Buzz Me Some Breaky: Friday, It’s ALL Good

So this is the last smoothie of the week and it’s a whopper.  I was looking for something to give me energy in the AM besides coffee.  Brought to you by incrediblesmoothies.com the Morning Energy Green Smoothie or Megs as i like to call it for short is not short on goodness.  Here it is, with the health benefits of everything in it.  If you drank this every day you’d be machine.

MEGS!

– 1 whole banana, peeled
Reducing Depression, Anemia, Constipation and Diarrhea, Eyesight Protection, Healthy Bones, Healthy Kidney, Blood Pressure, Heartburn, Morning Sickness, Quitting Smoking, Ulcers, Nerve, Mosquito Bites
Stress Relief, Stroke Risk

– 1 whole kiwi, peeled
Prevents Asthma, Prevents wheezing and coughing, especially in children, Protects our DNA from mutations, Provides a healthy amount of antioxidants and vitamins, Helps prevent colon cancer thanks to a high fiber content

– 1/3 cup Goji berries
Nourish blood, Kidney & liver tonic, Improve vision, Enhance libido, Calm nervous system, Improve physical endurance, Promote longevity

– 1/4 cup raw Cacao nibs (or 1/8 cup Cacao powder)
It acts as a stimulant, so that the energy level in your body will receive a boost and you will feel better about yourself.  It can also help to reduce chronic fatigue and general weakness caused by stress.  Strengthen your cardiovascular system.  Regulate your sleep.  Reduce depression. Protect your body from carcinogens and free radicals that cause cancer.  Stimulate your immune system.

– 1 stalk of celery
Contains vitamin C and several other active compounds that promote health, including phthalides, which may help lower cholesterol, and coumarins, that may be useful in cancer prevention.

– 1 cup fresh parsley, packed
Raw parsley cleanses the blood, keeping it clean, It can lessen the deposits left on the veins. Allows the elasticity of the blood vessels to stay the way they are. Treat temporary deafness and ear infections.

– 1 cup fresh baby spinach, packed
Prevent atherosclerosis or thickening and hardening of arteries. Stabilize blood sugar among diabetics. Antioxidant and anti-cancer agent. Vitamins C and A. Anti-aging vegetable. Vitamin K, which aids in the formation of the blood substance required for clotting of blood.

– 6-8 ounces of water (or coconut water)
– 2-3 ice cubes to chill if desired
– 1 scoop hemp or rice protein powder (optional)

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

Cacao nibs and Goji berries will need to be ground up in a food processor or coffee grinder before adding to the blender if you are not using a high-end machine.

Makes approximately 20 ounces.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 483
Fat: 15.8 grams
Protein: 13.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 67 grams
Calcium: 24% daily value (DV)
Iron: 348% DV
Vitamin A: 318% DV
Vitamin C: 333% DV

Adding a scoop of protein powder will increase both the protein and calories. Check the label.

If you use the meat and water from a young, Thai coconut, you will increase the calories by about 140, fat by 3 grams, protein by 2 grams, carbs by 28 grams and add an additional 17% DV of calcium bringing the smoothie to a total of 41% DV of calcium!

WOW! And while it looked like baby poo and your cubicle mates may laugh at you, this was an amazingly healthy, pretty good tasting way to start the day. Well that’s it kids. Hope you enjoyed my foray into the world of the smoothie!

Buzz Me Some Breaky: Thursday, Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana?

Bananas are to smoothies like….radness is to ninjas.  Generally the two go hand in hand, for several reasons i assume.  1) they are sweet 2) the make for a nice consistency to your smoothie (<– not a fan of this sentence, anyone have a better one?) 3) they are goooood for you!  If you don’t believe me, check out this crazy Oz chick who eats 30 bananas a day.  Seriously, watch her video, she’s ripped!  But this smoothie post isn’t about bananas, it’s about….

Orange Carrot Smoothie Recipe With Ginger

(from incrediblesmoothies.com)

or

Ginger Squared (you figure it out ;))

• 2 oranges, peeled
• 2 large, organic carrots
• ½ to 1 inch ginger to taste
• 1-2 splashes of water
• Ice to chill if desired

Squeeze one of the oranges into your blender to provide enough juice to help it blend. Then add the rest of the orange pulp and the second orange, both carrots and the ginger. Add a splash or two of water to help it blend and thin out the consistency. You’ll need to add more water if you include the orange pith <– is that the white stuff?!?! It has a name?!??!  Best remember this for Jeopardy!  Why is Jeopardy called that anyways?  No one is ever in any kind of peril…..hehehe Febtober…..hehehe…..anyway, back to the recipe. like I do and less water if you don’t. We like to leave the pith on as it’s loaded with fiber.

