Super Easy Superfood Oatmeal...

Quinoa for breakfast is nothing new. In fact, combining quinoa and oats for a delicious protein rich breakfast isn’t new either, but it is new to me. As quinoa continues to grow in popularity here in the United States I continue to come across new and interesting uses for it. Of course, I never have time to try all the recipes I see, or even half of them, and when it comes to breakfast food I’m usually at a disadvantage anyway since I’m not much of a morning eater anyway. Which is why I normally opt for a fruit or green smoothie.

Of course, there are those rare days when I wake up with breakfast on my mind, and today was one of those days. Normally when I crave breakfast it’s something carby, or decadent. It’s always something that requires work and effort and it’s very seldom wholesome. Today was different, maybe it’s the cool autumnal weather, or the fact that I’ve been feeling less then ideal lately, but I woke up craving oats. Actually, that’s a lie, I’ve been craving oats for days now actually but I’ve just been to lazy to make them. Since I woke up extremely early this morning for no apparent reason, and have the day off I decided that if I wanted oatmeal then there was no time like the present.

The original idea was just to make a basic pot of oatmeal that would be large enough to last me through the weekend, but as I was standing in front of my pantry I thought “why not try that whole quinoa breakfast thing?” So I decided to add some quinoa to my oats. Then I started thinking about what else might be good. I had a single apple sitting in my fruit basket, and that always tastes great in oatmeal, I have bags of random Superfood burning holes in my pantry shelves and so why not add them too for a super nutrient dense, antioxidant rich breakfast? See how it is? Once you get started down a certain path you can’t stop, and I ended up with one of the most enjoyable bowls of oatmeal ever. The goji and mulberries really added a nice element to the oatmeal, a subtly sweet and complex blend of flavors. Even my husband who is no fan of oatmeal, but reluctantly agreed to try it, loved it!

The beauty of this oatmeal is you can literally do whatever you want with it. There are so many things you can add in, so many variations, an endless amount of options to keep you interested. This morning I chose to add the blueberries, cherries, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, maple syrup, pomegranate molasses, and unsweetened almond milk to my bowl and it was divine. My husband meanwhile chose blueberries, cherries, flaxseeds, chia seeds, raisins, maple syrup, pomegranate molasses and vanilla almond milk.

However you choose to eat it, I hope you enjoy it!

Super Easy Superfood Oatmeal 

1 ½ C Steel Cut Oats
½ C Quinoa
5 C Water
1 Granny Smith Apple Peeled and cubed
4 Tbsp Goji Berries
4 Tbsp White Mullberries

Optional Add Ins per Serving 

2 Tbsp Fresh or Frozen Blueberries, Raspberries, or Blackberries
8 Fresh or Frozen Whole Pitted Cherries
2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
1 Tbsp Raw Sunflower Seeds
1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1-2 Tbsp Raisins
1-2 Tbsp Walnuts
Sliced Banana
½ - 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
½ - 1 Tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
Almond, Coconut or other favorite non-dairy milk

- Combine the Oats, Quinoa and Water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat and let simmer on the stove for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until the oats have thickened and are tender.

- Ten minutes before the end of cooking add in the peeled chopped apple and stir to combine.

- Five minutes before the end of cooking add in the Goji and White Mullberries and stir to combine.

- Remove the cooked oatmeal from the heat, and spoon out individual servings. Top each serving with desired add-ins.

*** Note - To ensure this is Gluten-Free use GF oats. *** 

Luscious Fruit and Flax Smoothie...

I thought I would take a moment to share with you my favorite smoothie of late. I’ve made it quite a few times now and it’s everything you could want in a smoothie. Dense, satisfying, filling, sweet - but not too sweet, and nutritious. I’ll admit that as much as I love flax, I’m not always so diligent about eating it, but I just recently watched a fascinating video with Michael Gregor about the importance of Omega-3 Fatty Acids that’s got me thinking up new ways to include this vital powerhouse food into my diet daily.

Smoothies are the easiest way for me to consume flaxseed. I feel like if I do it all in one go right in the morning then it’s done and I don’t have to worry about it. If I leave it until later the truth is I’ll probably forget to sprinkle it on my salad or my pasta or my broccoli or what have you. Best to do it first thing, and why not have it in a delicious smoothie? The addition of flax to a smoothie gives the drink a really luscious texture reminiscent of a milkshake, and with the great flavor bursts in this particular concoction you’ll feel like you’re having something decadent when really you’re drinking tons of healthful nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. So give it a try, and enjoy!

Luscious Fruit and Flax Smoothie

1 Navel Orange
1 Banana
1-2 Handfuls Baby Spinach
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
4 Drops Liquid Vanilla Stevia (Optional)

- Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 60-90 seconds until completely smooth.

