The Best Blueberry Muffins Ever!

These muffins are the best I've ever had or made- vegan or otherwise! Dairy free, gluten free, with no refined sugars, and the best part is the bottoms don't come out dry like most muffins, these are cakey and moist beneath the muffin top. Because, let's face it: we all wish every part of the muffin was as satisfying as the top!
I started with a recipe from the Sweet Vegan cookbook, with a couple of substitutions:

The Best Blueberry Muffins (makes 8-10 standard-size)

• 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (cheap at Trader Joes!)
• 3/4 cup cane syrup* 
•  1/2 tsp cinnamon (it gives the flavor that extra something)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 coconut oil
• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 3 tsp Ener-G egg replacer, whisked w/ 4 tbsp warm water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with liners or, in a pinch, torn pieces of parchment paper.
2. Mix flour, cane syrup, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add the coconut oil, soy milk, egg replacer (pre-whisked) and vanilla and mix until well combined.
4. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into the liners. Bake 17-20 min, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. I could see clear moisture on the toothpick but no batter, and mine were done perfectly.

Enjoy immediately with your spread of choice and coffee!


*the original recipe called for 3/4 cup evaporated cane juice, which is a solid sugar, whereas I used the liquid cane syrup because that's what the store had, but I think this sub worked great and wonder if this contributed to the delightful texture on the bottom. If you try the other way let me know!

Introducing the Smorbet. It's F#ing Delicious.

Raise your hand if you like to eat food.

Great. I bet if I could stare out through my screen I would see a couple of hands from people like me.
I love eating food. I love chewing so much I realized I was wasting valuable precious chewing time by drinking smoothies- even a 3-banana smoothie would be down the hatch in a matter of minutes, usually less. What a waste. Aren't we supposed to savor the things we love?

What better way to slow down and enjoy the pleasure, I thought, the unfettered fruit-mazing JOY of smoothie consumption, than to stick a spoon in one? Oh, man. But straws be damned, I didn't stop there.

Plagued by the fear that I'd been over-indulging on the vanilla soy milks lately, I swapped in my latest obsession: Zico dark chocolate coconut water (cue angel choir). This stuff is packed with good stuff for athletes to hangover-havers and everyone in between. Potassium rocks! Chocolate-flavored potassium really, really rocks! And when you throw Zico in a blender with frozen fruit it turns into glittering Jesus kittens. I swear it.
The result is something between a smoothie and a sorbet, so I am calling it The Smorbet (pronounced "s'more-bay"). It racks in around 220 calories and packs a whopping Vitamin C punch to boot. This is an icy, summery treat you can sit and enjoy for awhile. With a spoon. Here's the first recipe, with more to come soon:

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Choco-Berry Smorbet:
-1 1/2 cups dark chocolate Zico coconut water
-1 cup organic frozen strawberries
-1/2 cup organic frozen blackberries

Blend completely, until a soft sorbet texture is achieved. Garnish with more fruit, shredded coconut, hemp seed, whatev. Mmm... tastes like summer!

Buffalo Cauliflower & Blue "Cheese" Dip

Had a potluck/ BBQ this weekend and saw it as the perfect opportunity to make this recipe that I've been seeing all over Instagram:

Vegan-tested, gluten-free-loved, and carnivore-approved!

Here's a link to the recipe I used. I subbed gluten free all purpose flour because I couldn't find brown rice flour that day. The batter didn't stick or bake very well, so I will need to play with the recipe again next time. Still edible and enjoyable, especially the blue "cheese:"

• Cauliflower Buffalo Bites

Here are 2 more recipes, if that one doesn't suit you. I love Snapguide in particular, for making anything! Yay, for steps and pictures.:

•  Crispy Buffalo Fried Cauliflower
• Snapguide: How To Make Vegan Spicy Buffalo Wings

Love this recipe? Find more photos and recipes on my Instagram @veganlifeisgood

Super-healthy "Mac" and "Cheese"

Lately I've been so busy with life, work, and working out (I found an awesome new routine that I'll be sharing soon) that I have barely had time for making food at home. I subsist largely through whole fruits, veggies, hummus, pre-prepped grains, and the juice bar next to my gym. Luckily there are some healthy recipes I know that don't require ANY cooking, just my trusty spiralizer.

