kale

Superbabe Smoothie Bowl

in

True life: addicted to smoothie bowls.. for those mornings you come home from a sweaty run and your basic slurpy smoothie won’t satisfy your need for a wholesome breakfast. Smoothie bowls offer that satisfying filler with a bit of extra thickness and crunch. Move it straw, only spoons needed here. The idea is to make a super thick nutrient dense smoothie combining raw fruits + vegetables + super foods + protein (optional), and cover it in your favorite granola or muesli. You can switch them up each day of the week and add as many toppings as you like. Load them up with nuts, oats, chia, nut butters, coconut, berries, or an assortment of fruit and you’ve got a little piece of heaven. Vary your greens and your fruit combos too! I tend to stick with 80% greens 20% fruit. No matter what you do, its a great way to include a variety of nutrients into your diet.

Ingredients:

Smoothie:
1 Frozen Banana
1 Avocado Halved
1 Peach
Handful of blueberries
1 tbsp Bee Pollen
1" ginger cube
1 tbsp Maca powder
Kale
Sorrel
Filtered water

Cereal:
1/4 cup soaked buckwheat groats
1/4 cup pecans
1 tbsp shredded coconut
Goji berries
1 tsp Bee Pollen

Method:

1. Blend pecans and (soaked) buckwheat groats in a blender or food processor on low to medium. Just enough so that your pecans aren't completely ground. Remove mixture and set aside.

2. Place frozen fruits with enough filtered water to submerge them in a Vitamix or high speed blender. Turn on low to medium-high to puree.

3. Gradually increase the speed and add chopped kale, ginger, maca, sorrel, bee pollen and avocado.

4. Blend until creamy! You may add more water to achieve your preferred consistency! We like ours to be pretty thick to almost a yogurt texture.

5. Add your nut/buckwheat mixture on top of the smoothie bowl and garnish with coconut, gojis and bee pollen.

Nutrient Profiles:

Maca is a nutritionally dense root vegetable grown in Peru. It contains high amounts of minerals, vitamins, enzymes and all of the essential amino acids.  Interesting fact: Maca is super rich in B-Vitamins including B-12 so if you are vegetarian and looking for a good revitalizing source this is worth a try! It’s also high in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, vitamins C & E, iron and contains trace minerals including zinc and selenium, and fatty acids. It’s been used for centuries by South American cultures for hormonal balance, stress reliever, stress and depression reduction, increase physical strength, endurance and mental clarity.

Bee Pollen is the male “seed” of flowers/plants that are then taken by the honey bees from flower to flower as they mix the most nutrient dense parts with their own saliva and honey from their hive, creating a small pollen granule for the young bee. It is considered one of nature’s most completely nourishing foods as it contains nearly all nutrients required by humans. It's rich in proteins (approximately 40%), free amino acids, vitamins, including B-complex, vitamins C, A, E K, cartenoids, antioxidants, and trace minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, zinc and potassium.  and folic acid.

Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and it is classified as a superfood because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut is high in saturated fat and comprised of 65% medium chain triglycerides from lauric and myristic acids. Health benefits include: anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties as well as cosmetic uses for your hair, skin, and nails.

Goji berries have all 18 amino acids as well as mega doses of vitamin A (beta carotene), B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E. They contain more vitamin C by weight than any other food on this planet! Goji berries also contain more iron than spinach as well as 21 other key trace minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium. Goji's are extremely rich in the unique phytonutrient anti-oxidants lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene which are some of the most important nutrients for healthy eyes and nervous system. Goji berries also contain 18 amino acids, 11 essential amino acids, making them a good source of plant proteins as well.

Sorrel is an under used garden green that is most commonly used to flavor soups and salads. It’s slightly astringent, tart, and almost lemony – in a ways like underripe strawberries or sour grapes – with a spinach-like texture. It contains measurable quantities of Vitamin C and oxalic acid (accounts for the tartness). 

