Mexican-Inspired Black Bean Quinoa Salad {Gluten-Free}

By

On July 17, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Recipes, Vegan

It’s summer, and you know what that means?

Cookouts!

When the weather is warmer, we often crave lighter, more cooling foods. For that reason, I like to prepare healthier alternatives to the heavier potato, egg and pasta side salads we typically see at picnics, potlucks and cookouts.

If you want a quick and delicious dish to bring to your next cookout or potluck, give this one a try! It’s packed with plant-based protein, healthy fats, filling fiber, and TONS of flavor.

It also gave me a reason to use these beautiful spring onions 🙂

Aren't these pretty?

This recipe was inspired by one from Angela, who writes an amazing blog over at ohsheglows. She just came out with her first cookbook, too! It’s on my wish list.

I made a few tweaks to the salad itself and the dressing based on the flavors we like.

The original recipe called for 3 times as much cilantro, but I find cilantro to have a very strong taste, so I reduced it. I also tossed in some creamy avocado and added a little more flavor to the dressing by throwing in some chili powder and a subtle pinch of cayenne pepper.

As always, Bill added a few shakes of hot sauce on top of his bowl and liked it so much that he went back for seconds! Success 🙂

Cumin-Lime Black Bean Quinoa Salad

This salad was delicious. Bill went back for seconds AND had leftovers for lunch the next day! Servings: 6

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked). Click here for how to cook perfect quinoa every time. You could also sub in brown rice instead.
  • 1 thumb-sized piece kombu (find it in the Asian aisle of the grocery store)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans (or 1.5 cups cooked), drained and rinsed. We like the brand “Eden.”
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 4 medium carrots, grated/shredded (about 1.5 cups)
  • 4 green onions/scallions, chopped
  • 1 avocado, diced

Dressing Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Rinse quinoa under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Set quinoa aside.
  2. Add ghee to medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute 3-4 minutes or until they start to soften. Then, add garlic and saute 1 more minute.
  3. Add quinoa to pot along with kombu and 2 cups water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover about 12-15 minutes or until you see little white tails pop off the quinoa and no water remains. DO NOT STIR the quinoa during this time.
  4. After cooking the quinoa, dispose of the kombu piece, and let the quinoa cool for 10-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork if needed.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, drained and rinsed black beans, cilantro, carrots, green onions and avocado.
  6. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, pour the dressing onto the salad, and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Make the salad the day before your next cookout, potluck or party, and the flavors will come together even more once you serve it. If you make it ahead of time, throw the avocado on just before serving, so it’s as bright green as possible.

Chunky Monkey Peanut Butter Chocolate Milkshake (Dairy-Free)

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On July 15, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, My Story, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes, Vegan

If you…

Are a chocohalic craving healthier sweet treats.

Love the taste of peanut butter and chocolate, especially in cool, creamy desserts.

Don’t want to deal with the bloating and tummy ache that usually follows a thick, dairy-based milkshake…

Then you have to try this chunky monkey peanut butter chocolate milkshake!

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Peanut butter + chocolate is one of my absolute favorite food combinations, and they come together wonderfully in this recipe.

I was inspired by a recipe I found on The Detoxinista’s website for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake and put my own spin on it to come up with what is now one of my favorite smoothie shakes.

I subbed in raw cacao powder for the cocoa powder. Raw cacao powder is loaded with disease-fighting, anti-aging antioxidants along with tons of other vitamins and minerals.

Because it’s not heat-treated like traditional cocoa powder, cacao powder has more nutrients intact. It’s our go-to add-in to give smoothies, shakes and desserts a chocolatety taste. This is where we buy cacao powder, but you can find it at any health food store, Wegmans, and even at Home Goods.

This smoothie shake tastes so creamy, rich and decadent that you won’t believe it’s healthy. Like all of my recipes, it’s dairy-free, so it’s easier on your stomach and digestion than milk/yogurt/ice cream-based shakes.

Goodbye, tummyache…hello, tasty shake! 🙂

Chunky Monkey Peanut Butter Chocolate Milkshake (Dairy-Free)

Peanut butter chocolatey goodness!

