Blender Dreams Continued

Banana Apple Oatmeal Smoothie

Last week I was blessed with a second full day play date with my Vitamix. The morning started off amazing with glorious sunshine and warm air that beckoned me outside for a run. Oh that all runs could be so delightful. A recent article in Runner's World talks about the "runner's high" that all runners crave, and I am happy to say it found me this morning. Maybe it happened in part because I was so happy in my surroundings, the world is so beautiful when it is in full bloom. I followed up that joyful experience with a delicious breakfast smoothie with banana, apple, cranberries, yogurt, cinnamon, maca powder and oatmeal. Having made this smoothie more than once, I have to admit that the quality of the yogurt really makes all the difference in the smoothie's flavor.  The first two times I made it with Skyr (pronounced skeer), an Icelandic style yogurt with a smooth, rich flavor and creamy thick texture. The third time I made it with plain, non-fat Greek yogurt. Skyr was the hands-down winner! It is high in protein but not high in fat, so give it a try if you see it in the dairy aisle.

The Best Green Juice

As is the cast on most days off, time really flies. Before I knew it my stomach was grumbling for lunch when an idea came to me. Months ago I purchased It's All Good, a cookbook written by Gwyneth Paltrow, and was eager to try a recipe entitled, The Best Green Juice, but without a juicer or even a blender I was out of luck. I decided today would be the day! I blended up kale, a lemon, an apple, a knob of ginger and fresh mint to create a refreshing juice with a nice zing at the end. Drinking it made me feel energized to get busy with the remaining chores on my list for the day...such as going to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Ha, ha, neither of those places is really a chore, in fact you don't have to twist my arm to head over there in search of something delicious.

By the time dinner rolled around I was still in a green sort of mood, so broccoli became the object of my attention. The Whole Food Recipes cookbook by Vitamix has an interesting recipe for Quiche with Brown Rice Crust that I decided to master. I like the idea of using brown rice in place of a pastry crust, it makes me feel like I am doing something healthier for my body. It's remarkably simple too. Once the crust is initially baked, top it with steamed broccoli and then pour on the egg mixture. The Vitamix takes all the work out of the egg mixture- dump in eggs, soy milk (well, I used almond milk because I am not a fan of soy), cheddar cheese (and here I used freshly shredded Gouda because I had some and wanted to try it), fresh parsley, basil, salt and onion powder (for which I substituted garlic powder), and then blend away! You could also whip the ingredients by hand, so those without a powerful blender fear not. The quiche is baked at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes and ready to eat. Bon Appétit!

Mix cooked brown rice with an egg, press into a sprayed pie dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

The finished broccoli quiche

A yummy slice of the pie