Green Mocha Banana Smoothie

Oh man, I was the biggest social butterfly this weekend. As you may know...this is not in my nature. Saturday, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Megan, from Allergy Free Alaska. She is such a beautiful person, head on over to her blog to check out more. I also went for a wonderful Fall walk with my best BFF and then on Sunday, Todd and I went for a lovely Fall walk as well. Make sure to like Produce On Parade on Facebook to see all those gorgeous Alaska pictures! I also visited my Dad, gosh, it was just a socially packed weekend for me! Obviously, by the end of Sunday, I was exhausted. My social facilitates are pretty lacking. I'm working on it. What else's a hermit to do!?

I was too tired to cook pretty much all weekend, so come Sunday night I came to the sad realization that I didn't have anything to post. I knew in the morning I was going to make a smoothie so I decided to share that breakfast with you guys. The smoothie I made was my Green Mocha Banana Smoothie. It's the perfect way to start a dreary Monday. I might have used leftover coffee from Sunday...

Okay, so you don't have to use leftover coffee for this. I know, I know...coffee lovers all around the world just died upon hearing that I use leftover coffee. Oh the humanity of it all! What? Come on now. It's really not that big of a deal. It's in a smoothie after all! However, if this absolutely repulses you and you feel so inclined, you can make a fresh batch. Just let it chill or get to room temperature before using it. I just can't stand to waste anything so...hurray for this smoothie!

Besides boasting a smooth mocha flavor, this smoothie is free from refined sugar as it is sweetened with dates. Go fiber! It also packs in a nutritional punch with fresh spinach, unsweetened cocoa powder and coffee beans. The frozen bananas lend a creamy consistency. Get your morning in gear with a full cup of coffee!

Oh by the way, super exciting for me and not at all relatable to this post...I got the new gold iPhone 5s! Yes, I am a gangsta. It's my precious. All my apps stopping working on my super dope iPhone 3 so...yea...saaad.

Green Mocha Banana Smoothie

Serves 2

Inspired by my leftover coffee

• 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee (room-temperature or chilled)
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp. whole coffee beans (or 1/2 Tbsp. ground coffee) - optional
• 2 frozen bananas, chunked
• 1 large handful of fresh spinach
• 2 large Medjool dates, pitted
• pinch of salt
• pinch of nutmeg

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend on high for a good minute or two.

You'll want to make sure that the coffee beans are completely ground. Serve in two tall glasses. A straw if you're like me (metal or glass, please) or sans straw if you're like Todd and slurp away for a great jumpstart on your day and a whallop of nutrition to boot!

Dad, you'll probably like this one. I'm listening to The Tallest Man On Earth – Walk the Line

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Coconutty Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I tried kickboxing today. I'm still not sure how I avoided paralyzing myself. It was pretty tough, and it really made me realize how impossibly uncoordinated I am. Kickboxing is surprisingly very satisfying...especially if you're having a bad day. I knew if anyone saw me doing this activity they would think I was suffering from a seizure or transforming into a zombie or something, so I definitely did it on my lunch hour...in my office...in my scrubs. I have no dignity. I am sure it was a sight to behold. I have to say I was exceedingly delighted and terribly grateful to have somehow had the entire hour of flailing limbs to myself, without any interruptions...obviously.  I wanted to tell you all, one of my most beloved things about having this blog are all the emails I get from readers. I don't might actually keep them all stashed away like a super creep or some obsessed teenage girl. Yes, every single one of them. I treasure them! On average, I get about two or three per day. Readers email me with questions regarding different food items or to tell me that they love the blog and the recipes or just to plain chit chat.

I love them all. So keep them coming my friends! I'd love to post some of these emails because some of them are so incredibly lovely and sweet, however, since they were emailed to me personally, obviously, I couldn't do that. So I will just have to hoard them instead. My preciousesss. Oh and please, please, please for the love of god, use the voicemail feature! It's my favorite! 

Okay, enough sappiness! Onto the greatest recipe that has ever graced my lips! Coconutty Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. Unrefined coconut oil and coconut milk flavor these pancakes with a creamy, rich coconutty flavor in addition to all the gooey deliciousness of a fresh, hot cinnamon roll and drizzled with a sweet, coconut flavored icing. 

LORD ON HIGH. Alright, I don't know what that means really (I am not a religious person) but a friend used it in an email to me and it somehow seemed incredibly appropriate here. This is one mind-numbingly delicious breakfast.

Ehhhh...let's be real here. At this point it's pretty much just a cake. If you thought Todd and I had this for dessert though, you'd be wrong. Oh, for breakfast right? That makes sense. Pancakes = Breakfast. No, still wrong. We had these delicious mofos for dinner cus that's how we roll, yo! It's like having dessert and breakfast for dinner and seriously, what is better than that? Nothing. It's heaven on earth. Now let us thank the food gods for this unbelievably delicious meal. 

Prepare yo self!

