Cooking Archives - Jovanka Ciares

Post Workout Recovery Smoothie

Whether working out at home or at a gym, this is one of my favorite drinks after a workout. I always include the ingredients below in my morning smoothie to help my body feel energize and recover quickly after a hard workout.

As an option, you can add vegan protein powder to your post workout recovery drinks. Here are the main ingredients on my smoothie and the reason why I love them (check them out below the video):

Cordyceps – recovery, helping your body get ready for the next big workout
Banana: Carbohydrates and potassium help muscles recover
Spinach: rich in vitamins magnesium, calcium and iron. Protects and benefits eye health, reduces oxidative stress and reduces blood pressure levels.
Blueberries: High in antioxidants that help reduce inflammation which can help counteract soreness
Ginger: Also anti-inflammatory, which will help with soreness
Hemp Seeds: High in protein, which helps repair and build muscles after a workout
Chia Seeds: Also high in protein and helps you rehydrate at a cellular level
Coconut Water: full of electrolytes, helping you replenish after a long workout. Has antioxidant properties and will help lower blood pressure.

Having a daily smoothie is one of the best ways to ensure large amounts of deeply nourishing foods your body needs for weight loss, fat burning, muscle building, elasticity, etc.

Awesome Vegan Mexican Dish from La Vida Verde

Today I have a very special recipe feature. It’s a mushroom cocktail from the #vegan cookbook: “La Vida Verde: Plant-Based Mexican Cooking with Authentic Flavor” by @la_yoselin, chef and founder of @TodoVerde

I met Chef Jocelyn Ramirez over a year ago and since have tried her recipes in at least 3 events she catered. Literally every single time, I wanted to meet the chef behind the delicious Mexican plant-based foods served. And, as a fellow Latina, I am filled with pride and joy that our foods, and work is featured in mainstream books and social platforms.

So I couldn’t WAIT to make this recipe (also, because I am in love with mushrooms) and it is a super yummy one.

Check out the full video and recipe here and run to get the book! Run to get the book and enjoy!

To get the book: https://amzn.to/35N5CFn

Herbs to Ease Heartburn, GERD and Acid Reflux

Have you ever suffered from that awful burning sensation at the top of your stomach? Or what about stomach pain, stinging sensation in the throat and chest, and persistent throat sore throat!

If you have or know someone who does, do not despair. There’s one little herbal remedy that people have been using for decades to help relieve these symptoms and more (it’s great for ulcers too)!

Even my dad uses it to help manage his GERD.

What’s the magic ingredient???? Slippery Elm!

First things first: to get yours, Click Here

Secondly: Check Out the video below (more below the video)

Thirdly, a fun Trivia: Slippery Elm is one of the few herbs that’s FDA approved as a medication!

Fourth and finally:

Here’s the recipe:

Mix slippery elm, cinnamon, nutmeg and water in a small pot to form a smooth paste.
Add nut or coconut milk and stir over a low flame, gently heating the mixture and stirring constantly until there are no lumps.
Turn off the heat and add your sweetener of choice.

Enjoy and feel better!

Gluten Free Open Avocado Toast

I love bread! There, I admit it! It’s fantastic, it’s comforting and it can be very healthy! I often choose gluten free, multi grain bread made by local bakers and using sustainably sourced ingredients.

One of my favorite snacks, light lunches or even dinners is a simple open avocado toast on gluten free bread. This ridiculously simple dish has just 3 ingredients, takes 5 mins to prepare and has over 10 grams of protein.

Click on the video below to see how!

Oh, and here are the ingredients, just for your enjoyment!

1 avocado
1 small tomato, firm
3-4 fresh basil leaves
olive oil to taste
Himalayan pink salt to taste
Juice of ½ a lemon

Enjoy!

Blackberry Coconut Lime Popsicles

I love this little recipe, perfect for hot summer days but also fun if you have a sweet tooth and want to satisfy it without un-doing a great day full of healthy foods.

I often make these and leave in my freezer to share with guests or simply to enjoy with my honey while watching a movie at home.

