A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast with Elana's Pantry

It's the last day of my week of "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch Recipes." I'm excited to share one last holiday breakfast/brunch recipe with you! Today it's from Elana Amsterdam, the author of one of my favorite gluten free blogs, "Elana's Pantry" and one of the most well-loved cookbooks in my kitchen, "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook."

I bought Elana's cookbook before it was even published. I couldn't wait to open this book and make easy, delicious, and low glycemic recipes with almond flour! Elana introduced me to almond flour and I've been using it for several years now. Most of the recipes I make for myself are made with almond flour. It's easier for me to digest than grains, and it's just such an easy way to bake.

I've cooked my way through Elana's cookbook during the past year. I've made her chocolate chip cookies countless times. Her chocolate cake makes frequent appearances for birthdays and anniversaries. Her vegetable quiche with an almond flour pie crust is a favorite quick dinner. My husband LOVES Elana's simple recipe for chicken fingers, it's one of his most requested main dishes! Her vanilla cupcakes are some of my favorite "sweet" treats! And her bread. Elana's bread is what I use most often if I don't have Udi's at home or don't feel like making a yeast bread. I've had many a sandwich on Elana's gluten free bread. Sandwiches are easy comfort food to me and I'm so thankful for her recipes.

Elana has graciously allowed me to share one of her recipes from "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" today! It's a recipe for her Chocolate Chip Scones! I hope you enjoy them!

Also today is the last day to enter to win a copy of Elana's cookbook over at my reviews/giveaways page! Please visit: A Gluten Free Holiday: Breakfast and Brunch Recipes to find out how!

Chocolate Chip Scones
Reprinted with permission of Elana Amsterdam
Published in "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" c. 2009 written by Elana Amsterdam

Makes 16 scones
Sweetness: Medium

"In college, I used to pretend chocolate chip scones were a breakfast food instead of a dessert, devouring one nearly every morning. Using agave nectar to lower the glycemic index of this scone makes my unique categorization less of a stretch. Rich in antioxidents and low in sugar, organic dark chocolate makes these decadent-looking scones a healthy indulgence." - Elana Amsterdam

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (73% cacao)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined, then fold in the chocolate. Drop the batter, in scant 1/4 cups 2 - inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12-17 minutes, until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the scones cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheets, then serve.


*If you'd like to enter to win a copy of Elana's cookbook,  "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" please visit: "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch recipes." 

Tropical Pineapple Date Bars for Meghan Telpner

Earlier this summer I shared this delicious recipe on Meghan Telpner's wonderful website Making Love in the Kitchen. I first learned about Meghan in 2009 with her first tutorial, the Green Smoothie Cleanse! I made 3 green smoothies a day for 3 days with Meghan and learned more about real nutrition during that week than I had in my entire life. I blogged about my experience and I can honestly say it changed my life.

Over a year later my (and my husband's) eating habits have completely changed. Many of our meals are vegetarian, and we eat superfoods every single day. My husband still uses sugar in his southern style sweet tea and occasionally you just need a good chocolate chip cookie, or a piece of chocolate cake.. but other than that white sugar doesn't play a role in our diet anymore.

I still have green smoothies and/or protein smoothies several times a week, most often for breakfast.

Because of Meghan I have learned how to prepare and eat real, nourishing, whole, living, and healing foods.

The recipe I'm sharing today uses several delicious superfoods, is seriously easy to make, and is perfect for summer! These bars are lightly sweetened with fresh pineapple, dates, and raw honey. Chock full of healthy fiber and plant-based proteins, these Tropical Pineapple Date Bars the perfect afternoon snack.



Tropical Pineapple Date Bars
created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com

Bar Ingredients:
1/2 cup ground almonds (or almond flour)
1 cup certified gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw honey
1/4 cup hot water mixed with 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup crushed pineapple (I use fresh pineapple, which I pulverize in the magic bullet)
3 medjool dates, pitted, and finely chopped

Optional Toppings:
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub coconut oil on the bottom of an 8x8" glass baking dish & set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together ground almonds, rolled oats, quinoa flakes, shredded coconut, and baking soda. Using your hands or a fork mix in coconut oil & honey into the rolled oat mixture. You will have a crumbly dough.
• Set aside 1/3 of the crumbly dough into a small bowl for the topping of the bars.
• With the remaining 2/3 of dough mix in the hot water & ground flax seed mixture.
• Press the dough into the greased 8x8" glass baking dish.
• In a small bowl mix the crushed pineapple with the chopped dates. Pour the pineapple mixture over the pressed dough.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of crumbly dough over the pineapple/date filling.
• Sprinkle raw pumpkin seeds over the top if you would like!
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until bars are golden brown and smell amazingly delicious!
• Cut into 9 large bars or 12 smaller bars. Let cool on the counter and then store in the fridge in an airtight container. These are BEST right out of the oven after being cooled, but they are also incredibly good from the fridge!
  

Omelettes for Dinner

Today I have the privilege of sharing a recipe on Diane's wonderful blog "The W.H.O.L.E. Gang." 

One of our favorite weeknight meals is omelettes! They are quick, easy, healthy, and delicious!

The filling are never the same. Whatever veggie & protein leftovers we have available in our fridge are in the omelettes each week!

We've been lucky this summer to have a wonderful CSA to not only provide most of our produce, but our fresh eggs as well! 

If you need really great ideas on super fast & healthy dinners, please check out the recent series featured here on Gingerlemongirl.com, 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals. 

Please visit The Whole Gang today and leave a comment sharing your favorite omelette fillings!

What are your favorite gluten free solutions to the weeknight dinner rush? 

Apple Blueberry Pie Smoothie

I love smoothies! Especially in the summer! Lately I've been making green smoothies with spinach and lots of superfoods like raw cacao, maca powder, and spirulina. And for a delicious addition of protein: brown rice protein powder and raw almond butter.

Occasionally though for a more "dessert" like smoothie I just want fruit.

This smoothie was especially good. I don't think smoothies really need recipes. Add what you like. See what works. Play.

