Have you ever wondered about healthy, simple recipes that you can make from the comfort of your own home? Well, if you want to switch up your routine and try a few new recipes, we have some to share that are simple and won’t break the bank.
For our Simplify your Life Week, we’re collaborating with Aubrey Johansen. Aubrey is a Personal Chef & Food Enthusiast sharing deliciously simple and healthy recipes on her blog and Instagram! From her personalized coffee to her garlic-lemon chicken recipe, her recipes will leave your mouth watering.
Aubrey graciously gave us her recipes to share with you all! When "I" is used, it's referring to Aubrey.
Recipe: Frothy Coffee with Collagen
Most people enjoy a cup of hot coffee in the morning to jump start their day; however, you should try this cold brew recipe. Aubrey makes her coffee the night before in her french press and then adds a few things into her cup before sipping. She adds a wonderful ingredient called Vital Proteins Vanilla Collagen. This protein powder is great for your skin because it contains collagen. Collagen decreases as you get older, so taking supplements or eating things that contain collagen will help improve your skin’s elasticity.
Ingredients & Instructions
- 3 T Coffee
- ½ cup Almond Milk
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 Scoops Vital Proteins Vanilla & Coconut Water Collagen Whey
- The night before, scoop 3 heaping tablespoons of coffee into a French press. You can find one at most stores like Target, or online at amazon, for around $20. If you’re fancy, feel free to use a flavored coffee. I alternated between a s’more flavor, and a coconut flavor all last summer, and it made this drink even better! Plain coffee is also great! Cover grounds with water, and allow to sit out overnight, this gives the coffee time to “cold brew”-which is beneficial if you have a sensitive stomach. Cold Brew is less acidic than drip coffee.
- The next morning, all you have to do is push the lid down on the French Press, separating the grounds from the liquid, and you have Cold Brew ready to go!
- In a blender, combine 2 Cups Cold Brew Coffee with 1/2 cup of almond milk, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 2 scoops of Vital Proteins Vanilla & Coconut Water Collagen Whey. I love this protein blend because there aren’t any weird additives, it has whey protein for fuel, collagen for gut health and hair, skin, nail health, and you can actually see the tiny flecks of vanilla bean running through the powder. It’s darn good stuff.
- Blend all ingredients on low until combined, 30 seconds or less. To make the coffee frothy, kick the blender speed all the way up to high, this pushes air into the liquid and gives the collagen a moment to “bloom”. If you’re not a fan of the “froth”, just pour over ice after all is combined on low! You could also blend the ice right into the drink for a more “frappe” feel, but I just pour the goods into a glass full of ice, pick a fun song, and start my day! Cheers!
Recipe: Healthy Overnight Oats
Aubrey has created both her Banana Cream Pie Overnight Oats and her Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats. Both recipes are a healthy and tasty way to start your morning. You can also substitute in different fruits other than bananas and blueberries depending on your preferences. The probiotics in yogurt help your skin tremendously. Zinc and lactic acid are two big ingredients that can help nurture the skin’s protective barrier.
INGREDIENTS - Banana Cream Pie Overnight Oats
- 1½ ripe bananas
- 1½ cups plain greek yogurt
- ½ cups water
- 2 cups quick cook oats
- 1 T vanilla extract
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 4 T granola or almond butter
- 4 T toasted almonds
INGREDIENTS - BLUEBERRY PIE Overnight Oats
- ½ cup blueberries
- 1 ½ cups plain greek yogurt
- ½ cups water
- 2 cups quick cook oats
- 1 T vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 4 T granola or almond butter
- 4 T toasted almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mash ripe fruit with extract, salt, and mix in yogurt, water, and oats.
- Divide into 4 separate containers, and top with 1 tablespoon each nut butter and toasted almonds. Add extra fruit on top if you like!
- Store in the refrigerator for at least four hours, or overnight, and then they last for 5 days.
Recipe: Loaded Garlic-Lemon Chicken Pita
Aubrey has created both her Banana Cream Pie Overnight Oats and her Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats. Both recipes are a healthy and tasty way to start your morning. You can also substitute in different fruits other than bananas and blueberries depending on your preferences. The probiotics in yogurt help your skin tremendously. Zinc and lactic acid are two big ingredients that can help nurture the skin’s protective barrier.
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ lbs chicken, cut into large chunks. Use whichever boneless cut you prefer
- 1 brick Halloumi Cheese, cut into large chunks
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, zested, and juiced
- ½ T dried oregano
- ½ T salt
- ½ T pepper
- 4 pita, cut in half
- 2 cups lettuce
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- ½ cucumber, sliced
- 1/3 cup Kalamata Olives
- 1/3 cup vinaigrette of your choice
*you will need skewers for this recipe. If using wooden skewers, please soak in water for an hour before assembling and grilling- to prevent them from burning*
INSTRUCTIONS
- Fill Akorn Jr .with Charcoal, and light- Let heat up and scrub your grates clean of debris. Add a thin layer of oil, and let the grill do its magic. I usually let my coals and grill heat up for about thirty minutes before cooking.
- Mix yogurt with lemon juice, olive oil, zest, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. Add chicken, and thoroughly combine. You can do this ahead of time, overnight if you have time- Thread chicken onto your skewers, and then on additional skewers, thread your Halloumi Cheese.
- Place your skewers on the hot grill and cook the cheese for about 2 minutes per side, until char marks form and the cheese gets soft. Remove from heat and keep warm on a baking sheet under foil. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, turning as grill marks form, and pull once temperature is 160 degrees. Let the chicken skewers rest on the baking sheet under foil- allowing the temp to come up an additional 5 degrees, and letting the juices redistribute. Then, grill the pita for 1-2 minutes, until warm and pliable.
- Serve Skewers with grilled pita, and all the fixings. Drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette and enjoy! These Skewers would be great as the main entrée as well, with a side of rice or pasta, and a large tossed salad.