Healthy and Filling Breakfast Smoothies

Many people ask me my secret to staying thin. A great way to help maintain a healthy weight while staying full throughout the day is to enjoy a breakfast smoothie in the morning rather than eating processed foods such as fruit yogurt, cereal, or pastries. When you go grocery shopping, pick up some fresh fruits and veggies. Make sure to prepare or freeze them at night so they are ready to go in the morning, helping you to get out of the door quickly. Below are some of my favorite smoothie recipes to make.

 

A few of the recipes call for Medjool dates. I personally don't like the taste of Medjool dates, so I use Deglet Noor dates for a sweeter taste. If you forget to freeze your fruits and veggies, you can add ice instead.

 

The Chunky Monkey Smoothie is my favorite, and the easiest to make, so I have that every day.

The Glowing Green Smoothie was a bit chunky and time consuming to make. Trust me, it will taste like fruit, not vegetables, but it is very thick for sure.

The Melon Refresher had a bit of a bland taste. I felt like it needed sugar, which defeats the purpose of a healthy morning smoothie. Next time I'll try adding some dates as a natural sweetener. I also use greek yogurt.

The Pumpkin Pie Smoothie tasted like a watered down version of a pumpkin pie. I loved it, but my husband thought it was pretty weird.

The Spicy Tropical Green Smoothie was delicious, but time consuming. Also, please note that there is a difference between coconut milk and coconut water.

The Strawberry Peach Smoothie was nice and creamy, but there was nothing spectacularly special or unique about this recipe.

 

Once you get the hang of breakfast smoothies, have some fun and add other ingredients. Be creative and make your own unique recipes! Try adding cooked and then cooled oatmeal, ground almonds, chia seeds,  kale, and spinach. Different plant-based milks change the flavor of your smoothie as well. Try coconut milk for a sweet tropical flavor, sunflower seed milk or hemp milk for a earthy flavor, rice milk or soy milk for a milk flavor, and almond milk for a nutty flavor.

 

What are your favorite ingredients to add to a smoothie?

 

-Sarah

 

 



Chunky Monkey Smoothie

From “Forks Over Knives” by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more as needed, or water
2 medium frozen bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates, or to taste
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder.

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Add more almond milk as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

The Glowing Green Smoothie

From: http://www.fitsugar.com/Kimberly-Snyder-Green-Smoothie-Recipe-Weight-Loss-18356998

Ingredients:
1/2 cups water
1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped
3-4 stalks organic celery
1/2 head of a large bunch or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach
1 organic apple, cored and chopped
1 organic pear, cored and chopped
1 organic banana
Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon
1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems OK) (optional)
1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems OK) (optional)

Add water and chopped head of romaine to blender. Blend at a low speed until smooth. Add spinach, celery, apple, and pear and blend at high speed. Add cilantro and parsley. Finish with banana and lemon.
 

 

Melon Refresher

From “Smoothies & Juices” by Christine Ambridge

Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt
3 1/2 oz  galia melon, cut into chunks
3 1/2 oz cantaloupe melon, cut into chunks
3 1/2 oz watermelon, cut into chunks
6 ice cubes

Pour the yogurt into a food processor. Add the galia melon chunks and process until smooth. Add the cantaloupe and watermelon chunks along with the ice cubes and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into glasses and decorate with wedges of melon. Serve at once.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

From “Forks Over Knives” by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more as needed, or water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup ice cubes
4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

Spicy Tropical Green Smoothie

From “Forks Over Knives” by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:
2 cups tightly packed spinach leaves
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 small tangerine, peeled and pitted, or juice of 1 lime
1 cup coconut water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Enjoy cold.

Strawberry Peach Smoothie

From “Forks Over Knives” by Del Sroufe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen peach slices
1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk, plus more as needed
1/2 cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates, or to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Add more plant-based milk as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

Cabbage with Crispy Potatoes, Fried Egg, and Kohlrabi Parmesan Fritters

For a few years now, my husband and I have enjoyed the bounty of a local crop-share. (www.sungoldfarm.com). Multiple times throughout the summer, Michael called me in a frantic when he realized that he rode his motorcycle to work, and had to transport 20 pounds of fruits and vegetables home after work. Somehow, he managed to squeeze it all into his backpack and the vegetables made it to the Kingsbury kitchen safe and sound.

Comments on the cabbage with crispy potatoes and fried egg: One of my favorite breakfast recipes came from the crop-share this summer via Katherine Duemling of Cook With What You Have. She suggested amazing recipes throughout the entire summer that I thoroughly enjoyed. This recipe is very filling and extremely easy to make. The first time I made this recipe, I followed the recipe to a "T". After that, I realized that this is one of those recipes that you can just wing without measuring spoons.

Comments on the kohlrabi parmesan fritters: This recipe is also from Katherine. These are a little more difficult to make. They taste amazing, but I only made them once due to the length required. This recipe is time-consuming, but well worth the effort.

-Sarah

Cabbage with Crispy Potatoes and Fried Egg

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ a medium green cabbage, halved again, heart removed and cut into ½-inch ribbons

3 medium firm-fleshed potatoes (Yukon gold, fingerling, red—not russets), cut into ½-inch dice

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

4 eggs (or whatever you want to use/# of people you’re serving)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the onions and caraway seeds and cook for about five minutes. Add the potatoes and a generous pinch or two of salt and sauté over medium-high heat, uncovered and stirring frequently until the potatoes are tender and crispy—about 15 minutes. You may need to add a little oil to prevent the potatoes from sticking and/or turn the heat down a bit. 

