Strawberry Coconut Omega 3 Boost Power Smoothie
1c almond nut milk
1T hemp seed
1/4c coconut meat
1t raw agave or raw local honey
1c strawberries
1t maca powder
1T chia seeds
1T golden flax
1t vanilla
1scoop protein powder
—
1c ice
Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed
Add the ice and blend just until smooth.
This is so delicious, fast and easy to make. I eat this with sprouted quinoa or brown rice with a big side of fresh or sautéed greens.
SO FRICKEN YUM.
Sticky Sesame Ginger Tempeh
1 package of tempeh, cut in half, then evenly into slices
1large clove garlic, smashed and minced
3T extra virgin olive oil
2” piece of fresh ginger, grated
2T unhulled sesame seeds black or white
2T shoyu or tamari
1t hot sesame oil
3T grade B maple syrup or agave
In a large cast iron skillet or frying pan, heat up over medium heat, add the oil and the garlic and distribute the garlic around the pan- add in the tempeh, face down neatly in the pan.
Pan fry for about 2-3 minutes or until browned, then flip- add more oil if the pan is dry, and continue to pan fry until the 2nd side is golden brown.
Add in the sesame seeds, grated ginger, and the hot sesame oil and turn the heat up to medium high and then deglaze the hot pan with the shoyu/tamari- toss the tempeh in the pan until the pan is dry and all of the sauce is coating the tempeh. Add the maple syrup all over the top and toss quickly to coat. Cook only until the maple syrup begins to caramelize and thicken, about 1-2 minutes. Turn out into a serving dish.
CAREFUL NOT TO TASTE OFF OF ANY SPOONS! CARAMEL IS REALLLLLY HOT AND STICKY!
I ate these everyday in Rome. Usually, they are stuffed with the parsley pesto- I however, prefer the raw fresh taste of the garlic and greenness of the parsley so I choose to put it on prior to serving. If stuffing them, simply smash the pesto into the leaves of the artichokes and carefully place them in the cooking pot so as not to tip them over while cooking. If there is extra water when finished cooking, simply cook them uncovered for 5 minutes to let some of the water evaporate out- the cooking liquid, oil is SO delicious you wouldn’t want to waste any of it.
Carciofi alla Romana (Roman Style Artichokes)
3T fresh parsley
2-4 cloves fresh garlic
1/2T pink salt or more to taste
Black pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 artichokes, halved and trimmed of coarse leaves, choke removed, (when trimeed, set aside immersed in lemon water or else they will brown)
1 lemon, cut into wedges, more if desired
In a large pot, place the artichokes, tightly together. Add in a couple of cloves of fresh garlic, the juice of ½ a lemon, squeezing the wedges and leaving them in the cooking water. Add in about 1/4c of the olive oil. Salt and pepper the artichokes and pour about 2-3 cups of water over them. Bring them to a boil over medium hight heat, once boiling, reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low for 45-60 minutes or until tender.
On a clean cutting surface, mince the parsley, garlic, salt and pepper until it makes a dry pesto. In a small bowl, combine the parsley mixture with about 1T of olive oil. Set this aside for when the chokes are done.
When serving, remove the chokes to a platter, serving with the cooking liquid if not to watery, add more fresh lemon and olive oil, salt and pepper. Smear the parsley garlic pesto all ova all of them. Serve at room temperature. Serve with crusty bread or eat them all on their own! BUONNISSIMI.
Strawberry Coconut Power Smoothie
1c nut milk
1T hemp seed
1t raw agave or raw local honey
1c strawberries
1T gold flax seeds
1T coconut manna
1t vanilla
1scoop protein powder
—
1c ice
Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed
Add the ice and blend just until smooth.
Coconut Lime Cream Power Smoothie
1/2c fresh coconut meat
1T coconut oil
1T fresh lime
1T chia seeds
1T hemp seeds
1 scoop protein
2t coconut sugar or honey
1c nut milk
1t vanilla
—
1c ice
Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed
Add the ice and blend just until smooth.
Peanut Butter Power Smoothie
1c nut milk
1T coconut oil
2t raw agave or raw local honey
2T peanut butter
1t vanilla
1scoop protein powder
1T chia seeds
1T hemp seeds
pinch Himalayan sea salt
1c ice
Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed
Add the ice and blend just until smooth.
