Vegan Mofo 1.1: Veggies in Curried Tomato & Peanut Butter Sauce over Brown Basmati

Happy first day of Vegan Mofo everyone! I hadn’t intended to sign up this year because my November is crazy but then I realized there was no reason not to. I am going to try my best to post at least once a day. With a little luck that will happen. My plan is to number my posts by day and then post within the day. For example 1.1 would be the first post of the first day. If there is a second post that day it would be 1.2, etc. I am going to do that for my long time readers that have gotten used to one post per day so they don’t miss anything. I expect my posts will be shorter this month due to my schedule.

For those of you that don’t know me I a foodie who became vegan a few years ago due to cancer. My husband (Dan) and I both love good food with a lot of flavor. The recipes I post are full of flavor. However I also try to make them as healthy as I can. I always cook with health as well as flavor in mind.

Some of our favorite cuisines are Italian, Indian, Japanese, and Thai. I am of Italian heritage so Italian is hands down my favorite. Indian food is something that I have cooked for almost 3 decades since college when my best friend had come to the US for school from Madras, India. Tonight I made an Indian inspired dish because we had not had any in a few days.

Since the post of our Sunday activities is going to be huge (and probably require more than a few separate entries) I decided to start Vegan Mofo with our dinner tonight which was a simple affair. I made quick and easy curried veggies over brown rice. Here is what I did:

Veggies in a Curried Tomato and Peanut Butter Sauce over Brown Basmati
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced (allow to stand 10 minutes before heating)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (allow to stand 10 minutes before heating)
½ tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated (if it is organic you can leave the skin just be sure to clean it well)
4 cups fresh or 28 ounces canned peeled diced tomatoes (fresh has much less sodium)
4 cups water
½ tablespoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
½ tablespoon coriander seed
½ tablespoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon ajowan seeds
freshly ground black pepper, to taste (be generous since the piperine in the black pepper makes the turmeric more bioavailable)
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
3 tablespoons reduced-fat peanut butter, or to taste
2 carrots, cut into bite-size chunks
2 parsnips, cut into bite-size chunks
2 Japanese eggplants, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 crowns broccoli, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 ½ cups brown basmati rice
3 cups water

Directions:

Combine the onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, water, spices, carrots and parsnips. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has begun to thick, about 30 minutes.

Combine the rice and water and cook. Depending on the type of pan you are using the rice will take anywhere from 35 (using enameled cast iron) to 50 (using stainless steel) minutes to cook including the time to bring the liquid to a simmer. Start the rice at the time appropriate for the material of the pot. Having the rice finished a little early isn’t as much of a problem as too late since the rice will hold better than the veggies.

Add the peanut butter (to taste) to the sauce and mix to combine. Next add the eggplants and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. The broccoli gets incorporated the last 15 minutes of cooking so it doesn’t get overcooked. To finish add lime zest and lime juice and stir to combine. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 375.32
Calories From Fat (14%) - 53.25

Total Fat - 6.37g
Saturated Fat - 1.15g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 61.13mg
Potassium - 1325.55mg
Total Carbohydra tes -73.74g
Fiber - 13.7g
Sugar - 13.49g
Protein - 11.05g

Comments:

This dish has a lot of flavor. It is certainly not traditional. I used reduced fat peanut butter for the fat component rather than coconut milk (or even light coconut milk) to reduce the saturated fat. The broccoli was added at the end to retain the maximum amount of nutrition. If you are okay with adding more fat this dish would be great finished with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts, slivered almonds or roasted cashews for texture. The cilantro and spinach rice I made a few days ago would also be great with this dish and would add extra vitamins and minerals.

Signing out:

Tomorrow will start out early here since it is Election Day which means it is time for me to sign out. Talk to you again tomorrow.  I hope everyone had the best Monday possible.

Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Sometimes the weather changes dramatically and yesterday was one of those days here. We went from air conditioning the day before to a high of 76 yesterday. Last night we had the windows open and needed our fuzzy winter bed cover on the end of the bed for cold feet. When we got up this morning it was 57 degrees. Boy, did that feel colder than I thought it would.

Needless to say a frozen smoothie had no appeal to me this morning. I decided we needed oatmeal this morning, but not just any oatmeal, decadent oatmeal. Think of this as chocolate lava cake meets oatmeal and peanut butter. Here is what I did.

Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup of rolled oats
1 cup of water (you could use almond or soy milk but it doesn’t need it)
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 tablespoon of chocolate chips
1 pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Combine the oats and water and heat in your microwave until hot (1 minute in my microwave). Top the oatmeal with the cinnamon, peanut butter, chocolate chips and kosher salt. Stir and enjoy.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 279.87
Calories From Fat (36%) - 101.67

Total Fat - 12.31g
Saturated Fat - 3.77g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 365.52mg
Potassium - 274.19mg
Total Carbohydrates - 39.71g
Fiber - 6.73g
Sugar - 1.74g
Protein - 9.03g
MyPoints - 7.42

Comments:

This was so rich and delicious. It really reminded me of chocolate late cake with all its warm chocolate deliciousness. We won’t be having this every morning, but if you want a treat for breakfast this is really good.

The portion above was for me, my had a double serving before he left for work.

Layered Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse with Bourbon

My poor husband has been waiting for this mousse for months. I thought of the idea at least 3 months ago, told him about it and then never made it until today. This is a variation of my chocolate mousse with espresso, which is one of his favorites. Well, he also loves chocolate and peanut butter cups (which I don't make often) so I thought that he would like the flavor combination in mousse form. Needless to say, he loves it.

This dessert is very easy to make. The portions are intentionally small because the mousse is so rich and decadent tasting. I don’t like to have much at once and my husband can always eat two, so this small portion works well at our house. I have made the chocolate mousse for many people (never vegan) and everyone has loved it.

I included bourbon in this recipe since I knew it would work well with the peanut butter, and it is an amazing flavor combination. You can omit the bourbon if you wish, but it does add to the flavor and more importantly to the aroma, and only amounts to ¼ tablespoon per serving.

Layered Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse with Bourbon
Serves 4

Ingredients:

12.3 ounces of low fat silken tofu, firm
6 tablespoons of agave
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of Bourbon (used Woodford Reserve)
2 tablespoon of natural organic peanut butter
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
4 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Place the tofu, agave, vanilla extract and bourbon your food process and blend completely.

Remove ½ of the tofu mixture to be made chocolate shortly.

Add the peanut butter to the food processor and blend completely.

Put the peanut butter mousse in the bottom of 4 cups. Scrape the processor bowl well or wash it and return it to the machine with the reserved tofu mixture.

Add the cocoa powder to the food processor. Melt the chips in the microwave on 30% power until soft (I needed 3 minutes). Scrape the soft chocolate into the food processor and thoroughly blend.

Top the peanut butter mousse with the chocolate mousse. Cover the top of the cups with plastic cling film and refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours). Enjoy cold.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 190.82
Calories From Fat (45%) - 85.99

Total Fat - 10.36g
Saturated Fat - 3.47g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 135.81mg
Potassium - 215.38mg
Total Carbohydrates - 16.62g
Fiber - 4.32g
Sugar - 2.43g
Protein - 9.66g

Comments:

This recipe has a little more fat than I would like, but much of it comes from the natural peanut butter so I don’t think it can be that bad for our health.

Chocolate, peanut butter and bourbon are a flavor match made in heaven. The chocolate layer is a little thick, the peanut layer softer, and together they are magical. If you want you can add some chopped peanuts or mini chocolate chips to either layer. I would put peanuts in the chocolate and chocolate in the peanut butter.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pancakes Topped with Banana

My husband wanted pancakes this morning so that is what we had. I decided that we were going to ignore the fat restrictions this morning and go for it.

I haven’t made pancakes in a long time (possibly years) so I needed a starting recipe. I used my ancient New York Times Cookbook (copyright 1961) and started making changes. The resulting pancakes are nothing like the original, but it worked so what the heck.

Of course I used whole-wheat pastry flour in place of white flour. I don’t keep white flour in the house, so that wasn’t going into breakfast. I used ground flaxseeds in place of egg, canola oil in place of shortening (and less of it), and almond milk in place of whole milk. Then I added peanut butter, cinnamon and ginger.

I changed so many things I really wasn’t certain how these would work. Shockingly, these turned out great. I liked the peanut butter taste in the pancake, combined with the banana on top. I don’t really think the peanut butter on top was necessary so I may omit it next time.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pancakes Topped with Banana
Serves 2 big appetites (makes 8 – 5 inch pancakes)

Dry Ingredients:

¾ cups of whole-wheat pastry flour
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
¼ teaspoon of ginger, powdered

Wet Ingredients:

2 tablespoon of golden flaxseeds, freshly ground
1 ¼ cups of almond milk – or enough to get the correct consistency, don’t add all at once
2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Topping ingredients:

2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 banana, sliced
1 teaspoon of agave, or to taste

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients and whisk to evenly distribute the leavening agent (baking powder). Set dry ingredients aside.

