orange juice

All Green Everything

Hi loverbuns!

Just incase you were wondering, yes the title of this post was inspired by Young Jeezy’s song “All White Everything.” I couldn’t resist.

I’m writing to you from San Francisco, CA! I’m here speaking at Produce for Better Health’s Annual Conference 2013: The Consumer Connection! I’ve been enjoying the past few days in the city trying some fun restaurants, meeting new friends, and walking up lots and lots of hills! My gluteus and calves are going to look superb when I get home. My stay in San Francisco have been incredible and I feel so lucky to be a part of DOLE and work alongside such talented bloggers like Kathy Patalsky of Healthy. Happy. Life. I will get into more detail and post photos from the conference when I get back!

Ok I don’t know what it is, but recently I have been absolutely obsessed with all things green. Maybe because it’s March and St. Patrick’s day is on Sunday? Oh, and I’m not just talking about the color. I’m talking about micronutrient rich green veggies my friends.

For the past week, I have been living off of clean green meals. I’m pretty sure this obsession is all thanks to Suja Juice (ummm how cute is their packaging?), who sent me a shipment of their finest USDA certified organic cold pressed juices. Which ones do I go for first? The vibrant emerald green juices!

Some of you have been asking on Instagram, Twitter, and FacebookWhere do I find Suja Juice?” Suja informed me of their awesome Suja Locator feature on their website! Just type in your zipcode and it will show you where it’s carried!

Here’s a look at my recent green rabbit food addiction:

All Green Everything
All Green Everything
All Green Everything
All Green Everything
All Green Everything
All Green Everything
All Green Everything
All Green Everything
All Green Everything
Kale Chips

And in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I have to leave you guys with an awesome green monster smoothie recipe! This is one of my absolute favorite green smoothies, and it totally deserves some love. So I’m bringing this recipe back out of the archive! This was created by the incredible Chef AJ, and I have been hooked ever since she first made it for me. This smoothie is an excellent “first green smoothie” for anyone who is hesitant to try them.

green smoothie

It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie
Recipe by Chef AJ
serves 3

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup almond milk
1 bunch kale
2 frozen ripe bananas (peel and freeze beforehand)
2 cups frozen mango
about 1 cup of mint leaves (start with less and add to taste)

Start off by combing orange juice and almond milk with kale and blend until smooth. Then add the frozen banana, mango, and mint leaves.
Blend until thick and smooth, pour into 3 glass jars and enjoy. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.

All Green Everything
Have a happy St. Patricks Day!
EAT YOUR GREENS! xo

Sunburst Muffins

I spent some time playing in the kitchen for my second ever, vegan baking experiment from Love Food Eat. I used a healthy mixture of whole-wheat flour & almond flour, along with all natural honey, and unsweetened applesauce in place of oil. After I mixed up my batter, I could not stop licking the spatula! I’m so glad there are no raw eggs in this recipe, because I probably would’ve been sick after that little taste test! I know that some strict vegans do not consider honey to truly be vegan because it is made by bees, but since it does not actually contain any animal product, I still incorporate it in some of my vegan recipes. If you do not feel that honey works into your diet, you could try an alternative like agave or maple syrup! I have not experimented with these sweet alternatives, but I would love to hear if anyone tries!

Question: Do you think that honey should be considered vegan or not?

These muffins are like a little burst of sunshine. They have a warm, mildly sweet flavor with a punch of citrus. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning! Sunburst Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup finely grated carrots
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine ground flaxseed with water. Set aside and stir occasionally until it forms into a sticky/gooey texture (like an egg). In a mixing bowl, combine and mix all dry ingredients (whole-wheat flour, almond flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and turmeric). In a separate mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients (orange juice, applesauce, honey, grated carrots) along with the golden raisins, and the flaxseed mixture. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin/cupcake liners. Carefully pour the batter into the liners. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Quinoa Orange Breakfast Bowl

My friend Taryn and I went to Zinc Café on Sunday and decided to try their new quinoa bowl. It was filled with red quinoa, oranges, almonds, and topped with rich ricotta cheese. Zinc Café served their dish hot, which I really enjoyed since the weather has taken a turn. I wanted to try making the quinoa bowl at home,  and used cold quinoa that I had prepared and stored in the refrigerator the night before. I might even try making it into a parfait by alternating the layers of quinoa with ricotta in a glass jar. Perfect to have waiting in the fridge for mornings where I don’t have time to make something. Hot, cold, or in a jar, this is definitely going to be one of my new breakfast staples!

Quinoa Orange Breakfast Bowl
Serves 1

½ cup cooked red quinoa
1 cup Mandarin orange slices
¼ cup nonfat ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp slivered almonds
½ Tbsp fresh orange zest
½ Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp honey if desired

Cook quinoa to package instructions. Combine quinoa with orange slices, orange zest, orange juice, and slivered almonds. Top with ricotta cheese, and garnish with a pinch of orange zest and honey if desired. Enjoy warm.
Note: You can use 2 small fresh mandarin oranges, 1 cup of canned Mandarin orange slices (no sugar added), or slices of 1 tangerine or orange!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: Mandarin orange
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: ricotta cheese
Plant Based Fat: almonds

Sesame Garlic Kale

I love kale! I love how unlike other lettuces, it holds up in the fridge for a couple of days, even with dressing. In fact, it tastes even better with “age” when marinated overnight! I love the slight bitter flavor and firm, embossed texture. If those reasons didn’t make me love it enough, it’s also high in calcium, protein, vitamin K!

This kale salad consists of only a few ingredients and is rich in vitamins, healthy fats, and antioxidants derived from sesame seeds.

Want to wear a bikini? Eat some tahini!

Sesame Garlic Kale
Serves 2-3

6 cups chopped curly kale
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp water
1 clove garlic

Wash and dry kale. Remove stems and tear into bite-sized pieces.
In a blender (I used my Magic Bullet), combine tahini, orange juice, water and garlic. Blend until smooth creamy dressing is formed. Toss kale with sesame seeds and dressing, coating the kale evenly.