Kale Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Coconut and Berries

Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook

You may remember me talking about a 3-day juice cleanse I did back in January. That was my first insight into the world of cleansing and juicing and I loved it!

Since then I’ve been wanting to incorporate more fresh juice into my diet, the snag being I don’t have a juicer and purchasing fresh pressed juice can be really expensive. BUT, turns out I could have been juicing at home all this time even without a juicer! I recently got a copy of Leanne Vogel of The Healthful Pursuit‘s new “Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & e-Cookbook“ which taught me I could just make juice with my blender and strain it through a fine sieve or nut milk bag. Revolutionary I tell you!

It’s a beautiful book with 55+ original juice and smoothie recipes, each with its own gorgeous picture, 7-, 9- and 11-day cleanse programs, plus all the tools you need to cleanse with success (meal plans, shopping lists, other resources).

My concern going into the previous cleanse I did was being hungry but as you can see from the example above, you’ve got 6 large juices a day, including a nourishing nut milk so you’ll be flooding your body with nutrients and in no way starving!

I haven’t had the chance to follow a cleanse program from the book yet but I definitely hope to when I can take some time off cooking. I have tried a few of the recipes and been super impressed.

The book’s divided into smoothies and juices, all with fabulous names I might add- who wouldn’t want to drink a “Sangria Sunset” juice? Or a “Dark Chocolate Fudge” or “Coco Cabana” smoothie?!

As I was so excited about the prospect of being able to make my own juice I’ve only tried recipes from that section so far.

First up was “The Fresh Way” juice. A delightful and indeed super “fresh” tasting grapefruit, cucumber, ginger and greens combo.

Next, I opted for one of the “Nourishing Milks”. Leanne incorporates these into the cleanses as a great way to add some healthy fats and a little extra energy into your diet during this time. I was already a fan of nut milk but especially love the fresh flavours included in the book.

This was the “Creamsicle Hemp”. A very creamy, slightly sweet milk with a hint of orange.

I think juices with beetroot in will always be my favourite. The “Puckered Beet” was an immediate must-try for me and it didn’t disappoint. Isn’t that deep purple beautiful? You can tell it’s brimming with goodness just looking at it!

Leanne has kindly allowed me to share this recipe with you. Hope you like it as much as me.

(N.b. Pictures are all my own)

“Puckered Beet” Juice

2014-04-01 10:29:06

Serves 1

Beets add a brilliant red glow to just about all juices and smoothies. If deep red is your favourite colour and just makes you feel good, add a bit of beet into everything! Your liver will thank you.

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Prep Time

5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Ingredients

1 ½ (300 grams) large beets
1 orange
1 lemon, skin removed
1 bunch beet greens

Instructions

Using your juicer, juice ingredients in the order they are listed.
Transfer to a glass and serve immediately.
To store:pour into a glass container and keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Alternatively, pour into a plastic container and freeze for up to 1 month.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

So, whether:

1. You’re already a juicer,

2. You haven’t juiced before but you’d love to try a cleanse, or

3. You want to incorporate a juice or smoothie a day into your daily routine,

The Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook has got everything you need to safely guide you and bring you the results you’re hoping for.

This book has really got me excited about smoothies and juices and I can’t wait to delve into it more.

Click here to view more details , or

One final thing! Starting TODAY (April 1st), Leanne and her team are running 1 giveaway/week for 8 weeks to celebrate the book’s launch . Great prizes up for grabs including blenders, juicers, dehydrators, high-tech kettles and more! Here’s the full schedule.

(Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this ebook for review purposes but, as always with my reviews, my opinions are entirely my own and I truly love this book! This post also contains affiliate links: if you choose to buy this ebook using one of my links, i do make a small profit. Thanks in advance for your support!)

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Review: InSpiral Products

The inSpiral Lounge Café in Camden, London, holds a special place in my heart as the first vegetarian restaurant I went to, many moons ago! (It’s vegan, with the exception of the option of cow’s milk for hot drinks. ) I loved the friendly, funky vibe and the great-tasting, wholesome food. There’s also a big emphasis on raw food, which definitely appeals to my tastes.

I’ve been back many a time since my first visit and have watched the brand grow and grow. They’ve launched a range of amazing raw vegan products which are now sold, not only in the Lounge but also in their online store, shipping worldwide!

Raw Banana Supergreen Bites

Raw Chocolatey Superfood Bites

Raw LoveBerry Superfruit Bites

I love their Raw Granola Bites either for snacking straight out of the bag or for breakfast: as a smoothie topper or in a bowl with fresh fruit and almond milk. They even come in fully compostable bags!

This is a new product for inSpiral- granulated Stevia sweetener. You’ve probably seen stevia about recently as the latest sugar alternative of choice for many health foodies. It doesn’t affect blood sugar levels and is completely natural, extracted from the stevia leaf. There’s often a bitter aftertaste associated with stevia but I couldn’t detect any with this brand.

inSpiral Kale Chips are simply the best! They’re 100% natural, raw and organic and come in a whole range of delicious flavours, including Purple Corn, Baobab & Onion, Wasabi Wheatgrass, Cacao & Cinnamon and more. I’ve tried various brands of commercial kale chips but none compare. These have a thick, flavourful coating, and satisfying crunch. They’ve definitely turned this sweet tooth into a savoury snacker!

I’m actually not mad about inSpiral desserts for some reason (The Raw Chocolate Blackout tart is the exception)…I find them almost too rich but I know many people love them so you’ll have to judge them for yourselves. The dessert pots are fully raw like all their products and come in Christmas Cake, Carrot Cake, Vanilla Berry Cream, Tiramisu, Hazelnut Creme, Passionfruit and Chocolate Blackout.

