Quick & Creamy "Ice Cream"

Chocolate banana ice cream to be exact...

This is about as fast and easy as a homemade vegan ice cream recipe can be. As long as you have pre-frozen bananas in your freezer. Otherwise it is a pudding recipe, which is still delicious.

Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. cocoa powder

Directions:
-Allow the banana to thaw for five minutes then chop into pieces.
-Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
-Spoon out into a bowl and enjoy!

Serves: 1

Tip: This is best fresh as it hardens when refrozen. The coconut milk adds a richness like real ice cream, other milks can be substituted and the recipe will still be almost as good.

Nutrient Profile:
We all know bananas are loaded with potassium. Bananas are also a good source of phosphorous, magnesium, folate, and vitamin A which protects eyesight. Bananas even contain omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and of course plant sterols. Bananas are heart healthy foods (unless you have hyperkalemia) and a bone healthy food by helping the body absorb calcium.

Coconut milk is ofter feared due to the high levels of saturated fat. Yet it is a healthy fat called lionic acid. Lionic acid is in human breast milk to help with brain development. Like bananas, coconut milk is rich in potassium and other bone building nutrients such as selenium, calcium, and magnesium.

So could we call this a heart, bone, and brain healthy vegan version of ice cream? If you want to you wouldn't be exaggerating.

Fat-Free Potato & Turnip Soup

Foods grown in the earth help ground emotions. . .


This soup is completely fat free, extremely low in calories, yet nourishing and satisfying!

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes
2 large turnips
1 stalk of celery
2 tsp dill
2 tsp fennel seeds *ground*
1/2 tsp black pepper (more if desired)
2 cloves garlic
4 cups water
Optional: chopped rosemary and sage

The process:
-Wash and dice the potatoes, turnips, and celery
-Steam until tender
-Then place in a food processor or blender with 1 1/2 cups water, herb mixture, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
-Pour mixture in a large saucepan, cook on medium-low heat. Gradually add the remainder of water (use any water left over from steaming.
-Add garlic just before serving.

Serves 4

Nutritional Profile:
Potatoes don’t get enough credit; one medium potato contains more potassium than a banana, 7 grams of protein, and 7 grams of dietary fiber! That is in addition to high levels of antioxidants and an array of vitamins and minerals.

All the main ingredients in this recipe contain high amounts of the same nutrients; potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, choline, and folate. All of which are good for bone health, and protecting the nervous system. The nourishing effect on the nervous system is yet another reason this is a ‘comfort’ food.

Choline protects the liver from accumulating fat, therefore this fat-free soup is a perfect dinner to balance out a day of over indulgence!

Raw Energy Truffles

These truffles, made entirely with raw ingredients, provide all the goodness of essential fatty acids with the added benefits of cacao. The outcome is delicious and gives a real energy boost!

Raw food provides raw energy!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. raw cacao nibs

1 tbsp raw flax seeds
1 tsp. raw sesame seeds
1 tsp. raw pumpkin seeds
1 tsp. raw sunflower seeds
½ tsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. maca powder
2 tsp. raw honey

The process:
-Grind up the nibs and seeds in a coffee grinder.
-Mix with maca, cocoa powder, and honey in a small bowl. The mixture will not fully clump together.
-Form into small balls.
-Optional: coat with a pre-made EFA mix as described in previous post.
-Store in the refrigerator, they will become thicker after cooling.

Medicinal properties:
Cacao:Contains; flavonoids, phenylethylalamine, anandamide, magnesium, sulfur, oleic acid, theobromine, tryptophan, Cacao beans and nibs contain more flavonoid antioxidants than most other vegetables and fruits up to four times as much concentrated antioxidants as green tea. Cacao stimulates the production of serotonin and endorphins, and contains phenylethylalamine and anandamide, two chemicals that elevate the mood and help increase focus.
Cacao beans are also rich in magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and potassium. They are also a good source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid.

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Buy Cacao Beans

Essential Fatty Acid Mix

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) including omega 3 (Alpha-Linoleic Acid), omega 6 (Linoleic Acid), among others; are essential to good health but cannot be produced by the body. They are also widely deficient in the modern diet.


Recipe for a perfect balance of Essential Fatty Acids:

2 tsp. flax seed
1 tsp. raw sesame seeds
1 tsp. raw sunflower seeds
1 tsp. raw pumpkin seeds

-Blend in a coffee grinder
-Store the powdered mixture in your refrigerator. Add one teaspoon to a meal each day. These delicate fats are sensitive to oxidation, therefore cooking or heating will destroy the healing properties.

