Gut Loving Mint Choc Smoothie

What do you think when you think of Smoothie? I bet it isn't 'Decadent', 'Rich' and 'Amazingly Good For You' all in one go!

I've starting mucking around lately with Blue Green Algae and Chlorophyll because I've been doing a bit of research as to how to increase nutrients into our diet in different ways. Normally with supplements, I'm quite picky because our gut can only absorb so much at one time. I mean don't get me wrong, if you see our 'Medicine' Cabinet, It is chocked full of Supplements, but all of those are taken on different days at different times and all of them are staggered unless its the usual, Magnesium before Bed and Calcium upon waking. So when I came across a recipe with Spirulina, I was like BAHH I'm not adding anything else. But THENNNNN I saw that its powdered and you can actually just add it to food and drinks! 

Salads, Smoothies, Drinks, Soups - you name it! These little powdered beauties can be added nearly anywhere.  

So I did it! I found Blue Green Algae (Spirulina depending on the brand you buy) and Chloraphyll. The Algae is in a powder and Chloraphyll is a liquid, with Mint Added! First of all when I opened the Chloraphyll, I put it in water with Ice, and it was amazing. SO refreshing and I can't wait to have this as a go to in Summer! *watch this space for an exciting array of iced teas*  

The Algae caught me off guard. It has the strongest most pungent smell which truth be told, turned my stomach a little bit. But once you mix it with anything, you can't taste it really because you don't use too much of it.  

I do warn you though, I think I over did it the first time I used the Algae... and the toilet was my friend that afternoon. TMI I know but I have to be honest. If you asked me to describe what came out... the answer would just be - Green - 

So go easy with it.  

If you aren't aware of the benefits of Spirulina or Algae, you can do some reading Here, and Hereare the benefits of adding Chloraphyll to your diet.  

I've searched high and low for information on if this is safe for children, and there has been nothing to indicate that it isn't unsafe. So I happily fed this to my 3 year old. He bloody loved it, and he's alive... so the proofs in the pudding! 

So there you go! If you have the stuff give it a go, and if you're up for incorporating more nutrients into your diet - but keep it fun - then this is definitely for you! The Chlorophyll I use in this particular Smoothie is by Grant's. It was only $14.00 for a bottle. But you can use any powdered Spirulina provided it's by a reputable company. There shouldn't be many issues.

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Recipe 

Serves -2- 

Time: 10 Mins

 What you need: 

1 Banana 

3 Tablespoons of Coconut Yoghurt ( No Sugar ) 

2 Cups Coconut Milk 

1/2 Teaspoon Algae 

2 Teaspoons Minted Chlorophyll 

1 Tablespoon Great Lakes Collagen/Gelatin

1 Small Handful of Spinach 

1 Tablespoons Cacao and 2 Tablespoons Extra Coconut Milk Blended together 

 - Any Toppings you like. I did Hazelnuts, Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Cacao Nibs, Chia Seeds, and a small scoop of Coyo -  

 What to do: 

In a Blender ( I used a Nutri Ninja ) add the Banana, Yoghurt, Milk, Algae, Chlorophyll and Spinach, and blend until there are no lumps and a smooth consistency is reached. If you want it more liquidy, then just add more milk.  

Mix your cacao and milk together to form a chocolate paste and pour around the sides of your glass.  

Pour in the smoothie and top with your toppings! 

I also made one in a bowl - however, it was harder to eat because it was so wet (if that even makes sense?) So if you do it in a bowl, take a quarter of the liquid away so its more Smoothie Bowl Consistency!

Quinoa Porridge

Oats are definitely over rated and I personally think they taste like chalk and feel like cardboard when you eat them. I'm not saying I've ever eaten chalk... but I just think that if chalk had a taste... it would be oats. Bleh, Horrid.

Quinoa porridge is SO amazingly simple and delicious. My son will pretty much eat anything... he's pretty good... but when it comes to this porridge... he HOOVERS it! Like seriously. Gone in a flash. He's 2.5 and I swear when there is something he likes, he eats quicker than I do...and more of it.

I've tried a few quinoa porridges in my time and some of them I have found respulsive admittedly. I'd hate to name the particular restaurant I'm talking about that serves it... but they should seriously contemplate taking it off the menu IMMEDIATELY! But who knows - maybe you'll hate my Quinoa porridge and I'm just too picky!..... hahah jokes. There's no way. Cause this Quinoa Porridge is a rock star.  

Quinoa can be a fickle bitch in some peoples digestion...and is kind of a paleo grey area. Some people say you can eat it... and some say you can't. I always air on the side of caution... however I have done many tests after re introducing it to my diet and it doesn't seem to affect me. In saying that - when I eat quinoa in this form (not as pasta) I ALWAYS sprout it! And I think that's a good lesson for anyone who has digestive issues to learn. IF you are going to eat grains or legumes, always always always sprout them! Sprouting breaks down the saponins and makes the nutrients more bio available. This means your digestion isn't working as hard to break down the food mass to get to the nutrients because its already kind of 'half digested' when you eat it. You can learn how to sprout your Quinoa HERE . It's super easy and the health benefits are endless. 

I always do a larger batch than what the recipe is for below, and this is because I like to have it on hand sometimes for the week! Some peoples recipe calls for adding fruits and such, but I have kept this plain so you can keep it in the fridge, and then every day add something new to it to change the flavour. Today we had Raspberries, Cacao Nibs and Chia Seeds (You can sprout those too!) , Tomorrow I plan on mashing a banana and mixing it through with some slivered Almonds. So good!

I use the Macro Organic Tri Colour Quinoa - Different colours of produce mean different nutrients which is why I get this one. 

So enjoy this recipe! It's definitely a crowd pleaser. I would love to hear your experiences and what you think in the comments! Happy Cooking :) 

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RECIPE

Serves - 3 - 

Time 45 m

What you will need: 

1 Cup Sprouted Quinoa 

2 Cups Almond Milk (Or coconut milk) 

1 Vanilla Bean , scraped. 

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon 

Manuka Honey to serve. 

Toppings of your choice. 

What to do: 

In a Saucepan, place your sprouted Quinoa and your milk of choice. 

Bring to a simmer over medium low heat and stir occasionally.  

Add your Cinnamon and Vanilla Bean .

Simmer until the milk is almost absorbed, but there is still a little bit of liquid left.  

I'm being serious when I say - That's it. There's nothing else apart from serve with your topping of choice and enjoy!  

Don't add the Manuka while cooking though as the heat will destroy the benefits of the Honey, instead only add the honey as you are serving, once the porridge has cooled enough to be edible.  The little blessings we call Bee's work way too hard to have us ruin their honey!