Avocados are loaded with nutrients including potassium, iron, vitamins A, C, E, B-complex, fiber, and heart healthy fats called monounsaturated fats. It contains the antioxidant, glutathione that has crazy anti-carcinogenic powers. High levels of glutathione are found in the liver where the elimination of toxic materials takes place. Glutathione is effective against pollutants such as cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes as well as ultra-violet radiation. Avocados have also been known as one of the best anti-aging and heal scars and burns. The D-manno-heptulose sugar that is found in avocados has been shown to improve the skin epidermis by boosting collagen formation.

{We used a Florida avocado in our smoothie. Florida avocados are significantly larger than the Hass avocados but are lower in overall fat and calories. The Hass avocado is more dense in monounsaturated fatty acids than the Florida avocado where the Hass averages between 18-30% fatty acids while the Florida has about 3-5% fats. This equals out to the Florida avocados being about 25-50% of the total fat content found in the Hass avocados.}

Common Buckwheat, despite the name is gluten free and grouped in the grain family. Buckwheat is slightly nutty, sweet, plump and kinda chewy (when soaked/sprouted). It's one of my favorite grains to use because it's a complete protein containing all 8 amino acids and it's so quick to sprout. Soak 1 part buckwheat to 3 parts water for about 30 minutes, rinse a few times and they are ready to eat or you can wait around for sprouts in about 36-48 hours. For a crunchy buckwheat sprout you can dehydrate them for a few hours (post soaking) for what I call "buckwheaties," a crunchy raw breakfast cereal. There are so many wonderful things that you can do with sprouted buckwheat. Typically if i don't eat them straight after sprouting. I'll leave them in a jar on hand when kitchen creations strike. Sprinkle them on salads, ice cream,  yogurt, SMOOTHIE BOWLS, oatmeal, chia pudding, mix in granola, crackers, breads, cookies or toss with your favorite seasoning and eat em up like popcorn. They are an great source of complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, low in fat and contain so many important nutrients.

Buckwheat Nutrition Profile for 1 cup:

  • Fiber // 17g
  • Protein // 23 g
  • Carbohydrates // 122g
  • Thiamin // 11% DV
  • Riboflavin // 42% DV
  • Niacin // 60% DV
  • Vitamin B6 // 18% DV
  • Folate // 13% DV
  • Vitamin B5 // 21% DV
  • Iron // 21% DV
  • Magnesium // 98% DV
  • Phosphorus // 22% DV
  • Zinc // 27% DV
  • Copper // 93% DV
  • Manganese // 111% DV

Turnip the Beetza' with Fennel & Honey Cashew Cream

in

SPOILER ALERT: We won for our category!! Victory never tasted so savory. Congrats to the other winners, competitors, and big thanks to Ten-Speed Greens and our super profesh judges.

Ten-Speed Greens recently hosted their November pie contest, and with little to no mental effort we thought to attend as competitors. The categories were sweet and savory, and the opposition was fierce. Having recently proclaimed our love for Ten-Speed (plus the added incentive of getting to eat a lot of delicious pie without shame or the pain of a recent break-up) there was no way we were missin' this.

After serious deliberation (and looking at a lot of late-night pie pix), we finally decided on a savory pie recipe. Icing (cream?) on the pie, we were going to use part of our Ten-Speed CSA for the ingredients. A scallion cauliflower crust, kale pesto base, roasted veggies on top, with thick dollops of fennel and honey cashew cream. Noms. So not only did the pie sound good, have local ingredients, but it tasted alright too. 

Each step is pretty easy, none of the recipes call for unfamiliar ingredients. Plus we luuuuv cauliflower so why bother with a conventional crust? The scallions, turnips, and mustards came from our CSA. Of course using fresh produce is like, well duh, especially since this pie isn't too heavy and uses minimal seasoning. But two pro tips to be aware of: the last step of poppin' the pie back in the oven for about 10 minutes is crucial to ensure extra crispiness, especially since the crust only continues to moisten with the pesto; find that perfect balance of seasoning, it can be easy to too heavily season each component (because it tastes good) but then when you have finished layering your pie, it might taste like a someone poured a jar of salt in your mouth.

