Quick Easy Smoothie

This mama-to-be is suffering with an ear infection.  I have been taking my NingXia Red, using Lavender Essential Oil and Purification Essential Oil blend on the outside of my ear and 2 drops of Mullein Garlic Oil in  my ear.  I am surviving and will make it to my Raw Foods 101 class tonight to teach the awesomeness of incorporating raw foods into your diet.  Actually, right now my ear doesn't feel too bad.  But it does slightly hurt to chew.  So I decided to whip up a quick smooth to fill me up and give me a nutrition boost to help get over this ear business.

Quick Easy Smoothie
1 Acai Smoothie Packet (you can find this in the freezer section of most health food stores)
1 - 1.5 Cups frozen Raspberries
1 fresh Banana
1.5 - 2 Cups Vanilla Flax Milk (feel free to sub with your favorite non-dairy milk)
Blend away and enjoy!

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Raw Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Bananascream

Who doesn't love a sweet frozen treat? In our house we were big ice cream eaters after dinner. Since going vegan finding frozen loveliness hasn't been easy. Sure there are your vegan alternatives but they are so darn expensive! Once I learned about frozen banana ice cream we were forever changed. This recipe is so easy, yummy, and customizable I recommend everyone try it.  You may never go back to ice cream again.

Ingredients:

4 frozen bananas cut into small pieces

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

2 tbsp shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut water

4 pitted dates

2 tbsp raw cocao or carob powder

Pulse in your food processor until broken down. Then run on hi until it comes together Ina soft serve consistency. If you don't have a food processor feel free to use a blender. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

3 More Things I Think Every Raw Foodie Should Have

Green Mango Smoothie

As we all know I love a good smoothie.  Blending up deliciousness that is full of nutrition is amazing.  Today I bring you Green Mango Smoothie.  Full of yummy fruit and greens this smoothie will really give you a boost to your day.  As you look at the ingredients you may think oooo yummy until you see the dandelion.  Dandelion? As in the weed that grows in my yard? Oh yes my friends... This "weed" is so good for you we should be killing it but harvesting it! Why is it so amazing?

#1 – High in Calcium: Dandelion greens are loaded with calcium. Just one cup of chopped dandelion greens has 103 milligrams (10% of the recommended daily value) of calcium! That’s slightly more than kale! Add two to three cups of dandelion to a smoothie with calcium-rich fruits like orange, kiwi, fig or papaya and you’ll have a green smoothie that has more calcium than any dairy product!

#2 – Rich in Iron: Next to fresh parsley, dandelion greens have a high iron content. One cup contains 1.7 milligrams of iron.

#3 – Low Calories: Like all leafy greens, dandelions are low in calories. One cup of chopped dandelion greens has only 25 calories. While leafy greens are a low calorie food, I actually prefer to use dandelions because they have more calories than other greens. Since I try to get as many calories as I can into my morning smoothies, I add up to 4 cups of dandelion which adds 100 calories of nutrient-rich food!

#4 – Loaded With Antioxidants: Dandelion greens are high in vitamin A in the form of antioxidant carotenoid (beta-carotene) and vitamin C. Vitamin C also helps facilitate iron absorption.

#5 – The Ultimate Detox & Cleansing Green: If your goal is detoxification and cleansing, dandelion greens should be the ones you use in green smoothies! They are said to help cleanse the liver and many detox recipes call for them.

#6 – Lots Of Minerals: Dandelion greens are rich in minerals. Besides calcium and iron, they are a good source of copper (10% RDA), manganese (8% RDA), phosphorus (5% RDA), potassium (5% RDA) and magnesium (5% RDA).

#7 – 14% Protein: Dandelion greens have more protein per serving than spinach. The greens themselves are 14% protein and contain all essential amino acids so it’s a complete protein. One chopped cup contains 1.5 grams of protein.

#8 – Multivitamin Green: Besides vitamin A as beta-carotene (186% RDA) and vitamin C (21% RDA), each cup of chopped dandelion greens are also good sources of vitamins B1 (9% RDA), B2 (11% RDA) and B6 (11% RDA), vitamin E (13% RDA) and especially abundant in vitamin K (357% RDA).

#10 – Health Benefits of Dandelion Greens: The nutrients in dandelion greens may help reduce the risk of cancer, multiple sclerosis, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and stroke. Dandelion contains anti-inflammatory properties which may provide benefit to those with asthma and other inflammatory diseases.

I hope you will now look at those wonderful yellow flowers not as weeds but, nutritious delicious food.

I got the wonderful dandelion information here: http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/green-smoothies/10-reasons-you-should-use-dandelion-greens-in-your-green-smoothie/

Cool Cucumber Salad

Let's celebrate my 100th post with a super delicious video!

Real Veggie Pasta

Who says veggies can't be fun. I got to break in my new spiral slicer (everyone should have one) and made golden beet, zucchini, and sweet potato pasta. I boiled in it some water for about 5-7 min, drained it and topped it with some organic marinara and called it good.  But I was wrong, oh so wrong.  It wasn't good...oh no, it was delicious! It's fun, nutritious, vegan, gluten-free and most of all easy. I can't wait to play some more with my new gadget.  So, how do you make dinner nutritious and fun?

What Does A Vegan Eat For A Day

I have had a lot of people ask me what I eat since becoming a gluten-free vegan especially as a vegan who eats lots of raw foods.  So today I decided to document everything I eat to give you an idea.

