Non-dairy Milk and Breakfast Smoothie

I have a smoothie for breakfast almost every morning, so I stock up on a variety of non-dairy milk to always have on hand for smoothies. They have a good shelf life so why not stock up, especially when anything goes on sale.

non-dairy hemp and almond milk

I use unsweetened varieties in my smoothies – the fruit is sweet enough, so there is no need to add any sugar. I use the sweetened variety for coffee. If you’ve never tried Hemp milk it is definitely worth looking into; it has great nutritional content including plenty of calcium, Omega 3’s and 6’s to name a few.

When I make a smoothie, I don’t use a recipe. I basically just throw in frozen fruit and whatever else I feel like that morning, and then add enough liquid (non-dairy milk) to make a nice thick consistency smoothie. Start off with a little liquid and keep adding if it’s not blending well due to not having enough liquid. If you’ve never made your own smoothie, you get the hang of it after making a few.

Recently I’ve started adding greens into my smoothies. You can not taste them at all and it’s also a great way to not only get your greens, but use up whatever you have in the fridge!

smoothie ingredients - kale, spinach, berries, almond milk

Kale, spinach, berry blend, banana, almond milk, Vega Whole Food Optimizer (Vega One)

Usually my smoothies include Vega One (formerly Vega Whole Food Optimizer), which is a plant based nutritional supplement. You can put whatever fruit, etc. into the smoothie and it always takes on the flavor of Vega One. Meaning you could probably put a ton of greens in the smoothie and it will still have the Vega One flavor. I also put things such as cooked oats, flax and sometimes natural peanut butter in the smoothie also. So experiment with whatever you have!

smoothie

Creamy Broccoli Soup

This Creamy Broccoli Soup recipe looked easy, healthy and delicious. And it is!

Creamy Broccoli Soup
by Mama Pea

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

•    1 T. vegan margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
•    1/2 medium onion, chopped
•    8 oz. broccoli florets (about 4 cups)
•    4 c. vegetable broth
•    2 c. corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
•    3 c. spinach
•    1/3 c. nutritional yeast
•    1/2 c. non-dairy milk (plain, unsweetened) – I used Almond
•    salt and pepper to taste
•    non-dairy (i.e. Daiya) cheddar cheese, shredded, as desired for topping soup

Instructions

•    In a large pot over medium high heat, melt margarine and add chopped onion.
•    Sauté for three minutes or until onion is softened and aromatic.
•    Add broth, broccoli and corn, and bring to a boil.
•    Lower heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until broccoli is cooked through.

cooking broccoli and corn for soup
•    Transfer soup to a blender (or use a stick blender). I used my stick blender, it is so great for pureeing soups.

pureeing soup with stick blender
•    Add spinach and blend until smooth. Return soup to the pot (if using regular blender) and place over low heat.

Adding spinach to broccoli soup
•    Add nutritional yeast and milk and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional yeast goes into soup
•    Top individual bowls with Daiya cheese as desired and serve.

Finished creamy broccoli soup

It’s just that easy to have something healthy that’s familiar, quick ‘n’ vegan!!