Sneaking in the Veggies

Nectarine, Banana & Spinach Green Smoothie

Smoothies Sneaking in the Veggies Vegan Vegetarian

Nectarine & Spinach Green Smoothie

Did you know that nectarines made the BEST addition to green smoothies? The sweet tart balance that they have is somehow a perfect compliment to greens. Throw a banana in there and you have a super delicious smoothie!

In this smoothie I decided to inject a probiotic boost – and incorporated milk and water kefir. You can substitute the milk kefir for yoghurt, or leave it out completely for a vegan option.

The only other thing in this smoothie is coconut oil. I find that coconut oil is the perfect fat to go into daily smoothies, because it is plant based, and one of the best fats to consume on a daily basis. It can be used to assist one to lose weight, act as a brain food, blood sugar stabilizer, and even stave off dementia.

Coconut oil is also transformational when it comes to the taste and flavor of your smoothie. If you do not believe me, then while you make it, taste it before adding the coconut, and after. You will see that the coconut gives a lovely creaminess and body to the smoothie.

Nectarine, Banana & Spinach Green Smoothie

Besides the flavor, I also really love the fact that the coconut oil makes a smoothie more filling. I like to be able to drink my smoothie, and then last on it for while. Nothing more frustrating than going to the effort of making a smoothie, only to be wracked by hunger half an hour later!

I really recommend this smoothie if you are someone who wants to make more green smoothies, but does not enjoy the very ‘potent’ ones which are dominated by greens. I have a few like this, such as this gazpacho style smoothie and kale and orange juice smoothie. These smoothies are chock a block with greens and nutrients, however they are quite strong in taste. Not creamy and sweet.

This smoothie on the hand brings the best of all worlds together. It is creamy, sweet, satisfying and filling, while containing a good amount of greens.

So much in fact in fact that I worked out if you make this smoothie everyday, you will be consuming 21 leaves of swiss chard per in a 7 days…. : D

Nectarine, Banana & Spinach Green Smoothie

If you made and liked this smoothie, and are want to try it out with using kale instead of spinach, here is my recipe for the same smoothie but made with kale.

Hope you make and enjoy this smoothie – and if you feel like sharing, tag me on Instagram @rebels.kitchenpics

Nectarine, Banana & Spinach Green Smoothie

Nectarine & Spinach Green Smoothie

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Serves: 1-2 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

1 nectarine
1 banana
3 small to medium swiss chard leaves
1/2 cup milk kefir or yoghurt
1 cup water kefir (you can also use plain water if you do not have water kefir on hand)
50 grams melted coconut oil

Instructions

If you have not done so already, melt the coconut oil. I have tried to skip this step before and it always leaves tiny little lumps of oil in my smoothie – not nice. To melt the coconut oil, simply place it in a small saucepan and put that on a very low flame. The oil will melt in moments. Do not overheat it, as you don’t want to be adding piping hot oil to your smoothie!
Next, de-pip the nectarine and de-rib the spinach leaves.
Blend everything together until smooth and creamy.
Pour into containers and enjoy!

December 15, 2017 0 comment

Fast Healthy Meals Sneaking in the Veggies Vegan Vegetarian

Creamy Carrot Marinara Sauce w/ Pasta (V)

written by Daniela Klein

Today’s recipe is a real comfort food dish. Creamy carrot marinara!

Marinara is the Italian word for a simple tomato based pasta sauce. However you can also use other vegetables as well. Carrots really shine in this sauce. I cannot describe the flavor well enough to do it justice, but it is somewhat earthy, savory, slightly sweet, and very much more-ish. I also find that this carrot marinara sauce tastes almost cheesy – even though it is vegan.

Besides tasting great, a carrot based marinara sauce is quick and easy to make. The recipe is very simple, and it is basically done by the time the pasta has boiled. In other words a lovely recipe to keep up your sleeve for those evenings when you do not have a lot of time to cook – but really want to put out something delicious and interesting.

What Pasta to Use with a Carrot Marinara Sauce

You can really use any pasta in conjunction with this sauce. Whole wheat, white, penne, macaroni, spaghetti, you name it. If you have a little extra time, do eat eggs, and want to try something different, you can even try out my homemade egg noodles recipe! They are delicious, and do not require any equipment. And guess what? They are the most popular recipe on this site! : D

What to Serve with a Carrot Marinara Sauce

Personally I think the best side for a creamed carrot marinara pasta is a big crispy salad! However you can also do other vegetable sides, like steamed peas or broccoli. The green of the vegetables makes a nice contrast with the orange of the pasta.