Peanut butter chocolatey goodness!

Servings: 2 (cut recipe in half for a single serving)

Ingredients* (see notes below)

  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk, homemade or store-bought
  • 2 frozen bananas (Make sure you peel them before freezing them. We keep a stash in our freezer)
  • 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed/flax meal
  • 3-4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
  • 3 large Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1-2 handfuls baby spinach (you won’t taste it, I promise!)
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon raw cacao nibs

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients in a blender for 30-60 seconds, starting with the liquid first.
  2. Sprinkle some raw cacao nibs on top for a little extra crunch!

A few notes about the ingredients:

  1. We buy Silk Vanilla Unsweetened almond milk when we don’t make it ourselves. Making it is surprisingly easy though!
  2. The fiber and omega-3 fats from the flaxseed help to fill you up and give your body a dose of brain and heart healthy fats.
  3. When we buy peanut butter, we buy brands that have no added sugars, oils or salt. Ideally, the only ingredient on the ingredient list will be “peanuts.”
  4. If your dates are hard, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes to soften them up before blending. It will make it easier.

Zucchini Basil Pesto Sauce (Watch Me Make It!)

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On July 13, 2014

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, Paleo, Recipes, Tips & Tricks, Vegan

I LOVE pesto. It’s my favorite Italian sauce for pasta, veggies, and even chicken.

Anything with basil and garlic in it is bound to taste good, right?

Most pesto sauce recipes are loaded with oil, cheese, and pine nuts, all of which can be clogging to our bodies if eaten in excess. I’m a huge fan of pine nuts and love the way they taste, but there are one of the most expensive nuts you can buy, so I wanted to share a recipe that uses walnuts instead.

This recipe also includes a “surprise” ingredient that you’ve probably never seen in pesto…zucchini!

Zucchini adds creaminess to the sauce and boosts its nutrient content.

I like serving pesto over top of zucchini pesto noodles AKA “zoodles.” (click the link for a “how to” demo!).

Oil-Free Zucchini Basil Pesto Sauce

The completed pesto sauce!

Ingredients

1 cup diced zucchini (no need to peel it!)
1 handful fresh basil leaves (about 3/4 oz.)
2 garlic cloves (the recipe called for 4 cloves, but I found that to be wayyy too much, so I would use 2)
½ cup raw walnuts
3 tablespoons water (the recipe calls for a 1/4 cup, but I found that slightly less – 3 T works best)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

*I also added in about 2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to give it a little more of a “cheezy” flavor, but you can taste test it yourself and decide whether or not you want to add that in!

Click here for the super simple directions from one of my favorite bloggers and fellow health coaches, The Detoxinista. You can also watch my How To video below!

The Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies You'll Ever Make (Gluten-Free, Too!)

By

On July 11, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Products I Use, Recipes

IMG_5301

Who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies?

I have lots of memories baking with my mom as a kid and eating gobs of Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough by the spoonful with my brother.

When I found today’s recipe and saw how simple it was (and how basic the ingredients were!), I had to give it a try. I welcomed the addition of peanut butter into the mix because peanut butter makes just about everything taste even better 🙂

The dough is free of refined white sugar, the usual 2 sticks of butter, and white flour in a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe, but make no mistake, even without those ingredients, these cookies are DELICIOUS, and I bet you already have ALL of the ingredients in your pantry!

I gave a fresh just-out-of-the-oven cookie to Bill, and he took one bite, gave me a look that said “holy cow these are awesome” and then proceeded to finish off the rest of cookie in a single bite! We will be making these simple cookies again and again, and I guarantee you (and your kids) will love them.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Servings: Our batch made about 18 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter, unsalted (preferably organic)
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup (we used honey)
1 whole egg, or a flax egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 tsp vanilla extract* (I added this ingredient to the original recipe)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (We use Enjoy Life dark chocolate morsels since they are free of dairy, gluten, and soy and contain only 2 ingredients)

*As you’ll see where I starred above, I added about 3/4 tsp of vanilla extract (what cookie is complete without vanilla?!), and I think that helped to further enhance the flavor. Click here for the full recipe from The Detoxinista!