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The Real "Easy Mac:"

• fresh raw zucchini, spiralized into long or short noodles (I like short because they are the most like "real" mac n cheese noodles)
• vegan cheese sauce  (in the refrigerated area of health food stores, near the guac and hummus. I like the brand Annie's, but see below for some links to homemade or raw recipes you can make yourself!)
• -veggie toppings, like spinach and tomatoes, for extra nutrition and texture

Toss together and you're done! Delicious! You can also heat the sauce first, I think it is much better than cold Mac.
Here are some links if you want to make your OWN delicious "cheese" sauce:

• Pimento cheese sauce 
• Raw vegan creamy cheese (video!)
• Vegan Cheese Sauce

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potato with Vegan Sriracha Cream Sauce

Made this for dinner the other night. It was incredible!

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Here is the recipe for the sweet potato and the AMAZING Sriracha cashew cream sauce:
 Just click:

Recipe: Baked Stuffed Sweet Potato and Sriracha Cashew Cheese Sauce

 The sauce keeps for 6 days so I made plenty of extra and enjoyed it on my tofu scramble. I also added some New Leaf tahini sauce, just because I'm an addict.

Mediterranean Bruschetta with Olives, Capers, and Roasted Red Peppers

Out of everything I made for Thanksgiving, this easy recipe got the most "mmm's!" Most of it was devoured as we dashed around the kitchen, staving off our hunger as we made the last preparations for dinner.

It is easy and elegant and I think it will forevermore replace hummus as my go-to appetizer, to please vegans and non-vegans alike.

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Vegan Mediterranean Bruschetta 

     Adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• Organic Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup or to taste, plus 1 tbsp
• dash of salt
• Pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
• Drained and rinsed capers (a whole 2 or 3 oz jar will do)
• Thinly sliced fresh garlic, 1-2 cloves
• Red-wine vinegar to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• sliced sourdough baguette

There are lots of ways to roast red peppers, or capsicums. I prefer using the same oil that will be in the rest of the bruschetta and low heat of 400 F, but if you want to really blister them try vegetable oil under the broiler. But I just used that extra tbsp of oil and the salt to coat the slices in a bowl, then spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roasted in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the olives, capers, and garlic in a bowl. You will want to add the roasted peppers next, and then play with the amount of oil, vinegar, and fresh pepper. I kept adding more oil until I could see a spoonful of the bruschetta really moisten the bread. If time allows, allow the mixture to marinate for a bit in the fridge. Serve spooned onto the bread, toasted or un-toasted. Both ways are delicious!

*Note: Careful with the garlic. It gets more intense as the flavors marinate. 

Kale & Pomegranate Holiday Salad

I was thrilled to see my Whole Foods put out a little booklet of vegan holiday recipes that are under $20! So far I have made 2 and they are cheap, easy, and delicious. The first was this beautiful salad with an AMAZING dressing. This can be made all year round by substituting the pomegranates for seasonal fruit.

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Instead of typing their recipe, I thought I'd take a picture, so those of you with a printer could just print it and head for the store! Here it is:

Free recipe from Whole Foods

Don't forget to toast the sunflower seeds! It really brings out the flavor. I used whole, raw ones.

I substituted stone-ground mustard for Dijon 

This one is worthy of the holiday table. Enjoy!

Walnut Pesto

I love making pesto because it is so versatile. If I have a jar of it, I can reach for it for pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and veggie dip. Here's how I make mine:

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Vegan Walnut Pesto:
-1 or 2 cups raw walnuts, soaked in fresh water a few hours or overnight, then rinsed
-1 med. bunch of basil (2- 3 cups packed)
-1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
-3 garlic cloves
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt, to taste
*optional: vegan Parmesan
-tools: a food processor

Pesto is always an experiment that involves me hovering over my food processor with my taster spoon. I start with some of the walnuts and some of the basil and oil and build from there. I wouldn't even say these are the exact measurements because I add a little here, another there. Flavorwise, I tend to be light on the basil and toss in extra garlic. Oil goes in til the perfect mix of chunkiness and spread-ability happens.

When I dip my spoon in and it finally comes back with a Halleluiah chorus singing on my taste buds, I throw it in a mason jar and enjoy it for up to 5 days. I don't know if that's the shelf life, I've just never had a batch last longer than that before being devoured! If you have extra you can also freeze it.

