Smoothies, Bumping It Up A Notch

I think I did a disservice to my post about smoothies. Yes, it was about the humble, basic smoothie, but I kept thinking about all the things I have thrown into a blender over the last few years.

There are a plethora of foodstuffs, some banal, some less so, that I have thrown into my pureed glass of goodness. Liquids run the gamut: coconut water, pineapple juice (chock full of anti-oxidants, manganese, bromelain, vitamin C, it's an anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, good for digestive issues, etc), milk (back in the day when I could do dairy), carrot juice (Mmmm, vitamin A aplenty), almond milk, green tea.

Fruit and veggie combinations are as varied as the choices for liquids, all depending on what nutrients you want and need. Cooked winter squash such as acorn, pumpkin, delicata, sweet dumpling, blue hubbard, all make great additions and really make for a silky, thick smoothie. These are high in beta-carotene as well as a good source of macro nutrients, anti-oxidents, and fiber. Avocado adds healthy fats, and a rich, silky texture. Mango, papaya, pineapple, berries, citrus fruits, each add their own special flavor as well as a slew of vitamin C, anti-oxidents, bioflavinoids, all of which have anti-inflammatory, and cancer fighting properties. The last two summers I have grown a small "salad garden" with beets for greens, and a variety of lettuces, all of which went into the blender.

For protein bumps add yogurt (if you are not dairy sensitive, or vegan), tofu, a raw egg (if you are not vegan.... I know, a lot of people freak out over raw eggs... they've never caused me any problems), peanut butter or other nut butter, or kefir.

Then there are the slightly off-the-wall additions. Ground flax seed is an excellent source of healthy fats, Omega fatty acids, fiber, and macro nutrients, as is ground Hemp Seed protein powder. A couple of pretzels, tossed in (if you are not gluten or wheat sensitive, like I am) makes for a great recovery smoothie addition. I've known people who throw a chocolate chip cookie into their banana smoothies, and say it is amazing.

Things to avoid: processed anything, juices that have any added sweeteners of any kind (sugar, high fructose corn syrup, regular corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, etc), artificial anything. Remember to try to keep it raw and natural as much as possible.

The lowdown: Try It! The worse thing that can happen is that you drink something that tastes a little weird, and then you know to not try that particular combo again. But in all reality, if you know the basic nutritional information on the ingredients you are using, it is not hard to come up with amazing meals in a glass. I do tend to stick pretty close to my Basic Smoothie, but that is mostly because I always have those ingredients on hand. In the summer I love to keep a variety of frozen fruits in the freezer so I can have a delectable, refreshingly icy beverage. I also buy the bags of very ripe bananas that they sell for half price, bring them home, slice them and freeze them, so I have frozen bananas available.

Experiment. Blend. Drink. Don't be alarmed at the color! Think of how your body will love you for all the natural goodness you are pouring down your throat.

The Humble Smoothie

    Throughout this last year smoothies have been my go-to food source, I drink at least one smoothie a day, sometimes two. I pack so much healthy goodness into a glass with the help of my 25 year old Oster Galaxie that my body loves me and I feel uber virtuous.

BASIC SMOOTHIE:

Fill blender container with Organic Baby Spinach, then add 8 oz of 100%, no sugar added, organic juice (I often use a blend of black cherry and cranberry or tart cherry). Blend on high until pureed and a smooth green. Add a goodly amount of a good protein powder, about 20 grams of protein, I use vegan brown rice protein powder and hemp powder, both organic. Blend until smooth. Add one ripe banana, blend until smooth, and drink it down! Sometimes I add a raw egg, if I want some animal protein. Another great addition is half a ripe avocado, which makes it thick and creamy, as well as adds some good fat. That's as simple and easy as it can get. Lots of good nutrition, easily digestible, several servings of fruits and veggies, plus protein.

I like to drink this late in the evening, since I know my body needs a good boost of protein, vitamins, and micronutrients for optimal muscle recovery while I sleep.

The smoothie is one of the most versatile foods an athlete can rely on. The variety is endless. Berries (fresh or frozen), whey protein (not for me though, I can't do dairy anymore), different plant based milk (almond, soy, coconut), your choice of juice (always aim for 100% juice, no sugar added, organic if possible). You can experiment with different greens, beet greens are mild and nutritious. I know a lot of people who use Swiss chard and kale, but they have a pretty intense flavor so consider using strong flavored fruits and juices with them.

I prefer smoothies over juicing since you get all the fiber, and none of the waste of juicing. All you need for smoothies is a good, stout blender, a little creativity, and a desire to treat your body to easily accessible nutrition.

