Green Green Smoothie

Smoothies are always fun to create. It's especially fun to make green smoothies, hiding the sometimes bitter and pure vegetable flavors in a refreshing glass of energy. Feel free to twist around my Green Green Smoothie below. I throw in usually whatever we have on hand. Kale instead of spinach, a frozen cucumber or fresh grapefruit instead of banana. Play around with ingredients and see what new creations you can come up with in your blender!

Green Green Smoothie
Makes 2 Servings

1 1/2 cups organic unsweetened almond milk
1 head organic Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 handfuls organic spinach
3 stalks organic celery, chopped
1 organic Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped, frozen
1 organic pear, cored and chopped, frozen (Core Plan only)
Small handful fresh cilantro
Small handful fresh parsley
1 organic banana, frozen (Core Plan only)
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 scoops plain or vanilla protein powder

Add almond milk, romaine lettuce and spinach to blender. Starting the blender on Low speed, blend until smooth.  Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the celery, apple, pear, cilantro and parsley. Finally, add the banana and lemon juice. Finish with 2 scoops of your favorite protein powder. Serve immediately.

Raw Banana-Avocado Pudding Pie

I'm on a raw pie kick this month it seems!  Another delicious, healthy way to conquer those sweet cravings.. :)


Raw Banana-Avocado Pudding Pie

THE CRUST:
1 c almonds
1/3 c raisins, soaked for 5 minutes
1 Tbsp coconut oil

THE PUDDING:
3 bananas
1 avocado
1-2 tsp powdered stevia
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp fresh ground flax
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp lemon juice

1.) THE CRUST   Grind almonds and raisins in a food processor until almost smooth.  With fork, blend in coconut oil.  Form crust into a 9" pie shell or spring form pan and refrigerate while you make the filling.

2.)  THE PUDDING  Blend all pudding ingredients in blender until smooth.

3.)  Pour the pudding into the crust and chill in freezer about 1-2 hours before serving.  I suggest topping with fresh berries for added color and texture!

Gluten FREE Banana Bread

A family requested this a recipe for gluten free, low sugar banana bread.  It's the favorite after school snack for this family of 5.   Now, I prefer to include a little bit of honey in my banana bread just to achieve that level of moistness, but you can of course exclude it all together and use just stevia.  And keep in mind that bananas are very high in sugar, so if you're on the Advanced Plan, I suggest using zucchini's instead to lower the GI of this bread.

Gluten FREE Banana Bread

3 c almond flour (it's cheaper to grind raw almonds into a fine powder in your food processor rather than buy almond flour/meal)
1/8 c of honey (omit if advanced)
3 tsp plain stevia powder
3 free-range eggs
3 very ripe bananas (use zucchini if Advanced)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Bragg's apple cider vinegar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Handful or two of raw nuts, carob chips or 73%+ dark chocolate chips (optional)

Smash bananas with fork or puree in a food processor.  Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour in a coconut oil-greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.  If using 3 mini loaf pans, bake for only 40 minutes.  Almond flour is loaded with good fat and is low carb, 100% gluten free!

Raw Chocolate Pudding

This combination may seem a little strange, but the banana provides the taste, the avocado adds texture, and the cacao nibs add the chocolaty flavor for this rich dessert!

Raw Chocolate Pudding
Makes 2-3 Servings

1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk
1/4 cup 73+% dark chocolate shavings
2 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Place all ingredients into a blender.  Cover, and puree until smooth.  Divide into small containers, and store in the refrigerator 1 hour until set.

Banana Almond Smoothie

Banana Almond Smoothie

1 large frozen banana (peel and dice before freezing)
1 c organic almond milk (plain, unsweetened)
1/3 c organic coconut milk (full fat, no sugar)
4 ice cubes
1-2 Tbsp raw almond butter
1/4 tsp liquid stevia (optional)
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1 scoop plain or vanilla Whey Cool protein powder (optional)

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Enjoy!