When I was at the Asian market last week, I was in awe of the bubble tea selection. There must have been over 50 varieties on the menu! Taiwanese bubble tea is something I love as a treat occasionally, but I know it’s full of less than desirable ingredients and tons of processed sugar. So I decided to create a bubble tea inspired smoothie at home with the beautiful dragon fruit I picked up at the market! My Dragon Fruit Bubble Tea Smoothie is full of healthy, nourishing ingredients, vitamins and antioxidants. I like to enjoy it post-workout because it’s also loaded with clean, plant-based protein. A delicious chia seed pudding base mimics the texture of the black tapioca pearls usually seen in bubble tea, while a spring-inspired combination of dragon fruit, banana, mango, strawberry and creamy Vanilla Almond Breeze gives the smoothie its natural sweetness and soft pink hue. If you’re in the mood for something exotic, try my healthy spin on bubble tea!
Food
MY 1ST BLOGIVERSARY + 10 THINGS I LEARNED IN MY FIRST YEAR OF BLOGGING
Imagine a place where you could go to totally unleash your creativity. That’s what this blog has been for me for almost exactly 1 year. JustineCelina is my ultimate creative outlet and my happy place. I started my blog 1 year ago with an iPhone and an idea — and never could have imagined that it would grow and evolve into what it is today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every single one of you reading this post. Your support in the largest creative endeavor of my life truly means the world to me!
I wasn’t going to make it a big deal, but I decided to throw JustineCelina a birthday party to celebrate this milestone! Today’s post is a very special 1st Blogiversary Party and collaborative shoot that I’ve invited some of Calgary’s very best makers, artists and creative professionals to be a part of — including Milton Photography, Rebecca Dawn Design, and Crave Cookies & Cupcakes. I’m also sharing ten things I learned during my first year of blogging. This is a very long post — so grab a cupcake and a glass of bubbly (or whatever you’re toasting with), get comfy and let’s celebrate! Cheers to going your own way and making your own magic!
Did you know I have dinner with my college girlfriends (almost) every week? We’ve been doing it since 2008 — so over the years, we’ve shared a lot of meals together. At our last girl dinner, we were chatting about what each of our signature dishes are — I was curious about what they’d say my signature dish was, because I strive to keep things fresh in my kitchen! The answer was ‘something fresh and Asian-inspired, or a make-your-own entrée salad’. And fair enough! Those are my favourite things to eat (and to serve when I’m entertaining). You’ll find lots of those recipes here on the blog!
So, I decided to turn one of my ‘signature dishes’ on its head and use new ingredients in new ways. I revisited tofu, which I’ve marinated with savoury, sesame flavours and finished with a golden crisp. I made the creamiest Asian-inspired sauce with no peanut butter in sight (hint: the secret ingredient is cooked carrots)! It was also my first time making zoodles (spiralized zucchini ‘noodles’) and I’ll chat more about it in this post. My Carrot Cashew Zoodles with Crispy Sesame Tofu is an ultra-light, ultra-fresh spring stirfry brimming with clean, plant-based protein. Cheers to stepping outside of your comfort zone in the kitchen!
As someone who’s very attuned to branding, art direction and design, I love it when a company totally nails it. Enter the truly stunning Oatbox. When I was presented with the opportunity to try Oatbox, the brand immediately captured my attention because they’re doing things a little bit differently. As a busy person who loves clean breakfasts, whole foods and granola (but doesn’t always have time to make my own), Oatbox‘s product offering sounded right up my alley. Each month they deliver fresh, healthy granola mixes inspired by the season and prepared by Montreal chefs, right to your doorstep. Everything about my experience with Oatbox was outstanding — from my introduction to the brand, to unwrapping my box, to the absolutely delicious granola. These guys really care about the details. Plus, for every box shipped, they donate $1 to the Breakfast Club of Canada. If you love artisinal granola, thoughtful details and supporting businesses that give back, read on for my favourite way to enjoy Oatbox‘s featured flavours!
BLUSHING BEET JUICE + MY 100th BLOG POST
Sometimes I think it’s important to look for recipe inspiration in new places. As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been on a bit of a beet kick (and a pink kick) lately — so today’s fresh juice recipe is inspired by pink hues! This juice is totally different than what I would usually make — and it’s all because I combined ingredients for colour first, and flavour second. My Blushing Beet Juice incorporates seasonal produce like beets, oranges and grapefruit with ingredients that I don’t normally juice, like strawberries (which have been looking particularly delicious lately, even though they’re not in season). The result is a perfectly sweet, balanced pink juice, packed full of amazing, heart healthy ingredients. Enjoy this vibrant pink juice for love month — the recipe makes enough for two generous servings, and you can also freeze it to make your own popsicles (kids love them!). Have some fun in the kitchen this February and shake up your juicing menu!
POMEGRANATE HIBISCUS SALMON SALAD + MY PHOTO STYLING PROCESS
Who else is sick of winter?! I know I’ve definitely been craving some colour in my life lately! So this week, I’ve teamed up with Litehouse Foods and The Food Bloggers of Canada to bring you a fresh, colourful entrée salad recipe that can be on your table is less than half an hour! My Pomegranate Hibiscus Salmon Salad combines mixed greens and peppery arugula with strawberries, yellow peppers, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, almonds and red onions — topped with a fresh fillet of wild sockeye salmon. It’s created with Litehouses’s Pomegranate Hibiscus Dressing, from their new Green Garden line. I also give you a behind-the-scenes look into my creative process of shooting and styling imagery for photoshoots and blog posts!
NEW YEAR DETOX SALAD WITH PINK TAHINI DRESSING
I can’t seem to get enough beets lately — especially roasted beets! Do you guys go through intense phases with food, too? This salad combines all the winter produce I love, in one huge superfood salad. My New Year Detox Salad with Pink Tahini Dressing is overflowing with ultra-clean, nourishing ingredients, antioxidants, and tons of plant-based protein to help keep your new year health and nutrition goals on track. Oh, and the dressing is bright pink! Remember how I mentioned I’ve been feeling inspired by pink hues lately? In this recipe, I show you how to make a gorgeous (and delicious) Pink Tahini Dressing, with all natural ingredients. Stay tuned for a fresh, fun and colourful spin on winter produce!