Super Simple Collard Burrrrritos and Guilt Free Tortilla Chips

Sometimes you just have to take it as it comes and find a way to make it all work.

After a rather uneventful move from Toronto to our temporary home here in Ottawa, I came to discover that we don't have high speed internet, just an internet stick that quite frankly reminds me of dial up after having a crazy fast fiber connection at our condo. But hey, it's better than nothing.

With adjusting to my temporary life here, I've been struggling to get organized and get everything rolling again. Between prioritizing schoolwork so that I graduate before our big move to Costa Rica for the winter and working a new job with more hours than I had at the restaurant in Toronto, blogging has been a constant on my mind, but not something I've been very successful at apparently.

Hopefully I've gotten all under control now and post will return to their normal frequency.

Today's recipe is warming, simple and comforting. The three main things on my mind lately when it come to nourishment. Fruit quality and availability isn't really comparable here in Ottawa to what it is in Toronto, especially with the access we had to the Ontario Food Terminal. So we've been eating a bit more rice, potatoes and other whole food carbs to fill in the blanks.

When avoiding gluten and most flours, it may seem difficult to make certain dishes that used to be staples. When it comes to wraps, most ones on the market that are conveniently pre-made are either not to my taste or just full of things I'd rather not consume. The best part is that you don't have to settle if you feel the same way. Collards are the perfect replacement that are just as easy to use, plus you get a serving of greens in. There are a million ways that you can fill them, this one is easy, fast and bursting with flavor.

I chose to also include in this lovely meal, a side of home-made fat free tortilla chips that are so easy to make that they barely warrant a recipe. All you need to find is some 100% corn tortillas (I bought mine at Whole Foods) and cut them into triangles, bake at 450F until crispy. If you want them flavoured, you just need to toss the triangles with desired spices (maybe a bit of liquid to get them to stick, although I haven't tried this, so experiment at your own risk).

Super Simple Collard Burrritos

Ingredients:

- 4 large collard leaves, stem cut off.

- 3-4 cups of cooked rice

- 1 cup black beans

- 1 bell pepper, chopped

- Salsa, as desired.

- Chili powder

- Cumin

- Hot Sauce

Optional Toppings:

- Guacamole or avocado

- Refried beans

- Chopped red onion

- Cashew Sour Cream

Rinse collards well and pat dry with a kitchen towel, then gently slice off the thick part of the stem that runs through the leaf, being careful not to tear the leaf. Then at the top, where the stem was cut, slice off a bit of each corner of the leaf. 

Pile on the toppings, starting with the rice, spices, hot sauce, beans and finishing with the peppers and salsa, leaving a third of the bottom and sides empty

Fold closed as follows: 

Grab the bottom third and fold it over the toppings, then grab the sides and fold over, keeping it closed with a toothpick threaded through.

Serve with guilt-free tortilla chips and dip of choice.

Enjoy!

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Three Ingredient Chocolatey Milkshake

My dog ate my brownie.

Now other than the first reaction, of being concerned for her having eaten chocolate once again (I swear she's developed an immunity), I was sad. Mostly because baked treats are a rarity in my foodie life, by choice of course. I have them occasionally, but in reality I prefer the vibrance of a low fat, no oil lifestyle that enables me to feel my best.

So maybe she was doing me a favor more than anything.

After that incident, I figured why not make something that will satisfy that sweet tooth while being healthy in every way?

And so the Chocolatey raw vegan mylkshake was made, and it doesn't even involve any mylk!

I love simplicity, even more so when it's made of ingredients everyone has easy access to.

Raw Vegan Chocolatey Mylkshake

Ingredients:

- Bananas, both frozen and fresh.

- Coconut sugar

- Carob or cacao powder (I prefer carob here)

- Water

The amount of each ingredient used is up to you, if you want a thicker shake, use more frozen than fresh bananas and less water. 

You can also control the sweetness and chocolate factor, I used 1/3 cup coconut sugar and 1.5 tbsp carob powder for 10 bananas (6 fresh, 4 frozen).

Enjoy!

