Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

There are a lot of vegan and raw ice cream recipes out there.  I remember googling it once and finding a ton.  I think I even remember a blog called "Even Vegans Scream for Ice Cream."  You can make some great ice cream using coconut milk and an ice cream maker.  I've even blended up some coconut milk, vanilla bean, cocoa powder and agave; poured in ice cube trays; frozen; then blended again for a more 'real' ice cream.  This recipe, however is a quick-I want some ice cream right now- kind of recipe.

Blend the following, quantity from greatest to least:

Frozen bananas,

Peanut butter (or other nut butter),

 Non-Dairy Milk/Coconut Milk,

Cashews,

Cocoa Powder,

a tiny bit of agave nectar or honey,

1 tsp Vanilla,

1 tsp Coconut Oil (opt but good for you--and TASTY)

 I used my 'ninja' food processor, but I think a regular blender would work just fine.  Blend till desired consistency.  I leave a few little pieces of cashew for a little crunch. *  Note, if you use just-ripe bananas it will taste less banana-like.  If you use overripe bananas it will taste like...bananas.  Which could be good- just depends what you're going for.  

 Make your own variation with a frozen banana base- or maybe some other fruit?  How about maple pecan ice cream using a little real maple syrup and some pecans?  Avoid the saturated fat and sugar of traditional ice cream, improve your health, and hit that 'ice cream craving' with real food.

For a less fat version make this chocolate shake I used to make all the time.  But don't feel guilty about eating a little of this recipe...don't forget that these are good fats for the health of your brain, dry hair, dry skin, and lots more.  And don't forget that good fats will help kids with their behavior ( my kids devour this ice cream!) and it helps those suffering from depression.  These fats and oils are the ones they are talking about that should be eaten in moderation for your health.



Cilantro Cashew "Cheese" Ball

This recipe is from the from greenereating.com girls.  It's an adaptation of the dressing on their raw taco salad.  I made this for a party and vegans and non-vegans alike loved it.  The simple instructions for making it are found here.  It feels good and TASTES good to be eating good-for-you fats instead of artery-clogging saturated fats that are in a normal cheese ball.

Avocado Spring Rolls (Inspired by Cheesecake Factory)

After two bites of this delicious dish at the Cheescake Factory the other night with my girl friends, I said "I'm going to re-create this!"  And they believed me.  So here it is.  Whole grain.  Baked, not fried.  And delicious.

The dipping sauce is where it's at, really:  

(Approximate quantities since I hardly ever measure anything.)

Fresh cilantro (1 cup?)

Cashews (1/2 cup)

Olive Oil (1/4 cup)

Honey (1/4 cup)

White vinegar (3 tsp)

Lime juice (3 tsp)

1 clove Garlic

1 Green Onion

Balsamic vinegar (1 tsp)

dash of Salt

-Blend well in a blender or food processor.

-Filling:

Avocado (I used 3 avocados which made 4 tortilla's full.  I cut each tortilla in half when serving)

1/2 to 1 Red Onion

some diced Tomatoes

dash of Salt

Whole Wheat Tortillas

-Cut avocados into big chunks.  Stir, gently, with onion, tomatoes and salt.  Fill whole wheat tortillas with 1/4 cup of mixture and roll, cigar-style.

-Cook at 375 degrees F for 6 minutes, flip, and cook for 4 minutes more until crisp on the outside.  Enjoy with your cilantro dipping sauce.

You could go authentic with real spring rolls/egg rolls and frying.  But this way you are saving tons of calories, avoiding bad fats, and maintaining your whole foods lifestyle- all without sacrificing ANY taste (I promise!)

Green Smoothies (or pink, or purple, or..)

A friend and I were talking about green smoothies today (because I was drinking one) which reminded me I had this half-composed post about smoothies from a while ago.  Green smoothies are, I think, the easiest, tastiest way to get more vegetables (and fruits) into your/your family's diet.  It's pretty much just whatever fruits and veggies you want, (some do just vegetables and no fruit) mixed into smoothie form.  I've blogged about them before here, but I thought we could use a reminder.

