Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Roasted Delicata Squash with Rosemary
Easiest Winter Squash To Prepare

Delicata squash are easy to prepare since you can eat the skin.

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Delicata Squash
I wasn't very familiar with this winter squash until my friend Pam told me it was one of her favorites. So when I saw it in the nursery this summer, I decided to plant some. I'm glad I did because, after tasting it, I decided that it's one of my favorites too!

One of the reasons I immediately fell in love with this squash is because it has a delicate rind, hence the name delicata. This not only means that it's easier to cut, but it doesn't need to be peeled, much like a kombocha squash. Anyone who has wrestled with trying to cut pumpkins, butternut and spaghetti squash knows what I'm talking about.

Like other winter squash, delicata is a great source of carotenoids such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. It's high in vitamin A and C as well as B vitamins (except for B12) and minerals such as manganese, copper and potassium. It's also a very good source of fiber. 

Here's a simple way to prepare it.

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Roasted Delicata Squash
Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus some for greasing pan
1 1/2 pounds delicata squash
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a shallow roasting pan or cover it with a Silpat sheet. If you use the Silpat sheet, do not grease the pan.

Cut the delicata squash vertically.


Remove the seeds and cut into half-moons, about 1/2 inch thick.


Place in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and toss until evenly coated with oil and seasonings.


Spread evenly in a shallow roasting pan in a single layer.


Roast until tender and browned, about 30 to 40 minutes. Turn half way through.

Serve warm and enjoy!


For more simple and delicious vegan recipes, check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Quick And Easy Poblano Rajas
No Need To Peel Poblanos!

Poblano rajas is a great topping for scrambles, tacos and more.

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Poblano Peppers
This year, I went a little crazy growing so many different peppers in my garden - peppers that I had never before prepared. Poblano peppers, for example. They grew easily and plentifully. I know they are used to make chile rellenos but since I don't eat cheese, I didn't know what else to do with them.



Poblano peppers originated in the state of Puebla, Mexico. They are very mild but once in a while you may get one that has a bit of heat. If you let them ripen, they will turn dark red and become quite spicy and flavorful. Dried, they become "chile ancho" and you can grind them up and use them to flavor dishes. 

I looked around for recipe ideas for my poblano peppers but just about every single one of them required removing their skin as you would do for roasted red peppers. But that's a bit tedious considering how many peppers my plant was putting out. Luckily my daughter was visiting and showed me how she makes poblano rajas without having to do that extra step. So at least for this recipe, you do not have to peel the poblanos.

You can use poblano rajas as a condiment for tofu scramble or eggs, tacos, burritos, beans, potatoes and more. 

My friend gave me a plant called Cuban Oregano (also known as Spanish Thyme). It's a great little herb and it goes well in this dish. But Mexican oregano and thyme are much easier to find and work very well in this recipe too.  


Cuban Oregano or Spanish Thyme
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Easy Poblano Rajas
Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free
[makes 1 1/2 cups]

Ingredients
2 large or 3 medium poblanos
1 tablespoon (or more) extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano or thyme ( or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
Salt to taste

Directions
Prepare the poblanos. Cut them in half vertically, remove their seeds and thinly slice.




Heat a frying pan with the oil. If you use a non-stick or enamel coated pan,1 tablespoon is probably enough. A stainless steel pan may take a bit more.

Add the sliced poblanos and cook on medium heat until they blister and soften, about 10 minutes. 


Add poblanos to the heated pan.

Cook until they blister.
Add the onions and cook until the onions soften and begin to brown. Stir in the garlic, salt and herbs and cook another minute or two. 



Serve warm and enjoy!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

5 Reasons Why Food Journals Can Double Your Weight Loss

With today's programs, journaling is easier than ever!

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Journaling
In 1971, when I was pregnant with my son, I started a food journal. In retrospect I should have patented and marketed it! I wrote down every morsel that went into my mouth. I was only 22 years old and was obsessed with staying slim. Besides, I stood out enough being the only woman in my electrical engineering classes.

