#1 Tahini Banana Date Shake

5-Minute, creamy and delicious tahini banana date shake with unsweetened almond milk and a dash of cinnamon!

Drink this shake as a nutrition-packed, dairy-free breakfast shake, or use as an afternoon pick-me-up. It’s so good, you’ll think you’re having dessert! (Vegan &  Gluten Free)

Ingredients

  • 2 frozen bananas, sliced
  • 4 pitted Medjool dates
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • ¼ cupcrushed ice
  • 1 ½ cup sun sweetened almond milk
  • Pinch ground cinnamon

Instructions

Place ingredients in your blender. Run blender until you achieve a smooth and creamy shake.

(Or make a chocolate power milk shake)

#2 Roasted White Beans with Vegetables

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼cup dry white beans
  • ½cup olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped in small pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped in small pieces
  • 1 onion grated
  • 1 garlic clove sliced
  • 7-8cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste diluted with 1/4 cup of water
  • Ground Pepper
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Soak beans overnight
  2. Rinse and simmer beans for about 30 minutes until soft but not mushy, drain and set aside
  3. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)
  4. Chop vegetables and then in a large bowl mix the peppers, grated onion, garlic, beans, olive oil, tomato paste mixture, oregano, and pepper. Mix gently as to not break the beans.
  5. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and mix gently.
  6. Pour into casserole dish.
  7. Add ¼ cup hot water to the dish pouring it in a corner and tilting the dish so that the water spreads (do not pour over as this will wash off the olive oil).
  8. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for about 1 hour until peppers are soft.
  9. Remove foil and roast for about 10 minutes if you want some browning. Be careful not to leave it uncovered too long, otherwise, the beans will dry out.
  10. Remove from oven, let it cool and add salt as needed
  11. Serve plain or with feta cheese.

#3 Crunchy Granola

Ingredients

Granola from the Mediteranean diet

  • 2 ½ cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¾ cup shelled pistachios ¾ cup shelled and diced walnuts
  •  ½ cup sunflower seed
  • 3 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
  •  1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1  cup honey warmed up so it’s runny
  • ½ cup tahini
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup chopped Medjool dates (about 6 dates, pitted and chopped)
  • ½ cup dry cranberries or cherries

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine the oats, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower seed, and sesame seeds, and coconut flakes in a large bowl.
  3. In another bowl, mix the honey, tahini, olive oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and cardamom. Pour over the oat mixture and toss until the oat mixture is well-coated.
  4. Spread the mixture on a large sheet pan in one single layer. Bake in the heated oven, stirring every 7 to 10 minutes until the mixture is golden and well-toasted (anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes)
  5. Remove from the heat and allow the granola to cool completely. Break it up into clusters and mix in the dates and cranberries (or other dried fruits of your choice).