Healthy Snack Alert! 5-Ingredient No-Bake Fig Newton Bites

By

On July 10, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan

My hubby loves Fig Newtons.

His claim to fame? He can eat them by the sleeve. Quite a feat!

After checking out the ingredient list on a package of Fig Newtons, including the whole grain ones we used to buy, I decided I wanted to find a healthier way to create a similar taste and texture but without all of the processed ingredients in the traditional fig cookies.

We make it a priority to nourish ourselves with high quality, wholesome food because we want to be around for each other in as optimal health as possible for a long time 🙂

How do I decide whether or not something is a nourishing food choice? I’ve found it helpful to follow some of Michael Pollan’s food rules:

  1. Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.
  2. Avoid food products that contain more than 5 ingredients.
  3. Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in a pantry.

I love the simplicity and directness of his common sense approach to eating! 

The core ingredients in this Fig Newton bites

The core ingredients in these Fig Newton bites

Now, back to the bites!

These Fig Newton Bites are awesome for a few reasons:

  • Only 5 ingredients
  • No baking required
  • They taste like the filling of a Fig Newton!

You could easily whip up this simple recipe with your kids in a matter of minutes. The combination of protein, fiber, healthy fats and a touch of salt makes these a great choice for a filling and healthy snack.

My husband, Bill, has been bringing the bites with him as a snack to the summer camp where he works as a counselor. In fact, the other day he gave one to another counselor, who responded by saying he was surprised by how good they tasted…and has asked for more each day Bill brings them!

5-Ingredient No-Bake Fig Newton Bites

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Ingredients

  • 3 cups dried figs (remove the hard stems)
  • 1 cup walnuts halves
  • ¼ cup flaxseed meal*
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

You can find flaxseed meal in the gluten free aisle of any grocery store, online, or at Home Goods!

Click here for the full recipe from another blogger, The Lemon Bowl.

My 30 Truths @ 30

By

On July 7, 2014

In Inspired, My Story

Celebrating my first birthday 30 years ago in my parents' backyard! That standup piano must have been my introduction to music!

Celebrating my first birthday 30 years ago in my parents’ backyard, surrounded by friends, family and neighbors.

I’ll be 30 tomorrow. 

I’ve been tremendously blessed over the past 30 years and am incredibly grateful for all of the amazing people whose paths have crossed mine during that time.

I’ve been loved by and learned countless lessons from my family, friends, neighbors, church communities, teachers, classmates, co-workers, clients, and those I’ve been privileged to serve.

I’ve grown and been stretched through school, work, sermons, retreats, service, health coach training, and studying abroad.

Last weekend, my husband, friends and family schemed together to throw me a surprise party to celebrate my 30th. They ordered food, treats, and an amazing carrot cake from my favorite places (Great Sage & Jinji chocolates), hung rustic birthday banners in my favorite colors, made quinoa/veggie centerpieces, and truly surprised me.

I felt loved and special.

A few shots from my surprise party. They got me!

A few shots from my surprise party. They got me!

Due to the encouragement of a wise friend, I gave myself an extended weekend by taking off today and tomorrow, so I could have an opportunity to reflect on what I’ve learned over the first 30 years of my life and to help me refocus going forward.

Last night, Bill and I were looking through pictures to print out and hang up on the walls in our basement. I have to admit that I was a bit saddened by one of the first realizations that crossed my mind as I was reflecting.  

Over the past year or so, I’ve been taking more pictures of food than I have of the people in my life.

This is true despite the fact that I’ve intentionally spent more time in community in the past 5 years than ever before – having friends over for dinner, hosting our small group from church, meeting up with friends while Bill catches up with his buddies, and expanding my family through marriages and births.

Sure, the nature of what I do, including writing this blog, lends itself to taking way more pictures of food than I ever thought possible, but it’s no excuse.