In another bowl combine the wet ingredients (using only ¾ cup of almond milk at first) and whisk to completely saturate the flaxseeds and to distribute the peanut butter.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and stir to combine. If you have any large areas of flour that are still dry add the remaining milk a little at a time until you have only small lumps of flour. Don’t beat your pancake batter to remove all the lumps, this makes a tough pancake and you don’t want that. How much milk you will need to use depends on the moisture in your flour. I keep my flour in the freezer so it tends to be very dry and therefore I need more liquid than most recipes call for.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium high heat. I used a cast iron griddle that I lightly wiped with a tablespoon of canola oil on a paper towel.

Dollop the pancake (approximately 1/4 cup per pancake) on the hot griddle and cook on the first side until bubbles form on the top of the pancakes (about three or four minutes depending on the pan you use and your heat level). The bubbles are an indication that it is time to flip the pancakes. Cook on the other side until the bottom is lightly golden (about another 2 minutes). It is best if you flip the pancakes only once.

I served this immediately with a bit of peanut butter, sliced bananas and a drizzle of agave. Yummy!

Nutritional Information (assumes 2 servings):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 608.98
Calories From Fat (53%) - 321.59

Total Fat - 37.28g
Saturated Fat - 5.04g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1084.9mg
Potassium - 732.41mg
Total Carbohydrates - 59.89g
Fiber - 13.19g
Sugar - 10.48g
Protein - 17.59g

Comments:

My husband, who is not prone to gushing, thought these were “very good”. He liked the texture and the flavor, but thought they needed more agave on top (he does have a vicious sweet tooth though). We like the peanut butter and banana combination at our house so it should be no surprise that these were well received. This is definitely a breakfast that will show up again at our house.

Banana, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Flaxseed Meal in a Glass

I made this smoothie to be an entire meal in a glass. When I don’t feel like I am 100% I would prefer to drink my breakfast rather that do a lot of chewing. I think the same can be said for most people.

According to one website I saw this morning there are over 400 medications that American’s take everyday that cause dry mouth. If anyone in your family is on a blood pressure medication they may be experiencing dry mouth. This breakfast would be great for them. I also understand that most cancer treatments cause dry mouth so this recipe would also be good for cancer patients.

This is one of those recipes I tinkered with in my cookbook program before I actually prepared it. An extra banana was added to this smoothie to increase the calories. I also used a little more dry oatmeal and peanut butter for the same reason.

My husband thought this smoothie was delicious, but he loves anything chocolate so that may be why he enjoyed it so much. This smoothie is thick, rich and goes down really easy.

Banana, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Flaxseed Meal in a Glass
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 bananas
¾ cup of old fashioned oatmeal, dry
1 ½ tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseeds, ground
1 scoop of stevia
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ginger, powdered
2 cups of almond milk, unsweetened
1 ½ cups of ice

Directions:

Put everything in the blender and puree until completely smooth. Serve immediately in a chilled glass.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 409.56
Calories From Fat (35%) - 145.27

Total Fat - 16.96g
Saturated Fat - 2.71g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 238.13mg
Potassium - 908.87mg
Total Carbohydrates - 61.26g
Fiber - 13.18g
Sugar - 16.18g
Protein - 12.55g

Comments:

The most dominant flavor in this smoothie is banana, followed by chocolate with peanut butter in the background. The ginger and cinnamon are very mild background flavors that add complexity to the smoothie without adding distinctive flavor.

This smoothie does contain a good bit of fat from the peanut butter and flaxseeds. Since I needed to up the calories I decided not to reduce the peanut butter. The flaxseeds contain healthy Omega 3's that fight cancer so I wasn't reducing those either.

I think this is my husband’s favorite smoothie so far. I thought it was very tasty and filling. The cool thickness would feel wonderful if anyone in your family has a sore throat.

Update:

My husband must have loved this smoothie. He asked me to make him a second one tonight for a snack since "he was certain he hadn't eaten enough today and needed the calories". Since my husband never asks for a specific item I know this smoothie was a winner.

Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie

Today’s smoothie was a little different since it included cocoa powder. My husband is a chocoholic through and through. He loves all things chocolate. Since we are trying to eliminate sugar from our diet (because cancer loves sugar) we have also given up chocolate, although not intentionally. Today I thought I would see if I could add cocoa to our smoothie and see if we liked it. I initially made this smoothie without stevia and quickly realized it needed a little sweetener. I thought it was a little too sweet, but my husband did not think this smoothie was too sweet.

Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, peeled
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseeds, ground
½ cup of oatmeal, dry
1 ½ tablespoons of peanut butter
½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
½ teaspoon of ginger, powdered
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
2 scoops (2 grams) of powdered stevia
1 ½ cups of water
8 ice cubes

Directions:

Toss everything in the blender and puree until completely smooth. Serve immediately in a chilled glass.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 258.55
Calories From Fat (37%) - 94.62

Total Fat - 11.31g
Saturated Fat - 2.04g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 13.58mg
Potassium - 423.73mg
Total Carbohydrates - 37.84g
Fiber - 8.96g
Sugar - 8.53g
Protein - 8.53g

Comments:

This was good blend of flavors. Not individual flavor was dominant in the final drink. I thought the smoothie was little too sweet, but my husband did not agree. He thought it could use more cocoa, I thought it had enough cocoa. What I am telling you is that when it comes to chocolate and sweetness we all have very individual tastes. I think this is a good starting point for a smoothie. Either way, we both liked this smoothie even though we didn't agree on the modifications to be made to the next version.

If you are concerned about adding the cocoa, remember that it is high in antioxidants. As always the flaxseeds were included for their Omega 3’s since they are anti-inflammatory and help fight cancer. The ginger is also anti-inflammatory and is included for the same reason.

Green Drink update:

We had a full strength green powder drink this morning. However we only had a half serving. We both drank it in three gulps. It is not enjoyable, and anyone that tells you it is, is lying. After our smoothie we discussed the drink and decided we can do three gulps, but don’t want to do more than that at one time. We also purchased red drink powder and are going to have a half serving of each (red and green powder) every day, one in the morning and one in the evening. At this point that is the best we can do. We may be able to up the dose in the future, but not just yet.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, Ginger and Oatmeal Smoothie

Yes, I know it is another banana and peanut butter smoothie. I have been trying to perfect the banana and peanut butter combination and I think we are getting close. By increasing the oatmeal the smoothie is thicker and has more fiber and calories without impacting the flavor. I definitely like the ginger and cinnamon combination. Both my husband and I decided to keep the peanut butter in our morning smoothie even though it has more fat than the book "Life Over Cancer" recommends. We will lower our overall fat percentage by eating plain vegetables and fruit, and by not having a smoothie every day.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, Ginger and Oatmeal Smoothie
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, peeled
1 ½ tablespoons of peanut butter
½ cup of oatmeal, dry
½ teaspoon of powdered ginger
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseed, freshly ground
1 ½ cups of water
8 ice cubes

Directions:

Toss everything in the blender and puree until completely smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Nutritional Information:

Calories - 252.37
Calories From Fat (37%) - 92.9

Total Fat - 10.94g
Saturated Fat - 1.85g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 66.45mg
Potassium - 382.58mg
Total Carbohydrates - 35.37g
Fiber - 8.06g
Sugar - 8.48g
Protein - 8g

Comments:

I definitely think this is my favorite banana and peanut butter smoothie so far. I think the spice combination and the texture is fantastic. The smoothie is thick but still drinkable. Overall, this is a great flavor combination.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Ginger and Cinnamon Smoothie

I didn’t make the green smoothie this morning because my husband woke up with an upset stomach and didn’t think the green would go down well. I added a couple of fresh ginger slices to our green tea this morning to help with his stomach upset. As usual we also had a few fresh edamame with our green tea since soy and green tea work better together than separately.

We had a banana smoothie this morning since they are good if the stomach upset moves to the lower GI system. I added little powdered ginger to our smoothie to assist with the stomach upset. It seems to have worked since his stomach is now fine. The flaxseeds are always a part of my smoothies for their omega 3’s. Since omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory fat that helps to fight cancer I like to add it when I can.

