Pancake Sunday!: Turmeric Blueberry Spice Superfood Pancakes.

Happy Sunday, everyone!
If you're like me, Sundays mean a couple of things: 1. sleeping in. 2. rest day...aka extra time for yoga. 3. quality time with family and friends. 4. "catch up" and "prep for the week ahead" day. And 5. PANCAKES FOR BREAKFASTTTTTTT! It's pretty much the golden rule when it comes to Sunday breakfast or brunch: whatever you eat, your plate MUST include a short stack (or a tall stack...).
Now, what's special about this stack? Well, other than that it's INSANELY DELICIOUS, this stack of pancakes is completely loaded with nutrients...practically OVERFLOWING from all the health benefits (and maple syrup...)! So, what exactly is IN this stack that makes it so wonderful? Keep reading...
Turmeric. Turmeric is probably the most potent herb out there when it comes to health benefits. Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties...it has been used as a natural alternative to prednisone in some case studies (with SUCCESS, I might add!). In addition, turmeric has powerful antioxidant properties, making it extremely effective at ridding the body of harmful free radicals. In other studies, turmeric has been shown to be effective at reducing the risk of heart disease, treating depression, lessening the effects of alzheimer's, and even curing cancer!
Wild Blueberries. Wild blueberries are among nature's leading sources of antioxidant's. According to wildblueberries.com, "...a one-cup serving of Wild Blueberries has more total antioxidant capacity (TAC) than 20 other fruits and veggies, including cranberries, strawberries, plums, raspberries and even cultivated blueberries." Blueberries naturally contain the antioxidants pterostilbene and reservatrol, both of which are effective at neutralizing free radicals. They are one of the best sources of natural fiber, containing a whopping 6.2 grams in just 1 cup. Additionally, blueberries contain health amounts of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, manganese, and copper. 
Coconut. Just one ounce of dried coconut contains 4 grams of fiber, making it a delicious way to help you "stay regular." Coconut also contains brain-boosting copper, which promotes the production of myelin, the protective coating around our brain's neurotransmitters. Studies also link coconut to improved memory.
As you can see, these pancakes are pretty darn healthy. But that's not all...they're pretty darn delicious, too! But don't take my word for it....try 'em yourself! And let me know watcha think in the comments! 
Have a great week, guys, and enjoy your pancakes! 

Turmeric Blueberry Spice Superfood Pancakes.

 Turmeric Blueberry Spice Superfood Pancakes. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one (makes 5 medium-sized pancakes). 

Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (I used oat flour)
2. 1/2 tsp baking powder
3. One packet stevia powder
4. 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
5. 1/4 tsp ground ginger
6. 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
7. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (refrigerated kind)
8. 2 T dried coconut chips
9. Peanut butter of choice and maple syrup, for topping

Method
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk well. Add blueberries and coconut milk and stir. until a smooth batter forms.
2. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto heated nonstick pan. Cook 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter.
3. Arrange pancakes on a large plate and add toppings. Serve immediately. 

Holiday Post!: Patriotic Pasta Salad.

Happy flag day, friendzies! Hope everyone has enjoyed the day. Here's a quick and easy little vegan addition to a family BBQ--simple to make, easy to take, and of course yummy. Enjoy! 

               Patriotic Pasta Salad. 

        So nice and festive--and all those fresh flavors!

Ingredients

1. One serving macaroni noodles, prepared and drained

2. 1 T white wine vinegar

3. 3" chunk of daikon radish, thinly sliced

4. Small handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced

5. 1/3 cup fresh blueberries

6. Onion and garlic powders to taste

Method

1. In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Note: tastes the best when allowed to sit for a while...the flavors mingle and the overall taste is so superior to when it is enjoyed right away. 

Orange Juice Bowl.

Ok, people. It's here. The age of the Juice Bowl. We've had smoothie bowls, we've had oatmeal bowls, we've had Nogurt bowls. But, alas--a new era is yon us...the era of The Juice Bowl. This simple breakfast is so refreshing for those hot, humid mornings (like this one! At least in Newark, Delaware!), or for a
hydrating afternoon snack. Get creative, too! If you're not into oranges, try grapefruit or even lemons or limes! Just note that if you do opt for sour citrus fruits for your juice bowl, you will want to sweeten it significantly more than if you follow the recipe. Regardless, enjoy your juice bowl! 