*** Note - If you can't find liquid Stevia or don't wish to use it you can use another sweetener of choice and add in 1/2-1 tsp of vanilla extract instead.***

Acai Berry Breakfast Bowl...

I’ve been in love with the idea of an Acai breakfast bowl ever since I tried my first one at a Choice Health Bar in Lahaina, Maui a couple of years ago. It became a favorite breakfast for me while I was in Maui. There was nothing better then waking up to the sun, walking on the beach listening to the waves roar and then going into town for a delicious and filling yet totally nutritious breakfast. Every time I ate one of those Acai bowls in Maui I felt like I was eating energy, like I was eating power. It’s such a great way to fuel your day, and eating a rainbow of fruity filled goodness for breakfast just puts you in an immediately positive mood.

When I came back to Chicago however there were no Acai bowls to be found in any of my local haunts and so I gradually began to forget about the awesome power of acai in the morning. It wasn’t until I returned home to Vancouver this past month that I was once again reunited with my love of the acai bowl. My husband and I were in North Vancouver doing some touristy stuff since we’d been able to snag some free time away from family drama. Since we were out there I wanted to take him to a cool, raw, vegan, smoothie bar I’d discovered last year. Lo and behold when we arrived at the tiny busting smoothie bar they had a sign for their own version of an Acai breakfast bowl. - More about that bowl in particular and the smoothie bar in a review post - promise. - Needless to say I was desperate to order it for breakfast, and once that acai touched my tongue you could consider my love rekindled.

Why it had never occurred to me to make my own acai breakfast bowls upon returning home from Maui I will never know, but after having one again in Vancouver I knew I wouldn’t be able to live without it again. The following recipe is my take on an acai breakfast bowl, and it’s one of the very first things I made once we were back in Chicago. The cool thing about an Acai bowl is that they’re pretty versatile, you can load them up however you like, and add in what you want. I remember Choice Health Bar in Maui had more then just one version of the bowl listed in their breakfast menu - some of them quite elaborate - but for my take I wanted something simple, refreshing and delicious.

This bowl wins on all points, you simply must make it. Think of it as a smoothie you can chew, and prepare to be amazed!

Acai Berry Breakfast Bowl 

1/4 C Frozen Blueberries
6 Frozen Strawberries (8 if berries are small)
1 3.5oz pack of Frozen Acai Berry Puree
1/3 C Acai Berry Juice
3 Ice Cubes
1 ½ tsp Agave Nectar
1/4 C Granola
1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
2 tsp Ground Flaxseed
2 tsp Chia Seeds
1 Sliced Banana
Handful of Fresh Blueberries

- Combine frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, acai berry puree, acai berry juice, agave nectar, chia seeds, flaxseed, and ice cubes in a high speed blender. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and completely pureed. You can add a couple more ice cubes for a thicker consistency if you like.

- Pour the mixture into a bowl. Then top with your favorite organic vegan granola - I used a vanilla strawberry blend - hemp seeds, the sliced banana and fresh blueberries.

Enjoy immediately, sitting somewhere where you can enjoy the sun!

*** NOTE - If you need this recipe to be gluten-free make sure you purchase and use a gluten-free granola ***

Vanilla Orange Berry Blast Smoothie...

You all know how much I love a good smoothie right? Well over the past week this one has become my absolute favorite breakfast. The flavor is so unique a mixture of berry, vanilla, citrus and that oh so distinct grassy taste of wheatgrass. I love the not quite blended texture of the dates as well. Overall this smoothie packs an energizing antioxidant punch that’ll both nourish and satisfy you, not to mention help you through any busy Spring morning, and if it doesn’t quite feel like spring where you live then at least the light citrus notes will make you daydream of the warmer days to come. Plus, you can’t beat that beautiful, rich, majestic color. Doesn’t it make you want to smile?

Vanilla Orange Berry Blast Smoothie 

1-1 1/4C Vanilla Almond Milk
1 Large Navel Orange
2 Pitted Dates
1 Scoop Wheatgrass Powder (I use Amazing Grass)
2/3-3/4C Frozen Blueberries
4 Frozen Peach Slices
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
Dash of Ground Ginger

- Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high for 1 minute or until smooth. Bits of unblended date pieces are okay, and highly recommended in my opinion.

*** Note - If you prefer you can use unsweetened almond or other non-dairy milk and use a tablespoon of vanilla extract instead. Though I quite like the taste and texture of the vanilla almond milk. Also how much milk and blueberries you use depends on the strength of your blender and your personal preference for how thick you want the smoothie to be.***

The Big 'Ole Valentine's Day Post of 2013...

