Author: thebalancedmind

Delicious Vegan Cafe and Bakery

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Who doesn’t love going out to a nice restaurant and indulging in some delicious food that always seems to taste better than anything you’ve tried making yourself!? Being vegan isn’t easy when you want to go out to the standard restaurants available since the only portion of the menu you can really look at is the salads which would be great if it didn’t taste like dry lettuce, a few tomato slices tossed on, and a chemically produced dressing that makes up about half your calorie intake for the day and ingredients that you can’t even pronounce… Tempting right? Vegan culture is slowly becoming more and more predominant as the word about the amazing lifestyle is slowly getting around. I searched around my area for some vegan friendly restaurants and came across this absolutely amazing cafe. Their menu is filled with nutritious raw and vegan food and you can literally smell the freshness of the food. I got their Super Salad which was spring mix and spinach, roasted beets, carrots, cucumber, sweet potato, avocado, mixed with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, sprinkled …

Red Cabbage Wraps

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Got a bit colourful with tonight’s dinner and made cabbage wraps which turned out to be satisfyingly scrumptious! Recipe is inspired by the classic lettuce wraps only a lot healthier and I may be biased, but also tastier 🙂 Ingredients: 4 Red cabbage leaves 1/4 cup Quinoa 1/3 cup Chickpeas 1 cup Brocoli florets 3 Cherry tomatoes 1/3 cup Fresh parsley leaves 1/2 Garlic clove 2 tsp Flaxseeds 1 tbsp Dried Chives 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper 1 tbsp Tahini Note: parsley has a strong taste so if you don’t like it, add less Directions: Cook quinoa, chickpeas and garlic in 3/4 cup water on the oven top on a medium heat till all the water is absorbed and let it sit for 5 mins In a food processor blend at a high speed: broccoli, parsley leaves, flaxseeds, dried chives, cayenne pepper, tahini, and the cooked quinoa/chickpeas Add 1/3 cup water to moisten the mixture and continue blending Remove mixture and place in a bowl Dice the tomatoes and mix into the mixture If you’re like me …

Basic Chocolate Smoothie

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Here’s a basic Chocolate tasting smoothie for those sweet cravings Ingredients: 3 Bananas 1 tbsp Cacao Powder 1/4 cup Almond milk 250mL water Blend together and add 1 tbsp of peanut or almond butter to make it even tastier Garnishing: Cacao nibs and coconut flakes

Banana Chia Seed Smoothie

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Ingredients: 1 Banana (rich in potassium, which can help keep blood pressure in check, protect your muscle and digestive systems, helps with muscle cramps) 2 tbsp Chia Seeds Dash of Cinnamon (helps keep blood sugar levels steady without spiking your insulin levels) Water Read why it’s a great smoothie for your endurance workouts!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

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A delicious start to the day! Ingredients: 1/4 cup Rolled oats 1/2 cup Blueberries 1 Banana 1/4 cup Almond milk 3/4 cup Water 3 ice cubes 1 tsp Maca root Dash of Nutmeg Directions: Blend together and garnish with unsweetened shredded coconut and 1 tsp Chia seeds Did you know? If you’re trying to quite smoking, banana’s contain high levels of vitamin B, potassium and magnesium to counteract withdrawal effects! HEALH BENEFITS Banana Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and nighttime leg cramps Reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells due to vitamin B Blueberries Number 1 in antioxidant activity when compared to 60 other fresh fruits Neutralizes free radicals within the body and aids in belly fat reduction Chia Seeds Highest Omega-3 source content in nature – higher than salmon Balances and stabilizes blood sugar level by slowing down the level at which glucose enters your bloodstream Maca Root (superfood) Works as an adaptogen which means that it responds to …

Cherry-licious Oatmeal

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Oatmeal is one of my absolute favourite things to have for breakfast and sometimes even make it as an evening snack. With the right ingredients it can either be a great start to your day or a simple dessert. Ingredients: 1/2 cup Rolled oats 1/4 cup Cherries 1 tsp Chia seeds 1/4 cup Unsweetened almond milk Directions: Place all ingredients in a bowl and leave it in the fridge over night. Garnishing: Unsweetened shredded coconut flakes & cacao nibs The possibilities are endless! Get creative and let me know if you’ve made any delicious one’s you want to share

Red Velvet Pancakes

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Who needs food colouring when you have beets! Don’t worry you can’t even taste them Ingredients: 1/4 cup Rolled oats 1/4 cup Almond milk 1 Banana 1/4 Beet 1/4 tsp Coconut oil (for coating the pan) Pancake Instructions: Boil a 1/4 of your beet for about 10minutes While your beet is boiling blend the banana, almond milk and rolled oats in a food processor till a liquid consistency forms Set aside the pancake mixture in a bowl Take the boiled beet out of the pot and blend with a spoonful of water in the food processor Add the pancake mixture back into the food processor Blend it all together Cooking Instructions: Set oven top on very low heat (2 or 3) Lightly coat the pan with the coconut oil Scoop the pancake mixture onto the pan, spread out and cook for about 30seconds on each side (*they cook quickly – you don’t want to burn them) Garnish: Maple syrup, Banana, Cacao nibs  

Sometimes

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 Sometimes no matter how much you want answers all we can do is wait We wonder aimlessly Endless possibilities of the future with no clear direction in mind Time passes and moments fly by, forgetting to appreciate what we have The future will still be there, but the present soon becomes a distant door of the past no longer in reach Embrace the things you don’t understand and let them be They’ll eventually unfold when their answers are meant to be discovered Reasons will never be understood until we let go of the illusions we’ve created You don’t have to figure it all out so, for now, laugh at your mistakes Smile because you can and leave the wondering for another day Sometimes you just have to go without knowing where you are going B.M