               Orange Juice Bowl. 

            Mega toppings! 😍😍😍😍

   "Smoothie bowls ain't got nothin' on me." --Orange Juice Bowl. 

Orange Juice Bowl. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients 

1. 2 medium size oranges, peeled 

2. 1 cup water

3. 2 T protein powder of choice

4. 10 drops orange flavored stevia

5. 2 tsp psyllium husk powder

6. 1/2 tsp chia seeds

7. 1/2 tsp shredded coconut

8. 1/2cup fresh blueberries 

9. Cinnamon, optional

Method

1. In your vitamix, combine oranges, water, stevia, and protein powder. Blend until smooth. 

2. Pour into a bowl and mix in psyllium powders. Add blueberries and stir. Top with chia, coconut, and optional cinnamon. Enjoy! 

Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait.

This one's kind of a mouthful...but this insanely delicious breakfast of mine (enjoyed this morning, as a matter of fact!) DESERVES an epically long title! But long title does NOT mean long prep time; you can whip this bad boy up in about 15 minutes, start to finish. And this can definitely go for a lunch or snack as well as a breakfast...dinner is acceptable, too! Whenever you opt to enjoy it, I know you will! 

Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait. 

          Look at those luscious layers!

  I'm literally drooling. This was so good!

SERIOUSLY. LOOK AT THOSE COLORS. 

Blueberry and Blood Orange Smoothie Oatmeal Parfait. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup raw old fashioned oats

2. 5 oz. silken firm tofu

3. 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar 

4. One packet stevia

5. 1 medium size blood orange, peeled

6. 1 cup frozen blueberries

7. One scoop protein powder of choice 

8. One packet stevia (omit if protein is sweetened)

9. 2 tsp grated ginger

10. Ginger powder for garnish

Method

1. In a small trifle bowl, spread raw oats on bottom. 

2. In your food processor, blend tofu, vinegar, and stevia until smooth. Spread evenly over oats. 

3. Blend remaining ingredients in your vitamix until smooth and creamy. Spoon over Nogurt and garnish with ginger. 

Red, White, and Blueberry Salad.

A bit late, but this amazingness happened on Memorial Day 🙌 hope you all enjoy...I sure did 😋

      Red, White, and Blueberry Salad. 

             Fruity. Creamy. YUMMY!

Red, White, and Blueberry Salad. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. Large serving of chopped romaine lettuce

2. 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

3. 10 cherry tomatoes, sliced

4. "Vanilla Nogurt" for dressing (in recipe files!)

Method

1. The dance goes like this: lettuce, toms and bloobs, Nogurt, eat. YUM. 

Powdered Blueberries!

What happens when you get EXTREMELY LOW on food items?! You come up with EXTREMELY STRANGE food combinations. Case in point: my "Powdered Blueberries" recipe is very odd to say the least...but it's ROCKIN! So good. Super quick and easy and I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you already have all the ingredients (all TWO of them...hehe.)! Go ahead and give this one a go--you can eat them plain, use as an oatmeal topper, or even on a salad! The possibilities are endless, really!

                Powdered Blueberries!

Powdered Blueberries!; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup frozen blueberries 

2. 1 T brown rice protein powder (I ised Jarrow brand)

Method

1. Put your frozen bloobs in a strainer and rinse briefly under cold water. Drain and place in a small bowl. 

2. Sprinkle protein powder over top and mix well. Use as desired or just DEVOUR! 

Red White and Blue: Independence Day Jicama Slaw.

Ok here's the situation: family picnic tomorrow. With the EXTENDED family (gulp). You have been volunteered to bring the side dish. Double gulp. You want to impress, considering the WHOLE fam will be there. It's the day before and you have absolutely no clue what to make. Before you run to your computer to perform a mad google search for vegan potato salad recipes, give my "Independence Day Jicama Cole Slaw" a go. Anything but traditional, anything but boring. This winner is sure to impress even your grumpy old Uncle Al. 

    Independence Day Jicama Cole Slaw.  

        Pretty, huh? Pretty AWESOME! 

