Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie

I love this! My children LOVE this! It's just sweet and flavorful and wonderful!  The kids ask for it at least once a week, and get super jealous when I make it for me. AND IT'S SO GOOD FOR YOU! Raw beets are an excellent blood purifier. Coconut liquid is packed with minerals and electrolytes. Strawberries are high in vitamin C.

1 1⁄2 c coconut liquid  from young Thai coconut (best raw, or use coconut water. I buy them by the case at Costco) 
1 large carrot, cleaned and cut into 3 pieces (or 6 baby carrots)
1⁄4 of a medium beet, raw, peeled (we grow these in our garden and peel them, cut them into quarters and throw into the freezer)
1⁄4 c cashews
1⁄4 c chopped dates 
2 t vanilla
12 frozen strawberries
optional: 1 t flax seeds or 1 t chia seeds
Pureé all ingredients except the strawberries in your high-power blender for 90 seconds. Add the strawberries and pureé on high until smooth. 

My little guy? He skips the jealousy part and goes straight to, "Momma, a moo-ee peeeeeeeeeeeze?" How can I resist those baby blues?

Chilaquiles

Thanks to Simple, Healthy, Tasty for this one. Delicious!!! Our kids lapped it up.

Chilaquiles

Coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

1-2 colored bell peppers, chopped

chili powder

cumin

Mexican seasoning

1-2 cans of kidney beans and/or black beans (we cook in large batches and freeze in 3 c bags)

corn

salsa

olives, sliced

Green and/or Purple Cabbage, finely sliced

tomatoes, chopped

fresh cilantro, chopped

Lime slices, optional

Saute onions and peppers in coconut oil. Add spices to taste. Add beans and corn (and additional veggies as you like). Lastly, add tortilla chips, salsa and olives. Stir until coated and warm.

Place large handfuls of raw sliced cabbage on your plates and top it with the filling from the pan and then add the cilantro and tomatoes. Squeeze lime juice on top and pour ranch dressing and cheezy sauce on it. (I add almond milk to the cheezy sauce to make it a little more runny).

Ranch Dressing

1 cup of Sunflower Seed Sour Cream (recipe below, Note: This can be left out if you are in a hurry or just want it more simple! It's not quite as rich, thick, and creamy, but still really good)

1 cup almonaise

3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1-2 T Ranch Dressing Mix (see below)

Mix all ingredients until nice and smooth. It will be dip like consistency and great for carrot sticks etc. To make more dressing like consistency add some water or rice milk. Also it will thicken a bit in the fridge so keep that in mind. 

 

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

1/4 cup basil
1 cup dill
1 cup parsley
1/2 Tablespoon garlic granules
1/4 cup onion powder
1 Tablespoon Real Salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Combine ingredients in a jar stir or shake until well combined.  Use about 1-2 Tablespoons per 2 cups of dressing.

Sunflower Seed Sour Cream

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup water

4+ Tablespoons lemon juice

1 garlic clove pressed or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Tostadas & Homemade Refried Bean recipe

Tostadas

I found a few recipes on pinterest and kind of threw them together, and this is what I came up with. This is a quick meal if you've made the beans in advance. The beans freeze well, so make lots and freeze in smaller portions.

Fat-free Refried Beans

2 lb. dry pinto beans (about 5 c.)

½-¾ large onion, roughly chopped

8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

3 Tbsp. cumin

½ Tbsp. dried oregano

Sprinkle of cayenne pepper

12 c. water

4 tsp. salt

In large crock pot, place all ingredients except salt.  Cook on high 5-6 hours, until beans are very tender.  Ladle out 4 c. cooking liquid; reserve.  Stir in salt.  Mash beans with back of spoon or potato masher.  Add reserved liquid as needed for proper consistency.  Can be frozen in an air-tight container.  Yield:  about 12 cups.

To assemble the tostadas you'll need organic corn tortillas, refried beans, cheese or cheezy sauce, chopped lettuce, chopped veggies, chopped cilantro, salsa if desired.

Toast tortillas in oven set at 400 until browned. Smear on the beans and let the kids take off.

Be as simple or creative as you want. My kids LOVE making their own. We especially love mixing the beans with cheezy sauce and chopped cilantro, and then topping with lots of veggies. Enjoy!

Banana Chia Pudding

I found this on pinterest and we tried it tonight. It was simple and delicious! Make sure you allow 4 hours or overnight for the pudding to gel.

Banana Chia Pudding


1 c lite coconut milk (the canned kind)
1 c unsweetened almond milk
2 bananas
2 t vanilla
4 medjool dates, pits removed (or 3/4 c chopped dates)
2-3 T chia seeds

Puree everything but the chia seeds in a blender until smooth, combined and thick. Pour the mixture into a glass bowl or a mason jar, stir in the chia seeds. Make sure to stir well to combine. Cover the bowl or put the lid on the jar. Keep in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Spoon or pour into bowls, top with fresh banana slices if you wish.

Indian Green Dahl

I've sure had a hard time finding great tasting healthy recipes lately, but here's a few fun ones we've enjoyed lately! Thanks to Green Smoothie Girl for the recipe.

Indian Green Dahl

2 C green split peas 
1 1⁄2 C brown rice
water
6 cloves garlic
2 t dulse flakes
1 1⁄2 t sea salt
1 t turmeric
2 t cumin
sprinkle or two of red pepper flakes
1/2 C chopped cilantro 

In separate saucepans, rinse the split peas and brown rice well and then drain. Cover each with fresh water and allow to soak several hours, then drain well. 

Add 3 C of water to the rice and 4 C of water to the split peas, bring each to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add all the seasonings except the cilantro to split peas/lentils and mash with a spoon or potato masher. 

Serve the dahl over the brown rice and sprinkle with the cilantro.