Blueberry Blintzes

There is nothing I would have loved more then to post about Valentine’s Day on actual Valentine’s Day. Alas it was not to be, because right in the middle of photographing our dessert my camera battery died. I do have a backup battery of course, but because they hold such a long charge - months! When all I’m using it for is everyday food photography anyway - I rarely keep the backup charged. Of course by the time the battery was finally charged it was a little past midnight, and I was half a sleep. I couldn’t bother to get back out of bed. Though I truly hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day, however you celebrated it.

I personally think Valentine’s Day is a silly holiday - really it’s not a holiday at all, - and before I met my husband I never celebrated it. I’ve never thought of myself as being particularly romantic, and when I was younger I was certainly more practical then romantic. My husband on the other hand is a very romantic man, and the only romantic man I’ve ever been with - former boyfriends of mine were like me, more practical then romantic. - After six years of marriage and nine years together I think a little - or maybe a lot - of that romanticism has worn off on me too. I’ve celebrated every one of the past nine Valentine’s Days, and each year they become a little more meaningful.

In our early years together we would celebrate with gifts, cards, flowers and a nice dinner out. These days however I don’t like the hustle and bustle of busy restaurants on Valentine’s Day, and so we typically go out for dinner another day of the week, while Valentine’s Day we stay home and I make something delicious and romantic. Any excuse for me to make something fantastic right?

Well, this year was no exception to the rule. As is my custom I like to start holiday celebrations off with a special breakfast, so I began our day with Blueberry Blintzes. I used Mark Reinfeld’s recipe from his book "30 Minute Vegan Taste of Europe" - a book I was very excited to buy and then never got around to actually using! - According to Reinfeld Blintzes are of Slavic origin and are a popular feature in the traditional cuisine’s of Eastern Europe. I was really interested to try this recipe because though I know what a blintz is I’ve never actually ate one - not that I recall anyway, - and the picture looked divine. I didn’t grow up in an area of the world that hosts a lot of Eastern European immigrants, and aside from one or two Russian restaurant Vancouver doesn’t have many Eastern European eateries. Chicago by contrast is overflowing with people of Eastern European decent, and has many restaurants devoted toe the cuisine. However it isn’t very vegan or vegetarian friendly cuisine and since I became vegetarian so soon after moving here I didn’t really have adequate time to explore it.

As it happens Taste of Europe is not the only vegan cook book I own to contain a recipe for blintzes. I’ve seen them in several other cook books of mine, and while I always felt intrigued by them I also always felt intimidated. I am not a crepe master, as much as I love crepes they are really not my forte, but besides the crepes other books made blintzes seem so complicated, while Reinfeld makes them look easy. In fact these were far easier to prepare then I expected them to be. It took me longer then 30 minutes but hey, I’m a newb at this.  This was my third or fourth time making crepes and I found them a lot easier this time around then I have in the past so that was a confidence booster. Making the filling was easy as well, as it’s a combination of vegan cream cheese, steamed tofu, tahini, lemon juice, sugar, nutritional yeast and salt. Then the blueberry sauce is super easy. Blueberries, arrowroot, water, cardamom and sugar although I replaced the sugar with maple syrup for the sauce. Once everything is prepared you stuff the blintz, saute it in a pan on both sides, then top if with the blueberry sauce and a little dollop of extra filling.

Romaine Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

Man were these delicious! They taste so decadent. I really couldn’t get over how rich and wonderful they were, and now I’m super excited to make more blintzes in the future. With both sweet and savory fillings!

Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

For dinner I wanted to make something equally delicious, that was special, and romantic yet cost effective. I didn’t want to go overboard since it was just the two of us. After some careful thought I decided to make the Seitan Scallopini from Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg’s book “Spork-Fed” I really love this book, but I haven’t used it to make anything since Canadian Thanksgiving last year. It’s one of those books that I always forget I have. Initially I wasn’t sure if this would be the right dish to make, but the picture looked so gorgeous and inviting that I thought ‘what the hell? Why not?’ I had plenty of seitan in the freezer, and all the other ingredients called for in the recipe I had as well, which made things easy.

Seitan Scallopini with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Now, I’ve never eaten actual scallopini because most scallopini I’ve seen on restauant menus was made using veal and even when I ate meat I never, ever, ever ate veal. - Gross! And Sad! - and the thought of chicken scallopini didn’t much interest me either, so I have no idea what a ‘traditional’ scallopini is suppose to taste like, but I don’t care because this dish was freaking amazing! Seriously! The Seitan is sliced into thin cutlets, then briefly coated in a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and lemon juice, then breaded in flour, garlic powder, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Once breaded it’s fried in olive oil till crispy brown on both sides.

