Spinach Melon Green Smoothie

Happy Friday to everyone!  I spent the morning cleaning, the afternoon with my mom going around town, the early evening shopping with Kevin, then a quick workout before my dinner smoothie (see recipe below) and watching the Mariners while relaxing on the couch. First, is my daily log, and stay tuned for my super simple green smoothie recipe after!

Food Log:

• Breakfast: lots of water
• Lunch: Ethiopian Vegetarian Combo Split with my mom... (check out the pictures below too!)
• Veggie Sambussa Appitizer: delicate pastry filled with lentils, onions, and spices
• Vegetarian Combo: Yatakilt alicha (potatoes, carrots, and cabbage delicately sauteed with onions, garlic, ginger, and tumeric), Yemisher kik we-t (split red lentils cooked in berere sauce), Shiro (ground chickpeas mildly spiced and slow cooked with chopped onions and tomatoes), Yaterkik alicha (yellow split peas cooked with tumeric, garlic, and onions), with a bunch of Injera (spongey fermented flatbread) to dip and scoop
• Dinner: Spinach Melon Green Smoothie
• Extras: drinks with my friend in celebration of his grandmas life (she passed away peacefully today)

Exercise Log: Jogged for 20 minutes, abs, squats, stretching

How I felt:  Today was a fun day, and definitely a different food schedule than usual, but in the end, I think I did fairly well.  I didnt get in a true salad, but after my evening workout, I want in the mood for making a salad, let alone eating and having one sit heavy in my stomach.  My solution to that... this awesome new smoothie!

Spinach Melon Green Smoothie

Amys Notes:  Feel free to use whatever melon you prefer for this recipe.  I used cantelope (rock melon) because I needed to use mine up, but I bet honeydew melon would go wonderfully as well!

Ingredients: 

• 2 huge bunches of spinach
• 1 cup fresh melon
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 dates
• splash of non-dairy milk to thin

Directions: Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add more non-dairy milk to thin to your desired consistency.

Have you ever tried putting melons in a smoothie?  Crazy right!?

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Mojito Green Smoothie

Happy Earth Day to all!  I thought I would share with you guys a little info-graphic that I made to send out at my work.  It is fairly general and doesnt include as much information about diet and the health of the environment as I would normally put in.

Some of you who have read my "about me" section may know that my college major was Environmental Science, so I am very passionate about doing what we can to preserve the world that we have.  When I started following the Nutritarian lifestyle, I did it for weight loss and my health.  As time has passed, I have come to find that one of the best ways that you can care for the planet as well as your own health is by eating a whole foods, plant-based vegan diet that focuses on organic and local produce.  

I have had the whole foods part down for a while, but now I am starting to focus more on where my food comes from and how it was grown.  I buy organic when possible (available and financially reasonable), and have been striving to get more of my food from closer sources.  I really cant wait for summertime when there is a farmers market only 3 miles from my apartment, to which I plan to bike to and from.  When Im the one biking, and I get all of my energy from food that was grown in the sun, you cant get more solar powered than that!

I havent featured a smoothie recipe in a while, so I thought Earth Day seemed like a great day to have a green smoothie that is full of nutrients and delicious!

Mojito Green Smoothie
Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1-2 servings

Ingredients:
        2 packed cups/large handfuls of organic spinach, washed
        1/2 cup plant-based milk
        1/2 cup ice cubes
        1 frozen banana
        2 dates, pitted
        Juice from 1 lime, or about 1.5 Tbsp
        2 Tbsp fresh mint

Instructions:
1.)  Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender.
2.)  Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
3.)  Enjoy immediately.

Amys Notes:
This recipe packs quite a bunch of spinach, with the green taste masked deliciously with the lime and mint combo.  Who needs a mojito with liquor when you can have greens?!

What are you planning to do this next year do decrease your environmental impacts?

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BISTRO BY SHOT PARSONS GREEN

I love having beauty treatments and my all time favourite is a 90 minute rose facial at The Organic Pharmacy - it is amazing and a real treat. Although after a facial I never look my best as my hair is super greasy from the oil and my face is blotchy from the extractions. So when I arranged to go for supper with my lovely friend Ceri on Saturday night after my treatment, I requested that we go somewhere low key as I wasnt looking particularly glam!

We decided on Bistro By Shot, a petite, cosy French-Italian all day dining venue in Parsons Green. It is relatively new and I had read good reviews in local magazines. It also has two very popular sister restaurants/cafes in Fulham Broadway.

We perused the menu - it was different than the one online which confused me as obviously I had already chosen what I wanted to eat!

Anyway I easily chose again - the seared foie gras with red onion jam and toast followed by the saddle of lamb, olive mash, confit shallots, curly kale and garlic puree. Ceri also chose the foie gras and then she decided on the duck breast, polenta croquette, broccoli puree and honey sauce.

Unfortunately there was only one portion of foie gras left and so we decided to share the one dish as well as having a cheese and charcuterie platter.

While we waited for the starter to arrive, we were given some asparagus tempura which were great, very light, and I always believe a complimentary extra course is a very nice touch.