Independence Day Jicama Cole Slaw; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. (NOTE: This is VERY easy to double or even triple to serve more people!)

Ingredients 

1. 3/4 cup shredded Jicama

2. 5 oz. Morinu soft silken tofu

3. 1/3 cup frozen wild blueberries, "quick thawed" in microwave for 30 seconds

4. 1 T goji berries

5.  5 drops liquid stevia

Method

1. Place your shredded jicama in a serving bowl and set aside. 

2. In your mini food processor, combine tofu, thawed berries, and stevia. Blend until super smooth. I ended up adding about 1 T of water as I blended to thin it out a bit. 

3. Drop dressing over jicama and garnish with gojis. Ready, set, EAT! 

Holiday Oats!: 4th of July Oatmeal Parfait.

Yay another holiday oats post! As you know, I'm a big sucker for holidays.  I mean, after all, it's just another great excuse to spend ALL DAY in the kitchen making delicious, nourishing, and BEAUTIFUL holiday-themed vegan food! Love. 

This "4th of July Oatmeal Parfait" is so so so good. It's so ridiculously quick, simple, and absolutely gorgeous. Have you been searching for a yummy Independence Day breakfast or dessert? Well search no more. MAKE THIS NOW! 

           4th of July Oatmeal Parfait. 

4th of July Oatmeal Parfait; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 6 oz. Morinu soft silken tofu

2. 10 drops coconut flavored stevia

3. 1/2 cup dry oats of choice (I used oatbran. Rolled or old fashioned will work too.)

4. 2 T unsweetened shredded coconut, optional 

5. 1 cup frozen strawberries

6. 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries

Method 

1. Gather a glass "parfait" bowl and set aside. 

2. In a separate microwave safe bowl, nuke frozen strawberries in the microwave for 40-45 seconds. Remove from microwave and mash with the back of a fork. It's ok to have some chunks remaining--don't completely purée. 

3. Spread strawberry mixture on bottom of parfait dish. Set aside. 

4. In your mini food processor, combine tofu and stevia. Blend until smooth. 

5. In separate bowl, mix together oats, tofu pudding, and optional coconut. Mix well and spread evenly over strawberry base. 

5. Top with frozen wild blueberries. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy. 

Blueberry-Carob Mousse.

This. Is. So. Good. People. Thick, creamy, and so easy to make, this will for sure be a new favorite for you...it is do me! 

            Blueberry-Carob Mousse. 

         Wayyyyy tooooo goooood. 

Blueberry-Carob Mousse; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 6 oz. Morinu silken extra firm tofu

2. 1/3 cup frozen wild blueberries

3. 1 T carob powder

4. 1/2 packet stevia

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in your mini food processor and blend until smooth, scraping sides as you go if needed. Serve! NOMS. 

Holiday Post!: Memorial Day Ice Cream Bars.

These Memorial Day ice cream bars are the perfect treat for a hot day! Super simple to make and only 4 ingredients! Definitely a winner!

         Memorial Day Ice Cream Bars. 

        Yuuuuuuuuuummmmmmooooo. 

Memorial Day Ice Cream Bars; Vegan, Gluten-free. Makes one serving (one plate of ice cream bars). 

Ingredients 

1. 2 frozen bananas 

2. 1/2 cup water or almond milk

3. 1 cup frozen strawberries

4. 1/8 cup frozen wild blueberries 

Method

1. Blend the frozen bananas in your vitamix with the water. The result should be like a thick smoothie. 

2. Line a shallow baking dish with parchment paper and pour in banana mixture. 

3. Using caution, slice the frozen strawberries in half and squish halves into banana ice cream. Squish in your bloobs as well. 

4. Cover and place in freezer overnight. Let thaw about 10 minutes before sliding into bars and devouring! Yumalicious!

"gRAWnola".

 I guess this is more of an idea than a recipe. Oh well. It had to be shared! 

Have you discovered the wonderful vegan protein powerhouse TVP?! I am addicted to this stuff. It's seriously amazing! It resembles ground meat to a tee and can be flavored HOWEVER your heart desires (I've done savory and sweet...both are delish!). The usual way to use TVP is as a groud meat substitute, in chili, tacos, etc., or as I like, simply cook 1:1 ratio TVP to liquid of choice (veggie broth, almond milk, tomato juice, or simply water) and microwave until liquibis absorbed (I do 1 min per serving). 