Strangely enough the combined smell of this process along with the garlic I was roasting in the oven reminded me exactly of walking into my grandma’s house for a Sunday night roast dinner. Sunday night roast dinners at my grandma’s were a prominent feature of my childhood, and one of my very favorite things. Since my dad’s parents didn’t live as close to us as my mom’s parents did, we didn’t see them as often, so dinner at grandmas was always a big deal for me, and her roast dinners were seriously the best! I can’t say I exactly miss them now since I have no desire to eat meat, but I do miss that sense of family unity, and the warmth of her house at the holidays, and making this dinner really brought me back there, if only for a few moments.

Anyway, the next step in the scallopini recipe is the sauce. Which is made using red wine, vegan butter, mushrooms, flour, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt and pepper. To me this didn’t sound like enough ingredients to make a rich delicious wine sauce but boy was I wrong. This sauce was simply amazing! And it was super amazing poured over the scallopini and garnished with fresh minced parsley. Seriously, we were in heaven eating this!

To accompany the meal I decided to make a light salad. Since I was going to be eating so much gluten - and as I mentioned before I’ve been keeping pretty much gluten-free since my juice fast - I figured it would be best if I ate something light on the side, and preferably raw. So I deiced to make the Romaine Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing from Donna Klein’s book “The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen.” I chose this recipe because it was simple, and because I wanted an ‘Italian’ style salad to go with our ‘Italian’ style main course. The salad is literally very simple, it’s just romaine lettuce - although I threw in some diced tomato and red onion for good measure - but the dressing is fantastico!  You roast 8 cloves of garlic in the oven and mash them into a puree when they’re cool. Then combine it with another clove of minced garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, Dijon Mustard and vegetable broth. I didn’t have any Veg broth though so I subbed water, then I added a touch of agave to sweeten the deal, and man it was phenomenal! Not all of my garlic cloves mashed completely so there were still chunky bits of roast garlic in the salad that were absolutely amazing!

Finally for dessert I made the Cinnamon Scented Tiramisu also from Jenny and Heather’s book “Spork-Fed.” I know so many people who go ape-shit for Tiramisu, and while I do enjoy it I never really saw what all the fuss was about. For some reason Tiramisu is something I never order when I go out, I never buy it, I never make it and I never think about it. Sure if it’s around I’ll eat it, and I enjoy it, but it’s just one of those things I never think to make myself. Of course their version sounded delicious and I wanted to keep with the Italian theme so I thought I’d give it a go. Plus I had two more containers of Vegan Cream Cheese leftover from Christmas that I needed to use before March.

Cinnamon Scented Tiramisu 

An Inside Shot of the Tiramisu

There Tiramisu was surprisingly easy to make. The cake is flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, and oil. I actually used Date sugar for this, and coconut oil instead of a ‘nuteral oil’ and think it worked out fantastic. I’ve been using date sugar a lot instead of actual sugar and I’m really enjoying it. Then the cream layer is made with vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, sugar, soy milk, lemon juice, orange juice, and salt. I didn’t have orange juice though so instead I used 1 tsp orange extract and 1 tsp almond extract. Worked great. I also added in cinnamon to the cream layer. After all this was called cinnamon scented tiramisu and I wanted there to be a lot of cinnamon! So I added in double the amount of cinnamon into the cake, and 1 tsp into the cream layer. Then you brew some strong coffee or espresso, mix it with sugar and amaretto, and bam! Everything’s finished except the assembly.

Of course the assembly is easy. Cut the cake, pour the coffee mixture over top of it to let it soak in. Then layer cake, cream, cake, cream until you run out of both. Garnish as desired with chocolate. I used chocolate chips and formed them into cutesy little hearts!

And that was Valentine’s Day, I hope you all had just as much fun as we did!

Swiss Chard Salad with Sauteed Stems in A Dijon Vinaigrette...

Last night I felt like making a salad to go with our dinner, but I didn’t have any lettuce and I didn’t have any kale. I had cabbage but we’d just eaten a cabbage salad with dinner the night before and so I wanted something different. The only other green I had available was a huge bunch of Rainbow Swiss Chard that I bought on Sunday simply because it looked beautiful and because it was on sale. I took a good look at those big beautiful leaves and thought ‘why not? You can make a salad out of this can’t you?’ In fact I knew it was possible to make a salad out of Chard because I’d made a Romaine and Chard salad more then a year ago, but chard is just one of those greens that while I love it, I never really use it. Plus I was worried that without the subtle sweetness of romaine the chard would be too bitter. Of course since I didn’t have anything else to offset the flavor I had to do my best and make it work somehow.

In the end this salad exceeded all expectations, and for whatever reason it really felt like a winter salad. Maybe because of the dark leafy leaves, or maybe because Chard is more associated with winter, I don’t know but it felt appropriate and it tasted fantastic. Since I didn’t want to waste the stems and because I didn’t want to eat the stems raw I decided to saute them, I like sauteed chard stems, they taste vaguely of beets and I think it was a perfect topper for this salad. They were tasty, tender-crisp, made a beautiful presentation and throwing them into the salad is a great way to utilize the whole plant.

