Chocolate Banana Super Milkshake

...dairy-free milkshake that is! My chocolate banana milkshake is packed with protein and calcium from the almond butter and milk, while loaded with fiber and omega-3's from the chia seeds and flaxseeds. The organic raw cacao powder, which is a superfood, contains a rich supply of antioxidants, fiber, magnesium and iron, all while having a rich, chocolaty taste! The bananas provide potassium while helping to normalize the movement through your digestive tract (your elimination, teehee!). So, this frozen treat is not only ridiculously yummy, but totally nutritious as well! If cow’s milk is present in your diet and you’d like to use it in this recipe, go for it (as long as it’s organic). You can also experiment with other types of dairy-free milks such as hemp milk, oat milk, rice milk, etc.

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 frozen banana
1 1/2 - 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp almond butter
1 - 2 tbsp organic raw cacao powder (go easy if it's your first time with just 1 tbsp)
1 tsp ground flaxseeds (optional)
1 tbsp chia seeds
few drops of vanilla extract

I love adding a teaspoon of spirulina to this shake to make it "green" and more nutritious. This of course gives it a little difference in color, but if you're cool with that then I'd say go for it!

Directions: Place all ingredients into a blender, blend until smooth. Enjoy!!

Benefits of Cacao Powder:

Cacao powder is one of the most vital super food to have in your home. A sweet and dense powder, it can be added as an ingredient to many recipes ranging from homemade cakes to milkshakes. It is a remarkable source of essential vitamins like vitamin A, B, C and D additionally it is comprised of various minerals such as magnesium, sodium and zinc. Cacao also positively effects the production of phenylethylamine, a chemical that is produced when a person experiences feelings of love. It is an awesome source of anti-oxidants, compounds called Flavonols that help the body to produce nitric oxide, a compound essential for proper heart function.

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren

Pizza Fusion - Vegan Pizza!

My sister, Sarah, and I stopped into the new Pizza Fusion in Red Bank for their 'very vegan' pizza on whole wheat crust. We totally loved it!

Sarah has recently been working towards becoming vegan. So far she has cut out almost all meat and has had little to no dairy! She is loving how it's making her feel! She was skeptical about how the vegan pizza (more so the cheese!) would taste, but after she finished half the pie with me, she said she couldn't even taste the difference! Keep up the great work with eliminating animal products from your diet, Sarah!

Pizza Fusion is an organic pizza franchise that is expanding fast with a menu that boasts vegan cheeses, organic meats and gluten-free brownies. Have no fear carnivores, there are plenty of options for you too! When I order in, my organic, vegan pizza deliveries are made via a Prius. Love it!

Pizza Fusion is located at 95 Broad St. in Red Bank, NJ. Definitely stop in for a slice when you're in town!



Keep it Fresh!
-Lauren

Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers.

These stuffed peppers have been a staple in my diet for quite some time now. They're perfect for any season and you can tweak the recipe and the vegetables you use to the season and/or your liking!

Ingredients
4 large bell pepper (your choice of color)
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup black beans
1/2 cup salsa (I used Green Mountain Gringo)
1/2 cup corn (canned or thawed, frozen is fine)
sauteed veggies of your choice (I used zucchini, onion, mushrooms, carrots and broccoli)
Shredded "cheese" (I used vegan cheddar, but dairy cheddar is fine too!)
cumin, salt and pepper to taste


Start cooking the quinoa (remember to rinse before you boil or it gets sticky!!)
Saute your favorite chopped fresh veggies in olive oil with fresh minced garlic.

Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste (I like a lot of cumin - at least 1 tsp)
Rinse black beans and set aside.
Cut peppers in half (lengthwise) - try to leave the stem intact so the filling doesn't fall out and remove inside and seeds
In a large bowl mix quinoa, salsa, black beans, corn and sauteed veggies. - taste, add more salsa if you like.
Stuff peppers with quinoa/black bean mix.
Place stuffed peppers in a glass baking pan with a 1/2 inch to 1 inch of water in the bottom, cover with foil.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes to brown/melt the cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Keep it Fresh!

~Terra

We all scream for ice cream!

The warm weather and the upcoming 21-day vegan challenge that Terra and some of our readers are taking on, has me thinking about none other than ice cream! As a vegan myself, people always ask me what foods I miss most, and my answer usually involves ice cream. Who doesn’t love ice cream? Before my vegan and healthy chick days I used to live on chocolate peanut butter ice cream, so on occasion I still reminisce about that hunk of fake peanut butter that I would dig out from the middle of the carton! And there is something about spring and summer at the jersey shore that makes you want to indulge in some cold creamy yumminess.

