoothie
1/2 cup frozen Blueberries
2 TBS Almond Butter
1/4 cup Almond Milk
Spoonful Ground Flax Seeds
Spoonful Chia seeds
Ice
Enough Water to Blend



Well, I hope you liked these 4 smoothie recipes! You will probably notice that I include chia seeds and ground flax seeds in all of these smoothies. That is to add more nutrients to the smoothie. If you want to know why chia seed and flax seeds are so good for you, check out my Super Foods posts for more info on them!

These are just a few of the smoothies you can try! Have fun with it and the more you experiment the more of your own smoothie recipes you will make!

If you like this post, please share with a friend and check back for more post soon!

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana

Follow the blog on Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett

Wholey Guacamole!

  If you read my previous posts( Super Food Facts) you will know how good Avocados are for you. I like to use them wherever and whenever I can! This recipe for guacamole is not only delicious, but a great healthy snack or side dish for just about any occasion!

I love guacamole a lot! Every where I have it, its made a different way. And, though its usually pretty tasty, I have my favorites. Among those is my own recipe of course! I was taught how to make guacamole a few years ago by a family friend in Houston, and I have been making it ever since. It is so easy to make, you can customize it to your own preferences, and its a great way to use up almost-too-ripe avocados!

So, let's make some guacamole!

Ingredients:
2 large, ripe Avocados
1(10 oz) can of Rotel
2 tsp Lime Juice
1tsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper

Start by slicing and scooping the avocados into a bowl. With the back of a fork, mash them to desired texture. I like mine a little chunky! The riper the avocados are, the easier this job is!

 

The next step is to add the spices and Lime juice. Fresh squeezed lime juice is best, so use that when you can. To make squeezing your lime easier, roll it on the counter a few times to loosen it up!

 

 

Stir this together and then add the garlic and Rotel. I like to add half the can, stir in, and then see how much of the rest of the can I want. This way I always get the perfect avocado to Rotel ratio!

 

Mix this together and you're done! Taste it to see if you need more salt and pepper or lime juice!

 

Serve with corn chips, on tacos, taco salad(one of my favorites!), on a sandwich(instead of Mayo) or however you like it!

I love this recipe so much! Its super easy to make and you can keep it in the fridge for a quick and healthy snack!

If you have enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend!

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana

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Almond Butter

 I love almond butter on apples, in smoothies, used in cookies and so much more! Before, we bought it in the store and because we got the organic kind, it was pretty expensive. Little did I know how easy making your own almond butter is! You really only need one ingredient and a little patience! Now that I have made my own, and tasted it's amazingness, I will probably never go back to store bought!

So let's make some homemade almond butter!

Ingredients:
 3 cups Sliced Almonds ( If you don't have sliced you can use whole and just roast them for a tiny bit longer)
Optional: Salt.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread out the almonds on a baking sheet that has sides so the almonds won't slip off. Roasted them for 5-8 minutes (Or longer if using whole almonds)
When they are done they will have browned and the kitchen will smell amazing!

Next, place them in a food processor with a pinch of salt and blend for about 15 to 20 minutes.( if you are using whole you might need longer)

At first you will get a grainy like mixture (this is almond flour!) but keep going and it will turned into butter.

When it is done it will look nice and creamy and smooth! Pour it into a glass jar and take a spoonful to try it! Delicious!

The end result is about a cup of yummy almond butter, perfect for eating with apples, on a sandwich or in some cookies!

Please share this post with a friend!
Keep healthy and SAFE
H.Banana