Green Smoothie Recipe #4 – Pomegranate Smoothie

[tweetmeme source=”VeganChickie”] Pomegranate has always been a favourite of mine. When I was growing up we had a pomegranate tree in our backyard and I used to love picking them and eating them seed by seed until my finger tips were stained red, unfortunately we aren’t able to get them in the town where I live but at the moment bare-chested-chef and I are on holidays in sunny QLD so I am able to experience pomegranate joy once more.

Pomegranate Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 pomegranate, seeds only
1 banana
1 apple
3 handfuls of spinach leaves
1 tbs ground chia seeds (optional)
1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Place your fruit in the blender, add water and blend until smooth, add your ‘greens’ and blend again until smooth. Add your chia seeds and blend until they are mixed through. Serve.

Amounts above will be enough for 2 smoothies.

NOTE: The amount of water you use will depend on how thick you like your smoothie, I just use enough to get the blender going nice and fast, if you like your mixture to be less thick, add more water.

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Banana, Raspberry & Choc Chip Muffins

[tweetmeme source=”VeganChickie”]Wow, these muffins are so good that I don’t think they’ll last through the night! I’m pretty impressed with this recipe actually, especially since it’s the first time I’ve attempted a muffin. The recipe below will make 12 muffins – or, if you are like me and choose to make them smaller, then you’ll end up with 18 or 19. I prefer my muffins to be cupcake sized.. I’m weird that way! Making them larger will be just as delicious though, just make sure you keep them in the oven for an extra 5 minutes or so.

Banana, Raspberry & Choc Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 ripe bananas
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 1/2 of extract)
1 cup vegan choc chips
1/2 cup raspberries chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium sized bowl
3. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and oil together, then add the banana. Mash the banana with a fork, combining with the sugar mixture as you go.
4. Stir in the water and vanilla and mix until well combined. Stir through the choc chips and raspberries.
5. Fill each muffin tin halfway with the batter. Bake for approx 30 minutes, until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

NOTE: I think this recipe would also be great as a banana cake or loaf.. you would just have to adjust the cooking times to suit.

Enjoy!

Mum’s Banana, Date & Walnut loaf

[tweetmeme source=”VeganChickie”]This is one of my Mum’s specialties, which I have veganised. It worked out really deliciously well, so I’m hoping that Mum will take note and make it for me this way next time I visit her! *hint hint*

If you are looking for a healthy banana loaf, try this link for a sugar-free, wholemeal version, because this loaf is filled with sugary & (vegan)buttery goodness!

Mum’s Banana, Date and Walnut loaf

Ingredients:

125 g vegan butter/marg (I use olivani)
3/4 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
3/4 cup SR flour
3/4 cup Plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Mash bananas finely with fork (should be about 1 cup of banana).  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add oil, mix well. Add bananas and vanilla, mix until well combined.  Stir in sifted flours and soda in two lots. Mix well. Add walnuts and dates, mix, and then spread mixture into a well-greased loaf tin, bake in moderate oven for 60 – 80 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.  Stand for a few minutes before turning onto a wire rack.

*Mum actually uses a 20cm ring tin to bake this one, and baking time is greatly reduced with the ring tin because you don’t have to wait for the middle to cook through. I don’t have one though so I used a regular tin.

Banana, Date & Walnut Loaf (vegan & sugar-free)

[tweetmeme source=”VeganChickie”]This is such an easy recipe! And delicious too. I wasn’t really able to get a good photo of the end product, the loaf tin I used was a bit too wide so my loaf ended up flatter than I would have liked, also, I was too busy eating it to take photos – but rest assured it was very yum!

Banana, Date & Walnut Loaf

Ingredients:

4 large, ripe bananas
200g wholemeal flour
75g oats
100g chopped dates
50g chopped dried cranberries (optional)
50g chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Mash the bananas and combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Grease a loaf tin and bake mixture in oven for between 50 – 80 minutes (start checking it after 50 mins and take it out once a skewer or knife to the center comes out clean).

It’s as simple as that! Enjoy!