This smoothie that I'm calling an "Apple Blueberry Pie Smoothie" had:

• a handful of fresh blueberries from our csa box
• about half a cup of apple sauce
• almond milk
• cinnamon
• vanilla stevia
• lots of ice!

What are your favorite summer smoothies?
What fruit and vegetable combinations have you been using lately?

Want to learn more about green smoothies? Check out this series.

Need help learning how to create awesomely healthy and delicious smoothies? Meghan Telpner is releasing a brand spanking new version of her Green Smoothie Cleanse Tutorial THIS WEEK and it features a favorite smoothie recipe from my blog! Go check out her amazing blog and pick up your copy of her incredibly smart & yummy green smoothie tutorial!

Gluten Free Chocolate Protein Smoothies

I really love smoothies for breakfast & right before bed as an evening snack in warm weather. Lately I've been making a variation of this protein "ice-cream". During the summer I really want something cold (but healthy) that feels like a treat and this smoothie really hits the spot.

I like to use either raw cacao or raw cacao nibs in this smoothie because the health benefits and because I just like the taste. You could also use regular cocoa powder or even carob powder.

If you don't want to use a protein powder (and if you don't like the taste of protein powder, you probably won't like the taste of this smoothie) you can also just use a frozen banana or other fruit of your choice. I really like this vegan brown rice protein powder. You can also use a dairy or soy based protein powder if your body is okay with those proteins!

And check out the awesome blog "Heather Eats Almond Butter" she's become one of my favorite foodie blogs. She focuses on foods that work for her body type. For Heather that means a higher protein, lots of veggies & healthy fats. A base of foods similar to what we eat in our household as well! Heather is also expecting, so lately she's been posting a variety of fun pregnancy recipes! It's been a joy to read about her daily journey to becoming a mom! Go visit and send her happy congrats!

Cinnamon "Chocolate" Protein Smoothie
a variation of Heather's Heabified Protein Ice Cream

1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon raw cacao -or- raw cacao nibs
2 tablespoons brown rice protein powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch xanthan gum (only if you want an "ice-cream" type texture)
1 dropper-full vanilla stevia
1 tablespoon raw honey
9-15 cubes of ice

Directions:
Add all to your blender and blend until smooth. If you have a Vitamix you are one lucky duck & I am insanely jealous!! :-) However, my KitchenAid blender does a fairy decent job of blending this into a great smoothie! I also blend this in a Magic Bullet, and while it doesn't have the power of my blender, it still turns out a fantabulously yummy chocolately smoothie!!

Serve immediately with a really fun and super green handmade glass straw from GlassDharma! Makes 1 large serving!

Enjoy!

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 25 - Brooke's Shrimp Scampi

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Today's post is written by Brooke ("Ness") author of the blog, Gluten Free... Who? Me?


Day 21 - Brooke's Simple Shrimp Scampi


Shrimp Scampi sounds so intimidating - so "fancy pants restaurant-y" that I never even considered trying to make it. Then I looked through several recipes, and thought about how to make it as simple and fresh as possible.

The following recipe is what I came up with - it's not rocket science of course; however, my anti-seafood husband even requests this meal and says it's one of his favorites. I have received a lot of praise for this simple & delicious meal.

Simple ingredients you probably have at home, quick to make, easy to clean up (1 pot, 1 pan, 2 plates) - what more can you ask for?


Brooke's Simple Shrimp Scampi

• 3 tablespoons butter (use coconut oil if you are dairy free)
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 12 shrimp (I use frozen shrimp that's already fully cooked and just thaw)
• 2 small zucchini (or any green veggie of choice such as fresh green beans or broccoli)
• Gluten free noodles (I LOVE tinkyada brown rice pasta - any shape works)

Directions:

Start with bringing water to a boil and cooking you’re pasta to a little less than al-dente. While making the pasta melt the butter, lemon juice, zest, garlic, salt, and pepper in a non-stick pan and melt. Add in your zucchini and saute for about 5 minutes. Add in your shrimp and sauté for another 5. Add in your noodles and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

About Brooke (also known as "Ness"), author of Gluten Free... Who? Me?

Brooke is a new gluten free blogger. She's in her early 20's, is newly married, and spends her free time with her husband & two "kids" (doxies). Brooke works for a non-profit as a Social Worker and is very thankful for the daily opportunities she has to work with children who have survived brain injuries. Thanks so much for sharing a little about yourself and one of your quick and easy gluten free recipes with us Brooke!

***********

Stay Tuned for Day 26 of 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals. Tomorrow Sara from The Messy Chef will share one of her favorite easy summer recipes.

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 24 - Diane's Mexican Pizza

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Today's post is written by Diane Eblin author of the newly published ebook, The Gluten Free Diner Cookbook , and the blog: "The W.H.O.L.E. Gang."

Day 24 - Diane's Mexican Pizza

There is nothing our family likes more than pizza. Living gluten and dairy free has not slowed us down. It has however made me a lot more creative and we are eating amazing pizzas now, not just cheese and pepperoni.

Now that its summer and the farmer’s markets are full of amazing fresh produce, I am having even more fun with my food. Our family loves to eat many different ethnic cuisines, but I think our two favorites are Mexican and Italian. So I thought, why not combine both. On a recent trip to the farmers market I gathered some jalapeno peppers, red onion and tomatoes. That is how it all started, my Mexican Pizza. I also had tomatillos and mushrooms hanging out in the refrigerator. Why not put them all together?

I really loved how the sweetness of the tomatillos played with the spiciness of the chipotle and jalapenos. It was a party in my mouth and I can’t wait to have it again.

The great thing about this pizza and any pizza is you can literally clean out the refrigerator and prep this pizza in the time it takes for the oven to warm up.

So keep this in mind as you create your pizza, use what ingredients you like and have on hand. That’s the key to fun, fresh new pizza ideas. The fastest pizza I ever made was a Za’atar Pizza and the thickest most stuffed pizza was my Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pizza.

Diane’s Mexican Pizza
vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, soy free
Makes 8 slices unless you cut them really small, then you get 16.

