healthy – Page 3 – The Vegan Rhino

September 23, 2018May 14, 2020

Peanut Butter Cup Nice Cream Bowl

I don’t know about you all, but there is something about peanut butter, chocolate, and bananas that resonates deep within! Morning’s can sometimes be dull or basic since we are usually rushing out of the door to conquer our daily duties. Thus leaving little to no time for us to focus on our most important meal of the day, breakfast. This is a great start to any day or even a great post-workout snack! In whatever you decide, you can always personalize this bowl and add any fruits, seeds, or powders of your choice.

Yields 1 smoothie bowl

Ingredients

3-4 frozen banana’s

1 tsp. moringa powder.

3 Tbsp. Vitacost Certified Organic Crunchy & Unsalted Peanut Butter – Gluten Free and Non-GMO

1 Tbsp. Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa

1 medjool date, pitted (optional)

Toppings:

3 Tbsp. hazelnuts

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

1/2 sliced banana

2 Tbsp. carob chips

1 Tbsp. chia seeds

Directions

Blend all ingredients using tamper to help mixture along until smooth.
Pour into a bowl and add toppings.

August 21, 2018September 9, 2020

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potato Soup with Portobello “Bacon”

This isn’t any ordinary baked potato soup. Why, you ask? Well, it may be rich, it may be creamy, but this baked potato soup is both dairy- and bacon-free. Plus, it tastes way better (and it’s healthier). What’s even more exciting is that this recipe includes two star ingredients from another comfort food favorite: broccoli and cheddar. You definitely won’t regret asking for seconds when it comes to this tasty soup that you can enjoy for lunch or as an appetizer.

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

1 russet potato

2 broccoli heads

1 medium onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

2 medium carrots, cubed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. Vitacost Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks

1 quart plain almond milk

3 cups vegetable broth

3 Tbsp.

1/4 green onion, leave 1 Tbsp. to garnish with

1/2 cup vegan sharp cheddar cheese, leave a pinch for garnish

Portobello mushroom “bacon”

1 Portabello mushroom, sliced

1 tsp. smokey flavor

1 Tbsp. Vitacost Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch Vitacost Fine Himalayan Pink Salt

Croutons

1 small ciabatta bread, diced into cubes

1 Tbsp. Vitacost Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

Pinch Vitacost Fine Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions

Bacon:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In bowl, drizzle oil over sliced mushrooms.
Add salt, pepper and smoke flavor. Mix until evenly coated.
On baking sheet, evenly arrange mushrooms.
Bake 10-15 minutes.
Flip mushrooms and bake for another 10 minutes or until brown and crispy.

Croutons:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Drizzle oil onto baking sheet.
Add diced bread and coat with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Soup:

In large pot, sauté sliced onion, carrot and celery for 5-10 minutes until transparent and soft. Season with salt, pepper and garlic.
Sprinkle flour over sautéed vegetables and mix. Slowly add vegetable stock, almond milk, broccoli and potatoes to pot. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes have cooked. Mix in green onions.
Serve with croutons, green onion, vegan cheddar cheese and mushroom “bacon” on top.

Chef’s tip: You can add 1-1/2 cups of vegan cheddar cheese to the soup directly and stir to mix if desired.

August 17, 2018May 14, 2020

Crispy Home-fries

This potato hash is hearty, simple and a well-known comfort food we all love and enjoy. On the weekends, it is usually a time when we go out to brunch and share it with our family and friends. This weekend, why not bring that same atmosphere to your home with this recipe! With added seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, and other wholesome ingredients. you can make a simple dish into something new. With these garden-fresh and fragrant elements, your mouth and body is going to be asking for more!

Ingredients

3 medium russet potato

1 medium yellow onion

1 red bell pepper

1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 Tbsp. Rosemary

1 Tbsp. Parsley

1 tsp Vitacost Himalayan Pink Salt- Fine

1/2 tsp Spicely Organics Pepper Black Ground Tin

2 cups spinach

1/4 cup spaghetti squash seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet. Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and place onto pan. Chop the red bell pepper, onion, and garlic and mix into potatoes. Sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper over top.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven- add the seeds and sun-dried tomatoes.. Bake addition 10 minutes.
In a serving dish, place spinach on the bottom and pour potatoes on top- mixing spinach in to wilt.
Serve as side dish with other breakfast foods.

Chef’s tip: Squeeze half a lemon directly after the potato has comes out of the oven for an extra flavor boost!

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.