The cheese and charcuterie platter was a delight - plenty of cured meats and saucisson, cornichons and 4 different cheeses….I am not sure what they exactly were but they were all delicious, especially the soft blue cheese. There was more than enough for two of us and I expect I will be back very soon to share this with my husband Pascal - he would love it.

The seared foie gras was very good, it melted in your mouth, however the portion was minuscule and after we mentioned this to the waiter, he immediately offered to take it off our bill. Unfortunately they were seriously running low on foie gras that night!

I adored my main - the lamb was cooked pink and was so tender, the mash was soft and flavoursome with lots of olives, and the kale with garlic puree was out of this world.

Ceris duck breast with broccoli puree and honey sauce was also delicious however the croquettes had a funny flavour to them - we couldnt work out what spice had been added but neither of us were keen on it (obviously I had to taste it too)!

The pudding menu looked good especially the macaroons and the chocolate fondant but we were stuffed. We did however finish off with a couple of chocolate truffles which were the perfect way to round off the meal.

All is all the food was excellent, we really enjoyed it. The service was extremely friendly and polite but it was also very, very slow - there werent enough staff working. Hopefully this was just a one off occurrence. The restaurant is reasonably priced and I expect it is also a good venue for breakfast and lunch (they also do a set menu). I am also keen to join them on a Friday night (6pm-8pm) for "aperitivo" where you can eat as many canapés as you like for £4…..I will be there in elasticated trousers so I can really get involved!!

Bistro By Shot

28 Parsons Green Lane,
London
SW6 4HS
Tel: 020 7371 7533
Email: info@bistrobyshot.com

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GREEN GODDESS SALAD

Now it is "summer" I am trying to cook more barbecues and protein based meals as it is good for the bikini body!!

This is a salad I ripped out from Olive magazine, it is called the "Green Goddess" salad after the green herb dressing which was very popular in the US in the 1970s - apparently is now having a comeback. We served it with some sausages however you could have it on its own or with chicken or steak or fish or whatever you fancied. It took about 20 minutes to make and was really easy.

Ingredients for 2 people:

60g quinoa
100g peas
2 tbsp lemon juice
50g rocket leaves
An avocado, chopped
8 slices of smoked streaky bacon, chopped
80g feta, chopped into bite size pieces

Green Goddess Dressing:
2 spring onions, chopped including the green bits
Half a lemon, juiced
2 tbsp of mayonnaise
A small bunch of basil (about 8g), chopped
A small bunch of chives (about 8g), chopped
3 tbsp water

Cook the quinoa according to the packets instructions - mine took 15 minutes in simmering water.

At the same time cook the peas in boiling water. Mine were frozen and took 4 minutes.

Grill the bacon according to the packet instructions, mine took about 10 minutes.

Our salad bowl has cracked :-( and so we had to improvise with a different style dish.

Once the quinoa is cooked, drain and rinse and then add to the bowl along with the peas, lemon juice and some seasoning. Top with the bacon and feta.

Then add the avocado and rocket.

Mix all together.

For the dressing just add the spring onions, lemon juice, mayonnaise, basil, chives and water into a food processor and whizz into a puree.

Then drizzle over the salad and tuck in.

This was really really good - so fresh and mouthwatering. My husband Pascal had typically turned his nose up at it once he saw it had quinoa in it but once he tasted it, he couldnt get over how delicious it was. If you dont like feta, you could use goats cheese or mozzarella or even leave it out. The same goes for the bacon, if you are a vegetarian, you could go without. As I said at the beginning you can have the salad with something or on its own - I think it would be a great summer lunch idea with some crusty french bread….and maybe some more cheese ;-)

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Green Split Pea Hummus

Happy St. Patricks Day to everyone!  Tonight Kevin and I are hosting a little pot luck with some friends, and for a St. Pattys themed recipe, I decided to make something that is naturally green with green split peas and pistachios!

Green Split Pea Hummus
Time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour cook time
Serves: Party size!

Ingredients:
1 cup dried green split peas (or about 2 cups cooked)
1 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup water (more to consistency)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Instructions:

1. Rinse the dried green split peas in a mesh strainer and pick out any debris.  Combine the rinsed and drained lentils with 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and then cover.  Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the lentils are tender but not quite mushy.  Remove from heat and leave the cover on to steam while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients besides the green split peas.  Process until the pistachios are well broken up and smooth.  
3. Strain any remaining liquid from the cooked green split peas and add to the food processor.  Process until smooth and creamy, adding in water by the tablespoon until the desired consistency is reached.
4. Place the hummus into an airtight container in the fridge to cool before serving.
5. Serve with your favorite healthy crackers, chips, and raw veggies.

Amys Notes:

If you dont happen to have pistachios on hand, any other type of nut or seed will work, such as cashews, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, etc.

This hummus is also great on a panini, like the one pictured below.  For this panini, I loaded it with my split pea hummus, lots of red onion slices, and piled high with spinach.  Yum!

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