Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana Smoothie

4 ice cubes

1-2 ripe bananas

1 heaping tbsp milled flax seeds

1 heaping tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar

1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk (You can use cow's milk too, I guess)

1. If you are using whole flax seeds, use the pulse or ice-crush setting on your blender to mash them, then add the ice cubes and crush them. If not, simply crush the ice cubes first in your blender.

2. Add all the other ingredients and blend on the lowest setting for a few seconds until smooth.

You will end up with a very frothy and tasty treat. I like this smoothy because it's full of natural proteins from peanut butter, soy/almond milk, and even the flax seeds. You have fiber from the flax and bananas, and electrolyte replenishing potassium from the bananas. There isn't too much sugar either. Plus, the flax meal gives it a bit of body, so it's filling. If you're starving, you could add 2 tablespoons of rolled oats too. Usually I make hippie health smoothies with spinach and fruit, and nasty hemp and brown rice protein, so the fact that this smoothie is DELICIOUS, pretty filling, and isn't unhealthy, is really great. It's like a frothy chocolate, banana milkshake and the peanut butter makes it so creamy.

Eggs Polenta with Tomato Balsamic Sauce

I wanted to make brunch, and I didn't really have anything in the house except for eggs, an onion, a fresh tomato, and some garlic. Thankfully, I always have cornmeal in a canister and I have a giant brick of parmesan in my fridge. This is a play on the polenta recipe I posted recently on my blog. It doesn't take more than half an hour to whip up this awesome breakfast. The poached eggs can be omitted or substituted with fried mushrooms or tofu, or white beans cooked with garlic, salt and pepper, for it to be vegan, and the cheese and butter can be substituted for olive oil. This recipe serves 4-8 (1 or 2 per person).

Pan-Seared Polenta

1 cup corn meal, "polenta"
2 cups water
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder or a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp butter (substitute with 3 tablespoons olive oil, if vegan)
1/2 cup whole milk (omit if vegan)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
+ 1 tbsp of butter or olive oil

1. In a medium pot, boil water with a pinch of salt. Once water is boiled, turn the heat to medium and add the corn meal, stirring often. It should cook very quickly (about 3 minutes).
2. Once the polenta starts to form, whip rigorously, to avoid clumps, with a fork, and add the remaining ingredients, including the milk, butter, cheese, salt and pepper, and cayenne or chipotle. If you're vegan, salt generously and be generous with olive oil to add that creaminess.
3. Smooth your polenta into a rectangular cake or brownie pan (8x13??) with a spoon to let it set enough to slice. I recommend throwing it in the freezer for 5-8 minutes while you get your sauce together, so it'll be ready to slice and fry while your eggs are poaching.
4. In a heavy-bottomed, medium-large sauté pan, melt your remaining 1 tbsp of butter, or heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the polenta is set enough to slice, slice it with a butter knife into 8 (4x2). Fry the polenta slices until crispy brown, about 3-5 minutes on each side.


Tomato-Balsamic Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
1/2 tsp chili flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a small sauté pan on medium heat, warm the olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent, then add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes.
2. Add the balsamic, chili flakes, maple syrup, and salt and pepper. Let the sauce continue to cook on medium for about 5 to 8 minutes until, to help the balsamic reduce. Then, lower the heat to low and continue to simmer the sauce gently until you're ready to use it.



Poached Eggs

8 eggs

3 tsp white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. In a saucepan boil water with vinegar and salt on high. You can begin boiling the water immediately after you put your polenta into the freezer, right before you're getting your tomato sauce together. Timing wise, you will begin poaching your eggs while your sauce is simmering and your polenta is frying.

2.

Once boiled, reduce the temperature to medium, so that the water is still at boiling temperature, but no longer boiling rapidly.

3. Crack eggs individually into a small bowl and slip them into the water one at a time. If you do this carefully and the water is hot enough (just below boiling temperature so that it is still), you should not need to coach the egg with a spoon. But, if your egg starts to go for a swim, just direct it lightly with a spoon. It's easiest if you put the eggs in one at a time so that they do not run together.
4. Cook each egg for around 6 minutes, or a little longer if you like it firmer (around 3-4 if you like your yolk really runny).
5. To remove your eggs, scoop each one out with a serving spoon. You can use another serving spoon to hold back the egg and drain excess water off, as if you were using a pot lid to drain a pot of pasta.

***If you're vegan, you can sauté a can of white beans or white kidney beans in some olive oil with salt, pepper, and garlic and substitute them for the eggs. Or, you can sauté a portabello mushroom cap with salt, pepper, and garlic in olive oil.

To serve...

On the pan seared polenta, place the poached egg and a heaping tablespoon of the reduced sauce. Top with grated parmesan cheese, and serve with salt and pepper to taste. If you have a side, like fruit or salad, one per person allows to serve 8. If you're just serving the polenta and eggs, 2 each makes for a very hearty brunch!!

I apologize for the terrible photo quality; it was taken with my cell phone camera.