Beet-y Smoothie Goodness

What? Beets in a smoothie? Hell yes. Beets in a smoothie.

I didn't taste a beet until I was probably 25 years old. Damn my mother for never giving them to me when I was little! But I guess if both your parents don't like something, there is no way they are going to be feeding it to their kids. Now that beets are a part of my daily life I enjoy them in all sorts of ways, including in my smoothies.

This recipe is a take on a smoothie, called the "Napa Valley Smoothie" that they serve at my gym. I decided to take it upon myself to create it at home, and save myself $7 a pop.

you can find these in the veg section of your grocery store - near pre-packaged salad items

It all starts with the beets. I either roast my own beets (with a little avocado oil for 50 minutes at 400 degrees, wrapped in tinfoil - usually I add salt and pepper, but not for ones going in the smoothie) or buy these bad boys at Whole Foods or Wegmans. Throw them in the blender with either a splash of water or OJ and puree. Basically you are making baby food, so when it is a smooth consistency that gives you flashbacks to sleepless nights, you know it is good to go. One of these packages yields three smoothies in my house. I keep the leftover puree in a little tupperware container in the fridge for next time. 

beet puree deliciousness. 

Next I add a handful of frozen strawberries and one banana. Then a scoop of organic vanilla protein powder, and a sprinkling of shredded, unsweetened coconut. I like the texture the coconut gives to the smoothie, but some people I know don't like "things" in their smoothies (my kids) so use your judgement. 

As for liquid I use a splash of organic OJ, and then some unsweetened vanilla almond milk. The final thing I add is two teaspoons of Fish Oil. Fish oil? And beets? Vomit you say? Well, I would say vomit too if fish oil actually had a fishy taste. I use this amazing product a few months ago and have been using it daily. 

It tastes like melted lemon ice cream, and it adds the perfect zing to my creation (well, my take on the gym's creation). 

So here it is: 

Beet puree

Handful of frozen strawberries

One banana

One scoop of vanilla protein powder

Unsweetened shredded coconut

Splash of organic OJ

Unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tsp of Lemon Zest Fish Oil

And because I have been really into editing videos lately, I decided to create my own recipe video ala Tasty. Check it out!

Beet Smoothie from Jessica Trach on Vimeo.

Winter Quinoa Bowl

Quinoa is one of my favorite foods. It is versatile and you can include it in dishes either warm or cold. I have been eating quinoa since I was a child in Lima, Peru, but it has always mainly been a diet staple for the Andean people living in the mountains. I was lucky that my grandfather knew the nutritional value of quinoa and made sure it was served in our home regularly. Quinoa originated in the Andes thousands of years ago and it has since reached far out to our tables here in America. I am always still happily surprised when I hear about people eating quinoa or I see it served in a restaurant. I still can't believe my luck that quinoa has become such popular food. And rightfully so since quinoa is a powerful plant food packed with a balanced set of amino acids giving us a complete source of protein. Another advantage is that quinoa is a gluten-free grain and therefore accessible to people allergic to gluten or wheat. Quinoa can be cooked directly as you would cook rice or you can toast it first before cooking. The recipe today is an easy winter bowl that is crunchy, satisfying and delicious. You can have it as a main meal or as a side and it keeps great for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

You need:

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of broccoli partly chopped
• 1 cup of edamame beans cooked
• 1/3 medium-sized red onion chopped into small pieces
• 1 large tomato chopped into small pieces
• 1/8 cup of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

In a 2 quart pan add two cups of water, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the quinoa. Stir and bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and turn heat to the lowest setting. Give it 10-12 minutes and check to see if all water has evaporated. Turn heat off and let quinoa sit for two minutes. Fluff with a fork. In a separate bowl place edamame, broccoli, onions and olive oil. With your palms, rub oregano and let it fall into the mixture. This will allow the flavor of the dried oregano to be at its peak. Add the quinoa and mix everything together well. Add salt and pepper to taste and add more olive oil if needed. Enjoy and namaste! Serves 2 as a main dish. the foodini, aka Tabatha, at Kitchen to Nirvana