Why Does Green Get To Have All The Fun? Try My Rise & Shine Orange Smoothie!

Over the past few months, I've been experimenting with morning smoothies. Bodybuilders and vegans (sometimes vegan bodybuilders) alike are always touting the 'green smoothie'. Everywhere I'm going, I'm hearing 'green smoothie, this' and 'green smoothie, that'. But I thought to myself, why should green get to have all the fun? So I created my very own kick-in-the-pants orange smoothie that is a whole lotta good! Try this for breakfast or for anytime of the day that you need a quick pick-me-up. (Yes, it's even good for an after workout treat!) Serves 1.


Char-Char's Rise & Shine Orange Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 3 ozs Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice (I just happened to have some on hand that I squeezed fresh the night before)
• 3 ozs Langer's Mango Nectar
• 3 ozs Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice
• 3 tbsp Shaklee Energizing Soy Protein
• 1 stick pack Cinch (now known as 180) by Shaklee Energy Tea Mix

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender or magic bullet, shake slightly to incorporate, blend until smooth and enjoy!

Cals: 235 Carbs: 39 Fat: 10 Protein: 19

For lunch, I thought I'd try this variation of one of my favorite Thai dishes of all time. Needless to say; was I surprised. This Pad Thai Soup was so good, it almost seems like a sin that it was so simple. The broth makes a good base too, so if you desired to, you could make extra before adding in the protein, noodles and veggies and freeze it to make Asian-style soups in the future. Serves 4.

Pad Thai Soup


Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 block extra firm tofu, diced
• 5 cups veggie broth
• 4 oz rice noodles or udon noodles
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp sriracha
• 1 tbs fish sauce (I could not find this anywhere, so I simply substituted one Not-Beef Boullion Cube)
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1/4 cup green onions (for garnish)
• 1 tsp crushed red peppers (for garnish)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the garlic and stir. Add the egg and cook until softly scrabbled. Add the tofu (or chicken), cook until lightly fried about 3 minutes.
2. Add the broth, then add the noodles, soy, sriracha, fish sauce, and peanuts. Cook until noodles have softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Serve topped with peanuts, green onions, cilantro and red chili flakes.

Cals: 344 Carbs: 27 Fat: 19 Protein: 15

One of my favorite websites to glean culinary inspiration from is EatingWell.com. Not only are the recipes there fabulous; they just get me. But when my husband brought this beauty to my attention I have to say that I was a little skeptical after reading the ingredients. Wow, was I surprised. I nearly fell right out of my chair, died, and went to heaven when I tasted this. It was THAT yummy. Serve this with some couscous for a well-rounded, lip-smacking, low cal/carb/fat good time! Serves 4.


Savory Orange-Roasted Tofu & Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons red miso, (see Ingredient Note), divided
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup orange juice (See where I got my orange juice from for my smoothie the next morning?)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Pat tofu dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. 
3. Whisk 1 tablespoon miso, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a large bowl until smooth. 
4. Add the tofu; gently toss to coat. 
5. Spread the tofu in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. 
6. Gently toss asparagus with the tofu. 
7. Return to the oven and roast until the tofu is golden brown and the asparagus is tender, 8 to 10 minutes more.
8. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon miso, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons oil, basil, orange zest and juice, and salt in the large bowl until smooth. 
9. Toss the roasted tofu and asparagus with the sauce and serve.

Cals: 152  Carbs: 10 Fat: 9 Protein: 10

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium & Vitamin C (20% daily value), Iron & Vitamin A (15% dv).

Well, there it is, folks. My weekly vegan offering. One day late, but better late than never!! Hope you enjoy it and as always, I love to get feedback, so please tell me what you think about these or any other recipes that I post here!

To your health and wellness,
Charlotte

"To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana." - Buddha