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Sunday, July 22, 2012

Acai BOWLLLZZzzzZ

Acai bowls are a great for breakfast, lunch or DINNER!!
I think I love them a little bit too much... So to save me some money, I started making them myself, which is actually a lot easier than you think! 
It's a just a matter of having the ingredients :)
I like to make a SUPER version of the regular acai bowl, by adding cacao/greens/hemp/chia/spirulina/whey protein/whatever I have.


1 Unsweetened acai packet (Sambazon brand is good)
half of a frozen banana
2-3 frozen strawberries
unsweetened almond/soy/hemp/coconut milk (anything but dairy)
1 Tbsp cacao
1 1/2 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 Kale leaf
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 Tbsp spirulina
pinch of cinnamon
1 Tbsp bee pollen
1/4 c granola (any kind)
fresh fruit to top it with
agave/honey to taste

Blend frozen fruit, kale, cacao, hemp, chia, spirulina, cinnamon, and nondairy milk into a thick consistency. Next, add half of your 1/4 cup granola to the bottom of a bowl, pour smoothie into the bowl, add the rest of the granola, bee pollen, fresh fruit and honey/agave, and you've got yourself an acai bowl!
Sometimes, I find that blending the kale and the super foods (hemp, cacao, etc.) before adding the frozen fruit works best.

You can also get creative with whatever you can find to put into it, such a wheat germ, chlorella, maca powder, coconut flakes, etc.

It's just so much better/satisfying/CHEAPER to make it yourself, than buying it from a smoothie shop. You can also add as much granola as you like!!

Cumin Carrot salad

Vitamins and SPICES is the name... And this salad has lots of them.


3 large carrots, grated
1 can of garbanzo beans (16 oz)
1 kale leaf, chopped
3 sprigs of Italian parsley, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp tumeric
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp Hemp seeds
1 Tbsp agave
Juice of half of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste


Carrots are packed with vitamin A, which is great for skin and eye site!
Garbanzo beans, AKA chick peas have the required protein to make this a complete and satisfying meal.
Hemp seeds also add in some proteins, minerals and omegas (healthy fats).
Cinnamon and turmeric have great anti-inflammatory properties and aid digestion.

You can also choose to add dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped up dates to give it a good balance of sweetness (instead of using agave syrup)!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Spirulina

Spirulina is a blue-green micro algae superfood that comes in supplements and powders. It actually helped produce the oxygen in our atmosphere billions of years ago! But more importantly, it has amazing health benefits.

1. It has 60%-70% complete protein. (More protein than chicken or soybeans!)
2. It contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, vitamin B12, iron, nucleic acids RNA & DNA, chlorophyll and phycocyanin.
3. Highly digestible (reduces cholesterol). It also promotes beneficial flora production in the intestinal tract.
4. Gives you an energy boost (because of all of these highly concentrated nutrients).
5. Increases antioxidant production.
6. Fights free radicals.
7. Curbs appetite/promotes weight loss.
8. Helps in controlling the growth of bacteria/yeast
9. Good for skin.
10. Improves allergies/respiratory function.
11. Stabilizes blood sugars.


I usually throw about 1/2 tsp into smoothies or some juice with chia seeds.


But I just recently got the idea of putting it into food!!
I was at my local Vim and Vigor health food store, and saw that they had spirulina musubis. I was AMAZED, and I was inspired to make some myself instead of buying it.

2 cups of short grain brown rice
4 cups of water
Any sort of filling, I used salmon and furikake.
Shoyu or Bragg's Liquid Aminos to taste
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
Sesame seeds
3-4 Tbsp of spirulina powder

Cook rice and let cool. Add Shoyu/liquid aminos, rice vinegar, sesame seeds and spirulina to rice. Fill a palm sized amount with about a teaspoon of your filling and morph into a ball. Sprinkle some furikake on top.



Easy enough right? The carbs and protein will give you a boost of energy, along with this amazing superfood to power you through your day :)



Monday, July 16, 2012

Cherry Granola Parfait

Greek yogurt is packed with twice the amount of protein that regular yogurt has. It's low in sodium, carbs, and its very easy to digest. I LOVE it with any fruit, smoothie, with some cinnamon and agave syrup, or with some dill, cucumber and feta cheese to make a tzatziki sauce for Greek gyros and salads.

For breakfast I made a cherry and granola parfait (it's cherry season), layered with some agave in between. I topped it with a sprinkle of hemp seeds for a little extra protein and some greet omegas.

All you need is..

Cherries, pitted
Granola. I used pumpkin seed granola.
Plain Greek yogurt (fat free)
Agave syrup or honey to taste

Layer granola, fruit, yogurt, granola, fruit, yogurt, etc. (You get the idea)


And place in your favorite bowl or cup! I used a beer glass ;)


Friday, July 13, 2012

Tofu "Aioli" Dip

There are three things I cannot eat.
No it's not a food allergy.
It's because there's just something about them that makes me cringe....

1. Pineapples 
I don't know why, but the smell makes me gag! Whenever there's a pineapple near me, I need to get away, whenever there's a pineapple in my food, or near it, I can't touch it or put it anywhere near my mouth. Pineapples just absolutely disgust me.

and #2....

MAYONAISE!!

Totally disgusting me. Almost as bad as the pineapples.... But it doesn't have a putrid acidic smell that pierces my soul, thoughts, and dreams so it's up there, but not first on the list.
I just really can't handle any "gloobery" kinds of food with eggs in it. Eggs benedict, sunny side up, you name it, can't do it. I can only handle scrambled eggs, super WELL DONE!

SO, on with my point here, I found this great tofu aioli sauce to use instead of mayo. It's vegan and it tastes amazing!

1 block of silken or firm tofu (doesn't matter)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 paprika

Blend olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and garlic together in food processor until garlic is minced. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until it is a thick sauce consistency.


The picture above is the same recipe, but I added fresh mint and beets. (Random, I know, but delicious!)

Feel free to add anything you want to it. Fresh herbs, more spices, vegetables, etc.


And dip anything you want into it! (I was using home made rice crackers and sugar snap peas.) It is also great on sandwiches, or you can add some more vinegar and olive oil to create a creamy vegan dressing :-)

If you're like me, and anti mayonnaise, you will definitely have to try this out. It is an amazing swap!
As for the pineapples... those will just have to be left alone. Totally not swap-able.

Do you have any foods/sauces you cringe just thinking about?

Easy Coconut-Peanut Kale

Shredded coconut and organic peanut butter... Mmm the perfect ingredients for a cookie!
Or kale?

Since I began working at a vegan cafe, I have been (I hate to use this word) stealing so many recipe ideas! Of course I can't make it exactly the way that they do, but I have definitely gotten close. You will learn in time, that when I follow recipes, I never actually "follow" them. I use recipes as guidelines, and add my own twist to adjust to my taste.
The original recipe calls for peanut butter and coconut flour, but all I had was shredded coconut so I pulsed that in a coffee grinder. I also added sesame seeds! (Because I love them so.)

1 bunch of kale
3 Tbsp organic peanut butter (smooth)
1/4 cup ground shredded coconut or coconut flour (unsweetened)
3-4 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (you can also use shoyu or "soy sauce")
2-3 generous Tbsp roasted sesame seeds


Steam kale leaves until wilted, not until cooked, an blanch. Cut kale leaves horizontally across stem into 1/2 inch tall pieces. Mix sesame oil, Bragg's/shoyu, coconut flour, and peanut butter together into a large mixing bowl into a runny paste. Mix in kale and sesame seeds. Feel free to sprinkle some extra shredded coconut on top for garnish.

Easy enough right? Sounds like a strange combination, but believe me you will fall in LOVE!!
I also tried mixing in some alfalfa sprouts, and that mixed well also.


A lovely dinner composed of my favorite kale salad, some home made basil hummus (I will add some hummus recipes later), some cut up whole wheat flat bread and carrot sticks. Perfection!


Thursday, July 12, 2012

There's something about breakfast....


that gets my wheels turnin!
It's when I get most creative. Smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, omelets, granolas, energy bars, fresh juice... This list goes on.
Lately, I've been going crazy with smoothies. It's summer time and there's nothing better than a refreshing breakfast, especially an easy refreshing liquid breakfast.
The good thing about smoothies is that you can put literally ANYTHING in them! Whatever you got, blend it up and see if the combination works. That's how easy it is.

Today I made a pumpkin-almond-banana-spice smoothie. Yep, that's right, you don't have to just stick to frozen berries! I usually throw in a handful of greens, but I had to hold myself back on this one.


1 frozen banana
1 1/2 tbsp of pumpkin almond butter (I will post this recipe later!)
1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp maca powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Almond milk (as much as you need, depending on your blender)

Blend together! It's just that easy :-)


It's like pumpkin pie in a cup!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Energy Balls!


Energy balls are basically throwing any dried nuts and fruits combination into a food processor and rolling the finished product into a spherical formation. The picture above is one of my personal favorites, dried blueberries, dates, almonds, cinnamon, and flax.

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup dried blueberries (unsweetened is best)
5 (give or take a couple depending on your taste) pitted medjool dates
3 tbsp agave syrup
3 tbsp chia seeds (ground or whole will work)
1 tbsp cinnamon (plus 1 tsp for sprinkling on after)
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
golden flax seeds

Add almonds into food processor, and grind to chunks. (We don't want almond butter, so just a few good pulses is necessary!) Add 1 tbsp cinnamon, salt and vanilla. You can add more if you love cinnamon like I do! Next, add in the blueberries and dates with the agave syrup. Pulse into a thick paste. It should be thick enough to keep form while rolling into the ball shape, if it's too thick you can add more agave, if it's not thick enough you can add more chopped up almonds or chia seeds. Put some flax seeds on a small plate (as many as you want), and after rolling the paste into balls, roll onto the plate of flax seeds to cover. Place your energy balls into reusable container or platter and sprinkle with some more cinnamon.