Mango Tango Berry Smoothie

Smoothies in the morning are an easy way to grab a nutritious cup of fruits and veggies especially for people who don't like a big breakfast.

This one is easy peasy. And it doesn't have anything but fruit in it - no dairy. Throw in a handful of frozen mango, fresh or frozen strawberries, pineapple and a 2 peeled oranges. I add 1/2 c  water (more if needed). Blend away and it's done! It honestly tastes like spring feels - clean, fresh, pure and refreshing. If you want you can add some hemp hearts for added nutrition.

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen mango
1 c strawberries
2 medium orange, peeled
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)

Instructions

Blend everything together for 1 minute or desired consistently is reached.

Other smoothies you should try:
Green Goodness
Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
Blueberry Mango Smoothie
Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie
Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie
Strawberry Muesli Smoothie
Detox Lemon Spinach Smoothie
Cranberry Orange Antioxidant Smoothie
Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

Orange Spiced Tea Poppy Seed Loaf with OJ Glaze

I drink coffee. A lot of coffee. For the most part, I only drink tea if I'm feeling sick or my mom is in town. But baking with tea is something different - I love it. I didn't really think about it until I attended the IFBC 2014 in Seattle last September. There, I attended a session led by Cindi Bigelow, President & CEO of Bigelow Tea. I learned an amazing amount of facts and information about tea. We also tasted amazing baked goods with tea as a main ingredient. This what inspired this loaf. Bonus: My kids loved it!

Brush with tea glaze - poke holes in top of loaf to ensure maximum tea flavour.

Brush or pour the glaze on the loaf once loaf has cooled.

Let sit for at least 30 minutes to dry slightly.

Ingredients

Tea:

3 bags orange and spice tea

1 -1/4 c  boiling water

Loaf:

1½ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp poppyseeds

3/4 cup plain yogurt

¼ c steeped orange and spice tea

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp orange zest

½ tsp vanilla

½ cup vegetable oil

Orange Tea Syrup:

1 cup orange and spice tea

1 cup granulated sugar

Glaze:

1 cup icing sugar

1 Tbsp orange juice

1 tsp pure orange flavoring (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray.

Tea

1. Steep 3 tea bags in boiled water.
2. Let steep 10 minutes.
3. Discards tea bags and let tea cool.

Syrup

1. Make orange syrup by placing 1 cup tea and 1 cup sugar in blender. Blend for 1 minute.
2. Set aside. Can be made ahead of time.

Loaf

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt and tea.
3. Add eggs and whisk until combined.
4. Add sugar, zest, vanilla and vegetable oil and whisk until combined.
5. Add in dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan.
8. Poke holes over top of loaf.
9. Brush syrup over orange poppy seed loaf.
10. Wait 10 minutes and brush with more syrup. (you’ll have extra syrup – just refrigerate for future use)
11. Cool loaf completely.
12. Create glaze by whisking together icing sugar, orange juice and orange flavoring.
13. Gently pour glaze over loaf, let set till crust forms on glaze, about 30 minutes.

cranberry orange antioxidant smoothie

With the Holiday season just around the corner, my mind and recipe book is turning to seasonal dishes and ingredients. Cranberries always come to mind this time of year - sauces, dessert, and treats abound but today I'm sharing this orange cranberry smoothie with a hint of vanilla. This smoothie is tart but still more sweet than not. If you like it more tart go ahead and add up to another 1/4 cup of cranberries.

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

2 small oranges
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Throw everything into nutrininja or blender.
Blend 1 minute.

Orange Surprise Smoothie

The surprise in this smoothie is the addition of prunes. Prunes are surprisingly sweet and blend well (if your blender motor is pretty good). Did you notice most prunes are now labelled as dried plums? Marketing peeps thinks the marketing ploy will attract more people willing to try this nutritious fruit. And really what's not to like? They contain beneficial amounts of fiber, vitamin k, and potassium, so no matter what you call them, throw a few in your next smoothie and enjoy!

If your strawberries are very sweet you can omit the maple syrup!

Ingredients

1 orange, peeled
4 large strawberries
3-4 prunes
1 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Blend all ingredients until smooth. If too thick add water and blend again. Makes one large or two small smoothies.

A great way to start your day!

Orange Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie aka the Strawberry Citrus Squeeze

We woke up to snow this morning! Snow! Now, I know many of you are wondering what the big deal is but come on, this is Vancouver in late February...it doesn't snow in late February in Vancouver. The last time I remember it snowing this late in February was three years ago.Of course, it won't last long before the rain asserts its dominance because this is Vancouver after all!

This smoothie is so simple but it is truly one of my favorite smoothies. Just strawberries, an orange, pineapple and water aka the Strawberry Citrus Squeeze. It is so refreshing and light tasting! To me, it's summer in a glass...if only I could find my sun glasses...and the sun....and it would stop snowing!

Makes 1 large smoothie.

Ingredients

4 strawberries
1/2 cup pineapple
1 medium orange, peeled
1 cup ice cold water

Instructions

Throw in blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth.


Other smoothies you should try:
Green Goodness
Avocado Strawberry Smoothie
Blueberry Mango Smoothie
Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie
Pomegranate and Kale Smoothie
Strawberry Muesli Smoothie
Detox Lemon Spinach Smoothie
Avocado Chocolate Smoothie