Green Chia Seed BlastRaw Vegan Smoothie Packed With Healthy Fats

This rich and delicious smoothie blends
green veggies and fruits with healthy fats.

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Green Smoothie
This is one of the tastiest green smoothies I've ever made. It was inspired by the Green Machine that I had at VegeNation in Las Vegas last month. I started with their main ingredients of kale, parsley, cucumber, avocado and grapes, and added some healthy fats to provide omega-3 and omega-6, monosaturated fats, as well as medium chain triglycerides.

Do Not Fear Fat!
Fats are critical to your diet. For one, they help you absorb fat-soluble vitamins. A recent study showed that "the presence of fat in a meal with which a vitamin D-3 supplement is taken significantly enhances absorption of the supplement." That study showed an average increase of 32% absorption. Other fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, K and E, also benefit from the presence of fat in the diet.

Fat also improves carotenoid absorption and improves the conversion of beta-carotene into vitamin A. 

I added chia seeds, avocado, and coconut butter to this recipe. Chia seeds are a wonderful source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Avocado contains healthy monosaturated fats, such as oleic acid. Coconut butter contains medium-chain triglycerides that are readily used as energy. Besides their health benefits, these foods provide a nice, thick texture for the smoothie and the coconut butter adds another level of deliciousness.

One serving of Green Chia Seed Blast smoothie provides approximately 1 entire gram of both omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in a 1:1 ratio.

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Green Chia Seed Blast
Raw Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]

Requires a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix or Blendtec.

Freeze the grapes the night before.
Allow 30 minutes to hydrate the chia seeds.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup room temperature water
1 cup loosely packed parsley
1 cup tightly packed kale, ribs removed
1 tablespoon raw coconut butter
1 cup cold water
1 large avocado, peeled, pit removed
1 large English cucumber, peeled and sliced
3 cups frozen grapes

Directions
Place the chia seeds in 1 cup of room temperature water. Stir vigorously and set aside until the chia seeds are completely hydrated, stirring occasionally - about 30 minutes.

Wait until the chia seeds are completely hydrated.

Place the parsley, kale, coconut butter, hydrated chia seeds, and cold water into the blender. Process until the greens are well chopped.

Add the avocado, cucumber, and frozen grapes to the blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Nutrition
Per serving: 205 calories, 10 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 960 mg omega-3 and 996 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber, and 24 mg sodium.

Shredded Kale And Quinoa Salad With Red Grapes, Bell Pepper, And Sunflower Seeds Vegan and Gluten Free

Adding quinoa to a kale salad turns it into a meal!

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Inspired at the Airport
My daughter and I just spent a lovely four days in Sedona. Besides the beautiful red rocks and relaxing spa treatments, we were blown away with the food. One restaurant was better than the other. So when we got to the Phoenix airport to go home, we were kind of bummed that our last meal would probably be terrible. I mean, when's the last time you had a good meal at an airport?

We were pretty shocked when we walked into Chelseas Kitchen in Terminal 4. The restaurant itself was large and beautiful and the food was definitely NOT what you would expect at an airport (unless you are in the International Terminal in SFO.)

Chelseas Kitchen at the Phoenix Airport

The dish that inspired me the most was their kale salad (they were kind enough to make one without the parmesan cheese). It was mixed with quinoa, bell pepper, juicy red grapes, and sunflower seeds. To me the red grapes were the best and most surprising ingredient. I never thought of throwing a grape into a kale salad and their sweetness just made the flavors explode. And any time you add a grain, such as quinoa or rice, to a salad, it turns the dish into a hearty meal.

When I got home, I immediately tried to replicate it and I think I did it. They use more oil than I do but since I need to knock off a few pounds from the vacation, I cut down on the dressing.

So here it is, my dairy-free, gluten-free version of Chelseas Kitchen's "Shredded Kale & Quinoa Salad. I honestly think it's now my FAVORITE kale salad recipe. You should try it!

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Shredded Kale and Quinoa Salad 
Vegan and Gluten Free
[makes 4 meal-size or 6 side salads]

1 cup dry quinoa
 water
4 packed cups thinly sliced raw kale
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold-pressed hemp oil*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, small diced
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
* If you don't have hemp oil, just use two tablespoons of olive oil instead of one.

To prepare quinoa: Rinse quinoa in cold water. 

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, about 18 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit.

(To cook your quinoa in a pressure cooker, cook for 5 minutes with 1 1/4 cups of water.)

While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, place the kale in a large bowl with the lemon and oil and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 20 minutes to "marinate."

Marinating the kale in lemon and oil makes it tender.

Add the quinoa and the remaining ingredients to the kale. Mix thoroughly and serve.

Per meal-sized serving (4): 326 calories, 12 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 796 mg omega-3 and 5,038 mg omega-3 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 48 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber, and 575 mg sodium.

Per side salad (6): 217 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 530 mg omega-3 and 3,358 mg omega-3 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 383 mg sodium.