Tip: You can substitute pine nuts for walnuts to make a more traditional pesto, or sub parsley for basil in a pinch.

Simple Juices: Part 2

Awhile back I posted some easy 2 ingredient juices (click here to see that post) that pack a punch against cancer and are soooo good in so many other ways. Here, as promised, are some more of my favorite supersimple concoctions I put through my juicer:

Watermelon Lemonade

• 1/2 watermelon
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

In my original Instagram post, I added lots of fresh water and some agave to this recipe. plus another half lemon with the peel on through the juicer. Not only is this new recipe easier, I think it is actually quite tastier. Why water this down and add sweetener if it isn't necessary? Only add the extras (and plenty of ice!) if you want a pitcher-full for a party.

Orange & Ginger

• As many oranges as you can drink (I average 5-6!)
• 1/2" to 1" peeled fresh ginger

When I juice ginger, I cut into whatever else I'm using, in this case an orange, and wedge the ginger inside to easily juice them together.
This is such a good juice for immunity or fighting an existing sickness. I was experiencing a lot of detox symptoms from eating raw and kicking caffeine, so the orange nourished me while the ginger blasted my tummy troubles and migraines. I felt so much better if I could get a big, simple juice into me before a raw meal!

Watermelon + Mint

• Tons of fresh watermelon
• Handful of mint, plus more for soaking/garnish

If you read this post you already know of my serious affection for the combination of watermelon and mint. Life really does not get much tastier than these two together. Enjoy the last of summer watermelon while you can, the weather here in Santa Cruz has been alternating between getting a bit crisp then heating back up again.




Stay tuned for many more juices. Or you can follow my instagram account @veganlifeisgood, which shows tons of creations that I can't keep up with on the blog! Here's a little taste of what I've been up to:

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Mexican Pizza with Homemade Sour Cream

Wishing you all a belated feliz dia de independencia! I celebrated by polishing off the leftover of a series of Mexican pizzas I started this weekend, and topping it all off with delicious homemade vegan sour cream, which is the exact same recipe as yesterday's cream cheese- it amazingly works for both!

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Vegan Mexican Pizza (makes approx. 5, to serve right away or as delicious leftovers):
-5 whole wheat pitas
-1 pkg chipotle-flavored Seitan
-1 can low-sodium vegan black or re-fried beans (or sub soaked beans)
-1 small can green chilis
-1-3 tomatoes
-2-3 tomatillos
-2 small green onions
-shredded vegan cheese (Daiya "cheddar" works beautifully)
-salsa (I prefer chunky pico de gallo)
-small head red leaf lettuce
-vegan cashew sour cream (see yesterday's post here for the recipe!)
-cumin and/or vegan taco seasoning
-fresh cilantro to taste
Optional healthy fat: add sliced avocado

• Pre-heat the oven to 425. I wanted crispy crusts, so I left the pitas in the oven as it was warming, flipping them once. Meanwhile, chop the veggies and rinse the beans if needed, and heat a little oil in a pan.
• Lightly fry the seitan and tomatillos in the oiled pan with the garlic and green onion. Add the chilies, cumin/seasoning, and tomatoes at the end. Don't forget to remove the warmed pitas from the oven.
•  Layer the pitas with beans and the mixture from the pan, plus salsa, vegan cheese, and lettuce.
• Bake in the oven til cheese has melted and lettuce wilted, anywhere from 10-20 min.
• Remove from oven and top with any extra tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and a generous dollop of vegan sour cream. Enjoy! Que te pases un buen dia!

See more pictures on my instagram: @veganlifeisgood

See more pictures on my instagram: @veganlifeisgood

Homemade Vegan Cream Cheese/Sour Cream

Last night I made a couple of major discoveries.
The first was that I can make my own cream cheese/sour cream substitute at home with just some cashews and a few common ingredients.
The second was that they are the same recipe.

I made vegan, soy free and gluten free sour cream to add to a vegan Mexican pizza (delicious recipe coming soon). At first I was really taken aback by the flavor, probably because I was expecting it to be just like non-vegan sour cream, plus I'm not used to apple cider vinegar. I actually thought, "Ick." Then I tried some more. Then some more. Then more. I realized I was licking it off the rubber scraper, then diving back for even more.

I can't really describe how the flavor works. But it was amazing on the Mexican pizza, and also delicious the next morning on toast, as a cream cheese, with a fruity jelly.
I am really, really excited about it.

