coconut

Tropical Quinoa Smoothie

Happy Friday!

Last night I made another batch of Mediterranean Lentils and refrigerated them overnight for a quick pre-made lunch for my busy day today, and it was sooo good cold! It tasted like a completely different dish. I’m never a huge fan of refrigerated leftovers or meals, they just never taste the same to me… but this one was perfect.

This morning a threw a smoothie together with what I had on hand in the refrigerator and freezer and it turned out pretty good! I had some leftover cooked quinoa that needed to be eaten, along with some miscellaneous frozen fruit, so into the blender it went. I have been loving putting cooked quinoa in my smoothies (a nice break from rolled oats) because it gives a slightly nutty flavor and is also a complete protein. With the addition of some milk and coconut, a filling tropical morning smoothie was born!


Tropical Quinoa Smoothie

Serves 1

1 cup milk of your choice
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup mango
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 Tbsp shredded coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla

Precook and chill quinoa. Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend thoroughly. Enjoy chilled.
Note: If your blender is not very powerful, blend the milk and quinoa first until it is completely smooth and then add the other ingredients.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: pineapple and mango
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: milk
Plant Based Fat: coconut

Healthy Cookies + Chobani Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to RFFMBT reader: Kimberly, winner of the Chobani Giveaway!

All of the submissions looked so delicious, and I had such a hard time selecting just one winner! Kimberly’s Healthy Beet Cookies were so innovative and creative that I just had to give them a try. I love that her recipe doesn’t contain any added sugar or oil, making them totally rabbit food approved! I have to say that these are probably the prettiest cookies I have ever seen. The bright fuchsia color is absolutely stunning, and I enjoyed the warm flavor with earthy notes. What show stoppers! Thank you for your awesome recipe, Kimberly! Check your email for details about receiving your prize!

Thank you to Chobani and everyone who entered the giveaway, I loved everyone’s fabulous combinations and healthy recipes containing Greek yogurt!
Hopefully I will have the opportunity to host some more giveaways in the future!

Healthy Beet Cookies
Recipe By: Kimberly
Makes 24 cookies 

6 oz 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek Yogurt
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 egg
1 medium beet – peeled and chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp raspberry extract
1 tsp baking powder

Topping
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
10 unsalted roasted almonds – ground
24 dark chocolate covered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly coat baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine chopped beet, egg, and extracts in a high powered blender or food processor and blend thoroughly until there are no beet bits leftover. Add yogurt and continue blending until completely combined. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking powder. Pour beet and yogurt mixture into flour mixture, followed by ½ cup raw shredded coconut. Stir until the batter is well combined. Place batter in the freezer for about 15 minutes so it can set and be more manageable. While the batter cools in the freezer, grind almonds in a blender or food processor. After the almonds are ground, combine in a bowl with ¼ cup coconut. Remove batter from the freezer, and spoon dough into 1in wide balls and dip in almond and coconut mixture. Place each ball onto a cookie sheet and lightly flatten with fingers. Bake for 10 minutes. After removing from the oven, instantly push a dark chocolate almond on top of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool before consuming.

Brown Rice Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowl

I absolutely love cereal and oatmeal in the morning, but sometimes I just want a change in my morning routine.

When I visited Japan, I had tons of white rice porridge for breakfast. I really loved the idea of rice for cereal, so when I got home I made my own Rabbit Food version with hearty whole-grain brown rice, creamy tropical, coconut milk, sweet fuji apple, and pecans. I’m not sure weather to call this a porridge, cereal, or muesli… so I shall call it, a Breakfast Bowl (although this would be a yummy snack or dessert bowl too)! I have tried this hot and cold and love both, it just depends on what I’m in the mood for when I wake up.

Brown Rice Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowl
Serves 1

1 small fuji apple
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I like So Delicious Dairy Free)
½ cup cooked brown rice
2 Tbsp chopped pecans
cinnamon to taste

Cook the brown rice to package instructions. Finely chop the apple into small cubes or slices. Transfer rice into a bowl and pour coconut milk on top (like cereal). Top with apple slices, pecan, and a dash of cinnamon.
Note: You could heat the coconut milk and brown rice together on the stove for a hot cereal, or chill the rice, and coconut milk for a cold cereal.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: fuji apple
Whole Grain: brown rice
Protein: light coconut milk
Plant Based Fat: pecans

Gargantuan Green Giant

Prepare yourselves for the greenest green smoothie ever:
THE GARGANTUAN GREEN GIANT!

