Ⓥ Apple Pie Smoothie #2 Ⓥ

Apple Pie smoothies are the greatest, aren't they? Well, here's another Apple Pie smoothie for you that is a little different and equally awesome than the last one I posted. 

Enjoy!!  

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free/ raw

Apple Pie Smoothie

1 Apple, chopped and cored

1 Banana

3 Dates, soaked overnight (to soften them up)

1 Tbsp Walnuts 

1 tsp of Cinnamon

¼ tsp of ground Nutmeg

⅛ tsp of ground Ginger

¼ cup ice

1 cup Water

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency, and less or more sweetener to your desired sweetness. 

Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make all my smoothies in our Blendtec Blender--it's an amazing blender and well worth the investment--and it makes the smoothies super super smooth and creamy!* 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Rice Pudding Ⓥ

I love this recipe as a healthy breakfast alternative. Of course, it makes a great dessert as well. ;) 

Super easy and healthy!  

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free

Rice Pudding

1 1/2 cups cooked Brown Rice*

1 1/4 cups Coconut Milk**

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup Agave or maple syrup (or use a little less and use stevia as well)

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground Ginger

1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg

*I like to make a batch of Brown Rice for a couple of days for rice bowls and, well, for this recipe. If you don't have rice already made then either make it the night before (since it takes about 50minutes to cook brown rice) or, if you have time, make it in the morning.

**Coconut Milk: use the liquid of a chilled can (I always like to store mine in a cold room or keep one handy in the fridge for recipes), and part of the thick part so that you get enough--store the rest for another recipe for your week :)

In a medium saucepan, add the rice with all of your ingredients. Stir well to combine, and cook the mixture over low heat until warmed and you get a nice consistency that isn't too watery but isn't too dry (add a little water or more coconut milk as necessary). 

Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and serve warm--or chill in the fridge, both are delish! 

Serves 2-3

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Easy Pan-fried Potatoes Ⓥ

This is a super delicious side dish to a tofu scramble, a veggie burger, or even a starchy meal on its own. ;) Easy, quick, yummy! 

vegan / gluten free/ sugar-free 

Easy Pan-fried Potatoes

2-3 large Potatoes, chopped into cubes 

1/2 tsp Salt

1-2 Garlic cloves, minced (depending how garlicky you want them)

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Basil

1/2 tsp the following spices: oregano, cumin, turmeric

1/4 tsp black pepper 

Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil 

In a large frying pan, bring some water to a boil. 

Toss in your cubed potatoes and lit boil for a couple of minutes until the potatoes cook to a nice firmness--do Not overcook them, you don't want them fully cooked at this point, just enough so that you can poke a fork in them. 

Drain the water. 

Add your spices and the garlic and a touch of olive oil, sauté for a couple of minutes. 

Once the potatoes start sticking a bit, add your coconut oil and continue to fry until your potatoes are a lovely golden brown, stirring fairly frequently. 

The coconut oil adds a lovely flavour while also prevents the potatoes from sticking. I always make perfect pan-fried potatoes this method, though you do have to watch the first boiling step because if you overcook them at this step then the potatoes turn out a little more on the mushy side--though still taste amazing. 

Makes 4 small servings, or 3 larger portions. 

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Apple Pie Smoothie Ⓥ

It's rainy, it's fall, it's cold, and all I want to do is cuddle up in a blanket fort and enjoy cozy, delicious and healthy snacks, breakfasts, or even desserts! Or… combine all three with this amazing smoothie recipe! ;) 

This recipe makes a great switch-up in your usual smoothie morning recipes (if you're like me and have smoothies every morning for breakfast that is). Even though it's still a cold smoothie, it feels warm and, heck, if you wanted to you could even warm it up and it would be delish! Mmmmmmm!  

Apple Pie Smoothie

3 Tbsp of Gluten-Free Oatmeal (or sub for 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds!)

2 Tbsp of almond butter or sunflower seed butter 

1 apple, chopped

¼ tsp of nutmeg

1 tsp of cinnamon

½ cup ice

1 cup coconut milk (beverage, not canned -- or hemp milk, or almond milk, or any other non-dairy milk)

1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder (optional -- if you don't, then add a touch of vanilla extract)

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Cook the oats, or soak them overnight in the fridge--with 1/2 cup water. Wait until they've cooled if cooking them. 

