Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie

I like to hide at least one vegetable in each smoothie I make these days. Carrots are a great veggie to put in fruit smoothies especially ones with oranges, mangos, pineapple, anything tropical. Baby spinach leaves are undetectable in berry smoothies and in this peanut butter banana drink. Kids and picky adults alike will never know how much they are benefiting from such a delicious drink!
 

other great smoothies
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie
Banana Nut Smoothie
Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

Peanut butter, frozen banana and old fashioned oats make a thick and luscious breakfast smoothie that has a strong, delicious flavor to cover up the baby spinach packed in each glass. A healthy and nutritious smoothie is easier than it seems.

Peanut Butter Banana Green Smoothie
yields 1 smoothie
1 frozen banana
1 handful baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup old fashioned oats (soaked for a few hours if you don't have a high powered blender)
3 tbl natural peanut butter

Combine and blend until smooth and creamy.

Grilled Corn Crostini

These small bites are perfect as a side, an appetizer or a snack. Creamy avocado works perfectly as a spread for any topping you want to throw on top. Since corn is at it's peak, it need little cooking and even less seasoning. A simple char and a sprinkle of salt allows for the sweet corn to shine through.

One Year Ago Today Hominy & Tempeh Tacos

Grilled Corn Crostini
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 baguette, sliced diagonally in 1/2" pieces
2 corn cobs
1 avocado
2 tbl chopped, fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges
coarse sea salt

Preheat a grill or grill top to high. Toss the baguette slices and corn with olive oil and grill until dark char marks appear.
Slice the corn off the cobs.
Mash the avocado and spread on the toast. Top with corn, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt.

Sweet Apricot & Hazelnut Pannini

This sandwich is not only delicious and unusual but incredibly versatile. Cut it into small strips or triangles for brunch. Eat it as an alternative to peanut butter and jelly for lunch or skip the boring toast in the morning and make one of these killer sandwiches, opened faced.
Every component was meticulously thought out to have a perfect balance of sweet, salty, soft and crunchy.

Sweet hazelnut butter, apricot jam, ripe apricot slices and salty pretzels crumbled on top of cinnamon raisin swirl bread and toasted to perfection.

Sweet Apricot & Hazelnut Pannini
Cinnamon raisin bread ( I used Dave's Killer Bread-Sin Dawg)
1/4 cup sweetened hazelnut butter
1/4 cup apricot jam
1-2 fresh apricots, thinly sliced
a handful of pretzels, crushed

Spread the jam and hazelnut butter on the bread. Top with fresh apricot slices and crushed pretzels.
Toast in a pannini press or in a dry pan with a heavy weight on top.

Pistachio Butter & Sauteed Apple Sandwich on Cinnamon Raisin Toast

A simple, different and healthy sandwich to make for brunch, breakfast or lunch. Homemade pistachio nut butter is delicious tasting and a great alternative to peanut or almond butters.

Sauteed Fugi apples dusted in brown sugar sandwiched between pistachio nut butter and sweet, chewy pieces of cinnamon raisin toast.

Pistachio Butter
1 cup shelled pistachios
2 tbl coconut oil
1 tbl maple syrup

Blend the pistachios in a food processor for 3-4 minutes until they have started to become a paste. Add the oil and syrup and process 4-5 minutes more into a creamy butter.

Pistachio & Apple Sandwich
serves 3
1 tbl coconut oil
1 fuji apple, skin on, thinly sliced
1 tbl organic light brown sugar

1 batch pistachio butter
6 slices cinnamon raisin bread

(I used a cast iron grill pan to cook both the apples in and then press and toast the bread.)
Melt the coconut oil and saute the apple slices with brown sugar for 4-5 minutes until caramelized and slightly soft. Make sure to keep a slight crunch still on the apples.
Assemble 3 sandwiches with pistachio butter and apples then press in a panini press to toast or place back in the saute pan and press down with a spatula to toast and slightly flatten.