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I've recently gone vegan and have been experimenting with new recipes. I created this meal this week and it was an instant success so I gotta share it with you guys. Please note that I used leftover black eyed peas that my mom made, but you can use any beans that you like. The combination of layered baked plantains (shoutout to my Jamaican and Cuban heritage), black eyed peas and spicy curry mango salsa is to die for and balanced with protein, carbs and healthy fats. Here's how to make it:
Ingredients 1 can of beans of your choice 2 large green plantains 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (with seeds if you want it spicy) 1/2 medium ripe mango, roughly diced 1/8 piece red onion, finely chopped 1/4 piece large cucumber, roughly diced 1/2 small avocado, cubed 1 tbs olive oil 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp curry powder 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 bay leaf Handful of lettuce, roughly chopped Juice of 1/2 lime Salt and pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees and cut plantains into fry like strips. Place plantains on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1/2 tsp olive oil and season with salt, pepper and cumin and bake for 20-25 minutes until plantains are golden and tender. Next, combine the diced mango, cucumber, red onion, jalapeño, apple cider vinegar, remaining olive oil, curry powder, cayenne pepper and lime juice into a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. For the beans, empty can into a small pot and season with salt, pepper, a bay leaf and garlic powder. Allow the beans to simmer for 10 minutes, then smash the beans with the back of a spoon for a smooth consistency (I like for my beans to be the consistency of refried beans). Allow to simmer on medium heat for 5 more minutes and remove from heat. To finish, layer plantains on the bottom of a bowl or plate, then top with a few spoonfuls of beans. Next, top with the chopped lettuce and diced avocado. Lastly, top with 1-2 tbs of mango salsa and dig in!
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I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I prefer to eat that way most of the time. This salad is vegan, full of plant based protein, and packed with ingredients that promote glowing and healthy skin. I also included the recipe for carrot ginger dressing (it tastes just like the salad dressing at Benihana). You can add cubed mango and eat this with some baked orange chicken wings for lunch or dinner--I'll post that recipe next week. Tomatoes, chia seeds and carrots are made up of vitamins and nutrients that give your skin a glowing complexion. Tomatoes contain vitamins A, C, E, K, B1, B2, B3, and B6-- which help to repair and restore skin cells and shrink pores. Chia seeds are made up of omega-3 fatty acids that reduce dryness, inflammation and increase circulation- giving your skin a smoother and more supple feel and appearance. Carrots are full of antioxidants and vitamins that help repair skin cells, promote an even skin complexion and build collagen to keep your skin looking youthful.  Ingredients
For the salad: 2 large handfuls of your favorite lettuce, rough chopped-- I used a mix of romaine and spring mix 1/2 medium tomato, roughly diced 1/4 piece avocado, cubed 3 tbs garbanzo beans-- I get them canned with no salt added (read the label) 2 tbs chia seeds 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped For the dressing 1 large carrot, rough chopped 1inch piece of ginger, skin removed 3 tbs olive oil 1-2 tbs rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, add to taste 1/4 cup water 1 green onion (optional) salt & pepper to taste a pinch of sugar Directions For the dressing, add the carrot, ginger, onion, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to a blender. Gradually add water until dressing is pourable. This dressing will have some texture to it and be slightly thick since it's made with carrots. In a bowl, add lettuce, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, carrots, avocado, and sprinkle with chia seeds. Top your salad with the carrot ginger dressing and enjoy! -VK  I drink this tea of ginger, lime (or lemons), mint, honey and apple cider vinegar almost everyday to help soothe my stomach. I have suffered from severe endometriosis since I was about 14 and along with endometriosis comes a lot of bloating, nausea, fatigue, sharp pains and digestive issues that are not fun to deal with. Endometriosis causes very painful cramps during menstruation, but also causes a plethora of annoying tummy troubles all year round. Over the past three years I was experiencing stomach pains almost everyday that were caused by my endometriosis and tried everything to ease it. After plenty of trial and error I found that 3 things worked for me- exercising daily, eating clean foods and this tea. After drinking this once daily for 2 months I realized that most of my endometriosis symptoms had drastically lessened and my periods were not as unbearable. Not only did this tea help with endometriosis, but also reduced my bloated 3 months pregnant looking belly (HALLELUJAH!!!) and strengthened my immune system. I would highly recommend giving this recipe a try if you suffer from any type of stomach issues, want to relieve excess bloating, and want to detoxify your body. When combined with the right food and exercise routines this tea is also very effective in aiding weight loss. This is seriously like a magic tea (no instgram "flat tummy tea" BS) this is the real deal and best of all it's NATURAL! Here's why this tea is great for soothing stomach issues and all around health: Ginger- This powerful plant contains gingerol which works as a highly potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Ginger is linked to treating nausea, indigestion, inflammation of muscles, body aches and soreness (including from exercise), lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, preventing infections, arthritis, diabetes, ulcers, and cancer just to name a few. Mint- Promotes digestion and reduces nausea and headaches (migraines are also a side effect of endometriosis) and helps in preventing female sterility. Mint also aids in weight loss by stimulating digestive enzymes to use stored fat as energy instead of being absorbed by the body. Lime- You can use limes or lemons for this tea, I personally like the taste of limes in this better.(Sidenote: I usually drink a glass of water with lemon as soon as I wake up every morning to detoxify my body and get everything moving). Lime is packed with vitamin C, fiber, iron, magnesium and potassium which all work to break down the food we consume. Lime naturally burns fat, aids in digestion and removes toxic substances that naturally occur in the kidneys and bladder. Honey- If you read my last post on honey then you already know some of its powerful benefits. I use honey in this tea to reduce acid reflux, boost the immune system and boost energy. Honey is also anti bacterial and contains probiotics which keep the gut clean with good bacteria. Apple Cider Vinegar- ACV is another ingredient I use everyday, I'll post all of the benefits and uses soon. When ingested, apple cider vinegar balances the body's pH, boosts probiotics, detoxifies the liver and lymphatic system, increases metabolism (which promotes weight loss) and treats acid reflux and heartburn. Here's how you make the Tummy Tamer Tea: Ingredients 6 cups of water (I make enough to fill a pitcher so I can drink it iced or hot) 3 sprigs of mint ( equivalent of 10-12 mint leaves) 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced into 3 or 4 pieces 2 small limes, cut in half 3-4 tbs of organic/raw honey (more can be added to sweeten, but don't go overboard) 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar Directions  Add water, ginger, mint and limes into a pot and bring to a boil. Next, while the water is boiling add honey and apple cider vinegar to a pitcher( any large glass container you have will work). After the tea has been brought to a boil, add it to the pitcher and stir to combine the honey and vinegar. Leave the ginger and mint to steep for an extra 10 minutes but throw out the limes right away so the tea doesn't get bitter. Then, drink up and give your stomach some much needed relief and tlc- Enjoy!  |
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