Apple Crisp with Gluten-Free Option

 This recipe is an old favorite we make for celebrations when we have family gatherings. It's simple and easy to make. My daughter, who does not take to cooking as much as my son did, will bake this. It's like an easy version of apple pie and can easily be made gluten free. We try to always keep apples in the house anyway. It is from a recipe in the old More with Less cookbook, which incidentally has many things to read, not just recipes! My mother used to make this, and it is a favorite of mine. This cookbook taught me many things when I learned to cook and I still base many of my favorites on it, with the vegan and somewhat healthier versions of their ingredients. This is my version. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Combine in a bowl, then put apple mix into an oiled baking square/round dish: 

4-5 cups peeled (*preferred) and sliced/chopped/diced organic apples

1 Tablespoon flour (whole wheat, spelt, etc.) OR gluten-free blend**

1/4 cup dry sweetener (evaporated cane juice/turbinado/date/coconut sugar)

1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon five spice powder/pumpkin pie spice/Ceylon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon water

--------------------------------

Combine oat topping separately in another bowl, into a crumb-like mixture: 

3/4 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup dry sweetener (evaporated cane juice/turbinado/date/coconut sugar)

1 1/2 teaspoons (or equivalent 1/2 Tablespoon) molasses 

Put the oat topping mix onto the apple mix in the baking dish. Bake at 375℉ for about 30-35 minutes or until baked through and bubbly. 

* Keep the peels if you have organic apples and freeze them to put into smoothies! 

** For other gluten-free options, try tapioca starch, arrowroot or even potato starch. Or it can be a gluten-free flour blend of your choice.

A Date with Cacao Nibs & Nut Butter

Sometimes you just need something sweet and creamy and crunchy and chocolatey all at the same time. Enter the date (Medjool pictured), raw cacao nibs, and some peanut butter or almond butter (or cashew butter - oooooh, yum). Really everything you need for a delicious snack. 

Just short and sweet.

You're welcome. 

Preparing the Seder and Apple Walnut Charoset

This is a mixture on the Passover Seder plate symbolizing the mortar used by Hebrew slaves in Egypt. You may use a mixture of different kinds of apples. I used only Gala apples this year and it was delicious. This is Ashkenazic style charoset (or haroset, depending on how you spell it). 

To get a homemade matzah recipe, click here.

Apple Walnut Charoset

Combine in a bowl:

3 large apples, cored and chopped
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (black preferred, but English will work)
1/3 cup Concord grape juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
honey or maple syrup, optional - to taste

Cover and chill. This recipe may be prepared using a food processor on the pulse setting to desired consistency. I like mine a little more on the finely chopped side.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

The shadows are coming sooner in the evening now. With the fall in full swing as the leaves turn beautiful colors ... and a little warmer weather right now, to be thankful for before it turns cold again, I am reminded of certain foods. Pumpkin is one of those.

I've always liked the memory I have of eating pumpkin spiced ice cream, in my pre-vegan days. It was at a pumpkin festival I went to in my college friend's hometown, back in the day. This comes pretty close to that memorized flavor. I'm still great friends with her and I still love the flavor of these spices combined with pumpkin. You can find the original recipe here.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

2 cups non-dairy milk (or use a handful of nuts/seeds w/water up to 2 cups)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds (helps thicken)
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons maple syrup*
1 frozen ripe banana
2 teaspoon cinnamon**
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger**
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg** (I used 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg)
pinch salt

Blend well in a good strong blender until creamy. It'll be done in less than a minute. Makes slightly more than 4 cups. Two batches of this recipe fit into my Vitamix container, enough for the whole family to enjoy.

* - You may substitute another sweetener if you like.
** - Or you can use about 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to replace the 3 spices listed above.

Coconut Vanilla Mango Ice Cream

What do you do when your electric 6 quart ice cream maker doesn't sell in your yard sale? You make ice cream, of course! I was glad it didn't sell, but I hadn't used it for a while. So when I came across some bargain priced organic coconut milk, I knew what I had to do. An extended family gathering made a perfect reason to whip up some of the homemade variety and share. I told my children, only when Papa is home, can we bring it out of the freezer to enjoy some more.

