Elvis Smoothie

So here is a smoothie recipe that I absolutely LOVE, and would never have if it weren't for working at The Better Health Store Market in Lansing, Michigan.  I worked there as a manager and the in-store cafe made awesome sandwiches, juices, and smoothies.  This was by far my most favorite smoothie, which was called the "Elvis" due to the peanut butter/banana combo.  I have since altered it a little bit, but this recipe definitely owes credit to the store and the employees who work there (who work hard for shitty pay, believe me).

An essential part of this recipe is the frozen bananas, because you won't get the same texture in the smoothie if you use fresh ones.  Frozen bananas are an essential for any raw food ice cream dish and are awesome for other baking recipes as well .  All you need to do is pick up some brown or "baking" bananas at your local market (usually quite a bit cheaper), slice and freeze.  They might turn a bit brown in the freezer but that's fine.  I use a similar combination of carob, banana, and peanut butter in some of my raw ice cream recipes, but those are to come at a later date =)

Elvis Smoothie

1 1/2 frozen bananas
2 tbs peanut butter
1 tbs carob powder (or more if you like it really caroby)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or vanilla if that's your thing)
1 tbs honey
Soymilk (fill to cover ingredients, or depending on how thick you like it)

Sidenote:  If you use plain soymilk like I do, add 1/2 tsp of vanilla.  If you use vanilla soymilk, then nix the vanilla.  Or if you use sweetened soymilk, then maybe forgo the honey (but you really shouldn't be using sweetened soymilk because it's just a ton of added sugar which you can add yourself!).

Also, in my opinion, you should always try to buy ORGANIC soymilk.  This is because soybeans are some of the most heavily-sprayed crops in North America, and more so than not, they'll be a GMO crop.  Also why you should always get organic tofu as well.  It's also good to note that soy as naturally occurring estrogen (as soy isoflavones), so you really shouldn't be eating more than 25g of soy protein a day.

So because of all this, you might ask why not just use Almond milk?  Because the texture of smoothies and baked goods just doesn't compare, that's why.  Almond  milk is great, but I find the smoothies are always more watery than with soymilk.  It's great for oatmeal or porridge, but I'm going to have to stick with soymilk for smoothies (also good for protein).

-Beth

Carob Brownies

I actually had a dream last night that I found solid Carob bars somewhere in Vancouver.  Obviously, this is some sort of subconscious message that I'm craving Carob in substantial amounts (and no solid Carob bars anywhere to be found!).  I've been playing around with this brownie recipe for a bit and I think I've finally got it down to something moist and delicious.  You could possibly classify these as "healthy", but in reality they are just less in fat (no processed sugar, oil or butter) and higher in protein (yogurt, soymilk).

These would be easy to make into vegan brownies by subbing applesauce for yogurt, but I've tried with both ingredients and the yogurt really contributes to the texture and moistness.  These could in the future become gluten-free, stay tuned!  Just bought a bunch of buckwheat flour so we'll see what happens next!

Also, photo-quality is not optimum, but I was just too excited to eat brownies to really care =)

Carob Brownies

1/3 cup brown rice flour 

1 cup whole wheat flour 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1/3 cup carob powder 

3/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar (whatever is laying around, though I find maple syrup works best)

1/3 plain yogurt, full fat (higher protein!), or applesauce

1/4 soymilk (or regular milk), 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

Optional:

carob chips or chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl, mix wet ingredients, then add to dry ingredients (don't worry if there are lumps).

Spread in greased 8x8 pan (or pie dish if you lack proper baking equipment, such as myself).

Bake for 25-30 mins or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

AND most importantly, eat, laugh, enjoy =)

-Beth