RED ANTIOXIDANT SMOOTHIE

The weekend is finally there and if you have been as busy as I and feel the need to recharge your body, this smoothie is the perfect start. It is made of red grapes, pomegranate seeds, cherries, blackberries and is thus chock-full of antioxidants, the small molecules essential for prevention of oxidative cell stress. Plus, red grapes contain loads of reservatol, which was shown to reduce stroke risk and support weight loss.  

Smoothies are an easy way to get in all your minerals, vitamins and other nutrients and this smoothie is such a health bomb. Besides it's superhero ingredients, the antioxidants and the reservatol, it provides you with more than a quarter of the daily recommended values of vitamins K and C. And I even hid some kale in it...smart me :) I think the kale balances out the sweetness of the red fruit. If you like it sweeeet, you may leave out the greens.

P.S.: Have you known that pomegranates are one of the oldest fruit known to men? Found in writings and artifiacts of many cultures, punica granatum is an original native from Persia and has been a symbol for fertility, health and eternal life.  Isn't that cool? Let's drink that up!!

RED ANTIOXIDANT SMOOTHIE
Makes 64 oz (serves 2)

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
2 cups red grapes
1 cup mixed frozen blackberries and cherries
1 red sweet apple
1 cup kale (or greens of your choice)
1 cup ice cubes 
water as needed

Blend and enjoy!

GREEN MACHINE SMOOTHIE

I am feelin' like a green machine :) 

My fuel are only the best, ripe fruits and veggies and I start to crave my greens as soon as I need energy and power or want to relax. One of my favorite greens is spinach, because it is so delectable on its own and matches nearly every fruit. I love spinach to make my green smoothies and green smoothies make it easy for me to consume enough greens in my diet.

The smoothie recipe that I show you today is one that I just created some days ago and I love it! It combines ripe, juicy pineapple and sweet pomegranate with hearty fresh spinach and spicy ginger. This is an anti-cold recipe and here are my top 5 reasons why you should make this smoothie this winter:

1. Pineapple prevents cough and colds. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals as vitamin C and it contains bromelain that was shown to suppress coughs and loose mucus.

2. Pomegranate is a superfood that has been shown to be a cure-all. It is packed with antioxidants and vitamins and stimulates the immune system and wards off the flu.

3. Spinach is packed with vitamin A and helps your skin to stay healthy and retain moisture in winter. Additionally, more than a dozen different flavonoid compounds in spinach are powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer fighting agents.

4. Ginger is warming on a cold day and helps promoting healthy sweating helpful for detoxification during colds and flus.

5. This smoothie tastes out of this world and makes for a low fat, healthy and quick breakfast or snack.

Here is what you need for the green machine smoothie.

GREEN MACHINE SMOOTHIE

Makes 32 oz

2 cups of spinach leaves

3 cups of cubed pineapple

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1 inch fresh ginger

3 bananas

Blend all fruits and veggies in a high speed blender.

Enjoy !

ICE CREAM DREAM

This raw vegan dessert will directly transport you to heaven!

This is why I called it ice cream dream. It consists of perfectly ripe bananas, gooey dates and juicy pomegranate combined with raw delicious vanilla bean and a little raw vegan homemade chocolate. I used these super healthy ingredients to create a low fat, sweet and nutritious version of classic vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and sprinkles. But here you even get pom sprinkles- doesn't that sound too good to be true? 

This treat is perfect for a beautiful harvest afternoon and will be loved by all your non-vegan friends as well, because it is simply heavenly.

You could also layer the vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce to create a perfect holiday dessert. Just look at these colors. And the super creamy texture. And the sweetness. Just imagine what it tastes like when the pomegranate explodes in your mouth to merge with the vanilla ice cream and caramel. Multiply that by 1000. Now you got the right idee of what this ice cream dream tastes like.

I have no more words for this deliciousness :)

ICE CREAM DREAM

Serves1

Vanilla ice cream

3-4 frozen bananas

1/2 vanilla bean

1 t sweetener of your choice, I used agave nectar

Caramel sauce

1/2 cup of pitted dates

1/3 cup of water or as needed

1/4 vanilla bean

Pomegranate seeds and raw vegan chocolate

If you want to make the chocolate by yourself, mix 1 cup of melted coconut oil with 1/4-1/3 raw cacao, 1 t sweetener of your choice and vanilla to taste (yields about 1 cup of chocolate sprinkles or 1 chocolate bar).

For the vanilla icre cream, blend your frozen bananas with the vanilla and sweetener until creamy.

For the caramel sauce, blend dates with water and vanilla. Add water to desired consistency.

Spoon your ice cream into your favorite bowl, layer with caramel sauce and sprinkle with pomegrante seeds and raw chocolate.

Enjoy!