This has been my go-to smoothie for a while now:

-a couple handfuls of spinach/kale/or other leafy greens

-some non-diary milk/maybe a little lite coconut milk/water/coconut water

-peaches or pineapple (a small amount-fresh or canned)

-and frozen strawberries or cherries.  Blend in a blender and serve (does not have to be an expensive Blen-tec or Vita-mix!)

My kids have gotten more fond of green smoothies as time has passed.  They get excited when they hear the blender.  I switched up my regular recipe with this 'hot pink smoothie' the other day:

-1 beet (fresh)

-some non-dairy milk

-a few prunes

-some frozen strawberries

My 7 year old's reaction (after asking if she could have some ice in it...I said 'hot' pink smoothie right?) was "This is the best smoothie i've had in my whole entire life!"  I'm thinking the color may have been the reason she was so in love with it.

It really is the best sweet treat out there.  I choose to do my daily (every-other-daily? -ish?) meditation outside, sitting in the sun (I live in Arizona,) drinking my green smoothie.  It is the best therapy.  And even when it's not great weather outside, or I don't have time to sit for a minute, it makes a great mini-meal on the road in a water bottle.  I drink one (or more a day.)

I save money by buying that huge bag of spinach from Costco, putting a couple handfuls in freezer baggies and storing in the freezer.  I just put the spinach leaves in raw; I smash flat, freeze, and then grab them out of the freezer and stick in my blender at smoothie time.


I store a lot of veggies in the freezer and save money not letting produce go bad.  If something looks like it's going to turn and I haven't used it yet, I dice it up and stick it in the freezer.  They've always come out tasting great (squash, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes) and come in handy pre-chopped and ready to go in something great like lasagna or soup.  So don't be afraid to buy too much produce.  It's cheaper, per pound, than any food I know of (packaged food, diary, meat etc.) and now you won't have to be afraid that you'll waste it.

A great resource is Robyn, of www.greensmoothiegirl.com (although there are lots of others who make green smoothies too.)  She teaches people how to transition to a whole foods diet, and although I've never bought her books, I like to read her blog and learn a lot from her you tube video recipes.

Coconut Lemon Lara Bars

Pictured here on my 'Rosie the Riveter" lunch box, this is a twist on my 'Cocoa Babies' Lara Bar recipe.  It's another sugar-free, nutrient-dense treat or power bar, loaded with good fats, tons of protein, and lots of fiber.

Remember that "Not only do [cashews] lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but they help to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Cashews have one of the lowest overall fat contents of all of the common nuts and are a good source of oleic acid, the same fatty acid that makes olive oil so heart healthy.  Studies have shown that people who eat nuts on a daily basis are less likely to gain weight and have a tendency to be thinner, on average, than those who don't. It may be that eating nuts like cashews is so filling that it reduces overall calorie consumption."1  They are also a great source of magnesium, antioxidants, and much needed copper.

Coconut, as well as coconut oil,  has amazing health properties- too many to list here, so read up about it on this site.

Lemons not only have high levels of potassium, vitamins A and C, they are acidic, which turns alkaline in the body and then fights acidosis.

Here's how to make them.  (Recipe found here) Blend the following ingredients in a food processor or blender:

1 cup cashews

1 1/2 cup pitted dates

dash of salt

zest of 1 lemon

2 Tbl of lemon juice

1/2 cup coconut

Adjust any ingredients to taste or consistency desire. 

Spread in a 9X9 pan and then cut into squares, or roll them into balls, or do what I do, put on some plastic wrap, mold into a long line and then cut into 1 inch pieces.

Optional:  Add 1 Tbl of chia seeds to your 'dough' to get more electrolytes than Gatorade out of your snack.

