Peachy Chia Smoothie Bowl

Peachy Chia Smoothie Bowl

The smoothie bowl was inspired by two things.

1. Juice Revolution. I had the Amazing Greens Acia Bowl on my birthday this year instead of cake (with coconut substituted for bananas). It’s THAT good!
2. Clean Food Dirty City. This woman has serious gorg-factor on her site. Check it out if you want to be wowed.

There is a certain satisfaction in eating a smoothie rather than drinking it. Using a spoon extends the smoothie moment. I tend to slurp it down in a matter of minutes when I drink through a straw. All of a sudden I hear that airy noise sound and it turns into a sad face. This bowl thing is a big win in my recipe book.

The fresh, spicy ginger in the recipe balances out the peach’s sweetness.

Fresh Ginger

Peachy Chia Smoothie Bowl

Makes 2 servings.

2 peaches
1.5 tbsp fresh ginger – chopped
2 tbsp chia seeds
3/4 cup organic coconut milk – I use Native Forest brand

►Peel skin from peaches and cut into quarters.
►Place peaches, ginger and coconut milk in a blender. Blend until well combined.
►Pour into two bowls and stir in 1 tbsp of chia seeds into each.
►Top with fresh figs, coconut flakes or other topping of choice.
►Enjoy immediately or refrigerate.

Broccoli Avocado Soup

Texas really did a number on me. Beef barbecue, beef burger and hearty tex-mex meals left me feeling heavy. Don’t get me wrong now, it was AH-mazing and I enjoyed every bite of that southern goodness. I can verify that every meal is definitely bigger in Texas. And some of that bigness came back with me. So this week, I’m cooking up extra vegetables and laying off the beef. It’s time for the reemergence of my favorite summer soup.

I adapted this recipe after a soup in Gwyneth Paltrow’s detox cleansing program. This was back when I thought cleansing actually provided some kind of benefit. I’m learning it’s easier to just eat real food all the time and then there is no need to rinse my body of the fake stuff.

 

Broccoli Avocado Soup
Makes 4 servings.

1 yellow onion – chopped
1 clove garlic – minced
1 tbsp butter
4 heads broccoli – chopped
2 1/2 cups water or homemade broth
2 avocados
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1 tsp fresh mint

►Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot. Sauté the onion then the garlic for five minutes.

►Add chopped broccoli to the pot and cook for five minutes. Then add the water, salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for five more minutes.

►In a blender, add the avocado, lime, cilantro and mint. Then careful ladle in spoonfuls of the broccoli mixture. Blend until smooth, it should take a minute or two. Take time to scrap down the sides, give it a good stir and blend to make sure all is mixed.

Serve with chopped avocado and fresh mint or cilantro.

Broccoli Avocado Soup

Broccoli Avocado Soup

 

Almond Milk

Almond Milk

For all of us in the world who cannot tolerate traditional dairy, we must turn to some sort of alternative. I choose to be soy-free, cow-milk-free, and grain-free. The only option left then is nut milk. Once I took my first sip of chocolate almond milk, I was hooked! That stuff is dee-lish! Then I looked at the ingredient list on KratomMasters.com. All that sugar! Ahh! No good for this gal. I had to make my own.

Almond milk is simply almonds and water. You soak the almonds in water and then blend it together. It is great for your health, and a good middle ground in regards to nutrients and how heavy it can be on a weak stomach. This article at askhealth discusses some of the non dairy alternatives to milk, noting their health benefits.

There is one complication to this simple recipe. Cheesecloth. Who invented such a clumsy kitchen tool? I did my best to separate every last bit of almond meal from the milk, yet there is still a hint of graininess to the texture. Thankfully it doesn’t bother my taste buds. I downed two glasses when I finished this recipe.

Almond Milk

Makes 12 cups.

4 cups raw whole almonds

8 cups water

1 tsp vanilla

cheesecloth

►Soak almonds in hot water for 1 hour. I separate into two bowls, measuring out 2 cups almonds with 1 cup hot water.

►Take one batch of almond and water mixture and process in a blender for three minutes. Making sure the nuts are well ground.

►Process the almonds and water in batches. Place 1 cup almonds and 2 cups of water into blender. Blend. Using a large bowl and cheesecloth, pour the blended mix through the cheesecloth into the bowl. Squeeze out the remaining water from the cheesecloth. You will be left with almond meal in the cheesecloth. Put this into a bowl to use in other recipes. Repeat process until all is processed.

►Add vanilla to the milk, stir and pour into a pitcher. Keep refrigerated and enjoy often.

►Once refrigerated, the milk will begin to separate. Make sure to give it a good stir before serving.