Classic Green Smoothie

In the past I have tried several green smoothie recipes (most of which were developed in my head) and none of them really blew me away.  I was always trying to just add greens into a smoothie I already knew I'd enjoy, and something about that just wasn't right.

Last night I YouTubed "Best Green Smoothie" and learned quite a bit.  Of course there are greens, but the fruit you choose is quite important.  A very ripe banana or pineapple will add enough sweetness to counteract the bitterness of the greens -  making it more palatable! 

I decided it was time to finally master a green smoothie. 

And it turned out GREAT! Way better than I had expected.  It tastes sweet, with a hint of greens, and the aftertaste is not bitter because of the banana.  I have a feeling this has changed the way I will think about smoothies.  YUM.

Classic Green Smoothie (serves ~ 1-2)

1 cup spinach

1 cup kale

1 ripe banana

1.5 cups chopped pineapple

2 tbsp. unsweetened coconut

2 cups water (feel free to use coconut water instead)

1/2 - 1 cup of ice

Blend away until completely smooth and serve in a mason jar :)  Enjoy!



Purple Velvet Beet Tart

We receive this monthly (I think?) magazine from the people at Presidents Choice called Fresh Juice, and within this magazine are scrumptious recipes.  I laid eyes on this particular picture of a beet pie or tart.  It look so vibrantly purple and delicious.  How could I not make it?

The lighting wasn't great, but the food WAS.  This is my version of the Purple Velvet Beet Tart :)

The crust was gluten free (part of the recipe) and the filling used agave nectar, which I've never actually tried but heard so much about.  My Nana was in town, so we set off to the grocery store, list in hand, and made it back with all the necessary ingredients.

Purple Velvet Beet Tart (serves ~12)

Gluten Free Crust
1.5 cups almond meal/flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup potato starch
1 tbsp organic coconut oil
2 tbsp liquid honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beet Filling
2.5 cups roughly chopped, cooked, peeled beets
1 cup agave nectar
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp orange zest (mmmmmm)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Begin by mixing together the almond meal, flaxseed and potato starch in a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and slowly add in 1/4 cup of water (I think I used the whole 1/4 cup) until it forms a slighly moist, malleable dough.  Press into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 inch pie pan.  Bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.

Now onto the filling!  Cook the beets however works best for you - just make sure you are left with skinned, cooked beets. Place the beets into a food processor and puree with the agave until smooth.  Add everything else in and blend until smooth.

Pour the batter into the shell and bake on the center rack for about 45 minutes, or until it no longer jiggles when you shake it in the oven (gently....). Wait for it to cool (about 1 hour) and then serve with whatever toppings you'd like!  We whipped some cream (a rare occasion in our house!), blueberries and sliced strawberries.  It was delish!

Oh and don't forget to artfully sift some cocoa powder over your creation ;)

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

This recipe has been made countless times over the past couple of years.  Not only is it super delicious, it has no flour, eggs, butter and is high in fiber!  I can almost guarantee that whoever you serve this to will have no idea what the main ingredient is.  Can you guess?

CHICKPEAS!  This bean is incredibly versatile.  You can roast them, toss them in a salad, blend them into hummus and now into a chocolate chip cookie pie!  I don't think you'll ever go back to regular chocolate chip cookies after this recipe.  Trust me :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (serves ~24, depending on how you slice it ;)

1 can chickpeas
1 cup oats
2 cups pitted dates
8 drops liquid stevia
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup applesauce
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or water)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Blend all of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a food processor, starting with the chickpeas, until smooth.  Transfer into a bowl and mix in the chocolate chips.  Pour into a baking pan (preferably 9 x 13, or a circular pan around 10" wide) and bake for ~35 minutes or until browned.

Ultimate Refreshing Pink Juice

Long time no blog! I recently bought a 12 pack of 1L mason jars and today was the day I decided to put one to use.  I made a super delicious pink juice with my Vitamix that is perfectly refreshing! To be honest, I don't always know what I'm doing in the kitchen, or how a recipe will turn out, but this recipe was too good not to share.

It's light, tangy, sweet and just right for a hot summer day.  Not to mention, it's bright pink... ;)

Ultimate Refreshing Pink Juice (serves ~ 1 - 2)

3 oranges

1 lemon

1/2 cup frozen raspberries (or fresh)

1/2 - 2/3 cup chopped pineapple (I used fresh, but you could use frozen)

Cold water as needed

Juice all 4 pieces of citrus and add to your blender.  Add in the raspberries and pineapple, and then fill the blender with cold water to about the 800mL mark (just under 1L because the juice will froth once blended).  Blend away for 1 minute and serve in a mason jar or a tall glass with a straw :)

Tart Fruity Smoothie

Today is the day I start my raw adventure.  I'm going to take it day by day, but I'm truly interested to see what this way of eating does for my energy, my skin and essentially my body!  I will be making my best effort to eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible.

Breakfast this morning was an apple with this beautifully coloured smoothie.  I knew it was going to be tart (somehow I forgot as I took my first sip..) but it was also very refreshing after my 11km bike ride.