I’ve had some time of quiet reflection today to take stock of what I’ve learned through all of the wonderful people in my life and from transformational books I’ve read to come up with “My 30 Truths @ 30.” Here they are:

  1. If you value it, you will find time for it.
  2. We are more alike than we are different. We all need to feel valued, accepted and affirmed. (Brene Brown)
  3. Shower yourself and other people with grace. We’re all doing the best we can, with what we have, where we are.
  4. Don’t rely on outside forces to confirm your reality. Be an intentional creator of your life. (Danielle LaPorte)
  5. If you have been called in a specific direction, you have all the skills you need to be successful. (Andrea Beaman)
  6. There’s plenty of healthy food that tastes good. You don’t have to eat what you don’t like.
  7. Improvement is a far more realistic goal than perfection. (Brene Brown)
  8. Don’t compare yourself with other people. Comparison is the biggest form of unhappiness. (Robert Notter)
  9. Allow yourself to feel worthy. You are worth it. You are important. You are worthy of your desires. (Danielle LaPorte)
  10. Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. (Oprah)
  11. Everything that has happened in your life has happened for you, not to you. Tune in to that distinction. (Marilena Minucci)
  12. The energy of your food creates your energy. Fuel your body with real food, food that was once living, as the life in food gives us life.
  13. In the heart of the pain is the healing. (Paul Epstein)
  14. Everything that feeds us doesn’t come on a plate.
  15. Don’t quit your daydream. Live the life you have imagined.
  16. Get out of your own way.
  17. Allow yourself to honestly and boldly respond to the prompt, “Wouldn’t it be great if…” and then go do that thing.
  18. Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. (Rick Warren)
  19. You can’t be all things to all people. Your best will be good enough for some and not enough for others. That’s okay.
  20. Take as good care of yourself as you do your pets. (Bernie Siegel)
  21. Be who you came here to be. (Carol Roth)
  22. You cannot shame or belittle people into changing their behaviors. (Brene Brown)
  23. Be nice to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when you’re with someone who’s mean to you all day.
  24. What you put at the end of your fork is more powerful than what’s at the bottom of any pill bottle. (Mark Hyman)
  25. We are not alone in our struggles. We are not the only one. (Brene Brown)
  26. Ask and answer this prompt, “If I didn’t have to do it perfectly, I’d try…”
  27. Everyone’s perception is not a clear objective reality, but it is a perception worth hearing.
  28. It’s not about “being healthy.” It’s about what health allows you to do. Health is a means, not an end. (Annemarie Colbin)
  29. When your reason “why” is compelling, you’ll figure out how.
  30. Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. (Howard Thurman)

And one to grow on…

31. Take more pictures of and with people 🙂

Celebrating summer with my Link Group from church

Celebrating summer with steamed crabs & my Link Group friends from church!

Tart & Tangy Raspberry Lime Popsicles

By

On July 6, 2014

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, My Story, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes

Growing up, I was always jealous of the kids who went to the beach for vacation.

Despite the fact that I’ve lived in Baltimore my whole life, the first time I ever went to Ocean City, Maryland in the summer was for “Senior Week” after graduating from high school.

When I was a kid, I went on vacation with my family to the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York, where my mom spent her summers as a kid.

As an adult, I truly appreciate the Adirondacks and still spend a week of every summer up there with my husband and family. I now look forward to the beauty, solitude and slower pace of mountain life.

A beautiful view from an Adirondack mountaintop

A beautiful view from an Adirondack mountaintop

But when I was a kid, the mountains weren’t exactly “the place to be” in the summer.

It wasn’t cool to have to drive 8+ hours to get to our vacation spot when all of our friends and classmates had a 3 hour drive to the beach. As a 14-year-old, spending 1-2 weeks in a cabin in the woods with no friends wasn’t as appealing as walking around on the boardwalk, playing in the ocean and sand, or laying out on a towel at the beach.

Though I didn’t always appreciate the awesomeness of the mountains as a kid, there’s one thing I always loved about being “Up North.”

Wild raspberries.

Can't get enough of these berries!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved raspberries.