Creamy Carrot Marinara Sauce w/ Pasta (V)

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Ingredients

2 large carrots +- 250 grams
1 small onion
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 can of whole tomatoes in sauce
3/4 - 1 cup water
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
For the pasta: enough pasta for 4 people, cook according to packet instructions

Instructions

Set a pot of paste for 4 to boil according to packet instructions.
Finely peel and dice your carrots and onion. If the carrots are organically grown, then you can omit peeling them, as a lot of nutrition resides in the surface layer of the peel.
Using a can opener and open your can of tomatoes. Separate the tomatoes and the sauce into two separate bowls.
Pour the 1/2 cup olive oil into a pot and bring up to heat, adding the carrots and onion.
Toss in the olive oil on a highish heat for a half a minute.
Add the 2 tablespoons flour and toss this in until it is a little browned.
Add the sauce from the canned tomatoes, as well as 3/4 cups of water.
Simmer the pot until the carrots are completely soft.
Remove the pot from the heat, add the garlic cloves, and blend well until the mix is smooth and creamy. I like to use an immersion blender for this. Just be careful of hot splats – they can happen! Feel free to add a little extra water if the sauce seems overly thick. Just be sure to add it in small increments, so avoid adding too much and making the sauce too sloppy.
Now add in all remaining ingredients, the whole canned tomatoes, herbs, nutritional yeast, ACV, and salt and pepper, and return to the heat for a couple extra minutes to infuse all of the flavors together.
Serve over the pasta and enjoy!

December 6, 2017 0 comment

Nectarine , Banana and Kale Smoothie Recipe

Breakfast ideas Drinks Fast Healthy Meals Gluten Free Smoothies Snacks Sneaking in the Veggies Vegan Vegetarian

Nectarine, Banana and Kale Green Smoothie

written by Daniela Klein

I am so pleased to be bringing you this smoothie recipe, it hits all the nigh notes for me.

I find that the trio of tangy nectarine, creamy banana and iron rich kale really satisfying, with a great balance in flavor. Which is funny because the smoothie is basically a balance of four things, 1 of each…..

1 ripe nectarine
1 banana
1 large kale leaf
1 cup water

Yummy

Sometimes when making a smoothie that has greens in it and fruit, it can feel like you are too much on one side. Either it is dominated by the greens, or by the fruit. Too much greens will give the smoothie a bitter taste. Too much fruit will make it quite sweet. This 1,1,1,1 ratio seems to be the golden one when it comes to a nectarine and kale smoothie. : )

Nectarine , Banana and Kale Smoothie Recipe

There is actually another ingredient in this smoothie. Shhh it’s a secret. It is 4 teaspoons of melted coconut oil, and gives the smoothie a lovely creaminess. It also keeps you full for longer and can help you to shed weight!

A few big tablespoons of coconut oil is my absolute favorite smoothie ingredient. Not only does it make almost any smoothie taste yummy, but I really like that it can make a smoothie keep you full for longer. Nothing worse than going to the effort of making a smoothie, and then one hour later ending up with a bag of chips in your hands because you have used up all the energy in it.

Why Coconut Oil Can Help You to Lose Weight

Ok, ok, I know. Can coconut oil really help you to lose weight?

I have done some research on this ,delving into the published studies, and yes, it would seem that coconut oil can help one to ‘effortlessly’ lose a little weight, while keeping you feeling full, and topped up with energy.

The reason for this is that coconut oil is made up of healthy saturated fats, and these can be difficult for the body to store as fat cells. These fats only require a 3 step process by the body to be broken down and converted to energy, as opposed to the 27 steps required by many other plant based oils.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society –

“The primary fatty acid of coconut oil is lauric acid, which is present at approximately 45–53 %. Detailed studies have shown that the majority of ingested lauric acid is transported directly to the liver where it is directly converted to energy and other metabolites rather than being stored as fat.”

Interestingly, 30 grams of coconut oil per day (a perfect amount to put in one’s smoothies!) in one human trial, were consumed by obese subjects for 4 weeks, and reduced waist circumference by 2.86 cm, or 1.1 inches was recorded.

Nectarine , Banana and Kale Smoothie Recipe

Coconut Oil Can also Immediately Improve Mental Clarity

Not only does coconut oil help you to stay fuller for longer, assist in potential weight loss or decreased weight maintenance, but it also fuels your brain! After being metabolized in the liver, the lauric acid can make it way straight to the brain and be used as an energy source for it. Here is a study on how and why this is.

Considering that dieting and running on nutrient rich but low calorie dense smoothies often can come with hunger pangs, energy slumps and brain fog – coconut oil is really the perfect smoothie add in. Not to mention that it makes almost all smoothies taste really good!

So, let’s get to the recipe…..

