What’s the best kinda’ date? The one you can eat!

This simple and delish recipe from my book always delivers just the right amount of sweetness and energy. By combining dates, which help to stabilize blood sugar with lots of fiber – the fresh apple, vanilla collagen protein, nuts and coconut, you get a little apple pie in every bite. And to make them a little more festive, I added some fuschia-colored Pitaya powder to the mix. Pure natural color.

Here are the ingredients – hope you’ll try!

• 1 cup dried dates, pitted and chopped
• ½ cup slivered raw almonds
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• 1 scoop collagen protein powder
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 teaspoons dried Pitaya powder or natural sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the dates, almonds, walnuts, ground flaxseed, protein powder, ¼ cup of the coconut and 2 teaspoons water and pulse until a dough is formed. Add...

I went head to head with renowned YouTube and Cooking Channel chef Laura Vitale on the show “Recipe Rehab” and won this challenge – taking nachos to the next level but keeping them healthy and delish. This recipe was featured in the Harper Collins book, Recipe Rehab: These are full of protein with the chicken and beans and a ton of vitamin C from the mangoes and tomatoes. Beautiful flavor and a whole lotta’ fresh!!

Whole grain pita chips replace fatty corn chips, standing up to the toppings without getting soggy.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 Rounds Whole Wheat Pita Bread, cut in half horizontally then cut into 8 pieces per round (48 pieces total – if pita is too thin to cut horizontally, use 6 rounds for a total of 48 pieces.)

1 C grilled chicken breast, cubed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp cumin

1 1/2 Cup Lowfat/Nonfat Monterey Jack or Cheddar

1 C Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt

Juice of one fresh lime

Dash of Kosher salt

Pre Make: 1C Mango...

This is the perfect snack that comes together in no time when you have your rice precooked as part of your #mealprep. Just season it with vinegar and furikake, top it with some fresh avocado, and add a few thin slices of cucumber, microgreens, or radish and an optional dab of wasabi and coconut amino acids to kick up the flavor. They look so gorgeous and appetizing, too, without the cumbersome task of rolling your sushi just right.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated stevia
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cooked black rice or brown rice
6 large sheets roasted or toasted nori
1 avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons sliced cucumber, radish, or microgreens
1 tablespoon Homemade Furikake Rice Seasoning (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons prepared wasabi (optional)
Coconut amino acids (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, stevia, and salt. Add the rice, stir gently, and set aside to allow it to fully absorb the vinegar.

2. On a very dry surface, make two...

Those oatmeal packets give an otherwise great meal a bad rap. Power up your morning with REAL food. 

My banana date nut proats - protein oatmeal - is going to become your fave 5-minute breakfast. It’s literally the most delicious way to start your day - with no crashes because of the protein. Plus, the only ‘sweetener’ is from dates, and that won’t spike your GI because they’re full of fiber.

Proats are a staple in the bodybuilding community because protein helps to take an otherwise starchy food and turn it into a powerhouse.

Now, let's talk about dates.  They are hot.  And I'm not talking about the ones you go on. 

In my 2023 trends report. My version offers about 1/2 the sugar of the leading packaged brand per serving with 11 g of protein, good fiber and natural sweeteners that don’t crash your blood sugar - and it tastes SO much better. 

The good fats - chia seeds, walnuts and unsweetened shredded...

Happy first day of winter!

I can't believe we're here already.  It's the first day of the winter solstice and Christmas is right around the corner.  Even though I live in Southern California, it can get cold at night and there's nothing that I love more than a nice curry.  Hence, my inspiration for this gorgeous comfort dish using the easy and delicious meals from Kevin’s Natural Foods for the #kevinsrecipechallenge. 

SO… here’s my take twist on two ultimate comfort dishes - chicken pot pie meets shepherd’s pie – made healthy for your fit lifestyle

And I'm calling it Chef Mareya’s Royal Thai Curry Chicken Pie.

I love taking traditional recipes and turning them on their head, but keeping them gluten-free, dairy-free and super delish. So I replaced the crust with a blanket of this gorgeous-colored purple sweet potato mash and an edging of crispy eggplant to look like a ‘pie’.  I always pick purple...

Happy National Shrimp Day - This one is for tonight's celebrations! 

Chimichurri Shrimp & Shishito Pepper Skewers

INGREDIENTS
Nonstick olive or coconut oil
cooking spray
2 pounds large (16/20-count)
wild-caught shrimp
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of freshly ground black
pepper
1 pound shishito peppers
1½ cups cherry tomatoes
Chimichurri Sauce (page 107)

DIRECTIONS
1) Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent
burning on the grill. Heat a grill to medium-high.
2) In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, lime zest, lime juice,
salt, and black pepper. Set aside to marinate while the grill
heats.
3) Drain the skewers and pat dry with a paper towel. Mist them
with cooking spray. On each of 4 skewers, thread 4 shrimp. On
the remaining skewers, thread the shishito peppers and toma-
toes, alternating them. Mist the skewers with cooking spray.
4) Grill the shrimp skewers for 2 minutes on each side, taking
care not to burn shrimp. Grill the...