Breaky & Brunch

Coconut Banana Muffins

For the love of coconut, when a friend of mine shared this muffin recipe I literally went bananas. How did I not think of this sweet little treat sooner, however within hours I was baking my own batch. Warm from the oven, I knew these would be a household winner. And sure’y, they were!

A twist on a traditional banana muffin, these are sweet and bright, delectably comforting and easy peasy to make! They are my new go to muffin recipe and I’ll be sure to experiment ways to make them more coconutty. 🙂

Coconut Banana Muffins (yields 12-18)

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup earth balance buttery spread or unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • 2 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line muffin cups with paper muffin liners.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
  3. Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well.
  4. Fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.
  5. Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining coconut.
  6. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.
  7. Transfer muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

Coconut Banana Muffins

Enjoy! xx

Oat Smoothies

Looking for a real treat? These breakfast smoothies will have you pleasantly satisfied for hours. Heavier than our favourite vegetable/fruit smoothies, but another perfect way to start the day, especially for when ravenous and on the go. Basically, it’s your oatmeal breakfast thrown in a blender.

Oats are a great way to start the morning, packing a great punch of nutrients and minerals. High in carbs, oats are a great source of energy and strength to kick start your morning. Check out these percent daily values for 1/4 cup!Oats Nutritional InfoFor their in-depth nutrition profile, check it out here.

Here are two variations for you to try out – you are in for a treat!Oat smoothiesNutty Banana Oat

Blend – 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, 1 banana (ripe or frozen), 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats, 2 tbsp natural peanut butter or almond butter, 1/2 tsp agave, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, & 1/4 cup ice.Peanut Butter Banana Oat Smoothie

Blueberry Banana Oat

Blend – 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, 1 banana (ripe or frozen), 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats, 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberres & 1/4 cup ice.

Blueberry Banana Oat Smoothie

Also, don’t be afraid to add in some greens to the Nutty Banana Oat! Everything is better when you add kale. I added in 2 cups and I barely noticed a change in taste. Give them a whirl and let me know your thoughts!

xx.

Glowing Green Smoothie Bowl

Despite the wicked snow storm we were having early this morning, I had a bit of extra time and was feeling inspired. Since we rang in the new year, I’m finding muse in all the social sharing that is taking place with everyone’s new healthy 2016 regime – there have been some beautiful creations posted out there. With that being said, I wanted something different than my typical blend of fruits and veggies.

I recently organized my spice/toppers/baking/coffee/tea cupboard (yes this a thing haha) so I knew I had a handful of delicious add-in ingredients. So I decided to get creative and jazz up my smoothie with something beautiful and even more filling – a smoothie bowl!

I took some of my favourite toppers/ingredients – chia seed, coconut, hemp hearts, and strawberries and topped them onto my trusted Glowing Green Smoothie recipe (limit the water part to keep it on the thicker side).

What a simple and gorgeous dish to start off the morning – it definitely brightened my day!Glowing Green Smoothie Bowl

Be creative. xx

Vegan Eggnog

‘Tis the season for some festive cheer!

With Christmas Eve upon us, it is time to soak in all things festive the next couple days or week – if you are so lucky. Christmas movies, holiday parties, long dinners with family and friends, sipping on festive drinks around the fire, Christmas music lingering in the background – I absolutely LOVE this time of year! With the merry spirit filling our home, I wanted to share something perfectly appropriate for this Christmas Eve. And what could be more merry than the beloved Christmas drink of Eggnog!

To be honest I have never been a real fan. I love the idea of this signature Christmas beverage and EVERY year, I give it a try hoping that I will like it, and am always left disappointed. Until now! Granted this isn’t the traditional Eggnog that many of you love so much, but it’s the next best thing or in my opinion – better than! The My New Roots, Creamy Eggnog Milkshake is beyond delicious! (I’ve made a couple changes based on what I had available).

This rich and creamy egg-less Eggnog is perfect any time of the day. Let it be the star at your Christmas brunch, part of your cocktail mix, or dress it up for dessert, which is what I am going to do, (and I won’t judge if you enjoy it more than once).

What makes this drink super nutritious and full of protein, fibre, and calcium is the sesame seeds. I had no idea how nutrient packed these little seeds were. They pack a great punch of essential minerals – calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron and copper – so you don’t need to feel guilty if you down a glass or two. 🙂

So please give it a try, I guarantee it’s better than anything store bought.

Vegan Eggnog (yields 2 servings)

  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 3-4 dried figs
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp hemp hearts
  • 2 cups water (you could also use milk of choice – but not necessary!)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated or ground)
  • 1/8 tsp ground clove
  • pinch of himalayan sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
  • juice of half of lemon
  • cinnamon sticks
  1. Place sesame seeds, figs and salt in a bowl. Cover with water and soak overnight or up to 8 hours. Drain and rinse well
  2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Add spice to taste and water to desired consistency
  3. Pour and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick

Vegan Eggnog

Happy Ho Ho! xx

Vanilla Rosehip Hibiscus Cider

With the winter amongst us, I find myself continually wanting to grab a hot cup of anything delicious. Java, matcha, hot water with lemon, apple cider, black tea, green tea, blueberry tea, mulled wine – there are a ton of options for all times of the day and some more simple than others.

This weekend was probably the first where we really felt Winter in the air (lately we have been SO LUCKY with above average temps).  After strolling around the city all day in these cooler temps and almost immediately as I come in from the cold, I find myself looking for something warming and special. A cup of deliciousness to cozy up on the couch with and catch whichever Christmas flick that may be on.

With a ton of apples lying around, I decide to juice them and make homemade apple cider. While healthy and delicious, how can I fancy this up, make it special, make these apples worth juicing. 🙂

I come up with a vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and rosehip hibiscus; in my mind – perfection! This combination could not go wrong.Vanilla Rosehip Hibiscus Apple Cider

A cup of HEAVEN was just how right these flavours were when brewed together. Sweet, warm, rich, extraordinary, a treat for those days when you need that special pick me up.

  1. Juice apples (I used a mix of gala and fuji), remove foam from juice. 6 apples yield about 3 servings
  2. Slice open the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a large pot; add the scraped pod as well + cinnamon stick
  3. Pour in the apple juice and heat over low-medium heat until liquid starts to simmer
  4. Remove from heat, add the rosehip hibiscus and let steep for 10-12 minutes
  5. Strain cider and serve

Vanilla Rosehip Hibiscus Cider

Keep warm. xx