Vegan Chocolate Mint Super Shake.

There are smoothies... and then there are shakes. To me, a smoothie is light and frosty and a shake is rich and creamy. This is my favorite shake recipe yet. I've been making variations of a chocolate mint shake for years and finally found that avocado is key. It's what makes this truly thick and luxurious. I normally make avocado puddings... well this is like drinkable chocolate avocado pudding/mousse. You'll definitely want to spoon up the last bit at the bottom of the glass.

As far as the rest of the ingredients: I like coconut water for hydration in the morning and mostly use it in smoothies instead of/in addition to water or milk. The lucuma is a low glycemic source of sweetness and a powerhouse as far as nutrients and antioxidants. I use nibs for texture and fiber. Be careful if using mint extract, a little goes a long way, so I find that 1/4 tsp is a nice mint flavor and 1/2 is way too much. If I have mint leaves around I throw in a handful of those instead. I added some protein here, with half a scoop the entire smoothie has about 20 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. Puts the Shamrock Shake to shame.

 Chocolate Mint Super Shake

1/3 avocado

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup coconut water

1/2 cup nondairy milk

1 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp cacao nibs

1 tbsp lucuma powder

1 handful mint leaves OR 1/4 tsp mint extract

1/2 scoop of brown rice protein powder, optional

If you're planning on purchasing a Vitamix in the future, I can now offer you FREE shipping on your online order. Just place your order through this link or enter my associate code 06-008333 at checkout for free shipping ($25 US/$35 CN Value).

The Yoga Body Diet. Ayurvedic Matcha Porridge.

Winter Reading and Yoga-ing... I've spent my entire Fall/Winter in Ithaca either reading about yoga or practicing it. I feel like I have a brand new spine. My shoulders no longer go all the way up to my ears (most of the time). I walk home from every practice having had some type of emotional breakthrough that you would think I had just had a heart-to-heart with Oprah. But it's working...and I will be home in Philly in a few short months and hope to not undo any of the progress.

So what on this earth have I been reading? I just tore through the Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards, and while I had some mixed feelings on the book, I found it truly compelling, a must-read for anyone who spends time on the mat. The book discusses some of the myths and misconceptions of yoga, citing various studies, and left me thinking about yoga in a different way. People are always telling us how wonderful that yoga is for us (myself included) that it is refreshing to hear the not so beautiful parts. I am hopeful that now that yoga is beyond mainstream, there will be even stronger research from which we can continue to learn. But read it! And let me know what you think.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Yoga Body Diet. Looking back now, this is the kind of book that the author of Science of Yoga warns about. Whatever your thoughts are on ayurveda as medicine, however, I have found many solutions in these pages.

This book makes the practice of ayurveda simple. You determine your dosha if you do not already know it, and find tips, recipes, an ingredient list of the best foods for your dosha, as well as suitable yoga poses. It includes tailored yoga practices for those who practice at home. It's straightforward, simple, and from what I've noticed, works. I feel a million times better if I follow the guidelines for Vata, especially in the winter or as seasons change.

And honestly? Ayurveda is a lot more reliable than those magazine quizzes you take to find out your skin type.

One of my favorite London breakfasts was this creamy, green-tinted Matcha Oatmeal made with matcha blended oats that I found at Selfridges, with soy milk, cinnamon and honey (if strict vegan, try maple syrup, also good for Vata). Here in the states I use organic rolled oats and mix in cinnamon and matcha. Matcha can be expensive but you only need 1 tsp for this recipe so it will last. I buy a small tin of Republic of Tea matcha for $6, which is fine for this use. I also use it for Green Tea Cupcakes.

Cinnamon, oats, honey, coconut, almonds, and soy milk are all on the Vata list, and they all make their way into this recipe. And you don't have to be a Vata dosha to enjoy it, since Winter is a Vata season and all doshas can adjust this to be beneficial. See below for recommendations.

Ayurvedic Matcha Porridge

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup soy milk

1 tsp matcha powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1.5 tsp honey

2 tsp coconut butter

small handful of crushed almonds, for topping

Heat the soy milk and then add oats, matcha, cinnamon, and honey. Stir the matcha in thoroughly until your porridge is a pale green.  Simmer until oats are cooked, stirring often. Then fold in coconut butter (makes it super creamy and adds healthy fat for Vata) and top with crushed almonds for texture.

