Tasty Freeze Shake

Full credit for this one goes to the Jaroudi Family YouTube Channel.  This is delicious!  I've never had a Wendy's Frosty but this plant-based healthy recipe stand-in for a vanilla or chocolate shake really hits the spot.  Click here to watch the original video for making these tasty treats.  Thank you, Jaroudi family, for what has become one of my go-to healthy shakes after a sweaty work out!

Ingredients for the Vanilla version

1 frozen banana

1 1/2 pitted date (you can change the amount for your own preference)

1/2 cup rolled oats, soaked in water*

*(Place oats in a container covered with water and set aside for 1-2 hrs until soft)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (you can change the amount for your own preference)

5-6 ice cubes

Directions:

+Make sure you have soaked the rolled oats in water for 1-2 hours before making

+Blend all ingredients until smooth

+Place shake in refrigerate till cold and enjoy!

Oat shake will thicken as it sits.

For the Chocolate version just add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and follow the same directions for the vanilla shake.

YUMMERS!

Cauliflower Soup

I have made this recipe several times and it's a keeper.  Thank you, Dr. Fuhrman (from his "Eat to Live" book).

Without further fanfare, here it is, down and dirty and simple:

Ingredients

1 pkg. frozen cauliflower florets

2-3 large carrots, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. no-salt seasoning

7 c. combo of veggie broth and water (add some Mrs. Dash, Turmeric, celery seed, white pepper)

1 small can mushrooms

1/3 c. raw cashews (put in blender and set aside)

5 cups kale or baby spinach (will put this in the bowl right before ladling soup)

*cashew or soy milk (optional)

Bring to simmer all ingredients except cashews and kale/spinach.  Simmer on low until veggies are tender...about 20-25 minutes.

Ladle 2/3 of the soup from pot into the blender with the cashews.  Blend until completely smooth and add back into remaining soup.  Mix thoroughly.

*Can add nut milk at this time for extra creaminess, but not needed.

Ladle hot soup over chopped greens and serve.

Yummers!

Molly Patrick-Style Caesar Dressing

A few years back I was an ardent follower of Molly Patrick's cleanfooddirtygirl.com. This recipe is one that I have been making ever since. Find the original recipe post from Molly's website HERE. (If you like what you read here, check out some of her other posts.  Especially if you enjoy irreverance and charm all wrapped into one delightful post!) 

I've made this dressing often.  Perfect for my salads but also delicious as a veggie dip and drizzled on top of my favorite pasta dish...like an Alfredo.  I have it memorized but best that I note it here in my food blog for future reference. Seems I have a faulty wire in my recall ability.

Here ya' go, Molly's Caesar Dressing Recipe:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked in water for at least 10 minutes 
• 2 small-ish garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dulse flakes or powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water

1. Drain and rinse the cashews (discard the soaking water) and place them in your blender, along with the rest of the dressing ingredients (garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, dulse, Dijon mustard, salt and water) and blend until super creamy, about a minute.
2. If you have a nut allergy or want a lower fat version use 1/2 cup tofu (100g) instead of cashews.

I have made this dressing without the dulse flakes and it still takes good.  I've made it using powdered garlic when I was out of fresh or garlic in a jar.  I've made it with yellow mustard when there was no Dijon.  Swap when you need to.  Yes, it will alter the original flavor mix, but it will still taste creamy.

Enjoy!

Banana cake/Banana cupcakes

Banana Cake/Banana Cupcakes

Wet Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 c. plant milk
1 T. apple cider vinegar (add to milk to create buttermilk)
1 sm. container all natural applesauce
1/3 c. sugar free maple syrup

Mix all wet ingredients together in large mixing bowl.

In separate medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat white flour
2 t. baking powder
1/3 c. Monk fruit sweetener
pinch of salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla powder


Add dry to wet ingredients stirring until everything is incorported but not over-mixed.

For cake, spoon batter into 8-9" lightly sprayed pan.  Bake in 350 oven for 35 minutes.  Test for doneness with a sharp knife.  Bake a little longer if needed.

