Kitchen adventures: Vegan parmesan sprinkles

Vegan parmesan sprinkles on popcorn

I'm always looking for creative ways to pack more nutrition into any recipe but still have it taste great.  I'm always grating veggies into my recipes to replace some of the fat; like finely shredded zucchini or carrots into muffins, pancakes and waffles.  I also add a handful or two of spinach or kale to any smoothie without it changing the flavor but providing a vitamin and fiber boost.

Another thing I like to add to boost nutrition is spirulina.  It has been around in health food stores for quite a while, but is becoming more widely known as "superfoods" are gaining popularity.  It is a blue-green algae that is packed with nutrients.  Below is an infographic explaining the benefits of spirulina, and you can also learn more here.

Add some to your favorite homemade salad dressing or smoothie like in this smoothie bowl.

This bowl contains a spinach, raspberry, frozen banana and coconut water smoothie enriched with spirulina that is topped with granola, coconut, raspberries and drizzled with fig syrup.  Fantastic for breakfast or a snack.

Here's another tasty way to give spirulina a try as pictured at the top of the post:

Vegan parmesan sprinkles

makes approximately 1/3 cup

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons ground hemp seeds
1 teaspoon spirulina powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

Put all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
To serve, sprinkle over pasta, popcorn, soup or salad.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

I hope you give it a try.

Thanks for reading!

Kitchen adventures: easy breakfast bowls

Freshly picked strawberries and greens become a breakfast smoothie bowl

Breakfast doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to put together.  Using what you have on hand can make a hearty healthy breakfast in no time.  I love mixing lots of different textures in my bowl for a satisfying start to the day.

Here are two different bowls of goodness that don't really need a recipe and can be put together quickly with ingredients you have on hand:

Smoothie bowl

A favorite is a smoothie bowl like the one pictured above.  The base is a thick fruit and vegetable smoothie (whatever is your favorite blend)..  This one the smoothie is made from greens, strawberries, protein powder, almond milk, frozen bananas and maca powder. The toppings are fresh strawberries, chia seeds, homemade granola, cocao nibs, hemp seeds and a drizzle of agave nectar.

Hearty oatmeal

A more traditional breakfast is oatmeal.  This one is dressed up with some of my favorite toppings.

Oatmeal bowl

• oatmeal (either cooked oats or raw soaked in almond or other milk overnight)
• top with your favorite fruits, nuts, seeds, sweetener and milk

The bowl pictured above is oatmeal cooked with cinnamon, flax seeds and vanilla extract.  The toppings are blueberries, pecans, chia seeds, unsweetened coconut and a drizzle of maple syrup

Here are a couple of other quick breakfasts from previous posts:

Green Smoothie
Overnight oat and chia seed pudding
Sweet potato mousse

Having a good breakfast doesn't have to take too much time to put together to keep you fueled to tackle your morning.

Thanks for reading!