Ingredients:
Your favorite pizza crust or mix. (I used Chebe all purpose mix.)
1 package of sliced mushrooms (sliced and whole costs the same)
½ red onion diced
4-6 tomatillos sliced, depending on size and pizza size
2-4 jalapenos seeded and sliced
1 large tomato diced
Daiya Cheese- cheddar and mozzarella (gluten, dairy, and soy free)
2 tsp butter (Earth Balance dairy, gluten and soy free)
Garlic powder
Olive oil
Adobo (I use Penzeys which contains-garlic, onion, Tellicherry black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne red pepper.)
Cilantro- dried or handful of fresh chopped
Chipotle chili powder
Ancho chili powder
Large crystal sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven
2. While the oven is heating up dice your onion and toss it and the mushrooms into a large skillet with the butter and a little splash of olive oil on medium to medium high.
3. While that is cooking mix your pizza dough, roll it out and put it onto your pan. Prick the surface with a fork so it don’t get one of those large bubbles. Give that skillet a little toss.
4. Slice your tomatillos, chop your tomato and seed and slice your jalapeno. I like to use one large cutting board for it all. It goes much faster that way. Give that skillet one more toss, sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper and turn off.
5. Assemble your pizza!
6. Sprinkle the dough with some olive oil and then use the back of a spoon or your fingers (best kitchen tool) to spread it around. Sprinkle the dough with garlic powder making sure to get it all the way to the edges. Don’t use too much or it will be too over powering. Also sprinkle the dough with the Adobo, but not to the edges.
7. Add your sliced tomatillos and chopped tomatoes around the pizza. Now sprinkle with the cheeses. I don’t like a lot of cheese on my pizza and with Daiya I would not use as much as I would have it were regular dairy cheese. Remember, you can always add more the next time or even after you’ve tasted it just pop it back into the oven.
8. Now distribute the mushroom onion mixture and sliced jalapeno peppers. Sprinkle with the ancho and cilantro. The last thing I add are the chipotle and sea salt all the way to the edges. I really like to have a good seasoning on the edges of my pizza.
9. Bake according to your dough directions and enjoy!

Don’t be afraid to swap out ingredients when making this pizza. The whole idea is to make it fresh, fast and simple. If you want to add meat or seafood to this a little chorizo would be great, chicken or even shrimp would make great toppings. I also love to take leftovers from the grill to use on my pizza.

About Diane

Diane is the author of The Gluten-Free Diner cookbook just released in e-book format. It contains 48 diner inspired recipes complete with photos, index, notes area and a menu on how to combine the recipes into meals. She also authors the blog The W.H.O.L.E. Gang. Her blog and cookbook focus on eating gluten and dairy free but never sacrificing taste. Her motto Good Food No Matter What!™ runs through everything she creates. “I love to cook and I love getting others excited about it too. Let’s get into the kitchen, have fun and create great food with real ingredients.”

Diane also held the very successful event, 30 Days to a Food Revolution which was inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. It was very well received and even re-tweeted by Jamie himself. On a weekly basis she organizes a blog carnival called Friday Foodie Fix. Each week there is a different Secret Ingredient. Everyone then shares their recipes that contain that ingredient. Stop by and share yours.

**********

Stay tuned for Day 25 of 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals. Tomorrow will feature another fabulous recipe from Brooke "Ness" author of Gluten Free... Who? Me?

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 6 - Nicola's Turkey Burgers

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Day 6: G-free Mom's Homemade Turkey Burgers

My son has been on a gluten free diet for just over three weeks now and so (by default) has the rest of the family. I’m pretty new to this game, but am learning fast and am loving sharing the experience and getting great feedback and increased knowledge along the way.


Ginger lemon girl has it absolutely right. Trying to make quick and easy healthy gluten free meals for my kids (who are 7 and 4), every day is quite some challenge. When I was told to change my 7 year old's diet, I started by getting all fancy and complicated. I was trawling through cookbooks endlessly, spending far too much time in the grocery store looking for ingredients and then putting the kids in front of tv for up to an hour, just to hear them say “that looks yukky”.

I’ve quickly changed tactics and now I’m all about finding stuff that my kids love, making a gluten and dairy free version of it and aiming to do it in 30 minutes or under. I’ve concluded that meal making shouldn’t encroach more on my quality time with my kids than absolutely necessary. Any baking gets done at weekends, evenings, or with the kids.

My son’s well being, behavior, and mood in general has changed significantly since we changed our diet. He tells everyone that “it’s a healthier way of life.” I tend to agree.

I talk about our daily challenges, share my findings and post recipe ideas on www.gfreemom.com.


G-free Mom's Homemade Turkey Burgers
Makes 4 large burgers

1lb turkey mince (ground turkey)
3 salad onions (scallions), finely chopped
Handful of Italian flat leafed parsley, finely chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Olive oil to baste

Directions:
This is as easy and as tasty as it gets:

1. Mix all of the ingredients
2. Shape into 4 burgers
3. Brush with olive oil and pop on the BBQ, on a griddle, or in a frying pan until burgers are cooked through.
4. Enjoy with gluten free ketchup, gluten free pasta and some kid friendly vegetables.

About G-free Mom:

Nicola is a new gluten free mom & blogger. Nicola is brand new to cooking gluten free meals for her son, yet she's already sharing her easy & quick G-free recipes! Many thanks Nicola for sending your wonderful recipe!!

************


Stay tuned to Day 7 of 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals. Tomorrow Erica, of Erica Miss America, will be cooking with Shirataki noodles and fresh greens! I can't wait!

30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals: Day 5 - Christie's Simple Pan Salmon

Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!

Today's post is shared by Christie, a Holistic Health Coach and author of the blog Honoring Health.

Day 5: Christie's Simple Pan Salmon & Swiss Chard.

Hello Ginger Lemon Girl, readers! I am delighted to be here to participate in the 30 days of quick and easy dinners. My name is Christie and I write the blog Honoring Health, a guide your to finding your intuitive wisdom. As a holistic health coach, I mostly write about intuitive eating, emotional eating and holistic health but I also find great pleasure in developing quick, simple and delicious recipes. Through the process of learning to listen to my body, I discovered that I can't tolerate gluten or dairy which changed the way I cook but one thing hasn't changed. I still need dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes!

