Browsing Tag

orange

Orange Crush Smoothie

August 1, 2016
smoothie-orange-crush

Hey friends!

Hope you are all having a nice summer (or winter, if you are on the other side of the world from me)!

It’s been a bit quieter over here lately and I wanted to touch in. I started this little blog of mine a while back as a way to inspire and educate people around the importance of eating real food. Sadly, I lost my way as the pressure of keeping the blog updated grew to be too much. While things may appear sparkly on the surface, there are times I’ve wanted to throw in the towel or just work on someone else’s dream. The good news is – I’m back!

I adore you readers and the community we have created here. You have no idea how much joy I find in being part of your health journey. When you pour your heart out about your daily struggle with digestive issues, weight loss or body image – I totally feel your pain. You then have gone on to tell me your life has transformed after making a few small changes that were mentioned in the blog. It is in these moments when I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, doing exactly what I was meant to do.

Wherever you are on your journey, I’m here for you.

I’m working determinedly behind the scenes to be here for you in a much bigger way… details to follow later this week!

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you this refreshing smoothie.

Orange Crush Smoothie

Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Raw

Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 2 oranges, peel and pith removed
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 2-3 ice cubes (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

  1. Toss oranges, almond milk, vanilla bean and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Place coconut oil in last and blend for additional 10 seconds. *Note – coconut oil may clump depending on temperature of ingredients. Don’t desire clumps? Omit ice, make sure ingredients are at room temperature and use coconut oil that is melted.
  3. Pour into large glass and enjoy.

 

Photo credit: My sister, Jenny Norris

Masala Chai

February 28, 2013
calming-chamomile-tea

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of tea in Irish culture. Tea is simultaneously a beverage, a medicine and a social ritual. It’s the sense that a cup of tea and a chat can cure anything. Even if the weather forecast looks dreary I can be sure that a cup of spicy warmth awaits me at the end of my day.

Making this tea from scratch is easier than you might think. Simply steep black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger. You’ll appreciate how the spicy fragrances fill your kitchen. Chai is a centuries-old beverage originating from India. In fact, the word chai  is the generic word for “tea” in Hindi, where as in the west we are referring to “masala chai” or spiced tea.

This tea is a health-promoting beverage and a tonic for the whole body. It strengthens the nervous system, energizes the body, clears the mind, and is both a remedy and preventive measure for colds, allergies and other illnesses.

What do you do to unwind at the end of the day?

chai-tea-ingredients

Masala Chai

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups water
  • 15 whole cloves
  • 3 sticks of cinnamon
  • 20 whole cardamom pods (split the pods first)
  • 6 ginger root slices (1/4 inch thick, no need to peel)
  • 2 tsp. orange zest
  • black tea – 1/2 tsp. loose leaves or tea bag (optional)
  • milk of choice and sweetener to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger to boiling water. Cover and boil for at least 30 minutes. Let steep until it reaches desired flavor.
  2. Remove from heat, add black tea and let cool. Strain tea.
  3. When ready to drink, add one part warm milk (rice, oat, nut, soy) to one part warm chai concentrate. Sweeten to taste with honey or maple syrup. This concentrate will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge or freeze it in ice cube trays to add to smoothies.

masala-chai

Orange Cacao Goji Balls

November 28, 2012
orange-cacao-goji-balls

You probably eat a lot of raw foods already: fruit, salads, smoothies – but here is a recipe for a raw food snack that will hopefully inspire you to include more raw foods in your diet – it’s simple!

One of the bases for this snack comes from dates. They are filled with nourishing carbohydrates, fiber and naturally occurring sugars, which are quickly assimilated in the body. This makes them an excellent alternative for those wanting to cut back on simple-sugar desserts and confections. They are also an excellent source of potassium. In addition, dates are an excellent source of B-complex vitamins for energy and magnesium to metabolize that energy.

Goji berries are small, red, dried berries that are super-charged with antioxidants. This amazing little superfruit also contains natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. Their powerful antioxidant properties and polysaccharides help to boost the immune system.

I have already tooted this horn (here), but to sum up – raw cacao is one of the best sources of magnesium found in nature, in addition to containing high amounts calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur and potassium.

This snack also contain nuts and seeds, which are excellent sources of healthy fats to satisfy hunger in a hurry, and vegetarian protein for non-meat eaters like me. You can mix and match the nuts and seeds to suit your dietary, nutritional and flavor preferences.

cacao-goji-balls

Orange Cacao Goji Balls

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted
  • 3 Tbsp. goji berries
  • 2 tsp. liquid sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup)
  • 1 tsp. raw cacao powder
  • pinch of sea salt
  • zest from one orange

Directions:

  1. In a food processor, add sunflower seeds and almonds. Process to a slightly fine consistency.
  2. Add dates and goji berries to food processor with nuts and seeds. Add your sweetener of choice, raw cacao powder, sea salt and orange zest. Process until well combined.
  3. Roll into balls and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Orange & Pomegranate Salad

September 12, 2012

orange-pomegranate-salad

One of the most annoying questions that you come across as a vegan is: “What can you eat except for salad?”

I love soup, pasta, indian food, veggie burgers, cookies … but the thing that is kind of ironic is that I really eat a lot of salads. And often as the main meal. I try to vary them in different ways but one trick that I often come back to is adding fruit to the salad. Pear, strawberries, pomegranate, apple, orange, kiwi and mango all works well in salads.

In this particular salad I used orange and pomegranate. Since the salad is quite light I would normally make it for lunch or as a side dish. The last time I served this we ate it along side falafel wraps (hmmm, maybe a future blog post…)

You may have heard time and time again how antioxidant-rich pomegranates are. But you may not know that the jewel-like seeds also contain iron, calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, and a good dose of fiber.

pomegranate

orange-and-pomegranate-salad

Orange and Pomegranate Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
  • 1 orange, peeled and chopped
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. onion, thinly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • pinch of sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • sunflower seeds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Divide the lettuce between two bowls. Peel and chop the orange. Divide the chopped orange and pomegranate seeds among the two bowls and mix gently.
  2. In a small bowl combine the onion, natural sweetener, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil.
  3. Slowly add desired amount of dressing into bowls of salad. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking.
  4. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over salad for a little something extra.

(Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com)