To this day, I still can’t find anything that matches the taste of freshly picked wild raspberries from bushes lining the mountain roads. Maybe it’s the clean, crisp, cool mountain air. Whatever it is, I can’t get enough of them.

For today’s super simple, kid-friendly recipe, I used black raspberries, but feel free to use red raspberries instead! Either one will work.

Black raspberries give these popsicles their bright pink color. So pretty!

Black raspberries give these popsicles their bright pink color. So pretty!

Berries are one of the anti-cancer, anti-fat storage GBOMBS foods. They are also lower in sugar than almost any fruit, especially raspberries, which contain a mere 5 grams of naturally occurring sugar in a one cup serving.

Raspberries are high in filling fiber and are supercharged with disease-fighting, anti-aging antioxidants. Click here to read even more about the amazing health benefits of raspberries!

The pairing of

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups fresh raspberries (I used black raspberries for this recipe, but you could use either kind or combine them!)
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • Juice of one lime
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey (I used raw honey when I made them but plan to try the maple syrup option next time!) 

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour mixture into popsicle molds and freeze until solid.
  3. Gently remove the popsicles from the mold by running the mold under warm water until the popsicle pops out.
  4. Enjoy!

tart raspberries with tangy lime juice and creamy coconut milk makes for a refreshing sweet treat that you and your kids will love!

As always, these popsicles are dairy-free, so everyone can enjoy them. 🙂

Tart & Tangy Black Raspberry & Lime Popsicles

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Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups fresh raspberries (I used black raspberries for this recipe, but you could use either kind or combine them!)
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • Juice of one lime
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey (I used raw honey when I made them but plan to try the maple syrup option next time!) 

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour mixture into popsicle molds and freeze until solid.
  3. Gently remove the popsicles from the mold by running the mold under warm water until the popsicle pops out.
  4. Enjoy!

Peachy Keen Kale Salad

By

On July 3, 2014

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, Paleo, Recipes, Tips & Tricks

It’s no secret that I like kale.

I’m surprised I haven’t bought one of those “Eat More Kale” shirts yet! (birthday hint??)

A beautiful bunch of curly kale

A beautiful bunch of curly kale

It can get boring to eat kale the same way all the time (juice from 2 lemons + 1-2 T olive oil + a few hefty shakes of nooch + a sprinkle of sea salt + black pepper massaged into the kale leaves), so I like to change it up throughout the year and try new recipes to keep things exciting.

I’ve shared my absolute favorite kale salad recipe before along with one for an upgraded kale Waldorf salad, but the salad I made this week has quickly become a new favorite!

(Check out the video below to see how you can quickly and easily “destem” kale as you prep this salad 🙂 I’ve been working on doing some videos for Hometown Harvest, which is the company Bill and I use for our fruits, veggies, eggs, meats and some other pantry items. I also write for their blog. If you don’t live in the Baltimore/DC metro area, check out LocalHarvest to find a farmer’s market, CSA or farm near you!)

This salad is SO easy to make and gave me an excuse to use the sweet, juicy and flavor-filled peaches that are in season right now on the East Coast.

The basic ingredients are kale, peaches, and red onions. Easy, right? The dressing isn’t much than that – a peach, olive oil, water and apple cider vinegar (whose health benefits I’ve raved about before in this post!).

Make sure you let the kale sit for at least 30 minutes to soak in all the flavors. We stored ours in the fridge overnight, and the flavors came together beautifully for dinner the next day.

I plan to bring this salad along with a watermelon mojito salad to the 4th of July party we’re going to on Friday. You have to try it for yourself – it’s so yummy and will be a hit if you bring it to a summer party or cookout!

Peachy Keen Kale Salad

This beautiful peachy kale salad will be a hit at your dinner table or a potluck!

A perfectly peachy salad ready to be enjoyed! You won’t even need dessert after having this treat 🙂

Ingredients

2 bunches curly kale, stems removed
1/2 red onion, diced
1 ripe peach, pitted and chopped

Peach Vinaigrette:

1 ripe peach, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Click here for the recipe from The Detoxinista!