Nectarine , Banana and Kale Smoothie Recipe

Nectarine, Banana and Kale Green Smoothie

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Serves: 1-2 Prep Time: 10 mintues Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

1 ripe nectarine
1 banana
1 large kale leaf
1 cup water
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Instructions

De-rib the kale leaf. If your kale leaves are on the small side, you can use two. Peel the banana and de-pip the nectarine.
If you have not done so already, melt the coconut oil. This is very important to do, because if you put it in while it is still in a solid state, you will get very fine ‘bits’ of coconut oil in your smoothie! Not so nice. Of course if it is hot where you are and the coconut oil is already in liquid form, then melting is not neccesary.
Combine all ingredients and blend until the smoothie is smooth. Kale is quite fibrous, so if you do not blend it well there will still be shreds of fibre in the smoothie. You want to process those away to nothing so that the smoothie is creamy and, well smooth! : )
Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

Notes

If you like your smoothies really cold, then you can freeze the banana and nectarine beforehand, and chill the jug of made smoothie for 30 minutes or more before drinking.

November 30, 2017 1 comment

Smoothies Sneaking in the Veggies Vegetarian

Savory Kale & Kefir Green Smoothie

written by Daniela Klein

Say hello to the newest savory gazpacho style smoothie on the blog. : ) The other one is this Detox Chickweed Smoothie.

This smoothie is a simple and very green smoothie. It contains kale, kefir (you can also use yoghurt), tomato, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt and black pepper. You can also add cucumber in if you would like to dilute the kale a little.

Speaking of which – this is a pretty strong kale smoothie. It contains two whole leaves of kale, so can definitely be diluted if you are not ready to be drinking so much kale all at once, or do not enjoy the strong taste. Because savory gazpacho style smoothies are not fruit based, the taste of the kale can be a lot stronger than in a smoothie which has fruit in it. This is why green smoothies with fruit bases are popular – they can really help you to ‘sneak’ greens into your diet.

However as Blender Girl mentioned, if you are aiming to use smoothies in your diet to consume more and more greens, then at some point you might want to start veering towards smoothies which contain mainly vegetables and savory ingredients. It can take a while to retrain one’s taste buds to a full bodied vegetable smoothie, but they can be pretty tasty if paired with the right flavorings. Salt and pepper are a must, as well as something tart like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. I also find that a dash of cayenne pepper gives any green smoothie a delicious kick! Garlic is also a tasty addition, however you can leave this out if your are afraid of garlic breath.

Savory Kale & Kefir Green Smoothie Recipe

Besides these flavoring techniques, I also found a out a trick to ‘manually’ de-bitter a green smoothie which does not involve heat! It goes like this…

How to Debitter a Kale Smoothie

This is a small de-bittering trick for a green smoothie, but one which I have found to be quite effective.

Make your green smoothie as per instructions.
You will probably see a sort of of foam develop after blending.
Take a table or teaspoon and skim off this foam thoroughly.
Drink and enjoy!

I do not know quite why this removal of the foam takes away some of the bitterness in green smoothies. I think it might be along the lines that certain bitter compounds collect in, or as, the foam and removing them then renders the smoothie less bitter. Try it and see. Let me know what you think!

For now, have a lovely weekend everyone. x

Savory Kale & Kefir Green Smoothie Recipe

Savory Kale & Kefir Green Smoothie

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Serves: 1-2 Prep Time: 10 mintues Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

2 large kale leaves
1 large tomato
1 cup milk kefir (you can also use yoghurt, but then add a little extra water)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

De-rib the two kale leaves and peel the half garlic clove.
Combine all ingredients together and blend. You want to process the smoothie well, so that a minimum amount of fibre from the kale remains. Kale is pretty fibrous, so if you do not blend well, you will end up with a lot of bits in your smoothie.
Once you have blended the smoothie, take a tablespoon and skim off any foam from the top. Discard this foam, sprinkle your smoothie with a little black pepper and enjoy!

Take note: you should aim to consume your smoothie within a window period of a few hours if not sooner. This is when the enzymes and live compounds are the most active.

Savory Kale & Kefir Green Smoothie Recipe

November 10, 2017 0 comment

Sides & Vegetables Sneaking in the Veggies Soups Vegetarian

Sundried Tomato & Creamed Cauliflower Soup

written by Daniela Klein

I love tomato soup, but struggle sometimes to make one which is not overly acidic.

Which is why I came up with the idea of sundried tomatoe soup: D! Ok, and then I looked online and realized half the world is making it.

The final soup which you have here is a low carb team up of creamed cauliflower paired with strident sun dried tomatoes. The reason for this is…. While low carb creamed cauliflower soup may be all the rage and look just like potato soup to trick us – I often finds it tastes a little bit like… ass.