Meanwhile, in another large skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil, add the cabbage and several pinches of salt and cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until the cabbage is tender and starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes. You may need to add a splash of water to keep from sticking/burning. Adjust seasoning. 

When the cabbage is almost done, push the potatoes and onions over to one side of the pan, add a little oil to the “open area” of the pan and fry your eggs there. If you don’t have enough room just move the potatoes and onions over to one side of the pan with the cabbage. Saves washing another pan.  Serve the potatoes on a bed of cabbage with a grind of pepper and top with an egg and more pepper and a little good salt and olive oil if you’d like.

Kohlrabi Parmesan Fritters

Makes about 10 2.5-inch fritters

Ingredients:

12 ounces (2-3 kohlrabi, about 4 cups chopped), peeled and chopped into small-ish chunks

2 eggs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (or other grating cheese—sharp cheddar is fine too)

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

A pinch of red pepper flakes and several grinds of black pepper

Olive or vegetable oil for frying

Directions: 

Cook the kohlrabi in a pan with 1/2–inch or so of water for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and let cool slightly. 

Meanwhile lightly beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Then, add kohlrabi and, using a potato masher, mash it up a bit. You want to keep the bits recognizable, but small enough (1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks) that you can press a mound of the batter into a fritter in the pan. Once mashed a bit, stir or fold the ingredients together the rest of the way with a spoon. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Apple Crisp

The moment the leaves begin to change colors, I know that autumn is upon us, and more importantly, the apples are ripe and ready. Late summer and early autumn is my favorite time of the year specifically because I can eat a lot of apple crisp, and I mean a lot of it. The recipe below is from my mom, and is a recipe upon which I grew up eating almost daily in August and September. It is so good, I would eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snacks in between those meals. I follow the recipe exactly as it is written, and it turns out perfect each time!

The first photo below is the apple crisp that I prepared, and is what it should look like before going into the oven. The second photo below is my mother's apple crisp straight out of the oven.
-Sarah

Apple Crisp
Ingredients:

4 cups sliced apples or enough to fill pyrex.
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Mix together flour, sugar. Cream in butter. Set aside.
Cut apples and put into pyrex deep dish.
Put flour/sugar/butter mix on top.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
Sprinkle water on top of crust.
Bake 375 for 30 minutes or until crisp.

Hummus

When I am feeling hungry, I absolutely love to much on hummus and pita bread. Typically I keep these items stocked in my fridge straight from the local grocery store. However, upon a recent shopping trip in which I was disappointed to find that they were sold out, I decided to try my hand at making hummus. I was pleasantly surprised. My husband said that next time I could use less garlic. I also added cayenne pepper, which was fantastic. Next time, I would add a bit less liquid so the hummus was a bit pastier and less runny.

-Sarah

Hummus
From: http://mideastfood.about.com/od/appetizerssnacks/r/hummusbitahini.htm

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.
Variations: For a spicier hummus, add a sliced red chile or a dash of cayenne pepper.

Chocolatini

I recently spent a long girls road trip with my mother, aunts, and cousins. During this vacation, we came up with a brilliant idea to visit the local alcohol warehouse to pick up supplies for the night. That evening, we soon realized that we didn't have measuring cups in the hotel, so we resorted to filling up entire red dixie cups with our drink mixes. I probably had about three full cups of chocolatinis that evening, which resulted in sleeping on the toilet seat in the hotel lobby bathroom. Since that trip, my family has found delight in making sure I am never low on the ingredients for chocolatinis.

-Sarah

Chocolatini
Ingredients:
1 1/2 shots Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 shots creme de cacao
1/2 shot Smirnoff vodka
2 1/2 shots half-and-half

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich

I found this recipe on Pinterest. This is a great easy-to-make sandwich that is delicious and tastes fresh! I personally added more avocado because I enjoy the taste. I also only used spinach leaves, and served it on Dave's Killer Bread. The recipe made enough to last 4 sandwiches.

-Sarah

Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich
From: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/smashed-chickpea-avocado-salad-sandwich/
Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bread of your choice
Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.

Directions
Rinse and drain the chickpeas. In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add in cilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings.

Baked Spinach Tagliatelle

I absolutely love pasta, and cheese. If you mix the two together, I am in heaven! This recipe takes some patience, which I do not have. Make sure to keep stirring the Bechamel Sauce. At the beginning, I never believed that it would get thick, but I promise, it will. I also had a hard time finding fresh spinach tagliatelle, so I ended up getting boxed spinach fettuccine and boiling it as the box directed.

This recipe is totally worth the time spent at the oven stirring the sauce!

-Sarah

Baked spinach Tagliatelle
From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi

Ingredients:

Bechamel Sauce:

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

Pasta

1 pound store-bought fresh spinach tagliatelle

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bechamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and salt and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, mixing well to prevent lumps from forming. Return the saucepan to the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened and cooked. Set aside.

Pasta: Preheat the oven to 350*F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, 3-4 minutes. Drain well. Butter a large ovenproof baking dish and spread with a layer of Bechamel.Cover with pasta and top with pieces of butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat this layering process until all the ingredients are in the dish, finishing with a layer of butter and cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot.