I was at The Big Carrot, a fancy grocery store, and they have a juice and smoothie bar connected to the main entrance. I had my eye on coffee but the sun was out and I was feeling refreshed so I went into the juice bar. On their huge menu, I was searching out smoothies but a juice caught my eye, a kombucha and beet juice mixture. Say what? Like kale chips, I have a small addiction to kombucha and I generally treat myself to it when I do well on a test or assignment. This is an expensive reward system since most small bottles are priced at $4 each. Kombochu almost has a beer-like quality to it but it has very little alcohol. For those who don’t know, kombucha is a naturally carbonated fermented tea and before you go running for the hills over this hippy-dippy sounding drink, it is actually delicious and good for you. Fermented foods and drinks have loads of good bacteria in them to keep your insides happy by promoting detoxification. Now we are going to get really hippy… what if I mixed it with a green juice? The beet + kombucha juice was amazing and I almost chugged it while grocery shopping but it didn’t have too many greens in it. I bought a few bottles of Tonica*, some green vegetables and went home to make my own version of this drink. Like the beet juice I had at The Big Carrot, I drank this one without making a sourpuss face and wanted more. I never thought I would like green juice at all but now smoothies have a little more competition.

Don’t have a juicer? Me neither. If I buy one more kitchen appliance, I will be labelled as a bad cohabitator by Mark and forced to sleep on the balcony. I used my Vitamix and a cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer to make my juice. Just blend and gently squeeze through the cheesecloth. A nut milk bag would also work as long as you don’t mind your bag having green stains on it. Don’t squeeze the bag or cheesecloth too hard or the pulp will come shooting out and get into your juice. I fill 2/3 of my glass with green juice and top with chilled kombucha the rest of the way. Serve with a thin slice of lemon and enjoy! Could this drink be any healthier?? If you are feeling really hippy awesome, add a tablespoon of chia seeds to the drink to make a “bubble green juice tea”. The chia seeds will swell up and acts like the tapioca in bubble tea but with a nutritional punch. 

What have you done to turn something you didn’t like into something you love? I never use to like kale until I made kale chips and now kale is a staple in my household. Leave your comments and suggestions below. Happy juicing!

* I do not have any affiliation with Tonica, I just like their kombucha. 

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Destiny’s Child on FULL blast!

Watch ALL the new Once Upon A Time episodes Netflix just released! Marathon it! (ALSO NEW THE WALKING DEAD!!!)

Practice the Single Ladies dance routine along side Beyonce on YouTube….pretend that I AM Beyonce.

Eat as MANY olives as I can!

Mark does not like olives which is a real problem for me because I LOVE olives. I am a huge fan of the briny, leathery fruits. Sometimes when Mark is working late I will prepare a little plate of olives, sauteed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, capers, balsamic vinegar, fresh cherry tomatoes and mustard to serve on crusty bread slices for dinner with a glass a red wine and feeling oh-so French! Unfortunately for me, cooking with olives is a no-go since I dread the idea of someone picking out an ingredient out of a dish. Maybe I am just too un-picky? I knew I needed to make a dish with some of my favourite ingredients that Mark is not a fan of while he is off being a rockstar. 

These potato rounds are banging good! Salty salsa, spiced potatoes and cool cashew tzatziki sauce come together to create this recipe. It is a bit fussy since you have to make a salsa, a sauce and the potatoes but if you follow my game plan, it will seem effortless. First, preheat the oven, salt the cucumbers, make the sauce and refrigerate. Secondly, chop and toss the potatoes in the spice oil and roast. While the potatoes are roasting make the salsa and prep the parsley garnish. When you break it down, it doesn’t seem so daunting.

Since olives are the star of this dish I encourage you to buy the best olives you can afford: from an olive bar, cheese shop or high-end grocery store. Jarred olives are far too salty and lack the richness and depth of a good quality olive. I tried this recipe with nicoise olives but this olive is more expensive than the recipe recommended Katamala and impossible to find pitted (believe me when I say they are a b*tch to pit these tiny French olives).

The best part of being in a relationship is that you like when your person is there and when they are not there. A little time alone is needed sometimes: just me, some olives and my cat Barb. And Beyonce on full blast.

What dish do you make when your partner is away? Anything you love and they hate?

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The weather has been kind of a jerk to me since it always seems to be a glorious beautiful sunny day boasting 20 degrees temperature while I am in school and working all day and yet on my day off it rains and freezing. Mother Nature be kind to me please! Thankfully, this soup tastes great hot or cold. If it is beautiful out, take it bowlful outside and enjoy the bright day or if it is miserable, curl up with a mugful of this soup and a good book. There are a lot of recipes for minty pea soups and for good reasons: it is refreshing and melts all those winter stresses away with a single spoonful. Unlike most of the other pea-mint soup combinations the mint is in the magical creamy cashew sauce. Who knew soaking raw cashews could be so wonderful? When I was transitioning into veganism cashew creams saved me from craving dairy and now I am just so in love with them I find any excuse to use them. The cream isn’t overly minty since I really wanted the peas to shine through so add more mint to the cream if you like.