Black Bean Brownies

    Well, it's been a while since I posted anything here. I have a hard time keeping up on my various blogs. But, I have a recipe that absolutely MUST be shared. Of course, you will be skeptical, so was I, but I tried it, tweaked it, and it has become an absolute must in my kitchen.

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9" round or 8" square cake pan.

1 15oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sugar (I use organic, evaporated cane juice) OR 1/2 cup Agave Syrup
2 T Oil (I use light E.V. Olive Oil)
1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or good blender, and blend until pureed and smooth.
Then add:

1/4 cup Dark Chocolate or Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (I like 60% cacao)
1/4 cup Almonds or other Nut (if desired)

Just blend until chocolate chips and nuts are chopped and still coarse.
Pour into baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

The beauty of these brownies are that they are high protein, gluten free, low fat, grain free, low glycemic, and high fiber. Not only are they delicious, they make an excellent recovery snack. I am eating a lot of these lately, they help manage my winter sweet tooth.

Roasted Winter Veg

    A winter staple for me is what I think of as my Roasted Winter Veg. I invented it last fall, as a vegan entree for my youngest brother's wedding reception. My brother is a chef and cheesemaker, his wife is a baker, and his friends are all foodies, many of whom are vegan. The Roasted Veggies were a huge hit. I tweak the recipe every time I make it, depending on the vegetables at hand. Three must haves though, are yams, beets, and apples. Okay, I know, apples are not a vegetable, let's not argue the fact. So here is the basic recipe:

Peel and cut into 3/4"-ish cubes:
3 large yams, 3 medium beets, 1 apple, about 1 cup of winter squash (Delicata, Blue Hubbard, Acorn, sweet heirloom pumpkin, etc...).
Also: 1 cup organic baby carrots, 1 small, thinly sliced sweet onion.
Pile into a bowl, drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup or maple syrup (or don't add any sweetener, if you don't want to). Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons sea salt. Toss together until everything is nicely coated with the oil.
Put in a lightly oiled casserole dish of proper size, shallow and wide is better than deep. Bake at 400 until it looks kind of overbaked. I like it to cook long enough to start caramelizing. This can take 2 to 3 hours. If you want it just cooked through, 1 to 1-1/2 hours is plenty.

This recipe is easy to tweak with whatever winter veggies you like, and you can add all kinds of deliciousness like dried fruit (dried cherries are amazing in this) or nuts.
If you want to be a little naughty and throw veganism to the wind; crisp, crumbled bacon really adds to the sweet/salty/savory awesomeness.

This dish holds over very well, and is easy to take to potluck events. I will nosh on this for days.

Introducing The New Blog

    Despite the fact that I am already barely managing to keep on top of my other blogs, I've been told too many times that I should start writing about food. If there is one place I feel confident, happy, and productive it is my kitchen. These last few years, as my body has gone through changes, intentional and otherwise, my concept of  "good food" has altered dramatically. Whole foods, quality ingredients, simply prepared to fuel my body, satiate my appetite, and soothe my soul. I train hard, workout obsessively, am hungry most of the time, and eat a lot. I need rocket fuel, not dirty coal, to fuel the machine that is me. I have become a tad obsessed about eating pure, organic, non-GMHO foods, and not polluting my body with chemicals. I avoid processed and prepackaged foods, avoiding anything with the demon High Fructose Corn Syrup. To make matters more complicated, I have developed various food intolerances. Dairy has become the enemy, in most of its forms, thankfully butter and cheese are not too problematic, but milk and yogurt tear me up. Wheat, in most forms, cause heartburn, which is inflammation. I have nearly cut meat from my diet, and am disinclined to consume most animal proteins, although I've been using eggs lately, to up my protein intake as I recover from a long, hard season of racing. Just recently I have discovered a nut allergy that was never a problem until I began eating a lot of nuts as a high calorie protein source. The long and short, I neurotically read labels, have to avoid a number of common foods, and therefore, it is just a damned sight easier to cook everything from scratch.
    So after a lifetime of being able to cook and eat damn near anything and everything, I am now having to alter old favorites, and create new favorites. This particular blog will be an attempt to chronicle my recipes, if you can call my handful-of-this-pinch-of-that way of creating to fall into the category of "recipes." I am hoping that this will make me more inclined to pay attention to what I do, maybe actually measure just how much "a handful" is.
    That is it in a nutshell. A chance to document what I create in my beautiful kitchen, to shovel into my gaping maw.