Homemade Vegan Sour Cream AND Cream Cheese:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked a few hours or overnight
• 1/4 cup fresh water
• 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• juice of once lemon
• dash of salt (optional)

See photos for steps! 1. Soak (then drain, of course!)  2. Blend  3. ServeI only had time to soak the cashews for about 2 hours, and it worked fine. I used the Magic Bullet blender, which made short work of things.

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How-To: Make Perfect Rice Every Time

Happy Sunday!
The weekend is always great for cooking work-week meals ahead of time. I am healthiest (and happiest) when Monday rolls around and my lunch is already ready to go. Since I eat a lot of veggies, I am often cooking grains to go with them. I don't have a rice cooker, but I don't find that I need one! This rice recipe works perfectly every time:

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Perfect No-Cooker Brown Rice:
Cook Time: 50 min (mostly inactive)

• 1 cup organic medium grain brown rice (tho it will work for any kind, really!)
• 8 cups water (I use filtered)
• dash of salt (optional, recommended)
• a fine mesh strainer

There are 3 secrets to perfect rice:

1. Rinse & Strain:   Before cooking your rice, rinse it and strain the water through the mesh strainer. That way you wont loose any tiny grains. 
2. Add Water:  You need a large water-to-rice ratio for great rice. Measure out 8 cups of water per 1 cup rice. I use a soup pot. Granted, I only make about 1/2 cup of rice for 2 days worth of meals, because I keep my plate mostly veggies, but if you need to cook a lot at once you may need a bigger pot. Add the salt and rinsed rice to the water, and once it is boiling reduce heat to a medium boil and partially cover the pot. I leave the lid on halfway, balanced on the pot handles. Set a timer for 30 minutes. This is a great time to go cook your veggies!
3. Steam:  After the 30 minutes is up, remove the pot from heat. Once again use the strainer to pour out all the water and return the rice to the pot. You could technically eat it now, but for truly perfect rice, cover with the lid and let it sit for another 20 minutes. Fluff and serve and enjoy the perfection!

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

Move over, Reese's. I'm pretty sure Heaven is real, and it's located inside my mouth at the place where the taste of peanut butter and chocolate collide.

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I've seen a few vegan PB Cup recipes make the rounds, and will probably try some others, but my non-vegan housemates and I were over the moon with these. The recipe calls for only 4 ingredients: raw organic peanut butter, coconut oil (available EVERYwhere these days), agave, and cacao powder. In a flash of inspiration I also added a little pink Himalayan sea salt on top.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://chilali13.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/clean-peanut-butter-cups/

Some notes:
   *Use a whisk to mix the bowls.
   *The pb will mix right in with the oil, so no need to soften it.
   *I used mini cupcake liners to make these a calorie-conscious size. The recipe yields 9-10 minis.
   *I also used a mini muffin tin to hold them but if you do not own such an extravagance, freeze them in an ice-cube tray.
   *I froze the pb layer a little before adding the cacao layer.
   *These are the best things in the history of ever. Seriously better than the processed candy crud from the store.

Enjoy!  X

Simple 2 Ingredient Juices, Part 1: Cancer Fighters

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Energizing Ratio: 2 carrots to 1/2 cup fresh parsley. Push the parsley through your juicer with a carrot. It's wicked delicious.

Why carrots? Everyone's heard the expression about an apple a day, but did you know a carrot a day would cut the rate of lung cancer in half???* Or that our beloved orange carrots are a cultivated mutation, and were originally almost exclusively purple or black in color?  
Tip: When juicing carrots, avoid the greens, which can lead to rash or heighten chances of sunburn.

Why parsley? Parsley is dismissed as a garnish when it is actually a nutrient powerhouse. Eating or juicing parsley after ingesting fried foods inhibits their dangerous cancer-causing properties, so instead of ignoring that sprig on your plate, ask for more! You'll be doing your health a huge favor. Parsley is a natural nerve stimulant and a great source of energy, so much so that many people use the recipes like the one above to replace coffee.
Tip: Revive wilting parsley in some cold H20.

Next!

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Delicious Ratio: 2 oranges per 1/2 grapefruit. Do peel your citrus, but leave as much of the white spongy part as possible.

