Creamy Green Smoothie

There's just something about a green smoothie that makes me happy. And this one in particular, since it's creamy, green AND delicious. Bananas are the key ingredient to this smoothie, and more specifically: a frozen banana. Aka the key to creaminess.

Recently I've been helping my parents refinish their deck. While I enjoy the challenge, I also need the right fuel for lots of time in the sun with my handy dandy belt sander. This smoothie is great fuel for just that!

Creamy Green Smoothie (serves 1 - 2)

2 bananas
1 frozen banana
1 - 2 stalks of pineapple
3 - 4 dates
2 cups of cold water (or coconut water)
2 big leaves of kale

Put all ingredients into blender (loading the soft ingredients towards the bottom) and blend away! Serve in a mason jar with a straw and enjoy :)

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

This morning I woke up, just craving a banana blueberry smoothie. Sometimes all you need is a couple ingredients in the blender to make something delicious. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a complicated recipe... but it was one I wanted to share.

I made a lot of smoothie, but if you were pairing this with something else for breakfast I would go by the recipe below. Just double or triple if you're serving more than yourself! Or want to drink more of this awesome smoothie....

Blueberry Banana Smoothie (serves ~ 1 - 2)

2 bananas
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 - 2 cups of almond milk (depending on how thick you like it)
Cinnamon to taste

Blend! If you aren't using any frozen fruit, add in a couple ice cubes to keep it cool. Enjoy :)

Almond Coconut Granola

Last month I made a nutty chocolate granola that I baked at a temperature that was.... too toasty. It ended up a little crisp but I finished it off. This time, I wanted to make something with the leftover almond pulp I had from making almond milk last weekend.

I found a recipe and made a few substitutions and came up with this brilliant and golden GRANOLA!

Almond Coconut Granola (serves many :)

2 cups almond pulp
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
4 tbsp honey
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly and then combine with the wet. Mix until well combined and then lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 300F for 20 - 25 minutes - until golden!

**If your almond pulp isn't exactly dry, throw it on the baking sheet first and bake for about 10 minutes until slightly toasted and drier.

Serve by itself as a snack, or with almond milk and fruit for breakfast :)

Simple Mango Smoothie

All week I've had this craving for mango. Luckily we were able to buy some frozen in bulk. Naturally the first thing I do is throw it in a smoothie. A delicious smoothie.

I honestly just would have thawed it and eaten it as is, but I thought blending it with another simple ingredient would be just as good. That ingredient is..... coconut milk! If you want a tropical feel to your smoothies I suggest adding coconut milk. And who doesn't want that in the middle of a cold, snowy winter?

Yes I had this whole thing to myself (boy was it good) but it was a whole meal for me :)

Simple Mango Smoothie (serves ~ 1 - 3)

4 cups of frozen mango chunks
1 cup light coconut milk
2 cups cold water (add more if it isn't blending smoothly)

Blend with a high speed blender, making sure everything is fully combined and serve immediately!

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!



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 :)

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 :)

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!

Banana Berry Citrus Smoothie

I wanted something light and tasty for breakfast this morning, so I whipped up this smoothie.  I used almond milk instead of water which lead to a creamier consistency (yumm!).

Classes for summer start tomorrow, so I've been trying to enjoy these relaxed mornings and lazy days as much as possible.  The summer weather is also definitely making an entrance.  We've been in the 20C for a few days now, and they are only calling for more.  Bring it on Mother Nature!

Banana Berry Citrus Smoothie

1/2 banana
1/2 navel orange (peeled)
1/3 cup frozen raspberries (or fresh)
1/3 cup frozen blueberries (or fresh)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend away! Serve cold and enjoy :)

10k and Gluten Free Pancakes

After seeing Lean Secrets Flat Belly Pancakes (gluten free pancakes), I wanted to try a variation myself!  We recently acquired some coconut, almond and chickpea flour in our house and I couldn't think of a better way to try them out!  

They turned out great: nice and fluffy, however, they did stick to the pan a bit more than I expected which could be because of the ground flaxseed.  The recipe is below :)

Rosie's Gluten Free Pancakes (serves ~ 1 - 2)

1 tbsp coconut flour

1 tbsp almond flour/meal

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

1/2 banana mashed

1/4 - 1/3 cup egg whites

Dash of cinnamon and stevia 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cook on a lightly greased pan over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes each side.  I made 3 smaller pancakes, but you could make 2 or even 1!