Finally, another savoury love of mine, the Raw Crackits. Their new recipe is even better than before and contains extra added health booster: Reishi, Siberian Ginseng, Shatavari and Rhodiola! Made from raw almonds, buckwheat and flax they’re crunchy and crumbly just like baked grain crackers.

Pictured are the herb crackits spread with mashed avocado. I can’t pick a favourite flavour.

inSpiral products are available in health food stores nationwide and, as mentioned, you can also purchase online from anywhere in the world.

Have you tried them yet? If not, what would you most like to try?

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Disclaimer: inSpiral provided me with a few products for review but most were purchased myself and, as always, all opinions are my own.

Lentil, Cashew, Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Lentils, cashews, quinoa…kale! Does it get more vegan than that? Well, who cares about the stereotypes, all these nutritious foods are some of my favourites.

I’m using them together in these scrummy stuffed peppers.

You won’t find the recipe on Coconut and Berries though as I’m guest-posting on The Sweet Life today. Sarah is rather occupied at the moment as she’s just brought another babe into the world, little Nash, brother to the gorgeous Eden. I was more than happy to help out my blogger pal.

Please head on over to The Sweet Life for the recipe and have a good browse through Sarah’s delicious and decadent recipes while you’re there.

If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, Please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere: I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter!

Super Sauerkraut Slaw

Yes I do already have slaw recipes on the blog…My Cabbage, Apple & Pomegranate Salad with Ginger-Almond Dressing and my Asian-style Cabbage Slaw. What can I say? I like cabbage!

It’s another vegetable that doesn’t get much positive attention but I’m sure that’s because people have been fed it either boiled until it’s grey and lifeless, or in a coleslaw drowned in mayonnaise, rather than crunchy and vibrant as it is in a slaw.

I hope I’ve convinced you because this salad has a double dose of cabbage! As well as the shredded red cabbage I’ve added a good scoop of raw sauerkraut to the mix too. There’s been a lot of buzz about fermented foods over recent months and sauerkraut falls into this category. Made from just cabbage and salt and left to ferment it’s teeming with good bacteria which we need to keep our digestive systems in balance. A happy tummy is so important as digestive health plays a key role in every aspect of the body’s functions.

I’ve been using the variety pictured above from Raw Health but should really start making my own as it’s so easy and cheap. If you are going to buy it make sure you get the unpasteurized kind (found in the refrigerated section) if you want the health benefits.

I threw in lots of other vegetables to this slaw for a real veg-fest! Cooling cucumber and radish, fennel for that tasty bite, kale for the all-important green factor and a large handful of fresh mint. It was wonderfully refreshing.

Super Sauerkraut Slaw:

1/2 Small head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1C (packed) Chopped kale
1 Fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/2C Sliced radishes
1/2 Medium cucumber, thinly sliced
3/4C Raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut, well drained
2-3 Green onions, sliced
Large handful of roughly chopped mint
3T Olive oil
2T Apple cider vinegar
1T Agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener, e.g. maple syrup, yacon syrup, etc.)
1/2T Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toss together all the vegetables in large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the salad. Toss well. The flavour is best after leaving this salad to sit for a few hours so the vegetables can soak up the flavours and soften slightly.

Cabbage, yay or nay?

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In my Kitchen Lately

I’m back from a few days in London where I did absolutely no cooking whatsoever. There are too many good restaurants and cafés (and Wholefoods…!) and as I’m not visiting very often at the moment I feel like I have to make the most of the options when I am there.

Back in Bath I pretty much never eat out and I think we’ve established by now that I love spending time in the kitchen! When I’m not coming up with recipes for the blog I’m trying recipes from my favourite cookbooks, lately I’ve been enjoying some new ones (more on that to come though), and also trying out recipes from other bloggers.

After Vegan MoFo in September, I said that I wanted to squeeze in some time to do this and I figured, as I photographed what I made anyway, it might be nice to share the successes and point you to the recipes from some of my favourite blogs.

So, without further ado, here’s a little more of what’s been happening in my kitchen lately:

I have pancakes at least once a week so think of myself as a pancake connoisseur of sorts. I’m actually not going to tell you where I found this recipe as I didn’t love it. They were just a tad tough. The “Maple Cream Cheese Sauce” from the Vegan Cookbook Aficionado, however, was fantastic. It had a pleasant tanginess to it but was still plenty sweet and most definitely redeemed the lacklustre pancakes.

Kale Salads are one of my favourite ways to eat kale. This “Kale Salad with Creamy Apricot Ginger Dressing, Walnuts and Apples” from Gena of Choosing Raw was delicious and nice and autumnal. You’ll want to clean out the blender really well to get every drop of the dressing out!

Back when the Canadians were celebrating Thanksgiving I kept seeing lots of beautiful holiday dishes appearing all over the blogosphere and decided to make something a bit more festive myself. This lovely tart from Dreena Burton’s “Let Them Eat Vegan” is aptly named, “Festive Chickpea Tart”, and is packed with savoury herbs and cranberries for lots of flavour, along with chickpeas, walnuts and oats to make a really hearty meal. Luckily for those of you who don’t have the book, Dreena’s kindly posted the recipe on her site, Plant-Powered Kitchen too.

A fresh, zingy salad was the perfect pairing. I chose a recipe I’d seen ages ago on Oh She Glows- “Holiday Salad with Apple, Pear, Cranberries & Walnuts”. I’ll definitely be making the Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette again.

My final pick to share today is the “Kale & Sweet Potato Quesadillas” from Oh My Veggies. Lots of my favourite ingredients here- kale, sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, black beans and smoked paprika, so it was a given that I would like this one really. As Kiersten points out, these aren’t really “quesadillas” since there’s no “queso”, but they’re no less tasty for it.