Vegan Chocolate Banana Shake

Happy Monday! If you celebrate, I hope you had a nice Easter. :)

I get a lot of requests for smoothie/shake recipes and so I thought I would share a very simple and yummy shake. Best of all, it's dairy free! 

print recipe

Vegan Chocolate Banana Shake

by TheZenFashionista March-28-2016

Looking for a sweet, but healthy treat? One that is vegan/dairy free?

Ingredients

• 2 Bananas
• 1/2 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 Tbsp. Baking Cocoa
• 1 So Delicious Vanilla Mini Sandwich
• Optional: Spinach, Kale, Flaxseed, Wheatgrass Powder

Instructions

To enhance the enjoyment of this beverage, you'll want to chill a container or mug. Or if you prefer, you can stick your drink in the fridge for five to ten minutes.Add a half a cup of almond milk into your blenderPeel two bananas (You can also use two frozen bananas)Add a tablespoon of baking cocoaAdd your mini ice cream sandwich (I don't eat dairy, but if you do, you can substitute the mini vegan ice cream sandwich for one with dairy)If you want to add some greens/fiber to this shake, you can add in spinach, kale, flaxseed, whatever you like. I like to add some wheatgrass powder. Blend for 30 seconds to a minute (I use a Vitamix)And Voila! Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 mins Total time: Yield: 1 Serving

 

If you would like to subscribe to my blog, I would really appreciate it! You can comment your email below or give it to me personally. If for some reason, you are already subscribed and are not receiving an email in your inbox, check your spam folder. 

Until next time,

XOXOTheZenFashionista 

Simple and Healthy Twist on Classic Beans and Rice Recipe

This week's blog is a for the foodies. I'm always looking for a flavorful dish to cook and my newest recipe is packed with protein and is delicious and vegetarian and vegan friendly. 
Below is a step by step recipe to follow for a tasty meal!

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
1/2 Avocado
2 garlic cloves
Northern beans
Brown rice and quinoa
Half of a lime

Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 cup of shredded cheese


I personally use Seeds of Change Quiona and Brown Rice which can be microwaved. It's sold at Costco and Sam's Club. The ingredients are straightforward. It's great tasting too! You can choose to use whatever rice and quiona you would like.

Peel and chop garlic.
Slice avocado in half
Cut lime in half or into four slices. I find it easier to squeeze the juice if it's in a smaller slice (You'll need half of the lime).

Place pot onto stove and turn the heat on high.
While the pot is heating up, microwave the rice for 90 seconds
Next, pour about 5 tablespoons of olive oil into the pot and add the chopped garlic.

Cook the garlic until golden brown. This takes about 20-30 seconds. Turn your heat down to a medium setting.

Add rice and quinoa and stir to mix it with the olive oil and garlic.

Now, add the can of beans. Stir for a minute and then scoop out the avocado into the pot.
Mix avocado in thoroughly.

Squeeze in the lime and stir. You can add some shredded cheese on top if you'd like and voila! Bon appétit!

Let me know if you try this recipe in the comments. :)

Until next time,

XOXOTheZenFashionista

What to do with leftover Spaghetti Squash - Make breakfast cups!

I've become a big fan of everything spaghetti squash! It's healthy and delicious. I generally have some leftover squash and wanted to make a recipe I could use for breakfast time. These spaghetti squash cups are perfect for the morning. You can make them for the kiddos...Think egg and hashbrown in muffin/cup formulation.
  
For those of you wondering how to make spaghetti squash in the first place, I've include directions for that as well.



How to make a spaghetti squash:

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic 
Pinch of salt 
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the squash in half through the stem (lengthwise).  

Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Also, add your salt, pepper, and chopped garlic.

Flip both halves of the squash face down and bake for 45 minutes.

Once you take it out of the oven, let it cool for a little while. Then, gently scrape the spaghetti strands with a fork into a bowl. 


 Now....onto the Spaghetti Squash Cups!

Ingredients:
Leftover spaghetti squash (Each breakfast cup uses 1/4 cup)
Olive oil to grease the muffin tin or cooking spray
Eggs (1 per breakfast cup) - Medium or Large
Shredded cheese - I use vegan Daiya shredded cheddar
Basil/Parsley (optional)

Directions:

Add a 1/2 cup (or more...depending on how much squash you have) of shredded cheese to your bowl of leftover spaghetti squash. If your squash is plain, you can follow the above instructions for adding garlic, olive oil and seasonings. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (I've made the mistake of heating the oven to 425 degrees and overcooking the egg).

Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or with olive oil. 

In each cup, put 1/4 cup of the squash mix. 

Be sure to press down the bottom and the sides, so that there is room for the egg.












Crack one egg into each cup. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, If you like your eggs more well done and the squash crispier, you may want to keep them in the oven for a few more minutes. You also can nuke it in the microwave for 15 seconds or so.

Once you take it out of the oven, let it sit for a couple of minutes. Carefully with a fork or knife, gently remove the cups. You then can add avocado, sriracha, basil, and/or parsley.

Bon appetit! 

Let me know what you think and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment and I will get back to you.

Xoxo TheZenFashionista