This is a bit of an untraditional way to use  this, I'll warn you. But fear not! It is sooooo good. You MUST try this. 

                      TVP Lovin'. 

"gRAWnola" with Vanilla No gurt and fresh blueberries; Vegan, Gluten free. Serves one. 

Ingredients 

1. 1/4 cup TVP granules

2. One recipe "vanilla no gurt" (recipe in a previous post)

3. Handful fresh blueberries

4. Cinnamon to taste 

Method 

1. Prepare your no gurt according to the recipe. Scoop into a bowl, top with TVP granules (leave them crunchy. TRUST ME!) and blueberries and sprinkle with cinnamon (or other fruits and spices. Get creative people!). Enjoy! And you WILL enojoy this...you will NOT believe how delicious it is! 

   "gRAWnola" with Vanilla No Gurt and        Fresh Blueberries. 

"Dessert" Salad.

Are you ready to be bombarded with sala recipes?! When the weather starts warming up, all I want is SALAD. I call my salads "mega salads" because, well, they are freaking HUGE let me tell you. This one is no exception. Packed with yummy fruits (hello antioxidants!) this salad feels like a dessert, thus the name "dessert" salad. But fear not, even this seemingly "treat" of a salad is still 100% guiltless. Too good to be true?! Nope. You love me. Admit it. 

                     Dessert Salad. 

"Dessert" Salad; Vegan, Gluten-free. Served one (one GIANT salad). 

Ingredients

1. 8 cups fresh spinach leaves

2. One large plum, sliced and chopped

3. 5 oz. honeydew melon, cut into chunks

4. 1 cup fresh blueberries

5. 1 T carob powder

6. 2 T almond milk

7. 1 tsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Method

1. In a gigantic bowl, add spinach first, then plum, honeydew, then bloobs. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the carob and almond milk. Drizzle over salad an sprinkle with coconut shreds. Eat up!

Breakfast of Champions: The Fit Vegan Ginger's Bounty "Cereal" Bowl

If you didn't already know, I am a competitive figure skater; ice dancer, to be exact! I have been skating since I was 9 and am hoping to go to the National Solo Dance Chanpioships. I train 6 days a week...2 out of the 6 days I get up at 4:30 AM to be on the ice before 6. Needless to say, a good, filling breakfast is essential to get me through those brutal early sessions. 

This Bounty "Cereal" Bowl has become my go-to breakfast before my early morning practices. It's super quick, packed with filling protein and energizing carbs, and gives me tons of energy. Try this yummy breakfast bowl on a morning you know you have to hurry out the door-I guarantee your day will be off to a great start once enjoying this!

 The Fit Vegan Ginger's Bounty "Cereal" Bowl. 

The Fit Vegan Ginger's Bounty "Cereal" Bowl; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. One medium zucchini, chopped

2. 1 medium carrot (or 6 baby carrots), peeled and chopped

3. 1 cup frozen blueberries

4. 1/3 cup dry roasted unsalted soy nuts 

5. 1 cup plant based milk of choice (almond milk is my personal fave)

Method

1. In a VERY large bowl, combine your zucchini, carrots, and frozen blueberries. Mix very well to thoroughly combine the ingredients. 

2. Cover and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, add your nuts, stir, and top with milk of choice. That's it! So simple and so yummy!

Raw blueberry pudding

It's a good things this pudding only makes one serving. If it made any more than that, I don't think I would be able to stop eating it...

Perfect on toast, oatmeal, or straight out of the food processor, this pudding will definitely make your taste buds happy. 

               Raw Blueberry Pudding. 

Raw Blueberry Pudding; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 3 oz. silken tofu

2. 1/3 cup frozen blueberries (do not thaw!)

3. Tiny sprinkle of stevia

Method

1. So easy. Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor and blend until super smooth. You can add a tiny bit of water if you need to in order to get things moving, but add no more than a teaspoon or so. This should be pretty thick. 

2. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, andbplace in fridge for about 15 minutes to chill and for flavors to mesh. 

3. Remove from fridge and stir before serving. Enjoy! 

              Silky smooth. So yum.