I made a full batch (a full 6 quarts, my capacity for our ice cream maker). I'll share the amounts I used for the entire batch. Adjust as needed for your use. I based my recipe on one I found over at The Nourishing Gourmet (essentially, I made three recipe's worth with added mango).

Coconut Vanilla Mango Ice Cream

10 and 1/2  cups coconut milk
1 cup honey
6 Tablespoons homemade vanilla extract (recipe coming soon!)
2 pounds frozen mango chunks (about 6 cups)

In batches, I blended the ingredients together in my Vitamix and poured it all into the ice cream maker's metal canister and followed the directions for the ice and rock salt to process it into ice cream. It took an 1 hour for it to freeze. Then I put it all into containers and put into the freezer to harden.

We served it the next day. Good stuff. I used ice that wasn't crushed, so it came out the consistency of snow, but it was still delicious and creamy because of the coconut milk. Next time I will just pulse blend the mangoes into the mix to keep it in small pieces instead of pureeing it. I think it would have a bigger mango flavor that way. Also, when adding the vanilla, I'm going to stir it in instead so there are larger vanilla bean flecks.

I think my daughter likes it. =)

 

 

My Pantry List

This is in response to a long overdue post I had promised my cousin (I didn't forget!). In thinking about what I stock in my pantry, I realize that it changes with the seasons and various discounts I find. I include what I usually have on hand in fresh produce as well. We try to eat a lot of raw foods, so you'll see that reflected here.

Greens are listed separately because they are so important. I rotate the greens for breakfast smoothies, but I always try to keep salad lettuces on hand for other meals. I don't usually have all these greens at the same time. Right now we are still using kale (Lacinto and Red Curly) and Swiss Chard from our garden.

Following is a general list that you should feel free to adapt to your situation. These are what I thought of today (I will try to update as I think of others). I rarely have all these things at the same time. I buy as I can and try to watch what is in season and on sale. Please see additional notes at the bottom of the post.

Seeds and Nuts

• Almonds (for homemade almond butter)
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sesame Seeds & Tahini (sesame seed butter)
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Hemp
• Chia
• Flax (dark and light)
• Cashews
• Coconut, shredded (unsweetened)
• Seeds for Sprouting (alfalfa, mung bean, etc.)

Grains

• Brown Rice
• Wheat/Rye/Spelt Berries (to grind fresh into flour)
• Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned)
• Popcorn (kernels for popping)
• Quinoa
• Whole Organic Corn (for grinding into cornmeal)
• Millet

Legumes, Dried (organic preferred when sprouting legumes)

• Split Peas
• Lentils
• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)

Vegetables

• Carrots
• Onions (and Green Onions)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Garlic
• Tomatoes (fresh and sun-dried organic)
• Bell Peppers 
• Hot Peppers (fresh and dried)
• Ginger Root
• Winter Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Pumpkin)
• Peas (frozen)
• Sweet Corn (frozen)
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini

Greens

• Romaine
• Leafy Lettuces
• Spinach (fresh and frozen)
• Mixed greens
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Swiss Chard
• Dried Teas: Peppermint, Spearmint, Chamomile
• Fresh Herbs: Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, etc.

Fruits

• Lemons
• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries (frozen)
• Raisins, organic
• Dates (Pitted and also Medjool)
• Avocados

Sea Vegetables (Seaweed)

• Nori (for "sushi" wraps)
• Kombu (makes beans more digestible)
• Wakame (for miso soup)
• Kelp, powdered (in my Spices list)

Sweeteners

• Honey (local)
• Maple Syrup (local)
• Green Stevia, powdered (in my Spices list)

Oils and other condiments:

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce) or Coconut Aminos
• Olive Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Coconut Oil, extra virgin, organic
• Mustard
• Salt (we like "Real Salt")
• Vegetarian Formula Nutritional Yeast
• Miso
• Carob Powder
• Homemade Vanilla Extract (recipe coming soon)
• Dried Herbs and Spices

Occasionally:

• Pasta
• Tofu/Tempeh
• Tomato paste
• Yeast (for baking bread)
• Arrowroot (for thickening)
• Figs
• Home canned tomatoes
• Mushrooms (fresh and dried)
• White Potatoes
• Pineapple
• Young Coconuts
• Other fruits in season
• Other vegetables in season

I go to discount stores and find other foods that we can enjoy periodically. Sometimes I'm able to find things that I normally use at a much better price, but selection may be very spotty. I find that if I check in now and then at places I'm going by anyway, I can sometimes get a very good deal. My standard is buying ripe bananas (with brown spots - I use them for smoothies) at a deep discount for only 19 cents per pound at a local grocery store I frequent. Sometimes there are even organic bananas marked down for the same price. Keep an eye out for deals and marked down produce. We buy a lot of it and it pays to check.