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency, and less or more sweetener to your desired sweetness. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make all my smoothies in our Blendtec Blender--it's an amazing blender and well worth the investment--and it makes the smoothies super super smooth and creamy!* 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Matcha Watermelon Smoothie Ⓥ

I'd been wanting to try this amazing sounding matcha smoothie recipe over at the LunchBoxBunch.com for a while. It called for watermelon which I never had on hand but now that it's the summer season they're becoming cheaper which is nice. I tried their version the first time around but didn't use a frozen banana and I do believe it makes a world of difference, so make sure your bananas are frozen when you make this recipe. I also altered the original recipe a little bit to my personal liking. And I've included optional ad-ins that I always use in my smoothies but are totally optional--I just love the health kick. ;) 

I must admit this is definitely going to be a summer favourite! I already loved matcha so much and this is probably one of my favourite matcha recipes now. Hope you enjoy as much as I do! 

Matcha Watermelon Smoothie

1 Banana, frozen

1/2 cup Watermelon cubes, frozen

1-2 tsp Matcha

1/2 Tbsp Chia seeds, soaked overnight or for at least 10 minutes

1 cup Hemp Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

touch of Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

optional ad ins: 

Protein powder 

1 tbsp Hemp seeds

1 Tbsp Flax seeds

Handful of Kale or greens

Toss all the ingredients together in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency.   

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Nutty Granola Ⓥ

I've been meaning to make granola forever now. I love granola, it's just so good and delicious and crunchy and wholesome. But… I can't eat cane sugar, which pretty much cuts out all possible buying options for granola cereals. So, I figured it was about time I made some! It's really easy and doesn't take that much time, which is why I have no good reason for not doing this sooner. This granola is super delicious, with a lovely coconutty-nutty flavour. Plus it's healthy and packed full of nutrition and gives you breakfast for the whole week--or longer.

Anyway, enough from me, let's make some granola! 

This recipe is vegan (as always) and can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats. :)

Nutty Granola

Dry:

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup almonds or peanuts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp flax seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup cacao nibs (or vegan chocolate chips)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

3/4 tsp kosher salt

Wet: 

1/4 cup of agave nectar (or use a tbsp of stevia with a touch of agave like I do)

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup of hot water

Preheat oven to 300℉

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the wet ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a very large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Add the wet mixture (while still warm) over top the dry mixture and stir well. Stir until thoroughly combined (don't miss any!).

Spread onto a pan lined with aluminium foil (greatly helpful in preventing sticking) and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Make sure you give the granola a good stir every 7-10 minutes to ensure even baking. Keep an eye on it as well as the oats can catch quickly if you don't. 

Allow to cool for 30 minutes on the pan before serving. The granola will stiffen up as it cools.

Makes about 6 cups and will keep for 1 month in the fridge in an air-tight container.
Enjoy with some lovely almond milk for an extra nutty flavour!

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Ⓥ Almond Butter Oatmeal Smoothie Ⓥ

This is a rich, creamy, purely lovely breakfast smoothie for you!

There are a couple variations I've done of this recipe. Firstly, I use amanda vegan yogurt, it's delicious and amazing! Sometimes I op for the coconut flavour one for a more, well, coconut-y flavour. ;) I also sometimes add a serving of protein powder, just make sure it's a fairly plain tasting one so it doesn't mix with the flavours. And sometimes I'll add a tablespoon of chia seeds for a health boost (soak them for about 10 minutes or overnight with the oats).

Almond Butter Oatmeal Smoothie

1 frozen Banana

1/4 cup Oats (choose gluten free ones if you'd like)

1/4 cup Vanilla non-dairy Yogurt

1 cup Almond Milk

2 Tbsp Almond Butter

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

1 Tbsp Chia seeds (optional)

1 scoop Vegan Protein Powder (optional)

Cook the oats, or soak them overnight in the fridge--with 1/2 cup water. Wait until they've cooled if cooking them. 

Add all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency.   

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

*I make all my smoothies in our Blendtec Blender--it's an amazing blender and well worth the investment--and it makes the smoothies super super smooth and creamy!* 

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Ⓥ Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Ⓥ

You know how it is, tis the season for lovely pumpkin recipes! And what's not to love? There is so much you can do! 

Here is a super simple but delicious smoothie recipe if you're craving pumpkin pie but don't feel like making an entire pie. ;)

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree, unsweetened

1/2 Banana

1 cup Almond Milk

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Toss all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency.  