EFAs are crucial building blocks for the body. They play a role in the maintenance of cell membrane fluidity and stability, development and function of brain and nerve tissue, oxygen transfer and energy production, immune functions, and conversion into compounds involved in all body functions including local hormones governing inflammatory responses.

Balanced amounts of omega 3 to omega 6 are vital for good health. Uneven ratios cause inflammation within cells leading to suppressed immunity. An inflammatory diet is particularly harmful for individuals with arthritis, cancer or other inflammatory diseases. Whereas properly balanced EFAs are extremely healing and can aid with reducing arthritis pain, easing menopausal symptoms, and much more.

Through nutritional protocol EFAs are the answer to numerous health problems. The brain is mainly fat, therefore EFAs aid in restoring mental clarity and mood stability. For athletes and anyone else who works out, adding EFAs to your diet will help build lean muscle more quickly.

Don't worry about the calorie load of adding an extra spoonful of fat to your diet each day. This nourishing fat will assist with processing calories more effectively. Additionally; you will be adding numerous vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Buffalo Tempeh Strips

Easy & Delicious Buffalo Tempeh

Ingredients:
1 package organic Tempeh
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 large clove of minced garlic
1/2 tea. cayenne (more or less for desired spiciness)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 cup water
4 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
Dash of black pepper

The Process:
-Cut tempeh into just under 1 inch strips. Set aside.
-Saute the onion with olive oil in a sauce pan on medium heat, just until transparent.
-Reduce heat to low. Add molasses first, then lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar, cayenne, and pepper.
-Once well combined gradually add water and flour.
-Mix in garlic, then add tempeh coating well. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes to absorb flavor.

It does not really need dipping sauce. If desired you can make one by mixing vegan mayonnaise such as nayonase with lemon juice, pepper, and herbs.

Side suggestions: Steamed okra or other veggie, vegan potato salad, vegan baked beans

Nutrient Profile: Tempeh has been a staple in Indonesian food for over 2,000 years. It is a low calorie protein rich super food rich in; copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B2. It also provides iron, calcium, and trace elements. Just 4 oz. provides over 40% of your daily protein needs with only about 225 calories. Additionally, soy protein helps stabilize blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

Spice things up!!!

Spicy food is easy to love! It tastes great and the health benefits are mounting. A phytochemical called capsaicin is abundant in hot peppers. Capsaicin helps protect DNA from damage, which in turn strengthens the body's resilience against aging and illness. Interestingly, the burning sensation experienced when eating spicy foods is the central nervous system's reaction to capsaisin. Although it causes no real damage. Contrary to popular belief spicy foods don't cause ulcers, but help heal them.

Photo: Spicy Sweet Plantain Pasta, Click Here for the recipe

Two things I always have around to spice up meals are fresh jalapenos and powdered cayenne pepper. Many herbalists consider cayenne to be the most valuable herb in nature.

Cayenne is best known for heart health, it lowers blood pressure, improves circulation and cardiac performance. A spoon full of cayenne given during a heart attack has been documented to prevent damage to the heart. Cayenne also rebuilds tissues in the stomach and is used for treating ulcers. Aids assimilation and elimination, and helps the body create hydrochloric acid, which is necessary for proper digestion especially for the digestion of proteins.

Additionally, cayenne is a natural stimulant and fat burner. Other common medicinal uses include; treating cluster headaches, arthritis pain, and more. Because the capsaisin in cayenne triggers the central nervous system, pain receptors are depleted making it an excellent natural pain reliever.

To Buy Organic Cayenne Powder
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Saving Resources: Water

The collective impact of simple everyday eating habits has a significant impact on the planet. Over half the water in the United States is used for meat production.



Gallons of water used per pound produced:
Beef - 2,500
Wheat - 25

Gallons of water used for dairy:
producing 1 liter of milk requires 990 liters of water

The media continues to remind us of the importance of conserving water. Consider this; if someone were to take a 7 minute shower per day with a flow of 2 gallons per minute through their shower head, that person would use about 5,200 gallons of water per year showering. This means, eating a vegan diet instead of the 'average' diet for only one week saves more water than a year without showering.

Installing low-flow shower heads and otherwise conserving is important. We must do all we can. Yet why is the media pushing tips to save 10 gallons a week when there is a way to save thousands of gallons? The real problem is knowledge distribution. Now that we know the truth, spreading this critical information is in our hands. Nobody I've met has become vegan to save water, we do it to save animals. Sustainability can help lead someone in the right direction. Once enough people shift to even limiting meat and dairy consumption then supply and demand will equalize and the impact will be substantial.

To all the vegans and future vegans, thank you for making a difference!