Why grapefruit? This has been a long-time weight-loss favorite, as it is low cal while also lowering cholesterol and demonstrating anti-cancer effects. A cool and kind of magical thing about grapefruit is that it normalizes your hematocrit levels (the volume of red blood cells): too low hematocrit = anemia, while too high = heart disease. Grapefruit balances both of these, depending on what your body requires.
Tip: Avoid grapefruit that feels too soft or has green-colored skin.

Why oranges? Well, the memo on oranges containing Vitamin C probably won't surprise anyone. But it's actually the combination of Vitamin C with an orange's abundant flavonoids that really strengthen immunity and support connective tissue in the body. Oranges are another winner in preventing and fighting cancer.
Tip: Many people like to prove the prowess of their juicer by chucking in the whole orange, peel and all. Please don't! Even though citrus peels contain beneficial oils, those same oils will antagonize bodily functions and even inhibit the uptake of the fruits' other precious nutrients.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Simple 2 Ingredient Juices!"

*Much of the information in this post comes from the book The Complete Book of Juicing, which I own and love, and highly recommend for anyone interested in the recipes, health benefits, and nutritional information of juices. Here's the Amazon link:
The Complete Book of Juicing
I am in no way compensated for recommending this book, or anything else I post.

(Raw) Vegan Ice Cream & PBJ Sundae

This is a not-so-well-kept vegan secret that many of you may know already. My roomie, who does Crossfit and is not a vegan, had a similar recipe up on our fridge before I moved in. Everyone seems to have their own version, but they all have one thing in common-
YOU CAN HAVE CLEAN, EVEN RAW, TOTALLY DELICIOUS VEGAN ICE CREAM, AND IT'S GOOD FOR YOU.
If you didn't know that, Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, here you go:

Basic Vegan Ice Cream, 2 Ways

1. Raw Ice Cream:

• As many bananas as you want
• A bit of water or homemade nut milk of your choice

2. Non-Raw Version:

• As many bananas as you want
• Store-bought nut milk of your choice (almond, sunflower, etc etc)

Both recipes essentially work the same. First, cut your bananas into smaller pieces and put them in a tupperware in the freezer. Don't just stick whole bananas in there, it will be very difficult and gross getting the frozen peel off later (and yes, I know because I did it wrong the first time!). After a few hours when they are good and frozen, put them in a blender. They may need help getting out of the container, a zap in the microwave if your container is safe, or carefully use a utensil to coax them out. This is another reason you cut them up.
Blend 'em up with a teeny bit of liquid, just enough to get your blender to mix it all, because the liquid will take away from the ice cream consistency if you add very much.
Enjoy on the spot or store it in the tupperware for later use. I'm not sure how long it lasts but since you are using a fresh ingredient it won't be hard to tell if its gone bad!!**

And now!:

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Raw Vegan Banana Peanut Butter and Jelly Sundae:
Follow recipes 1 or 2 as written above, but add peanut butter to the blender step. Dish into a bowl with a cookie scoop.
Meanwhile, blend up your favorite fresh berries, on their own or with a touch of agave. Drizzle it over your ice cream and add some fresh fruit to top!

**If you are storing your ice cream, I recommend adding an ingredient like the peanut butter because if the bananas start to oxidize and turn a darker color it is more appetizing to think of it as being peanut butter-colored than "bad banana color."

Yes, this is good for you! GET on the train to loving your beautiful fruit carbs and you'll never want for regular ice cream again! MMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm!

Corn Salsa Lettuce Wraps

Yesterday I posted my super healthy and yummy mango salsa recipe. I must be on a salsa kick, because to day I bring you one better:

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Vegan Corn Salsa Wraps w/ Romaine "Chips"

• Romaine leaves, washed and separated, plus I chop a few up into "chip size" pieces for dipping
• Fresh raw corn sliced from 1 ear
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 avocado, cubed or mashed*
• 1 minced garlic clove
• chopped fresh cilantro
• Fresh lime juice, to taste
• Salt to taste (optional)
• Cayenne to taste (optional)

Combine everything in a bowl. *I cubed the avocado for looks, but it honestly holds a wrap better if you mash it! Spoon onto lettuce leaves or use the small, crispier romaine pieces to dip like chips.

Note: If you are not concerned about eating raw food, adding some hot sauce to this might float your boat. This is another crowd-pleaser and a great vegan "show-off" dish, so go for it if you've got a BBQ or party on the horizon!

