Kabocha, Kombocha, & Monster-cakes

Man, I can’t believe the weekend is already over! Why, oh why is Monday so far from Friday, yet Friday is so friggin’ close to Monday?? Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have a job that allowed me to work from home! But, since it is not exactly in my budget to purchase a million-dollar CAT scan machine and have it installed in my living room, I guess I’ll just have to keep going in to the hospital until I can think of something! 😉

I guess I’m still riding the green wave from yesterday, because this morning’s meal was all about the monster…the GREEN Monster that is! They may look scary to some, but I have been in LURVE with the Green Monster since the very first time I tried it! I really wanted a big cool glass of “G” juice this morning, but I couldn’t let a perfectly good Pancake Sunday get away from me…oh no, no. Sooooooooooo, lookie what I did!

Green Monster-cakes with Coconut “Mud”:

Green Monster:

  • 1 cup spinach, packed
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 banana
  • splash of vanilla
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

Combine all ingredients and mix in a blender (or Magic Bullet) until smooth.

Pancake Mix:

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1. Stir together the dry ingredients.
2. Add Green Monster to the mix and stir until combined.
3. I had some shredded carrots left over from yesterday’s baking adventure, so I                 decided to throw in 1/2 cup into the mix.
4. Spoon batter into skillet and cook on medium-high heat for approximately 5-6 minutes     per side.

Coconut “Mud”:
From Heather, the genius of all things coconut butter!

  • 8 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 bar of high quality dark chocolate

1. Place shredded coconut place in your food processor
2. Break chocolate into pieces, throw in with the coconut and blend, blend, blend!

You may have to scrape down the sides a few times, but it doesn’t take long to come together. The heat from the food processor warms the chocolate and melts it into the coconut, giving you a warrrrrrrm chocolately sauce!

I thinned my “mud” with a little water and enjoyed a good-sized drizzle on my monster-cakes!

Don’t let the earthiness full you, these monster-cakes were full of natural banana sweetness and had a nice soft texture thanks to the protein powder!

Later today, I found myself back in Nashville again. Two weekends in a row? Yes! My friend Jen wanted to pick up a few things from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods and asked if I wanted to come along. Helllllllllll-o?! Do fish breath underwater??

I picked up some more good eats, including a few special items for a foodie swap that I’ve planned with the lovely Christin! So excited to “see” her face when she gets the package!

Of all the items purchased, this was by far the BEST buy of the century!

At long last! I finally found me a KABOCHA!!

At first, I thought it was just a stand full of buttercups (which the sign indicated) but  a really nice man working in the produce section told me that they were all kabochas, but they had been labeled incorrectly. I about jumped up and down! I’ve seen these all over the blog world and have been on a mad hunt for one for at least 3 months!

I sliced it up and roasted it in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes sans seasoning so I could get the true kabocha flavor. Oh my gosh! I’ve tried many different squashes but this one is the sweetest and best tasting one I’ve EVER tasted…definitely my new favorite veggie! I should have bought the entire display!

All sliced up, roasted and ready to devour savor! Did you know you can even eat the skin?

Yesterday’s salad was so delicious, I decided to make another with a side of warm buttery whole wheat naan that I got at Trader Joe’s today! Sweet, sweet naan…oh how I love thee!

If you’ve never heard of kombucha before, here’s a few facts:

  • Kombucha is a fermented tea used for medicinal purposes
  • Kombucha has been shown to be antimicrobial, anticancer, hepatoprotective qualities (good to Mr. Liver), and to be antioxidative.
  • Common claims: increases energy, sharpens eyesight, aids joint recovery, improves skin elasticity, and aids in digestion.

Source: Wikipedia

I have to admit the first…and well, the second time…that I tried kombucha, I was NOT a fan! It has a very interesting taste to it that takes a little getting used to, but with something that is THIS good for you, how could you not give it a second chance…or a third?

We have a winner folks! The more I sipped, the more I liked! Lindsay will be so proud! 😉

I even have photo documentation!

So there you have it! I started the day by eating a monster and now have a monster-sized love for hard-to-find squashes and fermented tea!

Tell me, if you could only eat ONE vegetable for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I think you already know my choice!

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30 Responses to Kabocha, Kombocha, & Monster-cakes

  1. Do sweet potatos count?

    haha okay, hmm… I really like carrots. OR green beans. Wait no it would be spinach! Sorry sometimes I don’t always hit it the first time! lol

  2. BTW you are superrrr pretty! Did you really like the green pancakes?

  3. inmytummy says:

    I really like Kombucha. I wish they’d bring back the passionberry and raspberry flavors though.

    • Mmm, passionberry sounds yummy! The other two flavors I tried were the Multi Green and the Synergy…just didn’t do it for me though. I ended up only being able to drink half of the bottles. This has been a bit of an expensive experiment that’s for sure! At least I finally have ONE flavor that I like!

  4. Priyanka says:

    Never tried Kombucha really want to try it once! Hmm what vegetable I’ll eat for the rest of my life, there are many, but I think I’ll go with Okra!

  5. I love your kombucha tasting photo set. And seriously, kabocha is the king (queen?) of ALL squash, and I have yet to meet a squash I didn’t like! 🙂

  6. i love these monster cakes!! BRILL idea to put spinach in them!

  7. Jen says:

    Yeah I am glad I decided to go also! I had a great time and brought home some healthy eats! I have to say I am pretty excited to make myself a yummy lunch with my tortillas that I can’t get enough of!oh and my veggie would be cauliflower….or maybe broccoli!

  8. Heather, next time you come to Nashville, check out K & S Asian Mkt. on Charlotte. I buy my kabocha there year round. Also, we should grab lunch or coffee or kombucha together one day when you’re in town! 🙂

    When I first saw your pancakes in the header, I thought they were veggie burgers covered in ketchup, and I couldn’t quite figure out how coconut got into the mix. Hehe.

    • I will definitely be running by there the next time I’m in Nashville. My grandmother lives right off of Charlotte Pike…how convenient! I am definitely up for a little meet up! I’ll let you know the next time I’m coming to town, which I’m sure will be sooner than later so I can get more kabocha! Too funny, I just looked at the header pic again and they DO kinda look like veggie burgers! Hahaha!

  9. I just realized I used to drink Kombocha in high school! I can’t find the kobocha squash in NC so far though… boo! The farmers markets are closed here as far as I can tell — so eat some for meee!

    • I was so so excited to find them! The last time I went to our farmer’s market in Nashville and asked if they sold kabocha, they all just looked at me like I was crazy. Then when I described it, they kept saying, “Don’t you mean a buttercup?” Hmmm kabocha…buttercup…no, I’m pretty sure I know what I’m talking about!

  10. I agree with Heather when I saw the photo at the top of the page I did not see right away that were pancakes! Love the sound of the chocolate ‘mud’! 🙂

    • Haha! Yep, I had veggie burgers covered in ketchup and shredded coconut for breakfast! It’s a delicacy in some parts of the world you know! 😉 I’ve been known to add coconut to everything, but I think I draw the line at veg burgs! Lol

  11. Oh gracious, only ONE veggie for forever?? That’s just not a fair question! How about my top five? Okay good… spinach, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and onions! 😀

  12. Probably roasted green beans…..

    I’m at Whole Foods every Friday for wine tasting, I’ll have to pick up some kabocha next time to try!

  13. lindsay says:

    ahhh haaaaa!! I love the kombucha in the wine glass. So stylin! Don’t ya just love it!? I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed with those green monster cakes. totally my taste.
    🙂

  14. I would for sure eat KABOCHA every day if I could! It’s my favorite. I’m glad you discovered it!

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