So what’s an ice cream loving, healthy vegan girl to do? Well, to be honest I have, and do on occasion reach for the soy varieties in the super market freezers. But, with all the soy, refined sugars and other unrecognizable ingredients, these are no healthier than the real thing. But have no fear, there are dairy-free, vegan alternatives that are actually good for you and have this healthy chicks seal of approval.

Coconut Milk Ice Creams - There are now a few non-dairy ice creams that are made from coconut milk versus soy. The thing that I like about these is that many (but not all!) of these are free of refined sugars and chemicals. Look for varieties that have as natural and as few ingredients as possible. My favorite is Luna & Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss. This line is not only dairy free, but gluten free and sweetened with agave. Try the coffee, naked coconut or chocolate peanut butter! Purely Decadent makes a line of coconut milk ice creams as well that are equally as delicious, however some flavors are made with more natural ingredients than others, so be sure to read your labels!

Sorbet - While sorbet doesn’t exactly have the creamy texture of ice cream, I feel like it is a nice alternative, and the fresh frozen fruit can be really refreshing during those hot summer months. My favorite is Ciao Bella, made from simply fruit and organic cane juice. The coconut is probably the closest to an ice cream texture, but the raspberry and mango are also delicious! (Ciao Bella also makes a line of gelato made from dairy, so be sure to read your labels!!)

Raw Ice Creams - Raw ice creams are a bit more difficult to find, and will cost you a pretty penny, but on a rare occasion are definitely worth it! Raw means that it is made from completely unprocessed and uncooked ingredients. These dairy and gluten free ice creams are almost always organic and usually made from things like raw cashew cream, agave and raw coconut. Look for these at your local health food stores. If you are lucky enough to live in the big apple, vegan and raw restaurant Pure Food and Wine makes a line called One Lucky Duck. If you feel like dining there, order the hot fudge sundae (all raw).. it is the most amazing thing I have ever eaten!

Make Your Own - This is something I do often. Its cheap, its easy, its quick and its probably the healthiest option. Plus it saves me from throwing away and wasting fruit that is on its way out. Here’s what you do: keep a handful of bananas in your freezer. (Make sure to peel them first, then throw them in a zip lock bag.) I also usually keep some frozen berries, mango or pineapple in there too. Cut up one or two frozen bananas and throw them in a blender with a splash of water, coconut milk, soy milk, rice milk.. or whatever non dairy milk you prefer. Don’t add too much liquid though, cause you will end up with a smoothie and you want an ice cream consistency. You can throw in anything else you’d like to add some flavor - other frozen fruits, coconut, nut butters, etc. You can also add a little agave or other natural sweetener if you’d like. Blend till the desired consistency and voila!, homemade vegan “ice cream”. Another option is to just puree some fruit (fresh or frozen) and then pour it into ice trays or plastic cups with a popsicle stick and freeze. Instant homemade ice pops!


Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter “Ice Cream”
1 Frozen banana
Splash or two of unsweetened almond milk
1Tbspn of all natural peanut butter (raw almond butter can be used too!)
1Tbspn of raw cacao powder
1 Tsp agave

Add all ingredients to a blender or food process and blend til desired consistency! Add some optional topping: ground nuts, ground flax or dried coconut!

All of these options are great for the vegan and non-vegan alike. What’s most important is that they are healthier versions of the real thing, so we can indulge this summer (and who am I kidding, all year round) without feeling guilty! Feel free to leave a comment with your favorites!

Keep it Fresh!
~Jill

21 Day Kick-Start

So, as many of you know, I will be walking away from corporate life on Friday, April 23rd for good. I am a little anxious, but overall I feel super fabulous. I feel like it's a new start to a new life. A whole new me where my Primary Foods don't get in the way of my total health. I am so very excited and blessed to have the opportunity to actually follow my bliss and surround myself in my passions of health, yoga and food!

To keep this super fabulous momentum going, I have decided to take part in my own Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's 21-Day Vegan Kick Start. I am going to start on Monday, April 26, 2010. I have dabbled in vegetarianism off and on for many years and while I was attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition I spent a month investigating a vegan diet after hearing Neal Bernard, MD speak.