Sundried tomatoes on the other hand do not taste like ass at all, and are quite a domineering ingredient. They interrupt the cauliflower stinkyness beautifully.

To get the most out of my sundried tomatoes, I used the ones which are soaked in olive oil. I then used the olive oil in the soup to richen it up.

How to Make Sundried Tomato Soup

When making tomato soup with sundried tomatoes, it is important to simmer the dried tomatoes until they are soft before blending them. You could do this with all of the other soup ingredients or separately. I prefer to do this separately, as it gives more control over the cooking time of each part of the soup, and give one a chance to make a roux.

This is the method I use to make sundried tomato soup:

Steam the sun dried tomatoes until soft.
Add the cauliflower and steam. Blend.
Make a roux.
Combine the two pots and allow to simmer briefly.

Its pretty simple, but I thought I would just outline it here quickly because the recipe instructions can make this seem more complicated than it is.

Sundried Tomato & Creamed Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Sundried Tomato & Creamed Cauliflower Soup

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup sundried tomatoes
8-9 cups water or vegetable stock
600 grams cauliflower
1-2 large tomatoes
200 grams chopped onions
50 grams butter
1/3 - 1/2 cup sun dried tomato oil
4 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup red wine
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoons dried ground rosemary
4 teaspoons dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

First off place your sundried tomatoes into a large pot with 3 cups of water. Simmer them until they have softened.
While the tomatoes are simmering and softening, chop the cauliflower up roughly and dice the onions, tomato and garlic.
Once the sun dried tomatoes are soft, add the chopped cauliflower to this pot and allow them to steam up until soft. Do not overcook them, as then you can get that stinky ‘overcooked cauliflower’ aroma setting in.
In a separate large pot, heat the butter and tomato oil. To this add the diced onions and fry on high. Add the diced tomatoes and continue to fry. After a few moments add the flour. Stir this through, allowing the flour to brown slightly.
Now add 3 cups of water and stir while this thickens.
Take the cauliflower pot off of the stove and blend this together with the remaining 3 cups of water.
Add the blended cauliflower and sundried tomatoes to your roux pot.
Add all other ingredients including salt and pepper to taste and allow to simmer together for 1 minute. If you think that the soup should be a little richer, you can also add a little extra olive oil.

Sundried Tomato & Creamed Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Notes

For vegan options: Replace the butter with a generous slug of olive oil. Replace the 1 cup milk with stock or water, or a nut milk. For gluten free options: Replace the flour for thickening with cornstarch by combining 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a small cup with enough cold / room temp water to make a paste. Stir this slurry until all lumps are out with a fork and add this to the soup. You will not add flour to the onions, simply fry them - add water and then add the cornstarch mix and continue with recipe.

November 8, 2017 0 comment

Fast Healthy Meals Gluten Free How To's Sneaking in the Veggies Stir Fries Vegan Vegetarian

Refried Lentils with Shredded Kale, Red Pepper and Baby Onions

written by Daniela Klein

Did you know that lentils can work well in a refried beans style recipe? I love lentils like this. The extra oil and braising in the pan gives them lots of flavor and umami.

In this recipe I combine the refried lentils technique with some shredded kale, some red pepper and some young onions. The result is a filling, nutrient dense meal that is quick and easy to cook.

For sides, you could have a salad if you want something to lighten up the amount of lentils, or you can serve this on rice, couscous or millet.

Before we go to the recipe, I just want to touch on how I do the refrying of the lentils.

How to Make Refried Lentils

For non-sloppy, chunky textured refried lentils do the following:

After simmering the lentils, drain off any excess water and set back onto the heat. Allow any last excess moisture to steam off. Remove the pot before any discoloring on the bottom of the pot happenings. This step will only take a moment or two.
Pour a lug of oil into a wok or skillet, and bring up to heat. Add your seasoning and lentils and toss gently. Keep tossing.
You can refry the lentils for quite a few minutes, just make sure to keep turning and mixing them. This way you will get lots of nice crunchy little braised bits in your re-fried lentils.

If you like your re-fried lentils more smooth and sloppy, then you should rather opt to skip step 1 and mash your lentils before beginning to refry them.

Health Benefits of Lentils

Last thing! I just want to mention that lentils are an excellent source of nutrition. They are high in fibre, contain good amounts of vitamins and minerals, and are a good source of protein. If you do not eat much or any meat – then lentils can be a great pulse to fall back on when scratching your head for how to get protein into a meal.

Unlike most other beans and legumes, lentils are quick cooking. So even if you do not have a lot of time and forgot to cook them before hand – you can still boil them up in about 15 minutes. This is a similar cooking time to most starches.

