Shredded pork tenderloin seasoned with Asian spices and cooked until tender in a slow cooker is the shining star of this recipe. Add the complementing ingredients of black beans, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, a dash of spicy salsa and wrap it all in a tortilla and you have a winner. Oh, and did I mention that it’s incredibly easy to make? Yep, this is precisely why I keep coming back to this recipe.
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RECIPES
Prepare yourself to be wowed with these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. With their delightful orange hue, mix of savory-sweet spices and chocolate chips, these cookies are addicting. I served them for a dinner party waaaaay back when and cannot believe that I have not blogged about them (bad, bad blogger). Though vegan, my friends could not tell the difference!
The recipe for these cookies comes from the Healthy. Happy. Life blog, which I just love. It’s a vegan blog and even though I’m not vegan, I enjoy cooking with a lot of vegetables – something this blog offers in abundance. I also really like the creative smoothie ideas, such as freezing cubes of watermelon to use in a smoothie. Seriously next level stuff, right? 🙂
Please allow me to introduce you to my newest obsession – avocado toast! Simple, yet decadent, avocado toast is an easy way to splurge a little at breakfast. Just toast your favorite bread (my favorites are Iggy’s or Pain D’Avignon), brush on a little extra virgin olive oil with a pastry brush and mash 1/4 avocado for each slice of toast and top with a little sea salt. One slice of avocado toast on whole wheat bread clocks in at about 185 calories, so I pair with an apple for a delicious, yet satisfying breakfast.
Apparently I’m not the only one rediscovering their love for avocado toast. Bon Appetit recently wrote a recipe for avocado toast on grilled bread that also includes a sprinkling of chili flakes. Check it out for more inspiration on how to dress up grilled or toasted bread.
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With the temperatures increasing, I’ve been craving smoothies again. There are so many ways to craft a delicious smoothie, but for me it’s typically a mix of frozen berries or bananas, spinach, non-dairy milk, coconut water and protein powder. For my most recent smoothie, I went with a classic favorite. Jam-packed with frozen berries, banana, unsweetened vanilla almond milk and my secret ingredient, Vega One Vanilla nutritional shake, this smoothie is equal parts nutritious and delicious.
Vanilla Berry Banana Smoothie
Serves One
– 1 cup frozen mixed berries (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry)
– 1 medium banana, chopped & frozen
– 1 scoop vanilla Vega One nutritional shake
– 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
– 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water as needed for blending.
I have a regular blender and find that using the ice blend setting works very well. The trick to the creamy, frozen consistency is using frozen fruit and frozen banana. I actually peel and chop ripe bananas up and store them in sandwich baggies in the freezer for smoothies. I’ve never liked the slushy-like consistency of ice cubes in a smoothie, so this works perfectly for me.
Note: You can absolutely sub the unsweetened vanilla almond milk for any other milk, or coconut water. Vega One is sweetened with Stevia and has a nice flavor, so my preference is to not add additional sugar or sweetener to this smoothie.
Why Vega One Protein Powder?
In case you’re wondering, the stats on this smoothie are pretty decent. It clocks in at about 350 calories and 9 grams of fat.
For readers not familiar with Vega One Nutritional Shake, it’s a personal favorite. It’s a vegan protein powder that’s free from dairy, gluten and soy. I know what you’re thinking – why would I use a vegan protein powder if I’m not vegan? For me it’s two things – taste and nutritional stats.
If you look at the nutritionals, it’s pretty impressive that one scoop contains 50% daily intake of vitamins and minerals, 15 g protein, fiber, Omega-3, Antioxidants, Probiotics and Greens. At $39.99 for a small tub it’s definitely pricey, but the contents make it a great solution for me to get the nutrients I need while trying to manage my busy life. For my readers in Boston, I purchase Vega One locally at Whole Foods, but you can also order on their website, or Amazon (affiliate link) for slightly cheaper. I’m also a huge fan of the chocolate flavor!
What’s your favorite smoothie combo? Leave a comment and let me know – I’m always looking for good new ideas!
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Inside The Mapparium
As the famous Ferris Bueller’s Day Off movie quote goes, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Despite always being on the go, I think I did a pretty good job carving out time for amazing food, time with friends, plus other adventures and experiences in 2012. From playing tourist in my hometown, to channeling my inner Martha Stewart, to personal and professional travels, here are 12 photos which celebrate 2012 and a little background behind them.