For cupcakes, scoop 1/2 c. of batter into each paper or sprayed cupcake mold.  Bake in 350 oven for
35 minutes.  Test for doneness.

Ready to eat!

Oat Date Bites (or Bars)

These are one of my new favorite taste treats.  Great for breakfast, snack time, or dessert.  They are wonderfully nutritious with little to no added sugar, depending on your choice of added tidbits. They freeze well and take only minutes to defrost.  Click HERE for a PDF of the recipe!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Tried and true, hands down, this is Gavin's favorite cookie at the castle house. And what's even better is that Gavin, almost 9-years-old now, with only a bit of guided practice, is able to make them himself.  These healthy snacks come together quickly and with only a handful of ingredients, I almost always have everything in the pantry.  The only ingredient that you might want to give a little forethought to are the bananas.  You will need RIPE ones!  This is key and is the only sweetener in the cookie dough.

There have been times when I craved these treats for my breakfast and I will make up a half batch and eat them all with a cup of hot tea.  Yummers!

Easy peasy, let's get cookin'!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl add and mix together:

2 ripe bananas (mash real good)

*1 1/2 cups rolled oats

*1/2 cup quick oats

**1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter 

1 tsp. vanilla

Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet.  Dip your thumb into water and begin making a small depression into the top of each cookie (water helps prevent cookie dough from sticking to your skin).

Bake cookies in the oven for 12 minutes.  Remove tray from oven and let cookies cool for a few minutes.  Squeeze or drop scant amount of jelly onto each cookie.  

*You can use all rolled oats or all quick oats.  I like the texture of using some of both.  And you can play with the amount of oats since the consistency of the cookies will have a lot to do with the size of your bananas.  Larger bananas?  More oats.  Smaller bananas, less oats.  Or just one banana and cut back on the oats and peanut butter and just make a smaller batch of cookies.  This recipe is very forgiving and does not require exact measurements.  

**You can use almond butter in place of peanut butter.

Eat up!  Yummers!

Kale Chips

Figured it was time to add this to the Food Blog.  I haven't made these chips for a while and when I tried remembering the oven temperature and how long to bake them, I drew a blank.  After confirming time and temperature with Candy, the person who first shared this recipe with me, I proceeded to make not just one batch of kale chips, but two.  

There are dozens of different ways to season these babies.  It's all up to you and what your taste buds prefer.  I'm a no-oil gal and use a bit of Bragg's Aminos in a spray bottle to spritz the kale leaves so that my dry seasoning combo will stick. 

Basic Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash your kale well.  Remove hard stems/rib and tear kale into 3-4 inch pieces.  Kale will shrink a lot so leave in llarger pieces.  If Kale is super wet, you can put in a salad spinner and then blot with a towel.  Leaves will crisp faster if dry.

Place your kale in a bowl.  Here's where you will season and massage the leaves a bit.  I spray with Bragg's aminos (next time I'm going to use coconut aminos (lower in sodium).  Some people use a bit of olive oil or non-stick spray. Sprinkle on your favorite spices. I use garlic powder, pepper, and nutritional yeast. Gently massage spices into kale leaves.

Place kale leaves in a single layer on parchment-lined cookie sheet (I use a Silpat-type silicone baking mat) and pop into the oven.  

Set timer for 10 minutes.  Remove kale from the oven and flip the leaves over.  Set timer for additional 3 minutes.  Do not walk away from the kitchen as these delicate leaves will burn very quickly.  If this is your first time making these, you might even want to test your oven and set the timer for 7 minutes to start and then flip the leaves and bake an additional 3 minutes and then in additional minute increments until nice and crispy.  You may need to remove a few of the chips that have crisped up already before putting the rest back in the oven.  Everyone's oven is a little different. 

Notice how much the leaves have shrunk?

These healthy morsels are ready to eat! And eat them I do. I can consume an entire bunch of kale all by myself!