Nine months later I gave birth to a healthy, 6 1/2 pound baby boy. I brought my pre-pregnancy jeans with me to the hospital and wore them home.

Since that time, I always turn to journaling my food and exercise when I need to lose weight. Or if I'm on a cruise or vacation and I want to make sure I don't gain weight. Now is one of those times. I had foot surgery in February which actually made my neuroma pain worse so my usual exercise regimen has gone down the drain. Unfortunately I've been enjoying life at the same pre-surgery rate so I've gained about 5 pounds.  

I signed up to one of the popular fitness websites and started journaling a few days ago (more about that later.) But I will assure you that journaling works. In fact studies show that you will double your weight loss when you do this. I think it does more than that. I've seen it work for people who have not been able to lose significant weight despite many different diets and many tries. Here's why:

#1 - Journaling makes you mindful of what you eat. How many times have you passed the refrigerator, opened it, and popped something in your mouth without even thinking about it. Or at work, how can we resist that bowl of candy or pile of doughnuts sitting in the break room? When we do that, we are eating out of habit or boredom, certainly not because we are always that hungry. Writing down what you eat makes you stop and think, "I have to record this, maybe I don't need to eat it!" 

#2 - Education is another important aspect of food tracking. When you enter a food in a good food program, it will tell you how many calories, grams of fat, type of fat, grams of protein, grams of dietary fiber, grams of carbohydrates, etc. that you are consuming. Some app's allow you to customize the micronutrient you are interested in monitoring. You will quickly figure out that to meet (and not exceed) your daily calorie allotment, it is better to select an apple than a bag of chips. Or to get enough daily fiber, a cup of beans is far superior than a burger. With enough variety, through time you will learn what is in your food and will begin to naturally make better selections. 

#3 - Weight loss is basically calories in and calories out. When you track calories in, calories burned by exercising, and the actual weight loss accomplished, you experience and confirm that you can indeed control your weight. You are not heavy because "it runs in the family" or because "your metabolism magically slowed down." Weight gain is caused when a person eats more than he or she burns.

#4 - These programs also allow you to graph the results so you can see the outcome of good food choices and exercises. This feedback gives you a feeling of accomplishment that encourages you to continue your fitness and weight-loss journey. The act of setting daily, weekly and monthly goals and achieving them promotes success.

#5 - These programs also demonstrate the association of various exercises and calories burned. If you walk 30 minutes you get to eat a bit more that day or lose weight even faster. Believe me, it gets you moving! Even though I can't walk too far or run until my foot recovers, the program motivates me to get on my stationary bike, go swimming or do some strength training.

Find a Food and Exercise Tracker that Suits You
There are a number of good food trackers out there to work with. The one I started working with is MyFitnessPal. It's got a very large data base, which is key for ease of use. Many of the programs I've tried in the past do not. It even allows you to enter foods that don't appear on their database and share the new info with the community, if you wish. And once you've selected a food on one day, you can bring it up on other days. Since most of us repeat a lot of the foods we eat, that is a big plus. 

I was very disappointed at first to see that the program just tracked calories, protein, fat, carbs, etc. and not fiber. But happily I found out that you can actually pick the micronutrients that you want to track so I immediately added dietary fiber to the list. As many of you know, I think eating a high fiber diet is critical to healthy and successful weight loss. You can also set the program with respect to the percentages of each nutrient you want to track. For example, instead of 30% fat, 30% protein and 40% carbs which was the program's default settings, I set my goal for 20% fat, 20% protein, and 60% carbohydrates which more accurately reflects a more plant-centric diet.

To provide further motivation, MyFitnessPal allows you participate together with friends. Whether you do better when you are competing with someone or you just need some words of encouragement, having fitness buddies increases your odds of sticking to the program.

It's best to just sign up for one of these programs (the basic MyFitnessPal program is free) and play around with it. The most important thing is to just get started. You have nothing to lose except weight!





Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Freezing Summer Corn For Winter Pleasure
Lessons Learned From Growing Corn

Growing corn is fun. Eating it all winter is fabulous!

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Growing Corn
This year we made our first serious attempt at growing corn. It was fascinating - you could almost stand there and watch them get taller. As you can see in the picture above, they grew about 12 feet tall. 

I love corn and I especially love knowing exactly what I am eating. I know that our corn is organic and non-GMO so we have no worries there. 

I would like to say our first corn crop was a complete success but we could have done things a bit better. Here's what we learned in case you want to give it a try next year.

Lessons Learned
#1 - As you can see from the above picture, I definitely placed them too close together. I planted about 35 plants in a 4' x 8' raised bed. I think half as many would have been better. They still would have been close enough to wind pollinate but not be so close to block out the sun and create a cozy nest for pests.

Tassels hold the pollen which falls down upon the corn silks
The pollinated corn silks turn into kernels of corn

#2 - Speaking of pests, we learned that aphids love corn so keep an eye out for that. Hose them off and spray with insecticidal soap.

#3 - One positive thing I learned is that you don't have to hand pollinate corn if you have enough of them. The wind will do it for you. So many people on the web show videos of gardeners painstakingly hand fertilizing each corn silk. It looked like too much work for me so I let nature take its course. Thirty-five crowded corn plants managed to produce 48 ears of pretty nice corn so that was good enough for me.



#4 - Test a cob each week to check for ripeness. We let ours go too long and they were a bit tough. Thankfully they will still be good in soups and chowders. But next year we will definitely pick them earlier.

#5 - Be careful where you plant them or they could shade other parts of your vegetable garden. My strawberry patch was so happy yesterday after we harvested the corn. They haven't seen the sun in weeks!

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Freezing Corn
I thought the best and easiest way to save the corn for winter would be to freeze it since we don't have a pressure canner. Here's how to do it. 

Shuck the corn. Remove the outer leaves and silks. Here's a great blog post from a midwesterner that gives some good tips on how to clean corn



After you have cleaned all your corn, bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water.

Blanch the corn in boiling water for 4 minutes. Do not set the timer until the water comes back up to a boil.


Submerge the cooked corn in ice water.


Dry the corn by placing the cooled corn on towels.



Remove kernels from the corn. My husband has a trick for this. He breaks the corn in half and cuts it while on its side. This prevents the kernels from flying all over the kitchen.


Place in freezer bags. I generally like using our vacuum sealer but to make it easy, I just used 1 quart zip-lock bags. After placing about 2 cups of corn kernels in each bag, I gently moved the kernels around until they separated.


Remove the air and spread out the corn in a thin layer. I was able to fill 12 one-quart freezer bags with 2 cups of corn in each one. So my 48 ears of corn yielded 24 cups of corn kernels. Not bad for 35 seeds!


Date the bags and freeze.



Need some ideas for all your garden produce? For more than 150 healthy recipes and gorgeous photographs, check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen. 


Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Low Libido? Before Popping The Little Pink Pill, Women May Want To Try This First

Herbs can increase a woman's libido
without the risks of the new drug, Addyi.

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Is This Really a Win for Women?
I know a lot of women are happy to see the drug companies finally develop something besides boner pills for men. For years now, many women with waning libidos have been less than thrilled about their husband's new chemically-induced erections. But is the approval of the "Little Pink Pill" a big win for women or Wall Street? 

What It Does for Women
The benefits of the pill known as flibanserin or Addyi are minimal. In clinical trials, women who took the drug had an average of 4.4 "satisfying sexual experiences a month" compared to 3.7 for those women in the trial who took a placebo. That's not even a gain of 1 extra satisfying sexual experience a month! They would probably have benefited more from watching Dirty Dancing or the Masters of Sex TV series on Showtime. 

