Jicama Mango Salad with Cilantro and Lime

It's not easy to find jicamas in Montreal so I don't have much experience with them. I love this salad but my husband thought there was too much lime. He rarely complains about anything I make, so I would go easy on the lime next time.

Ingredients:

• 1 large jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks                       
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks                                             
• 1 large firm mango, peeled and cut into matchsticks                                             
• 1/2 red onion, cut into matchsticks (or green onions)                                                                           
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 lime, juiced (original recipe calls for 2 limes)           
• 1/4 cup honey (or sweetener of choice)                        
• 1 teaspoon salt                    
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste                                             

 

Instructions:

1. Toss jicama, red pepper, mango and red onion in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix cilantro, lime, honey, salt and cayenne pepper together.
3. Mix it all together and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving, to let the flavours blend. 

Macaccino

Maca is a Peruvian "superfood" which can apparently relieve symptoms of menopause, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis and various other ailments. It's most often recommended as a morning energizer, without the caffeine. I can't comment on the actual benefits of maca but the Golden Mean Cafe in Santa Monica introduced me to the macaccino and I instantly fell in love with roasted maca.

Due to its popularity, they created their own blend of macaccino using roasted maca, cocoa, mesquite, cinnamon and nutmeg (and have added new flavours since I first tried it). I don't remember how the beverage is supposed to taste but here is my version:

 

Ingredients:

• 1 ts maca (roasted)
• 1 ts cocoa powder (or carob)
• 1 ts coconut sugar
• 1 cup almond milk

 

Instructions:

1. Heat all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat. Use a hand mixer for a few minutes to get the macaccino frothy and to ensure everything is blended well. Some recipes simply add the powdered mix to hot water or milk but I find it doesn't mix that well.

Notes:

• To roast the maca, place a thin layer of maca powder on a baking sheet and bake at 250 for a few minutes, until it turns golden brown. Keep it in a container in the fridge.
• Make a batch of powder in advance and keep it in the fridge:  24 ts = 1/2 cup so it's easy to measure. Use one TB for each cup of milk.
• Some people experience side effects from maca; more than 1 tablespoon per day is not recommended.

Cardamom Banana Smoothie

This recipe was given to me as part of the Studio Vie "smoothie challenge". It's easy to get into a smoothie rut so the challenge is to try new recipes and share your thoughts (and pics) with the community of new moms aiming to stay fit and healthy.  If you like cardamom, you will LOVE this shake. It's my all-time favourite.

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of plain raw cashews (I usually soak mine overnight and rinse)
• 2 pods of cardamom (I like to use more)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 1/2 frozen bananas
• 1 cup of baby spinach
• 1 Tb of honey (or sweetener of choice)
• pinch of salt

 

Instructions: 

1. Remove cardamom seeds from pods and crush the seeds using a pestle and mortar or coffee/spice grinder). Discard the pods.
2. Blend cashews, cardamom, lemon juice and water in a high speed blender. Add frozen bananas, spinach, honey and salt and blend until smooth.

Vegan Mayo

Most vegan mayonnaise and aïoli brands use canola oil. Even the sriracha and chipotle-flavoured versions can't hide the funky taste, in my opinion. I love spicy condiments so I was motivated to find a solution.

In my research, I discovered the amazing world of aquafaba. It's magical. I can't believe that I have been recklessly pouring this stuff down the drain for all these years.

Here is a simple recipe that makes about 3/4 cup of plain mayo:

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas, at room temperature)
• 3/4-1 Cup neutral-tasting oil like grapeseed or avocado

Instructions:

1. Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, blend all ingredients except for the oil. A taller bowl or container will reduce oil splatter on your walls :) 
2. Slowly pour in the oil, a bit at a time and keep blending. In a few minutes, all of the oil will be whipped up into a mayo-like consistency. It will thicken up a bit more in the fridge.

For chipotle mayo, I like to add fresh garlic, lime, coconut sugar and crushed, dried chipotle peppers. Play around with different ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, lemon & garlic, horseradish, dijon mustard or fresh basil.

Note about oils: A few recipes warn against using extra virgin olive oil because the end result will be bitter. I tried it anyhow and guess what? It was bitter. Unfortunately, there isn't much agreement on which vegetable oils are reasonably healthy so choose one you feel most comfortable with and eat your homemade mayonnaise in moderation.