I'm a big fan of cooking in batches but I also have a philosophy I like to call food made simple. Basically, that means, simple ingredients, less than 20 minutes and very little clean up for the husband. My favorite is simple pan salmon along with a fresh veggie like garlic swiss chard or sweet and spicy green beans.

Pan Salmon
Originally posted by Christie @ Honormyhealth.com

For the salmon:

2 4 to 6 oz salmon fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste (I use crushed red pepper but black pepper is good, too)
1 lemon, halved

Preheat a skillet to medium high and season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the pan and once it is “shimmering” hot, place each piece of salmon in the pan. Be careful, it will probably pop and scream all over the place. I use a splatter screen to prevent myself from getting burned and from making a mess. Cook the salmon for about 4 minutes of each side, 5 minutes if the salmon is super thick, until it is golden brown and cooked through to your liking. remove the salmon from the pan and squeeze each piece with the juice of half a lemon. Serve hot with a simple side dish such a my garlic swiss chard.


Garlic Swiss Chard
Originally posted by Christie @ Honormyhealth.com

For the swiss chard:
Serves 2

1 large bunch swiss chard, washed, woody stems removed and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small garlic cloves (only on one if you use non-organic, organic tends to be very small)
1 tbsp minced onion (dried or fresh)
dash nutmeg
crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste
apple cider vinegar (optional)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add in the swiss chard, the garlic and the onion and toss in the oil to coat well. Stir fry the swiss chard until it begins to wilt and then season with the nutmeg, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the swiss chard is bright green and tender. Drizzle with apple cider vinegar and serve piping hot.

This simple meal pairs well with any grain such as quinoa or coconut brown rice you may have already in advance. Then, finish it off with a bowl of chocolate coconut milk ice cream and you have a delicious, gluten free, dairy free meal in less than 20!

*********

About Christie:
From Honormyhealth.com, "I am a thirty something yogi living in Virginia with my husband, Mike, and our wacky cats, K.C., Georgy and Caddie. I work full time and am currently training to become a Certified Holistic Health Coach. I believe in a no holds barred approach to blogging (and to life!) and hope that you will find Honoring Health to be unique and inspiring."
Many thanks to Christie for sharing her healthy & refreshing recipes with us!

*******

Stay tuned for Day 6 of 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals! Tomorrow Nicola of Gfreemom.com will be sharing a really quick and fun recipe using ground turkey!

Gluten Free Whole Grain Rosemary Garlic Pizza Crust Recipe

I really like easy recipes. My favorite recipes are the ones you just toss all the ingredients in a bowl, mix it up, throw it in the baking dish and you're done.

This recipe is sort of like that. A yeast-free (ie.. no rising time) gluten-free pizza crust that is very quick to throw together, shape on your baking sheet and you're good to go.

Another great thing about this crust is you can premix all the dry ingredients ahead of time and when you need a fast pizza just whip out the dry mix add the wet ingredients and in 5 minutes you have a pizza crust ready for baking.

How easy is that?

Summer calls for a fresh vegetable pizza. This pizza in particular is very vegetarian and almost raw. I guess it can't officially be a "raw" food since the crust is baked... but I think it's pretty darn close!

Eat your vegetables. Eat lots of them in the summer. Nearly all the vegetables on this pizza are from the CSA box we had last week.

My favorite way to make a veggie pizza is to simply bake the crust by itself. Then make a gluten free/dairy free "ranch" dressing, as your "pizza sauce" and then top it with fresh vegetables.

Done.

And then you can eat your vegetables for dinner! :-)



Whole Grain Rosemary Oregano Pizza Crust
(Gluten Free, Soy Free, Yeast Free, Egg Free, Vegan)
Created by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com
Print-friendly version.

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown rice flour -or- millet flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoons crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds mixed with 1/3 cup hot water
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Optional Herbs:
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12" pizza pan with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl whisk all dry ingredients together. Add any of the optional herbs to the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl mix together all of the wet ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until you have a slightly sticky dough. Spread pizza dough in a large 12" circle using a spatula that's been spritzed with olive oil.

For a Traditional Pizza: Bake the crust alone for 10 minutes if you are adding traditional pizza ingredients. Remove from the oven. Add pizza sauce & toppings and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Yum!

For a Veggie Pizza: Bake crust for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes and then add whatever type of sauce you want to use. Add veggies on top. Cut and serve! Yum!

Potato and Spinach Enchiladas (Gluten Free, Vegan, Soy Free)

Ocracoke Lighthouse, on Ocracoke Island NC

We seem to find cats wherever we go...

Wild Ponies on Ocracoke Island, NC

A fishing boat off the coast of Ocracoke

We spent last weekend on Ocracoke Island. It's a quiet, beautiful seaside village on a small island off the coast of North Carolina. It's one of the few places that never seems to change. We visited the wild ponies, the Ocracoke Preservation Society (one year I AM going to win that quilt!), walked around Silver Lake, and even visited the Community Grocery Store which amazingly sold gluten free baking mixes, flours, and cereals! We were even able to find great dining choices for vegetarian meals.

While the weekend went by quickly it was a lovely trip.

Sunday night when we arrived home from Ocracoke I made a delicious last minute dinner using the green sofrito seasoning base we made last week. I always have corn tortillas in the house, so by making a quick filling, you can have an instant meal. Enchiladas are easy to make and create a healthy and satisfying dinner.

Use what you have on hand to make these enchiladas. Don't have pink beans? No problem... use pintos, black beans, or red beans. Don't have any fresh or frozen spinach? Use green beans, broccoli, kale, romaine lettuce, or cabbage! Don't have a baking potato? Use a sweet pototo, rice, or pasta!

Get creative and get cooking! Enjoy!