Once you have all your ingredients in the blender, you know what to do – blend on high until smooth!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 196
Fat: 0g
Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Calcium: 17% Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
Iron: 4% RDA
Vitamin A: 1061% RDA
Vitamin C: 232% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of folate, vitamin B1 – B6, vitamin k, copper and potassium.

Buzz Me Some Breaky: Wednesday, as Mrs Fawlty would say……

BASIL!

Yup, for hump day we get a little crazy with….

Raw Epicurean’s Banana Basil Smoothie!

According to Worlds Healthiest Foods basil is an antibacterial, is good for your heart, and is a good source of iron, and calcium, potassium and vitamin C!  Also it tastes and smells like heaven.  Yeah, i can hear you saying….”heaven in my PASTA SAUCE….not in my smoothie!!”  But seriously, what have you got to lose?  2 bananas and some basil that you were going to let go bad after using it in your pasta sauce?  Hmmm?

2 ripe bananas, peeled, chopped
10-12 basil leaves
¼ cup filtered water
2 tablespoons agave

Blend all ingredients in a blender until liquefied and smooth.

Serve immediately or chill the smoothie in the refrigerator for an hour or until ready to serve.

Ok!  This was really yummy!  Seriously!  A tad sweet so next time i’ll cut back on the agave but other than that, while not in the same yumtastic category as the Elvis Elixir, it was really good for something so good for you!  Give it a buzz and amaze your friends with how rad you are sipping your bright green banana basil smoothie….I dare you.

"Manuel! Where's my smoothie?!"

 

Buzz Me Some Breaky: Tuesday, Detox Baby!

It’s on everyone’s mind in January, and it should be if you are at all like me and for about 1 month before January consume alcohol and bad news foods every other day.  I went to Mexico for Christmas and i swear i could hear my liver weeping on the flight home.  As I sipped 3 Jim Beams and cokes…. Anyway in years past i would have made January, DETOX JANUARY!  But instead i am simply taking it easy, going to the gym more, trying Infared Sauna starting Thursday and drinking…..

Green Smoothie Liver Tonic!!! or Type O-h my Goodness Liver Tonic!!!

….cuz it looks like….the fake blood they drink on True Blood….i know, kind of gross, but REALLY good for you!

This is care of The Green Smoothie Queen, an amazing site dedicated to awesome smoothies!

• ½ small beet (juiced) – Funny story about beets below.  True story about beets is that they are a powerful antioxidant, they help protect your liver from harmful chemicals….the list goes on.
  *you can blend the beet in your blender, if your blender has a powerful motor <– have i mentioned how much i loves me my Vitamix?!?
• 3 to 4 beet green leaves <– beet greens contain twice as much potassium as the actual beet and rock for several other reasons
• 3 to 4 dandelion leaves <– I could not find these fresh anywhere, apparently Kins and IGA usually have them but not yesterday….My health food store (Garden Health on Davie) had dried leaves and informed me that Capers probably carries them.  Annnnnyway, i ended up making really strong dandelion tea and using that as my water.  Goddamn i am smart!  Dandelion is said to enhance the flow of bile in your body, improving the function of your liver, and remedy liver conditions.  Thanks dandelion, i will look upon you with much more respect!
• ¼ to ½ lemon
• 2 apples
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 1 cup water <– or dandelion tea!

So, the final verdict on this smoothie?  It was a little strong on the “healthy flavors” and could have used a tad more sweetening.  Perhaps i could have used a sweeter apple?  Anyone have any suggestions?  Or maybe next time i would add a squirt of agave.  It was still really good though and seriously packs a liver boosting punch!  Try it and let me know what you think!  Tomorrow we use some leftover’s and get a little crazy!

 

This was my liver on January 1st....

**Funny beet story!  So apparently when i was 9 i came to my mom and asked “Did we have beets for dinner last night?”  My mom said no and i went away.  A little while later i reappeared and asked “did we have beets for dinner the night before last?”  She said no and so i went away again.  At this point my moms interest was peaked and so she came to find me and asked why i thought we had beets for dinner……turns out i had started my period for the first time and since i was only 9 effing years old i had no idea why i had “red pee”.  Let this be a lesson to any parents out there!