Makes 1 serving.

This porridge is incredibly creamy, has a slight green tea flavor that I love, and is probably one of my all time favorite oatmeal bowls. 

For Pitta: Top with blueberries. Soy milk, cinnamon, and oats are wonderful for Pitta, but use maple syrup or raw sugar instead of honey.

For Kapha: All berries, honey gets superfood status for Kapha, cinnamon, oats, and soy milk are great.

This book has simply made me more conscious of knowing what will serve my body versus what will aggravate it. There's science, there's "alternative medicine", and then there's delicious. Can't we be inspired by all 3?

[book images: williamjbroad.com, athleta.com]

Massutera Online Vegan Bakery Review.

Cupcake break! We were chugging our greens and then Valentine's Day happened. Chocolate, cookies, champagne, all of that...and then a special delivery showed up this week.

Vegan bakery Massutera states on its website that it is founded on the belief that just because food is vegan doesn't mean it has to taste like cardboard.

Truth is, it irks me when people exclaim "Oh, that doesn't even taste vegan!" as if implying that vegan has to translate directly to "not as good as non-vegan" or "healthy".

The assortment of cookies, brownies, and cupcakes that the kind folks at Massutera offered to send me taste like the baked goods that you remember as a kid. They taste like butter (vegan, of course) and sugar and decadence and birthday parties.

Today when I was tasting the treats, I stopped myself from saying "You would never know these were vegan" because it's always been my belief that vegan isn't a compromise.

Back to the goodie breakdown...

The Amazing Fudgy Brownies are chewy and true-to-their-namesake-fudgy, and would sell out in seconds at a bake sale. And the brownies they sent me were enormous! Perfect for sharing with some very stressed out Cornell grad students.

The Chocolate Chip Cookies were classic, buttery, and slightly crispy. I usually prefer a softer cookie (like the PB) but these were also delicious.

My favorite was the Peanut Butter Bliss Cookie. Everything you want in a peanut butter cookie - incredibly rich and with the familiar criss cross. A tall glass of soy milk and it's a date.

Finally, the cupcakes. They were shipped with the frosting separate in little tubs. I received the Choc-Coca-Mocha, which is a chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate buttercream with a coconut and mocha buttercream on top, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake, which is filled with peanut butter. The frosting had drizzled chocolate in it, which is why it looks a little messy. And...yum. I am not the biggest cupcake fan as I've said before, but I know a good one when I meet one.

Not done with chocolate this month? Have an event coming up and would rather focus on shopping for champagne? You can order from Massutera online. All items are vegan and they can prepare gluten-free items as well. They ship with compostable bakery bags and recycled paper/boxes/labels along with the cutest cupcake packaging to keep your cupcakes tidy. My treats arrived in great shape, thanks to a cooler pack and the packaging genies over at Massutera.

Back to the green stuff tomorrow with an upcoming post for an ayurvedic-inspired breakfast (hint: it's green and it's not a smoothie).

Vitamix Professional Series 300.

Blown away. Our Professional Series 300 Vitamix is everything I've always wanted in a kitchen appliance. The 300 is a newer model that promises restaurant quality blending, with a 2.2-peak HP motor compared to the 2-peak motor. We also chose the 300 because of the newly designed 64-ounce container: It's wider and looks more modern and the blades measure 4 inches in diameter compared to 3 inches of other models, it also has a new ergonomically designed handle. I've tried out other models in the past, and while they're all amazing machines, this one just seems...burlier. It's incredibly powerful. The Pro Series 750 is pretty much the same except it has pre-programmed settings, which we just didn't find necessary for our uses.

I'm not sure how we made it this long without a Vitamix, but I am very, very happy with this recent addition to our kitchen. We've mostly been making smoothies and salad dressings, but I whipped up a batch of the creamiest hummus in just a few seconds, incredibly smooth mashed sweet potatoes (hello baby food),  and Josh experimented with a whiskey "snowcone". Stay tuned for many recipes that require little-to-no-chewing, Living on the Vitamix style. Sort of kidding.

