Breakfast

Oct
4

The Healthier Chocolate “Milkshake”

The Beauty and The Banana

I’ll do anything to get my daughter to eat more fruits and vegetables. It took about 7 years to convince her to eat a banana just the way it is. So I had to come up with creative ways to make the banana invisible. I mixed it in the chocolate “Milkshake” and she loved it! Yey! Every time she is willing to taste something new and she likes it, I mark an imaginary “V” in my mind for yet another Victory for me. I’m sure some of you know what I am talking about 😉 There is no need for convincing here… This shake is so delicious, healthy and easy to make and If you remember to freeze the bananas beforehand it becomes a frozen dessert no one can refuse!

*If you like, you can replace the almond butter with peanut butter.

Ingredients

2 Organic Ripe Bananas

2 Cups Almond Milk (play with the amount depending on and how smooth you like it)

1 Tbsp. Raw Almond Butter

1 Tbsp. Organic Date Syrup (If you have Dates, even better use 3-4 Medjool Dates)

1 Tbsp. Cacao Powder

1 tsp. Hemp Seeds (They contain complete protein, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Fiber, this is Good stuff!!)

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

Category: Blog, Breakfast, Drinks, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Raw, Recipies, Sweets and Desserts

Aug
31

Vegan Sesame Halva “Milk”

The first time I took a sip of this amazing “milk” was at a Vegan cooking class. The chef teaching was Adam Sobel, the awesome owner of the famous Vegan Food Truck: “The Cinnamon Snail”.

Immediately, it reminded me of the taste of Halva, which is a Mediterranean sesame sweet treat. I think it really should be called liquid Halva. It could be a base for shakes, ice creams and other desserts. So easy to make and you will not believe how good it tastes!

If you’re in New York City go see the Cinnamon Snail, there is nothing like it, they are very friendly and the food is amazing!

Ingredients

1 Cup Unroasted Sesame Seeds

3 ½ Cups of Cold Water (1 Cup for soaking + 2½ Cups to add later)

5 Tbs. Maple Syrup

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Tbs Coconut Butter (Oil)

1tsp. Sea Salt

Pinch of Cinnamon for serving (optional)

Preparation

Soak the sesame seeds in 1 cup water for 30 minutes.

1. Blend The soaked sesame seeds with the water in a high power blender.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again.

3. Strain through a fine mesh bag like this one. (If you don’t care for smoothness than this step is optional)

Enjoy!

Category: Blog, Breakfast, Drinks, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Party, Raw, Recipies, Sweets and Desserts

Aug
24

Spicy Tofu Scramble Shakshuka Quesadilla

They say that when you make food, you have to make it with love. Otherwise, it will not be tasty. This is probably the reason why mom’s food is the best… it’s because she makes it with love! One place I felt the Love in the food, was a restaurant in Las Vegas called: Pura Vida. A Vegan Latin Bistro and the lovely Owner-Chef Myra is so warm and inviting, you can feel her love and care in the food! If you are in the Sin City area… I defintely recommend it. (and say Hi to chef Myra!)

Dining there, inspired me to make this recipe. Full of flavors, it tastes like Vegas to me… I made the Shakshuka filling (which is a north african dish of poached eggs in tomato chili sauce) to go with the traditional latin Quesadilla and replaced the eggs with the scramble tofu Oh So Yummy… you will not be able to stop! Just don’t forget to add ♥LOVE ♥

Ingredients

4-6 Tortilla Wraps (I like Brown Rice wraps and it also makes it a gluten free recipe).

1 Package Tofu (about 14 oz)

2 Ripe Roma Tomatoes

1 Medium Onion

2 Jalapeño Peppers

2 Small Colorful Bell Peppers

½ Cup Tomato Sauce (You can use store bought pasta or pizza sauce)

½ Cup Shredded Vegan Daiya Cheese

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Handful Chopped Parsley

1 tsp Adobo Spice Mix (or any spice mix you like)

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Red Paprika

1 tsp Ground Coriander

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Chop the vegetables.

2. Sauté the onions in the olive oil. Gradually add the peppers, jalepenos, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to the pan and stir for a few minutes.

3. Crumble the tofu with your hands and add to the pan.

4. Add all the spices, stir until the tofu gets a nice yellow color.

5. Add the parsley and the Daiya cheese.

6. Transfer onto a wrap and fold in half. Place into a panini maker/toaster until the cheese melts and it all comes together.

Serve with fresh salad and enjoy!

Category: Breakfast, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Recipies, Sandwiches and Wraps

Aug
16

Vegan Vanilla Banana French Toast

Since I became a mom, every weekend breakfast is special. There is more time to make it and its the only breakfast we have together as a family. When I was a child, my father was in charge of breakfast on weekends. We used to wait for his “Bird in the nest” toasted sandwich quietly so to let mom sleep till late. In my case, there are no more birds, no nests and my hubby’s cooking expertise includes only one thing: Popcorn. and even than, when he makes it, the kitchen looks like a war zone… Hey, but no complaints here! he makes the best popcorn ever! ;).

One of my daughter’s favorite weekend breakfast is a french toast, especially if she can help. If you have kids, It’s great to get them involved in the kitchen. I find that my picky eater is more likely to eat something we make together.

I like to use good quality bread. Spelt bread has a more gentle and pleasant taste than regular wheat bread in my opinion, the idea is you can use any bread and it doesn’t have to be fresh.

In this recipe I used banana as a binding agent (instead of eggs) and of course for taste.

Ingredients

1 Ripe Banana

1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk (or Soy Milk)

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Shredded Dry Coconut

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/8 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

6-8 Slices of Bread

Coconut Oil for frying

Maple Syrup for serving

Preparation

In a blender, blend the banana, almond milk, sugar, coconut, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until thick and smooth. transfer the batter into a shallow dish.

Dip the bread into batter so it is fully coated.

Use coconut oil generously and fry lightly in a non-stick pan on medium heat until brown on both sides. When you flip the toast, make sure to scrape carefully so the batter doesn’t stick to the pan.

Serve with your favorite seasonal fruit and maple syrup on the side.

Optional: sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar.

Yumm!

Category: Blog, Breakfast, Kid Friendly, Recipies, Sweets and Desserts

Aug
16

Go Bananas Smoothie

My morning smoothie helped me kick my addiction to coffee. I still love coffee but I don’t have to drink it everyday, three times a day. Smoothies are very filling and could be breakfast in itself. My base is always bananas, some kind of dried fruit (dates, apricots, figs) and a bunch of leafy greens (my favorite is arugula but I also use kale or spinach). To that I add hemp seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, almond butter or whatever I feel like adding that day. Don’t be deceived, it looks like “alien slime” as my daughter calls it… but is surprisingly yummy.