Buzz Me Some Breaky: MONDAY, The Elvis Elixer…nummm

It’s Monday and I wanted to start off super simple and mega yumtastic instead of….not hard and yucky per se, but maybe a little bit harder and little bit yuckier.  But not yucky.  Dig?  Whatever,  i give you…..

The Elvis Elixer!

Start with milk.  I prefer almond and am now making my own using a heaping spoonful of almond butter buzzed with 1 cup water.  It’s SO EFFING EASY and you can make as little or as much as your heart desires.  Also while fairly high in GOOD fat it has no chemicals or weirdness like carrageenan (which while vegan and natural apparently is super hard to digest).  Remember (or have a great friend like Josie to remind you) FAT IS NOT THE ENEMY!  GOOD FAT IS….GOOD!  There is even a class at my Y this month all about eating fat to…shock….burn fat!  Whoot!

Add to the milk 1 banana, frozen preferably. Bananas are best over ripe, think the sweet spot right before you have to chuck them into the fridge along with the other 43 black bananas for an elusive day when you make banana bread.   If you’re a chick you know what i mean.  If you are a dude who has ever lived with a chick you know what i mean.  Anyway, brown spots mean more potassium and easier absorption of said potassium.

Add to the milk and banana 1 heaping spoonful of peanut butter (YUM!) and add to that anything else you like to pack into your morning smoothie.  For me it’s Vega protein, vitamin D (if you live in Van City please tell me you take vitamin D every day in the winter!!!!!!) and Udo oil.

Throw in some ice cubes and Shake, Rattle and Roll everything up in whatever you use to blend.

TAAAAA DAAAAA!  The easy by yummy ratio for this shake is off the hizzook.  See you tomorrow for something a little more serious….. 🙂

He liked it in a fried sandwhich, i like it in a smoothie!

Buzz Me Some Breaky!

I have a smoothie every day for breakfast.  Every work day that is, every weekend I have waffles, and pancakes, and sausages, and Bandita’s……I LOVE weekend breakfast.  But this is not about SMOOTHIES!  Smoothies are an amazing way to get whatever you need to get into your body quickly and easily and hopefully yummilly.  I myself have fallen into a rut and so what better fix than a ….. wait for it …. CHALLENGE! Yup, i am the queen of challenges…making them, and breaking them.  My issues are twice fold.  For A:  a few times in my life i have ROCKED a BIG challenge.  Simply kicked it’s ass so far into next week it’s really the week after.  I lost about 70 pounds once.  I have now quit smoking twice for more than 6 months (yes, as of today i am 12 days away from my 6 month quitaversary but no worries..it’s the only thing i have to give to my mom for her birthday 😉 …. hi mom!) and i went cold turkey from omnivore to Vegan (just passed my 2 year mark at the beginning of Jan! Whoot!).  This makes me think i can and should create grand challenges instead of smaller ones.  If anyone remembers my resolution list a few years back….i think i had about 30 resolutions….WTF?  Who does that?!?  The 2nd reason i am forever making challenges and breaking them is that i get excited/bored easily.  First i get all super gung ho on the challenge, this can sometimes lead me to challenge others. Then i either get bored of said challenge or am easily swayed by the exciting idea of not sticking with the challenge.  No booze November once ended because wouldn’t it be AWESOME to do a shot before a theatrical production?!?!  Eating clean August was totally derailed by…well….SUMMER for eff sakes!  So, with all that said i think i may have finally learned my lesson.  I don’t need to only drink smoothies for a month! I can simply create, enjoy, and share…7!

And so i give you….

A WEEK OF AWESOME SMOOTHIES!!!!  Whoot hoo hoo hoo and hooray!  Are you as excited as i am?  Either way …  click the blender to jump to the awesomeness!

Vegan MoFo Mo Fo’s!

Ok all you radical Mo Fo’s, it’s not just Movember, it’s also VEGAN MONTH OF FOOD!  Otherwise known as Vegan MoFo!

I feel bad for not posting anything about this until now, so to make me feel better please make yourself a vegan dish tonight.  Or tomorrow night.  I promise you won’t be sad like me, you’ll be happy, like double rainbow guy!  Ok, maybe not that happy.  And yes, i am obsessed.  How could i not be?

To get you started on making me (and you!) happy, here are some of my most favoritist of all time vegan (and sometimes gluten friendly) dishes!  Enjoy!