For now, our 1# smoothie essential is Garden of Life Raw Sprouted Brown Rice Protein Powder in Vanilla. Things we like about it: the taste (not too vanilla-y), 100% Vitamin D, probiotics, essential amino acids, easy to digest. We don't add it to every smoothie, but it does help in getting you through to lunchtime. I also really love to add coconut butter to smoothies for texture and satiety, and we are big fans of cacao nibs in non-green smoothies. 

Favorite Green Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup filtered water

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen mango

4-5 kale leaves

1 thumb size piece of ginger

Josh's Breakfast Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

2 tbsp cacao nibs

1 tbsp raw almond butter

1 scoop Brown Rice Protein Powder

[image via Vitamix.com]

Oat Pecan Waffles. Gluten Free!

Snowed in? Make waffles! What's better than piping hot waffles flooded with maple syrup during a blizzard? Backstory... I had the pleasure of attending a Vegan and Gluten Free Valentine's Day Brunch with Amie Hamlin at Greenstar Co-op this past week where we learned how to make these oat-y blender waffles. I often make gluten free waffles at home using the Babycakes recipe but I was looking for something a bit simpler and lighter. I enjoyed the lightness of these waffles and loved the idea of making them in the blender. Amie suggested adding cinnamon to the recipe if we made it at home, so of course, that was one of the tweaks that I made here. I also added baking powder because I find that it really makes a difference in fluffy waffles.

Finally, a gluten free waffle recipe that doesn't include xanthan gum, tons of oil (though I do love my oils), and sixteen different flours! Success.

Don't have a gluten sensitivity? I urge you to try these anyway. Oat flour and pecan flour make for a nutritious, stick-with-you alternative and the recipe couldn't be easier. Just add the few ingredients to the blender, whirl it around for a minute, and you're all set.

Oat Pecan Waffles

2 cups rolled oats

3 tbsp pecans 

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder (be sure to use a gluten free baking powder)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 cups water

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

Blend all ingredients until smooth, gradually adding water as needed. Let mixture sit for a few minutes to thicken. Oil your waffle iron. I found that these waffles don't stick the way that other recipes do, another plus! 

Makes 4-5 waffles.

Notes: Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have heard that we finally caved and ordered a Vitamix, but I did prepare these in a regular high power blender and they turned out great.

Looking for another waffle recipe using alternative flour? Try my Blueberry Ginger Buckwheat Waffles, another favorite.

Rome Recap.

Rome. It's gritty, gripping, gorgeous. We savored every minute.

We found something stunning to gawk at on every block. We found ourselves wandering the streets until our bodies felt wonderfully sore and melted into bed. And even though it was harder to find sustenance free of dairy and meat with what little Italian we carried, we found that, too.

Here are the 3 best veggie spots we went to:

Ops Cafe had been recommended to us by our very charming waiter at Il Margutta. Although it was only a buffet and a bit of a walk for us, the food far exceeded our expectations. We had some truly remarkable homemade rosemary seitan (in my experience, it's hard to find good seitan once you've experienced it in Philly) and I was overly ambitious to pile my plate with lots of different salads and hummus (I eat hummus nearly every day so by this point my body was freaking out for the stuff). I think this was the most we ate on our entire trip. We ate pretty lightly everywhere else.

Il Margutta, a vegetarian restaurant near the Spanish Steps, offered a vegan tasting menu. We liked the pasta and the lentils dish the most here and went back twice as it was close to our hotel. And of course, the warm, friendly service and wine.

Ginger Cafe, also near the Spanish Steps, had a buzz with people queuing to get in, but we decided it would be worth the wait as they had organic and vegan options for us (hummus baguettes, marinated tofu and olive salad, juices and soy smoothies) so we had a nice lunch there one day and stopped for soy lattes another time.

We had a lovely stay at Hotel Eden near the Borghese Gardens and Via Veneto. It's worth having breakfast or a cocktail here for the incredible view, and it was very easy to walk to all of the sites from here. Overall, it was my ideal kind of getaway - unplanned, unfettered, and deliciously unknown. I always love the idea of winging it, but we rarely do just that.