BLUEBERRY BANANA COCONUT 'NICECREAM' RECIPE

I feel like i'm on a whole 'raw vegan/healthy food' kick and coming up with recipes for the summer has actually been fun. I have more than enough blueberries in the summertime in my backyard so I figured why not use them to make another frozen treat? Especially before all the birds come and eat them up.

Ingredients: 

1) Blueberries - 1 cup*

2)  Frozen bananas - 2 to 3* (make sure to slice them ahead of time)

3) Young coconut - water and meat

*signifies USDA Certified Organic

Directions:

1) Take the blueberries, frozen bananas, and young coconut meat and place into a blender.

2) Pulse blender and slowly add coconut water a little at a time to help mix.

           tip* you want to avoid a smoothie consistency so don't add too much coconut water

3) Blend until thick and smooth. Place in a container and place in freezer for at least 6 hours.

4) Scoop and enjoy!

This is perfect for a hot summer day. It has all the sweetness and creaminess of regular ice cream but without the fatty calories and added sugars. This tastes amazing but is good for you. You can add more or less blueberries or even freeze them ahead of time too. Feel free to add any other berries too such as raspberries or blueberries and play around with the flavor combo!

Readers, have you ever had 'nice' cream before? What other healthy frozen treats have you had? Let me know!

ACAI BOWL RECIPE W/ 3 TOPPING COMBOS

I've always been a fan of the whole acai/smoothie bowls and love mainly how pretty they look, but the best part is that they're also delicious and so good for you. It seems that these 'bowls' are popping up everywhere, especially in little shops and such but of course the ones that you buy at these stops are a bit pricey. After coming up with my own base mix (which I think is the most important part), you really can't go wrong with any of the toppings you choose. Have fun with it! Play with different fruits, grains, seeds, etc. No topping is wrong. You can make it as healthy as you want or even add a bit of some not so healthy bits to it for an extra yummy treat =)

For my base, I used frozen fruits*, a non sweetened acai smoothi pack*, a frozen banana*, baby greens (spinach mainly)*, and a whole young coconut (water & meat). I took everything together and blended it until smooth.

Tip: Don't add too much liquid since you don't want the base to be too smooth (unless you like it). The frozen ingredients is what's going to be used to thicken your base. Add the coconut water a little at a time in case it is too much.

Toppings: Sprouted buckwheat* (dehydrated), muesli, raw pumpkin seeds*, coconut flakes*, chia seeds*, strawberries*, blueberries*, ripe banana*

These are what I had in hand and I used a variety of these toppings for 3 different types of smoothie bowls

*signifies USDA organic ingredients

Toppings 1: Banana, Blueberries, Sprouted Buckwheat, Pumpkin Seeds, and some Muesli

Toppings 2: Strawberries, Chia Seeds, Coconut Flakes, Blueberries

Toppings 3: Chia Seeds, Coconut Flakes, Muesli, Pumpkin Seeds, Blueberries

You can use this base recipe and from there use any toppings you have to create your beautiful smoothie bowl =) I think these are a fun, healthy, and most importantly, delicious way of getting your breakfast (or small meal) in and you can be as simple or intricate in your mixes both in your base and toppings. I hope this was helpful and provided at least some inspiration for your breakfast needs. Keep in mind that these are perrrrfect for the summer time, especially if you're having a hot summer like us over here in Seattle!

Readers, do you like smoothie bowls? What are your favorite combinations? Let me know!

RECIPE: Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Salad - Vietnamese Style

 

I want to incorporate more of my favorite recipes into my blog so I will be doing that today! Today's post features this salad recipe my mom and I made awhile back for part of our Christmas dinner meal. We do the usual 'American' dishes (mashed potatoes, turkey, roast, stuffing, etc.) but we always add a little extra something special to the mix! This recipe is a Spaghetti Squash Salad with shrimp and a Vietnamese fish sauce style dressing. If you're a fan of Vietnamese food, check out the recipe after the jump!

Ingredients for Salad

1 Whole Spaghetti Squash

1/2 of an English Cucumber*

Handful of Thai/Red Basil*

Handful of Cilantro*

1 Lb of wild shrimp

Dressing

1/2 cup Fish Sauce (add more or less for personal taste preference)

2 tablespoons Sugar

1-2 Limes

1/2 cup to 1 cup of Water

1 Red Thai chili pepper

*indicated raw ingredients

Directions 

For the shrimp:

I recommend de-vaining the shrimp with the shell on so when you steam them to cook they don't shrink too much in size. After cleaning the shrimp, steam cook them until they turn orange in color. After they are cooked, let them cool down. Then you can shell them and butterfly them in half.

For the salad:

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let it cool until you are able to handle the squash. You will then be able to seed out the squash with a spoon and notice the seeds are loosened up and easy to dispose. After the seeds are gone, spoon to scoop out the squash. You will notice the spaghetti like strings coming loose. If you need to, a fork will help loosen the strings up as well. Place aside in a bowl.

Julienne the cucumber and roughly chop the red basil and cilantro.

For the dressing:

In a small pot, add fish sauce, water and sugar over low heat. Stir to make sure sugar is fully dissolved. You can use this time to see if you need more or less of any ingredient, there's not really a precise measurement to this recipe; a lot of it was just by taste. Remove from heat and add the juice of 1 lime. Chop the red chili pepper and add it to the sauce. Again, this is all on personal taste preference so add a little at a time to find the balance you prefer.

In a large bowl, toss all salad ingredients together: squash, cucumbers, herbs and shrimp. Drizzle the dressing into the bowl a little at a time and toss as you go. I would recommend keeping a few slices of shrimp and some cilantro to the side for an added garnish on top and voila, you're done!

I prefer this dish cold so I would recommend chilling it in the fridge an hour before serving. Keep it light on the dressing as you toss since other guests may want more or less. Place the remaining dressing in a bowl along the salad. You can even serve the salad without adding any dressing at all so people have full control of their dressing portion. And enjoy!

Readers, do you like Vietnamese food? What are your favorite Vietnamese dishes? Let me know!