Though it may sound strange to you at first trust me when I say this salad is fan-freaking-tastic. My husband and I loved it so much we gobbled up massive bowls of it, and barely had room left for the soup I’d made as our main course. It’s got a great combination of flavors and textures, and each one really lingers on the tongue. Try it!

Swiss Chard Salad with Sauteed Stems in A Dijon Vinaigrette

1 Large bunch Rainbow Swiss Chard
1 Red Onion sliced thin
2 carrots grated
½ C dried Blueberries
1/4 C Toasted Pecans (optional)
2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds or more to taste
1 tsp olive oil

Dijon Vinaigrette 

3 Tbsp Hemp Seed Oil
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp Dijon Mustard
4 Medjool Dates
1/4-1/3 C Walnuts
1-2 Garlic Cloves to taste
½-1 Tsp Onion Powder
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Dash of White Pepper
1/4 C Purified Water to thin or more/less as needed.

- Remove Chard leaves from stems. Set stems aside and cut leaves into bite sized pieces. Toss the Chard leaves into a big bowl and add grated carrots, dried blueberries, pecans, and hemp seeds. Set aside.

- Mince the reserved Swiss Chard stems then add them to a medium sized pan with the tsp of olive oil and sliced red onions. Saute over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes until stems are tender-crisp and onions are translucent. Remove from heat and add them to the salad.

Note - It’s okay if the pan that you’re cooking the stems and onions in gets a bit dry, you don’t want the mixture to be liquidly so you may even want to use less then 1 tsp of oil. Just enough really so that they cook nicely, get a bit of flavor and don’t stick to the pan. 

- To make vinaigrette place all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste for flavor, and consistency and thin the dressing as needed and adjust flavor to taste.

- Poor the vinaigrette over the salad and using two wooden spoons gently massage the dressing into the salad making sure all chard leaves get covered. Massage the salad for roughly 5 minutes until the chard leaves wilt slightly and soften.

- Divide amongst bowls and enjoy!

PS: In summer when fresh blueberries are in season you can make this salad with those instead of dry. You could also probably substitute the nuts for a nut that's a little more summery, like a Macadamia. Yum! 

Berry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie...

I’ve been drinking oatmeal smoothies for years now, and it seems the mainstream is beginning to catch on to how awesome they are. I noticed while out grocery shopping recently that the juice company Naked has a new line of fruit flavored oatmeal shakes on the market. I’ve tried a couple myself and I have to say they’re not bad, and they seem to be slowly gaining in popularity. While it’s nice to see new vegan-friendly products entering the market all the time, offering a wide breadth of choice, nothing could be easier then making your very own oatmeal smoothie at home. Plus if you do it yourself it’s cheaper, more nutritious, and lower in sugar.

An oatmeal shake is perfect for breakfast on the go, or for those of us who may not always be in the mood to eat in the morning and so prefer a liquid breakfast. That’s basically what propelled me to make my first oatmeal smoothie several years ago. You see, I actually really love oats and oatmeal, but I’m not always the best at eating it on a regular basis, and I’m sure others out there can relate to that. For me oatmeal is something I have to be in the mood to eat and honestly when I’m ravenous I don’t have the patience to wait for it to cook. Which makes the oatmeal shake a perfect solution!

The other great thing about starting your day with an oatmeal smoothie is that you’re truly starting your day off right, because they are absolutely packed with nutrition and have sufficient calories to keep you full and energized straight to (or perhaps even past) lunch. Perfect if you have errands to run, meetings to attend or a lot of work to file by the end of the day. An oatmeal shake is also a healthy way to keep an eye on your weight as the high protein content will keep you full longer and help prevent you from snacking before lunch, or even gorging when lunchtime comes around.

Oh and did I mention that oatmeal smoothies are delicious? ‘Cause they are. I promise I wouldn’t say it unless I meant it, and I certainly wouldn’t drink them if I didn’t think they were totally bomb.
I tend to switch up my oatmeal shakes from time to time but the following recipe the one I make most often. I’m particularly fond of the blueberry and oatmeal combination, I mean really is there anything better? I think not, especially when you blend in some super smooth and creamy almond milk and finish it off with a dash of cinnamon. Perfect breakfast heaven!

So even if the idea of oatmeal in a shake sounds strange to you, don’t be afraid to give it a try, you just might find yourself amazed!

Berry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

2 C Fresh Blueberries (can use frozen if you like)
2 C Almond Milk (unsweetened or original)
1 Pack Frozen Acai Berry Puree (Thawed)
3/4 C Rolled Oats
1 1/2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom
1-2 packets stevia (optional)

- Place all ingredient in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 30-60 seconds until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with additional blueberries and hemp seeds for a lovely presentation!

