April 27, 2012 by Aylin - 5 Comments

Vanilla Chai Almond Smoothie

This smoothie blew me away. Its base is almond milk and the only remotely â€œheavyâ€ thing in it are 4-5 dates. The rest is comprised of spices and cocoa powder. One thing I never liked about raw food circles is their obsession with crazy â€œsuperâ€ smoothie concoctions â€“ hemp powders, raw protein powders, cashews, spirulina, etc etc etc. The bottom line is that if the result ends up too dense, your body wonâ€™t even be able to absorb the inherent nutritional qualities of the beverage. Keep it simple and you wonâ€™t have to worry about that happening.

And donâ€™t be fooled by the cocoa powder. While there are 2 teaspoons of it in this smoothie, the finished treat doesnâ€™t have a chocolate taste â€“ the powder simply adds some depth, complementing the caramel flavor brought on by the other ingredients. The secret ingredient is ground cardamom, which adds a lot of character and essentially makes this smoothie what it is!

Cardamom: improved digestion and relieves stomach cramps, cleanses the blood, improves blood circulation to the lungs, helps relieve asthma and bronchitis symptoms, enhances appetite, treats sore throats, treats mouth ulcers, treats nausea, and can be used to treat urinary tract disorders.

by Aylin @ Glow Kitchen

Keywords: raw beverage breakfast dessert chai cinnamon cardamom almond milk smoothie

Ingredients (1-2)

5 pitted dates, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Soak the pitted dates in lukewarm water at least one hour before you plan to have the smoothie. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender.

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

This could go down in one. Easy.

â€¦almost done and already dreaming of anotherâ€¦

Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

April 19, 2012 by Aylin - 5 Comments

Chocolate Pudding

No milk or sugar here. Just four ingredients too! I know it sounds a little odd and the idea isnâ€™t all that appetizing, but an avocado-based chocolate pudding does not taste like avocado. With the addition of vanilla and honey, the characteristic avocado taste is masked, leaving behind only the inherent creaminess it so wonderfully boasts. And, ladies and gentleman, you can enjoy this dessert on a daily basis without much regard for portion size, if it so pleases you.

Avocadoes: prevent breast cancer with its oleic acid content, inhibit the growth of prostate cancer, defend against oral cancer, contain lutein for eye health, lower cholesterol levels due to its beta-sitosterol, contain 23% of the recommended daily value of folate (lowers incidence of heart disease), protect against strokes, helps to better absorb nutrients, are high in glutathione, which prevent aging, cancer and heart disease, and are packed with vitamin E.

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

by Aylin @ Glow Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (2 servings)

2 ripe medium avocados, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash sea salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Garnish with a mint leaf.

Make sure your avocados are ripe. Mine were a little under-ripe, hence the somewhat grainy-looking texture. Itâ€™s still delicious, but for presentationâ€™s sake, use ripe avocados!

Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

March 27, 2012 by Aylin - 8 Comments

Vegan Sugar-Free Brownies

Sometimes the best things in life are (sugar-) free, like these brownies. Maple syrup sweetens this classic dessert just perfectly, and I promise you that the eggs, milk, and butter simply wonâ€™t be missed, except for maybe by your love handles. Trust me on this one. You canâ€™t get much better than this.

Why do these babies glow? Well, per the title of this post, you can guess why they donâ€™t not glow, and thatâ€™s justification enough. But if you need more reason, letâ€™s talk about the (wal)nuts and bolts of this recipe.

Walnuts: contain healthy omega-3s, which protect arteries, improve brain function, prevent gallstones, are a rich source of melatonin, which helps you sleep, protect bone health, stop weight gain, and help diabetes.

Vegan Sugar-Free Fudge Brownies

by Aylin @ Glow Kitchen

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 15)

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup chopped walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup canola oil (or coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Combine the dry ingredients (but only 1/2 cup of the chopped walnuts) in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and stir until evenly combined. The mixture will be thick and fudge-like.

Spread into an ungreased 8×8 glass pan, top with the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20-25 minutes. To check if itâ€™s ready, push down on the center with your index finger. If you sense resistance, itâ€™s done.