Top with Coconut Whipped cream and you're in heaven! :) 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Pumpkin PB Bliss Smoothie! Ⓥ

It's that lovely fall time of year when the leaves start to turn and pumpkin is all we can think about. Yum! It's in season, it's healthy, it's versatile, it's fabulous! 
So! A week ago my friend, Tam, and I made the most epic Peanut Butter "Cheesecake" ever! Don't worry, I'll be sharing that recipe soon as well. ;) There was pumpkin in it and it was sublime! But I had leftover pumpkin so I decided to experiment and sort of replicate the filling part of last night's dessert, but into a morning smoothie. I am so in love with this that I opened up a new can of pumpkin puree just so that I could remake it again the next day… and the next day… and yesterday… and today... to say I'm a little obsessed with this might be an understatement. ;) But it tastes like dessert and is healthy goodness to start your day! What's not to love?

This recipe is; vegan (as always), sugar-free, and gluten-free! 

Okay, without further ado, awesome Smoothie time! 

Pumpkin PB Bliss Smoothie

1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree (unsweetened, just pumpkin)

1- 1 1/2 Frozen Bananas

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1tsp Stevia

1 cup Coconut Milk Beverage

dash of Cinnamon 

Add all of your ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy! Add less or more "milk" to get your desired consistency. 

I feel that for the texture the bananas being frozen is essential, so make sure you have some handy in the freezer--they're the best way to have in smoothies anyways. ;) You could easily add more pumpkin pie spice as well for more of a, well, pumpkin pie flavour, but I love it the way I make it. ;) 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

If you're using pumpkin from a can then make sure you store any leftovers in another container as opposed to the can. I get about 3 smoothies per can (I never measure the pumpkin, I just ballpark it ;)). And, just in case you've never frozen banana before, be sure to remove the peal and then store in a ziplock bag or container before putting int he freezer. ;)  

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Green Almond Smoothie! Ⓥ

This smoothie is heaven in a cup! A great way to load up on some greens for the day and tastes absolutely delicious, sweet, and creamy. Pure goodness! Since you can't taste the greens I imagine it would be a great way to get little ones to eat their greens as well--but having no little ones to personally try this on, you'll have to be the judge. ;)  

Green Almond Smoothie

1 frozen Banana

1 heaped Tbsp Almond Butter (or peanut butter)

1 cup Spinach or Kale (or combination of both)

1 cup Almond Milk

1/2 serving of protein powder (optional)

Add all your ingredients together in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy! Add less or more almond milk to get your desired consistency. 

Makes 1 smoothie. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Green Super Smoothie! Ⓥ

Another fantastic way to get an easy serving of greens! This smoothie is super super good for you with super foods and greens! Yayy! Don't worry, you can't taste the greens and the texture is rich, creamy, an explosion of flavours for your mouth. Good good good!

Green Super Smoothie

3/4 cup frozen Blueberries

1/2 Banana

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

1 Tbsp Hemp Hearts

1/2 cup Water

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter (or other nut butter)

1 cup fresh Greens (Spinach, Kale, or Collards)

1/2 cup Coconut Milk

7 drops Stevia (or a touch of your own sweetener if desired)

1 serving of protein powder*

*I've been using Vegan Proteins+, but I love the taste of stevia ;) I've also used hemp protein before or you can omit the protein powder all together. 

Soak the chia and hemp hearts in the 1/2 cup water for at least ten minutes, or overnight. Add all your ingredients together in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy! Add less or more coconut milk to get your desired consistency. 

Makes 1 smoothie. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Avocado Super Smoothie! Ⓥ

This smoothie is absolutely dreamy and creamy and delicious! 

Avocados are great in smoothie because they add that lovely creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Some people avoid these super-healthy foods because of their high calorie and fat content, but make no mistake about it, they truly are super! Packed full of anti-oxidants, beta- and alpha-carotenes, vitamin e, high in folate (which combat heart disease, and birth defects if you're pregnant), and are a great source of fibre. Their fat content is also the super healthy kind which helps your body properly digest fats and lowers cholesterol--remember that not all fats are bad! They also help you get more of the nutrients from other food. Avocados also make you feel full (in a good way) so this smoothie is a great start to the day that will keep you satisfied for hours and hours! 

I also pack this smoothie full of goodness like Cocoa, Maca, and Hemp protein--though the maca and protein are absolutely optional but do add a lovely health boost.  

