Vegan Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream

This ice cream is rich and creamy with a coconut and soy milk base and can be made sugar-free by substituting erythritol natural sweetener.  Erythritol sweentener has almost zero calories and zero glycemic index.

Ingredients

1 cup organic soymilk creamer (I used Wildwood brand)

1 can (13.5 oz) organic coconut milk

1/2 cup organic evaporated cane sugar (substitute erythritol granulated sweetener for sugar-free)

2 tablespoons matcha green tea powder

2 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, plus 3 tablespoons creamer

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Heat a small sauce pot over medium and add soymilk creamer, coconut milk and cane sugar (or sweetener).  Whisk well and cook until sugar is dissolved and mixture is at a simmer, about 5 minutes.
2. Add matcha green tea powder and whisk until dissolved, another 2-3 minutes.  Alternatively, you may use a hand blender or transfer to blender to ensure the matcha powder dissolves well.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk arrowroot powder and soymilk creamer and then add into pot and stir mixture until thick.
4. Remove from heat and add sea salt and vanilla.  Whisk to combine.
5. Pour mixture into a shallow dish and let cool completely and transfer to refrigerator.  Cool for 1-2 hours in refrigerator
6. Transfer chilled mixture to ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Usually about 30 minutes.

Garlic & Onion Cashew Cream Kale Chips

I don't use my dehydrator too often but when I do, I love making kale chips!  The kale chips sold in the stores can be a bit pricey so I love making my own organic kale chips at a fraction of the price.  This recipe has garlic and onion cashew cream massaged on to the kale and then dehydrated until crispy.

Ingredients:
2 bunches kale
1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 4-5 hours
1/2 cup filtered water
1 medium garlic glove
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

 Instructions:

1. Remove kale ribs (save ribs for juicing or smoothies).  Tear the leaves into large pieces and wash and spin dry in a salad spinner.
2. Drain cashews and place in high speed blender with water, garlic, onion powder, sea salt and black pepper.  Blend until smooth and creamy like a thick dressing.  
3. In large mixing bowl, coat the kale pieces with the cream by massaging the cream on to the leaves with your hands.
4. Place on dehydrator trays leaving enough room for air to circulate around.
5. Dehydrate overnight or at least 13 hours.
6. Kale chips can be stored in air tight container at room temperature for a week.

Happy snacking!

Purple Smoothie Recipe

 

A few days ago I posted a purple smoothie to my Instagram account.  I enjoyed it so much I wanted to post it here as well. I picked up the organic purple kale at my local farmers market and used organic frozen blueberries.  For the toppings I used raw white mulberries and hemp seeds.   I recently discovered mulberries and love how they are sweet, chewy and crunchy.  I also love adding hemp seeds to my smoothies for a nutty flavor and added protein. This smoothie was a delicious start to my day.

Serves 2

2 cups filtered water

1 ripe banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

4-5 stalks purple kale

Toppings:

Raw hemp seeds

Raw dried white mulberries

Using a high-speed blender, blend the water, banana, blueberries, and purple kale until smooth.  Top with hemp seeds and mulberries.

If you don't have a high-speed blender, blend purple kale with water first to break down the kale.  Then add banana and blueberries and continue blending until smooth.

Enjoy!

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Every time I cook with cashew cream I'm always amazed at how it can replicate dairy.  It can be used in savory dishes like soups, pastas, mashed potatoes, etc.  On the other hand, it can be sweetened and used in desserts such as a topping on a cake.  Today I decided to make cream of broccoli soup with cashew cream.  Not quite fall soup weather yet but I had broccoli from the farmer's market and decided to make this soup.  It's creamy and you won't know that there's no dairy in it!

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

3 broccoli heads, chopped into small pieced (I save my broccoli stems for juicing)

1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Prepare cashew cream by blending 1 cup raw cashews and 1 cup water in high-speed blender.  Set aside.  (If you do not have a high speed blender, soak cashews for 3-4 hours prior to blending).
2. On medium high heat, line a stock pot with about 1/2 inch of vegetable broth and saute garlic, onion, and celery until onion is translucent.
3. Add  rest of vegetable broth and broccoli to pot and increase heat to high.  Once boiling, lower heat to medium and simmer until broccoli is tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add rosemary, cashew cream, and nutritional yeast.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer and stir occasionally for 5 more minutes until flavors have combined.
5. With immersion blender or regular blender, blend soup on low speed until the big chunks of broccoli have turned into small pieces.
6. Stir soup and serve.

Sesame Green Bean Salad

At one of my neighborhood Japanese restaurants they serve a green bean salad appetizer that I absolutely love.  It's served cold and tastes savory and a little sweet with toasted sesame seeds.  I was able to recreate the green bean salad at home and I made it to take with us on our camping trip.  It's perfect for picnics as well.  This salad is perfect to eat as an appetizer or along side sushi!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces

2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp brown rice vinegar

3 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Once boiling add green beans and cook until crisp/tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain green beans and place in ice water bath to stop the cooking.  Drain and set aside in bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk tamari, toasted sesame oil, tahini, maple syrup and brown rice vinegar until combined.  Pour dressing over green beans and toss to coat.
3. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and cover and refrigerate at least an hour.

My Daily Breakfast - Green Smoothies

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I'm really into making green smoothies for breakfast.  I like to post pictures of the different smoothie combinations I make.  Smoothies are a quick breakfast and are perfect for taking with you on your way to work.  My basic smoothie always contains a banana, one or two other fruits, kale and almond milk or water.  Lately I've been adding celery and/or parsley for more nutrients.  If the fruits are not sweet enough, I like adding a pitted medjool date for sweetness.

A high-speed blender is important in breaking down the kale stems and achieving a super smooth smoothie.  If you don't have a high-speed blender you can still make smoothies but I would suggest blending the greens with the liquid first.

Below is my basic smoothie recipe:
Yield 40 oz or 2 servings

• 2 cups filtered water or almond milk
• 1 banana
• 1 cup of one or two different types of fruit (for example mango & pineapple, blueberries & mango, blueberries & strawberries, apple & pear....possibilities are endless!)  In the photo I used just mango.  Frozen fruits are okay too.
• 5 kale stalks (or 2 cups spinach)
• Few ice cubes if not using frozen fruit
• 1/2 celery (optional)
• handful parsley  (optional)
• chia seeds 
• hemp seeds

If using high-speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.  If not using high-speed blender, blend greens with liquid first then add rest of ingredients and blend until smooth.  Top with chia seeds and hemp seeds.  Enjoy!

Basil Pea Pesto

This pesto is delicious and is lower in fat than traditional pesto due to the addition of peas.  I served it with brown rice penne pasta.  Along with a salad this basil pea pesto pasta has become one of my favorite dinners.

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1 cup fresh or frozen green peas, cooked

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 tbsp sweet white miso (I used Miso Master Organic Miso)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Put garlic cloves in food processor and pulse until minced.
2. Put basil, peas, pine nuts, miso, and salt in processor and begin processing.  With the machine running, add water and oil in a slow stream through the open feed tube.  Process until mixture forms a paste.
3. Serve with pasta and enjoy.