 *I soaked my dates in water for 1/2 hour first (then drained) to get a softer dough this time.  They came out a little too soft, so I blended up some almonds and rolled them  in the almond dust at the end of making so they'd be easier to pick up and pack in lunches.

Cocoa -Babies (Peanut Butter Chocolate Laura Bars)

Want to be sugar-free with  me this year?  I think we should try!  Thanks to Green Smoothie Girl's reminder, I've been saying(...to myself...not out loud,)  "I love my body, it serves me well."  When we love our body we will treat it with respect.  Which means not abusing it by eating junk and then feeling horrible, physically and emotionally about it, and then repeating the abusive cycle.  I'm not talking about being crazy and extreme (your not going to offend your Grandma by not eating a piece of her homemade apple pie she hands you, right?) But other than acting 'normal' in such instances, I don't think you can ever be too healthy.

In light of my sugar-free goal was looking up how to make your own lara bars (they are made of dates and cashews, with some variances on that basic formula) and found a ton of recipes.  A perfect sugar-free, sweet and delicious treat.  I based this recipe off this one here.  She has tons of variations, so get with it!

This tastes a bit like chocolate peanut butter cookie dough.

1 cup dates

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup cashews

2 Tbl cocoa

1 Tbl dried cranberries

dash of salt

Blend (in a food processor or blender) and adjust any ingredients to taste or consistency desire.  I made these ones pretty stiff so they'd pack easy to work, workouts, and school lunch.

I put my dough on some plastic wrap, smooshed it into a long roll, let it sit in the fridge for a few minutes until a little firm, then cut into 1 inch pieces.  *These don't need to be stored in the fridge.

Optional:  Add 1 Tbl of chia seeds to your 'dough' to get more electrolytes than Gatorade out of your snack.

Pop Tarts?!

It's winter vacation, which means lots of family time and kid-friendly projects.  One of our cooking projects was this little treat, whole wheat pop-tarts.  I based it off a recipe found here.  Start by making the dough:

Whole Wheat Pastry Dough
1 C whole wheat
1/2 C white flour
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
½ c. cold buttery spread (like earth's balance,) sliced
4-5 Tbsp. cold non-dairy milk

In large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, and salt. Cut in slices of butter using a pastry cutter (or fork, if you have to, I've always used this whisk I have that has a flat bottom) until the largest pieces resemble peas. It’s important that you don’t touch the crust with your bare hands, no matter how tempting that mixing option might be. You want the butter to stay as cold as possible and your hands will warm it up and make the crust less flaky. Pour the milk over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time, just until moistened enough to hold the dough together. Use a fork to stir the dough after you’ve added each tablespoon of milk. Quickly form the crust into a ball. Refrigerate until ready to use


Then roll out,  Cut into equal parts (good luck) spread all fruit jam in the middle, leaving 1/2 inch border.  Put another piece of dough on top and then crimp edges together with a fork.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Don't under cook.  Wait until it puffs up pretty good and gets golden brown.  This batch of pastry dough makes enough for one cookie sheet of pop-tarts.  I doubled the batch and made Pearl Pie with the rest.

Brown Paper Bag Popcorn

My friend Katie gave me this idea and then I saw it blogged about in detail here.  Save money (.50 per pound instead of 3.50 per pound) and your health by doing it this way.  Put 1/4 cup of popping corn into a brown paper bag, fold over a couple times, and pop until it sounds like most are done, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Eat as is or add a spray of olive oil and add one of the following:
cinnamon
curry powder
salt
nutritional yeast
taco seasoning (make your own, right? 1 Tbl chili powder, 1/4 tstp garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika and cumin, and a little dash of crushed red pepper flakes and salt)

Enjoy, and thanks for the brilliantly simple idea, Katie!