Note about wheat/gluten and soy: We have been eating wheat free for about one year now. I don't stock any wheat, rye, spelt, wheat based pastas, or yeast (not wheat, but I wouldn't use it anyway) because of this. I include it here to show what you may need if you use wheat/gluten based products. We also eat very little soy, but do include it occasionally (I never use TVP or soy oil). Because of these two reasons, I never buy pre-made meat analogs, as it seems that 99% of these products contain one or both, wheat and soy.

I try to include recipes on this blog that give you alternatives to pre-packaged (read: marketed to vegetarians) "alternatives" out there. Vegetarian offerings in stores have come a long way in the last 20 years. There is still so much to be desired if you consider the sensitivities and allergies that people have these days. Making things yourself tastes better when it's homemade and it's usually cheaper, but not always. At least you know what's in your food this way!

I hope this list gives you an idea of how I do things at our house. Your list may look very different than mine. Make it yours.

Date Pecan Treats

This is the other treat I took along to our family reunion. Chopped and mixed together, this can give a whole new flavor combination that people would not expect. I often put these morsels out next to the Truffles and let people decide for themselves.

Date Pecan Treats

3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped
1/2 teaspoon orange (or lemon) zest, fresh or dried
pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Put all ingredients into food processor. Pulse until you have an even texture, not paste, but very small "crumbs" that will hold together into a ball. Roll into bite size pieces and place onto a dish and put into freezer to stay firm until ready to serve.

My son made these and they turned out well. If you notice an oiliness when you make these, that's normal. It's the oil from the pecans. I can hardly make these without pulsing just a tad too long and oiliness results. Not bad, just more slippery, but oh, so good!

Energy Bites

We've been snacking on these sweet morsels lately. They are popular at our house. If anyone knows me, they know that it's difficult for me to follow recipes to the letter. I'm always changing things out, probably because I didn't have the exact ingredients on hand.

So in usual fashion, I substituted similar items to achieve the desired result. I found the basis for my version here. Following is my "chocolate covered cherries" version. Easy to mix up. No further cooking or heat is used. Enjoy.

Energy Bites

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup sunflower seeds, made into a coarse meal
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup dried bing cherries, chopped
1/4 cup dried goji berries, crushed/chopped
1/4 cup carob powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with your hands. Cover and chill for an hour or so. You may find using a tablespoon or two, more almond butter will help to keep it together. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Store in fridge, or for longer than a few days, in the freezer.

Options: You could use raisins for the dried fruit. Peanut butter could be used instead of almond butter. Remember to be creative and use what you have and add here and there as desired. It's your creation! =)

Date Logs

Another raw sweet to add to your collection of vegan recipes...from the book, "Raw Energy" (2009) by Stephanie Tourles.

Date Logs

15 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup dried (finely shredded) unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch sea salt

Soak the dates for 4 hours in purified water to cover by 1 inch. Drain and reserve the soak water to use in smoothies or just to drink. Put the dates, coconut, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Using your hands, mash and knead the ingredients until the coconut is incorporated into the moist dates and a stiff dough ball forms.

Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll into nuggets or log shapes. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. They will not get hard, just firm, in the freezer.

More Green Smoothie Ideas & Tips

Since I wrote about making green smoothies in Africa, it's been almost 3 years now. I thought that it was time for an update on how I make them here in the states. I've also attended an event where Victoria Boutenko appeared and saw first hand how she makes her smoothies.

Greens:
Use a different type every day, preferably organic. Spring mix, spinach, romaine, collards, kale, parsley, etc. I use 5 to 6 ounces per batch, which makes about 2 quarts. I put the greens in first in the blender and yes, it will look like a lot. It will get smaller when you add some water and blend a little, then you can add fruit and other ingredients. I absolutely love parsley as the greens in smoothies and I didn't even think I liked parsley! Try mint for part of the greens.

