Thursday, February 20, 2014

Ice Cream for Breakfast




No, not really; that's pretty gross, but more than that it's not exactly the healthiest breakfast option. I was pretty intrigued by this magazine clipping recipe, though, when it claimed that this breakfast item was almost like having ice cream for breakfast. Healthy ice cream :)

Berry Oatmeal Parfait (from Glow Magazine, September 2011)

2/3 cup quick oats
1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp almond milk
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 bananas, peeled, chopped and frozen
1 tbsp peanut (or almond) butter
1 cup mixed berries, chopped

1. Whisk together oats, almond milk, chia, and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl. Pop that in the refrigerator, overnight.
2. Peel and chop the bananas, and pop those in the freezer, overnight.
3. In the morning, add the frozen bananas, 1 tbsp of almond milk, and the nut butter to a food processor and process until smooth. 
4. In a bowl/parfait glass/breakfast receptacle, layer the oat mixture, with the banana "soft serve" and chopped berries. 

No pictures this time around because I need a glass bowl/jar to make a parfait :|


Saturday, February 1, 2014

Immunity Boosters From Your Kitchen


Last time I mentioned a few tips to help give your immune system a leg up in it's fight against all those infections this winter season, so today I thought I'd share a couple of recipes that I've found and tried out, which source out those essential immune-boosting compounds that I mentioned last time. 

This smoothie has been dubbed the "Virus Slaying Smoothie" by holistic nutritionist, Rachel Hynd. It's smooth and fruity, with a hit of vanilla flavour. You can whip it up in a jiffy before heading out in the morning, or when you come home and need an afternoon snack. I like to pair it with a handful of trail mix for that late afternoon boost of energy. 

To make the smoothie:

1/2 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp flaxseed
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup kefir (or a low-fat probiotic yogurt, makes a slightly thicker smoothie)

The recipe also calls for 1 scoop of vegan protein powder, but I omit this and eat trail mix instead, or add in a 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter. Put all the ingredients in your blender/Magic Bullet/other fancy dancy smoothie maker and puree until smooth.This will make a single serving.

Some other healthy snack ideas:

Trail mix: mix together pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, raw almonds, Brazil nuts/cashews, chopped dates, and store in an airtight container.

Kale chips: Take one bunch of kale, wash, pat dry and remove the stems. Tear the leaves into small pieces, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp sea salt and coat the leaves. Bake in a 300 F oven for about 20 minutes (they should be crisp). You can add some cayenne to spice things up, or some sesame seeds for a unique flavour.