Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category
Key Lime Protein Smoothie
KEY LIME PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
Credit is due to my client Darren for creating the foundation for this recipe. I adapted it using lime and avocado for a consistently smooth and delicious flavour. This recipe is ideal for anyone who is wanting to reduce or eliminate sugar from their breakfast. If you have candida, you may need to use water instead of coconut water. Note that the Himalayan and Celtic sea salt are both naturally harvested and contain trace minerals that are not available in table salt or refined sea salts (if it pure white, it doesn’t have the trace minerals).
3 ice cubes
1 1/4 cup coconut water
2 c packed spinach
1/4 small avocado
juice of 1 large lime
pinch of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
Blend til smooth.
Add:
3/4 scoop (23 g) of unsweetened natural whey protein (you could use vanilla as an option)
1 tb. ground flaxseed or chia seed (this is optional but recommended for extra fibre and Omega 3 fats)
Blend just long enough to incorporate the protein into the drink.
Very Berry Protein Shake
You may think from my recipe posting that all I eat are protein shakes. Nah – it’s only one of my breakfast and snack options. But I do highly recommend them for the value that you get from the whey in particular, and from other concentrated proteins that vegans prefer. Besides, I get asked for shake recipes so often that it’s easier to post them than to continually have to email them. So here is the third in my repertoire.
Makes 1 Serving
Blend:
¾ cup frozen strawberries (or others such as blueberries or a combo)
¼ – ½ banana (optional)
1 cup natural coconut water (preferable, but optionally, you can use water or your favourite type of milk)
1 tb. almond butter (optionally, can use organic peanut butter)
When the ingredients above are completely blended, add:
1 scoop natural or vanilla flavoured whey protein powder
1 – 2 tb. ground flaxseed
1 tsp. Bioflavia (this is optional but highly recommended – it’s a super antioxidant from organic grapeskins http://www.bioflavia.ca/)
Blend for the minimum time needed to mix the powder in. Blending too much will destroy the integrity of the protein. Pour into a glass and enjoy.
Whey protein suggestions:
Ergogenics New Zealand Whey Isolate http://www.ergogenicsnutrition.com/
Brad King’s Ultimate High-Alpha Whey Protein http://fatwars.com/products/protein.html
Genuine Health Proteins + http://www.genuinehealth.com/by-name/proteins.html
Recipe – Oatmeal Protein Pancake
Looking for another breakfast option?
A version of this recipe was passed onto me by one of my clients, Peter M. Thanks Peter.
I adjusted some of the ingredients to include a wider range of nutrients. It is a great option for a high protein breakfast or snack that also has enough complex carbs to sustain you for hours or for a workout an hour or two later. It takes 10 minutes total prep time once you get the hang of it. You can cut down on the morning prep by doing the dry mixture the night before and then just adding eggs, milk and fruit.
Ingredients
1/2 cup large flaked rolled oats, ground to flour in a blender or coffee grinder (optionally, you could use oat flour)
2 tb unsweetened or vanilla whey protein (I use Ergogenics New Zealand Whey)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tb ground sprouted flax and/or chia seed (you can use regular flax or chia but the sprouted is more stable with heat)
pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten well in a measuring cup
unsweetened almond milk to make 3/4 cup when combined with the egg (optionally, you could use another type of milk)
1 apple, peeled and grated
2 tsp coconut oil
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the egg and almond milk in the measuring cup and add to the dry ingredients, mixing well. Add in the grated apple.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with the coconut oil. When hot enough to make a drop of batter bubble lightly, add the mixture to the pan, either as one large pancake or a couple of smaller ones. Turn heat down to low and let cook until the top of the pancake is dry (approximately 4 minutes). Flip over and let sit for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and eat.
There are lots of options for this recipe. I have also done it by adding a little less oatmeal and some rice protein. Peter uses egg whites instead of almond milk to up the protein content. It would also be good with other fruit such as blueberries. If you want more decadence, you can add some toppings to it, such as jam, apple butter or a fruit compote.
Nutritional Profile:
Calories: 478 kcal, Protein: 32 g, Carbs: 49 g, Fat: 18 g, Fibre: 10 g.
Need a killer recipe for beating colds (or fending off the vampires)?
Onions, garlic and ginger are a powerful team against viruses (and apparently, according to my resident ghoul expert, vampires). When you feel the symptoms of a cold setting in, take 15 minutes to make enough of this saucy mix to last you a few days. Serve it over short grain brown rice if you need more sustenance and comfort.
Makes 3 -4 servings
2 large onions, chopped (any white onions will do, although the stronger it is, the more anti-viral potential it has)
1 tb. ginger, peeled and chopped coarsely
2 tb. garlic, chopped coarsely
1 tb. tamari (naturally aged soy sauce)
6 cups water or stock
1.5 tb. arrowroot flour (it acts as a natural thickening agent like corn starch, but healthier)
Combine all ingredients except for arrowroot in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the onions are soft. Spoon the arrowroot into a small bowl and stir in just enough cold water to liquify it. With the onion mixture simmering, stir in the arrowroot liquid. Let it simmer for a few more minutes. Do not let it boil because the thickening quality of the arrowroot will diminish with too much heat. Add more arrowroot if you would like to thicken it more. Simmer for a few more minutes. Serve hot as is, or over brown rice or quinoa.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie – yummy!!
This is my go to recipe for my morning protein shake. If you like chocolate and peanut butter you are gonna love this one.