Check out the video and recipe below!

Makes 6 small/4 large pops

1 can full-fat coconut milk
2 Tspts coconut syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups blackberries
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
pinch salt

In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, syrup, lime juice, salt, and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.

In a blender, puree blackberries, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Add the milk blend and blackberries in alternate order, making white and purple swirls as you do.

Freeze for about 30 minutes, then insert sticks and freeze until firm.

LOVE IT! Comments, ideas?! Leave them below!

Vegan Raw Chocolate Mousse

What do you do when on the go and in need of some fun superfood cacao treat? A raw vegan chocolate mousse of course! I’m making this treat on my Nutribullet so if I can do it on a tiny blender, so can you! Check out the video for my simple (on the go) and totally yummy recipe for a vegan chocolate mousse:

What I love the most about this recipe is that it’s filled with antioxidants, healthy fats, micronutrients and none of the bad stuff in commercial chocolates!

INGREDIENTS

2 avocados
3/4 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
Chaga and Reishi mushroom tincture

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend until smooth
Blend until combined

high protein chia parfait jovanka ciares

Chia Pudding Parfait

This ridiculously easy and simple recipe is one I do 2-3x per week. So I wanted to share here with you my high protein chia pudding parfait! Check out the recipe in the video below:

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cups of chia seeds
1 cup of coconut milk
2 tsp coconut nectar
¼ tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix it up and leave in the fridge for 4-12 hours
Add your favorite toppins – I’m adding just some nuts.

Perfect treat, easy to make, great breakfast, snack or high protein pick me up! Let know how you like it in the comments below the video!

Raw Cacao Energy Balls

These are so easy and so amazing for you I had to share here!

I make these when I’m running out of superfoods, to kind of use them all and the make a big shopping run and get all the new batch of fresh, new supplements. Get the recipe on this video!

Raw {Vegan} Cacao Energy Balls

INGREDIENTS

Cocoa powder
Nuts (1-2 types)
Chia seeds
Cinnamon
Moringa powder
Dates
Chaga mushrooms

*Amounts are to taste

Note: You can also add flax seeds for fiber, hemp seeds for protein, coconut oil for healhty fats. Truly, they are so versatile, you can add whatever you’d like!

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend all ingredients in a high power blender
Using your hands, get a small fist full and make a small balls
Keep them in a bow in the refrigerator overnight.
Enjoy!

Tell me how you like them in the comment section below!

What Does It Mean When You Crave Salt (And How To Stop It)

Do you feel like you crave salt regularly? Think you eat way too may salty foods? Or maybe not enough?

Yes, eating too much salt is bad, but eating too little is bad too.

Salt is necessary to control the balance of body fluids, provide vital trace minerals and is crucial for growth and reproduction.

So do you have cravings? Check out the video:

Do you Crave for salty foods.

Cravings for foods that have a lot of salt in them even if they don’t taste salty. Examples include bread, crackers, cookies, TV dinners, and canned foods?
Cravings for sausages, bacon, olives, seasoning blends
Do you have fatigue, low energy and mood swings.
Muscle cramps or slow recovery from exercise.

If so, here’s what I recommend you do:

Test your adrenals and hormone levels. Cortisol and other stress hormone issues may be affected by sodium deficiency so check with your doctor asap.
Pay attention to how you feel after eating foods with a lot of sodium. Listen to the cues of your body, maybe it is trying to tell you something!
Pay attention to exercise. If you sweat a lot, rehydrate with a mixture of water and himalayan pink salt.
Be present and celebrate where you are right now. This will help you reduce stress levels.
Add some Himalayan sea salt to a big glass of water during dinner. This will help you not go to the bathroom a thousand times per day or at night.

Simple Hummus Recipe + Vegan

Last week I showed you an amazing vegan mushroom risotto recipe! If you missed that video, check it out here!

This week, I’m doing a collaboration with chef Jenne Claiborne and she is going to show you how to make the yummiest, quickest, prettiest, easiest beet hummus there is!