Pomegranate Tutorial

Everyone else does tutorial, why not me?  Remember the pomegranate craze...right before the acai berrry craze?  Well, health crazes, in my opinion, are great even if they are short-lived.  And even if the people who promised taking acai berry capsules would make people instantly thin, were lying (sort of,) it still created more interest in health.  Which is great, right?  Fruits, veggies, spices and beans contain anti-oxidants, and usually the darker the color, the higher the ORAC score and pomegranate has one of the highest.  (Here is the definition of ORAC and a small chart of scores.  Notice where chocolate is on the chart-or cocoa really)  Anyway, if you didn't know this is the easiest way extract the seeds from your beautiful pom:

Crack that baby open.  (It will splatter less of its beautiful purple juice on your counters if you try to do this underwater.) Immerse in water.

Pull everything apart and pop out the seeds.  Swish water around and the seeds will fall to the bottom, the connective fibers will float to the top.

Enjoy your pomegranates as an easy snack or google some pom recipes!  I have a couple I've been meaning to try...

Ok maybe it wasn't long enough to be considered at tute, but a friend said she had never seen this trick so I thought I'd share.  It's a great way to get the seeds out all at once- unless you need something to keep you busy and want to do it seed-by-seed, like sitting and watching a movie. :)

On a side note:  How cute is this little baby pear?  It is called a 'forelle' pear and is the perfect size for little hands.  Pictured here by two red pears, you can tell it's ripe when its green skin gets red freckles.

I'm just sayin...

..santa claus melon is so good. Get one if you can! They are called 'Santa Claus' or 'Christmas Melon' because they have a really long shelf life and often show up in winter time. Yes, I googled it so I could tell my kids why it was named that...

I Love Onion Rings!

I always have.... Thank you, Post Punk Kitchen for these lovely baked ones. http://www.theppk.com/ and P.S. I can't wait for Esa's new book coming out on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498/ref=pd_sim_b_1

2 Vidalia onions (about a pound)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup cold almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup store-bought whole wheat bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons olive oil

Cooking spray

Slice onions into 3/4 inch thick rings. Separate the rings and place in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a rimmed 12x18 baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray and set aside.

In one bowl, dump in the flour and cornstarch. Add about half of the almond milk and stir vigorously with a fork to dissolve. Add the rest of the almond milk and the apple cider vinegar, and stir to incorporate. Set aside.

In the another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and salt. Drizzle in the oil and use your fingertips to mix it up well.

Assemble the onion rings:

Get a conveyor belt going. From left to right, have the onions, the flour mixture, the breadcrumbs mixture and lastly the baking sheet. Dip each onion slice into the the flour, letting the excess drip off. Transfer to the breadcrumbs bowl and use the other hand to sprinkle a handful of breadcrumbs over the onion, to coat completely. This may take a bit of practice. Carefully transfer each onion to a single layer on the baking sheet. Make sure you use one hand for the wet batter and the other for the dry batter.

Spray with a little cooking spray, bake for 8 minutes, then flip, and bake another 6 minutes. Rings should be varying shades of brown and crisp. Taste one to check for doneness. Serve as soon as possible. With ketchup if you must.

note: I didn't use oil in mine and it still tasted great!

Greek Dip

This dip is so good and a little better for my kids to dip their veggies in than ranch dressing. This recipes is from the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook.

1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 T lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder

Food process or blend chickpeas and artichoke hearts. Add other ingredients and blend well.
*I'm not really into eating "vegan" labelled food like this vegan mayo. The point of eating this way is to eat real food, not packaged fake food. But since I use mayo so rarely and only a little at a time, I bought this vegan mayo at the health food store rather than making my own.

Microwaved Baked Apples

This is the easiest 5 minute treat out there! It reminds me of my Mom's apple crisp recipe we ate on special occasions growing up. It could maybe only be improved with my friend's candied walnuts on top. (walnuts sauteed with honey)

1 apple (they say honey crisp holds it's shape best but I did it with fuji apples)

2 tbl frozen berries (I used cherries)

2 tsp agave nectar (or other sweetener)

dash of cinnamon

Core out apple (just scoop out apple with knife and spoon) but leave bottom of apple intact. Place in microwave safe deep dish. Fill apple with frozen berries, drizzle agave nectar over, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with a lid and microwave for 3-5 minutes, checking for softness after 3.

