Dinner & Dessert: Almond Pad Thai & Cranberry Chocolate Truffles
I began my adventures with gluten free by chance. I had a roommate who had celiac disease and I LOVED her creations. She always cooked with a lot of veggies, different grains and beans, and a what I loved most, her collection of nuts - almond, macadamia, peanut, and seeds - chia, flax, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, etc. She kept it simple, went to the "feria" or farmers market once a week, got her veggies and then prepared them with her wild array of grains, beans, nuts and seeds. This was not only super healthy but was smart budgeting! Quickly, my other roommate and I caught on and started our own adventures in this type of cooking without really even the intention of cooking gluten free.
When I met Bennett, I was introduced me to the world of integrative nutrition where I learned simple things like how to make a superfood smoothie, how to cook kale & collard greens, and how delicious coconut oil is with...everything.
Tonight's dish is an inspiration from them both. I hope you enjoy!
Almond Pad Thai with rice noodles and Macadamia nuts
Ingredients:
- Rice noodles
- carrots
- spinach (or any type of green you want)
- Chopped fennel
- garlic
- ginger
- shallots
- garbanzo beans
- assortment of seeds: flax, sesame, chia
- two tablespoons Almond butter
- Roasted salted macadamia nuts
- coconut oil
- two tablespoons tamari soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon miso paste
- 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
Saute garlic and ginger in coconut oil. Add shallots. Cook until transparent, add fennel. Add garbanzo beans and carrots. Add spinach last.
Boil water, add rice noodles. Cook and drain. Rinse with cool water.
In a small bowl or cup mix almond butter, soy sauce, miso, brown rice vinegar and a dash of water together.
Add cooked rice noodles to veggie saute. Add sauce. Mix together over medium heat. Add seeds and top with shaved macadamia nuts. Mix, stir and serve!
Cranberry Chocolate Truffles
These chocolate bars are rich and creamy and filled with a tart and chewy center. Raw & vegan.
- 1 cup NYSM RAW CACAO POWDER
- 1 ½ cups cashews
- ¼ cup COCONUT PALM SUGAR
- 2 tbsp NYSM CACAO BUTTER, melted
- 3 tsp BE COZY chocolate mix
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Power Smoothie
This is my favorite protein smoothie - it gets me through until lunch with nice, clean energy.
1/2 cup frozen mangoes
4-5 frozen strawberries
whole frozen banana
2-3 coconut milk ice cubes (pour coconut milk into an ice tray and freeze over night - makes it extra creamy)
1-2 heaping tablespoons of BE STRONG protein smoothie mix
1 teaspoon BE SMOOTH cacao smoothie mix
1 cup almond milk kefir* or coconut water or a mix of the two.
1/2 avocado (makes it creamy and OH SO DELICIOUS)
Put all ingredients (liquid first) in blender. Blend until smooth. This is a thick smoothie - if you want to make it thinner add more liquid. P.S.
** I make almond milk kefir (almond milk yogurt, basically) by 1. soaking raw almonds 24-48 hours. Rinse. Blend on high for 2 minutes with clean water (as much as my blender will hold). Then add 2-3 capsules of probiotics, stir gently. Leave on counter with paper towel for 12 hours. Cover and refrigerate This way I get my probiotics!