Potato and Spinach Enchiladas
(Gluten and Soy Free, Vegan)
Created by Carrie Forbes @ www.gingerlemongirl.com
Originally posted online Tuesday September 22, 2009

3 tablespoons prepared green sofrito
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped & rinsed
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
1 large baking potato, washed and diced
Half of a (15.5 oz.) can of your favorite cooked beans (I used pink beans), drained and rinsed
Freshly ground salt & pepper, to taste
10 corn tortillas

Directions:

1. On the stove, boil the diced potato in enough water to cover (or in a microwave safe bowl on high for about 5-6 minutes) until fork tender, drain and slightly mash. You want a very chunky potato mixture. Set aside.
2. In a large non-stick pan saute sofrito for 3-4 minutes on med.-high heat to release the savory oils and fragrance.Add chopped spinach and diced grape tomatoes and cook until spinach is bright green and wilted.
3. Add salsa, chunky mashed potatoes, and cooked beans. Mix thoroughly with spinach mixture and heat through.
4. Wrap corn tortillas with a damp paper towel or cloth and heat them for about 1 minute in the microwave.
5. TO serve: Add 3-4 tablespoons of potato-spinach mixture in the middle of warmed tortillas and wrap tortillas quickly around mixture. Pour a little salsa over each wrapped enchilada and serve immediately.

Makes 3-4 (2-3 enchilada) servings.

Printer-friendly version.

Susan O'Brien's "No-Meat" Meatballs (Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan)

Does that look like a gluten free vegan meal to you? It's one of those fabulous recipes that I wish I could say I created!

This "meat"loaf is from Susan O'Brien's new cookbook "The Gluten Free Vegan". I bought this cookbook out of desperation a few weeks ago when I decided to follow a vegan diet to see if I could naturally lower my cholesterol. It was one of the very few books I could find with both gluten free AND vegan recipes.

This recipe absolutely did not disappoint. It is actually a recipe for "no-meat" meatballs, but I was in a hurry and decided just to make a loaf. It worked perfectly! In my three weeks of eating vegan foods, this is one of the best meals I have made. Here is a list of just a few of the great recipes in Ms. O'Brien's book:

• Mexican Quinoa Salad
• Yam Enchiladas with Pomegranate Sauce
• Stuffed Butternut Squash
• Asparagus Risotto
• No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
• Coconut Pancakes

What I like most about Ms. O'Brien's new cookbook is that is she doesn't solely rely on soy-based meat substitutes. Since I have to follow a soy free diet, it can be hard to find vegan recipes that don't include products made from soy such as tofu or tempeh or wheat gluten products like seitan. This recipe has NO soy or gluten whatsoever, and it turned out beautifully!

My only mistake in making this recipe was that my jar of crushed rosemary didn't have a "sprinkle" lid on it, and I accidentally dumped half the container into the "meatloaf." So I tried fishing out as much of the overpowering spice as I could (the recipe only calls for 1/4 teaspoon -- yet I know I poured in several tablespoons!) and I still thought the finished result was delicious, but next time I definitely won't overdo the rosemary! Look at your spice lids before you pour! lol...

I recently contacted Ms. O'Brien and asked her if I could share a few recipes from her new cookbook with you and she graciously responded, "Absolutely!"

So you can thank Susan O'Brien and her new cookbook, The Gluten Free Vegan for this delicious recipe!



Susan O'Brien's "No-Meat Meatballs"
from her cookbook:
The Gluten Free Vegan c. 2007, pg. 96
Reprinted with permission from the author


1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for sauteing (Carrie's note: I just used non-stick cooking spray)
1/4 cup well-washed and chopped leeks, white part only
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups cleaned and finely diced mushrooms
1 cup cooked brown rice or rice medley (Susan's note: I cook the rice in vegetable stock to give it more flavor.)
1/2 cup cooked, mashed potatoes
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Pinch of dried thyme
1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon course kosher salt or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper,or more to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit if you wish to bake rather than saute the meatballs.
  
• In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the leek and onion over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a minute or two. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice, mashed potatoes, pecans, herbs, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
  
• Press tightly into balls (press hard, so they'll stay together) and saute on all sides in a large skillet in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once the balls are browned, lower the meat to medium low and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
  
• If you prefer to bake the meatballs, place them on a large cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through, about 30 minutes.
  

(Printer-friendly version.)


Carrie's Cooking Notes:

• If you want to make a "meat"loaf out of this recipe, simply pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. We poured our favorite barbecue sauce on top. Yum!

• I decided to serve yukon gold mashed potatoes with this meal, so the first thing I did was boil the mashed potatoes so I would have 1/2 cup mashed and ready to go to make the "meat"loaf. I love the yukon gold potatoes because they *look* like they have butter in them since they are a lovely buttery yellow color. I simply added 3 cloves of mashed garlic, a tablespoon of coconut oil, and almond milk to the potatoes. Being the carb addicts we are, they were our favorite part of the meal!
  

• I just LOVED how easy and delicious this meat "loaf" turned out. I never would have imagined LIKING let alone TRULY enjoying a "meatless" meatloaf. I would serve this to my meat crazy family and I think they would really enjoy it. The combination of flavors with the mushrooms, the leeks and red onion, and pecans, and the herbs... this recipe is DEFINITELY a winner in my book! Enjoy!

Homemade Almond Cheese (Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free)

Nut cheese

Stop laughing... seriously, that's what it's called! And it's good! And you're still laughing.. ;-P

It's okay... laughing is good for you! I hope most of my posts bring a smile to you! I'm all about smiles!

So once again... today's post is about nut cheese.

I used to think it was funny when vegetarians or people who didn't eat meat, dairy, you name it.. ended up cooking and eating what I considered "fake foods." Not necessarily foods that were bad, but foods created to make up for the loss of something like say a hamburger... people ate soy burgers or bean burgers. I just thought that was plain silly. My thinking used to be "If you're not gonna eat a "real" burger, than just don't eat one... don't try to substitute, that will only make things worse."

Once again... huge foot in mouth!

Since going gluten free I have definitely learned how to make healthy and delicious substitutes. I HAD to learn how to make those foods effectively when I couldn't eat wheat. Gluten free versions of biscuits, pancakes, bread... and now? I can't even tell the difference. I understand why people need substitutes.

About a year into the gluten free diet I became aware of allergic reactions I was also having to soy products: soy sauce, edamame, tofu, soy flour, you name it and my throat would swell up. Not a pleasant feeling. I realized that by default I had been avoiding soy for months because I always reacted after eating it.

