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Breakfast, Desserts, Lunch, Recipes, Snacks, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

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.

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tempeh & Green Vegetables With Tangy Peanut Sauce

The other day, I was excited to see an email from my old college roommate Dominique, who sent me an oishii (delicious) vegan, Asian-inspired recipe that we have both been oohing and awwing over.  Dom and I met on move in day at school and we bonded over our matching Hello Kitty toasters, and were inseparable ever since. Oh the power of the kitty! We both obsessed over Japanese culture, fashion, and cuisine and used to have “Panda Food” for dinner about 5 nights a week. Wow have we both come a long way since our Panda Nights of ramen noodles, Ling Ling potstickers, and white rice! We’ve traded in our amateur “Panda Food” for some sophisticated recipes, good enough for a geisha.

I made a few tweaks to the original recipe to make it Rabbit Food Pyramid friendly, and used low sodium vegetable broth to stir-fry  the veggies and tempeh instead of oil. Tons of Asian dishes are cooked in oils, which quickly adds countless calories and fat to a once healthy vegetable based dish. Olive oil is a great source of heart healthy fat when it is uncooked, but it’s properties are changed once it is heated to a certain degree, so I like to cook my vegetables in low sodium vegetable broth to achieve similar results.

Tempeh is one of my favorite proteins. It’s similar to tofu because it is made from soybeans, but it’s taste and texture are completely different. Tempeh is much more textured and firm since the soybeans are cooked and slightly fermented, and has a mild nutty flavor. It’s low in fat and high in protein and calcium, making it a great addition for stir-frys and salads.

Tempeh & Green Vegetables With Tangy Peanut Sauce
Serves 1

Veggies:
3oz tempeh, cubed
½ cup frozen spinach
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
½ cup broccoli
¼  cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup un-shelled edamame
¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
½ clove garlic, minced

Sauce:
1 Tbsp  unsalted peanut butter
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp garlic powder

Pour vegetable broth into a pan over low heat. Combine tempeh, spinach, bell pepper, broccoli, onion, edamame, and garlic in the pan and cook until vegetables are tender and vegetable broth has been soaked in. In a separate bowl while vegetables and tempeh are cooking, whisk together all sauce ingredients; if desired, add a bit of water for a thinner consistency. Set sauce aside. When vegetables have finished cooking, add the peanut sauce and coat evenly. Enjoy warm.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: spinach, bell pepper, broccoli, onion
Whole Grain: you may enjoy with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice if desired.
Protein: tempeh and edamame
Plant Based Fat: peanut butter

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tofu & Wild Rice Stuffed Pepper

One of my favorite new tricks is to cook veggies in low sodium vegetable broth instead of oil. When cooking with oil, it’s easy to loose track of how much you are using, and the calories and fat can add up quickly. Olive oil contains about 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon compared to Pacific low-sodium vegetable broth, which has 15 calories per cup and zero grams of fat. This is an easy way to lighten up your dish, but still get the same sautéed texture. Olive oil is heart healthy and has tons of other benefits, but I usually like to use it with recipes that do not require heating/cooking it.

Tofu & Wild Rice Stuffed Pepper
serves 1

½ cup cooked wild rice
1/5 package tofu
1 large red bell pepper
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup shredded carrot
¼ cup baby spinach (packed)
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ low-sodium vegetable broth
¼ tsp minced garlic or garlic powder
½ tsp salt-free Italian herb seasoning

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook the wild rice to package instructions and set aside. Cut the bell pepper in half and remove seeds, set aside. In a pan over medium heat, combine the tofu, onion, carrot, baby spinach, celery, and garlic and sauté in the vegetable broth until vegetables are tender and liquid has been absorbed. After vegetables and tofu have finished cooking, combine with wild rice and Italian herb seasoning. Pour the mixture evenly into the bell pepper halves. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. If needed, add foil over the tops of peppers to eliminate burning.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper, onion, carrot, spinach, and celery
Whole Grain: wild rice
Protein: tofu
Plant Based Fat: none in this dish

 

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Light & Crispy Pizza

I’m a quarter Italian, so sometimes… I just need my pizza. Here, I have found a guilt free, low carb alternative to your favorite naughty Italian dish: pizza! Your taste buds will love this healthy personal sized crunchy creation. It’s important to never deprive yourself of what you really want, and this is proof that you can eat anything, as long as it’s properly portioned and balanced.


Light & Crispy Pizza
serves 1

½ whole-wheat pita pocket – cut long ways around the outer edges/perimeter
¼ cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella
1 vine ripened tomato
1 cup spinach
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Cut the pita in half along the outer edges so that you have two full circles. Place ½ of the pita on a baking sheet (place the other half back in it’s packaging). Coat the pita evenly with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the pita becomes slightly golden and crispy. Remove the pita from the oven. Slice the tomato and place slices over the surface of the pita. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of the tomatoes and place back in the oven. Bake for 5 more minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. Remove from oven, top with spinach, drizzle with balsamic, slice, and enjoy.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: tomato & spinach
Whole Grain: pita
Protein: reduced-fat fat mozzarella cheese
Plant Based Fat: olive oil

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Desserts, Recipes, Treats

Vegetables… In My Brownies?!

Uh oh, it’s April 1. We all know what that means… April Fool’s Day!
What if I told you that this indeed is no joke. These brownies really are made of veggies!

YES, HEALTHY BROWNIES DO EXIST!

Trick all of your friends, coworkers, and family members with the tastiest, healthiest April Fool’s prank yet! They will have no idea that these rich chocolate brownies are made of vegetables! Not to mention; vegan, gluten free, and contain no refined sugar, butter, oil, or salt! Take that Paula Dean.

Just make sure that no one is allergic to the secret superstar ingredients first… because that would not be fun!

I love Chef AJ’s original Black Bean Brownie recipe, but I didn’t have barley flour or date syrup on hand, so I did some trial and error with flours, making my own date paste/syrup, and added spinach! I made 2 different batches to ensure they were perfect before posting, and I found that almond meal/flour tasted the best and gave the greatest consistency. I wanted to give whole-wheat flour and try, but it came out like rubber! As I was experimenting, I found that blending the ingredients in a particular order made the process much more efficient.

Remember, even though these are made from whole healthy ingredients, that they are still treats and should be enjoyed in moderation. But go ahead, lick the batter straight from the bowl, there are no eggs!

Black Bean & Spinach Brownies
Recipe adapted from Chef AJ
Makes 9 servings

15oz, can no salt added black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups fresh spinach
12 medjool dates (pitted)
1 cup water
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond flour
Optional 2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips or vegan carob chips – as a topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a high-powered blender or food processor (I used my Vitamix!) combine the dates and water, blending until thick smooth paste is formed. Add the fresh spinach to the paste and mix until smooth. Next, add the beans and vanilla extract and blend. Finally, add the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and almond flour. Blend until batter is mixed evenly. Scrape the sides of the blender or food processor as needed, as the batter will become very thick. Once batter is smooth, pour into an 8 x 8 cooking pan, lightly coated with olive oil spray. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Optional: when brownies have finished baking, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and let them melt in the oven for 1 additional minute. Remove brownies from the oven and spread melted chocolate chips evenly with a spatula.

Note: I checked the brownies after 35 minutes and they were still raw in the middle, so I kept cooking them in 10 minute increments, checking with a toothpick each time. The brownies took around 50 minutes to completely cook.

Side Note: I have not tried using deglet noor dates (the smaller, lighter dates) but if you use them in place of medjool, I suggest doubling the quantity to 22 since they are half the size.

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