Valentine's Recipe: Three's Company Pie!

You just knew I would post something chocolatey for Valentine's, didn't you?!  :D

I ran a poll on my fb page for what NEW recipe from LTEV to post.  It was a bit of a tight race, but this Three's Company Pie (aka chocolate, peanut butter, 'n banana pie) had the edge.

When I created this pie, I wanted to give you something that didn't use silken tofu or another soy product for a creamy, silky texture.  Not hating on soy (at all - it's part of our diet).  Rather, I wanted the recipe to be accessible for those with soy allergies.  And, for those with peanut allergies, you can make this pie with a nut butter like cashew or almond.

I made this again today, just for you (ohhh my sacrifices), just to get a better photo (Hannah, come back to me!).  Because it is such a glorious tasting and looking pie for not much effort (don't tell anyone that, do the whole bit of dusting cocoa powder on your face and shirt).

So, for your sweetie, for yourself, for a friend... this Valentine's Day recipe is now posted.  And, for those of you that entered the Everyday Gourmet Vegan Bakery contest, the winner was posted on my fb page yesterday.

For my voting crew, the Circle of Moms contest wraps up on Feb. 14th.  Just a handful of days left to vote (one vote every 24 hrs): link.  What say I trade you a slice of pie for a vote?  That would be bribery.  Hey, works for my kids!  (kiiiidding... that was for you, anonymous)  ;)

Strawberry-Goji Smoothie

Using frozen strawberries (from the summer stash) and gojis that I buy bulk (see this post), I've been making Strawberry-Goji Smoothies just about every morning for the last number of weeks.

If you haven't found your goji love yet, this smoothie is an excellent way to get them in your diet. The flavor of the bananas and strawberries predominate, and the gojis aren't particularly noticeable. Even my 'goji-unfriendly' daughter sucks up this drink!

I have a new Blendtec, and I must gush about this machine; I'm having a bit of a blender affair. Remember that scene in Crocodile Dundee (that's not a knife... THIS is a knife)? Well, the first time I used my Blendtec I felt like I was in that movie scene. But with a blender. I said "that's not a blender... THIS is a blender" (butchering the Aussie accent in the process)!

Now, every time I use the Blendtec with the girls around, I look at them and say "oh yeeaahhh". They roll their eyes at me. Yes, mommy is a kitchen geek. But this is one amazing machine, so I wear I'll wear that kitchen geek label proudly! I use this blender every day, often 2-3 times a day (especially now that I'm making baby foods, a post on that later). Indeed, I am having an affair with my Blendtec. Hubby has accepted second place.

With this Strawberry-Goji Smoothie, the Blendtec purees the heck out of the flax seeds and gojis - blitzes them to smithereens. Here it is in motion, though you can't quite get the full effect. It's a beautiful thing. And the smoothie is a delicious, nutritious thing. Go make it.

Refreshing Greens

I start almost every morning with a green smoothie. Typically in the winter months, I opt for a heartier, non-dairy milk based smoothie... but, this smoothie has been part of the daily routine for many months now. And I'm still not tired of it!

I posted earlier about a green smoothie recipe that is in ed&bv. This one is slightly different, though has many of the same ingredients. The first of which is kale! As I mentioned before, other greens like spinach and chard are very healthy, but the iron and calcium are not nearly as well absorbed. With kale, our bodies can suck up that calcium and iron!! My favorite kale to use is black kale, sometimes called dinosaur kale (since the leaves have a rather reptilian resemblance!), but you can use any variety of kale you like.

Remove the leaves from the stalks. I do this by holding the stalk in one hand, and running my fingers along each side of the stalk to strip it. Add the leafy greens to the bottom of your blender (I use this KitchenAid), and discard the stalks. The other ingredients I regularly use are fresh pineapple, frozen mango, and frozen banana. I buy 1-2 fresh pineapples a week and when ripe, remove peel and cut in chunks and store refrigerated in an airtight container for daily smoothies. The pineapple brightens the flavor and gives a tropical tang, and the mango and banana lend sweetness to the mix - and also a creamy texture. I've been using frozen mangoes, since it makes for quick smoothie prep, and the frozen fruit helps the texture. As for the frozen bananas, I always have ziploc baggies of sliced overripe bananas in the freezer - buy a swack of nanners and get your freezer stocked up!

All you need to do is load in those fruits on top of the kale, and then add a small amount of water to get the blending going - start with a little and then add more if needed. You'll quickly determine how much you'll need each time. Sometimes I add fresh orange juice (one or two oranges) into the blender - particularly if I don't have much pineapple left. Also, typically I add about 1/2 tsp of spirulina powder (for 2 decent size smoothies). Sometimes I add extra spirulina, though not much more since the taste can be overpowering, personally. But, if you enjoy the taste - add more - it's very good for you!

Give the lot a good whiz, until it is smoooooth. You can also use a handblender, as you see in my previous post, though it requires a little more assistance from you! So, if you have a good blender, put it to work! And, then, enjoy your refreshing greens (your body will thank you)!