Pre-Breakfast: Vitamin Water (16 oz)

Breakfast: Strawberry Mango Fruit Smoothie (32 oz)

Lunch: Homemade Gluten-Free Vegan Pasta

Dinner: Super salad with homemade Red Pepper Tomato Dressing

Snacks: pixie tangerines, dill flackers, and dried mulberries.

Super Awesome Cookies

These my dear friends are super awesome cookies. They are vegan, gluten-free and can I say again...super awesome? Oh and they are super easy too. Here's the recipe:

3 ripe bananas smashed
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened plain rice milk (feel free to substitute with any choice non-dairy milk)
1 small to med apple blended into apple sauce (or you can use apple sauce...I didn't have any)
1/3 cup coconut nectar (brown rice syrup, agave, or maple syrup would all work here)
2 tbsp flax meal
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 handful pepitas
1 scraped vanilla bean
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted almond butter
1/2 cup or so vegan chocolate chips (who really measures this though.. .just go for what looks good to you)

Okay here's the hardest part.... Throw everything into the bowl and mix well. Tough, I know. :) spoon onto parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 min or until the edges look golden. Cool on a paper bag or cooling rack then enjoy. I promise you will want to eat all of the, up!

Buffalo Tempeh Salad

This delicious salad tastes just like buffalo chicken with blue cheese.  Seriously!  Did I mention it is delicious?  Oh and it's vegan and gluten free too!  Here's what you need to make your own:

Ingredients
1/2 pkg. Flax Tempeh
1 rib celery, sliced
Spinach or green of choice for salad
Favorite hot sauce
Dressing
1 tbsp blueberries (I used frozen)
1 tbsp vegan mayo
1 tbsp tahini
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1.  On medium heat add a little olive oil to pan and break up flax into chunks.  Saute until slightly browned and move to a bowl.
2. Coat tempeh with hot sauce and allow to sit for a minute or two.
3. In a small blender (I used a magic bullet) combine all the dressing ingredients until smooth.
4. On a plate put down a couple handfuls of greens then add on tempeh, celery, and dressing.
5. Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: Tempeh Taco Bake

I have the day off on Tuesdays so I like to make a dinner that I know both my husband and I will enjoy. Today I decided it should be taco night but not just your normal run of the mill tacos but vegan taco bake deliciousness. I stared off by making the tortillas this morning. Then I made cashew cheese sauce. Taco bake is like lasagna, layers of salsa, tortillas, "cheese", and your protein. Here's the recipe I used tonight.

Ingredients:
1 pkg gluten free tempeh
1 jar salsa
1/2 cup cashew cheese sauce
1/2 onion, diced
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Cumin, to taste
1/2 cup water

1. Start by preheating oven to 375 degrees. Place onion in a pan and sauté over medium heat until translucent.
2. Break up tempeh and add to pan with spices and 1/2 cup water. Stir occasionally and cook until water is reduced.
3. Time to layer.  Start with a couple of tbsp of salsa on the bottom of the pan.  This keeps the tortillas from sticking.  Then it's time to layer the tortillas on top of the salsa.  It's okay if they overlap.  Next add salsa, tempeh, "cheese" sauce, and tortillas.  Repeat until you are to the top ending with a cheese layer.
4. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until everything is heated through.
5. Enjoy!

Eat: Banana Pumpkin Seed Muffins

I used to love Sundays, the hubby and I would sleep in then make an awesome breakfast. Since moving to Rochester we have gotten out of doing that. I now work on Sundays and even though it's not until the afternoon it still changes our day. I decided to get back to sharing breakfast with each other and banana muffins looked like a good place to start. These turned out amazing and will definitely have to make them again. They are vegan and gluten-free. Want the recipe? Well here you go!

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

1/4 C olive oil

3/4 C sugar

2t vanilla

2 flax eggs (2T flax meal with 4T water)

1/4t apple cider vinegar

1.5 C gluten free flour mix

1t baking soda

1t baking powder

1.5t guar gum

1T cinnamon

raw pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash up banana then add olive oil, sugar, vanilla, flax eggs, and apple cider vinegar.  In a separate bowl add flour, baking soda, baking powder, guar gum, and cinnamon.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and stir until combined.  Place in muffin tin, top with raw pumpkin seeds and bake for 15 to 20.  Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: My Top 4 Cookbooks

Update:  Conscious Calamari was pretty good!  I think next time I am going to try to work out how to do it in the oven instead of frying but I was a nice treat to try out with the hubby!

Tasty Tuesday: Vegan Cheesy Popcorn

There are some days you just need a quick and easy snack.  Popcorn certainty fits the bill.  But did you know that corn is one of the highest GMO crops grown in the US?  Make sure you find organic popcorn and an even better choice is to get local popcorn and in my case I got local organic popcorn still on the cob.

I don't have a microwave in my house so we make it the old fashioned way on the stove in a pot.  It's super easy and you can control how much oil or butter you use.  I like to use a tsp of coconut oil and a drizzle of olive oil.  Once the oil is melted I throw in 1 kernel of corn and wait for it to pop.  This will let you know that the oil has reached the right temp.

 I then throw in the rest in the pot, put on the lid.  Remember to shake the pot every once in awhile so that your corn does not burn.

Once it's all popped take it off the heat and put it in a bowl.  Sprinkle with some nutritional yeast and enjoy!

Easy Cheesy Vegan Potato & Squash Soup