Green Smoothie

Don't forget the easiest way to get your greens in with a yummy smoothie. Some good ones are here

http://www.greenereating.com/search/label/Smoothies

The smoothie pictured here is spinach, pineapple, peaches, banana, and strawberries.

Bean Dip

This is a simple tasty snack that my friend Mika made one day. It's kind of like salsa but without onions or heat. It is really great (and my kids love it too.)

Black Beans

Garbanzo beans

Orange bell pepper, diced

Corn

Tomato, diced

Avocado, diced

Cilantro, chopped fine

Add ingredients together and serve with chips or whole grain crackers. (Hit it with some lime juice and crushed pepper if you want!)

Granola Balls from the wholefoods website

Made in our house for the last few years instead of cookies, these are granola balls. They go just as fast as cookies but you can feel slightly better about giving your kids and yourself some healthy fat and some fiber to slow down the sugar.

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 c coconut
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c honey
1/4 c brown sugar (can be reduced-it's just so the honey taste doesn't overpower)
1/2 c trail mix (I usually add more) (I love the kinds with lots of fruit in them)

I forgot that the original recipe calls for you to toast the oats and coconut on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees but I find it unnecessary and I skip that part.

Heat peanut butter, honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and form into 1 inch balls. Refrigerate an hour before serving (a step that doesn't often happen here.)

Roasted Chick Peas from fatfreevegan.com

Cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp red pepper

or any other spices combinations like:

black pepper

cumin

coriander

and cayenne pepper

Spray cooking sheet with canola/olive oil. Spread out garbanzo beans and sprinkle with toppings. Roast on bottom rack at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Don't under cook! Wait till they're brown and crunchy.

Pita Pizza

Have I never posted a pizza recipe before? It's not really a recipe but we have pizza for a quick meal from time to time. Pictured is this one:

Mexican Pizza

Diced Tomatoes

Diced Onions (green or regular)

Corn

Black Beans

Cilantro

Taco Seasoning (optional) or Salsa (optional)

Whole wheat pitas (or pictured was these "sandwich round" things I picked up once)

For my kids I usually spread spaghetti sauce on pitas and top with pineapple and a little vegan cheese. Preheat the oven really hot and then broil till hot and toasty.

Healthy Tortilla Chips from greenereating.com

How and why have I not been baking my own chips all along? It's so easy!

Ingredients:
-corn tortillas (with zero fat) (I used white corn) or whole wheat tortillas
-salt (optional)
-canola oil cooking spray (optional)


Preheat oven to 375.

Cut tortillas into wedges. (about 6 to 7 tortillas will fit on a baking sheet. I stack them up and then cut into 8 wedges)

Coat baking sheet with cooking spray; place tortilla wedges on sheet in single layer. I alternate my triangles and put them pretty close together (but not overlapping) so I can fit more on.


Spray tortillas with canola cooking spray (optional)


Cook about 13 minutes. I cooked them till a few of them started getting brown. The rest crisp up when they cool.


Sprinkle salt, seasoning salt, or taco seasoning. (optional)



Visit http://www.greenereating.com/search/label/Mexican for pictures.

Healthy Chocolate Shake by greenereating.com

You will never need chocolate ice cream again. This is so good! My kids know it as chocolate ice cream with sprinkles (green flecks from the spinach)

3 c. Very Vanilla Soymilk (I don't like vanilla soymilk so I just add a tsp of vanilla extract to my regular soymilk)
3 c. spinach or kale
4 to 5 frozen bananas

4 T. cocoa powder
1/8 t. stevia (I forgot to add sweetener the other day and I didn't notice a difference.)

Blend until smooth.

I think I will add some frozen raspberries next time...mmmm.

Look at http://www.greenereating.com/search/label/Smoothies for more great smoothies.