Cinnamon Banana Milk Smoothie

It was a banana morning that's for sure. Add a little cinnamon and you've got yourself a delicious, refreshing smoothie. I was looking to make something less thick than my previous few smoothies and managed to succeed. I will definitely be making this recipe again!

Cinnamon Banana Milk Smoothie (serves ~ 1 - 3)

3.5 bananas
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1 tsp cinnamon
4 - 6 dates pitted
2 cups of cold water

Blend in your blender for about a minute and serve immediately! Enjoy :)

Classic Potato Fries

Potatoes are great. I don't think I've ever met someone who doesn't like potatoes... Don't get me wrong, I like sweet potatoes as well, but fries made from white potatoes cannot be replaced. Today I made some for my lunch and decided to photograph the experience.

Classic Potato Fries (serves ~ 2 - 4)

4 medium sized white potatoes - I used yellow-fleshed, but use whatever you have on hand!
1/2 tsp olive oil
1.5 tsp dried basil
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425F. Chop the potatoes in half lengthways, and then again on either side (as if cutting into quarters lengthways). Cut each of these pieces into your desired fry thickness and place in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spread out the fries evenly and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Serve with ketchup and enjoy!

Vegetable Curry Rice Dish

For some reason, having seen a lot of rice around the internet these past couple weeks, I had a hankering for a warm vegetable curry dish. I was particularly after the thick curry sauce that accompanies these dishes which I had only been able to replicate with coconut milk previously. However, I was looking to make a dish free of any oils or fat so I did some research (ok, it was very minimal...) and discovered a great fix.

This dish would definitely be good on a cold night in the middle of winter but who says you can't enjoy it in the middle of summer too?!

Vegetable Curry Rice Dish (serves ~ 4)

1.5 cups basmati rice
1.5 cups water or vegetable stock (low sodium)

1 medium onion (red or white)
2 medium carrots
1 zucchini
1 bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
1 cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp curry
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by adding the rice and water/broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop your vegetables into bite sized pieces (as seen in the first picture). Add the onion and garlic into a pan on medium heat, along with a few tablespoons of water, and cook until the onion starts to become transparent. Add the other vegetables, along with the ginger, curry, coriander and cumin and continue to cook for 3 - 5 minutes (adding additional water if the vegetables start to stick to the pan).

Once the vegetables have softened, add the cup of water and cornstarch (dissolved previously or not, it doesn't really matter) into the pan and mix well. Turn the heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for about 8 - 10 minutes. The liquid should thicken as it reduces, making for a great sauce over rice.

Serve over rice and enjoy!