And, just to give you an idea of the wonderful nutritional content of this smoothie, here are a few facts and figures taken right from the backs of the cartons/packages of the products I used. Obviously percentages will vary slightly depending on which brands you use, but you get the idea.

2 C of Blueberries = 48% Vitamin C, 28% Fiber, 70% Vitamin K
1 Pack Acai Berry Puree = 5% Fiber, 15% Vitamin A, 4% Calcium, 6% Iron, 1g Protein, 8% Vitamin C3
3/4 C Dry Rolled Oats = 22.5% Fiber, 7.5g Protein, 15% Iron,
1.5 Tbsp Hemp Seeds = 4% Fiber, 5g Protein, 10% Iron,
2 Cups Almond Milk (Silk Original) = 4% Potassium, 8% Fiber, 2g Protein, 8% Iron, 100% Vitamin B12, 20% Vitamin A, 50% Vitamin D, 90% Calcium, 20% Zinc

If you drink the entire blender full, then that’s an incredible amount of nutrition, heck even if you drink half the blender you’re still getting a whopping amount of both calcium and protein, so don’t ever let anyone tell you that as a vegan you don’t get adequate nutrition, in fact if you’re eating healthfully you’re probably getting superior nutrition. Considering that animal flesh doesn’t contain fiber, antioxidants, or vitamins and comes along with a heaping side of saturated fat. So drink your oats and be happy!

*** Note - For Gluten-Free be sure to use GF Oats!*** 

Vegan Mofo #18 -Lauren’s Stuffed Banana Berry French Toast...

Vegan Mofo #18 -Lauren’s Stuffed Banana Berry French Toast

The Book - "Vegan Yum Yum"
The Author - Lauren Ulm
The Recipe - Stuffed Banana Berry French Toast
Page # 28
Difficulty - Easy but time Consuming
Duration - Roughly 45 minutes total time

My husband loves French Toast, I on the other hand never cared much one way or the other for it. I guess I just didn’t get what was so great or delicious about frying bread and then drenching it in syrup. Over the years spent with my husband I’ve come around a little to French Toast, and I have to say I make a pretty mean batch of vanilla cinnamon French Toast, but I rarely ever make it. I guess I figure if I’m going to go to all the trouble of cooking something for breakfast I might as well make pancakes or waffles. However when I opened "Vegan Yum Yum" up to the breakfast section I saw her inspiring, mouth watering French Toast concoction and just knew I had to make it.

This recipe does take a bit of time, not to long mind you but it isn’t the kind of thing you can whip up in five minutes before going to work on Monday morning. This is the kind of decedent breakfast you make for you and your sweetie on a special occasion or when you both have the day off together. Trust me when I tell you that the time it takes and the dishes it uses are well worth it. This is one of the most delicious French Toast recipes I’ve ever made, just thinking about it gets me salivating!

What you do is take day old bread - I used French - slice it into super thick rounds, then stuff each round with a mixture of thinly sliced bananas, and berries. Brilliant! I love berries and bananas are always a great breakfast food! Then you very carefully fry your stuffed bread rounds and serve them drizzled with sweet strawberry sauce, powdered sugar, and maple syrup if you so desire. I can not stress enough just how fantastic this recipe is. The berries and banana pair perfectly with the strawberry sauce - which Ulm claims is optional but I think it’s pretty damn necessary and you’d be doing your tastebuds a great disservice by not making it - and the spiced, vanilla accented toast. Also this is a super filling breakfast so it’ll keep you going strong till lunch, or even dinner.

As far as alterations go I followed the recipe pretty exactly, just adding in a bit more cinnamon and I used unsweetened almond milk instead of soy just because that’s what I had on hand. So if you have a French Toast lover in your house I implore you to make this. Even if you - like me - think you don’t like French Toast, give this a try and you might just come around!

Vegan Mofo #17 - Colleen’s Blueberry Cake...

Vegan Mofo #17 - Colleen’s Blueberry Cake

The Book - The Joy of Vegan Baking
The Author - Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
The Recipe - Blueberry Cake
Page # 79
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - Roughly 1 hour

Who doesn’t love blueberries? I know my husband and I do, we can’t get enough of them, especially during the summer. They’re one of life’s most perfect foods in my opinion, so delicious and refreshing and not too sweet. I love them in everything from a smoothie to a salad, to a slice of pie but aside from the occasional batch of blueberry pancakes they’re not a fruit I use much in baking. Probably because they never last long enough in my fridge! However one summer afternoon I was flipping through my cook books, searching for a delicious dessert to bring to a party I was going to. I wanted something impressive, yet new, as I get sick of baking and eating the same things all the time. Since we love blueberries so much, and my husband loves coffee cake this recipe naturally caught my eye whilst I was thumbing through my copy of "The Joy of Vegan Baking"

It fit all the stipulations I’d set in place. It was something I’d never baked before, it was something that certainly sounded delicious and impressive and it was something I knew no one else would bring. In other words an instant win, and I was right. The party goers ate it up, and I got so many compliments throughout the night. In the end I was left with only a tiny sliver of cake, and a room of smiling faces.

This is a perfect cake recipe, and I don’t say that lightly. I have never been a fan of cake. A lot of people are die hard cake lovers, especially when it comes to chocolate cake, but I have never felt that way. Give me a slice of pie, a scone a turnover or a bowl of ice cream for dessert and I’m happy. Cake on the other hand I could live without, but ths cake - oh man! This cake is very light, and very moist. Not too sweet but just sweet enough which I love and it packs one hell of a blueberry flavor. It’s a great cake to bake when blueberries are in season, a great cake to bring to a summer BBQ, or a fall get together. Trust me when I say your friends and family will be salivating and begging you for the recipe.

As far as changes go I only made one. I added cinnamon, but that’s because I love it and I generally add it into every baked good recipe I make whether the recipe calls for it or not. Just one of my little quirks. You can use either fresh or frozen berries. I suggest using fresh when they’re in season and frozen when they’re not. I used frozen and doing so is going to make your cake a bit more juicy. In fact there may come a point where you think it’ll never fully cook because the blueberry juice is bubbling so much, but trust me it will, just give it time and have faith. Using the frozen berries is probably what makes the cake so moist so I definitely recommend giving it a try, and as always enjoy!

Vegan Mofo #12 - Colleen’s Quinoa Blue Cornbread...

Vegan Mofo #12 - Colleen’s Quinoa Blue Cornbread

The Book - "Color Me Vegan
The Author - Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
The Recipe - Quinoa Blue Cornbread
Page # 185
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - Roughly 45 minutes

I do have a couple more salads up my sleeve, but lets take a break from that shall we? And enjoy something special and spectacular. Quinoa Blue Cornbread. Did you get that? BLUE cornbread! I didn’t even care what was in it, the minute I saw blue cornbread I HAD to make it. It was just too weird not to! Kidding aside it really was one of the first recipes to jump out at me when I was flipping through "Color Me Vegan" for the first time. There really aren’t a lot of ‘blue’ foods out there if you think about it, which is a shame because blue is such a pretty color.

As strange as it might seem upon first glance this is a pretty great recipe. Though I may be bias because I absolutely love blueberries, and I’ve always loved cornbread. Who could pass up a fresh piping hot square of cornbread with a nice bowl of chili? My mom always made the best cornbread, and I’d eat a ton of it when she made it. After I got married I don’t think I ever ate cornbread. My husband you see is not a fan, he’s never liked it. Most of the cornbread he grew up eating came from a box and though I tried to convince him that my homemade cornbread would be different it was always a ‘no go’ Then because I was dying to try Isa’s "Fresh Corn and Scallion Cornbread" recipe I made it, told him it was polenta and he loved it. Afterwards I revealed that it was actually a cornbread recipe and ever since then he’s come around. So I was very, very excited to try this. The only problem was I couldn’t find blue cornmeal anywhere. I’d tried Whole Foods, my local grocery, specialty grocery, and ethnic groceries in my area and nowhere did I find blue cornmeal. Sadly I had to put this cornbread experiment on hold, though every time I flipped through "Color Me Vegan" I considered just going ahead and making this bread with regular cornmeal. Glad I waited though.

Over the summer on a trip out of town I happened upon a very small shop selling spices, speciality chocolate, speciality teas, and a few speciality dry goods. Among those dry goods I found Beluga Lentils (Another thing I hadn’t been able to find near me) and lo and behold blue cornmeal! I hadn’t even been looking for it, and then bam! It was right there in my face. I was so excited I almost wanted to come home early and make the cornbread right away. (I didn’t of course)

I have to say I’m really glad I waited for the blue cornmeal, it makes such a dazzling presentation, and just seems to go better with the blueberries. Interestingly a few weeks ago while in a market I don’t usually frequent I found a large bag of blue cornmeal, so I won’t have to go out of town the next time I need some, yay!

Everything about this recipe is interesting, everything is a surprise. I never would have thought ot use quinoa in a cornbread recipe, neither would I ever have thought that blueberries and corn actually pair pretty damn well together, but there you have it. Somehow it works, and it works harmoniously, as if it were meant to be. Every bite into a piece of this bread is like a party for your tastebuds. There are so many things going on and all of them are magic. Even my former cornbread hating husband loved it!