Easy Spicy Mango Salsa

One of the joys of moving to a bigger house has been entertaining more company. I love having people over and practicing my vegan recipes on them! This one is great for summer BBQs or as an appetizer for game night:

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Spicy Mango Salsa

• 1-2 ripe mangos, peeled then cubed
• 1 tsp minced jalapeno
• 1/4 red onion, sliced in long, thin strips then minced
• chopped fresh cilantro to taste (I use about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, minced

Although this can be thrown together quickly, I like to make it a few hours ahead of serving if I can and let the flavors marinate in the fridge. The last time I made this it tasted a million times better the next day than when I'd served it the night before!

Juice: Apple Mint Watermelon

This was a quickie to make!

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I recently wrote a post about how important it is to hydrate in the morning (here) and another about why watermelon makes a perfect breakfast (& not lunch or dessert) here. Well, here are those two ideas combined into one delicious meal!

Apple Mint Watermelon Hydrator:

• Half a watermelon
• 1-2 apples
• Fresh mint (the bigger leaves the better not to get stuck in your straw!)

When I took the picture above I had blended the first two ingredients together like a smoothie. After this picture I started drinking it and decided I didn't like the pulpy texture. An option would be just to juice them (with the mint), but I just poured what I had blended through a large strainer and suddenly had a beautiful pulp-free juice! I stuck a bunch of mint in the glass, shook it up, and sipped it through a straw to avoid getting mint leaves in my mouth.

Mmmm. Absolutely delicious. And sooooooooo healthy!

Summer Soup: Peach Gazpacho

Move over tomatoes! I found a gazpacho recipe that features a different fruit: the beautiful peach! It's raw, vegan, delicious, and will cool you off on the hottest summer day:

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You can click here to visit the original recipe at Martha Stewart's website.
I made a few changes based on taste preference and what I had on hand. You may use any color peach, but the white ones were looking so lovely and large that I had to get some.

Vegan White Peach Gazpacho (serves 2)

• 1/4 cup water
• 3 white peaches, pitted and cut into chunks
• 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar, plus more to taste (I actually used a pomegranate vinegar and think any fruity vinegar will work great if you have it) 
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• coarsely chopped fresh cilantro to taste (2-3 tbsp, but I probably used 4 because I LOVE cilantro!), plus leaves for garnish
• optional: 1/2 finely chopped red bell pepper and Hass avocado, for garnish 

Pulse the water, peaches, cucumber, garlic, vinegar, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a food processor until coarsely pureed. Thin your soup with more water if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours! This should be a beautifully cold summer treat!
Season to your liking with the salt, pepper, vinegar, and herbs, garnish prettily, then serve immediately. Ole!

Raw Vegan Butterfinger Smoothie

You read that title right. Raw, vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, and pretty darn HEALTHY smoothie that tastes like a Butterfinger bar in your glass.  Winning.

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I originally found this recipe through @chilali13 's Instagram and then on her blog: http://chilali13.wordpress.com. She has amazing photos and recipes and I recommend following her!
The texture is not the thickest, and I had to tweak the amounts a little to my taste, so you might too:
Vegan Butterfinger Smoothie:
Blend:

•  2 cups carrot juice (through a juicer, or blended then strained if you only have a blender)
• 1 tbsp organic creamy organic peanut butter
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder*
• 1-2 tsp raw maca powder*
• even less than a pinch of sea salt

 *If you are new to these ingredients and they sound intimidating, relax! They are in most markets now. Try the bulk, baking, health, or nuts sections. I use Divine Organics brand.
I'd like to call your attention to the nutrition info posted on the Butterfinger website vs. the nutrition info (calculated through MyFitnessPal app, which I love and use for everything!) for this smoothie:

If health were only about calorie counting, a Butterfinger would seem almost worth it. But candy has about zero nutrition and is a true reach-for-it-quickly-then-regret-it-all-day treat, whereas this smoothie takes 5 minutes to make and is packed with vitamins A and C, potassium, protein, and even a decent bit of calcium. There's no "sugar-slump" from the energizing carbs in this guy. The cacao is rich in minerals and gives you your chocolate fix, while maca is a powerful anti-oxidant that promotes stamina and mental clarity and is really pretty tasty, a lot like toffee.

This is one delicious treat! You're so welcome!!