Mark and I are on Day 16 of the Forks Over Knives Challenge and it does get easier. Your body balances itself out and you really start to experience the true taste of your food and what better to recharge those taste buds with some fresh Spring green peas.

Congratulations to the Forks Over Knives Prize Pack Giveaway Winner: Wendi J from Minnesota. You will be receiving your prizes in the mail in the near future! Congratulations again! The giveaway may be over but the challenge continues here at S&C.

Thank you for all who entered! I hope this is the first of many Sprouts and Chocolate Giveaways and I love being able to spread some plant-based love and support to my readers. Thank you so much again for your support!

Notes:

• Make the cashew cream first and then the soup so you don’t have to wash out your blender twice and it makes the soup that much creamier (plus I just hate doing dishes)
• Can’t find fresh peas in the pod? Frozen peas are an excellent substitute since they cook so quickly and you don’t have to shuck them, which is a time consuming effort.
• This soup is super quick and easy to make. To prep for the cream, add some cashews to water before heading out to work and by the time you get home they will be all soaked and creamy for you to make dinner.

Minty Cashew Cream

Makes ½ cup

• ½ raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours (if you have a high power blender there is no need to soak them)
• 10 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 10-12 fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to another container until ready to use.

Sweet Pea Soup

Makes 7 cups

•  2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, quartered and sliced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 5 springs fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups fresh or frozen petite peas
• 4 cups packed baby spinach
• ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Soak the leeks in a bowl of cold water to remove any grit. In a large pot over medium high heat add the rinsed leeks and salt and sauté for 8 minutes, adding vegetable stock 1-2 tablespoons at a time so the leeks don’t stick to the pot. The leeks will be softened but not as browned as when you use oil but surprisingly sweet and delicious.

Add the stock, parsley and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. When the stock mixture is simmering add the peas and spinach and cook for 5 minutes until peas are fully cooked and spinach is wilted. Add the pepper and transfer soup to a blender, leaving room at the top of the blender for steam to escape. Blend until completely smooth.

Drizzle the Minty Cashew Cream on top and serve (hot or cold).

P.S. If you get bored of the leftovers since this recipe makes 7 cups, add a pinch or more of hot curry powder when you reheat it on the stovetop. Serve with chopped cilantro or parsley.

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I just love Instagram (I am on Instagram here)

Now I can imagine what you are thinking, “You want me to drink that swamp water with all those teeny black bugs in it? Yeah right.” Mark had a very similar expression when I handed him a glass of this odd looking drink.

Recently I have been kind of obsessed with Synergy Chia Drinks. They are light, refreshing and give me tons of energy from all those little chia seeds. However they range from $3-$5 a bottle depending on where you buy them so I cannot make it a daily purchase. I wondered if I could make their juice versions at home and did some digging around. Turns out they are super easy to make on your own. Love when that happens

Cucumbers are one of those great foods to snack on since they are filling, low in calories and high in nutrients and though in this recipe I used only the juices it is still high in vitamins and minerals. Everyone knows cucumbers are great for your skin (cucumber eye patches anyone?) and in this frigidly cold winter we could all use a hand in keeping our skin looking good. Cucumbers have a diuretic property to them as well which helps to flush out all those toxins we are exposed to everyday. When buying cucumbers organic is always preferred since conventionally grown cucumber can have a waxy coating on their peels. If you cannot purchase organic, just peel the cucumber before you blend it up.

I used a milk nut bag to juice the cucumber and mint leaves. I bought 2, one for nut milk and the other for non-milk drinks. It is cheaper than buying a juicer if you already own a high power blender however if you own a juicer, you can juice the cucumber and mint leaves instead.

Though this drink does look weird, it is cool, refreshing and kind of taste like springtime, which I know we are all dreaming of right now. The expanded chia seeds take a little bit to get use to but once you feel all the awesome plant based energy they give you, you will want them in every drink.

Now to unpack….I am never moving again!

 Cucumber Chia Mojito

Serves 2-1 cup servings

•  ½ cucumber, peeled if not organic
• 5-6 mint leaves
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1-tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons black or white chia seeds

1. Chop the cucumber into slices and add it, the mint leaves, water, lime juice and syrup to a blender, blend until smooth.
2. Add contents to a milk nut bag and gently squeeze the pulp until most of the juices have been extracted, you should have about 2 cups (if not just add a little more water).
3. Add the chia seeds to the juice and let sit for about 10 minutes so the seeds can expand. Serve with a wheel of lime.

This drink is best served cold so keep refrigerated when possible. The seeds will sink so give the drink a shake or a stir every now and then. Enjoy! Here’s hoping springtime is just around the corner.

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