Liquid:
Water is my standard, adding about 1-2 cups, depending on how juicy the fruit is. This depends on how thick or thin you want it. I also add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, either freshly made or in small frozen cubes I make when I juice a bunch of lemons at once. Coconut water from a fresh young coconut is fantastic and considered the best way to replace electrolytes that nature can offer.

Fruit portion...

Bananas:
Save money when buying bananas when they are reduced. Take home, peel, then freeze (make sure they don't touch each other) on a baking sheet, if you have many of them. After I peel them, I cut them into thirds, so they freeze faster and are smaller for my blender to break down easier. You do not need to use bananas at all or you can use less. It gives the smoothie a creamy texture and sweetness, but these qualities can be obtained other ways.

Apples:
I add 1 or 2 apples to stretch my other more expensive fruit. I always use organic. I add seeds and all, cutting out only the stem and blossom end.

Other fruit:
Put in what fruit you like. It helps to have something sweet combined with berries to make up for their not-so-sweet taste. I don't usually add any citrus (other than lemon juice), but when I make an exception, I always peel with a knife only the outer colored part, leaving the white on (bioflavanoids). Pineapple cores can go right in with the pineapple if you have a good blender.

Sweeteners:
You may not need to add anything since you have fruit in the smoothie. But sometimes you may feel it's not sweet enough. If I don't have room to add much bulk, I might add a tiny bit of stevia (doesn't spike blood sugar), remembering a little goes a long way. If I have some room, dates might go in to sweeten, unless fresh fruit would do. When I can, I try to use fresh or frozen fruit instead of dried fruit because I want more water and less concentrated sweet.

Optional veggies:
Cucumber, celery, sweet bell pepper...in other words, mild, but juicy veggies can work here. I don't add too much of any of these since it may be hard to get the right sweetness I want. Also, don't add starchy veggies (carrots, peas, corn) as this will slow the digestive process down. Stick with those things that combine well with fruit and greens. Avocados work well and especially so if you don't use any bananas and still want it "creamy."

Other optional additions:
I realize some would not add in these other items, because it can slow the process of digestion down some. I feel that now and then it is a good idea to "supplement" this way. For children in the house not used to these things, it can be a way to get them into their bodies in agreeable ways (works for the greens!). I have added in (about 2 at one time) the following: 1 tablespoon chia seeds or 2 tablepspoons flax seeds (good for creamy texture), 3 tablespoons hemp hearts (great protein and good fats), 1 tablespoon whole leaf aloe vera juice (good digestive), 1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger (gives a great flavor, not hot this way and great to help digest), and/or carob powder as desired (gives it a chocolate-y flavor).

Remember that with smoothies you adjust amounts as desired. The point is to get the greens in and the more the better. Fruit helps to make it palatable. The liquid is to make it blend. Have some fruit frozen in small pieces to give it a cold temperature or you can add some ice in with the liquid.

It helps to have a powerful blender to blend some of these things. I love my Vitamix. It gets a workout everyday. Now if only my workouts were as often!

New Year's Nog

Every new vegan has a few recipes they would like to change so they can still enjoy the flavors they love. Just because someone is not eating dairy products or eggs does not mean that taste can't be replicated at least somewhat. We had this recently (hence the name) and even non-vegans enjoyed the great taste of this "nog" as well.

New Year's Nog

In a blender, mix well:
2 cups almond milk
2 bananas (medium ripe)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Pour into glasses to serve and sprinkle ground nutmeg on top. (Better tasting at room temperature.) Give a toast! =)

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

This is another recipe I found in a children's magazine. This makes a large batch. You can freeze unbaked dough, or for that matter, bake them ahead and freeze the cookies.

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together the following:
7/8 cup oil
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup honey
2 cups applesauce (unsweetened)

Mix together separately and add to the wet ingredients:
2 cups flour (I used whole grain flour)
6 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Chilling the dough will help form better cookies. The original recipe reads "drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet." I used a cookie scoop, like a very small ice cream scoop. Flatten some before baking as they will not flatten on their own. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until done.

