Posts Tagged ‘by Tracy’

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3 Days of Nothing but Green Smoothies… (Kale, Pineapple, Green Apples, Banana)

Monday, May 11th, 2009 by stacey

green applesWell I am so excited to once again drink nothing but green smoothies for the next three days. To be honest, I am excited, but also I know me and I just love salads, so not having one for the next three days, will definitely be a challenge for me.

I read that Tera from The Raw Divas is eliminating sweet fruits for the next three days and I applaud her for that.  I am working on creating green smoothie recipes without SWEET fruits, but I’m not there yet.  I know this is a process that will help reduce the amount of sugar in my diet.

I just love the morning time because I know that I will start my day off with a few glasses of refreshing water and then I get to dive into a delicious green smoothie.  This will help me to stay on track all throughout the day.

I have made this smoothie before with a few different ingredients, but I decided to cut out the agave after reading an article that Raw Mom contributor Penny Powell sent to me.  I really do enjoy adding medjool dates to my green smoothie, but I am going to work on allowing the natural sugars tantalize my taste buds.

Recipe

·One bunch kale (you can use any variety, but I used the curly kale in this recipe)

·One cup pineapple chunks

·Two Granny Smith apples (you can use any variety; I was in the mood for something a bit tart)

·One Banana

·Half cup water (optional)

Blend and enjoy!

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Refreshing Smoothie (Parsley, Strawberry, Pear, Banana, Lime and Ginger)

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 by stacey

Juicy Limes

I recently dined at a great raw food restaurant here in Orlando and had this great drink. I wanted to re-create it adding parsley, and share it with everyone because I can’t get the taste out of my mind.

Refreshing Smoothie Ripe Pear

  • ½ Bunch flat leaf parsley ( you can also use curly parsley if you like)
  • 1 Cup strawberries
  • 2 Pears
  • 2 Bananas
  • Juice 1 lime
  • Grate 1 lime
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • ½ cup water (optional)

Blend and enjoy!

~Tracy

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Less-is-More Green Smoothie

Monday, December 29th, 2008 by stacey

We arrived back from vacation and I wanted to create a green smoothie with just a few ingredients, so I thought that I would keep it simple and choose ingredients that would be good for digestion.

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine is a type of leaf lettuce that  is available all year long, and is at its peak from mid-winter to early spring.  Romaine lettuce is the most nutrient-dense of all the lettuce varieties and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, folic acid, manganese, chromium and is also a good source of fiber.

As a side note, if you ever have a day where your nerves are a little frazzled and I’ve had a few, juice four leaves of kale, half a head of green cabbage, and half a head of romaine lettuce.  I was a little apprehensive at first to try this recipe, but it really worked especially after having a day where I ran after my 2 year old son.

Recipe

1 and 1/2 cups pineapple
1/2 head romaine lettuce

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy

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A Christmas Holiday Treat….(Strawberries,Baby Spinach,Aloe Vera,Bananas and Dates)

Monday, December 22nd, 2008 by stacey

I wanted to try something new with my family this year so I came up with a stawberry green smoothie for dessert that I will serve on Christmas Day.  We have been spending the holidays in Atlanta with my family for as long as I can remember and every year we get together to laugh and talk about old memories and enjoy good food.  Well I have been talking to my family about raw foods and if you could hear some of the comments and questions that come out of their mouths, you would be shocked! Well needless to say, I decided that instead of talking about how delicious the foods taste and the fact that you  can actually taste the flavors of foods when they haven’t had all of the nutrients cooked out of them, I’m going to give them a little sampling with a delicious receipe for a stawberry green smoothie. My family loves dessert and what could be better than the sweet taste of strawberries.