Vegan Mac and “Cheese”! Yup, i make this at least once a week, seriously.  I have tried other recipes but this one is the best, hands down (or up!  Big Ups!).  Thanks Chelsea of Flavorvegan!  I know if you are a vegetarian or an omnivore you will be all, WTF?!?  I’m not eating that!  But i beg of you, give it a go!  Although not the same as traditional mac and cheese (my mom makes the best) this is good stuff.  I promise.

Vegan Veggie Lasagna!  Mmmmm!  I love this lasagna and would eat it every day if i could.  Use rice noodles to make it GF and add Daiya for some oooohey goooooheyness!

No Roll Enchiladas!  I seriously love me some mexican food!  Especially from La Taqueria or Banditas but if i am cooking at home this is a go to recipe fo sho.

The Best Lentil Loaf!  3 out of 3 non vegans i fed this to found it mad delish!  Rock it out with smashed potots (using Earth Balance and non dairy milk of course!) and some vegan gravy.

Coconut, Corn, and Black Bean Soup! Vegan Yum Yum does it again (special thanks to Chic Vegan for the heads up!)  Spoon over quinoa (keeeeeeen-waaaaaah) for a seriously healthy, protein packed, TASTY as F**** (sorry kids), dinner that makes enough for lunch and dinner the next day!

Spicy African Peanut Soup! The first time Ange and i made this we were in ecstasy.  Literally.  With bread and butter this soup is the bomb!

These are all pretty hearty meals, so don’t forget the good old, easy as pie (which isn’t really easy at all yo), tasty stir fries!  Add your fave veg (and then get wild and add some veg you have never heard of!) to some yumtastic sauce, scoop over rice or quinoa (keeeeeeeeen-waaaaaaaah) and voila!  Easy, tasty, and good for you.

Oh!  And Salad!  Can’t forget the salad!  Thanks to one of my fave boys i can now branch out from my BIG SALAD (all (and i mean ALL) of my fave salad veggies over greens, topped with balsamic and oil) obsession and into some more sophisticated recipes.

Hail to the Kale Salad! OMG i loooooooove this salad.  I craaaaaave this salad.  Think it’s not possible to crave salad?  I dare you to say that after you try this baby.  Yum.  Making some tonight.  Salavating as a type.

Oh My Ya, Papaya! Salad. I made up that name.  It does not come from the internet, it comes from a recipe card.  I don’t have the recipe card with me so you will have to wait and make Hail to the Kale for now.  Lucky you!

So those are some of my fave recipes online but i also have my go to cookbooks which are messy and dirty and well loved.  Nothing like cooking from a cookbook!  Check out Sarah Kramer and Isa Chandra Moskowitz to get started.

And if you’re not cooking then just pop over to Jenn’s house, she is the bestest vegan cook in the world! And i loves her 🙂

Oh, don’t know Jenn?  How sad.  Maybe one day you will but until then make due with some rad vegan restaurants! And THIS JUST IN!  Provence now has a veggie/vegan set menu!  Nice!

Whew…..i pretty much just blogged in one day what i blogged all of last month!  Wow!  Time to hit the real world and go pick up the ingredients for that kale salad!

Best Way to Start a 4 Day Vacation? Smoothies and Booze!

Today is remembrance day, and also the day my best out of town peep and her fab fam are coming in for a wedding in Surrey!  Super stoked because it is going to be a weekend of family fun mixed in with some adult indulgence.  With some of my best besties!  So as if i wasn’t already jazzed enough about today and tomorrow and the next day, the 1st day and the last day will be and were pretty rad too.  Huh whu?  Yes, i need some more coffee.

Night before 4 day vacation:

Ethiopian food and Wii Sports!  Thanks be to Siobhan and Stephen for taking us to their fave Ethiopian restaurant, Fassil on Broadway.  This place knows Stephen by name and serves YUMMY food with a smile and a sense of pride.  I think it’s a husband and wife team that own this place (and serve and cook and bus) and you really feel like you have been invited into their home for some of their home countries specialties.  Also wonderful?!?  The squishy bread, injera, is made with teff flour and so is gluten free!  Whoot!  I always forget how filling injera is and so it was with a very full belly the gang of us went back to Siobhan’s and Stephen’s so that i could suck at Wii bowling and kick ass at Wii tennis (but not before i dropped my iPhone in a tiolet 😦 ).  All with a mustache on my Mii – you know, for Movember!