Raw Chocolate Cake

I have tasted raw chocolate cake and it is good. From a good friend, here is her recipe for a rich treat! Oh, and by the way, the only way to eat chocolate in any dish - raw organic cacao nibs! =)

Raw Chocolate Cake



1 1/2 cup walnuts
10 dates (cut up into small pieces)
dash of salt
1/3 cup (or more) powdered organic raw cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or seeds of 1 vanilla bean)
2 teaspoons water

Process walnuts and dates in food processor first. Then add salt and cacao powder. Next add the vanilla and water, mixing in between each addition. Can add more sweetener for more flavor.
Form into small cake shape on a serving plate and cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Cut into small pieces and enjoy. Yummy!

Cranberry Sauce

Like many others today, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast meal. The good part of cooking the meal for seven people was getting another great recipe to add to my favorites. So consider this next time you need to have a cranberry dish. It's easy and tastes great. If you use a raw sweetener this can be a truly raw dish as well.

Blender Cranberry Sauce


Combine in blender:

2 cups cranberries
1 peeled orange, seeded and quartered (I used a tangerine)
1 apple, cored and quartered
1/4 cup (or slightly more) "raw" turbinado sugar (or sweeten to taste with preferred sweetener)

Pulse in blender until fruits are chopped and blended well, but not too much. It will look like cranberry jam. Chill until ready to serve.

Pomegranates

These beautiful little gems are called arils, the flesh covered seeds of the pomegranate fruit. This morning these went into our smoothies with some frozen strawberries for a vitamin C "zinger."

To open a pomegranate there are a couple of different ways:

1. "Like a star" click on this link from www.seasonalchef.com
or
2. "With water" click on this link from www.pomwonderful.com

They are a beautiful decoration in and on many foods. This time of year they are more readily available.

Please remember to protect your clothing as the juice will stain anything it touches. But please don't be afraid to try one. I opened mine using the aid of a bowl of water...see #2 above.

For a simple way to get the juice from the seeds, try putting them into a ziploc type baggie, taking the air out and seal well (!), then take a rolling pin and roll over the bag on a counter. Then cut a tiny hole in a bottom corner of the bag (so the seeds don't come out) and pour your juice into a cup or liquid measuring cup to proceed with recipes that call for the juice.

Lemon Water

"Mama, can I make lemon water?" My son is asking if he can serve us a refreshing drink we all like around here. "Sure!" is my usual answer to him because I'm glad he's getting into the habit of using lemon in his water. He makes it from start...washing lemons... to finish...even cutting an apple up and garnishing our cups with the apple slices as well. Ain't that swell?


His recipe for Lemon Water:


1 lemon, juiced

water

apple slices for garnish


Divide lemon juice into 3 drinking cups/glasses. Pour water in to fill. Put apple slices onto glass. Serve on a tray to your family. Hope you like it.

Mama's addition: if you like you can add a little sweetener (stevia would be good) and if you're adventurous, sprinkle a little cayenne pepper on top of the lemon water. There are so many benefits from drinking this. Drink this everyday for a month and you'll see why.

Breastfeeding and Baby Food

Unlike when I had my first child, with my second, I have not used commercial baby foods. Mostly because living in Africa makes it difficult to acquire and very expensive. There are many ways to do it yourself at home with the foods you have available to you. One thing I have done before, which seems to be standard, is to use a "baby food grinder." These are very handy and I did use mine often with my son. I brought it to use for my daughter, but didn't use it as often as I thought I would.

One reason for less use is because with this baby I did extended nursing. That is, I nursed exclusively till she was about 9-10 months before introducing other foods. She is still nursing a few times a day and she just turned 2 a month ago. I intend to nurse her until after we move back (less than 3 months from now) for adjustment purposes. I might decide differently given other circumstances.

Moving to Ghana when my daughter was only 3 months old made us decide to do this helping to boost her immunity. She is the healthiest of all of us in this house. She rarely gets sick. Being in a hot climate and in Sub-Saharan Africa where malaria can be all too common, it was important to us to give her the best start possible. Breastfeeding is just plain convenient for me.