This is a pretty big undertaking because my family is pretty confused about most of the things I believe in.  When I became a vegetarian back in the early 90’s, they thought I was crazy and also thought that I was depriving myself of meat.  When I really started paying attention to how much waste we consumed and started asking everyone to recycle, well they said, ” />

Wish me luck,  I’m going to prepare a very simple strawberry smoothie for dessert, but my secret ingredient for this recipe is aloe vera. In a previous blog, Disa mentioned using aloe vera in her green smoothie and I was excited to read this since I started using aloe vera in my green smoothie as well. I think I’ll mention the aloe vera in the green smoothie after my family has tasted how delicious this smoothie truly is. If you have family members or friends who don’t understand your lifestyle or your way of eating, don’t give  up, just set an example and let your actions speak for themselves.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera, also known as Medicinal Aloe, is a species of a succulent desert plant originating in northern Africa.  As a skin care therapist, I have seen the many wonderful benefits of using aloe vera in skin care treatments, but the health benefits of aloe vera go way beyond skin care treatments. Here are some of the amazing health benefits of aloe vera. Information taken from the editor at http://www.naturalnews.com

• Halts the growth of cancer tumors.
• Lowers high cholesterol.
• Repairs “sludge blood” and reverses “sticky blood”.
• Boosts the oxygenation of your blood.
• Eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain.
• Protects the body from oxidative stress.
• Prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea.
• Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.
• Cures ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease and other digestive disorders.
• Reduces high blood pressure natural, by treating the cause, not just the symptoms.
• Nourishes the body with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients.
• Accelerates healing from physical burns and radiation burns.
• Replaces dozens of first aid products, makes bandages and antibacterial sprays obsolete.
• Halts colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract.
• Ends constipation.
• Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics.
• Prevents and treats candida infections.
• Protects the kidneys from disease.
• Functions as nature’s own “sports drink” for electrolyte balance, making common sports drinks obsolete.
• Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance.
• Speeds recovery from injury or physical exertion.
• Hydrates the skin, accelerates skin repair.

Strawberry Green Smoothie Recipe

  • One and a half cups strawberries (unsweetened frozen are fine)
  • One handful baby spinach
  • 3 Tablespoons aloe vera gel or juice (I use gel from the whole leaf or you can purchase pure aloe vera from a reputable company)
  • 2 bananas (frozen if possible)
  • One cup water (you can add more if you like a thinner consistency)
  • 3 Medjool Dates

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy

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Something to warm you up….(A Satisfying Green Blended Soup)

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by stacey

collard greensI don’t know about you, but the weather in Orlando has me feeling a bit cold, and I wanted to cozy up to a bowl of yummy greens while reading a few issues of the Health in High Heels newsletter: www.healthinhighheels.comI learn something new every time!

Blended soups are nutritious, easy to digest, and very easy to make once you get the hang of it. It took me a while to really enjoy the flavors of the blended soups because I was so used to sweet green smoothies.

One day while I was outside tending to some of my herbs I decided to be adventurous. I picked a bunch of herbs and looked to see what I had in my produce bin, and decided to go for it. After a few times, I finally got the hang of it and really started using as many fresh herbs as I could find, and I think the fresh herbs made all the difference in changing my taste buds to start really enjoying the savory flavor of the soups. This blended soup recipe is a great way to enjoy a full bounty of fresh veggies that will keep you wanting more while you taste the bold flavor of the cilantro.

Cilantro

cilantroWhenever I think of cilantro, I think of big bold flavors that just pop in your mouth. Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is a member of the carrot family and is also referred to as Chinese parsley and Coriander.  It is actually the leaves (and stems) of the Coriander plant.

Cilantro has a very pungent odor and is widely used in Mexican, Caribbean and Asian cooking.   The Cilantro leaves look a bit like flat Italian parsley and in fact are related.

Cilantro protects against Salmonella bacteria, aids in digestion, and lowers blood sugar and bad cholesterol. It is an anti-inflammatory, and is a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phytonutrients and flavonoids.

Satisfying Green Blended Soup Recipe

  • One handful of collard greens or whatever greens you have on hand
  • One handful of cilantro
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 handful sprouts (choose whatever sprouts you have on hand)
  • 1 red bell pepper (you can also substitute and use yellow or orange)
  • 1 avocado (optional – this adds a nice creaminess to the soup)
  • ½ cup sundried tomatoes (soak in water for 2 hours, please do not throw out liquid)
  • ½ cup of sun dried tomato liquid (optional – this will help to thin out the soup if you like a thinner consistency

Using a blender, especially a blender with a powerful motor, will gently warm up your soup.

I hope this recipe inspires you to create your own version of a blended soup using whatever fresh produce you have on hand.