Anyways, enough of Dr. Daniela talking – here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Refried Lentils with Shredded Kale, Red Pepper and Baby Onions

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried lentils or 2-3 cups cooked / canned lentils
4 large kale leaves
3-4 small young onions (you can also use shallots)
1 red pepper
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried and crushed cilantro seeds
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Dash of apple cider vinegar
3-4 cloves garlic

Instructions

Start of by simmering the lentils according to their packet instructions.
While the lentils are simmering, de-rib and chop the kale into shreds. Dice the red pepper and slice the onions into rounds. Peel and slice the garlic.
Once the lentils are done drain off any excess water and set back onto the heat.
Allow any last excess moisture to steam off. Remove the pot before any discoloring occurs on the bottom of the pot. This step will only take a moment or two.
Pour a generous lug of olive oil into a wok or skillet, and bring up to heat. Add the crushed cilantro seeds, some black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste, and the dried rosemary. Quickly add your lentils, and toss gently. Keep tossing. Add in some salt to taste which you are tossing.
You can re-fry the lentils for quite a few minutes, just make sure to keep turning and mixing them. This way you will get lots of nice crunchy little braised bits in your re-fried lentils.
Once the lentils are refried to your liking, spoon them out of the wok / skillet and back into the pot you cooked them in. Add a little more olive oil and the kale, pepper and onions. Stir fry this well on a highish heat. You want the kale properly cooked, otherwise it will be tough. You should see the kale reduce a lot in volume, this means that it is nearing being well cooked.
Now add your lentils back into the wok, sprinkle with a dash of apple cider vinegar and your raw chopped garlic, and stir to combine roughly.
Serve hot.

Notes

You can eat this dish plain, side it with a salad, or serve it on a bed of rice, millet or couscous.

November 2, 2017 0 comment

Drinks Gluten Free Smoothies Sneaking in the Veggies Vegan Vegetarian

Vegan Kale & Orange Juice Green Smoothie

written by Daniela Klein

To end the week off on a high note of health – I wanted to give to you my newest most favorite smoothie recipe!

A few posts ago I mentioned that I want to up my plant intake – and get rid of the bread that has been stealing room in my diet which I could be putting to better use. This smoothie has taken the place of my mid morning slice of bread, and I am loving it!

I find that the orange juice makes a super combination with the kale. Very refreshing, not too sweet, and bursting with flavor. I have been adding in coconut oil, as it gives the smoothies ‘smoothness’ and a balanced taste. It also improves the filling power of the smoothie. : )

Fun fact: I worked out that if I make this smoothie everyday, I will eat 14 large leaves of kale extra per week. That is a big bunch of kale!

Green Smoothies: Either you hate them or you love them.

Before you go ahead and make this smoothie, I just wanted to say that I think people either love green smoothies, or hate them.

Green smoothies are a great way of getting in extra green leafy vegetables into your body – without the hassle of making and eating a salad. They are also great to take places like to work or town outings, because you can easily sip your greens rich smoothie without have to sit down with a fork, or get bits of salad in your teeth!

On the other hand, and this green smoothie is a perfect example of a typical green smoothie taste.. which is green! They aren’t usually super sweet or super creamy. If you are someone who does not enjoy green smoothies all that much, I would say give this one a miss and rather make something like this pomegranate smoothie, or this papaya and coconut smoothie.

What I also find with kale is that it contains a lot of fibre! If you do not have a powerful blender or food processor then this can end in a fibrous smoothie. On the other hand, this hard-to-blend fibre is super good for you – so if you do not mind the texture, then it is all good.

Why I Put Cayenne into this Kale Smoothie

Besides kale and orange juice the other ingredient in this smoothie is a dash of cayenne! Not too much, just a trace. I find that it really peps up the taste, and hides a little of the bitterness of the kale. The cayenne pepper gives an almost ginger like taste when combined with the orange flavor. Minus the hassle of peeling and cutting any ginger.

Health Benefits of Kale

There is a reason why kale eating is on the rise and everyone is trying to get it into their diets. Kale is great source of nutrients, being high in vitamin K, C, A, manganese, copper, calcium, potassium, vitamin E, Vitamin B6, B3, B9, and phosphorus. Kale also contains good levels of omega-3 fats and protein, and is literally packed with both soluble and insoluble fibre.

The Blue Zone study done in 2005 isolated a high consumption of greens as one of the secrets of the world’s most long lived societies. No wonder, looking at the nutrient density of kale!

Greens, especially bitter greens (which are really good for you!), can be difficult to get into one’s diet, especially if you cook for other people, or have a very busy lifestyle which takes you out of the house a lot. This is where green smoothies really bring the goods. The are easy to make, easy to take with you places, can secretly sneak in extra greens into your diet, and are 100% raw. Which means that you get all of the benefits of the raw greens without having to plow through a bitter and tough salad!

