MISO BUTTER GOCHUJANG SMASHED CHICKPEA SANDWICH WITH CUCUMBER AND AVOCADO

For a while, I've wanted to make something with miso butter and Gochujang, which is Korean red pepper paste. When the craving for a chickpea tuna sandwich came on and I didn't have my usual ingredients on hand, that's when the creativity sparked.

Does that happen to you, too? You are most creative when you have limitations and are forced to think outside the box. I often joke with my partner that my best recipe ideas come when we are in desperate need of a grocery shop and I have to put something together with random ingredients.

Anyways, this sandwich is delicious and easy to make. I hope you love it.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature (do not microwave)

1 scant tbsp white miso paste

3-4 tsp Gochujang or Korean red pepper paste, depending on how much you like spice

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 -15 oz can chickpeas, rinse, drained, smashed

4 slices of bread

butter

To finish the sandwich, cucumber slices, avocado, mixed greens

DIRECTIONS

in a medium-sized bowl, combine the butter, miso, Gochujang, basil, and onion until smooth and well combined. Next, add the chickpeas, and using the back of a form, smash the chickpeas until they start to form a chunky paste. Set aside.

spread butter on one side of each piece of bread. Put the bread butter side down in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and begin to toast. Then flip over and let the non-buttered side toast for 30 seconds to a minute. Then flip back, butter side down, and spread a thick layer of chickpea mixture on two pieces of toast.

Remove from cast iron. Then on the piece of toast without the chickpea mixture, spread on the avocado. Then layer with cucumber, mixed greens, and anything else you want. fold the avocado piece on top of the chickpea piece and cut it in half. Enjoy.

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LOADED VEGETABLE TOMATO SOUP

I really like soup.

My partner does not.

He also doesn't really like tomatoes.

And sometimes I just don't give a shit. A girl needs to LIVE. You know what I mean?

And so I made this soup.

To my surprise.... HE ACTUALLY LIKED IT. You know it must be good.

This is a no-recipe, recipe, where things do not need to be exact so the things below are approximations. I recommend testing things as you go and adjusting seasonings until its just right for you!

NO-RECIPE RECIPE FOR LOADED VEGETABLE TOMATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

6 medium carrots, thinly sliced

1 small head celery, thinly sliced

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

about 2 tsp of each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, , smoked paprika, Italian seasoning or Italian soffitto, more to taste and preference

about 1 tsp of each dried basil, thyme, crushed red pepper, more to taste and preference

3-4 cups sliced mushrooms

2 ears of corn, kernels removed

3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1-15oz can of kidney beans

1-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1-32 oz box of vegetable broth

8-10 tbsp salted butter

1/4 parmesan cheese, thinly grated, plus more for garnish

fresh basil for garnish

DIRECTIONS

in a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium, once hot, add in the onion, carrot, celery, and leeks. Cook, mixing well for 3 minutes. Then add in the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian or soffritto seasoning, basil, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Mix well and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, until the veggies start to release liquid and cook down.

Then add in the mushrooms, corn, garlic, beans, tomatoes, and broth. Stir well to combine. Bring to a bowl, cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Then remove the lid, and let cook uncovered until the soup reduces. Then add in the butter and cheese.

Taste everything again and adjust anything to your liking. Add to bowls, shave more parmesan cheese, add fresh basil and enjoy!

IF YOU WEREN'T SPENDING SO MUCH TIME THINKING ABOUT FOOD, WHAT WOULD YOU BE THINKING ABOUT?

This past April I hopped on a plane to New York City to attend my first ever business conference specifically designed for female entrepreneurs, primarily in service-based industries. I made a big investment in my growth by joining a business accelerator program that included attendance.

Towards the end of the event, women who were in the previous round got on stage as part of a success panel. They shared their experience in the program and while yes, they learned new strategies that made money and grew their businesses, a lot of them had mentioned getting results they weren’t anticipating.

Results they didn't necessarily come for.

Going through transformations they didn’t know they needed. Healing wounds they didn’t know they had. Changing areas of their life that were holding them back.

(things like leaving toxic relationships, moving cities, quitting 9-5’s, healing sisterhood wounds, being more self-expressed, softening into their feminine, a connection to their intuition and higher self…., the list goes on)

Clearly this was about more than just business.

I remember sitting in my seat looking up at these powerful women, thinking to myself that I wanted to be up there, on that stage, at the next event. So, I set that intention for myself right there on the spot. I even wrote it down in my journal.

{Be on the success panel at the next event}

On the plane ride home, I closed my eyes, put my hand on my heart and started to connect to my breath. I tuned in and dropped in. Then started to ask questions in hopes of getting some answers…,

“What is my next step for my business?”

“What does my community need?”

“How can I best serve them?”

That’s when the idea for Food Body Soul landed in my head. When this happens, I call it a download (from spirit, source, my guides, intuition, God, higher self, the Universe..., whatever you connect with is cool).

All the ideas started flooding through like a dam had been opened.

It would be virtual and in-person.

I would have guest experts teach workshops in areas that were outside my zone of genius to best serve the women.

There would be a transformational in-person retreat.

There would be intimate sisterhood and community.

Women would heal their relationship with food.

They would make peace with their body.

And they would develop a deep connection to themselves. Their confidence. Their intuition. Their worthiness and enough-ness.

They would learn to live a soul-aligned life.

This would be about so much more than food.

Just like the program I joined was about so much more than business.

And it would be life-changing.

Fast forward to this past weekend, I went to San Diego to attend the same event, and guess what…, I was invited to speak on the success panel.

Yeah, I manifested that shit.

Something that was mirrored back to me by the woman in my group throughout the program was how powerful of a manifestor I actually am.

This was not something I fully identified with - manifestation - but I was very open to it. After learning more about it I had to agree with my business sisters, I was in fact really fucking good at it.

Healing my eating disorder. Going to New York and Paris Fashion week for my job. Climbing the corporate ladder. The restaurant I opened then sold. The successful health and wellness blog. Writing my first book, Body Wisdom. My loving partnership with my man. Deep intimate friendships with women. The thriving health coaching business. The cookbook deal from a publisher. Speaking on that stage.

And this is something that I am going to be teaching how to do during the SOUL portion of Food Body Soul.

Once all the time, money, energy and brain space that is currently being devoted to food and weight is cleared up, you will have a lot of time, money, energy and brain space to create with.

So, what will you want to create?

What are the intentions and goals you will set for yourself?

What truly matters to you in your life?

Who do you want to become?

Rather…, who do you need to become so you can create the life you want?

What’s your next level?

This is where the magic comes in.

This is where you create a life outside of food. And not just any life, but one you are excited to live.

One that makes you feel more aliveness then you've ever felt.

And it's going to feel fucking good.

Something I shared on Instagram was how even during the darkest of days…, the restricting, the bingeing, the purging into plastic bags in my room, the self-loathing and body hatred…I always knew I was meant for more.

I could feel it.

And I bet you can, too.

I know that you know deep down, your life is about so much more than this struggle with food and weight.

You are meant for so much more! And you are worthy and deserving of everything you want.

Don’t forget it.

xo, Cara

You can check out Food Body Soul - now a self-paced course, here.

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