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy

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An Italian Visit to Remember…… Raw Pesto as a Green Smoothie Sauce (Basil, Pine Nuts, Garlic, Parsley…)

Monday, December 8th, 2008 by stacey

An Italian Vacation to Remember!

I’ve been thinking a lot about Italy because my husband and I spent time there a few years ago and we’re excited to one day visit Italy with our son Connor. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had this infatuation with Italy and have been drawn to everything Italian. Every year our good friend Pina ,who is also Connor’s godmother, would have this wonderful Italian feast for Thanksgiving and we would sit and talk about her growing up in Sicily.

We had such a wonderful time exploring the beautiful cities that surround Italy, but the enchanted city of Sorrento located on Italy’s Amalfi Coast was just magical, and the ferry ride over to the island of Capri in southern Italy on the southern edge of the Bay of Naples is something I will never forget. While exploring Capri, we came upon a charming café where we had one of the best pesto sauces I’ve ever tasted; too bad the chef wouldn’t give us the recipe. I was pregnant at the time and it seemed like all I wanted to do was eat pesto sauce. I decided to re-create this sauce making a raw basil pesto sauce and replaced the angel hair pasta with yummy fresh zucchini. To get the look of angel hair pasta, I used my spiral slicer that makes a mountain of mouth watering zucchini noodles that are just the right accompaniment to the raw pesto sauce.

This recipe is super easy and you may substitute another green that suits your fancy. I love basil so much and anytime I can use it to either make a savory green smoothie or a delicious pesto sauce, I’m all for it.

Basil

A Bunch of Fresh Basil!

Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. There are many varieties of basil, and for this recipe I am using sweet basil.

Basil has anti-bacterial as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Essential oil of basil, obtained from its leaves, has demonstrated the ability to inhibit several species of pathogenic bacteria that have become resistant to commonly used antibiotic drugs. The enzyme-inhibiting effect of the eugenol, which is a volatile oil in basil, qualifies basil as an “anti-inflammatory” food that can provide important healing benefits along with symptomatic relief for individuals with inflammatory health problems like rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel conditions.

Recipe

Olive Oil

1/3 cup pine nuts, soaked for 10-20 minutes

2-3 fresh garlic cloves minced

½ cup chopped fresh basil

½ cup chopped parsley

1 Tb. Extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Pesto Sauce

Grind the pine nuts in a food processor or heavy duty blender. Add the garlic and olive oil to the nut mixture and process until blended. Add the ground nutmeg, salt and pepper and blend again. Slowly add greens and pulse until your desired consistency. I tend to like a coarser consistency, but it truly is a personal preference. Allow pesto to marinate for at least 4 hours for all the flavors to blend together.

Spiralized Zucchini

Cut zucchini in 3 inch pieces and spiralize until all pieces have been spiralized.

Mix zucchini and pesto sauce completely before serving or serve individual servings and place a dollop of pesto on top of each serving.

I hope you enjoy this pesto sauce and think of creative ways to use it. I also like to dehydrate crackers and place a dollop on each cracker, yummy!!!

Enjoy!

Tracy

P.S. This creative “Green Smoothie as sauce” recipe is just one of many creative ways to get your greens! For more ideas, it’s not too late to join in the Green Smoothie Countdown to Christmas, and there are always lots of great recipes on the Raw Mom blog!

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A Girls Night Out Cocktail (pomegranate, medjool date and spinach)

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 by stacey

Every now and then I think it is healthy and fun for women to get together for a girls night out.  We spend so much time taking care of our friends and family and if you are anything like me, we put everything and everyone first, and by the time we are ready to do something for ourselves, we’re too tired.

Well as divas, let’s make a change to do something special for ourselves at least once a month. If you can squeeze in more time for yourself, I say go for it.  I thought I would make a special cocktail for my friends who plan to come over for dinner and drinks.

I remember watching Oprah some time ago and one of her favorite cocktails was a pomegranate martini, I thought to myself, I’m going to make a virgin variation one day.  Well I love pomegranates and what better time than during the holidays to make this festive cocktail.

