Banana Basil 'Nicecream'

Your new summer 'superfood' is here. And cooler than ever.

You may have seen images of charcoal ice cream swirling around your instagram feed lately. After trying the dairy-free charcoal vanilla froyo at Real Good Juice here in Chicago, I decided to make my own version; I cut out the charcoal and subbed in greens to turn this into a delicious summertime treat.

First. What's the deal with the dark stuff? I bought charcoal powder out of curiosity and used it for a DIY face mask. Note: I don't recommend doing this casually before you have to be somewhere; it took a LONG time to wash off; I was left with a rosy "glow" from all the scrubbing. #beautyfail. Companies that champion charcoal claim it helps to 'detox' your body, promotes digestive health, prevents hangovers and lowers blood cholesterol. While activated charcoal is used to treat poisoning, there is no scientific evidence to support it's use to treat these other health concerns.

Bottom line: I don't recommend using charcoal as an ingredient. Ingesting too much charcoal may lead to constipation, interfere with the absorption of nutrients and inhibit the effectiveness of some medications. 

Try this super simple 'superfood' recipe the next time you are in the mood for a sweet summer treat. Feel free to create your own by subbing tahini for the almond butter or fresh mint for the basil.

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

1. 2-3 frozen bananas
2. 1 Tbsp. almond butter
3. 4 basil pods from Trader Joe's or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4. 3/4 cup dairy-free milk of choice
5. 1 cup frozen spinach
6. 1/2 avocado

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender
2. Blend until creamy; add more or less milk based on desired consistency
3. Add to individual container(s); freeze for 20-30 minutes
3. Top with fresh fruit or nuts before enjoying! 

Roasted Cauliflower with Almond Curry Paste

Broccoli, bye. Bring this cute cruciferous to your next party.

You may know that I am a lazy home chef. I hit "next" if I see a recipe with more than several ingredients listed; I have only used our wedding gift Kitchen Aid mixer a handful of times. One "lazy" strategy that I consistently use is incorporating frozen vegetables into my meals. Although I would love to say that I only use produce picked fresh from the farmers market, I simple don't. And I'm ok with that.

From pizza crust to "rice" to cauliflower gnocchi, this versatile vegetable packs a nutritious punch. Offering just 25 calories per cup, making it low-cal/low-carb friendly, cauliflower's "superfood status" is in part due to it's high concentration of the antioxidant Vitamin C. One cup gives you ~75% of your daily needs, helping to keep your skin supple + bones strong. Cauliflower is also rich in phytochemicals, naturally occurring compounds that may help block substances we ingest from becoming carcinogenic, or cancer-causing, compounds. Phytochemicals also play a role in helping to reduce inflammation in the body, keeping our cells + immune system healthy.

So the next time you are asked to bring summer bbq dish, consider checking out cauliflower as your new go-to side kick. Feel free to modify the recipe below; I like to top this with some flavorful chutney for a bit of a different flavor. Enjoy!

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1. One bag frozen cauliflower florets; Trader Joe's has a great grilled option
2. 2-3 Tbsp. almond butter; I used fresh ground from Whole Foods
3. 2 Tbsp. whole roasted flax seeds
4. 3 tsp. red curry paste; +/- depending on spice level preference
5. 1/4 cup dairy-free milk of choice; I used Oatly
6. 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400° 
2. Line a baking sheet with baking paper; coat with vegetable oil cooking spray
3. While oven is warming, blend almond butter, curry paste + milk using a handheld blender
4. Add flax seeds until mixture has thickened, creating a paste-like texture
5. Add more curry paste, or salt, if desired
6. Cook cauliflower for 10-12 minutes; add almond curry paste to coat florets
7. Bake an additional 2 - 4 minutes; optional to broil for an additional 1 - 2 minutes
8. Remove from oven, let cool + enjoy! 

Rose Water Spritzer

Your classic white wine spritzer. Just fancier. 

My friend Yelena has recently mastered the art of creating craft cocktails. From making her own infused syrups to incorporating ingredients like bourbon-soaked cherries, I have been beyond impressed with her creativity. The result is always something fresh + fantastic. Recently, she used rose petal ice cubes in one of her creations. So, I decided to make my own ice cubes to add to one of my favorite summer drinks: the white wine spritzer. 

However, I did not follow instructions; I simply tossed the petals into an ice cube tray + hoped for fancy ice. The petals ended up on top of, instead of inside, the ice cubes. And although pretty, I didn't particularly enjoy petal pieces floating around in my beverage. After telling this to Chef Y she mentioned I needed to partially fill the ice cubes with water before freezing, adding the petals and freezing a final time into petal perfection.