So on that note, here is the smoothie: )

Kale & Orange Smoothie Recipe

Vegan Kale & Orange Juice Green Smoothie

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Serves: 1-2 Prep Time: 5-10 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

2 leaves of kale
2 large whole oranges or 1.5-2 cups of fresh orange juice
1/2 cup water (I also like to use water kefir if I have it for some probiotics)
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
Dash of cayenne pepper

Instructions

De-rib the kale and chop it up roughly. Place it in your food processor (or in a bowl or jug if you are using a stick blender).
Halve the oranges and squeeze the juice over the kale.
Add the water or water kefir, and cayenne pepper.
If your coconut oil is solid from low temperatures, melt it at a very low temperature in the smallest saucepan that you have.
Once a liquid, pour the coconut oil over the kale.
Blend on high for an extended period. You need to try and break down the fibre in the kale as much as possible to reduce ‘bitty-ness’.
Once the smoothie is nice and smooth, either drink immediately, or pour into a sealable vessel and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

This makes a large batch for one person, or two smaller glass sized batches for two people. Remember, the longer you leave your smoothie to stand, the less live enzymes it will contain when you drink it. SO try to aim to drink your smoothie sooner rather than later.

October 27, 2017 3 comments

Fast Healthy Meals Gluten Free Sneaking in the Veggies Vegetarian

Blood Building Beet Burgers – Vegetarian & Gluten Free

written by Daniela Klein

Hello world! Happy friday. Today I am bringing you a easy recipe for Blood Building Beet Burgers!

They are vegetarian, full of nutrients, and come with an easy recipe for a high protein and gluten free flax seed ‘bun’.

About Flaxseed Buns

Before we go any further, I want to talk about these flaxseed ‘buns’. I found a super simple recipe for ‘dinner rolls’ from Hemsley and Hemsley. All that was required were eggs and ground flaxseed. And the picture showed the rolls being big and fluffy looking.

Well, as the old saying goes looks can be deceiving. After making the rolls strictly according to instructions, what I got was flat little ‘cakes’, not pillowy buns!

I shelved my disappointed and flaxseed rolls (in a sealed container), and proceeded to continue my burger recipe testing process using a regular bun recipe in the bread machine. As in, not gluten free, and full of refined white carbs.

Why the Flaxseed ‘Buns’ Work with These Beet Burger Patties

Fortunately, on my second testing of this beet burger patty recipe I decided to just cut one of my flaxseed cakes in half and try it with a patty inside.

And… it was so good! The flavors worked really well together, the flaxseed savoriness complemented the earthy salty sweetness of the beet patties perfectly.

The other thing is that I found that these flat little ‘buns’ actually make for a much more ‘eatable’ burger because you can get your mouth around them to get a good bite. Which also means that you can really load up your burger with extra’s like pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, feta cheese, lettuce etc.

If you want to have a thicker and bulkier bun, then what you can also do is skip slicing the flax ‘buns’ in half. Simply use two, – one for the top and one for the bottom. You should then end up with quite a high burger.

Beet Burger Recipe

Why These Beet Burgers are so Healthy

Besides being super tasty and hearty – the other great thing about these burgers is that are literally packed with nutrients, protein and fibre.

Health Benefits of Beetroots

In keeping with their intense color, beetroots are known for their blood building qualities. This is due to the iron and nitrate content of beets. While one cup of beetroot contains merely 1,1 mg of iron, for some reason it is in a highly bioavailable form, which is why beet juice is such a popular treatment for anemia.

As for the nitrates in beets, they are the same as the nitrates found in leafy green vegetables – one of the elements of greens which makes them so good for us! Once taken up by the body, nitrates are stored in the blood, and have a positive impact on circulation, heart and blood health.

Besides being a blood builder, beets are also known to be a blood purifier. This is because beets boost the body’s levels of glutathione, thought by some to be the number one antioxidant in the human body.

In addition to building and cleansing the blood, beets also contain good levels of vitamin C, fibre, potassium, manganese and certain B vitamins.

Health Benefits of Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are highly nutrient dense, contain rich levels of Omega 3 and antioxidants and are full of fibre and protein.

A 28 gram (3 ) serving of flaxseeds contains the followings:

Omega 3 fats + 200%
Fibre 22%
Protein 7 %
Vitamin B1 31%
Manganese 35%
Magnesium 30%
Phosphorus 19%
Selenium 10%
Copper 30%

That is some serious nutrition right there! Combine this with a beetroot burger patty, some crispy lettuce and generous dollopings of kale pesto – and it’s really a powerhouse meal. : )

Which are my favorite kind of recipe to bring to you – so let’s get to exactly that. The RECIPE.