Pomegranate

The pomegranate (Punica granatum L. Punicaceae) is an autumn harvest fruit which grows in Mediterranean climates as well as California and Arizona.  The pomegranate originated in Persia and has been cultivated in Georgia, Armenia and the Mediterranean region for several millennia.  The pomegranate was originally native from Iran into the Himalayas, and then spread throughout the Mediterranean region, spreading into Southeast Asia and Africa.  The pomegranate has become a very popular super-fruit in recent years due to its high anti-oxidant capacity.Pomegranates which are high in vitamin C and potassium are a good source of fiber and contain three different types of polyphenols, a potent form of antioxidants.  Antioxidants help protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals, and the antioxidants found in whole foods have been linked with protection against almost every major modern disease.  

The three types of antioxidants - tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid - are present in many fruits, but pomegranate juice contains high amounts of all three.  Recent studies suggest that pomegranate juice can slow the progression of prostate cancer, improve blood flow in patients with heart disease, and prevent the hardening of arteries.

I have to admit that it does take some patience in removing the edible seeds, but they are so worth it and once you taste the mouth watering sweet tart flavor, you will forget the work that went into removing them from the inner membranes and rind which are not generally eaten due to high tannic acid content.

Before you start to remove the edible seeds, beware that the seeds will stain so it is a good idea to work close to the sink and wear an old shirt.  To remove the edible seeds from the fruit:

  • with a chef’s knife, make a cut through the crown of the pomegranate half-way through the fruit,
  • open the pomegranate with your fingers, and
  • working over a bowl of water, soak the pomegranate and use your fingers to pry away the seeds from the peel and membranes. 

The seeds are considered good roughage to help cleanse the body.  Once you remove the seeds add them to the following recipe.

Pomegrante Green Smoothie Recipe

 Green Smoothie Note:  If you have a high speed blender, you may add entire seed to the blender, but if you have a blender that may not have a powerful motor, then juice the seeds and add them to your smoothie. 

·         1 cup pomegranate seeds

·         1 to 2 medjool dates (optional)

·         ½ to 1 cup baby spinach – I really love the color of the pomegranate seeds so I don’t use as much leafy greens as I usually do.

·         1 cup water

 

Blend and Enjoy!

Tracy

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Pre-Holiday Beverage… (Organic Dried Calimyrna Figs, Green Grapes, Cinnamon, Vanilla and Kale)

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 by stacey

Today I wanted to try a recipe that I recently saw in a wonderful raw cookbook. I added kale to the recipe and I really love the taste of the vanilla and cinnamon in the smoothie, they remind me of the holidays.

The recipe called for using figs and I was excited because I had recently visited friends for dinner and we had figs for dessert. I love the sweetness of the calimyrna dried fig and I thought I would come home and create a refreshing drink that I could serve to our friends and family during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I have to admit I was surprised to find out all the wonderful nutritional benefits of figs. I remember growing up and my mother serving me Fig Newton cookies. I have to laugh because I really thought I was eating a super nutritious snack, until I actually tasted the sweet taste of a fresh fig and all those crunchy seeds dancing in my mouth. The fig dates back to the beginning of history and is mentioned in the Old Testament in the Bible and is believed to be one of the first fruits to be dried and stored by mankind.

There are hundreds of varieties of figs, ranging in color from nearly black to almost white, and only the female fruits are edible. Figs are high in vitamins and minerals and are rich in polyphenols and flavonoids which are antioxidants that prevent the damage caused by free radicals. Figs contain vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium, potassium and chlorine.

There are numerous health benefits of figs, too many to name, but here are a few that stuck out when I started to do some research:

· Figs offer both insoluble and soluble fiber in this tiny fruit. Insoluble fiber protects against colon and breast cancer, while soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol

· Figs are a high fiber fruit, which is great if you’ve ever suffered with constipation

· May lower cholesterol due to the soluble fiber, pectin. When the fiber moves through the digestive system it mops up cholesterol and removes it from the body

· Figs are rich in calcium which strengthens the bones

· Figs are an excellent source of potassium, which may reduce the amount of calcium lost as a result of high-salt diets

· Dried figs also contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids, which may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and improve immune function

· Figs are considered a neutralizer of toxins and are suggested during times of cleansing and during a healing crisis

After listening to Dr. T’s, The Truth About Sugar lecture on The Truth About Your Food website, I am going to cut down on the amount of agave I use in recipes. You’ll notice in the following recipe that the only ingredient added for sweetness is the dried calimyrna fig. When shopping for figs, please buy the organic variety to ensure that no sulfites, chemical additives or colorings were used.

