Sunrise Smoothie

On a school day or a busy weekend, I need something quick, easy & healthy that will give me energy to get through the morning. Especially when I have a test at school and two shifts per day at work over the the weekend. We have always been big smoothie fans at my house, probably because we have a fantastic Vitamix a la 1993. Thanks to this resource, as well as our stash of frozen bananas and constant supply of 8+ quarts of local peaches, I was able to whip up a sweet smoothie in a matter of minutes.

This easy smoothie is perfect for people with food allergies - no dairy, no nuts, no soy, no gluten...and it's raw, too. So toast to good health and enjoy one while the peaches are ripe.

SUNRISE SMOOTHIE
This healthy smoothie (190 calories, 0g fat) is a great start to your day. Makes one large smoothie.

• 1 peach, washed & skin left on
• 1 frozen banana
• juice of 1 orange (about ½ cup)
• a handful of ice cubes (if you want a thinner or colder smoothie)

Pulse in a high-power blender until desired consistency is reached. Enjoy immediately.

Friday Cat Blogging: In the Backyard

Pudding Obsessions

JUNGLE PUDDING

This delectable, summery pudding is very easy to make. It is also an easy recipe to adjust for your own palette. Yields 2-3 servings.

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 ripe and flavorful mango (this is important!)
• juice of 1 lime or 1 lemon
• juice of 1 orange

Puree all ingredients in a powerful blender until the mixture is a thick and homogeneous. Garnish with fresh mint (pictured) or slices of citrus.

I am submitting "Pudding on Blue" to DMBLGIT August 2008. Remember, you can always click on the photos to see them in larger format on Flickr. I had a lot of fun photographing this pudding.

Italian-Inspired Pink Gazpacho

OK, I'm not stupid - I know gazpacho is from Spain. But this was a spur-of-the-moment kind of soup, something that I threw together on Sunday night when I realized that I didn't have anything planned for Monday's lunch. It's easy, tasty, and I used what I had on hand. (Basil from the garden, a can of beans in the back of the pantry, and an enormous pile of fresh tomatoes from the Farmer's Market.) Next time I will sprout dried beans for a lunch that is 100% raw.

I enjoyed this gazpacho with a slice of Ezekiel bread for dipping as well as a salad with red bell peppers and soaked almonds.

PINK GAZPACHO

This simple soup is great on a hot summer afternoon. Serves one.

• ½ cup cannellini beans
• ¼ cup water
• 2 small, juicy tomatoes
• 4 good-sized leaves of fresh basil
• ½ tsp. black pepper (or more)
• salt, to taste

Puree all ingredients in a high-speed blender or Vitamix. Chill over night.

My First Day (The Raw Vegan Way)

A great first day and a great lunch. I got a new, bento-like lunchbox that I just love. It fits in my locker (always a plus) and it is a good size for me. For lunch today, I had romaine leaves topped with fresh figs (right) and a raw avocado-fig tartlet (left, recipe below.) It was very tasty. I froze the tartlet over night so that it would defrost before lunch without getting soggy.

I am going to a friend's party tonight & I work both jobs this weekend, so I will catch up on comments as soon as I can. What did you have for lunch today?

AVOCADO-FIG TARTLET
A flavorful, creamy raw tartlet. Makes one tartlet.

CRUST

• ½ cup of walnuts, soaked for 6-8 hours & dried over night
• 3-4 dried Black Mission figs

Pulse the walnuts and dried figs in a food processor until the mixture is sticky and forms a ball easily. Cover a tartlet pan with waxed paper and press the crust mixture into the pan, distributing evenly along the bottom and sides.

FILLING

• ½ an avocado
• 5 fresh figs
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. stevia extract

Put the avocado and figs in a food processor and pulse ingredients together until the consistency is even and creamy.

TO ASSEMBLE
Scoop filling in to crust and smooth the top. You can pipe the top if you want a fancier look. Store in the refrigerator for no longer than two days.