Tart Fruity Smoothie (serves 1)

1 orange peeled
4 frozen strawberries
2/3 cup frozen raspberries
2 - 3 cups cold water

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender and serve immediately :)

Fresh Salmon Avocado Noodle Bowl

Ah yes, zucchini and salmon.  I went to my Mum's office today to get a new pair of glasses.  I ended up choosing a rather bold frame (in black too!) which happens to be the same frame my sister has.  Even cooler.

While I was there, I told my Mum I wanted to make dinner for everyone (all four of us) and we chose a zucchini noodle, salmon dish.  On the way home I thought about somehow incorporating avocado into the recipe.  I didn't want to make the all-to-familiar salmon-mayo salad, so I decided to opt for avocado as a creamy substitute! OH BOY, was it a good decision.

This bowl was light, fresh and very tasty.  I also used bell pepper since I wanted to add in a bit of extra colour.  You can make it as spicy as your heart desires and feel free to play around with different herbs and toppings!

Fresh Salmon Avocado Noodle Bowl (serves 4)

2 large zucchinis
1 bell pepper (orange, yellow or red work best for colour!)
1 can salmon
1 avocado (mashed)
1/4 cup salsa (I used medium)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic (or 1 clove)
1/2 tsp onion powder/salt
Salt and pepper to taste

Possible Toppings
Feta cheese
Slivered almonds
Green onion
Diced bell pepper
Diced tomato

Use a spiralizer to create your zucchini noodles using the two large zucchinis.  You can also do this with the bell pepper, or finely chop it to mix in with the noodles or use as a topping.  Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and mash until smooth (or leave chunky for added texture).  No matter how you combine these ingredients, it will still be delicious!!

Evenly divide the noodles into 4 bowls and top with the salmon/guacamole mixture (1/4 each).  Top with anything you feel is appropriate and dive in!  I always enjoy eating my veggie noodle bowls with chopsticks for some reason :)

Tip: to make this raw AND vegan, omit the salmon and feta!

Citrus Kick Juice

About a week ago I went on a small juicing spree.  My family doesn't own an actual juicer, but this doesn't mean I still can't juice.  I used our trusty Vitamix blender and a sieve.  I wasn't able to get ALL of the moisture out of the residual pulp, but it was enough for a tasty juice :)

The first one I made (which was by far my favourite) was an orange, lemon, maple syrup and cayenne juice.  It was the perfect mix of sweet, sour and spicy.  I think I chugged the whole thing in a matter of minutes.... :)

Citrus Kick Juice (serves 1 - 2)

1 navel orange
2 lemons
2 tbsp maple syrup
Dash of cayenne
1 cup cold water

Juice the lemons and orange with a citrus juicer and pour into a mason jar.  Add the maple syrup and cayenne to the jar and fill the remaining space with cold water.  Shake or stir and serve chilled. Enjoy :)

Chocolate Banana Pumpkin Muffins

Last night I overheard my Mom say she wanted to make some banana muffins with the older bananas we had left on our counter.  I decided to beat her to it and developed these delicious gluten free om-noms in the process!

We had some leftover pumpkin puree from before, and I really wanted to throw some cocoa powder in there, so I made it happen!  They were actually quite a bit sweeter than I thought it would be, but just slap some all natural peanut butter on there and you're good to go ;)

Chocolate Banana Pumpkin Muffins (serves ~24)

1 cup almond flour/meal
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup coconut flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp powdered stevia
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 mashed bananas (the older the sweeter)
1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup water or unsweetened almond milk
1 cup craisins/chocolate chips/chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to bake at 350F.  Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl (including sugar, stevia and cinnamon), set aside. Mash bananas in another bowl and add all wet ingredients and mix well.  Combine all ingredients together and mix until no dry flour patches remain.

Fill into 24 lined muffin tins (about 3/4 full - they don't rise much) and bake for 20 minutes!  Let cool and enjoy :)

Raspberry Summer Slushie

I just got home from a long, hot, humid walk.  This is literally what I made within 5 minutes of walking through the door.  Low sugar, cool and refreshing. And fruity ;)

I used to love slushies as a kid.  Now I know they're full of sugar and artificial flavours.  THIS, however, is not any of those things, yet still delicious.  And super colourful!

Raspberry Summer Slushie (serves ~4)

1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 - 2 cups of ice
2/3 cup cold water (or more for a more slushie like consistency!)
2 -3 tsp powdered stevia

Add all ingredients to a high power blender and blend away!  I had to use the mixer that came with our blender to make sure everything was fully blended.  Serve either in a cup with a large straw or in a bowl!  Eat immediately!  :D

Fudgy Brownies

Everybody loves brownies.  And everyone loves healthy brownies even more!  These are incredibly delicious and better yet, full of amazing ingredients.

I was surprised by just how chewy, chocolatey, sweet and satisfying these brownies were. Mmmmmmmm.  I think I'll be making these again.  These are also 100% raw and gluten free!! How cool?!