Besides having to take a pill every single day of the month to get these minimal benefits, a woman also has to risk some very serious side effects such as severely low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Now if you are only going to experience an additional 0.7 satisfying sexual experience in a month, I would certainly think you'd want to remember it! And you know that little glass of bubbly that allows you to forget about life stresses and helps you get in the mood? Well, the doctors and pharmacists must now advise you to abstain from alcohol or the risks of this drug are increased. In fact these risks and the dangerous interaction with alcohol are so severe that this drug was rejected by the FDA twice, in 2010 and 2013. But have no fear. I'm sure the strong warning on the label telling woman not to mix sex with alcohol will be as effective as the anti-abstenance campaign for teens. 

What it Did for Wall Street
Within just a few days after this drug was approved, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the North Carolina company with less than 3 dozen employees that developed Addyi, was acquired by   Quebec's Valiant Pharmaceuticals for $1 billion dollars in cash. Enough said.

What Else can Improve Libido
A while back I was taking a supplement to balance out my hormones. I noticed that it significantly increased my libido. I had no idea why. Then a few years ago my naturopath gave me a tonic to strengthen my lungs. The tonic had a similar effect on my libido. Since both the supplement (Estrotone by New Chapter) and the custom brewed tonic from my naturopath had multiple ingredients, I compared all the ingredients to see if they had anything in common. I was more than curious to discover what was supercharging my sex drive. It turned out to be the herb Schizandra. 

Schizandra (Schisandra chinensis)
Schizandra is an adaptogenic herb, a class of herbs that increase the body's resistance to disease and long-term stress. Schizandra is a berry native to northeast China and parts of Russia which is dried and used in various preparations. This herb has been used in Chinese medicine for several thousand years to decrease fatigue, beautify the skin, sharpen the mind, slow the aging process, protect the liver, and as a sexual tonic for both men and women. 

Schizandra is known to increase the "Water Qi in the Kidney" and increases the circulation, lubrication, and sensitivity in the female genitals. 

Take as a Tonic
You can take Schizandra as a tincture such as the one made by Herb Pharm. This organic liquid extract comes in a 1 fluid ounce bottle.


Shake well before using.
Best taken between meals.

Schizandra can also be taken in capsule form like the ones sold by Dragon Herbs.


Organic Shanghai Mountain
Northern Schizandra fruit

You can also buy dried berries but you would usually use them to make a tea and not eat them like you would a goji berry. 

As I mentioned before, schizandra is a key ingredient in New Chapter's Estrotone.



Herbs before Pink Pills
Lack of libido is a serious issue. It can be caused by many different things and can have serious consequences. But before you resort to a risky and minimally effective pharmaceutical, consider taking herbs. Herbs like schizandra and others such as muira puama, damiana, and combination tinctures have been supporting female sexuality for hundreds if not thousands of years. They don't work overnight so be patient and give them a little time to do their magic. Best of all, you don't have to give up that glass of bubbly and will remain conscious for the entire experience!

A combination tincture from Herb Pharm
that supports female libido

Herbs are potent drugs in their own right so you should discuss them with your naturopath or herbalist before adding them to your daily health regimen. Some can interact with medications you are already taking so be mindful of that too.




Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Fruit And Nut Breakfast Bowl
An Easy Back To School Breakfast

Healthy breakfast bowl takes advantage of late summer fruit.

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My New Favorite Breakfast
The end of the summer brings us so much wonderful fruit. Sweat peaches are their peak ripeness, the pears are ripening, strawberries are still around, and so much more. A big bowl of fruit may be delicious but it's certainly not filling.This breakfast bowl adds nuts and seeds, cereal, and some probiotic packed, home-made soy yogurt. This provides the protein and healthy fats that will keep you satisfied until lunch time.

I Can't Believe School is Starting!
Although my children are grown, I still get those feelings of disbelief when kids start getting ready to start school in what seems like the middle of the summer. Getting kids fed and ready to leave for school, or even summer day camp for that matter, is one of the hardest thing a parent has to do. Perhaps feeding them this yummy breakfast bowl will get them to eat up without prompting them through ever bite! It's so easy, they can even help you make it.

