Category Archives: snacks

oven baked sweet potato chips with dairy free ranch dip {paleo}

4 Replies

Hey guys! Back again with August’s guest blog post over at Bitte, a small batch and artisan children’s online store that offers clothing and toys that are unique and built to last. Run by mother and daughter duo, Maia McDonald Smith and Sara McDonald, their store and blog embody many similar values as Nyssa’s Kitchen, and I’m thrilled to be connecting with their audience. I’m also incredibly excited for you to explore their beautiful and sustainable goods – their shop is always the first place I look for gifts for little ones, and I think you’ll see why when you check them out!

Today I’ll be sharing a recipe for oven baked sweet potato chips with dairy free ranch dip.. Continue reading for the first part of the post, and then click the link below to get the full recipe on their blog!

Anyone else always game for a new and healthy make at home snack? If so, this post for oven baked sweet potato chips with dairy free ranch dip is made for YOU!

Healthy oven baked sweet potato chips with dairy free ranch dressing! A salty, crunchy and satisfying make at home snack that's loaded with anti-oxidants and healthy fats.

I will be the first to admit that I have something of an addiction to chips. Yep. They are definitely what I would consider to be my “snack vice”.

One of those things that you just don’t keep in the house unless you’re prepared for the inevitable gravitational pull to the cupboard. I have switched gears over the last several years to a more (ahem) “healthier” variety –  if you can actually ever call chips that. Think red and purple potatoes fried in either avocado or coconut oil – thus avoiding all the junky oils that chips are usually fried in. Not to mention all the other no bueno ingredients that are in all the bags that line an ENTIRE AISLE at the grocery store. Guess I’m not the only one with a weak spot for the crunchy salty fix. 

Healthy oven baked sweet potato chips with dairy free ranch dressing! A salty, crunchy and satisfying make at home snack that's loaded with anti-oxidants and healthy fats.

On one recent trip to the store while I was reaching for my favorite bag of avocado oil chips, I heard a quote from Michael Pollan’s book “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual” running through my head – “Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.”

Which, when you think about it really is a brilliant way of allowing you and your family to indulge in some of the treats you love, by making healthier versions of them, and without getting sucked into the convenience of these foods that are so prevalent in our food culture. 

So with this philosophy in mind, I decided to forgo the packaged chip purchase and instead continue my pursuit of anti-oxidant rich, anti-inflammatory, blood sugar regulating, crispy sweet potato GOODNESS. 

I knew from past experience that achieving crispy sweet potato nirvana is not an easy task. But sometimes, when things don’t turn out right the first time, you just have to research, try again (and again… and again… ) until you find success. 

Oven baked sweet potato chips are definitely worth getting right. 

Continue reading →

creamy watermelon chia seed pudding {gluten free + vegan option}

Leave a reply

When you’re on your tenth watermelon of the summer, you start to get reaaaally creative with different ways to use it! You’ll see a couple of watermelon recipes coming up on the blog for that very reason. The first of which, is this creamy watermelon chia seed pudding!

A simple and healthy recipe for creamy watermelon chia seed pudding made with minimal ingredients, and packed with juicy summertime flavor to keep you happy and healthy!
 
Creamy watermelon chia seed pudding? Sounds a little… strange, right? It sounded pretty strange to me at first, too. So strange that even though the recipe came out perfectly on my first round of testing, I had to make it two more times just to be sure that I wasn’t making up the fact that it was DELICIOUS.

I actually kind of had to convince myself that this was a good idea. And now, I do believe it’s my job to convince YOU that’s it a good idea, too 🙂

The base for the chia seed pudding starts by blending together fresh cut pieces of juicy watermelon, greek yogurt (Stay with me here. You can also sub in coconut yogurt for a dairy free option), lemon juice, and a little maple syrup to gently sweeten things up. The chia seeds are whisked in, and once their plumped up, the pudding is layered into little cups with fresh berries, and more juicy watermelon.

How am I doing on the convincing so far? 😉

A simple and healthy recipe for creamy watermelon chia seed pudding made with minimal ingredients, and packed with juicy summertime flavor to keep you happy and healthy!

Continue reading →

rainbow collard green spring rolls with shrimp {paleo}

2 Replies

Ohh hey nice weather! I’m looking at YOU! The sun is here (hopefully to stay!), summer is just around the corner, and we’re eating alllll the crunchy, spicy, SUPER HEALTHY rainbow collard green spring rolls with shrimp.

Ya with me?!

Rainbow collard green spring rolls with shrimp! Layers of tangled crunchy veggies, perfectly pan seared shrimp, spicy mayo, all tucked inside some SUPER HEALTHY collard green wraps!

Rainbow collard green spring rolls with shrimp! Layers of tangled crunchy veggies, perfectly pan seared shrimp, spicy mayo, all tucked inside some SUPER HEALTHY collard green wraps!
 
Tangled crunchy veggies. Perfectly pan seared shrimp. Spicy mayo, avocado, or both! A salty and slightly tangy dipping sauce to go with it. Yes yes and yes.

Every time I eat collard green wraps I always feel this major blast from the past – memories of collard wraps filled with greens and sliced fresh veggies, salads, cashew “cheese”, sprouted seed crackers and a dehydrator running 24/7 in our little apartment run through my head.

You see, shortly after starting college I started eating a vegetarian diet, which quickly transitioned to eating vegan, which then led me down the exploratory path of eating a 100% raw vegan diet. It lasted just shy of a month, after which I realized it wasn’t exaaactly the right fit for me. I found my energy levels to be majorly lacking and after eating an enormous meal, I still didn’t feel satisfied or full. Not good things!

But since every experience gives us the opportunity to learn something about ourselves or the world we live in, I did gain some really valuable skills in preparing and incorporating raw foods into my every day eating habits. And it also taught me the priceless lesson to listen to my body’s signals for what works for, and what works against my health. It was shortly after this little venture into raw foodism that I did a complete 180 and started consuming meat and animal products again, but this time with more intention. Choosing pastured and organic animal products, knowing where they came from, how they were processed and how MUCH of them I was eating.

And of course my journey toward optimal health was not over at that point – and I don’t think it ever will be. Our bodies are constantly changing, requiring new types of attention and nourishment + we are always within that feedback loop of taking care of ourselves the best way we know how, reading the information our bodies send back to us and adjusting as we go. It’s kind of a really cool thing if you tune into it.

Continue reading →