This smoothie contains one of our favorite flavor combinations, banana and peanut butter. The cinnamon and ginger are both subtle flavors in this smoothie with neither one being dominant. We also liked the iciness of this smoothie. I may increase the amount of ice in our smoothies going forward. We both liked the addition of the ginger, which was subtle but added a nice anti-inflammatory punch.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Ginger and Cinnamon Smoothie
Makes 2 servings approximately 1 1/2 cups each

Ingredients:

1 banana, frozen – peeled
1 ½ tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseeds, freshly ground
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of ginger, ground
1 ¼ cups of water
8 ice cubes

Directions:

Place ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 185.77
Calories From Fat (48%) - 88.63

Total Fat - 10.42g
Saturated Fat - 1.75g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 65.85mg
Potassium - 300.38mg
Total Carbohydrates - 20.68g
Fiber - 5.66g
Sugar - 8.36g
Protein - 5.74g

Comments:

Peanut Butter and Banana is one of our favorite combinations. The addition of the powdered ginger was surprisingly light in the end. I like that it adds another source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. This drink does exceed my targeted fat percentage by a mile. However, since my husband had an upset stomach this morning I thought it was more important that he eat something. I will add other plain fruits and vegetables to our day to try to get the overall fat percentage down.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Flaxseed Smoothie

We love peanut butter and bananas at our house. Today’s smoothie is yet another peanut butter and banana combination. This smoothie is high in fat, due to the peanut butter and flaxseed. If you are watching your fat intake I would suggest a fruit smoothie without peanut butter. However, if you are a big fan of peanut, like we are, this is a tasty smoothie that is also packed with nutrition. Peanuts are a good source of protein, vitamin E and niacin.

The flaxseeds are included for their omega 3 fatty acids that are anti-inflammatory and thought to fight cancer. The standard American Diet is typically higher in pro-inflammatory fats (omega 6). I try to add omega 3’s to our diet whenever possible. I have seen many different ratios of the optimal ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fats. However, the average of what I have seen seems to be between 1:2 and 1:3. These same sources indicate that Americans typically consume a ratio of 1:20 or more, which is extremely unhealthy and very pro-inflammatory.

The banana and peanut butter flavors in this smoothie are well balanced with a subtle hint of cinnamon in the background. The texture of the peanut butter is thick from the frozen banana, ice cubes and oatmeal. If you haven’t tried oatmeal in your smoothies, this is something that is worth a try. We like the fiber and thickness it adds to our smoothies.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Flaxseed Smoothie
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas
3 tablespoons of peanut butter (preferably with the skins included)
1/3 cup of oatmeal
2 tablespoons of flaxseed, ground
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
8 ice cubes (approximately 1 cup)
2 cups of water

Directions:

Place everything in the blender and process until completely smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 352.2
Calories From Fat (41%) - 143.84

Total Fat - 17.03g
Saturated Fat - 3.15g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 119.96mg
Potassium - 639.41mg
Total Carbohydrates - 46g
Fiber - 9.46g
Sugar - 16.75g
Protein - 10.89g

Comments:

This smoothie is rich and creamy, and tastes great. The fat is a little high so we will be having a light salad for lunch today. Both my husband and I liked this smoothie. Doesn’t it always seem like the higher fat recipes always taste the best? At least 50% of the fat in peanut butter is healthy monounsaturated fat.

Nutritional Info updated 07.05.09

Whole Wheat Wrap with Apple, Peanut Butter and Raisins

This is our standard breakfast when I am not feeling creative. It also happens to be a favorite of my husband. The fat content on this sandwich is a little higher than I would like mostly due to the peanut butter. However, peanut butter is a good source of protein and the fat is mostly the heart healthy variety so I don’t believe this is an unhealthy choice. There are reports that apple skins contain six times the antioxidants of the apple meat. If you have a habit of peeling your apples now you have a good reason to eat the skin. The raisins were included for the resveratrol in the skin of the dehydrated grapes.

Be certain that you buy a natural peanut butter than contains the peanut skins in the butter. The peanut skins contain catechins that are also found in green tea. Catechins are powerful antioxidants that are thought to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

Overall this makes a quick and portable breakfast that contains protein and fiber as well as enough calories to power you through your morning. We normally have this with a big mug of green tea that we flavor with a little pomegranate juice.

Whole Wheat Wrap with Apple, Peanut Butter and Raisins
Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 whole grain wrap
1 apple - scrubbed, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon of raisins

Directions:

Spread peanut butter on half the whole grain wrap. Top the peanut butter with apple sliced and raisins. This sandwich is best when eaten cold.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 398.42
Calories From Fat (40%) - 160.19

Total Fat - 19.52g
Saturated Fat - 3.93g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 520.36mg
Potassium - 424.75mg
Total Carbohydrates - 49.54g
Fiber - 12.58g
Sugar - 23.67g
Protein - 18.73g

Comments:

This is a good breakfast if you are looking for something that your husband or kids can make on their own. The sandwich travels well if you wrap it with a piece of wax paper. You can jazz this sandwich up by sprinkling a little cinnamon on the peanut butter or by substituting dried cherries for the raisins. If you like sweet things for breakfast drizzle a little agave on the sandwich (note this will be a little messy).

