We start every morning off with a superfood smoothie – it’s a great way to sneak in a whole bunch nutrient rich foods, especially when you’ve got a toddler. Our kiddo is on a green strike – she refuses all things green, but hidden in a smoothie, she’ll suck it down! Silly girl, I hope she outgrows this phase. Our go-to recipes usually come from the ever amazing Julie Morris and her Superfood Smoothies book…if you don’t own it, you NEED to! She has come up with creative ways to incorporate a variety of veggies in your smoothies – from cauliflower to Bok Choy – we’ve tried most of the recipes and all are incredibly delicious. We’ve been using superfoods, such as maca and cacao, for about four years now and I love incorporating them in our smoothies and desserts. I wanted to share with you, my latest creations!
A few weeks ago, I threw a handful of ingredients into the Vitamix and the result was like peanut butter and jelly in a glass!
BERRY PROTEIN SMOOTHIE: {Gluten-free, soy-free, & vegan}
serves 2-3
- 2 cups frozen organic berries (we usually do a mix of strawberries and blueberries)
- 1 frozen banana
- 1-2 large handfuls organic spinach
- 2 Tablespoons organic peanut butter (raw almond butter works great, too)
- 1-2 heaping Tablespoons Sunwarrior Raw Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1-2 Tablespoons raw organic hemp seeds
- 1 heaping Tablespoon raw organic cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon raw organic maca powder
- 1/2 teaspoon raw organic camu camu powder
- 1 3/4 – 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 Tablespoon raw organic cacao nibs (optional)
Blend together all the ingredients, except the cacao nibs, until smooth – adding more milk if needed. Then add in the cacao nibs and blend briefly to incorporate – I like the little bits of crunch in the smoothie. You won’t need any sweetener because the fruit makes it sweet enough!
I like to top mine with raw organic white mulberries, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs!
Some variations (add-ins) that we’ve tried and enjoyed:
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 1-2 teaspoons raw maqui berry powder
- 1 teaspoon raw lucuma powder
We’re also big fans of using this recipe as a smoothie bowl and topping it with TONS of goodies. To do that, use the above recipe and either cut back on the milk or add an extra frozen banana to really make it thick. We love to top it with homemade granola, maca, cinnamon, raw ground vanilla, raw goji berries, and white mulberries. It’s also really good with fresh organic strawberries, blueberries, or sliced banana.
HOMEMADE GRANOLA: {Gluten-free, soy-free, & vegan}
serves 10-12
What you need:
- 4 cups gluten-free oats
- 1 cup raw pecans, chopped (walnuts are also great)
- 1 cup dried berries, chopped if necessary (this time I used cranberries)
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon raw cacao nibs
- 1 Tablespoon raw hemp seeds (optional)
- 2 teaspoons raw cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon raw lucuma powder
- 1 teaspoon raw ground vanilla bean powder
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (can also use raw almond butter) – can omit the nut butter if you want.
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (can also use agave nectar)
How to:
You can either bake this in the oven or keep it raw by using the dehydrator. Since our Excalibur is in storage, I had to use the oven…I’ll give instructions for both ways though!
- Preheat oven to 350
- Melt the coconut oil – this time I put it in a bowl and left it on the stove while I gathered the ingredients – the heat from the oven melted it rather quickly. Usually I let it melt in the dehydrator – typically takes a few minutes. You can also place the oil in small dish and submerse it in hot water to melt.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.
- Next, stir in the coconut oil, peanut butter, and maple syrup with a spatula. Stir until all the dry ingredients are coated.
- Spread the mixture evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (use two baking sheets if needed).
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping/stirring halfway through. You’re looking for a golden brown color and a crispy texture. Also know that once removed from the oven, the granola will harden up some.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a container.
Enjoy it with a glass of almond milk or yogurt…we love to snack on it as is! It’s a slightly sweet, crunchy, nutty treat that is packed with protein and fiber.
*** If you’re keeping it raw, which is my preferred method, just spread the mixture on your dehydrator trays and “cook” it no higher than 115 degrees to keep it raw. This method usually takes 8-12 hours, or overnight. Be sure to flip/stir the granola to ensure even “cooking”.
Let me know if you try either of these recipes or if you adjust the recipes, I’d love to hear!
Be Sol-Ful Living 