I did however find this cornbread to be very moist and therefore take longer to cook before the center was done. I don’t know if that’s because of the liquid from the frozen blueberries or simply because I added to much almond milk. Either way next time I’ll keep a better eye on it. The moistness did not hinder the taste in anyway though, and as for alterations I only did one thing differently. Colleen says to use either 1 cup of blueberries or 1 cup of corn kernels in the bread. Rather then do that I used a half cup of each, and it was brilliant. I really suggest that.

PS: Again sorry for the lack of pictures and the questionable quality. I was in a hurry to eat!!!

Nutritional Powerhouse Smoothie...

For the past few days I’ve been making a huge morning breakfast smoothie using Vega: Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer. For those of you not familiar with Vega it’s a nutritionally complete powder made from natural plant-based whole-foods. It’s alkaline, easily digestible, gluten-free, soy-free, and GMO-free. It contains no animal products, including eggs and dairy. No wheat, no yeast, no added sugar, no artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or artificial preservatives, and no herbicides or pesticides. It comes in four different flavors - Chocolate, Vanilla Chai, Nuteral, and Berry - three different sizes - 36oz containers, 17oz containers and small single serving packages - and was formulated by Brendan Brazier. A vegan professional Ironman triathlete and best-selling author on performance nutrition.



It is a complete meal with only 240 calories per serving. However I personally think the 2 scoop serving is a bit much for one person, and so if I’m making the smoothie for just me I use only 1 scoop, which is 120 calories. The product is sweetened with stevia and contains 100% of your RDA - in the full 2 scoop serving - for Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B2, B3, B6, B12, Thiamin, Folate, Biotin, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, and Chromium. It also contains 60% dietary fiber, 52% protein, and 43% Potassium. There is no sodium, only 6g of fat, and only 7% Carbohydrates. It also contains 2,500mg of Omega-3 Fatty acids, 1,500mg Omega-6 fatty acids, 2,500mg Chlorella, 2,500mg Maca root, 300mg Digestive enzyme blend, 83mg dairy-free probiotic blend, and 43,000mg of plant based protein from hemp yellow pea, brown rice, and whole flax seed.

I’ve never really been into protein powders, or things of that nature. Not as a omnivore nor as a vegan. I know/knew plenty of people who drank boost, and whey protein and what not and never really understood it. However a couple of friends of mine have recently been raving about Vega, and since I’m always interested in making sure my husband and I receive optimal nutrition I thought I’d give it a try. As healthy as we eat day to day, lets face it there are those crazy days where we just don’t have the time to consume as many fruits and veggies as we need to or would like to. On those days we’re subjected to eating fast, carby, usually fatty foods, which always leave us feeling so gross and drained. This is the perfect solution to that. All you need to do is add Vega to water and shake, but if you’ve got a bit more time or want to give yourself an extra kick you can blend it with some water or non-dairy milk, and some fruit of your choice. It really does keep you feeling full so you can power through those busy mornings without having to munch down a cliff bar, or stop off at starbucks for a bagel.

As far as taste goes it’s a nutritional supplement, so it kind of tastes like one. A little chalky like most of them are, but the berry flavor is pretty good and made even better by blending it with a banana or some blueberries. I actually quite like the chocolate one as well, I didn’t think I would, but it’s pretty great. I thought it was less chalky and less powdery then the berry flavor, and it’s totally brilliant blended with 1 C almond milk 1 C water and 1 banana. Tastes just like a chocolate banana smoothie and who doesn’t love that?

Anyway all week I’ve been playing around with different combinations of ingredients. I used all kinds of different fruits, I used kale and some other greens, and all of my concoctions were okay, but this morning I really hit the jackpot. This smoothie was so good that I think it’ll be the only one I make when I use berry flavored Vega. So if you have Vega give it a try, and if you don’t have Vega but are curious about it I really suggest trying it out. Especially if you’re concerned about getting the proper nutrition through your diet, or just if you have a busy life and need something more substantial then a cup of coffee and a power bar in the morning.

*** Note - This recipe makes enough for 2 medium sized eaters. So I suggest halving it if it’s just for you. Unless your particularly hungry, or a big eater. Or you can always drink half of it, then refrigerate the other half to enjoy later in the day. ***

Nutritional Powerhouse Smoothie

4 C purified water
2 Medium sized Bananas
1 C Frozen Blueberries
½ C Frozen Mixed Berries (I used a blend of Raspberries, Blackberries, and Mulberries)
2 Scoops Vega

- Add ingredients into a highspeed blender in order listed above. Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds until smoothie is well blended and smooth.

- Pour into two large glasses and enjoy!

***Note - If you’re not used to getting much fiber in your diet I recommend not going anywhere that won’t have a bathroom available. Also be sure to drink lots of water throughout the day to help the fiber move through your system.***

Vega’s Website - http://myvega.com/