And nearly 3 months ago after eliminating foods, I realized I was also reacting to dairy and casein products. In hindsight this makes a lot of sense. It's very common for people who are sensitive to the gluten protein to also be sensitive to the proteins in dairy and soy since they are so similar in nature.

While I had trouble cutting wheat and soy out of my diet, it honestly was not as difficult as dairy and casein. I love anything dairy... and to cut out cheese, yogurt, milk, ICE CREAM? Oh my... I just was not sure I could do that.

Which is why I decided to learn how to make substitutes with nuts. Almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts... they have become close friends! ;-)

I would be lying if I told you that this almond cheese tastes exactly like real dairy cheese. It does not. But it makes a wonderful substitution and definitely fulfills a cheese craving!! This cheese reminds me in taste of a flavored cream cheese and sour cream with a touch of hummus! In texture, it's very similar to ricotta! If you miss having real cheese, it's definitely worth your while to try!

Today's recipe once again uses almonds. I love almonds for their delicate taste and their absolute versatility in cooking and baking!! We'll make an almond-dill cheese with a few simple ingredients, a white cotton cloth or sprouting bag, and your blender!

(For a great online photo-tutorial of making nut cheese, please click here.)




Almond Dill Cheese

1 1/2 cups raw almonds, soaked 12 hours
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons hummus
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or oil of your choice)
juice from 1-2 medium lemons
1 tablespoon dill weed
1-2 teaspoons sea salt (or more to taste)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon pure garlic granules or (garlic seasoning of your choice)


Method:

Rinse almonds thoroughly in fresh cold water, drain and put into blender. Add 1 1/2 cups spring water. Blend on highest setting for 3-4 minutes. Stop blender, add remaining ingredients and blend until very, very smooth (an additional 3-5 minutes.)

Open and place sprout bag or cotton cloth in a large bowl or pitcher. (In the pictures below I actually used a clean white cotton pillowcase, that I also use for wringing water out of greens!)

almond cheese just beginning to drip, you can see a very small amount of whey in the pitcher

Pour the almond cheese mixture into the bag and close with drawstrings, rubber band, or a twist tie as I did. Place bag of almond cheese mixture in pitcher or bowl so that it will drip and strain for 12 hours. Place draining cheese in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours to thoroughly drip. You can also let the mixture ferment slightly (to further sour and develop the flavor) by allowing the cheese to strain on the counter for 6 hours and then moving it to the refrigerator to strain for the remaining time period.

When the cheese is ready, serve chilled with gluten free crackers (or my favorite pretzels) or carrots and celery! Enjoy!!

Store cheese in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just be aware... you might get addicted to this delicious nut cheese!

almond cheese after straining for 6 hours, notice the amount of whey that has drained

Carrie's Notes:

* The leftover drained liquid is WHEY, you can still use this liquid or you can toss it. It's up to you. If you like to soak grains in Nourishing Traditions style, such as buckwheat, millet, brown rice, or even dried beans you can use some of this liquid to quicken soaking time and assist grains and beans in the sprouting process. For more information on how you can use leftover whey, click here (keep in mind most of these suggestions are using items with gluten or dairy, but you can also use whey with almost any kind of gluten free flour or food.)

* You can use all different kinds of RAW nuts in this recipe, macadamias (although I have heard not to soak them, as it can alter the taste), cashews, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, etc... I prefer using raw almonds because they are so mild in taste and really give a beautiful white color to the cheese.

* You can add ALL kinds of wonderful savory additions to this cheese!! Green onions, chives, parsley, garlic... you name it, you can probably add it!! Let me know what you add to your almond cheese!

* I highly recommend soaking the almonds ahead of time. It begins the sprouting process which makes the almonds more nutritious and much easier on your blender! Don't skip soaking!! ;-)

* I am thoroughly looking forward to using this nut cheese as a replacement for ricotta cheese in lasagna!! I will probably slightly change the seasonings for a ricotta/cottage cheese type sub! If you try the cheese in this manner, please let me know what you think!!

Homemade Almond Milk (Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free)

straining homemade almond milk and dill-almond "cream cheese"

I had no idea along this journey to health that I would need to give up so many traditional foods. Wheat... No problem! White sugar... No problem!!

But cheese? Milk? Butter? Those things I grew up literally loving to eat... and yet always had a tummy ache and a stuffy nose afterwards. Once I gave up gluten, although I felt SO much better... I knew there were other foods causing problems. I was just REALLY crossing my fingers that milk would not be one of them.

Yet, I realized through a process of elimination that it was. And I have to tell you dairy was NOT easy to give up.

Thankfully though, after nearly 2 months of casein free living, I've realized life is still tasty without milk!

I do not need dairy anymore.

And I am learning how to make substitutes that are SO much healthier for my body and I love being able to create these foods in my own kitchen!

One thing that I've been making a lot in the past few weeks is almond milk.

I tried to make homemade nut and rice milks in the past, but my old blender just wasn't powerful enough to effectively blend them into a delicious beverage.

Enter Meghan Telpner... again... ;-)

A few weeks ago when I followed Meghan's Green Smoothie Cleanse program, I learned a few tips from her website for making easy homemade almond milk.

Tip #1: Pre-soaking the almonds. This procedure not only creates a healthier almond milk because the nuts begin the sprouting process and therefore are able to release more nutrients, but they are also softer and easier on your blender.

Tip #2: Straining the almond milk after blending. Why I didn't think of this when I tried making it previously I will never know... sometimes the best tips are the most simple!

Once I began soaking raw almonds and straining the blended mixture to create homemade almond milk, I couldn't believe how EASY it was!! Almond milk is SO delicious and it's a snap to make at home with a good blender! It's fresh, quick, and very healthy!!

I use this easy unsweetened homemade almond milk cup for cup in any recipe calling for milk. If you prefer a sweetened milk add 1-2 tablespoons of agave nectar or honey while blending. Later this week I will post about other wonderful things you can make with fresh soaked almonds such as almond cheese, and chocolate chip cookies! The best thing about making fresh almond milk at home other than it being incredibly easy and healthy, is that it is also VERY "green." You don't have to waste or throw away any part of the almonds, the almond milk, or the leftover almond pulp. This week I'll teach you how to effectively use those raw almonds without creating any waste while making incredibly delicious and healthy foods!