I was really craving ice cream the other night so instead of giving in, I started experimenting in the kitchen. I pulled out all of my favorite ingredients at the moment and decided to combine them into a smoothie. It turned out soooo creamy and actually tasted like a sugar cookie. Strange how those things work, right? Use healthy ingredients… end up with a creamy melty sweet treat! I love when that happens! Although I had this for dessert, I would probably have it for a meal because it has a great balance of whole grains, produce, and healthy fat. All you need is some protein powder and you would be good to go! The smoothie ended up being pretty big, so I told myself that I would only have half and save the rest for later. Well, that didn’t happen… and then I ended up wide awake pinning things on Pinterest! You guys are going to love this one! It’s a huge energy booster and so healthy, yet extremely delicious! Plus it is really hearty and filling, you won’t be hungry again for hours.

The ingredient list may look overwhelming and long, but everything can be found at Whole Foods or your local health food store. To get more organized and make the process faster, get out all of the measuring cups and ingredients and put them on the counter before you begin. This way everything will be easily accessible and ready to scoop and blend!

Gargantuan Green Giant
Serves 1

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cups fresh spinach
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp almonds
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp Spirulina powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 drops liquid stevia or other natural sweetener
6 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy cold.
Note: If you do not have a high powered blender such as Vitamix or Blendtec, start by blending the hard ingredients (i.e. almonds, oats, and spinach) with the almond milk to ensure they are thoroughly blended. Then gradually add the other ingredients. You could use a Tbsp more of almond milk or water to get the blender running smoothly because this smoothie is rather thick.
Side Note: If your blender cannot handle almonds at all, substitute for 1 Tbsp of unsalted almond butter.

Raw Bites

Hoppy Easter healthy little bunnies!
I hope that everyone is having a fantastic weekend and enjoying time with their family and friends!

We all know that along with Easter, comes the oversized brunch portions, chocolate bunnies, and those darn Cadbury eggs… We might as well just call it Feaster. Instead of reaching for typical Easter candy and cookies filled with refined sugars, preservatives and saturated fats, have a raw bite! They can be made in 10 minutes, require no cooking or baking, and your family and friends will love them because they taste just like cookie dough! This is a great fun recipe to make with kids too!

When you consume raw unprocessed that are not cooked above 104° F, your body metabolizes them much more efficiently, allowing your body to focus energy on other parts of your system, other than digestion. These gluten-free, raw, vegan bite-sized treats provide healthy fats, natural sugars, and macronutrients that will satisfy your sweet tooth, give you a little burst of energy, and keep you away from the candy dishes!


Raw Bites
Makes 10 bites

6  pitted medjool dates
¼  cup unsalted almonds
¼  cup unsalted cashews
¼  cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp mini vegan chocolate chips or carob chips (optional)
1 Tbsp water

Combine almonds, cashews, and coconut in a food processor or high powered blender (I used my Vitamix). Pulse or blend until ingredients break down into small pieces but not into butter. Add dates and 1 Tbsp of water for moisture. Blend until a thick dough is formed. Remove the dough from your blender and stir in chocolate chips. With a measuring spoon, divide the dough into 10 balls, at 1 Tbsp each. Place in mini cupcake liners and store in a container in the freezer. Cool for 20 minutes before consuming.

Nutritional Information
Serving size: 1 bite
Raw Bites (Without Chocolate Chips)
Amount per serving: Calories, 80, Fat 4g, Carbohydrate 11g, Sugars 8g, Fiber 1.5g, Protein 1g

Raw Bites (With Vegan Chocolate Chips)
Amount per serving: Calories, 95, Fat 5g, Carbohydrate 12g, Sugars 9g Fiber 1.5g, Protein 1g

Recipe adapted from TIU 

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