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Pure Voice: Melissa Costello and The Clean in 14 Detox

September 8, 2015 By Jennifer

Today I have an amazing book to share with you along with the fabulous author that wrote it. Plus her tips on how to find balance in the kitchen when embarking on a plant-based diet.

Melissa Costello, founder of Karma Chow has always had a passion for healthy, delicious food and nutrition. As a Nutritional Educator and Wellness Coach (NHI & Spencer Institute), Melissa works one on one with clients teaching them how to live a happier, healthier life through a plant-based, whole foods diet. She is the creator of The Vital Life 30-Day Food Based Cleanse, which has become popular among celebs in Hollywood as well as hundreds worldwide.

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The Clean in 14 Detox is a revolutionary 2-week program that is chock full of satisfying and delicious recipes, easy to follow meal plans and daily actions to help you break bad habits and unhealthy patterns with food. You will not only cleanse your body by giving it a break from every day toxins, you will also kick sugar cravings, lose weight and find your natural energy so you can live a healthier, happier, more vibrant life. No Starvation or Deprivation!

There are a lot of things I love about The Clean in 14 Detox. It’s an easy to follow program that includes all the recipes you need to follow this plan; a shopping list, basic kitchens tools and even a support group you can join to connect with like-minded people. All the guesswork is taken out of this program, all you need to do is concentrate on the heart of the program. You can focus on changing your eating habits and focus on the mind/body balance to help you reach your goals.

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“Eating healthy can be a challenge for many, which is why it’s super important to make sure you plan your meals out each week. Health starts in your kitchen, and with what you put in your mouth. It does require a bit more thought at first, and possibly time, but once you get into the groove with planning your meals, shopping and cooking it will become second nature. It’s important to take small steps that are manageable within your schedule. Also, you can look at where you can prioritize more. Often I hear people tell me they don’t enough time to prepare meals, etc. and then when I probe a little deeper I find they are wasting multiple hours on social media and watching TV or browsing the internet every night. These are precious hours you can be using for self-care and meal planning.

It’s all about keeping your eye on the bigger picture, which for many is health. Your health is your true wealth, so with your eye on that, what will you do to make it a priority in your life? It’s time to re-assess and look at where you can make the time for this commitment. Start small, maybe pick one new recipe a week and begin there. The healthier you eat, the better you feel, and if that’s not enough motivation, I’m not quite sure what is.”

Great tips Melissa! We sometimes need to be reminded to focus on what is really important. One small change can get us closer or to our goal. Ask yourself what it is you REALLY want and make it happen.

Melissa’s book also includes mouthwatering mix-and-match meal plans for the 14 days. I am a sucker for salads in general and I LOVE Greek Salads, so of course I had to make this right away. Melissa’s recipe does not disappoint, the dressing is simple, but packed with flavor. It’s been a weekly staple over here since the first time I made it.

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Gracious Greek Salad
 

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Who doesn’t love Greek salad? This dairy-free version is a delight and loaded with phytonutrients, fat dissolvers, and antioxidants.
Author: Melissa Costello
Serves: 2

Ingredients
Salad:
  • 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • ¼ cup chopped cucumber
  • ½ red bell pepper, diced
  • ¼ cup chopped kalamata olives
  • ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 2 tablespoons diced red onion
Garlicky Greek Dressing:
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions
  1. Put Salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
  2. Blend dressing ingredients in a blender until cream and smooth. Pour over the salad and toss until well mixed.

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I love to make plant-based meals look beautiful. Some say you eat with your eyes, and this is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Who doesn’t love a show-stopping, gorgeous meal to make for yourself or for a get-together?

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Portobello Stacker with Chipotle Cashew Cheese
 

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This delicious entrée will make you feel as if you are eating a gourmet meal at a fancy restaurant. Even though it has simple ingredients, the health benefits are phenomenal.
Author: Melissa Costello
Recipe type: entrée
Serves: 2

Ingredients
  • 2 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
  • 1 large zucchini, cut in half and sliced into ½-inch strips
Marinade:
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup filtered water
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the mushrooms in a baking dish cap side down with the zucchini slices. Cut the bell pepper into strips and set aside.
  2. Whisk or blend together all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and pour over the mushrooms and zucchini. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. Bake the mushrooms and zucchini in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until soft and juicy. Remove from oven.
  4. To assemble the stackers, place one mushroom on a plate and spread a thin layer of the cashew cheese over the top. Add a few of the roasted bell pepper strips and a dollop of Chipotle Cashew Cheese. Finish off by topping the stack with several zucchini strips. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

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Chipotle Cashew Cheese
 

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This vegan take on cheese sauce is delicious on just about everything. Cashews are high in magnesium and potassium, lending to your body’s mineral balance.
Author: Melissa Costello
Recipe type: Condiment
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
  • 1½ cups cashews, soaked in water for 1 hour
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon smoke paprika (optional)
  • filtered water

Instructions
  1. Drain the water from the cashews and place all the ingredients in a blender with just enough water to barely cover. Blende until very smooth. Add more water if the mixture is too thick or if you’re having trouble blending the ingredients. This sauce should be fairly thick.

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Melissa has been kind enough to offer one copy of The Clean in 14 Detox to one lucky reader!

To enter the Giveaway, you MUST leave each entry as a SEPARATE comment or only one comment will count.

