Vegan Mofo: Quick, Easy & Delicious

On day 3 of Vegan Mofo, we're supposed to write about something "quick, easy, and delicious." I feel like that pretty much sums up my day — toast for breakfast, frozen Amy's noodle bowl for lunch, and leftovers for dinner.

But rather than show you pics of my boring old leftovers, I thought it'd be fun to use this opportunity to do a little product review and use that product in a quick and easy smoothie recipe! Nutiva sent me a jar of their Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil to try.

It's organic, fair trade, and non-gmo. And it's cold-pressed and unrefined. As for the taste, it has a light hint of coconut that's not overpowering. According to the jar, you can add a pinch of salt to reduce the coconut flavor in savory recipes, but I've not tried that. And I'm not sure I'd want to reduce the coconut flavor! It's so good. So rich and creamy.

First, I tried it in Vegan Bulletproof Coffee. Definitely quick, easy, and delicious.

If you're not familiar, bulletproof coffee is kind of a paleo thing. Basically, it's coffee with butter in it. It's supposed to increase energy and performance. When I first heard about it, I must admit that I thought it sounded gross. But as with everything, my mind began to wander into the "I wonder if that could be veganized territory?" Earth Balance in coffee just sounded gross but coconut oil ... hmmm. That could work. 

I googled, and sure enough, it'd already been done. I found this recipe on One Green Planet. You brew some coffee. And then you put the hot coffee in the blender with coconut oil, vanilla, and stevia. I added a little maca powder too. It did keep me full longer after breakfast, likely because of the added fat. And the blended coconut oil made the coffee super-creamy and frothy. I'll definitely be making this again.

Speaking of blenders, I've got a quick, easy, and delicious blender recipe for you now. It actually comes from Nutiva. They sent me the recipe for this Blackberry Citrus Rise 'n' Shine Smoothie in an email. I made it yesterday morning after a little walk/run around the neighborhood, and I want to share it with you. 

This is a super-simple smoothie made with frozen blackberries, fresh orange slices, cashew milk, and coconut oil. I actually reduced the coconut oil in the recipe from two tablespoons to one, and I added a scoop of Vega One protein powder. The coconut oil made for a creamy, thick smoothie with staying power. It kept me full from 8 a.m. breakfast to lunch at noon.

Blackberry Citrus Rise 'n' Shine Smoothie

Adapted from Nutiva

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup orange slices, peeled
1 tbsp. Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
1 cup plant milk of choice
1 scoop vegan protein powder (natural or vanilla)
4 ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS:
Gather and measure all ingredients.
Place all ingredients in a blender.
Blend on high until all ingredients have been completely blended together, forming your perfect smoothie consistency.
Pour mixture, and serve immediately.