You could definitely omit the fruit or add in another fruit of your choosing but the raspberries give this dressing a beautiful pink color. I ate this over spring greens with raw dehydrated sunflower seeds and cubed gluten free smoked tofu.. #DELICIOUS
Raspberry Shallot Vinaigrette
1/2c extra virgin olive oil
1/4c red wine vinegar or lemon juice
2T apple cider vinegar
2T Dijon mustard
5 fresh raspberries
1T real maple syrup or raw agave
1 shallot, smashed and minced
salt and pepper to taste
Add all of the ingredients into a blender except the olive oil. Blend well. While the motor is running, drizzle in the olive oil. This will cause the dressing to emulsify. Season to taste.
So simple, so fast and so delicious. I ate this with a fresh green salad and a bowl of sprouted, steamed quinoa.
Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic & Olive Oil
1 head cauliflower, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced into 3/4″ slices
2 cloves garlic, smashed and thinly sliced
3T olive oil- more if needed
pink salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees
In a large roasting pan, drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of the pan.
Layer in the cauliflower, evenly spacing the slices.
Add the garlic sliced over the cauliflower.
Salt and pepper generously and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of the slices.
Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the cauliflower begin to brown and the cauliflower is tender.
Serve hot or cold.
I am kicking off 2014 with 30 days of YOGA and 30 days of being totally Gluten Free. I am also entertaining giving up alcohol but seeing as I have a compulsion towards extremes, I may not name that one, however, as of now I am 2 days in to no alcohol and several days in to no gluten and a minimum practice of 30 minutes of yoga a day- in addition to my regular work out (spinning, running etc). I know my body does better without wheat…it just does. I feel less foggy, less tired, more clear. I think there are so many people running around with undiagnosed food allergies, I understand though, sometimes it is just feels easier to feel like shit than to really address what has to change for one to feel better…food is HUGE. Messing with one’s food…even bigger.
My thoughts going into this are to create a new and fresh repertoire of every day gluten free comfort go-to foods and treats and in that, establish a super awesome baseline of eating, kind of like creating a new habit of vegan, gluten-free deliciousness. I will do a lot of the food preparation myself, however, I will also try to document my take out and eat out meals as well- so far, my favorite places include a local authentic Thai place called Hattpon’s, a new Indian Restaurant called The Clay Oven, and my favorite Mexican Burrito place in town called Mesa Verde. I am still working out my Chinese and Japanese food options in and around Greenfield but am confident that there will be plenty of steamed mixed vegetables and Nori rolls in my future, even if I have to bring my own GF soy sauce (Tamari).
I have a tendency, as do many people on restricted or limited diets, to fall into the path of least resistance, meaning; I eat a lot of packaged foods that state what they are or more evidently what they are not, i.e. vegan cheese, gluten free cookies etc….My hope is to create tons of delicious foods this month that are FOOD based, not label based, that are gluten free, dairy free, and animal free AND AMAZING (obvi). I AM SO EXCITED. #vegetablesrule
So much of how we approach our food is mental. I have seen it in my clients; those who want to lose weight, those who have been diagnosed with a food intolerance to wheat or dairy, and also my clients suffering from a more serious affliction such as diabetes or heart disease; the diet becomes more about what they CAN’T eat, not so much about what they CAN.
Bottom line, the most nutritious and beneficial foods are whole foods, mostly plant based, seasonal, local, and organic if possible. They do not come in wrappers, they are not made in a lab, they are not specially formulated off in some secret scientific kitchen somewhere- they are fruits, vegetables, and grains, you buy, grow or glean them and then cook and eat them. #poweredbyplants
If you are down with coming with me, the basics of what you will need are:
Veggie Essentials
These are veggies that I try to always keep in the apartment. They are the basis of so many dishes, soups, and meals.
Daily Veggies
These are the veggies that I shop for every other day or so, they usually star in the dish, or are a featured component in one of the recipes. They too, can be used to add into soups, meals, and juices- but I am looking and hoping to use them at their freshest- they are also the veggies that tend to spoil after 3-4 days- but can and still will be used. * I use all of my kale stems for juices, wilted spinach for soups or sautés etc.
Stock Proteins
For your Shakes/ Smoothies/Superfoods
Stock Cabinet Essentials
Stock Grains
Stock Beans
Some tips going into this….Keep it simple. Don’t freak out. Set yourself up for success.
Come with.
Happy New Year.
XOEllen
#vegansdoitbetter
The Vegan Love Project 