Day 1 of vacation:

BEST SMOOTHIE EVER, toast with PB and fancy jam,  and coffee with Kahlua!  Ok, so it’s been 3 days straight that i have been making this smoothie.  It is scrumptious and delicious (no, i don’t care that those mean the same thing) and healthy and easy and basically as milk shake you can have for breakfast and…well you know….

Almond Butter Banana Smoothie = RADICAL!

From the fantastical Happy Healthy Life blog, be sure to go on over there because the author, Kathy, has some great tips and info on this smoothie.

Easy Energy Almond Butter Banana Smoothie
vegan, serves 2

2 cups non-dairy milk, vanilla flavor
*soy or hemp pref’d
2 frozen bananas, ripe
2 Tbsp raw almond butter, not salted is pref’d
*fresh ground almond butter is best
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp agave or maple syrup
1 cup ice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
optional: a few dashes of cayenne
garnish: roasted almonds

And if you are lucky enough to have a Vita-Mix blend for approximatly 30 freaking seconds!!  No kidding!

I also add protein (right now it’s hemp hearts), oil (Udo’s), and vitamin D to boost this breakfast into the stratosphere of nutritious and delicious!  It’s almost as amazing as a double rainbow.  Almost.

Ok, so now i have to get this teeny tiny apartment family ready!  Good day to you all!  Hopefully i’ll have time to post the rest of my vacation shenanigans later!

Quick and Easy….just how i like my…..Soups.

So it seems that every time i make a soup i think it’s the best soup ever.  And that’s ok.

Today’s BEST SOUP EVER (!!) is not only the best soup ever but also the easiest soup ever.  Seriously.  No chopping except if you wanna.  And it’s brought to you buy Vegan Yum Yum (yum!) via Chic Vegan ….otherwise known as “Why doesn’t my blog look as pretty as that?” … perhaps one day…

---

 

Coconut, Corn and Black Bean Soup

The picture on Vegan Yum Yum is 100X better….but the iPhone does not bad!

Coconut, Corn, and Black Bean Soup
Makes 4 lunch sized portions (or 1 Van Chick sized dinner and 1 Van Chick sized lunch serving**)

**Van Chick’s comments in italics

2 Cans Black Beans
1 Cup Pureed Stewed Tomatoes – Hooray for new Vita-Mix!  Pureed those tomots in .5 seconds!
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Vegetable Bullion Cube – I use Better Than Bullion..mmmm
1 Cup Frozen Corn
1 tsp Smoked Paprika (please actually use the smoked kind!) – I think mine was smoked…smelled smoky.
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt – or pink Himalayan salt!  Or whatever you have!
1 tsp of your favorite herb(s) – my favorite herb rhymes is Frillantro.  And here’s where the chop if you wanna comes in.

Add both cans of beans with their liquid to a heavy soup pot. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, bullion cube, and paprika. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, but it can cook on low, covered, for much longer if needed. A few minutes before serving, add the corn. Garnish with some fresh herbs, if available, and/or a splash of coconut milk.

You may consider adding shredded carrot, fresh baby spinach, pasta, rice, lentils, or even a diced potato if you feel like jazzing it up a bit. It’s a very versatile soup, and I find it refreshing change from the vegetable broth and tomato based soups I usually make.

I made some quinoa (keeeeen-waaaaaah) in my rice cooker (miracle!) with “chicken” flavored Better Than Bullion (used the veggie flavor in the soup) and the poured the soup over that.  And, since i like crunch (almost as much as i like sauce) i added a garnish of blue corn tortilla chips.  MMMMMMM!  The one and only change i would make is to not add any salt as the bullion is salty enough as is.

DAIYA CHEESE! At Capers and Donalds!

Who needs a post with a title like that?!?! Well i should say something i guess….

As much as we ♥♥♥ Karmavore – (who are (is?!?) moving to a BIGGER location with a DELI!) I am excited to announce Daiya cheese is now available at locations in Van City!  If you are not in the know Daiya is a locally made dairy, soy, and gluten free vegan cheese.  If you’re thinking it must suck than think again.  1st of all IT MELTS and second, as a good friend of mine says “it’s actually pretty cheesy”  He’s a cheese eating dude in case that matters.  Not sure what sizes are available…perhaps my super star friends and Vegan Spotters Jenn and Josie can let us know in the comments.

Josie confirms a sighting of Daiya at the Commercial Dr location, no word on Hastings St.

Jenn spotted Daiya at Capers on Robson, no news from other Whole Food locations.

To celebrate here’s a kick ass CHEESY vegan recipe!  Whoot!

Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese with Daiya