  • Like Karma Chow on Facebook and leave a comment on her wall.
  • Follow Melissa @karmachow on Twitter
  • Tweet about this giveaway and tell me that you tweeted in the comments section; “I just entered to win The Clean in 14 Detox @karmachow @purethyme”
  • Subscribe to Karma Chow’s Newsletter.
  • Share this giveaway on your Facebook Page and tell me that you did so in the comments section
  • Pin it
  • Like Pure Thyme on Facebook and leave a comment on my wall

All entries must be completed no later than Tuesday, September 15th 2015,  at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Winner will be announced on Wednesday, September 16th 2015, on my blog, and the winner will also be notified via the email address they provided in the comments section.

Thank you for sharing your book with us Melissa and for giving us some wonderful tips!!

XOXO,

Jennifer

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Entrees, Uncategorized Tagged With: entree, giveaway, salad, vegan

Spring Onion Farro Fritters with Fresh Peas, Apsaragus, Radish & Tahini-Mint Dressing

June 8, 2015 By Jennifer

Spring Onion Farro Fritters with Fresh Peas, Apsaragus, Radish & Tahini-Mint Dressing

Today I am thrilled to be able to share this wonderful recipe with you! I created this recipe for the awesome editors of Eternity Watch Magazine to be featured in their Spring Issue. It was such a please and honor to do so, Jenny and Vaughn are amazing people and so much fun to work with. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this magazine, I suggest you do so right away! Click the magazine cover image below to snag yourself a copy and check out more about the magazine.

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I absolutely love this recipe! It is whole-foods, plant-based and so delicious. I packed in as many fresh, in-season spring produce I could think of – I like my salads fully loaded. =) And if you are a salad lover like me, you with love this recipe as much as I do.

If you haven’t tried Farro yet, you are missing out on a wonderfully nutritious grain. It’s often used as a substitute for pasta or rice, farro is a grain with a nutty flavor similar to brown rice. It is rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C, and E.

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(Photo courtesy Bob’s Red Mill)

I am definitely going to showcase this awesome grain in upcoming recipes. I decided to use Farro in this recipe because I thought it would be a nice change from using Quinoa. I love Quinoa, but I wanted something new for these fritters. Farro is not gluten-free. But if you are gluten-free and want to try this recipe, you can substitute the Farro for quinoa and sub the whole-wheat flour and panko with gluten-free options.

Eternity Watch Magazine was kind enough to give me the PDF version of my recipe straight out of the magazine to share with you! Click on the link below to download the PDF.

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Some other blog news. I currently had all my recipes and post transferred over from Virtually Vegan Mama to Pure Thyme. Unfortunately, some images did not transfer over. =( So, please bear with me while I fix all the glitches. You guys rock!

Have a great day and enjoy this recipe!

xoxo,

Jennifer

 

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Entrees Tagged With: appetizer, entree, farro, salad, vegan

Divine Vegan Caesar Salad

February 24, 2011 By Jennifer

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I was just craving Caesar Salad this week…I just had to have it! Caesar dressings are certainly not vegan because they contain dairy, eggs and anchovies…can’t touch that right now! So, I was able to come up with this nutrient-rich version that is just divine!  I added beans in the dressing which is honestly my new favorite thing to do with most dressings, sauces, and almost all the experimenting I am doing in the kitchen right now includes beans. Why, you ask…well, don’t you know? Okay, I’ll tell you. =) Beans are allowed to be eaten in unlimited quantities if you are Eating for Optimum Health and want to be Plant Strong! Just buy the books, follow those links on the side over there, this information will change your life…it has changed mine. The benefits of eating beans are so numerous I can’t even list them all here. Beans are rich in fiber, protein and fill you up so you feel satisfied way longer. I always have more energy when I eat beans and I find when I blend them, I digest them easier, you know what I’m saying?  You can even serve this to your non-vegan friends at a dinner party and they won’t complain…I promise. The blended cashew pieces look like parmesan in there too and add a nice nutty flavor to the dressing. I love it and you will too! Okay, so give it a try.


Divine Vegan Caesar Salad
White Bean and Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing
Yields: 1 cup (maybe a little more)
¼ cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for 6 hours
½ cup white northern beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ tsp horseradish sauce
½ tsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 tbsp Dr. Fuhrman’s Riesling Raisin Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar or Vinegar of your choice
1 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
½ tsp onion powder
1-2 tbsp fresh minced parsley
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Salad
Serves 2
Salad is the main dish =)
1 head of romaine lettuce leaves washed and torn
½ cup or more cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup diced pear
2 sliced of whole wheat or gluten-free bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Make breadcrumbs:  Cube two sliced of bread and toss with a teaspoon of no-salt seasoning like Dr. Fuhrman’s Vegizest. Place on non-stick baking tray and bake 10-12 minutes or until well toasted. Set aside.
Make the dressing: Put all ingredients in Mini-prep, Cuisinart or blender (whatever you have) and process for 30 seconds or until combined. Stir in black pepper to taste, set aside. Dressing can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Assemble the salad: Put the prepared romaine in a large bowl. Add cherry tomatoes, pear and croutons. Add enough dressing to coat the salad. Toss and serve immediately.

Enjoy! YUM!

 

Filed Under: Entrees Tagged With: caeser, salad

Welcome to Pure Thyme


Hi, I'm Jennifer, Welcome to Pure Thyme! This is my recipe blog where I share my love for food that is healthy, simple and delicious. Here is where you will find inspiration to have fun, live well, and find balance in your life!

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