Browsing Tag

vegan

Açaí Smoothie

October 25, 2012
acai-smoothie

Personally I need routine and especially a morning one. It helps me to feel grounded and stable – two things that are vital to my overall wellness. There is something quite special about creating space in the morning for you to experience just for yourself. Lacing up my sneakers and hitting the pavement first thing in the morning is (nearly) the daily norm for me. After completing my morning training session I feel alert and ready for the day. With the Dublin Marathon only four days away, I’m tapering on the training while loading up on tons of nutrients.

Want to know my secret weapon? Meet my latest obsession, the Açaí Smoothie! Açaí (pronounced “Ah-Sigh-EE”) is a Brazilian superfruit berry that grows on palm trees in Central and South America. It tastes like a mix between bitter chocolate and blueberries and it has the highest content of antioxidants in any fruit.

Often touted as a “superfood” by marketers, these berries have high levels of antioxidants that protect cells, reduce the effects of aging and may decrease the risk of some diseases (including heart disease and cancer). But beyond their antioxidant benefits, I enjoy açaí berries because of their rich and almost chocolatey flavor. The berries have a unique but delicious taste – and, they make for a great breakfast, dessert or post-workout snack.

superfood-acai-smoothie

Açaí Smoothie

Vegan, Raw & Gluten-free
Makes 1 large smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp. Açaí powder
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk, water or juice (I used water)
  • 1 banana
  • 1 apple, cored and sliced
  • 1 cup frozen berries (I used raspberries)
  • sprinkle of hemp seeds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
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Fig and Plum Sundae

October 22, 2012
fig-and-plum-sundae

What better time for an ice cream sundae than the month of October, of course! Today I’m sharing with you a delicious fig and plum sundae recipe that will make you cozy during these cold fall days. Purchased vegan coconut ice cream becomes a party-worthy dessert with the addition of fresh plums, figs and a little granola. Want to go that extra step and make coconut ice cream at home? It’s as simple as one ingredient. This dessert will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Fig and Plum Sundae

Ingredients:

  • vegan ice cream (coconut if you want something really decadent)
  • 1 fresh fig, sliced
  • 1 fresh plum, sliced
  • 2-3 Tbsp. granola

Directions:

  1. Scoop ice cream into a pretty dish or bowl and top with sliced fig, plum and granola.

Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans (14 ounce cans) full-fat coconut milk

Directions:

  1. Grab two cans of full-fat coconut milk and place cans in the fridge overnight.
  2. Remove the chilled cans from fridge and flip them upside down. Open the cans. See the liquid at the top? You won’t be using this part. Pour the coconut liquid into another bowl. (Don’t throw it away – I like to use it in smoothies. You can also use it in baking and cooking).
  3. You are left with only the coconut cream. Scoop the coconut cream into a glass bowl and place it in the freezer until it hardens – up to 3 hours.

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

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to LIKE my page on Facebook. I have a special free offer going until October 23rd so hop on over to claim your prize!

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Rice Noodles with Peanut Sauce & Mixed Vegetables

October 17, 2012
rice-noodles-peanut-sauce-mixed-vegetables

Craving take-out? Whip up this easy noodle salad instead! Gluten-free and vegan, it’s also a great crowd-pleasing dish to take along to parties. Soft warm noodles contrasted with crunchy peanuts and crunchy fresh vegetables, all drenched in a savory-yet-sweet-and-tangy peanut sauce. I love that it’s really versatile in that whatever veggies you have in the fridge you can throw in and it comes together quickly. Instead of ordering out, make a restaurant quality meal with this healthy yet simple recipe.

rice-noodles-with-peanut-sauce-and-mixed-vegetables

Rice Noodles with Peanut Sauce & Mixed Vegetables

Serves 2 hungry people

Vegan & Gluten-free

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups thin rice noodles
  • 1/2 cup carrots, roughly sliced
  • 1/2 cup red bell peppers, roughly sliced
  • 1/2 cup broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup+ other vegetables, optional (sugar snap peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, asparagus)
  • 1 cup diced protein, optional (tofu, tempeh)

Directions:

  1. Place rice noodles in a large frying pan on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes or cook according to package directions. Add the carrots, red peppers, broccoli, optional vegetables and protein and heat until warm.

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used chunky peanut butter)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup brown rice syrup or honey
  • 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or the juice of 1/2 a lemon)
  • 1 tsp.+ ground ginger
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • pinch of chili powder, to taste

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the peanut sauce and stir or whisk until smooth. Taste sauce and make flavor adjustments if desired.
  2. Pour sauce over noodles and vegetables and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately; or cover the bowl, refrigerate and serve chilled.
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Oat Fig Bars

October 11, 2012
oat-fig-bars

As the days seem to be getting colder, darker and gloomier – I just have to bake. I find it awfully therapeutic. The oven gets switched on, I toss together some ingredients while music plays in the background and I can dance my heart out. Guilty pleasure? Yes, definitely.

Peak season for fresh figs is June through October, but you can find good dried figs year-round. They’re perfect to keep in your drawer at work for snacking or to take along while traveling. Figs have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. They’re high in potassium, calcium, iron and a good source of vitamin C and fiber. In fact, they’re a good natural laxative; those tiny seeds contain a substance called mucin, which apparently helps clean toxins and mucus out of the system.

I wanted to come up with a recipe using figs after reading one of my favorite raw-foods authors, Dr. Arnold Ehret, who called figs one of his top three “mucus-dissolving foods.” Dr. Ehret was writing about raw foods back in the 1920s; if you can get your hands on any of his books, I highly recommend them.

Delicious enough for dessert yet healthy enough to fuel your day… these bars are filled with healthy ingredients: flax and chia seeds, dates, warm spices, oats, banana, almond milk and plenty of figs. Lightly baked to intensify their candy-like sweetness.

These bars are delicious warm or enjoy them cold. Also handy as a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.

vegan-oat-fig-bars

Vegan Oat Fig Bars

Makes 6 large bars or 12 smaller portions

Ingredients:

Filling

  • 12 dried figs
  • 3-4 medjool dates, pitted
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Crust

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup raw coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp. flax seed (I used milled flax seed, but whole will work too)
  • 1 tsp. chia seed
  • 1.5 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).  Grease a small bread pan with coconut oil.
  2. Place the figs and dates in a medium sized bowl and pour the hot water on top.  Allow to soak while preparing the rest of the recipe.
  3. Place the oats, coconut sugar, flax seed, chia seed, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk, banana and vanilla.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.  Set mixture aside.
  6. Now make the filling: drain the fig and date mixture and place in a food processor. Add the maple syrup, lemon juice and cinnamon.  Process until thick and smooth, adding a splash of water if needed.
  7. Time to assemble – spread half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Next, spread all of the fig filling over the oat base.  Finally, cover the fig paste with the remaining oat mixture.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.  Allow to cool before cutting into bars.
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