A few weeks after the fancy ice fiasco, I visited my mom in California. Always one to enjoy a white wine spritzer, she made me her latest libation: adding a splash of rose water to her spritzer. I immediately feel in love with the refreshing, floral combo. And after adding the rose petal ice cubes, I knew I had found my new summer love :)

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1-2 fresh roses
• 1 bottle of white wine (Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite)
• 1 bottle of sparkling water
• 1/2 tsp rose water (my mom purchased her bottle from a local mediterranean store but you can order online)

Instructions

Rose Petal Ice Cubes
1. Fill an ice cube tray one-third of the way. Freeze.
2. Add petals to top of the ice; add water to fill the tray 2/3 of the way. Freeze again.
3. Fill the tray the rest of the way with water before final freezing. 

White Wine Spritzer
1. Add 2-3 ice cubes to each wine glass
2. Fill each wine glass 2/3 of the way with sparkling water
3. Top off with 2 ounces of white wine
4. Add a few drops of rose water to each glass + enjoy! 

Smashed Blackberry + Lime Overnight Oats

Yesterday I enjoyed a seriously good breakfast bowl by Graze at one of my favorite local studios, Studio Three.  The Banana Cashew bowl had a little bit of lime, offering a refreshing balance to the creaminess of the cashew/banana blend. Loved it. 

So today I decided to make my own version of the bowl by subbing out the fancy (+ high-cal) granola for raw rolled oats. Also, instead of agave, I smashed a handful of blackberries + drizzled tart cherry juice concentrate to give my meal natural sweetness. Finally, I added a small handful of fresh edamame (I know it sounds strange but trust me!) + chia seeds to boost the bowls protein + fiber content. The end result was a sweet + satisfying mini meal that helped keep me full for the rest of my afternoon.  

Serves: 1 - 2 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw rolled oats
• 3/4 cup dairy-free yogurt (I used So Delicious coconut milk yogurt, unsweetened vanilla)
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 Tbsp. edamame, fresh
• 1/4 cup fresh blackberries (feel free to use any berry - fresh or frozen)
• 1 tsp. tart cherry juice concentrate
• 1/4 fresh lime

Instructions

1. Mix in oats, chia + edamame into coconut milk yogurt
2. In a separate bowl, smash berries with a fork. Add into the yogurt mixture.
3. Squeeze lime over mixture + add tart cherry juice concentrate.
4. Place mixture into fridge. Let sit for ~4 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Raw Carrot + Quinoa Salad with Mint

Last night I made a huge pot of quinoa for my husband to use in a new recipe he is trying (a breakfast casserole of some sort...stay tuned). So today I threw a salad together using some of the quinoa + added things I already had on hand like shredded carrots + mint. A handful of black beans gave the salad a bit more staying power by upping the protein + fiber content. I also added a dollop of fresh baba ganoush in lieu of dressing. This added creaminess without the greasiness of an oily dressing.  

No pre-made quinoa? No problem! This salad would be great with any raw veggies plus half a cup of no-salt-added beans or a small steamed sweet potato (Dexter's favorite :))

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa 
• 1/4 cup black beans (canned, rinsed)
• 1/4 purple onion, diced
• 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup carrots, shredded 
• 1 Tbsp. baba ganoush (this would be great with hummus too!)
• Small handful of fresh mint (optional; or use fresh basil for a different flavor) 

Instructions

1. Place quinoa and beans in a bowl. 
2. Chop vegetables and add to bowl
3. Scoop baba ganoush onto salad, top with mint + enjoy!

Savory Spinach Oatmeal

Sometimes I do want something sweet in the morning...like a vegan donut :)  But most mornings, I'm looking for something savory + satisfying. Recently I've been making for this simple savory spinach oatmeal each morning. Using frozen spinach, sun-dried tomatoes + frozen basil pods (thank you, Trader Joe's!) allows me to make this when I don't have any fresh veggies on hand.  

Use this recipe as a guide - feel free to add in leftover veggies from the night before or throw in some curry paste to give your breakfast a bit of a bite. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups water (sub with a dairy-free milk for extra creaminess)
• 2 pods of Trader Joe's frozen basil pods
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach
• 1 Tbsp. whole flax seeds
• 1 Tbsp. Trader Joe's Almnod Butter Turmeric Salad Dressing
• 1 tsp. pine nuts or slivered almonds
• sprinkle of dairy-free shredded cheese (optional; Daiya is my favorite)
• 1 tsp. chutney (optional; Le Bon Magot has some super unique flavors)

Instructions

1. Add water, oats, frozen spinach + basil to a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Cook approximately 5 minutes until oats have softened + are looking plump.
3. Add flax seeds, dressing + nuts. Cook 1 - 2 minutes before removing from heat. 
4. Scoop your oatmeal into a bowl, top with cheese + chutney and enjoy!