Go to the video and recipe below!

Enjoy the yumminess!

Interested in the videos? Check them out here:

Jenne cookbook http://www.21dayveganblueprint.com/5-ingredient-vegan-cookbook/

Jovanka’s Cookbook: https://jovankaciares.com/ebook-bundle

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Do you like to eat healthy and enjoy recipes that are fun and tasty but hate the fact that many yummy recipes are covered in cheese and other not-so-healthy ingredients?’

Well, I have a treat for you on today’s video! A Vegan Mushroom Risotto that’s amazing and oh-so-healthy!

When I started changing my diet, I experienced the same thing. I loved creamy dips at parties and dishes like risotto but I knew how bad they were and I wasn’t interested in putting crappy ingredients in my body any longer.

That was the inspiration for my first cookbook e-book, “COOK!”. One of my favorite recipes on this e-book is this vegan risotto recipe that I created with my friend Jenne Claiborne of Sweet Potato Soul.

Check Out the Books Here:

Jenne cookbook http://www.21dayveganblueprint.com/5-ingredient-vegan-cookbook/

Jovanka’s Cookbook: https://jovankaciares.com/ebook-bundle

Smoothie Recipes For Weight Loss

This is one of the easiest smoothie recipes for weight loss. But it can be done as a juice or a smoothie (retaining the fiber). It’s a truly awesome recipe to help you burn fat from around the belly, increase your metabolism and lose weight.

As a smoothie, I normally use it as my breakfast, and if you make it as a juice (with a high power juicer that eliminates the fiber), you can have it in the morning, on an empty stomach and then have a healthy, high-protein mid-morning snack, like hummus.

Check out the short, fun video and recipe below:

Get The Boku Protein Powder Here

Get The Lakanto Sweetener Here

Recipe Below:

1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries
3/4 cup chilled unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup of blueberries

2 TSP of Boku Protein Powder (vegan)
1 inch fresh ginger
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 TSP Lakanto sweetener (optional)

2-3 ice cubes, optional

Best Natural Sugar Substitute

What is the best natural sugar substitute in the market? I’m always looking for healthy alternatives, researching and trying new ingredients to share with you here. Sugar, who we now know it to be pretty dangerous and bad for our health is also one of the most consumed substances on earth. Sugar is everywhere and we are all a little addicted to sugar. And unfortunately, it is making us really sick and unhappy in the process.

So, while I strongly recommend you to limit your sugar intake to whole, fresh fruit in the morning, what about those instances when you absolutely, positively MUST has a little sugar? Or perhaps you need an alternative for a recipe?

Check out the video below to learn what it is and why it’s so awesome!

Get It On Amazon Here

This new sugar option who is a great natural sugar substitute is also one of the best sugars for diabetic people. Diabetic patients can use this sugar for many reasons. But first, let me show you what it is!

Lakanto is a zero calorie and zero GI alternative sweetener that can be used as an equal replacement to sugar in recipes. Lakanto is made from fermented erythritol, which is the sugar alcohol found in grapes, pears & mushrooms, to name a few. It is also extracted from his Asian fruit called the luo han guo fruit.

Lakanto as I mentioned is excellent for diabetics, people with candida or anyone looking for a healthier option to sugar because of it’s zero GI, so it doesn’t raise your sugar levels.

I bought this one on Amazon but you can get it in most health food stores in many parts of the world.

prevent your vegetables from causing gas

How To De-Fart Your Veggies

This simple trick will help you enjoy foods like broccoli and beans without the gas and bloating. Learn how to “de-fart” your vegetables here!

Go to the video below!

Have you tried this before? Do you have other tips on how to prevent gas and bloating? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

Vegan Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

I’ve been wanting to do more fun recipe videos for a while so I’m taking the plunge and giving this one a go!

I’m starting with a healthy, home-made soup that you can enjoy in just 20 minutes. Very easy, quick and totally yummy vegan butternut squash soup!

Check out the video here!

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you can improve the recipe or perhaps suggestions for new recipes! Would love to hear from you so let me know!