My husband and I have had this breakfast sandwich many times. We think it is the amount of protein and fat that makes this sandwich so satisfying. When we have this for breakfast it seems to take an hour or so longer for us to get hungry for lunch.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Spinach and Soy Yogurt Smoothie

Green smoothies again!

Every Sunday morning we go to the farmers market to pick up our organic goodies. Smoothies are a great breakfast when you are in a hurry.

The smoothie today is a little different from the prior smoothies due to the addition of soy yogurt. The soy yogurt is included for the probiotics, which are reported to boost the immune system. The yogurt also makes the smoothie a little thicker, and gives it a little background tang. The spinach is included for cancer fighting potential, and overall good nutrition. The banana is a great source of potassium and is good for kidney health. The peanut butter adds thickness, protein, fat and a nice flavor. The ice is included to thicken the smoothie.

Banana, Peanut Butter, Spinach and Soy Yogurt Smoothie
Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 cups of baby spinach, rinsed thoroughly
2 bananas, peeled
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
½ cup of soy yogurt
1 cup of soy milk
approximately 6 ice cubes

Directions:

Put everything in the blender and puree until smooth. Serve immediately in a chilled glass.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 326.71
Calories From Fat (32%) - 104.11

Total Fat - 12.12g
Saturated Fat - 2.26g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 194.53mg
Potassium - 1005.23mg
Total Carbohydrates - 46.66g
Fiber - 6.41g
Sugar - 24.77g
Protein - 12.77g

Comments:

Green smoothies are starting to appear more often in our house. The color is a little distracting, but the flavor is excellent. I like that it is a quick breakfast and that it is so good for us. If you haven’t tried a spinach smoothie you will be surprised at how the spinach flavor disappears behind the other ingredients.

Homemade Peanut Butter - with peanut skins

Have you noticed that some organic peanut butters contain the peanut skins while most brands do not? I first noticed this a few months ago and wondered why. With a little research I found out that peanut skins are a rich source of antioxidants. These antioxidants are the same ones that are found in green tea and have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer.

So this is great, but I didn't like the texture of the peanut butter with the skins. I decided to see if I could make it myself and improve the texture. Unfortunately I started with peanuts in the shell. The longest part of the peanut butter process was shelling the 4 cups of peanuts, which took about 45 minutes. I will be looking for shelled peanuts in their skins the next time I need to buy them.

I used the food processor again to make the peanut butter. It turns out that peanut butter takes half the time of almond butter. In a little over three minutes the nuts were butter. The skins were much smaller than in the commercial brand. Overall I think the peanut butter experiment was a success. But do yourself a favor and buy the peanuts shelled, that was a tedious process best avoided.

Peanut Butter
makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups of peanuts, with their skins

Directions:

Place peanuts in the food processor bowl and turn on machine. Process until smooth. It took about 3 and half minutes at my house.

Nutritional Information (1 tablespoon):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 113.88
Calories From Fat (71%) - 80.86

Total Fat - 9.67g
Saturated Fat - 1.34g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 1.17mg
Potassium - 128.09mg
Total Carbohydrates - 4.19g
Fiber - 1.56g
Sugar - 0.81g
Protein - 4.61g

Comments:

Without added salt or sugar this tastes like "just peanuts", only spreadable. I like that it doesn't contain unnecessary sodium or sweeteners. I think this will make a nice addition to my smoothies, oatmeal and whole grain bagels. I may try to make a little something with chocolate and peanut butter in the next few days to see how it works in baking.

Fruit Salad with Whole Grain Bagel, Peanut Butter and Banana

Since “what makes a good vegan breakfast” is a recurring question, I will be posting our breakfast items when they are different from what I have previously posted.

I normally keep a few whole grain bagels in the freezer for mornings like this when I don’t want a smoothie, or to spend a lot of time making breakfast.

A quick defrost in the microwave and a little time in the toaster and we had breakfast. I added the peanut butter for protein and fat (so we can absorb all the fat soluble vitamins in our breakfast). The banana was included to hopefully protect us from a recurrence of kidney cancer. The banana also includes a nice amount of potassium, which is necessary for healthy blood pressure.

