Brown-rice stuffed tomatoes

So easy to make and so delicious, this Vegan-power recipe  will satisfy your appetite and will provide a low-fat, hearty and nutrient-rich meal. Pair it with a spinach salad with balsamic and olive oil dressing. A must try!


Ingredients: (makes 10 servings)


- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 jar Trader Joes red pepper and eggplant spread
- 20 medium tomatoes*
- 1 pack Vegan Daiya cheese (to be found at Wholefoods)
- 1/2 Trader Joes vegan chorizo sausage
- 1/2 cup grounded flaxseed
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- Black pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper to taste


Preparation: 


- Preheat your oven at 350.
- Cut the top of the tomatoes and carve out the pulp with a spoon to create a tomato shell. Keep the pulp in your fridge to make pasta sauce later.
- In a big bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients together and fill up the tomatoes with the stuffing. 
- Place the tomatoes in a cooking tray or plate, top them with sesame seeds and cook in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes.
Serve warm and enjoy!


*It may seem that 20 tomatoes is a lot, but you can freeze the stuffed tomatoes and warm them up in your oven for a quick and convenient lunch or dinner.

Raspberry-banana protein-powerhouse smoothie

Get all your body needs from the get-go 
and start your day with the best nature has to offer.

Chris and I regularly drink this smoothie 6 times a week for breakfast. It saves us a lot of time as we sip it during our morning routine. As the smoothie is really filling, you will be satisfied too. Occasionally we would also have one or two additional pieces of Ezekiel bread topped with organic peanut butter, home-made macademia butter and agave nectar but we normally save this for one or two hours later. Just like us you can keep your metabolism running high and nurture your body with all day long superior nutrition!

• As you will have to buy two different protein powders, you might be tempted to replace them with your own whey protein powder but a powder made out of milk-fat such as whey insulate will not provide all the easy-digestible, fat-burning power of Hemp and sprouted beans protein. Both proteins will last a while and will save you trips to the grocery store, time and money ( as this smoothie can be a meal replacement) I get mine on Amazon (cheaper and easier) here: Garden of life raw protein and here: Nutivia raw protein powder
• We sometimes substitute the fruits in the smothie with pears, mangoes, strawberries, apples, mixed berries.... You can be creative but red fruits such as berries should be on your priority list.
• Once blended, the smothie can last 24 hours in your fridge (even though it's best to drink it while fresh). Poor into a glass and cover with some transparent film before putting away.
• You can also use this smoothie as a very efficient post-workout protein drink. Best if absorbed within 30mn after your workout.

ingredients :

Servings: 2

- 3-4 cups clean, filtered water (depending on taste for thickness, use more or less water)

- 1 big scoop or 2 small scoops Garden for life raw protein

- 1 big scoop or 2 small scoops Nutivia raw protein

- 1 small scoop pre-grounded flaxseed (do not use flaxseed meal but either buy it whole and ground it with a coffee grinder or get it pre-grounded here on Amazon or take a trip at wholefoods.

- 1 cup organic (pesticide-free) frozen strawberries

- 1 cup organic (pesticide-free) frozen blueberries
- 1 banana

- 4 pitted dates (soak a week's worth of dates in clear water overnight, drain and rinse them in the morning then store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for the rest of the week.
- You may add a little agave nectar for extra sweetness

Preparation: 

Using an electric blender, mix all the ingredients together until fully blended. Serve cold and enjoy!

Guilt-free, flour-free and soy-free pear and banana vegan cake

This is not just a tasty piece of cake: It's a low-fat, protein and fiber-rich, low sugar power house to fuel your body with the right energy. You can have it everyday  if you like (we are not kidding!) with a piece of fruit such as tangerines or a couple of kiwi fruits or even celery sticks, It makes the perfect afternoon mini-meal and can prepare and fuel your body for a great workout (eat 1 hour prior to workout). 

This cake can be prepared in big potions and kept in your fridge for up to 2 weeks. Also it can be frozen for future use. Don't hesitate to give it a boost and place it in your oven or microwave for a quick warm up. as a delicious treat, top it with agave nectar.

Shopping list: 

Note: you will have to soak the almonds overnight

- To soak the almonds: In a big bowl, cover the raw almonds with clear water a let soak overnight outside of your fridge. Rinse them and drain them before use. 

Soaking raw nuts will make them more digestible and will allow an efficient release of their properties in your body.

5 Pears, peeled and diced
2 bananas
1/3 cup agave nectar

1 can natural coconut milk

1/3 cup cocoa unsweetened powder

1 can natural coconut milk

1/3 cup cocoa unsweetened powder

1/3 cup carob powder

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 tbs baking powder
1 Pinch of salt
2 tbs liquid natural vanilla extract

2 tbs flaxseed oil (Optional, but will provide omega 3,6 and 9 (essential fatty acids are one of the best supplement one can get and is proven to help lose weight, regulates your mood through your nervous system and takes care of your joints, skin, hair and nails) 

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup oat bran

2 cups unsweetened almond meal

3 cups natural Irish oatmeal

1 cup pecan haves

1 cup overnight soaked raw almonds

1/2 cup shaved almonds

+ Pam spray

Preparation:

Note:

1.It's easy and sometimes cheaper to shop for ingredients on amazon.com

2. If you don't have a food-processor, don't hesitate to invest in one; it's worth it and will allow you to introduce more nourishing meals into your diet.

Step 1: 

In a food processor, mix together all the ingredients in blue.

Step 2: 

preheat the oven at 350. 

Poor the mixcture in a very large bowl, and add all the ingredients in green. Mix all the ingredients together until fully blended.

Step 3: 

Lightly Pam-spay a large brownie baking pan (the cake must not be too tall; about 2 inches) and poor the thick mixture into the pan. If you have to much mixture to fit your pan, you can also make muffins with a muffin baking pan.

Sprinkle with the shaved almonds.

Place the pan(s) at mid-height in the oven and let it cook for 45mn to 1 hour or until the top of the cake and the almonds have a nice, deep brown color. If you are not sure, introduce a  knife in the center of the cake and check on the knife if the mixture is still too liquid and sticky)