Rumour has it that Elvis loved his peanut butter & banana griddle sandwiches.

I can just imagine two pieces of white “Wonder” bread slathered with “peanut butter spread” and slabs of fried banana sizzling in hot butter on the griddle pan. This is not meant to whet your appetite people!!! This is the type of food that cardiac nightmares are made of, & on the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death, it is hard for me as a nutritionist not to think of the ailing state he was in when he died on August 16th 1977. Elvis was the tender age of 42 years old  & it is reported that he died of a sudden violent heart attack ( with links to his heavy use of recreational drugs). Prior to his death there are reports that Elvis suffered from multiple ailments such as  glaucoma, high blood pressure, liver damage, and an enlarged colon.

Such a terribly sad moment in music history. What talent, charisma, & sex appeal Elvis had! Watching old clips of Elvis in his “healthier” days performing hit after Billboard hit is totally bittersweet.

Stumbling across this video was a treat. Tell me this is not sexy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olqe-JnHzjU&feature=related

……Anywho, back to the topic at hand. If only I was alive when Elvis was well & fierce! I would have appointed myself his nutritionist, made him this smoothie to satisfy his peanut butter & banana cravings, & we would still be watching him perform today. He would be 77 years old, this is possible folks , particularly with a nutritious diet!

All of the ingredients in this luscious smoothie are stellar for heart & liver health, immune support, blood sugar & blood pressure maintenance, & combating inflammation.

This one’s for you Elvis

I call this…

The Presley

1 frozen banana

1 tsp white chia seeds

1 tbsp organic pure ( that means just peanuts in the ingredients list!) peanut butter

1 tsp raw honey

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp tumeric powder

1.5-2 cups filtered water ( depending on how thick you like your smoothie)

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender & blend until silky smooth. Let smoothie “rest” for 2-3 minutes to allow chia seeds to soak up the liquid, which makes your smoothie that much creamier.

Drink your smoothie slowly while you listen to some of your favourite Elvis songs & give yourself a big hunk o’ love hug for feeding yourself such nourishing goodness.

Nutritiously Yours,

Jaime

Two-bite vegan macaroons

Chocolate macaroons:

Makes 32

3 cups dried, unsweetened shredded coconut

1.5 cups raw cacao or cocoa powder

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut butter (not to be confused w/ coconut oil)

Blondie macaroons:

Makes 32

3 cups dried, unsweetened shredded coconut

1.5 cups fine almond flour (JK Gourmet blanched almond flour is an excellent choice)

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder

1. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and stir well to combine. Things are going to get sticky…but that is a good thing!

2. Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, spoon rounds of the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet or onto dehydrator screens if you want them suitable for a raw food diet.

3. Bake at 300F for 12 minutes or dehydrate at 115degrees F for 12 to 24 hours.

These two bite macaroons will have a perfect crunch on the outside and a soft chewy interior

Recipe inspired by Pure Food and Wine-

Raw Food,Real World cookbook

I obviously had to use the word patty for today’s blogpost as it fit the bill perfectly. That said, on any other day I would call the recipe that I am sharing with y’all today a downright hearty VEGGIE BURGER!  For the diehard meat eaters out there whose reading interest I officially just lost, you may want to stick around, as any meat devotee who has eaten these veggie burgers have been quite impressed and satisfied. This may be due to the protein laden blackbeans, smoky sweet potato, and rich almond butter used to “beef” up these succulent burgers (which today we must call succulent patties). Or it could be the kick of garlic, ginger, red onion, and tamari that give your tastebuds no choice but to do a little Irish jig.

I am well aware that on St. Patty’s Day we exploit the colour green till many people are quite literally green in the face. So, if you are wondering why a nutritionist such as myself has yet to exploit the colour green from a nutritious standpoint in this post…have no fear. I suggest you lay a patty down on a bed of a  large deep green romaine leaf, top the patty off with emerald green smashed avocado, a sprinkling of vibrant sunflower greens, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice from the greenest lime you can find. Fold the romaine leaf over the patty to make a lettuce wrap, and wouldn’t ya know you got yourself a green patty for St. Patty’s Day! A tasty and wholesome lunch or dinner for perhaps a not so wholesome evening.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Patties

(and on any other day of the year Veggie Burgers)

 Servings: makes 6 burgers

Ingredients:

14 oz can black beans

1 cup sweet potato, grated

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup whole grain flour (e.g. brown rice flour, spelt flour)….I use chickpea flour (good source of protein)

2 tbsp tamari

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

Preparation Instructions:

Drain and rinse one can of black beans. Place them in a bowl and mash. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Place a grill pan on the stove on medium heat. Add a small bit of grapeseed oil to the pan.Scoop 1/3 cup of batter at time to form individual burger patties. Carefully place the burger patties on the pan. Cook burgers for 5 minutes on each side, until crispy on the outside, and they are warm throughout (approx 10 minutes) .

Note: If they brown too quickly on the outside, just turn the heat down a bit to allow them to cook more slowly. I love that crispy brownness on the top; so I allow them to brown at the beginning for 1 min per side and then I lower the heat to evenly cook throughout.

Recipe adapted from: Laura Matthias- ExtraVeganZa- Original Recipes from Phoenix Organic Farm- New Society Publishers- 2006- Gabriola Island, BC- Canada