Beet Burger Recipe

Beet & Lentil Burger

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Serves: Makes 10-12 patties Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups cooked lentils, or +-1 cup uncooked
200 grams beetroot
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 lightly beaten eggs
1/3 cup oat flour (use gluten free if intolerant)
5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried & powdered cilantro seeds
dash of chilli flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves crushed garlic
For the burger 'buns':
225 grams ground flaxseeds
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper
4 large well beaten eggs (use 5 if the eggs are on the small side)
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons butter
4-5 tablespoons water
2 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (for sprinkling)

Instructions

Burger ‘Bun’ Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F – 180 C and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients and add in the well beaten egg and the water.
Now allow the mix to sit for at least 5 minutes. This allows the flaxseeds to hydrate and release their stickiness.
Coat your hands with water and divide the mix into 12 equal portions.
Roll these into balls in you hands, and then place them onto the baking sheets and presse them down lightly so that they can form flatter circles.
Sprinkle the tops with poppyseeds. You can press the seeds in lightly with your fingers, to keep them from rolling off the top after baking.
Slip the two sheets into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes.
Once done, remove from the oven and allow the ‘buns’ to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Burger Patty Mixture Instructions:

If have not cooked your lentils yet, do this first according to your lentil package instructions.
While the lentils are cooking, peel and grate your beets, using a coarse grater.
Transfer the grated beetroot to a pot with a tablespoons of olive oil. Toss continuously over a medium heat until the beet bits have softened a little.
Add the flaxseed let stand for 5 minutes.
Then add all other ingredients. In you have not beaten the eggs yet – what I do is simple whip them up in a mug with a fork. This works fine – no need to get out the electric beater.
Mix all together until well combined.

Cooking the Patties:

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet.
Drop in two very heaped tablespoons of the mixture, and press down and shape gently into a round using the tablespoon. Do as many of these as will fit in your pan.
Cook on a medium heat, and add extra oil if needed.
I find that the patties taste best if fried slowly, until some browning / blackening starts to occur.
After cooking, transfer to a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm until assemble the burgers

Assembling the Burgers:

To assemble the burgers, what I do is butter the ‘buns’ and layer on lettuce, the patties, some pesto (in my case some de-bittered kale pesto), some milk kefir, and some extra black pepper. What we also found can make a great addition is fetta cheese. Yum!

Of course you can add anything you want. Tomatoes, onion, a few fries, pickles etc. Let me know if you make these and come up with any great combos!

Beet Burger Recipe

October 27, 2017 0 comment

Fast Healthy Meals Sides & Vegetables Sneaking in the Veggies Vegan Vegetarian

Nutty Rice with Kale Pesto

written by Daniela Klein

If you like nuttyness, love pesto and easy nutritious meals – then this recipe is for you!

It really couldn’t be simpler – steam up brown rice and sunflower seeds, add dollops of pesto and voila! You have a delicious nutrient dense dish packed full of flavor.

For this recipe I used my kale pesto, but you can really use any pesto you want. Here is a recipe for regular basil pesto, and also one for chickweed pesto.

If you are wanting to make the pesto to go with the rice – I recommend the kale one! I have really been enjoying make this kale pesto. It is high in nutrients, and a great way to add in kale to anything you are making.

I read somewhere that a great way to start making changes in one’s diet is by adding a little kale to anything! Stir fry a little to add to a takeout, put it in smoothies etc. Incidentally this pesto fits right in with this strategy. : P

One last thing about the kale pesto, is that it is de-bittered. Check it out. : )

Back to nutty rice. I really really like this recipe. Not being a big fan of brown rice I was surprised at how delicious the pesto and sunflower seeds made the rice! So, even if you are hesitant about the rice part – try it.

Vegan Nutty Pesto Rice Recipe

Nutty Pesto Rice

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon salt
Water - according to packet instruction for your brown rice per cup
6 tablespoons kale pesto (or any other pesto of your choice)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except for the pesto into a medium sized pot.
Bring to the boil, low the temperature and simmer with the lid off or cracked for the time specified on your rice packet – or until the water has steamed off – or until the rice has cooked. If the rice has cooked already and there is a little water left, drain that off and return to the heat for up to a minute to steam off any remaining moisture.
Add the pesto and toss to combine.
Serve hot or cold.

Vegan Nutty Pesto Rice Recipe

Notes

You can increase the pesto if desired.

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Vegan Nutty Kale Pesto Rice Recipe

October 24, 2017 0 comment

Cooking Hacks Gluten Free Homemade condiments Sneaking in the Veggies Vegan Vegetarian

De-Bittered Vegan Kale Pesto

written by Daniela Klein

Its another pesto recipe!

