Tangy Orange Pomegranate Smoothie Bowl

Have you ever eaten (or slurped) a smoothie out of a bowl like soup? Apparently, this is a blog/food trend that I missed…

Naturally, I had to give it a try…it was an experience, but I admit that I prefer to sip a smoothie from a glass. Now, if I added some crunchy granola on top I might be singing a different tune. Or maybe I was quite hungry and the spoon got in the way

Whether enjoyed in a bowl or glass, this smoothie is a refreshing breakfast, snack or light meal. The pomegranate and orange juice combo really hit the spot and the tangy citrus notes and slightly sour arils remind me of summer. Hot days here we come!

Tangy Orange Pomegranate Smoothie Bowl 

Ingredients

1/4 cup pomegranate arils
1/3 – 1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
splash of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (cottage cheese, silken tofu, or non-dairy yogurt – use tofu/non-dairy for vegan)
drizzle of honey/agave, 1 date or a pinch of stevia – optional for added sweetness
1 Tbsp chia seed or chia meal (for extra nutrition, flax would also be a great addition)

Pomegranate arils for garnish and texture, optional
For an extra protein boost, add 1/2 to 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder
Serving suggestion: Crunchy Superfood Buckwheat Granola or other cereal for serving

Directions

1. Add all ingredients except to a blender and blend until completely smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl (or glass), sprinkle with arils and/or granola and enjoy!

Blueberry Hemp Snack Bars

I am learning a lot about myself, not to mention how to “deal with” and manage people from running our yogurt store and starting a new business. While managing (mostly) high school kids has proven to be a big challenge, it also brings about growth….and who couldn’t use a little stretching?

Thank goodness for the weekend though! It’s been a week of emotional ups and downs at work and I am ready a rest day to recharge.

Experimenting in the kitchen, particularly with baking, is a stress relief for me so you know where I was headed after a long week! These blueberry bars are made with oat flour, along with a bit of protein powder, juicy blueberries and earthy hemp seeds. While I planned on making buckwheat bars, I’ve been eating buckwheat like crazy and ran out so oat flour was next in line

These bars are a great snack, breakfast or a light dessert. Feel free to substitute the blueberries for your favorite berry or fruit. If hemp seeds aren’t your thing, add in chopped nuts, seeds or even chocolate chips!

Blueberry Hemp Snack Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup oat flour (I grind my own using gluten free oats – buckwheat would probably work)
2 scoops of vanilla protein powder (about 65 grams)
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar or date sugar (or other granulated sweetener)
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 eggs, whisked
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 Tbsp hemp seeds (if you don’t like the earthy taste of hemp, feel free to substutite 1/3  cup your favorite seeds or chopped nuts)
3/4 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh- blackberries, cherries, raspberries or a combo can be substituted)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 8×8 pan or large loaf pan with parchment paper (or grease well). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (flour through salt).
3. Stir in the eggs and applesauce just until combined them fold in the hemp seeds and berries.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 14-16 minutes or until just firm on top and a toothpick comes clean.

*Due to the protein powder, be careful not to over bake or it will cause the bars to be dry! Depending on the size pan used, you may have to adjust the baking time. Mine were done right at 15 minutes in my little toaster oven.

Here’s to a restful rest of the weekend and a fresh start to the week!

Speedy Sweets N’ Snacks

For some reason or another, some of routine recipes never get posted. Maybe they seem too simple for me to share? Instead of just assuming that you didn’t want to see some of my favorite go-to munchies, I thought I’d share a few with you in this post.

1. Super Secret Cookie Dough- variations of this recipe have been posted at many blogs so I hadn’t bothered sharing my version until now…I’ve been making this “cookie dough” for over a year now and have made several variations (list below).

Healthified cookie dough that takes about 7-8 minutes to pull together. Plus, it’s packed with fiber, protein and healthy fats from the nut butter – this stuff is seriously addicting! I’ve even sandwiched two cookies together with this as the “filling”. Usually it doesn’t last that long and I wind up eating it with a spoon I bet it would even be yummy as frosting on a cupcake!

What is so super secret? There are chickpeas in this dessert! It sounds ridiculous and even yucky to some but I LOVEEEEEEEE this stuff! Give it a try before you judge me, ok?

Super Secret Cookie Dough 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (if you use the ones from a can, rinse thoroughly)
1/3 cup chunky OR creamy peanut butter (almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter etc can all be subbed)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt (omit if using salted nut butter)
2 Tbsp almond milk or other non-dairy milk
3-4 Tbsp coconut palm sugar, honey, agave or a combo (my favorite is 2 Tbsp powdered coconut sugar, 1 Tbsp honey and a pinch of pure stevia to round out the flavors)
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal, almond or other nut meal or oat flour (or sub your favorite flour)
chocolate chunks, chips or carob or cacao nibs (I chopped up a portion of the Lindt bar Hint of Sea Salt – my fav! )

optional: one scoop of good tasting vanilla protein powder (I use Jay Robb’s)

Directions

1. In a food processor, add chickpeas and process until finely chopped (there might still be chunks, that’s ok). Add the peanut butter, vanilla, salt and a drizzle of almond milk until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the sweetener, flax/nut meal (and protein powder if you want the extra boost – the amount of sweetener may need to be decreased if your protein is really sweet) and process until blend well. If additional sweetener is needed, add it at this time to taste. If you need another drizzle of almond milk, feel free to add a small amount at this time (I like it thick!).
3. Stir in the chocolate chips (or chopped nuts or dried fruit) and enjoy immediately or refrigerate for a couple hours. I love the flavor straight from the food processor but refrigerating the mixture helps the flavors meld and it’s even better!