Of course, a very good option and something I have done, is to puree in a blender (or baby food grinder) and freeze (in ice cube trays) foods for your baby to eat as needed. You can find many resources for this easily on the internet and in your local library. Often I just used my fork to mash up her foods right in her bowl or plate. With cooked foods, I would just make sure it was cooled and added water if needed.

Being a breastfeeding "advocate" of sorts, I can't say enough how important breastfeeding has been for this simple and frugal household of ours. Being in Africa just affirms my notions about how some formula companies will stop at nothing to get all cultures to stop breastfeeding their precious babies.

A few days ago I took a couple of photos of my daughter's breakfast. Baby bananas, papaya, and avocado. Here is her plate.



Besides this, she wanted two more baby bananas and she nursed as well. Sounds like a great tropical breakfast doesn't it?

Another view...

I welcome your comments and questions.

What's on your counter today?

I have a place on my "counter" (a stainless steel topped cart) that I put fruit or veggies... Fruit that needs to ripen more or veggies that don't go in the fridge, like tomatoes. This is what I had on the counter last week.

Mangoes...that's right, good big ones too. Having something there that's healthy, just gets my brain to think on the right track. Something good raw, maybe in a smoothie, maybe just cut and eaten in a bowl.

After that, I had this on the counter from the pineapple and paw paw lady who comes about twice a week to sell these...

Pineapple and papayas (or paw paw, as they call them here). I have really learned to like papayas. They are good a little on the soft side for a nice sweet very juicy fruit. On the firm side, they are good to aid in digesting proteins (and on a low protein diet are good for getting rid of parasites) because they are full of good enzymes. Fresh pineapple is yummy and great in smoothies or just cut up in a bowl. I've even used firm ones (that weren't too sweet, because I cut them too soon) in cooked dishes like curries and stir fries and they are very very good that way. The cooking takes away the tartness of underripe pineapple.

Now we have this on the counter...

Avocados...some are really big too! Like this one - the size of a small melon! =) Yes, you see more the them behind this one I'm holding. Friends of ours have 3 trees in their yard and wondered if we wanted any? (Um...YES!!!) We could eat one or two everyday, no problem. I'm wondering where I can find an avocado ice cream recipe. I've heard there's one out there somewhere...hummmmm.....

Smoothies: Making green smoothies without fresh greens?

Well, maybe not...but when I don't have them on hand, I use dried "greens" powder instead.

I have learned about green smoothies just recently and see the wisdom of making them for my family. We already love fruit smoothies, why not make them healthier still? I don't always have fresh greens available, so I use my "greens" powder (mine has spirulina, barley green juice powder, chorella, and bee pollen) to stand in.

So roughly, here is how to make...

Smoothies - "Loretta style"...

Put in blender*:

bananas (enough for 1 per person - although if you are a non-banana person, there are options to this too)

Then other fruit as desired, for example:

pineapple chunks (can include the core, if you have a powerful blender)
papaya, peeled and seeded
mango chunks
avacado pieces (can add this if low on bananas for creaminess)
oranges (pare off orange peel thinly with a paring knife, leaving the white)
lemon (just a small portion, ditto on the orange prep)
watermelon chunks, in season (for liquid, you won't taste it much)

If I were in the states, I might use the following:

berries, any and every kind you can think of (yummy!)
kiwifruit
apples
grapes (seeds and all if you have a powerful blender)
other (in season) melon chunks

Just about any fruit you can think of can be put into the smoothie.

Blend with enough water and/or use enough very juicy fruit (even cucumbers work here) to get the blades to turn ok.

I like to add the following for added health benefits: whole flax seed (has thickening power too) and "greens" powder (this will make it a green smoothie). You do not need to add these everytime though. Add a few mint leaves for another "flavor" option.

If needing extra sweetening, instead of turning to sugar, try adding a small amount of dried fruit like pitted dates, raisins or you can add dab of honey or tiny amount of stevia. Adjust as needed.

Pour into glasses and serve with a straw or serve with a spoon if extra thick! Reap many smiles from your family. =)

*To make thick smoothies: use frozen bananas and some frozen other fruit, although no need to have all frozen ingredients to make it this way. Ice cubes can stand in for part of the water. As long as the blades can turn without laboring, you should be OK.