Why? Because pesto is a boss way of getting superfoods into your daily eating routine and meals. Pesto can be used as a dip or spread, or in recipes like pasta, pizza, salad, rice etc you name it. (Here is a cool list I found on Top Inspired, of recipe ideas using pesto, just to get you inspired.)

Also, the oil, salt and vinegar in pesto can act as a good mellowing agent for the strong, pungent and sometimes bitter elements of herbs and other superfood greens like kale.

Before I get to how to debitter your pesto, I just want to say this. Bitter is usually a word in cooking which spells undesired – but there is a magic to bitterness in greens! And the idea is not to get rid of it, but simply mask and smooth it.

Health Benefits of Bitter Greens

Bitter greens are known to be detoxifying and cleansing, and packed with minerals and vitamins. Not only can they clean the blood, cells and digestive system, but they can also cleanse and balance the palate. Which in turn can dramatically reduce food cravings for harmful substances. Bitter greens have been shown to have a supportive effect on the liver, can reduce risk of cancer, assist weight loss, and can have a stabilizing and balancing effect on hormonal health.

One of my favorite of these benefits is the palate cleaning. If one’s palate is clean and clear and your taste buds are operating properly, then healthy plant based foods are more than tasty enough. And then we don’t need things like MSG! Unless of course it is in the case of things like chinese restaurant rice. And if that is the case, then I have this solution for you.

What’s not to like? Well, the mouth puckering bitterness perhaps. Let’s take a look at some tricks to mask kale’s beautiful bitterness in this pesto : ).

De-bittered Vegan Kale Pesto Recipe

Tricks to De-Bitter Greens

There are three main things which can decrease bitterness from greens. These are:

Cooking
Oil
Vinegar
Bicarbonate of soda

How to Use these Tricks to De-bitter Your Kale Pesto

Cooking

If you interested in making some kale pesto – then chances are you want to enjoy the health benefits of consuming it raw. So option 1 of cooking the pesto is out. If however you really can not eat bitter foods, then what you can do is blanch your kale leaves briefly in hot water. This might take some of the bitterness out. However it will also take away the live enzymes in the kale leaves and much of the C and B vitamins.

Adding Oil

Pesto recipes automatically contain oil. However you cannot increase it exponentially, otherwise you will have a pesto which is made up mostly of oil. You can however make sure that you use enough oil to ensure that the pesto is of a runny consistency. If the ratio of kale to oil is so high that the pesto is ‘stodgy’ then you should definitely add more oil, for texture and to balance out bitterness.

Adding Vinegar

Pesto usually also contains vinegars or lemon juice. Unlike the oil, this amount you can increase somewhat to help mask the bitterness of the kale. In this recipe I have bumped the vinegar amount up to 9 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Adding Bicarbonate of Soda

Bicarbonate of soda is an effective de-bitterer. However do not use too much, as you do not want your pesto (or any other recipe with greens in it) to taste strongly of bicarb!

In this recipe I use one teaspoon, but you could increase this by small increments if you have a very bitter bunch of kale on your hands.

How to Make Pesto Vegan

And the last point I thought should address, is why this pesto is vegan. Most pestos are made with parmesan cheese as an ingredient in them. The parmesan is not crucial to pesto. However without it, the taste can be a little flat. A great substitute for parmesan cheese when making vegan pesto, is nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast can have a cheesy, nutty flavor – and is also full of B vitamins. Yum!

So, all you need to do is ditch the parmesan and add in nutritional yeast.

By the way, I am thinking of trying to grow my own nutritional yeast. Has anybody tried this? If I am successful, I promise I will put my process in a blog post!

But for now, let’s make kale pesto : D. x

De-bittered Vegan Kale Pesto Recipe

De-Bittered Vegan Kale Pesto

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Ingredients

150 grams fresh kale
1 1/2 cups olive oil
9 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 large cloves garlic
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 handful of marjoram, parsley or basil
1 teaspoon baking soda
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

Instructions

De-rib the kale leaves and chop roughly. Peel the garlic cloves.
Next add all ingredients except for the sunflower seeds to your food processor. You can also use a blender stick like I do.
Process until the mix is fairly smooth. You do not want to see any of the fibres of the kale sticking out of the surface of the pesto.
Now add in the sunflower seeds and pulse a few times. I like to stop processing while there are still some sunflower seeds ‘chunks’ left. You can also process until smooth if your prefer this.
Once done, taste the pesto and up the salt or pepper amount if needs be. You can also add in a little extra olive oil if you find that the pesto is not thin enough.
Store in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator and use within approximately 2 weeks.

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Vegan Kale Pesto Recipe

October 20, 2017 0 comment

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