Ingredients:

for the crust:
3 C. mixed cauliflower (about 1 small head or ½ large head)
¾ C. almond flour or coconut flour
1 bunch of scallions
Salt & pepper to taste
2 eggs or
3 flax "eggs" (1 egg = 1 Tbsp. flaxseed meal and 3 Tbsp. water, so 3 Tbsp. flaxseed meal and 9 Tbsp. water)
* If you've got some nooch layin around, might as well add some to the crust!

for the pizza pie:
Beets
White turnips
Red onions
1 bunch of leafy greens,
we used mustard greens
3-4 thyme sprigs
Kale pesto*
Cashew cream*

for the kale pesto:
6 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup pine nuts
1 heaped teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

for the cashew cream:
1 cup of cashews (soaked overnight)
water (so it just slightly covers the cashews)
2 tbsp of raw honey
1 to 2 tbsp of fennel seeds

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. We used 2 real eggs as a binder, but to make the flax "eggs", mixing 3 Tbsp. flaxseed meal with 9 Tbsp water and set aside.
3. While the flax eggs are processing, wash the cauliflower and place in a food processor or blender. Chop until it reaches a rice-like consistency.
6. Finely chop scallions.
7. Place the cauliflower, almond flour, scallions, salt, pepper (and any other seasonings to taste) in a large bowl and mix well.
8. Add your 2 eggs now, or the flax eggs, to the dry mixture and combine until well blended. Add olive oil if the crust isn't moist enough. Form the dough into a ball.
9. Place the dough in the center of the lined pie panned and, using clean hands, flatten the dough to about ½ inch thickness, leaving the edges a bit thicker.
10. Slice beets, onions, and turnips and then coat the veggies in olive oil and thyme.
11. Place the vegetables and crust in the oven, and cook for about 20 minutes.
12. While this is baking, prepare your kale pesto and cashew cream. Both require simply mixing, in the food processor and high speed blender, respectively. 
13. When the crust and pizza pie toppings are ready brush your kale pesto on top as your first layer. Place the beets, turnips, onions, and now leafy greens on second, and then drizzle your cashew cream on top.
13. Bake for another 10 or so minutes at 400 degrees (unfortunately we ran out of time to complete this last step... but please don't make our mistake! This step is crucial to definitely have cooked crust).

Garden Greens & Sweet Potato Soup

in

Soup is seriously one of the easiest, and most satisfying meals to make when the weather gets cold. Plus it acts as an impromptu hand warmer by way of mug. No disrespect to the wide array of canned or boxed soups, that you can pick up anywhere from the gas station to the grocery store. Using fresh ingredients, especially those picked from the garden just a few hours earlier, usually makes the meal worth the extra hours and work. Save the campbell's for desperate times.

This soup is easy, nothin' fancy, but tastes way too delicious. Way too delicious because of the incredibly fresh, crisp, and homegrown greens used in the recipe. The greens: kale, collards, and cabbage; plus hearty sweet potatoes make this soup heavy enough for winter nights and empty stomachs. A few other necessary ingredients to top it off, and everyone's happy!

Ingredients:

Greens: kale, collards, and cabbage. However much you'd like to use. I put about a 2 heads of each.
2 medium-sized organic sweet potatos
No-chicken vegetarian bullion (or real chicken bullion), amount dependent on how much water you use
2 small red onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes 
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp organic coconut oil
Salt, pepper, other seasoning to taste

Method:

1. Dice the onions and garlic. Sauté in coconut oil. Cooking stirring for five to ten minutes. Use the pot you'll be cooking the soup in.
2. Once the onions and garlic are soft, add in your water and bullion. The amount of bullion is dependent on how many cups of water you use. Also add any extra seasoning.
3. After adding the water, throw in your cubed sweet potatoes. Keep the temp on high and allow the water to reach a boil. Once it has, turn it down to low and cover the pot.
4. After about 10 minutes (more or less), check to see that your sweet potatoes are tender. If so, throw in your greens and crushed tomatoes. 
5. Keeping the stove temp on low, place the lid back on the pot for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the greens are soft. This will happen quickly so keep an eye out. Nobody wants mushy greens!