^If you do have fresh greens...you can add any of the following: kale, collards, spinach, leafy lettuce (not iceberg), alfalfa sprouts, etc...add as much as you can tolerate, adding more as you get to like them better. There are so many benefits to adding them in your diet. For vegans, this is a neccessary thing to get your plant calcium and so much more. It's great for everyone, no matter what diet you eat! =)


...So, yes, you can make green smoothies without fresh greens. Incidentally, you have just found a recipe for smoothies that does not call for dairy or fruit juice. Some people might call this a sorbet (and you can freeze for sorbet later). I call it - yummy! My just turned 2 year old daughter, Francesca, drinks hers with a straw in no time flat!

Got greens?

What a normal day's meals might be like for us

We actually eat a lot of local foods here and the tropical fruit here is good and cheap (at least compared to prices in the states from what I hear). So it would not be easy, but I will try to give you an idea for our weekdays:

Breakfast:

fruit such as:
pineapple, papaya (called paw paw here), bananas, and now mangoes (back in season - yeah!)
oatmeal with honey, or just fruit mixed in (see above list) or maybe raisins if I have some
or maybe homemade granola
local foods maybe: "koko" (a very thick millet drink with ginger we sweeten with honey)
bread with "kosi" (fried bean and onion patties - see photo below)

Lunch:

(usually leftovers from breakfast or supper the night before for me, daughter just turned 2 is still nursing and eats some foods that I eat)
My husband & son eat on the road at the local "chop" stands (places to eat prepared food - like having a take out on the street - sometimes they even have benches to sit at to eat right away. They might have:
rice and roasted or boiled groundnuts (peanuts)
or grilled plantain (cooking bananas, see photo below of woman selling raw plantains in the market)

or "red red" (a white bean - like black eyed peas - with ripe plantains and red palm oil and a cassava root product called gari)
or "banku" (a cooked and stirred cornmeal dish) with a hot chili and onion sauce
or "wakye" (a bean and rice dish)
or "kenkey" (a cornmeal dish that is firmer than banku packed in banana leaves or corn husks)- hubby likes this if he can get a vegetarian stew like "okro" (okra) or "garden egg" (eggplant) stew
or sometimes fried yam (a very large white flesh root that is like a very dry white potato) with hot chili and onion sauce

Supper:

it may be some food as listed for Lunch or:
boiled yam (makes a wonderfully easy vegan mashed "potato" with a stew or vegan gravy)
or boiled plantain with a stew or stir fried vegetables
or "soya" kebabs (tofu cubes with very spicy coating and onions between, see photo below)

or other more "American" food that I can buy at certain stores (can get pasta, make pizza, etc...)
or rice with lots of veggies and some raw food like: a salad - often made with cabbage, carrots, onion -slaw or cucumbers, avocado (called pear here), tomatoes

Snacks:

homemade popcorn, homemade cookies, fruit (& the occasional apple - but those are imported and are getting expensive here - versus a pineapple we can buy for about 50-70 US Cents!), maybe some plantain chips sold on the street (see photo below - The darker ones are not burnt, they are made with ripe plantain and are actually naturally sweeter than the more popular light colored ones in the foreground that are usually salted.)

or occasionally "kelewele" (fried ripe plantains with ginger and chile pepper seasoning, see photo below)

Drinks:

water, water, and more water (up to a gallon each day for each of us),
the occasional fresh pineapple juice,
maybe a fresh young coconut off the street (see photo below - yes, that's a machete he's using to cut while you wait-you might even get a straw so you don't get it all over you...and then you can scrape off the coconut meat after they crack it open for you).

I hope this gives you an idea. In Africa, there is hardly a typical day. Just because I list those things we might eat doesn't mean that they are ideal for nutrition. Just like other families trying to do better health wise and in their diet, we are no exception. I am trying to get more smoothies in our diet and greens too. So that is what I hope to accomplish. I love being able to eat local produce here that is good for you. We actually have a mango tree in our "yard" that has small mangoes they use here to drink the juice (very stringy) and they are good. We also have a palm nut tree (where red palm oil comes from and the more refined palm kernel oil comes from - see photo below to see harvested palm nuts that have been boiled to make red palm oil) next to the mango tree. And papaya trees next door. =)