Any meal that goes from the refrigerator and freezer to my plate in under 10 minutes is my idea of the perfect meal. I also used the fruit salad I made last night and added a few strawberries for color and we were ready to eat.

Fruit is a great thing to incorporate in your diet on a daily basis. If you take a look at the USDA website for the ORAC values fruit scores very high in antioxidants. By having a big container of fruit salad in the refrigerator at all times you can easily eat four servings of fruit everyday.

Fruit Salad and Whole Grain Bagel with Peanut Butter and Banana
Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 cups of fruit salad (1/2 of what I made yesterday)
6 strawberries, sliced
3.5 ounce whole grain bagel
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
4 ounce banana, sliced

Directions:

Slice bagel in half, and toast. Spread each bagel half with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and top with banana slices.

Remove fruit salad from the refrigerator. Add strawberries to the fruit salad.

Eat immediately while the bagel is still warm and the fruit salad is cold.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 391.44
Calories From Fat (20%) - 78.64

Total Fat - 9.4g
Saturated Fat - 1.96g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 349.49mg
Potassium - 956.47mg
Total Carbohydrates - 72.56g
Fiber - 8.11g
Sugar - 35.01g
Protein - 12.06g

Comments:

This breakfast is light but filling. I like that the salad is cold but the bagel is warm. I always like a mixture of warm and cold items. I also like the crunchiness of the bagel with the gooey texture of the peanut butter. Overall this is a nice quick breakfast with good nutritional content.

Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal

Sometimes you don’t feel like making a big deal out of breakfast, even on the weekend. Today we decided to give the green smoothies a rest and have oatmeal.

Oatmeal is one of those foods that can be very bland. This lack of flavor can be good or bad. I like that oatmeal is a blank canvass onto which I can add a lot of other flavors.

Today’s oatmeal is sort of Elvis inspired with peanut butter and banana. The peanut butter adds protein and the banana is good for kidney health. As everyone who knows me knows I am fond of saying, “we are all about the kidney” in my house. Anything that helps with kidney health is very popular with me. Once I read that consuming bananas was associated with a reduction in the incidence of kidney cancer that meant bananas were going to show up nearly everyday in our meals. Hopefully you can’t over dose on bananas since I have tendency toward being all or nothing about things.

Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal
Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 cup of almond milk, unsweetened
½ cup of oatmeal
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
1 banana, sliced
1 teaspoon agave

Directions:

Put almond milk, oatmeal, peanut butter and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until hot (this took 3 minutes in my microwave for 2 bowls). Remove the bowls from the microwave.

Top with banana slices and agave. Serve hot. Be certain to stir before eating.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 470.59
Calories From Fat (25%)- 118.22

Total Fat - 13.82g
Saturated Fat - 2.53g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 201.34mg
Potassium - 989.89mg
Total Carbohydrates - 76.4g
Fiber - 11.1g
Sugar - 26.05g
Protein - 17.86g

Comments:

This is a nice filling breakfast that will stay with you for a while due to the carbs and fiber. I like the peanut butter and banana combination with a hint of cinnamon in the background. Some chopped peanuts would make a nice garnish if you have them.

Banana and Spinach Smoothie

We liked the smoothie I made yesterday but thought that it would be better if it had a little more banana flavor and less peanut butter. I think I got it right today both in terms of flavor and texture. At least my husband and both liked it, so that is good enough for me.

Today I added a little cinnamon to the smoothie for health and flavor. Cinnamon has been shown to reduce blood glucose, trigylcerides and cholesterol. In a study by the USDA, cinnamon was shown to reduce the growth of leukemia and lymphoma (cancers). Cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory food. The ability of cinnamon to reduce blood clotting is well documented. Overall, cinnamon is a good thing to include in your diet wherever possible.

Banana and Peanut Butter Breakfast Smoothie with Raw Spinach
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 bananas
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 cup of almond milk
2 tablespoons of flaxseeds
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 small bunches of young spinach (about 20 leaves or 2 cups)
2 cups of ice

Directions:

Put everything in the blender and process until it is completely smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 332.12
Calories From Fat (38%) - 127.12
Total Fat - 14.86g
Saturated Fat - 2.5g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 161.09mg
Potassium - 839.3mg
Total Carbohydrates - 43.09g
Fiber - 8.6g
Sugar - 20.9g
Protein - 10.17g

Comments:

The texture of this smoothie was much better than yesterday. The extra banana undoubtedly helped, as did the reduction in liquid and the use of chilled glasses. The smoothie was thick and rich, almost like a milk shake. The banana flavor was the most pronounced, but it didn’t overwhelm the smoothie. I could taste a hint of peanut butter in the background. As usual I thought the spinach was at most a background flavor. I couldn’t taste the cinnamon at all. Next time I will double the cinnamon.