1 Serving
Blend:
¼ – ½ frozen banana (if not frozen add 2 or 3 cubes of ice)
1 ¼ cup natural coconut water (preferable, but optionally, you can use water or your favourite type of milk)
2 tb. 100% organic peanut butter (choose organic because of the high pesticide content of regular peanuts)
When the ingredients above are completely blended, add:
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1 – 2 tb. ground flaxseed
1 tsp. glutamine (optional)
Blend for the minimum time needed to mix the powder in. Blending too much will destroy the integrity of the protein.
Pour into a glass and enjoy.
Whey protein suggestions:
Ergogenics New Zealand Whey Isolate http://www.ergogenicsnutrition.com/
Brad King’s Ultimate High-Alpha Whey Protein http://fatwars.com/products/protein.html
Genuine Health Proteins + http://www.genuinehealth.com/by-name/proteins.html
Recipe: Walnut, date and cinnamon protein shake
Yum!!
I’m into protein shakes these days. Love them as a first morning meal and sometimes when working from home as a late afternoon snack. They are also a great inclusion for pre or post workout if you can make that happen. But I am a stickler for taste…and some of the shakes that I have tried from others’ recipes just don’t cut it for me flavour-wise.
Walnuts, dates and cinnamon are a classic combo so after a few tries, voila, I created a cinnamon-y masterpiece, if I say so myself. Try it for it’s great health benefits – rich in the essential omega 3 and 6 fats, antioxidants including vitamin E and of course protein. To top it off, cinnamon slows down the passage of the food out of the stomach which aids in blood sugar stability and it could increase the availability of the protein due to its slower digestion. Otherwise whey protein digests and gets absorbed within a short period of time (1 -2 hours depending on the variety and your personal biochemistry).
Walnut, Date and Cinnamon Protein Shake
Blend together:
- 4 ice cubes
- 1/4 large or 1/2 small banana
- 4 walnuts from the shell*
- 4 pecans from the shell*
- 2 pitted honey dates (or other date variety)
- 1 cup coconut water (100% unsweetened)
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
After blending the above to a smooth and mixed consistency, add:
- 2/3 scoop (20 g) vanilla protein powder**
- 1 tsp greens powder***
- 1 tb ground flaxseed
Blend for only a few seconds or long enough to mix thoroughly. (Too much mixing can destroy the structure of the protein. To be safe, I add my greens and flax at the end as well.) Serve.
* nuts, especially soft ones like walnuts, are fragile to rancidity – so whenever you can use them fresh from the shell
** my preferred choice for protein powder is Ergogenics New Zealand Whey Isolate (for quick absorption) or Concentrate (for a slightly slower absorption)
*** I use Trophic Pure-essential Greens Concentrate or Ergogenics Whole Greens
Recipe – Simmered Quinoa
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is one of my favourite whole grains. It is light, nutty in flavour and unlike a lot of other grains, it is good hot or cold. Quinoa is an ancient grain (actually a seed) of the Incas, grown high in the Andes mountain on rocky, alkaline soils. It is hearty to extreme temperatures and high radiation, ideally adapted to its growing locale. It provides an excellent vegetable source of protein, complete in its amino acid profile, an abundance of calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc, as well as the B vitamins.
If you buy quinoa in bulk, it will likely have grit that is difficult to remove even with washing. I advise clients to buy the boxed quinoa. In Canada and the US you can get Ancient Harvest Quinoa. Start with the ivory coloured grain as opposed to the red, only because it is a little lighter in flavour and would probably appeal to the palate of most people.
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish.
1 c. quinoa
1 2/3 c. purified water
1/4 tsp. unrefined sea salt
Put quinoa in a medium sized mixing bowl, cover with cold water and swoosh the grain thru the water with your hand. Drain the water in a fine strainer. Repeat 2 more times. Bring the water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized cooking pot. Turn the heat down low, then add the quinoa, and the salt. Let simmer on minimum heat with the lid on for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and keep the lid off for 5 minutes to let the steam dissipate and minimize the stickiness of the grain, or serve immediately.
As with any simmered grain, you can flavour it with a combination of the following
1/ Good quality fat – olive oil, sesame oil, flax oil, hemp oil or butter
(olive oil combines well with flax, hemp and butter so you can do them alone or in combination)
2/ Saltiness – sea salt, herbed salt, tamari (naturally aged soy sauce) or gomasio (combination of roasted
sesame seeds and sea salt)
3/ Herbs (preferably fresh) – ginger juice, parsley, cilantro, chives are particularly good on grains
4/ Seeds – sesame, hemp, ground flax, cumin, caraway
Recipe – Quinoa Sesame Salad
I love the combination of grains or vegetables with sesame oil. As with any oil, look for one that is unrefined in dark bottles to preserve the quality of the fatty acids.
Ideally you want to make this salad at least 2 hours ahead of when you are going to serve it so that it can cool down and the flavours can meld together. It could also be served as a hot dish just by replacing the cucumbers with a vegetable that does well with heat, such as spinach, shittake mushrooms or zucchini (in which case I would lightly saute the vegetables before adding them to the quinoa).
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side dish
1 c. quinoa
1 2/3c water
1/4 tsp unrefined sea salt
1/2c. diced cucumber
1/2c. diced orange pepper
2 tbs. minced chives
1 tb. minced cilantro
1 tb. unrefined sesame oil
juice of 1/2? fresh ginger, finely grated
1/2 tsp. tamari (naturally aged Japanese soy sauce)
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Prepare the quinoa as in the recipe on this blog, Simmered Quinoa.
Add all the ingredients to the grain and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