2. No-Bake Coconut Macaroons - chewy coconut bites that are egg-free, grain-free and vegan! These quick yummy morsels can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes and frozen for a sweet bite-size treat. Coconutty goodness through and through

No-Bake Coconut Macaroons 

Ingredients

2/3 rounded cup coconut flakes, slightly crushed with your fingers (could also use 2/3 cup shredded coconut)
1/4 cup almond flour or almond meal (or your favorite flour if you want nut-free)
1 Tbsp maple syrup, honey or agave (date paste, raisin paste or mashed banana would do the trick too)
dash of pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
3 Tbsp coconut butter, melted

Optional Mix-in ideas – mini chocolate chips, chopped dried fruit chunks, lime/lemon zest, spices

Directions

1. Line a plate or small baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until well incorporated. Using a tablespoon, pack mixture firmly to form small rounds to help stick together. Plop (yes, this is a formal baking word) onto prepared plate/sheet and freeze for 30 minutes until hardened. Enjoy!

Makes about 6-7 macaroons (can be doubled or tripled). Store in freezer or refrigerator.

3. “The Comfort Snack”aka gluten free toast with spread of choice + chia seeds + fruit. Simple? Of course, but it’s one of my favorite quick snacks or light desserts – my favorite combination is cream cheese (I love the flavor of vegan Tofutii cream cheese but it’s a guilty pleasure) but coconut butter, nut butter, ghee, or goat cheese are all delicious!

This really doesn’t need instructions – but toast a slice of your favorite gluten free bread. Remove immediately and smear on your favorite spread (about 1 tbsp or so), sprinkle with a heaping 1/4 tsp chia seeds (or flax) and top with slices of fruit (bananas are the best!). Sometimes I will even use cottage cheese as the spread; scoop a spoonful and then toast to warm the mixture, then sprinkle with chia and add the fruit.

4. Veggie Nachos - okay, okay, I know this isn’t considered healthy but I have to include another guilty pleasure – I am a completely sucker for tortilla chips, add some vegetarian refried beans, homemade salsa or pico de gallo, shredded organic cheese and fresh cilantro and I have a salty snack that I cannot resist. Everyone deserves a little indulgence occassionally, right? The only thing I am missing here is homemade guacamole…

Indulgent Vegetarian Nachos 

Ingredients

About 14-15 corn tortilla chips (you could also use bean and rice chips like Beanitos if corn-free
1/2 cup BPA free black or pinto vegetarian refried beans
1/4 to 1/3 cup organic shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend – use dairy free for vegan)
1/3 cup salsa of choice or pico de gallo
1-2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 2. Spread chips on the lined baking sheet with slight overlap. 3. Drop or spread refried beans onto chips. Next, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. 4. Remove from oven, spoon salsa/pico over the chips and sprinkle with cilantro. Enjoy immediately!

Serves 1

*For a healthier approach, add some sauteed chopped vegetables (zucchini, onion, squash, peppers) on top of the beans prior to baking.

A few of my other favorite quick snacks are:

Fajita-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas
Protein Nut Butter Balls 
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Bites 
Chocolate Avocado Pudding
3-Ingredient Elvis Soft Serve Ice Cream

Happy Thursday!

Cherimoya Lime Custard

Have you ever eaten a cherimoya? I just found this delightful fruit at Safeway the other day and couldn’t help but pick one up. I wasn’t even sure what it was since I had never seen one before – I actually thought I was buying a vegetable but turns out it was sweet!

What to look for: I could have easily “googled” this ingredient to see how to select a ripe fruit…but I was stubborn and just assumed that it was ripe if it was brown and slightly soft like an avocado. I was wrong! This fruit is ripe when the skin turns green and gives slightly (like an avocado).

What does it taste like? In my opinion, a cherimoya has a unique flavor profile – as if you were combining a pineapple, papaya, banana and a peach — so yummy! My taste buds were surprised and delightfully confused at the same time.

What to expect: The fruit is fleshy and soft, sweet, white in color, with a sherbert-like texture, which explains it’s nickname as “the custard apple”. The dark seeds as well as the skin are inedible yet the seeds are easily removed.

What is the nutritional profile? Cherimoyas are a rich source of vitamin C, calcium and niacin.

Where is it typically grown? In tropical climates with humid conditions, South Asia as well as South and Central America.

Since I was transported to the tropics after tasting my first bite of cherimoya, I decided to blend it up for a refreshing custard-like treat along with fresh lime juice. This chilled snack, breakfast or dessert is protein packed and complex in flavor for such a short ingredient list. For a dairy-free option, feel free to substitute your favorite dairy-free yogurt in this recipe.

Cherimoya Lime Custard

Ingredients

1 ripe cherimoya, peeled, deseeded and cubed
2/3 cup cottage cheese (for dairy-free, use plain coconut or soy yogurt)
drizzle of unsweetened vanilla almond milk or other non-dairy milk (about 2 Tbsp)
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp lime zest (use organic limes if you are using the zest)
shredded coconut, optional for garnish

Directions

1. In a small food processor or high powered blender, puree the cherimoya and the cottage cheese/yogurt until smooth. To help this along, drizzle a bit of the non-dairy milk as needed (if using yogurt, this might not be necessary).
2. Stir in the lime juice until combined. Pour into two serving vessels, sprinkle with lime zest and coconut (if desired) and serve!

You can also refrigerate the custard for a hour until chilled. I refrigerated the cherimoya prior to pureeing, as well as the addition of the chilled cottage cheese, we enjoyed this immediately!

You may be asking yourself, what are other ways to eat this fruit? Let me help! 

1. Once ripe, chill the fruit and eat the flesh with a spoon – simple but delicious!
2. Blend it in a smoothie or shake
3. Cut into chunks and use it in a fruit salad
4. Use it in a parfait (my preference would be layered with granola, yogurt and chia seeds)