As the cold weather starts to kick in and the season changes, many of us tend to catch a cold. I thought I'd share with you this powerful and electric drink from The Juice Truck cookbook (see my book review and more of their recipes here). It doesn't require many (or special) ingredients to make, as most of us usually have apples, lemons, and ginger in the fridge and cayenne in the pantry, but this is not just your average apple juice. It's got some special kicks from the ginger and cayenne and a little hint of rosemary (I highly recommend using it). Besides, the apple season is here! If you happen to have too many from your own apple picking adventures, here's an opportunity to put them to good use. Sniffles, sore throat, or indigestion - you name it - this drink will help you to survive the cold season and feel good to boot!
I love tahini, and when I saw the name of this smoothie from The Juice Truck cookbook (see my book review and more of their recipes here) by Zach and Ryan - co-founders of The Juice Truck - it made me want to try it right away! In the smoothie, there are healthy ingredients like, tahini, kale, and mint. There's no sugar or even sweeteners, only dates and bananas. A lot of drinks that are sweetened by bananas often taste too banana-y to me, however the taste of this smoothie is surprisingly different: It's one of those drinks that, before you make it, you aren't sure if it's going to taste tahini-like, banana-y, greeny, or minty, but in the end, it comes out with a pleasant, subtle taste of mint and the other flavours underneath it. It was gently sweet and the colour was perfectly green, too! Since it contains a good amount of protein and healthy fats, it would make a pretty darn good breakfast or mid-day healthy snack!
With a busy schedule, one quick thing that I often like to make is the one-bowl meal! It's a great idea for weekdays. I love this recipe from Zach and Ryan's The Juice Truck cookbook (see my book review and more of their recipes here). It's also one of The Juice Truck's top sellers. It's super healthy, satisfying, colourful, tasty, and most importantly, it's really easy to make! The dressing reminds me of Chinese cold sesame noodles. It's so good that you'll want to drink it up or put it on everything! In the recipe, there was no cooking time listed for baking the yam, tofu, and cashews; I would recommend baking the cashews for 15 minutes, tofu for 20 minutes, and yam for about 30 minutes.
I've been adding smoothies and juice to my diet for many years, so when Penguin Random House offered me a copy of The Juice Truck cookbook (which is published by their division, Appetite), I felt very fortunate and was really thrilled to read what was in this book! The Juice Truck: A Guide To Juicing, Smoothies, Cleanses And Living A Plant Based Lifestyle is written by Zach Berman and Ryan Slater, longtime childhood friends, and the two co-owners of The Juice Truck in Vancouver. The inspiration behind their cold-pressed juice bar--Canada's first ever--was from their one year-long backpacking trip to Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka, where they discovered some local healthy secrets and remedies made with real plant-based foods. After months and months of experiments and research, The Juice Truck was finally launched in the summer of 2011.