Homemade Almond Milk
Yield: 1 quart

1 1/2 cups raw almonds, soaked for 12 hours (rinse with fresh cold water before using!)
5 cups fresh, filtered water, divided
* 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey (optional)


Method:
In your blender add almonds and 3 cups of water *If you choose to sweeten your almond milk add honey or agave nectar to blender with water and almonds. Blend/process on the highest setting for 2-3 minutes to create a thick, creamy almond milk. Using a fine metal or plastic strainer pour blended almond meal mixture through strainer and into a large bowl. Scoop the remaining almond pulp left in the strainer back into the blender and add additional 2 cups of water. Again blend mixture on high setting for several minutes and again pour mixture through strainer. Scoop remaining almond pulp out of strainer and store in refrigerator . At this point you can store the strained almond milk in a quart size glass jar in the refrigerator (for up to 10 days), or you can double-strain your milk using the instructions in the notes below.

*If you enjoy cooking demonstration videos, here is Meghan's FANTASTIC tutorial on homemade almond milk. I highly recommend watching it!





Carrie's Notes:

• I generally like to strain the almond milk a second time because my husband won't drink the milk unless it is very, very smooth!! SO, to strain a second time, I line the strainer with a thin cotton cloth, cheesecloth, or a coffee filter and strain again. The 2nd straining can take 10-15 minutes. I place the strainer over a large bowl, line the strainer with a cotton cloth or a coffee filter (in the picture above I used a coffee filter) and slowly pour in the almond milk. As the milk slowly strains, gently pour in remaining milk mixture. You can speed up the straining process by using the back of a spoon to stir and press the mixture around the strainer (as shown in Meghan's video). Once the mixture has finished straining save the remaining almond pulp in the fridge to use for other recipes.

• I personally LOVE using fine mesh plastic strainers! I have a whole set of these and I use them nearly every day in my kitchen for making things from scratch! They do not cost much, and are easy to clean and are quite durable!! They are also perfect for straining homemade coconut yogurts and other foods made with starters because they contain NO metal and therefore do not disrupt the natural fermentation process.

• Reader Sara pointed out that making homemade nut milks is MUCH easier using a cotton sprouting or nut milk bag! I couldn't agree more! You won't have to double strain the milk. I actually ordered some of these bags last week, but I haven't received them yet! They will save you a lot of time and kitchen clean up if you have them available.
  

• Soak almonds in clean fresh filtered or spring water and make sure to rinse thoroughly before using in homemade almond foods.

• You can use all different kinds of RAW nuts in this recipe, macadamias (although I have heard not to soak them, as it can alter the taste), cashews, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, etc... I prefer using raw almonds because they are so mild in taste and really give a beautiful white color to the milk.
  

Clara's Thai Breakfast (Gluten Free Casein Free)

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love eggs, I love pancakes, I love bacon, I love bagels...what's not to love?

A few months ago my friend Clara shared with me one of her favorite breakfast dishes. Her mother is Thai and Clara grew up eating wonderful meals such as Laab, Masaman, and Panang. Meals that would be considered quite exotic in my neck of the woods!

One such meal is a basic breakfast of fried eggs over steamed jasmine rice with fish sauce.

Yes, fish sauce. I am a new convert to fish sauce. I have to admit fish sauce sounded very unappetizing to me at first, but after trying Clara's breakfast, I realized how delicious it was and that I had eaten meals with similar flavors such as the anchovy paste in homemade Caesar salad.

To make Clara's breakfast, I fry 2 eggs over easy, so the yolk is warm and runny, but the whites are very crunchy and crispy. Serve the eggs over steamed jasmine rice and sprinkle on a few drops of fish sauce over the meal. Don't over-do the fish sauce unless you REALLY like fish sauce! It can be "too" fishy if you use too much, but just a few dashes and you will love it!! I also sprinkle on a few black sesame seeds for color and crunch.

Clara also has an incredibly detailed post on her personal version of a Thai Breakfast vs. an Australian breakfast. I hope you'll visit her site today and try this wonderful, simple, naturally gluten free breakfast!

A Simple Salad and Lessons on Eating...

As you know, I just finished Meghan's fantastic Green Smoothie Cleanse program. I have learned so many things in the past 6 days. For instance at one point today I thought I was really hungry, I just wanted to munch on something... instead of instantly grabbing for a snack, as I normally would... I stopped and thought about why I was hungry.

Was I truly hungry? Was I thirsty instead? Was I bored?

I realized I had not had very much to drink so I decided to have a glass of water. After the water I wasn't hungry anymore. This revelation is a huge accomplishment for me.

Meghan is truly onto something when she talks about conscious eating. This one concept alone could change my life. I've always been a conscious buyer, being very aware of needs and wants... yet for some reason up until now I have never applied this towards how I eat. I know that you shouldn't eat when you are stressed, bored, or thirsty... and as simple as this is, I never truly understood how to put this into practice.

I love food. I always will... I can't deny that fact or try to change it. But I can change my relationship with food. How I eat, what I eat, how much I eat, and when I choose to eat. And for that Meghan, I will always be in your debt. I cannot thank you enough for your wisdom and encouragement! You have helped me to get on the right steps towards positive, life long healthy weight goals.

I am gradually adding whole foods back into my diet. Today I had a salad for lunch. It was the first time I had eaten foods in their whole form in 3 days. It amazed me how quickly a simple salad of all vegetables with an olive oil and vinegar dressing could fill me up! And it was so satisfying.




For dinner, I decided to make a large salad with some of my produce from the past three days. I had a salad of mixed greens with the following on top:

- 1 shredded carrot
- 1/2 an avocado
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 an apple
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 1/2 of a medium zucchini, julienned
- 1/4 of an orange, juice squeezed over the salad
- drizzle of olive oil
- drizzle of sesame oil
- drizzle of red wine vinegar
- sprinkling of black sesame seeds

This was a delicious, fast, and filling salad! It was beautiful presentation, and it was a dinner I felt great about eating. How often do you leave the dinner table with a true sense of healthy wellbeing? Tonight I felt that way. It made me smile!