Fugdy Brownies (serves about 12 and inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life)

1 cup oat flour (or coconut, almond or brown rice flour)
1/2 cup oats (gluten free if you choose)
1/4 cup hemp hearts
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tbsp chia seed
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup cashews
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more... hehee)
1/2 cup prunes
1/2 cup dried figs
1.5 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup honey/maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all of the dry ingredients and then combine with the wet in a food processor.  Pulse until a large brownie ball forms - yes it is tempting to eat just then and there.

Press the brownie batter into a baking pan such as a loaf pan, 8x8 or pie pan.  Store in the fridge and serve immediately!

Cranberry Goji Bars

Desserts get me every time.

I made a few desserts last night - most of which inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life.  I can't wait for her cookbook to come out.  The first one I decided to attempt was these Cranberry Bliss Bars.  We ran out of buckwheat groats (I only had about 1/2 cup left) and dates, so I made some substitutions and voila!  I think they turned out alright and they look quite pretty :)

Cranberry Goji Bars (serves 12, or however you choose to cut ;)

Base
1 cup oats
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup dried figs
1/2 cup prunes
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange rind

Cream Cheese Icing
1 cup cashews
1/8 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil

Toppings
Handful dried cranberries
Smaller handful of goji berries (these aren't cheap!)

To make the base, pulse the oats and buckwheat in the food processor until they become more flour-like.  Add in all of the wet base ingredients and pulse until it begins to stick together.  I added a touch of water to make it more malleable.  Push into the base of spring-form pan, an 8x8 or a ceramic decorative serving plate, like mine!  Set aside in the fridge.

Blend all of the cream cheese icing ingredients until smooth and pour over the base, making sure to cover everything.  Top with the dried fruit! YUM.

Meeting Dala

Recently, my family and I went to see Dala perform.  My sister and I were introduced to them a few years ago while we were in high school and were instantly captivated by their harmonies and personalities.  We ended up covering one of their hits, Levi Blues, in a school coffee house and have since then performed a few of their songs.

They released a new album last year (Best Day) which we purchased as soon as we discovered.  They performed quite a few of these songs at the show we saw, as well as some older songs from their Everyone Is Someone album.  They also performed some new songs which I'm really looking forward to on their next album.

My sister and I have a YouTube channel where we post mainly covers of our favourite current music and many of those videos are songs from Dala.  I can honestly say I enjoyed their music live even more than recorded (which is still amazing)!  They have fantastic stage presence and the dynamics they can produce with their voices are so captivating.

We were able to meet with them after their show and snap a few pictures.  After listening to them through speakers for so long, it was strange to see them in person!  I'll admit I was guilty of fan-girling, but how could you not?!  These girls have really built up a great reputation and I can't wait until I see them perform again!

Monday Breakfast

It's Monday morning, but it feels like Saturday to me.  Since I'm working part-time and going to school this summer, my 'weekends' move around quite frequently.  Today I have the day off and when it came to breakfast, I realized I hadn't had pancakes in a long time.  Too long.

My Mum recently went on a gluten free flour buying extravaganza which left me with several options for this mornings creation. I originally thought I picked up the brown rice flour bag, only to realize later it was actually buckwheat flour.  Whoops.  Don't worry though...  they turned out great!!

Buckwheat Protein Pancakes (serves 1)

1/2 banana mashed
1/8 - 1/4 cup egg whites
1 tsp ground flaxseed
1 T buckwheat flour
1 T protein powder
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Mash the banana in a bowl and then add all other ingredients.  Mix well.  Cook over medium heat on a lightly greased pan (I used coconut oil).  Flip approximately every 3 - 4 minutes.  Serve warm and enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake

I'm a sucker for all things peanut and chocolate. Isn't everybody? As soon as I laid eyes on this recipe for a deep dish chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake, I knew the day would come where I would recreate this amazing dessert.

I didn't have the amount of dates required for the recipe... but not to worry! Dates have many substitutions, such as prunes and figs (which we had!). I made the necessary modifications and upped the peanuty-ness just for fun.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake (inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life)

Crust
1/2 cup dates
1/4 cup dried figs
1/4 cup prunes
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup hulled hemp hearts
3 tbsp cocoa powder

Filling
3 frozen bananas
1/2 cup dates
1/4 cup dried figs
1/4 cup prunes
1 cup cashews
1 cup peanuts
2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

For the crust, pulse the flaxseed, hemp and cocoa powder in a food processor. Add the dried fruit and blend until the mixture begins to stick. Press onto the bottom and sides of a spring-form pan. Mine is 8" in diameter, but a smaller one would work as well.

For the filling, I put EVERYTHING into the food processor, but you may want to start with the nuts and alternate adding dry and wet ingredients whilst blending. Make sure to scrape down the edges of the food processor periodically to ensure proper mixing. After everything is blended, pour into the spring-form pan and smooth out. Leave in the freezer overnight, or for the whole day.

Take out for approximately 10 - 20 minutes before serving for a creamier texture :)