Feel free to change up the ingredients. Basically you need 3 fruits, 3 nuts/seeds, some healthy cereal for more crunch, and your favorite yogurt. The ingredients below are for two servings but it' easy to double to make it for four.

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Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bowl
Vegan and Dairy Free (if using vegan yogurt) 
Gluten Free (if using GF cereal)
[makes 2 servings]

Ingredients
1 large peach, diced with skin
1 large pear, diced with or without skin
6 large strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup cereal (such as puffed rice or granola)
1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon chopped raw walnuts 
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced almonds
1/2 cup yogurt



Directions
Divide the chopped fruit between two bowls.



Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cereal over each bowl. I like to use a mixture of puffed rice and puffed kamut because it has a nice crunch and very few calories. Granola would be very yummy and hearty in this recipe too but adds more calories and sugar.

Puffed brown rice and gamut

Divide the nuts and seeds among the two bowls.

Sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts

Gently stir each bowl to mix the ingredients. Top with your favorite yogurt and serve immediately.




Saturday, August 15, 2015

Kale And Herb Vegan Pesto
Freezing Garden Pesto For Winter
Another Great Weekend Project!

Make pesto with kale and your favorite herbs, freeze for winter.

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It's Time to Harvest Kale and Herbs
Last weekend we made and canned Tomato Salsa with Blistered Padron Peppers. Here's another great weekend project to preserve your summer harvest.

To look at it, my garden kale is absolutely gorgeous but it's also that time of the season that the aphids start to attack the bottom of the leaves. They seem to be bathing in the organic insecticidal soap that we spray that's supposed to deter them but at some point I just have to accept that it's time to harvest it all and get ready for the fall crop. 

Late summer kale in northern California

My herbs are beginning to flower and bolt so they need to be harvested as well. Here's a great way to save your kale and herbs while, at the same time, having a versatile go-to seasoning for quick winter meals .


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Kale and Herb Pesto
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
makes more than 1 cup

Ingredients
2 cups packed de-stemmed and sliced kale
1 cup packed herbs such as basil, cilantro, or parsley
1/3 cup English walnuts
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest 

Directions
Place all ingredients in a food processor with an S blade and process until smooth but do not over process.

Use 2 cups of kale to 1 cup of herbs

Place all ingredients in the food processor

Process until smooth but where you can
still see tiny pieces of kale leafs and herbs

The pesto is now ready to use or freeze.

To freeze, place round tablespoons of the pesto on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until the pesto hardens.

For easier removal, place pesto on a silicon sheet or parchment.

Once frozen, place the individual frozen pesto balls into a freezer bag and pop in the freezer for later use. Don't forget to mark it with the date and contents.



Defrost and use to flavor sauces, soups, beans, veggies, pasta, rice, and just about anything. 

For more tips on how to make pesto and many other healthy plant-based recipes, download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen available on Amazon or iTunes




Thursday, August 06, 2015

Can Your Own Spicy Tomato Salsa
Great Project For The Weekend!

Tomato salsa with blistered padron peppers.

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Canning Salsa 
I love growing tomatoes but there are just so many we can eat. So Doug and I do a lot of canning, usually tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. But last weekend we tried our hand at making and canning our own spicy salsa with tomatoes, padron peppers, fresh garlic, and jalapeños - all from our garden. 



This salsa uses padron peppers but you can also use other types of peppers too. The reason I favor padron peppers, besides the fact that I have so many of them, is that there is no need to peel them after they are blistered. Anaheim, poblanos, etc. usually need to be peeled after charring them. That can be a tedious step.

Padron peppers are so easy to grow.

Of course we throw in a few jalapeños too just to give it a bit more heat but that depends on how hot you like it. I find that a few small ones do the trick. You can add them with or without their seeds or omit them completely. It's up to you.