Avocado Super Smoothie

1/2 Banana

1/2 Avocado

2 pitted Dates, soaked

2 tsp Cocoa Powder

1-2 tsp Maca Powder (optional)

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup Coconut or Almond Milk

2 tbsp Hemp Protein powder (optional)

Soak the Dates in the 1/2 cup of water for at least 10 minutes--I prefer to do this overnight in the fridge. 

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth--including the dates and water they've been soaking in. Add less or more water to get your desired consistency. 

Makes 1 smoothie. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Cherry Yogurt Smoothie! Ⓥ

Another lovely smoothie recipe to add to the list! :) This is super delicious and creamy and, well, cherry-y.    

Cherry Yogurt Smoothie

1 1/4 cup "Superfruit" Frozen fruit (cherries, blueberries, blackberries)

1/2 Banana

1 Cherry amande "yogurt" (170g or 3/4 cup)

1 tsp Maca Powder (optional)

1/2 cup water

1/2-3/4 cup Almond Milk

1/4 block Tofu (optional)

*This recipe is pretty easy to play with. You could easily omit the banana, tofu, or maca if you'd like, I just like to give my smoothies a protein boost with the tofu and super-food boost with the maca. If you omit the tofu or banana I would probably use a little more frozen fruit blend to make a bigger smoothie. 

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth. Start with 1/2 cup almond milk and add more or less depending how thick you want it. 

Makes 1 large delicious smoothie. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Blueberry Chai Smoothie Ⓥ

This smoothie is a variation, or combination if you will, of the "Blueberry Maca Smoothie" and the previous "Chai Smoothie," and I do believe is my favourite between all three. ;) 

*Note: I let the Chai tea seep for a good half hour at least and the flavour was magnificent! 

Blueberry Chai Smoothie

1 Chai Tea Bag

Water

5 pitted Dates

3/4 cup Blueberries

1 tsp Maca Powder

3/4 cup Almond Milk

2 heaped tsps Hemp Protein powder (optional)

Boil about 3/4 cup water. Place water in a 1-Cup measuring cup with the Chai tea bag and the Dates so that the water comes to about 3/4 cup. Let seep for about 15-20 minutes. Add a little bit of Almond milk so it fills the measuring cup to the top and let seep another 10-15 minutes. (the longer you let it soak, the more flavour you'll get and the softer the dates become for easier blending). 

Remove the tea bag and squeeze it out. Add the dates and chai-soaked liquids (not the tea bag silly ;p) to a food processor or blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more or less Almond Milk (and sweetener if desired) to your desired consistency. 

Makes 1 delightful smoothie. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Chai Tofu Smoothie! Ⓥ

Inspired by my brother's idea of adding chai tea to a smoothie! So you can thank him for this one. ;)  

Chai Smoothie

1 Chai Tea bag

3 pitted Dates, soaked

1/2 cup water

1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk, divided

1 Banana (ripe)

3/4 cup Tofu (silk/soft, to medium firm)

1 tsp Agave (optional)

1 tsp Maca Powder (optional)

Boil the 1/2 cup water. Place water in a small bowl (or measuring cup) with the Chai tea bag. Let seep for about 10 minutes. Add the Dates and 1/2 cup Almond Milk and let soak another 10-30 minutes (the longer you let it soak, the more flavour you'll get and the softer the dates become for easier blending). 

Remove the tea bag and squeeze it out. Add the dates and chai-soaked liquids (not the tea bag silly ;p) to a food processor or blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more or less Almond Milk and sweetener to your desired consistency and sweetness. 

Makes 1 large delicious smoothie. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Almond Butter Oatmeal! Ⓥ

I threw this together again this morning and felt, hell, why not share? ;) 

Almond Butter Oatmeal

1/2 cup gluten-free Oats

3/4 cup water

1/4-1/2 cup Almond Milk 

1/2 Tbsp Agave / 5 drops Stevia 

1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 Tbsp Almond Butter

1 Tbsp Cocoa Chips

2 Tbsp Raisins

Cook the oats as usual (it's best to soak them a little before cooking but you don't have to). Add in the Cinnamon and sweetener and mix well. I like my oatmeal not too thick, so I add almond milk--do this slowly, adding as much as you need to get desired consistency. At the end of your cooking time, add in the almond butter and the cocoa chips and raisins. Stir in only for a few seconds so that it's mixed in well (I usually add a little more almond milk at this point as well), and the chocolate chips get a little melty (yum!). Serve! 

I also added 1/2 tsp Matcha (because I'm obsessed with matcha) and it was delicious. Also, adjust the sweetener to your liking. 

Yum yum! Enjoy! 

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