Papa Sprout's Super Sweet and Simple Juice

Carrots are health food superstars. They are packed with beta-carotene, antioxidants, and potassium, along with many other nutrients, making them a bargain at the grocery store! Carrots improve eyesight, promote healthy skin growth, and protect against cancer. Those are just some of the many jobs this small orange vegetable performs. 

Beets are amazingly healthy too. They improve memory, lower blood pressure, and improve liver function. I still have not brought myself to eat a beet in its purest form and I know I am not alone. By juicing beets you can still retain all of the benefits of the solid vegetable without the tough texture.

Together, beets and carrots create Papa Sprout’s Super Sweet and Simple Juice! The recipe for this juice is simpler than Papa Sprout’s Garden Green Ginger Juice, but still packed with nutrition. The next time you are ready to juice, but short on time, try this simple recipe that will keep you going for the whole day.

Papa Sprout’s Super Sweet and Simple Juice

Ingredients:

3 whole carrots peeled

2 beets peeled

*A Yankee cup was used in this post in honor of opening day. Go Yanks!

Quinoa: The Miracle Seed

For a while quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) mystified me. What was this strange ingredient that kept popping up in restaurants and on cooking shows? It’s not a grain, but cooked like one? It’s a seed?! Luckily, one of my friends is a great cook and offered to make a meal using quinoa for me. My life was forever changed and I have been enjoying the health benefits of this super seed ever since. Her recipe follows below.

The Benefits:

-very high in complete protein (this aids in tissue repair and growth)

-high in magnesium (magnesium is a mineral that helps to relax blood vessels)

-no sodium (sodium is NOT your friend)

-faster and easier to make than rice (replace rice with quinoa)

-high in fiber (keeps you full and aids in digestion)

-contains iron and calcium

-complex carbohydrate 

-contains Vitamin B

Inayat's Progressive Indian-style Quinoa

 Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil OR grapeseed oil

1 cup quinoa

¾ cup water

1 head of organic broccoli, chopped

1 head of organic cauliflower, chopped

2 large organic carrots, chopped

4 cloves organic garlic, minced

2 teaspoons mustard seed and to taste

1 teaspoon pepper and to taste

salt (if you must) to taste

Directions:

1. In a saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add quinoa and reduce to a simmer. It will take between 15-30 minutes for the quinoa to be ready. Keep stirring every few minutes. When the water is soaked up by the quinoa it is ready. Add mustard seed and pepper once quinoa is fully cooked. Do not be shy with the spices! They add a delicious and unique flavor.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat the oil and add the minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.

3. Add mustard seed and pepper and stir. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots to the pan. Cook until tender.

4. Combine veggies and quinoa. Add more mustard seed and pepper to taste. 

5. Enjoy!

This recipe lends itself to great variation. Add different vegetables and try different spices!

Papa Sprout's Garden Green Ginger Juice

I have recently become interested in juicing. I have heard a lot of positive and negative things about juicing fruits and vegetables. We will delve more into that debate at a later date. Fruits and vegetables carry so many vital nutrients that drinking one juice is great for your health. You would become too full before you could finish eating all the fruits and vegetables in just one juice. Juicing helps you to get a wide range of nutrients in one compact glass.

My BF’s father who I refer to as Papa Sprout (he works in the produce business) began drinking two juices daily this year. He shared with me his Garden Green Ginger Juice recipe. Papa Sprout now has increased energy and looks great!

Papa Sprout’s Garden Green Ginger Juice*
Ingredients: 

1 organic granny smith apple

½ a bunch of organic kale

½ bunch of organic spinach

1 bunch organic celery

1 organic lemon OR 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated organic ginger

pinch of organic basil

pinch of organic parsley

*due to the way produce is sold all measures are approximate

Directions:

1.    Beginning with the kale, add all ingredients except the ginger and lemon into the juicer.

2.  Once everything has been juiced squeeze lemon juice into glass.

3.  Grate ginger over top of juice.

4.  Stir and drink up!

I am still not crazy about the taste of juiced vegetable drinks, but the herbs and ginger in this recipe boost the flavor and kill the bitter kale taste.  

Easy Morning Protein Shake

I have been drinking this shake every morning for the past 6 months. Not only is it delicious, but it is inexpensive, packed with protein, and incredibly easy and fast to make!


Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1 Tablespoon creamy, unsalted, organic peanut butter
2/3 cup vanilla greek yogurt
1 ripe organic banana
2 large ice cubes (optional)


Directions: 
1. Starting with the milk as a base, blend all ingredients together.
2. Enjoy!


The first time I made this shake for my boyfriend he refused to believe it was healthy. "It tastes like a candy bar!" he exclaimed. This protein shake is a great treat to start out the day or to reward yourself with healthy a dessert! 


Nutrition Facts*
Total Fat: 16%
Saturated Fat: 6%
Sodium: 5%
Potassium: 18%
Total Carbohydrate: 15%
Sugars: 27g
Protein: 22g



*approximate due to variation in banana sizes