Coconutty Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Inspired by Recipe Girl and McCormick

Serves 2-3

• --The Egg--
• 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 2 Tbsp. cold water
• --The Cinnamon Filling--
• 4 Tbsp. vegan butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon 
• --The Icing--
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsp. coconut milk (carton, I like Silk)
• 1/2 tsp. Kahlua or vanilla extract
• --The Pancakes--
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
• 1 cup carton coconut milk (I like Silk)
• 1 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil, melted

Flax is first. To make the flax egg combine the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and whisk very well. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

To make the cinnamon filling, add all of the ingredients to a small zip-lock bag and squeeze/knead until well mixed. Careful not to let it burst out the top! Once it is well mixed, cut a very small hole in one of the corners and place in the fridge until ready to use. 

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To make the icing, add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until very smooth. Add additional milk if needed. Set aside until ready to use. 

To make the pancakes, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Then add in the milk, the flaxseed egg, and the oil. Mix until just combined.

Over medium-high, heat a large frying pan and coat with a nonstick cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup of pancake batter to the pan. Allow the pancake to cook until the edges start to form bubbles, about two minutes, then "pipe" a swirl of the cinnamon filling onto the pancake, as such. Careful not to let it get too close to the edges of the pancake.

Then, flip the pancake over and allow the other side to cook for about 30 seconds. You don't want to leave it flipped for too long or else the filling may begin to burn. Some of the melted filling will seep out from beneath the pancake and that's okay. Remove the pancake from the pan once cooked through and place on a plate.

Before making a new pancake, take a paper towel and whip the pan, taking care not to burn yourself! This will help get some of the remaining filling off the pan so it doesn't burn. Continue with the rest of the batter.

Serve the pancakes stacked high, hot and drizzled with the coconut icing. No need for maple syrup or butter!

What am I listening to? Kate Nash – Mariella

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Fall Vegetable Soup with Butternut Squash

Thanks to one of my beautiful sister-in-laws, I am now blessed with the privilege of being subscribed to Vegetarian Times. I had been wanting to subscribe to Vegetarian Times as well as Vegnews for a while, but I just hadn't got around to it and I have to say, I am loving it! Well, I still don't have Vegnews (gift idea for me anyone!?) heh heh. Anyways, I was reading through the September issue when I saw, staring back at me with all the love in the world, the most delicious and hearty looking of soups. I knew, instantly, I had to make it. I almost just straight up walked out of work, okay that's a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously you guys...I was crazed. 

This is undoubtedly shameful, but usually when I see a recipe with butternut squash, which I absolutely adore, I am filled with sadness and yes, a little bit of disgust. Butternut squash and I have a love/hate relationship. You see, I am lacking what some would call..."muscles", particularly in the arm region and in addition to that I have very weak and what I deem as "sad" wrists. Yes, it's a thing and no I'm not a hypochondriac...but this isn't a story about my wrists.

What I am trying, albeit a bit winded (as are all of my stories, just ask my Dad), to say is that I just have the damnedest time trying to cut open those mofos.  However, I seem to remember the butternut squash not being a particularly difficult foe to peel, so I made a grand exception for this lovely soup. And oh let me tell you how happy I am that I did.

Plus, I had my little buddy to help me. Awwwww, isn't he adorable!? Do you love him? Yes. Of course you do.

This soup was just the best. I really have no other way to describe it except that it was simply "the best". Alright, I'll try. This Fall Vegetable Soup with Butternut Squash will make you yearn for your veggies all day and night. That's the best I can do. It's so good I can't even describe it. I highly recommend you make it. Very highly. It's easy, delicious and super nutritious. 

Fall Vegetable Soup with Butternut Squash

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This hearty fall soup is loaded with veggies and butternut squash. It’s warm and comforting and just perfect for a cozy weeknight night in. A delicious way to get in your day’s worth of vegetables!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 ½ cups celery, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used orange)
• ½ cup green onions, sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 7 cups water
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
• 2 heaping cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 15 oz. can of green beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups fresh)
• 1 15 oz. can of white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup sweet corn (either fresh kernels or frozen)
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped finely
• 1-2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot or pressure cooker. Add the celery, bell pepper and green onions. Stir occasionally over medium heat, covered, for about 5 minutes; remove the lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
2. Add in the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, and the bay leaf and stir continuously for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add in the water, vegetable broth, ground black pepper, and the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or if using a pressure cooker for about 5 minutes.
3. Add in the squash and simmer for about 10 minutes, covered. Add in the green beans, white beans, and the corn and continue to cook over low for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and add in the vinegar, mint, and spinach and stir well to combine. Allow the spinach to wilt.
4. Serve hot and topped with fresh thyme. I like lemon thyme the best.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:45
Total time: 00:50
Yield: 6 servings

Save Money!

I buy my nutritional yeast here. It’s only $9.55 per lb versus $13.99 per lb in the bulk bin (!) at our local grocery store!

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More Yummy Squash Recipes

Miso Soba Noodle Soup w/ Shiitake, Tofu, and Butternut Squash

Smoked Gouda and Butternut Pasta

Herbed Acorn Squash Bisque

Butternut Miso & Quinoa Soup

Ah, my new favorite song. Instant happiness I tell you! Listen to Paolo Nutini – Pencil Full Of Lead. Go listen!