ALSO! Check out my Facebook page, where you get to see even more recipes and some awesome food porn.

Vegan MoFo 2013: Thirsty Thursday's presents The Green Smoothie

So I totally went MIA and all. I caught what they call the MoFo flu, or at least that's what I'm calling it! I was too busy with too little organization and just derailed a little on the postings. I also had a week of clean super simple to the basics eating where nothing that involved more than a blender or boiling water was used.

But hey, the blender got good use for smoothies, which I tend to have everyday lately. My usually combo is bananas, greens and some coconut sugar, but today we had some awesome ripe pineapple that I just had to use, well really this one is mostly my partner's making but I did have some input.

I like to get in as many tender leafy greens as possible, it makes such a difference in how I feel and in my training regiment. on a day to day basis, I try to get in at least a pound of greens, up to two. This may seem like a lot, but really all it takes is a large smoothie and a decent sized salad and I attain my goal easily. Plus, greens go well with any starch, especially baby spinach.

The blast of nutrients you get from consuming greens will make your body hum with happiness. Seriously. I used to be really picky with them, until I started making green smoothies, where you don't really taste them at all if that's a block. Then came the awesome salads, once I went 80/10/10 I discovered how to make awesome dressing and combos that worked for me without added a ton of fat or oils to my daily diet. AND then I started making green juices, which are next level, although I haven't made much of them in the past few months after doing a green juice cleanse in the spring.

All this to say, eat your greens, it's not that hard and you'll feel awesome.

Pineapple Green Madness

Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

- 1 pineapple, cut in pieces.

- 2-3 bananas

- 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar

- 1 cup of water

- 2 large handfuls of spinach or half a bunch of kale.

Put all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth.

Drink it up!

Enjoy.

Banana Ice Cream.

I had this for breakfast at least 5 times in the past week and a half. Yes, that's right, breakfast.

I laugh so much when people have those bewildered looks on their face when they find out I'm not only vegan, I stick to a whole food, high raw diet. I know they have images of endless salads popping up in their heads and while I love me a good salad, it's definitely not the bulk of my diet.

In my book, healthy still means delicious. Actually, when I started being more conscious of my food choices, the variety and quality of my food went way up. When you start exploring real food, there is no comparison to the richness and the amazing taste of what nature gives us.

Back to ice cream.

I discovered this amazingly simple and oh-so-decadent treat a few years ago when I started looking into raw foods. Having always been an ice cream lover, and it really not loving me back, eating a version that I could feel amazing about in so many ways made me jump for joy (literally. I even have a happy dance just for this).

On top f all the healthy benefits and amazing taste, this stuff won't actually spike blood sugar for those who are concerned about it. Coconut sugar (the topping) has a very low glycemic index. Tastes like caramel molasses with a hint of maple and has an abundance of nutrients. If you are looking for an alternative sweetener, this really is the beat available. It's actually all-natural and not full of chemicals, which beats the competition with ease.

It tastes like the "real deal", actually no, it's better! More like soft serve or frozen yogurt, it's melty, rich, healthy and well ,just make it. When you read the recipe, you won't believe me until you make it and eat it... Then make more so make sure to prepare extra ingredients from the start. I'm putting in enough ingredients for a batch that usually feeds 2 of us with hearty appetites, so feel free to adjust it to your needs.

Banana Ice Cream

- 12-14 ripe bananas.

(make sure they are spotty-ripe so that they are very sweet)

Toppings:

Choose as many as you like! These are my faves.

- Coconut sugar

- Strawberries

- Date sauce/bits

- Carob/Cacao

- Jam

- Maple Syrup

- Anything your heart desires. 

Peel and cut the bananas into fours and put into a freezer bag or glass tupperware container. Freeze it overnight or for at least 6 hours. 

Put the bananas in either a high powered blender, food processor or juicer with a blank insert and process with little to no added liquid. I prefer the food processor as my blender does sometimes overheat while making this. If all you have is a regular blender, defrost the bananas slightly to soften them. You might have to add liquid as well. 

Once it's all smooth, add toppings and enjoy!