Quick Banana Breakfast To Go

Have been getting back to some streamlined nutritarian recipes and this one is taken right from the pages of Eat To Live, by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Quick Banana Breakfast To Go

Serves 1

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used 1/2 cup)

1 banana sliced

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup pomegranate juice (I used cranberry)

1 Tablespoon chopped Walnuts

1/2 Tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

1 Tablespoon dried currants (optional - I used raisins)

Combine all ingredients in microwave -proof bowl.  Heat in microwave for 3 minutes.

Can be eaten hot or cold.

YUMMERS!

Chocaberry sorbet

Every need a little  dessert?   You might like this one...

1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1 heaping tsp. of unsweetened **cocoa powder
1-2 packets of dry sweetener
just a splash of Almond milk

Place all the ingredients in a blender and start to pulse.  I use a Ninja blender and have to start and stop and tap this container several times to make sure the frozen fruit stays down in the blade area.  If you have to add more milk be careful you don't end up with a 'smoothie' instead of a thicker sorbet.  It takes some practice and patience but I've got it down to a nice 'soft serve' texture.

YUMMERS!

**cocoa powder contains caffeine.  So, if you are like me and need to watch your caffeine intake before bedtime, try this dessert in the early afternoon instead of right before hitting the rack.

Roasted vegetables

Here's what it all looks like before roasting.

Sometimes a meal can be as easy as roasting some veggies.  Preheat oven to 375 and start cleaning and slicing & chopping your favorite vegetables.  If you want to add a potato to the mix, (sweet or russet, Yukon or red --all are good) scrub clean, slice into wedges (skin on) and cook potato first for about 15 minutes before putting the other veggies into the oven.

I spritzed the veggies with a bit of butter spray.  If you use oil, a teaspoon is plenty or even some vegetable broth, just enough to moisten the vegetables.  Toss them all in a baggie with your favorite salt-free seasonings.  I topped the raw veggies with some nutritional yeast and chili pepper.

I roasted these in two separate pans so I could switch them out as needed and remove one if one batch is cooking faster than the other.

This batch took approx. 30 minutes to roast.  The cauliflower and mushrooms cooked quicker.  The green bell peppers and onion have more water content so I like to keep them separate.

I've also roasted asparagus, fresh broccoli, red & yellow bell pepper along with these you see pictured. Everyone has their favorites.  Eat yours!

A little dish of my 'cheesy sauce' to dip these vegetables (or maybe a nice homemade salsa) and I've got the perfect lunch or dinner.   Yummers!

Cheesy Sauce

From the Cookbook Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker by

Robin Robertson

**Cheesy Sauce

1 c. cashews, soaked for 4 hours and drained
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. vegetable broth powder (recipe here)
1/2 t. salt
1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk
2 T. fresh lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender and process until smooth.

Jeff and I have used this sauce on our veggie burgers in place of the veggie cheese slices, we drizzle a small amount over steamed broccoli and string beans, and the best yet is 1/4 c. of sauce over your favorite whole grain pasta with fresh ground pepper.  This sauce is also the perfect dip for carrots, celery and fresh red bell pepper strips.   Mmmm, good!

Yummers!

** I've copied the recipe exactly as is printed in the cookbook.  .

Vegetable Broth (short cut)

I have made vegetable broth a couple of different ways.  The first two times I made it the traditional way, using onions, celery and carrots in water with some basic seasoning and simmered on the stove top for an hour while the vegetables cooked and created a thin watery soup base.  Another time I used these same vegetables plus one cup of lentils, giving the broth more body.  But I hated straining out the vegetables and tossing them, even though they are mush and have little flavor at this point.  Given a choice, I prefer to saute those same veggies in a pan and then heap them on my plate and eat them, just like that!

When I found this recipe for 'instant dry veggie broth' I was skeptical but knew I would have to try it. I am posting the recipe link here.   This recipe is now one of my 'top ten favorite pantry items.'  It takes only one tablespoon of dry mix to make one quart of soup broth.  I keep a jar of it made up and on hand in the refrigerator to add to recipes and use for sauteing vegetables (in place of oil or spray).  This dry powder mixes with water quickly whenever you might need some soup stock.

All three variations pictured above utilize the instant vegetable soup broth.  I saute my vegetables in a pan on the stove top (mushrooms, onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers, carrots), toss in some sprouted lentils and a small amount of cooked brown rice or cooked whole grain linguine and then just add in a quart of the vegetable broth, heat and serve up.

Soup's On!

Spinach Salad

Salad:

Baby Spinach leaves
1-1/2 c. sliced strawberries
1 pear (or apple), cored and sliced
1-2 T. dried *blueberries
1-2 T. chopped *almonds

Dressing:

1/4 - 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
4-5 fresh strawberries
juice from one squeezed lime or lemon

Add salad ingredients to your blender and mix for about 30 seconds.

Drizzle dressing over salad and serve up.

Makes one nice serving :-)  or two, if you feel you have to share.

Ohsoyummers!

*If you don't have the blueberries or almonds, use any small amount of dried fruit as an exchange, such as, raisins, currants, cranberries, chopped dried plums or apricots.
*I frequently switch out walnuts or pecans for the almonds.

Purple Cabbage Salad

Some of my best creations have come about when I was running out of food in the pantry and fridge.  Using what I had on hand, I threw together these few simple ingredients.  Now they are on my 'keep stocked' list.  It taste great freshly made and served up at once or keeps well in the fridge for a day or two if you don't mind a well-marinated flavor.

Here's all you need:

purple cabbage, cleaned and thinly sliced or chopped

cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half

1/2 ripe avocado, chopped

juice from one lime

balsamic vinegar

lemon pepper seasoning

1-2 T. sliced almonds (add to the individual salad servings instead of mixing in with the salad)

Toss together cabbage, cherry tomatoes and avocado.  Squeeze your fresh lime over the salad and toss well so that all your cabbage is coated with the lime juice.  Sprinkle entire salad with balsamic vinegar to taste.  I use approx. 1/4 to 1/2 cup for a head of cabbage.  Season with lemon pepper or other favorite salad spices and serve.  Sprinkle small amount of chopped or sliced nuts to your individual serving of salad.

Store your leftovers and eat with the next couple of days.  

Ohsoyummersandgoodforyou!

Do you like easy to follow Snapguide tutorials?  Find this same recipe HERE