healthy – Page 3 – The Vegan Rhino

August 16, 2018May 14, 2020

Watermelon Juice

Did you know that when you buy pre-cut watermelon from the store its usually more expensive because someone is cutting it for you? Buying the entire watermelon can actually save you some money, if you are willing to put in a little elbow grease. Im only teasing, watermelons are actually not as difficult to open up- but just remember to be careful! To make fresh juice from a whole watermelon, you will need a blender and some mint leaves (if you’d like to infuse the two flavors). Otherwise, you will only need 1 ingredient- how simple! After cutting and dicing the watermelon up, blend the pulp into a liquid consistency (without the rind). Just make sure you strain the juice before pouring it into your glass with mint leaves. I like to refer to this refreshing and rehydrating drink as “Nectar of the gods” because its so delightful!

Ingredients

1 large watermelon

1 bunch mint

Directions

In blender on highest setting, blend cubed watermelon for around two minutes (if using Vitamix, use tamper to push fruit down).
Pour juice through small mesh strainer to remove pulp.
Store into a large container with mint leaves and enjoy.

Chef’s tip: You can also add some lime juice to this for some added flavor.

August 14, 2018May 14, 2020

Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil

Savory sun-dried tomatoes are great to have on hand for making homemade sauces, dips and spreads. But in order to have them, you have to buy them. If you’re familiar with my blog, you know by now that I’m not a fan of store-bought, preservative-packed items. That said, I’ve come up with a fool-proof recipe to make them (and store them) at home! Plus, when stored in a pretty jar, the deep-red dried tomatoes you’re left with double as gifts you can share with family and friends for special occasions. I’m a huge fan of canning and after trying this recipe you will be too. This process naturally gives your food a longer shelf life as they marinade in organic spices and seasonings—yum! Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is! Let’s get cooking.

Yields 16 oz

Ingredients

10 plum tomatoes, dehydrated*

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 large sprig rosemary, cut into 4 pieces

10 basil leaves

16 oz. La Tourangelle 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 tsp. Spicely Organics Thyme Whole Tin

1/4 tsp. Simply Organic Basil

1/4 tsp. Simply Organic Oregano

Pinch Vitacost Fine Himalayan Pink Salt

Pinch Spicely Organics Ground Pepper Black

Directions

Wash and slice plum tomatoes into evenly cut 1/4-in. disks and place onto dehydrator tray or baking sheet. Sprinkle tomato slices with salt and oregano (make sure to season each side).
Set dehydrator to 95 degrees F. Insert tomatoes and cook 4-5 hours, depending on how thick you cut the tomatoes. Monitor tomatoes to ensure they do not get too hard–you want them to have a slight bend in them still.
- *To dehydrate in oven, cook tomatoes on baking or roasting pan at lowest temperature for 10-15 minutes, watching closely to ensure they do not brown.
Once tomatoes are finished, stack into a mason jar with garlic, rosemary, thyme and basil. Fill jar with olive oil. Set on counter for up to 4 days or place in refrigerator for up to a week.

Chef’s tip: Smash garlic before you slice it. This will help release more flavor into the sun-dried tomatoes.

August 13, 2018May 14, 2020

Dehydrated Granola with Seeds

Granola is a great snack or topper for your dairy-free yogurt, overnight oats, or smoothies. When making your own mixture of granola, you get to personalize it: adding seeds, dried fruit, nuts, superfood powders, and more. The two kinds that I have made are: an original flavor and a chocolate flavor (using cocoa powder).

Yields 32 oz granola

Ingredients

4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats Gluten Free – Quick Cooking

1/2 cup spaghetti squash seeds

1/8 cup Spicely Organics Black Sesame Seeds Jar

1/2 cup Vitacost Certified Organic Maple Syrup Grade A – Non-GMO

1/2 tsp Vitacost Himalayan Pink Salt- Fine

1 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup Hersheys Cocoa Powder

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine all above ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
In your dehydrator, set temperature to 115 degrees and set timer for 6-8 hours or until granola is slightly hard. Remove granola from dehydrator trays and break into bite size pieces. Store in air tight container.
- Oven method: Place granola mixture on slightly greased baking sheet. Set oven to lowest temperature setting and allow to bake until slightly golden. Remove and break up into pieces and store in air tight container.

Chef’s tip: If you would like to add cocoa powder to the recipe, you can split the batch in half. Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to begin and see how much more to add. Just note you may need to add more maple sugar to sweeten the chocolate powder.

August 10, 2018May 14, 2020

Orange-Mango Smoothie

If you like mangos, you will have to try this! Being both refreshing and nutritional, this is a perfect way to get in added fruit and other vitamins. The best part is you can either use freshly frozen fruit (if you have the time) or you can do store bought cubed frozen mangos. Accompanying your mango on the swirl-wind of a ride in your blender will be your freshly squeezed orange juice. This natural source of Vitamin C is perfect to boost your immune system and keep you healthy. Your body will thank you, so go ahead and pull that blender to make an amazing creamy mango-orange smoothie.

Yields 16 oz

Ingredients

3 cups frozen mango, diced

3 cups frozen oranges, sliced

2 cup Plain Almond Milk

5 mint leaves

1 scoop Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder Unflavored, optional

Directions

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Chef’s tip: You can change the consistency by adding more or less almond milk to the blender. If you would like, you can also add a banana to the mixture and blend until smooth.