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Spicy Tomato Salsa with Blistered Padron Peppers
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
[makes about 6 pints]

Requires a water bath canner, jar lifter, 6 pint glass jars with lids and rims.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound padron peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 pounds tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small jalapeños, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Fill a large canning pot with water with the steamer rack inserted in the bottom. Bring to a boil. Wash the jars in soapy water. Once washed, submerge the jars in the boiling water of the water bath canner. They can remain there while you prepare the salsa.

Place the lids and rims in a small pot of boiling water and let simmer until needed.

Wash and dry the padron peppers. Place them in a bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss them until they are well coated. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.

Spread them out on a cookie sheet or shallow roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast until the peppers blister, around 5 to 7 minutes or more. Shake or turn so that they blister evenly.



Remove the blistered peppers from the oven. Pull or cut off the tops but leave the seeds. Dice and set aside.

Prepare the tomatoes. You'll need a medium sized pot of boiling water and a bowl of ice water. Score the tops and bottoms of the tomatoes and boil until the skin starts to peel off, about 1 minute. Remove from the boiling water and place in an ice water bath until they cool. Peel the tomatoes.

Chop the tomatoes and place, along with their juice, in a large stainless steel or ceramic coated pot. Do not use aluminum as it will react with the tomatoes. I always use my 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven with its enamel coating. 

Add the onions, jalapeños, garlic, vinegar, prepared padron peppers, and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt (or to taste) to the pot of tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes. 


Fill each jar to 1/2 inch from the top. Run a knife around the edges to remove any air bubbles in the jars. 


Wipe the tops of the jars clean with a paper towel. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rims (snug but not too tight). 

Carefully place the jars in the hot water bath covered with 1 to 2 inches of water. Bring to a rolling boil and process for 15 minutes and longer if you are at higher altitude (20 minutes at 1,000 to 6,000 feet and 25 minutes above 6,000 feet.)

Lift the jars out of the hot water bath using a jar lifter.



Place the jars on a towel or a cooling rack and let them remain untouched until they cool completely and the lids have popped and sealed. Lid should not move up an down if it's properly sealed.




Monday, August 03, 2015

Peach And Peanut Butter Smoothie With Chia Seeds

Peaches and peanut butter pair beautifully in this smoothie.

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Peach Season
We found some big, beautiful, juicy peaches at the market the other day. This morning we decided to blend some up into a smoothie.

Now peaches and peanut butter might seem an unlikely combination, but they pair beautifully. Besides being delicious together, the peanut butter balances the carbs of the fruit with some fat and protein which keeps you full longer. Almond butter will do the same thing so if you are allergic to peanuts, you can make that substitution. Using peanut butter, each serving provides 5 grams of protein.

I also add some soaked chia seeds to this recipe to improve the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids since peanut butter (and almond butter too) is far richer in omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3. This recipe provides close to a gram of omega-3 per serving. Chia seeds are also a good source of fiber and calcium. Each serving of this smoothie has 7 grams of dietary fiber!

And let's not forget the star of the show. Peaches are a great source of fiber and vitamins A and C, each large peach providing 3 grams of dietary fiber, 19% of your daily requirement of vitamin C and 11% of vitamin A.  

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Peach and Peanut Butter Smoothie
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
[makes 2 servings]
Requires a blender.

Ingredients
1 large banana (cut in 4 pieces, frozen)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 cups water, divided
2 large peaches, pitted and sliced with skin
1 tablespoon organic peanut butter
4 drops of stevia or other sweetener

Directions
The night before, cut the banana into 4 pieces and place in the freezer. If you plan on using frozen instead of fresh peaches, you don't have to freeze the banana.

About 20 to 30 minutes before you make the smoothie, soak the chia seeds in 1/2 cup of the water. Stir vigorously and set aside. Stir again from time to time until the chia seeds absorb most of the water.

Place the frozen banana, soaked chia seeds and all their liquid, the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, the peaches, peanut butter and sweetener in the blender. 

Blend until smooth and serve immediately.

Nutrition
Per serving (2): 204 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 906 mg omega-3 and 1,546 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 5 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber and 34 mg sodium.