Beautifying Detox Salad {Vegetarian}

By

On June 30, 2014

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan

As the weather warms up, I’m always looking for new ideas for light, refreshing, and detoxifying dishes.

Anything from the cabbage family (like the bok choy and red cabbage in this recipe) is cleansing to the body, which is what we want after our winter hibernation! It’s also a cancer-fighting superstar (AKA a GBOMBS food).

Beautiful, crisp, detoxifying bok choy. A true beauty food!

Beautiful, crisp, detoxifying bok choy. A true beauty food!

GBOMBS are a group of the most nutrient-dense, disease-fighting, health-promoting foods in the world, foods we should eat a lot of on a daily basis. Check out this post for the full details on GBOMBS and how you can benefit from eating them!

In her book, The  Beauty Detox Foods, nutritionist Kimberly Snyder points out tons of other health and beauty benefits of eating cabbage (bok choy and red cabbage both count!):

  • Anti-aging/great for your skin because it contains vitamins A, C and E
  • Helps to detoxify or purify the blood (which also contributes to clearer skin and reduced inflammation)
  • High in fiber so it “keeps things moving” 🙂
  • Good for the thyroid and other endocrine glands because of its iodine content

Click here to read about even more of the amazing healthy benefits of bok choy in particular.

Now that you’re sold on WHY eating these foods is a good idea, here’s a recipe to try that shows you HOW to use them!

Beauty Detox Bok Choy Salad

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Salad Ingredients

  • 2 heads of bok choy, chopped into ½” pieces
  • 3 cups of thin-sliced red cabbage (we run ours through the food processor to shred it quickly and easily)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Dressing

  • 6 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ⅔ cup white wine vinegar (I used Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar, since I didn’t have white wine vinegar)
  • 1/4 cup honey (I use raw honey, but use what you have! If you’re vegan, sub in maple syrup instead)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup tamari (Wheat-free soy sauce available in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. Use whatever soy sauce you have on hand if you don’t have tamari!)

Click here for the full recipe!

The Ultimate Pumpkin Pie Smoothie {Dairy-Free, Paleo, Vegan}

By

On June 28, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Savor, Vegan

How do you know when you’ve come up with a good recipe?

When you find yourself scraping every last bit out of the blender and your glass with a spatula, so nothing goes to waste!

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That’s what happened the other day when I made this pumpkin pie smoothie.

I originally made this recipe back in June but have since tweaked it. I’m up for enjoying pumpkin any time of the year because I LOVE pumpkin!

This smoothie/shake tastes more like a decadent pumpkin pie dessert than a breakfast or snack. I could literally drink this every day!

If you like pumpkin, you have to try this recipe 🙂

If you don’t want to use the spices outlined below, just use 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice from a jar that already has everything blended.

pumpkin pie smoothie

The Ultimate Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

If you’re in the mood for a seasonal smoothie full of fall spices, try this one!

  • 1 frozen banana (peel before you freeze it!)
  • 3/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 Medjool date (pit removed)
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds (hulled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves ((just a pinch!))
  • 1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg ((just a pinch!))

  1. Put all ingredients in a blender in the order listed above and blend for 30-60 seconds, adding optional ingredients if you want. Enjoy!

Optional add-ins

  • 1-2 handfuls of baby spinach* (it will change the color but up the nutrients!)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric for an anti-inflammatory boost
  • One scoop of protein powder (i.e., ideally, a sprouted version of hemp, pea or brown rice protein powder. I also like Vital Proteins collagen peptides, Sunwarrior, Vega, and Orgain Organics proteins. Find them on Amazon.)
  • Unsweetened, shredded coconut to sprinkle on top

*Notes

  1. Baby spinach has a very mild flavor. It will make your smoothie light green instead of orange but will also boost the nutrient content without affecting the flavor.
  2. You can buy organic, no-sugar pumpkin purée from a can at a health foods store or make it yourself following this process. Just make sure you are buying Pumpkin Puree and NOT canned pumpkin pie filling (they are different).
  3. If your dates aren’t soft, soak them in warm warm water for 20 minutes before blending, so they blend more easily.

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