Both my husband and I have decided the spinach in our smoothies is a good thing, and something that we will continue to do through the summer. We both like knowing that we are consuming a healthy raw vegetable in our breakfast.

Nutritional Info updated 07.05.09

Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie with Spinach

Smoothies make a great breakfast when the weather gets warmer. I love how quickly you can throw them together and get on with your day. Somehow hot food isn’t anything that I am very interested in when the weather gets warmer.

I have decided to try to include spinach in my morning smoothies for a while (basically until I get bored with it and need a change). I like that the spinach adds a lot of nutrition, and potentially helps to fight cancer.

Peanut butter is a very popular ingredient in our house. Both my husband and I love the gooey stuff. Peanut butter is packed with protein, as well as healthy fat, and calories. I buy the raw organic peanut butter that is made with the skins because it contains more nutrients.

I thought that peanut and banana sounded like a great smoothie combo today. Bananas are a good source of potassium which is essential for maintaining your blood pressure. Consuming bananas has also been associated with a reduction in strokes. Eating bananas has also been linked to kidney health and a reduction in kidney cancer. Since I have a particular fondness for kidney protection expect to see more banana based recipes in the future. Hummmm…. banana and peanut butter soy ice cream sounds good. But I will save that for another post.

Flaxseeds always go into my smoothies. Four little teaspoons of flaxseeds contain almost 100% of the daily recommended value of omega 3’s. Omega 3 fatty acids help protect you from forming dangerous blood clots. The consumption of omega 3’s is also associated with lower blood pressure.

Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie with Spinach
Makes 2 large servings

Ingredients:

1 banana, very ripe
1 cup of soymilk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of golden flaxseed, freshly ground
2 bunches of young spinach, about 20 leaves
1 cup of water
2 cups of ice

Directions:

Drop everything in the blender and process until completely smooth. Serve cold.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 354.06
Calories From Fat (47%) 166.13

Total Fat - 19.42g
Saturated Fat - 3.35g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 262.77mg
Potassium - 1123.49mg
Total Carbohydrates - 33.96g
Fiber - 9.27g
Sugar - 13.23g
Protein - 15.71g


Comments:

The peanut butter was the dominant flavor in this smoothie. We would like this better if the banana flavor was a little more prominent. I will be adding more banana in the smoothie I make tomorrow. My husband and I are not in agreement on the spinach flavor. I wasn’t certain I could taste it, he thought he could taste the spinach. Either way, the spinach was at most a background flavor. We both thought this was a very good starting point for a recipe.

Nutritional Info updated 07.05.09

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Bars

I like to make reasonably healthy little nibbles to have in the lunch bag. Since everyone loves peanut butter and chocolate that was my starting point for this recipe. Of course, I needed to sweeten the mixture with agave (I try to minimize the sugar my sweetie eats). I added puffed brown rice and rolled barley because that is what I had on hand. Overall these little bars taste great and make a nice sweet little treat with your afternoon cup of coffee.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Bars
Makes 16 bars

Ingredients:

½ cup of organic peanut butter
½ cup of raw agave
pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon good vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups of puffed brown rice
1 ½ cups of rolled barley (could substitute rolled oats)
¼ cup of non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat peanut butter and agave until it boils. Turn off the heat. Add the salt and vanilla and whisk to thoroughly combine. Stir in puffed brown rice and rolled oats and combine. Add ¼ cup of chocolate chips and stir them evenly thorough.

Grease a 9 by 9 pan thoroughly with oil. Pack mixture into the pan and allow to cool. Cut into 16 squares. I wrap my bars in plastic film and store in the refrigerator in a freezer ziploc to keep them from picking up any odors.

Comments:

These are sweet, but not so sweet they hurt my teeth or make we wish I hadn’t eaten one. I was trying to minimize the amount of sweetener in this recipe intentionally, but I think I need to increase it a little next time. They taste good, but don’t hold together exactly the way I would like them to. Next time I am going to add a tablespoon of both agave and peanut butter and see if that works to stiffen the cookie a little. I may also make them into balls instead of bars. That may help them to stick together. These bars are good just like they are though ..... I tend to be a little picky.