Health Note: Figs are really sweet and should be used sparingly by those desiring to lose weight. Eating too many figs could result in diarrhea.

Calimyrna Fig, Green Grape, Cinnamon, Vanilla and Kale Green Smoothie

· 3 dried organic calimyrna figs

· 2 cups green grapes

· 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

· ½ tsp. vanilla

· 1 handful kale

· 1 cup ice (optional)

Blend grapes first and then add remaining ingredients. I like to add ice at the end because I really like this smoothie as chilled as possible.

Enjoy!

Tracy

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If your children won’t eat their veggies, maybe they’ll drink them (pear, apple, banana and collards)……..

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 by stacey

How many of us moms, have wanted to scream because our children didn’t want to touch anything on their plate that resembled the color green?  Well this issomething that I hear moms talk about in the mommy group that I’m involved with. I think as moms we have so many things we are dealing with, and as much as we try we have to remember that our children have a mind of their own, and jumping up and down screaming won’t get them to eat what we would like for them to eat.

Our son is a particular eater and I would drive myself and everyone around me nuts trying to get him to eat leafy green vegetables. Even though Connor is not yet two years old, he has such a strong will and does things in his own time. Thank goodness he really enjoys drinking green smoothies! What a relief, because there are days when he absolutely will not eat anything that resembles a vegetable and what gets me through those stressful times are all the yummy recipes I create in the blender. Besides making it with love, it helps to have ingredients that really pack a powerful punch and taste good.

This is my go to recipe when I want to get as many greens into Connor as possible, while at the same time, the sweetness of the pears completely masks the taste of the collards. We had some Bartlett pears and Red Delicious apples on hand and the sweet juiciness of them really complements the banana and collards.

While this recipe was created with my son in mind, I hope you enjoy sharing this smoothie recipe with your children.

Pear, Apple, Banana and Collard Green Smoothie

  • 2 bartlett pears (use whatever variety is available in your area)
  • One red delicious apple
  • One banana
  • One handful collards
  • One cup water (optional, Connor likes a thinner consistency)

Blend and enjoy!

 

 

 

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Sit Back and Relax with this Fresh as the Morning Sun Green Smoothie (Parsley, Sprouts, Apples, Blueberries)

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 by stacey

Last night we had dinner at a friend’s house and they had spring rolls that were so amazing. I was a little embarrassed because I had too many to count (I had 5), I told myself that it was okay because they had fresh vegetables in them and were not fried. I think deep down I knew that the peanut sauce for dipping would have been okay if I stopped at 2 or 3 rolls, but I just couldn’t help myself they were so delicious.

So today I decided to make my own version of the spring rolls and guess what, I couldn’t stop eating them. And it’s funny how we can justify what we are doing to convince ourselves that what ever we are doing is okay.

After devouring the spring rolls, I knew that the only thing that would make me feel better was a green smoothie loaded with parsley. Parsley has such an amazing effect on my emotional state. Whenever I drink a green smoothie made with parsley I think of a fresh meadow. I can’t tell you why this is, but it brings a smile to my face. Tera in a previous blog talked about adding parsley to her green smoothies and I totally understand why she said that parsley is “magical.” I totally agree with her!

Not only did I decide to add parsley to my smoothie, I added alfalfa sprouts, apples and blueberries. I decided to find a quiet place in my house and take some time to do some deep breathing and slowly savor the taste of this fresh green drink. I felt as if the parsley detoxed the spring rolls out of my body, or maybe just out of my mind!

If you are ever feeling like life is overwhelming or you’re feeling out of balance, just grab your blender and make yourself the biggest, greenest, tastiest smoothie you can, and let it put the biggest smile on your face.

Blueberries, Apples, Alfalfa Sprouts and Parsley Green Smoothie

  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 4 large apples (I tend to like the tart sweet varieties)
  • 1 handful alfalfa sprouts
  • 2 handfuls of parsley (I like the flat leaf variety, but feel free to use either the flat leaf or curly variety. You can use less parsley if just starting out.)
  • 1 cup water (optional)
  • ¼ cup agave (optional)

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy

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