Low-Fat Peanut Butter Chocolate Green Smoothie

I recently made an appliance purchase that I could not have been happier about, the Nutribullet. This little wonder is fairly inexpensive (especially since I had Christmas gift cards). I bet I use it 5 or more times a week. It's especially great when I don't have to pull out my bigger and harder to clean food processor...also I great tool that I use often.

When it comes to smoothies, the Nutribullet can't be beat. Plus it makes the product as uniform as a juice blend but I don't waste any pulp, ergo, I don't lose any fiber. I do still love my Breville juicer, but I always cringe when I put close to a pound of pulp down the disposal and am left with maybe 8 oz. of juice. But anyway back to my point.... Green smoothies. I've experimented with many types and consistently find that spinach is the only green that doesn't over power the sweetness I aim to include.

Plus I've had a bit of a cold today and yesterday which is making me somewhat dizzy and lethargic. So I figured every meal I had today would be super charged with nutrition.

Ingredients

• 1 handful or two baby spinach
• 2 Tb. peanut flour (you could use 1 Tb. natural smooth Peanut butter, but this would make it higher in fat)
• 1 Tb. cocoa powder
• 1 frozen banana, broke into a couple smaller pieces
• 1 cup unsweetened almond/coconut blend milk

Instructions

1.   Add all ingredients to the large bullet cup and screw on the extractor attachment
2. Run the bullet for about 10 seconds
3. Put on the handle attachment
4. Enjoy!

Black Bean Salad Bowl

So my husband Jordan is the one who turned me on to Pinterest. And even though I am way more of a "foodie" than him, he likes to send me recipes to try and make that will cater to his likes. You see, he does not like fake meat or tofu and often I have to make seperate batches of my meals to ensure we all get dinner. However, this little gem that was modified from the food network's website worked for the whole family. Of course Franklynn isn't quite ready for solids, but when mommy is nourished so is he. Now that we are vegan sometimes it requires creativity to add large doses of protein into our meal routines. But not with this one. The black beans are high in protein and our favorite bean. Plus this recipe requires minimal cooking and most items you will have on hand in your fridge and pantry carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore alike.

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 cup crushed tortilla chips (separated into 2 bowls)
1 cup shredded bib lettuce (separated and placed on top of tortilla chips)

Mixture:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small orange bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. olive oil (or water)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small avocado, peeled and diced

Dressing:
2 tsp minced garlic
Juice squeezed from 1 small lime
1 tsp of lime zest
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder

Instructions.
1. Warm skillet with olive oil and add onions and bell pepper, cook over medium until they soften
2. Add the black beans, corn, and salt & pepper, stir and cook until heated through
3. Transfer to a bowl
4. Add in the cherry tomatoes and the dressing mixture. Mix everything well
5. Split the mixture over the 2 tortilla/salad bowls
6. Top each bowl with the diced avocado
7. Enjoy

Black Forest walnut pancakes

So still on a kick for pancakes I made a new recipe this morning. It's very yummy, and rather than us syrup.I topped mine with jam and fresh fruit.
Ingredients
-3/4 cup whole wheat flour
-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 Tbsp baking powder
-1/8 tsp. Salt
-1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 Tbsp raw organic sugar
-2 Tbsp agave nectar
-1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1. Sift together dry indregients
2. Mix nectar and sugar with milk til evenly distributed
3. Mix wet and dry ingeredients just until blended, then fold in walnuts
4. Let sit for 10 minutes ( this is necessary for it to rise and cook properly)
5. Make 1/4 cup size pancakes on the pan cooked on medium heat.

Cornmeal Berry Breakfast Cakes

Some mornings I just really want pancakes. Since becoming vegan I had to get creative and modify recipes to exclude the eggs but keep the flufiness and binding.
Here I've listed a couple recipes. Have fun and change up the ingredients as you want.
Cornmeal Berry Pancakes
-1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
-1.25 cups unsweetened almond milk
-1 cup ground oat flour (or half brown rice flour and half wheat flour
-1/2 cup cornmeal
-1/4 tsp. Almond extract
-1 Tbsp baking powder
-1 cup berries (frozen or fresh)
Combine all and lightly spray pan. Cook on medium (1/4 cup scoops at a time) until done.
Coconut Lime Pancakes
-1 1/2 cups ground oat flour
-2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
-zest and juice from 2 limes
-2 Tbsp. Ground flaxseed
-1/2 cup cornmeal
-2 tsp. Baking powder
-1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1. Grind oats and flaxseeds --} transfer to a bowl
2. Add remaining dry ingredients
3. Blend wet ingredients
4. Combine dry and wet ingredients
5. Heat a skillet on medium and cook
Choco-Bluberry Pancakes
-1/2 cup brown rice flour
-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
-2 Tbsp cocoa powder
-1 Tbsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- dash of salt
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
-2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
-1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
-1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
-1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1. Fold wet ingredients into dry
2. Stir in berries, chips, and nuts
3. Spray pan lightly and cook 1/4 cup scoops at medium heat until done