June 15, 2013

Vitamin-Rich Vegan Green Breakfast Smoothie, with Chard, Pistachios and Ginger: A Green Smoothie for the Fruit Smoothie Enthusiast


I have never been big on green smoothies. Given my diet, it's probably not necessary to "sneak" extra vegetables into my food, and 99 times out of 100, I prefer to chew my leafy greens. I did give it a try a couple of years ago, though, and I have to say- if getting an avocado down in liquid form is something you're capable of, good on you- but I have steered clear of them since.

This time, I thought I'd try different sources of greens for a fresh recipe. To my surprise, I completely loved it. The sweetness from the pistachios and fruit isn't overpowered by the chard, and the ginger makes it totally refreshing. Plus, it's so full of goodness, I had to break it down for you below.

Vitamin-Rich Vegan Green Breakfast Smoothie, with Chard, Pistachios and Ginger

Ingredients 

1/2 banana
1/2 apple, chopped
1 cup swiss chard, hard stems removed
1 1/2 tbsp pistachios
1 tsp freshly grated or minced ginger
1/2 tsp agave nectar
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 - 2 ice cubes (optional)

Directions 

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. Makes one serving.

Nutritional Info:
Calories 117
Potassium 377mg
Fiber 4.1g
Carbohydrates 18.4g
Protein 5.35g
Fat 2.5g
Vitamin C: 28.5%
Vitamin B-6: 10%
Vitamin A: 44%

(Nutritional facts from nutritiondata.self.com)

June 08, 2013

Gluten-Free Vegan Rhubarb Muffins


Some true facts about rhubarb:

1) Although classified as a vegetable, the United States felt it was used too often in pies for this to be, and declared it a fruit in the 1940's for regulation purposes.
2) The word "rhubarb" was used in repetition to create undecipherable background noise in early radio and theatre.
3) My first rhubarb memory is dipping raw sticks from my mother's garden in sugar.
4) Rhubarb is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and calcium.
5) There is a website called The Rhubarb Compendium, which is of the opinion that rhubarb facts are difficult to track down and is dedicated to collecting them into one helpful and organized website, which I did not reference because it isn't actually helpful or organized.
6) My friend makes the most amazing rhubarb crumble - but until she accepts her destined role as a guest blogger, you'll have to settle for my muffin recipe below. Sorry, but I'm not to blame here- you know who you are.

Gluten-Free Vegan Rhubarb Muffins  

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose GF flour 
1/4 cup potato starch
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp coarse ground sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans 
2 tbsp vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 flax "eggs" (see below) 
1/3 cup honey (if you're a strict vegan, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup)
2/3 cup apple sauce
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 tbsp cane sugar, for topping

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the flax eggs, mix 2 tbsp ground flax with 6 tbsp warm water and let stand until it forms a gooey, egg-like consistency.

Mix together all dry ingredients well. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, making sure the vegan butter is blended well. Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form the dough (note that this dough may seem thick as there is no added oil or milk in this recipe. Don't panic- they will just be chunky on the top, like the photo above).

Lightly grease a muffin tin with oil or butter. Spoon the dough into the muffin cups, and sprinkle a bit of cane sugar on the top. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until golden brown. Yields 10-12 muffins.