I had a few challenges during my vegan month last year. While I thought a life without cheese would be terrible, it's not what I missed the most. I really missed my breakfast foods, yes, the incredible edible egg. I also had trouble with was feeling grounded. I started feeling super flaky, scatter brained and the proverbial "blonde." I am pretty sure that these feelings were coming from a lack of Vitamin B and Omega 3s.

I think my biggest challenge wasn't s0 much of a challenge as it was a surprise....I went vegan for 4 weeks and I actually gained 7 pounds. How is that even possible? Well, I will tell you how it's possible....all you can eat buffet at Kaya's Kitchen in Belmar, NJ every Sunday night, that's how it's possible. Kaya's is delicious and amazing and the best vegan cuisine in New Jersey. However, if you over eat, regardless of food style, you're going to gain weight. Additionally, while on this vegan experiment, I ate many more processed foods (from a box, wrapped in plastic) than I normally do. Vegan ice cream, cookies, cakes, burgers, tv-dinners etc. I don't eat that crap to begin with, so what was the point of removing animal protein and dairy from your diet if you're just going to start eating crap!? Exactly. no point.



So this time around is going to be a bit different. Kayas will be a treat, rather than a weekly scheduled binge. I will cook more whole, vegan foods and try out different recipes that I can share on this blog. And I will pay attention to my vitamin B and omega 3 intake so I don't turn into a dumb blonde.


Between now and then, I am going to re-read a couple of vegan books to get me in the mind-set:
Skinny Bitch
Living a Charmed Life
The Kind Diet
This Crazy Vegan Life

One thing that I am super amped up about, which I am probably not supposed to talk about, but whatever, the cat is about to hop out of the bag...is our upcoming interview with Christina Pirello, author of Glow, This Crazy Vegan Life, Cooking the Whole Foods Way and Christina Cooks. SO excited about that and looking forward to it! It's perfect timing for this whole challenge of mine!

So, back to the 21 day challenge....the reason I am posting this blog well over a month in advance of my start date is that I wanted to see if any readers wanted to join me. If any readers out in blogland want to take on this challenge with me, I will set up a tele-class on the 1st, 7th, 14th and 21st days of the challenge so we can check in with one another for support! We'll use the 21 Day Kick-Start a guideline and then go from there. So, if you're interested drop a comment with you're email address and I will be in touch!

Keep it Fresh!
~ Terra
Keep it Fresh!
~ Terra

Vegan Nachos!

Who says that nachos always have to have cheese or meat? This recipe is so flavorful, I promise you won’t miss the animal products! The creamy guacamole, hearty beans, salsa and fresh cilantro create a satisfying array of flavors for this simple, healthy snacking dish.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
dash of cumin
dash of chili powder
salsa to taste
1 avocado
½ lime
fresh cilantro to taste
sea salt



Directions:
Beans: Heat beans in small pot on low/med heat. Add dash of cumin, chili powder and sea salt.

Guacamole: Mash avocado in bowl with fork. Squirt half lime into bowl adding fresh cilantro and continue to mash together.

Spread chips out onto dish and pour desired amount of salsa onto them. Spoon guacamole over chips and salsa. Once beans are heated, pour them over dish, then top with more fresh cilantro. The beans will heat the rest of the ingredients and flavors will marry together. ENJOY!

*Feel free to use this same recipe, but instead of pouring ingredients over chips, stuff into a whole wheat wrap with some brown rice for a healthy, filling burrito!


Benefits of Pinto Beans:
Pinto beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. Pinto beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, pinto beans provide virtually fat-free, high quality protein. But this is far from all pinto beans have to offer. Pinto beans are also an excellent source of molybdenum, a very good source of folate and manganese, and a good source of protein and vitamin B1 as well as the minerals phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium, and copper. Pintos are a great replacement for red meats. A half cup of cooked pinto beans will provide about 120 calories and 10 grams of protein, without the saturated fat.

Green Mountain Gringo Strips: I recommend serving with Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Strips. They are great tasting, all natural using non-GMO corn and gluten free. You can find them at any health food store, and at most supermarkets.

What does GMO mean? Genetically Modified Organism is the most common usage (though 'manipulated' or even 'mutated' might also be appropriate!) The acronyms GEO (Genetically Engineered Organism) or simply GM or GE are also used. Genetic engineering is a radical new technology that forces genetic information across the protective species barrier in an unnatural way. Why be concerned? One of many good reasons is that these laboratory-created mutations are unlabeled, virtually untested and on grocery shelves everywhere.

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren