Smoothie Catalog Now Available

I finally have a visual catalog of all my favourite smoothies featured on the blog.  I separated them by green and non-green varieties.  I never realized until I saw all the smoothies side-by-side, but it's pretty much just green and pink smoothies.  I'll have to post an orange one soon ;)

And if you're not a smoothie lover, there's also a section at the end for juices, teas and other drinks.  I sure could use a homemade vegan chai tea on this cold and wintery morning. 

Check out my new SMOOTHIE page now!

Gluten-Free Coconut Cupcake (with Coconut Frosting)

I think I might be obsessed with coconut.  I am definitely obsessed with coconut!  These gluten-free, vegan cupcakes are a coconut lover's dream.  Hot from the oven these little gems are sure to keep you warm on those cold winter nights. 
Now no more chit chat, here's the recipe:
for the cupcakes -

• 1 1/2 cups coconut flour
• 1 cup raw evaporated cane sugar (would be lovely to substitute coconut sugar if you can)
• 1/2 cup shredded dried coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup almond milk (hemp milk might be nice too)
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the frosting -

• 1 cup coconut oil
• agave, honey or coconut nectar (to taste)
• shredded dried coconut (for garnish)

Combine all the dry ingredients for the cupcakes in a bowl and mix well.  In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients.  Slowly add the wet to the dry and mix until well combined.  Pour into a muffin tin and bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes.
When the cupcakes are cooled, whip together the coconut oil and sweetener.  Give each one a generous dollop of frosting and then sprinkle with more shredded coconut. 

It really can't get any more coconutty than this!

What could be better ... um ... how 'bout chocolate gluten-free coconut cupcakes with chocolate coconut frosting!!

I just couldn't resist trying out a chocolate version.  Simply add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to the batter (chocolate chips in there might be nice too) and add some cocoa powder to the coconut oil frosting.

What's New This Winter for Angelic Monkey

Each day another leaf falls off the tree in my front yard. The once warm air is becoming cool and crisp. Soon there will be icicles hanging from the roof and we'll be able to see our breath in the cold icy air. What does all this mean? That I'm going to India of course!!

This will be my second winter in India. Last year I left in January. This year I'm getting a head start on escaping the harsh Canadian winter and leaving in November. I have a few posts already written and scheduled to release after I'm gone, so don't think this is the last you've heard from me in a while.

I'll be going to the same place in southern India that I went last year. I'll be teaching yoga and basking in the warm Indian sunshine for 6 whole months. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for having this opportunity present itself into my life. I am blessed. I plan on enjoying every single second in India, working, teaching, learning and growing spiritually.

*om*

Meatless Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday & FOREVER

Okay, I'm not making fun of the Meatless Monday campaign, because I think it has introduced a lot of people to vegetarianism that otherwise wouldn't have tried it. But why stop at just Monday? You know it's always meatless on this blog ;)

I've still been drinking my green smoothies every morning - and LOVING it! I had some leftover cranberries from my raw vegan cranberry sauce, so I've been adding it to my morning greeny goodness (sorry no picture).

• 2 large handfuls swiss chard (or any other green)
• 1 banana
• 2 handfuls of cranberries
• 1 cup of coconut water (or water)

Raw Chocolate Cashew Stuffed Dates

This quick and easy dessert will change the meaning of "once you pop, you can't stop". Combine 1 tablespoon of Artisana raw organic cashew butter (or other nut butter of course) with 1 teaspoon of cacao powder (I pretty much just winged it, so the measurements aren't exact). Then slice a few dates half way through and remove the seed. Holding the date length-wise, pinch it gently to allow the date to open up and create a cavity. Fill the cavity with the chocolate cashew mixture.

Don't try to take a bite out of these tiny treasures, just pop the whole thing in your mouth and enjoy.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger, Basil & Coconut (recipe from ascent magazine)

• 1 large butternut squash, cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-3 inch piece ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch dried red chili flakes
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 lime, juiced
• 5-6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and place them cut-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until soft, approximately 40 minutes.

Scoop the squash from the skins once cool enough to handle. Heat the remaining olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and ginger and stir while cooking until they are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and chili flakes, and cook for another 2 minutes, continuing to stir.

Add the squash, along with the vegetable stock or water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes. Add the lime juice, herbs and coconut milk. Ladle into bowls and garnish with extra coconut milk, more herbs, or anything else that inspires you.

Averie's Breakfast Cookie - Chocolate Version (recipe from Love Veggies and Yoga blog)

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/3 cup dry oats
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 packet chocolate brown rice protein powder (or your fav)
• few swirls of agave or honey

Combine everything in a bowl with a cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning uncover your "cookie" and devour.

I don't usually do the protein powder thang, but when I received a free sample of this chocolate brown rice vegan protein powder, I decided to try out Averie's recipe. Reading her daily posts have become part of my morning routine, so I saw it as fitting to make a breakfast recipe from her blog.

Raw Chana Masala (recipe from Raw Gastronomy)

• 1 cup sprouted chickpeas (about 1/2 cup dried chickpeas)
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup olive oil (cold-pressed)
• 1/4 red onion
• 1 fresh tomato, diced
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

Soak raw chickpeas overnight (use lots of water). Sprout the chickpeas for a few days until tiny tails start to appear. See my previous post on making your own sprouts. If you sprout chickpeas too long, the beans will get too bitter. These beans were sprouted a little too long - 3 days. I'll probably only sprout them for a day and a half next time I make this recipe.

Combine all the other ingredients in the food processor until well combined. Mix the sauce with the chickpeas sprouts. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Rawdorable Chocolate N'ice Cream (recipe from Rawdorable blog)

• 1 banana, frozen
• 1 teaspoon cacao powder
• pinch of sea salt
• drizzle of olive oil (cold-pressed)

I've wanted to try this unusual recipe for awhile. Since the winter weather is unusually delayed this year, I figured this might be my last chance for raw ice "cream" for awhile (it's too cold for me to eat when it starts getting colder). Today was an unseasonably warm 13 degrees. In mid-November - it's crazy.

Combine the first two ingredients in a food processor until it resembles ice cream. Scoop into a chilled bowl and top with a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

I know, I know it seems weird. But it's actually quite good ... well if you enjoy olive oil that is ;)

Do You Eat Raw in the Winter?

I awoke this morning to a light dusting of snow. WOW! Summer sure flew by fast. While on the one hand I'm excited about getting out my bamboo yarn and knitting, on the other hand, the colder weather makes me less inclined to eat raw. Does anyone else share this experience with winter and raw food??

The Best Things in Life Are Chocolate

What better way to celebrate the first day of Winter than a cup of hot coco? Last year I discovered the most delicious hot chocolate. Vitasoy's Peppermint Chocolate soymilk will make you never even look at another hot chocolate. Even those who don't normally drink soymilk love it's chocolaty flavour with a hint of candy cane. I think it's best when heated up on the stove and then poured into mugs. I've only seen it available for the holidays and it's usually located where the other shelf stable soymilk products are.