For dessert? Yes I wanted something crunchy, or sweet... but decided on a simple fruit smoothie with a banana, homemade almond milk, and a few strawberries! It was simple and delicious and instantly curbed my sugar craving!! I can do this... I know I can!

Here's to your good health!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 5

Day 5 -- Green Smoothie Cleanse, Final Post

Dear Mr. Beet,
I tried. I tried you in my smoothie this evening and I'm sorry... I just can't eat you raw. I really tried and I love still you love cooked, but raw just won't cut it! But don't worry, we used your smoothie to give a nutritious boost to our newly planted azaleas, I'm sure they will reap from your nutritious benefits!!

Very Sincerely,
Carrie @ GingerLemonGirl.com

*********

It is the last official day of the Green Smoothie Cleanse! This is my last post in the series and I did it!! I made it through 3 entire days of all green smoothies! I feel healthier and I'm really glad I did this for my body... but I'd also really like something to eat.. something crunchy! ;-)

Three days was a great length of time for this cleanse! It's just enough time to allow yourself to stop bad habits and learn new healthy ones. Tomorrow I will have raw foods such as a green leaf salad with carrots, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, cucumber, and oil and vinegar for dressing. Thursday I'll add cooked vegetables back into the menu, and Friday I'll reintroduce healthy lean meats and whole gluten free grains in very small portions.

Today I wanted to make an all veggie V8 type smoothie for dinner, minus the tomatoes. And well, as you read above, it didn't really work out. In the colorful smoothie, I used a small beet with the greens, 2 shredded carrots, red cabbage, celery, spinach, kale, and parsley. I was a brave Ginger Lemon Girl and tried to chug it down... but soon gave up. I'm sorry. I just didn't like it. No offense Mr. Beet.

So instead of a V8 smoothie, I opted for something a bit sweeter. What can I say... sweets are indeed my weakness, but at least this would be a healthy, natural sweet treat!

I decided to use shredded carrots, an apple, a handful of peaches, and of course greens.

At the last minute I tossed in some cinnamon and some fresh vanilla bean and voila... a carrot cake smoothie! It's very tasty and just slightly sweet! The cinnamon adds a lovely hint of natural sweetness and I love the fresh vanilla!

Enjoy!



Carrot Cake Smoothie

2 carrots, shredded
1 apple, cored
1/2 cup frozen peaches
2 tablespoons soaked almonds
1 cup spinach
1 cup kale
1 cup collards
2 tablespoons gogi berries
1/4 cup coconut (I used whole pieces of fresh coconut)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 of a vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped from pod into blender
2 cups water
1 cup ice

Add all to blender and pulse until very smooth. Add more water if necessary. Serve immediately!

Many thanks to Meghan Telpner for her constant support, positive encouragement, and her wonderful green smoothie cleanse program and information. Please visit her site for excellent resources on whole foods nutrition and healthy living!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 4

Day 4 of the Spring Green Smoothie Challenge!

I have to say I'm proud of myself for sticking this out! We're halfway done! Tomorrow will be last full day of the cleanse and then I will take 3 days to slowly transition back to eating healthy meals.

This has been a great challenge to me in so many ways! I'm proud of what I have learned during this process and I'm proud of myself for having the discipline to stick with this program. It is 9 days total from the first day of transition to the last. I slowly entered into the program and I will slowly transition back to whole, nourishing, gluten free, dairy free, and soy free foods!




A few things I've observed while doing this program:

- I feel really healthy and I like that feeling!!
- I am learning what it means to be a conscious eater -- a true accomplishment for this girl who will eat when stressed, bored, or ill-at-ease.
- I have learned that I do not "need" a full course meal (especially for every meal) to make my tummy happy.
- I am learning how to recognize when I want a type of food simply because I have fond memories for it, not because it is healthy or good for my body.
- I am starting to enjoy exercising just for the sake of exercising, not necessarily to accomplish a forced goal!
- I feel like smiling more often when my body feels well!
- I have more confidence in myself and what I believe I can do!

***********

Speaking of conscious eating and comfort foods...

Tonight's smoothie is probably my absolute favorite so far in the program! On the way home I thought about the smoothie I would like to have for dinner. It's amazing the things your body will crave during programs like this ;-) ... do you know what I wanted all day today? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Heavy on the peanut butter, light on the jelly.

How could I make a smoothie that *might* taste similar? My favorite jam is strawberry, so I knew strawberries would go in. And with strawberries... a banana always makes a happy companion! For the "peanut butter" part, I settled on almond butter since we are not eating peanuts during this cleanse to avoid mold.

Here's my smoothie. Compared to other smoothies I have made so far, this one is very filling due to the high protein content of the almond butter. Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your taste and calorie consumption!

Carrie's Strawberry Almond Protein Smoothie


2 cups collards
3-4 leaves romaine lettuce, stems removed
1 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 teaspoon bee pollen
1 cup almond milk
1 cup water
1 cup ice
*swirl of agave nectar -or- pinch stevia to sweeten, if necessary (I didn't need additional sweetness!)

Add all to blender and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately Makes around 1.5 pints depending on how much liquid you add. This is one smoothie I'll definitely be making on a regular basis!


Carrie's Notes:

- I was surprised at how well the collards are blended into this smoothie! The primary flavors are a mixture of strawberry, banana, and almonds, even though there are substantial greens! It was a nice break in the routine of very, very green smoothies!

- I loved added the bee pollen to this smoothie because it reminded me even more of peanut butter and jelly, or honey in this case! It's very healthy and a great source of natural sweetness!

- I bough very very ripe bananas at the grocery store today. I find that overripe bananas are wonderful in smoothies because of the serious natural sweetness! The lady in line behind me asked why in the world I would buy such ripe bananas! I told her that I peeled them, froze them, and added them to smoothies. She was genuinely delighted. She smiled and said, "Wow, I never would have thought to do that. What a smart shopper you are!" It made my day!