Toppings (anything your heart desires)

1/2 cup raspberries

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1/2 banana sliced

Carob chips

Mix and mash 1/2 of the berries with the greek yogurt to make jam-like topping :) 

Changing the subject from delicious food... I ran my first 10k race this past weekend!  I signed up at the end of November 2012, making sure I had plenty of time to train for April (almost 5 months to prepare).  I also wanted to make sure I had time to accommodate any set-backs (getting sick, missed runs, school.. etc.) which was a GREAT idea.  I did miss a couple of weeks here and there but still managed to get all of my training done in time.  I followed through and made up missed days.

I followed this Hal Higdon 10k Training Program which was perfect for me.  I ended up doubling every week in order to build endurance slowly and effectively.  I could run 5k when I first started the program so of course I knew I would have to push myself progressively, but it was just enough.  

I ran mostly on the treadmill since I was training through a cold Canadian winter, but during the last few weeks of the program I managed to get outside and surprised myself! I always thought running outside was physically more difficult, but I learned to PACE myself and 10k became a breeze.  I couldn't believe it! I didn't care if it took me over an hour to complete... I DID it. I ran the distance and that was my top priority :)

Race day came around and I was nervous but more so excited.  It wasn't a question of if I could (like my first race), it was more a question of how I would.  I showed up about 45 minutes early to get my chip.  I then tried to stay warm until I started!  

The actual race itself was great.  We ran along a very picturesque river and once we hit the 5k marker, we turned around and ran right back.  My pace was a touch faster than I was used to, but running with that many people made the time go by faster.  I pushed it during the last 2 - 3 km and ended up finishing 1:07!  A record for me!!  

I highly suggest signing up for a race, either by yourself  or with friends, and really enjoy the training process. It's so rewarding knowing what your mind and body can accomplish together if you work hard.  

Banana Mania Breakfast

I was tempted to make This Rawsome Vegan Life's recipe for vegan, raw gingersnap cookies on my Mom's birthday since she LOVES ginger, however decided against it (once I discovered we had no molasses) to pursue making other delicious foods.  I DID however make these Lemon Coconut Squares and will post about those soon:)

For my Mom's birthday I ended up making a chocolate, espresso, orange cheesecake and helped my Dad prepare a Thai stir-fry over brown jasmine rice with guacomole and tapas to begin :)

And now in the midst of exams, a different kind of free time arises and I am able to spend more time in the kitchen since I am home to do so!  Whether or not I should be studying is a different matter... but needless to say, I have discovered a passion in the kitchen and am looking forward to creating some new recipes of my own soon! And of course posting them on here... :)

More importantly: the foodssss.  I bring to you today, TWO new recipes!  Both inspired by bananas, as they were beginning to brown in our house.

I have always read about banana ice cream but never actually attempted to really try it myself.  My parents purchased a Vitamix blender a couple of months ago, and given it's incredible capacity to blend things (as well as a failed attempt to make vegan protein pancakes...) I thought I'd give it a try.

This meal was a combination of banana ice cream and the banana oat muffins I made the day before. YUM!

Banana Ice Cream

1 frozen banana
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
Splash of water
*Or you could use almond milk instead of the applesauce and water, and you could totally add in some vanilla, and cinnamon, and cocoa, and peanut butter... oh my.

Put all ingredients into your blender (Vitamix or Blendtec are the most powerful), food processor, or Magic Bullet and pulse while continuously stirring until you reach an ice cream consistency!

Now I couldn't just eat it like that... so I topped it with one of these!

Vegan Banana Oat Muffins

2 1/2 cups of oat flour (I pulsed the oats in my Magic Bullet to make flour, you could use almond flour too!)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (start with less and add the full amount if required)
1/3 cup raw sugar
1 flaxseed 'egg' (mix 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, 4 tbsp water - let soak for about 10 minutes)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Extra goodness - feel free to add whatever you'd like! I added:
2/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup craisins

Line a muffin pan with muffin papers and fill about 2/3 way full (they don't rise too much).  I filled about 18 muffins, but that was only about 1/3 - 1/2 full.  OR fill a lightly greased loaf pan and bake accordingly... I would start with 25 minutes in the oven and check back.

Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.  Let cool and then store and EAT :) I recommend with a bit of peanut butter or homemade jam :D