Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a healthy recipe blog, mostly healthy drinks and desserts, and author of two recent plant-based cookbooks . On this blog you'll find healthy easy recipes with short ingredient lists and hidden veggies. For instance, I do a lot of vegan baking, and I only use a hand mixer, and usually substitute oil and eggs with pumpkin puree or apple sauce. All my recipes are vegan and gluten-free but delicious for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet.
Hey! I'm Dee and I'm so happy you found your way here to Green Smoothie Gourmet.
I created this little corner of the internet back in 2016. I had leaned toward eating whole foods and less processed since college. You can read the story below, but in short I failed an organic chemistry exam because of my poor diet and changed it up then and there with a refurbished blender. Then, a few years later, when my three girls came along, that's when I focused on shorter ingredient lists, eating the rainbow, and cooking vegan and gluten-free, with a leaning toward trying to eliminate processed oils as well.
In our house the mad morning dash involves subways to downtown DC offices and schools. So the time shortage is real and making our smoothies and lunches the night before is a given. Lunches are loaded with energizing yet healthy drinks, snacks and desserts, this last is what you'll find plenty of on this blog.
In the last five years, I began a laser focus on detox foods and drinks, and healthy, protein-rich chocolate desserts. I knew I could contribute in this area, because I have a ton of recipes and ideas in both categories, I guess because eating for the win is important to me. It's too easy to have a drink or grab a snack or dessert that does not contribute to a daily nutritional profile and then to feel terrible later. I like feeling good after I eat, and I figure most people feel the same. But I won't miss out on my favorite treats growing up so I have a whole healthy copycat section on my blog where you can find my healthy takes on recipes such as hostess cupcakes, samoa cookies and twix bars.
So basically if you have a need for more energy, a brighter brain, a desire to pump up your immune system, or simply don't know where to turn when the 3 pm slump hits, come here! I've got your back!
Who Can Eat My Recipes
On this blog, you will find that my recipes are primarily breakfasts, snacks and desserts, with the occasional savory meal recipe as well. All my recipes can be eaten by those who eat vegan, non-vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and refined-sugar-free, and mostly gluten-free, and reduced or even no sugar. And many are friendly for a paleo or Whole30 or keto diet.
My recipes are distinctive because they often have veggies tucked inside unlikely places. My favorite chocolate cake depends on pumpkin puree instead of eggs and oil, and I frost it with 2-ingredient sweet potato frosting - can you guess the second ingredient? I put avocado in lots of things, including blueberry ice cream here and my chocolate peanut butter pie here. Zucchini can be found in this chocolate smoothie, and cauliflower in this coffee mousse dessert. In fact, I have graduate degrees in the sciences, but my husband and friends say my biggest talent is hiding vegetables in desserts😂.
Recipes With 4 Ingredients
So along with hidden veggies, you will see another re-occurring theme in my recipes: I strive to keep ingredient lists short. In fact, I've written two 4-ingredient cookbooks, both available worldwide.
1. Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients: Desserts & Snacks
2. 4-Ingredient Smoothies & Juices: 100 Easy Nutritious Recipes for LifeLong Health
The Journey
My interest in eating whole foods actually did begin in my college days. As a biology/biochem with emphasis on immunology major, I quickly realized the technical health benefits of eating only plant-based foods. I even took classes in dietary science (how food impacts the body) and culinary science (the science behind cooking).
So as I plowed through my immunology courses, suddenly food's impact on health soon became very clear to me. And I realized - as I was stuffing a pizza into my face during an all nighter - that I wasn't eating very well.
So I bought a blender. A refurbished Blendtec, actually.
And began tossing green leaves, seeds, fruits, veggies and anything wholesome and unprocessed that I could think of. I started with just a healthy smoothie a day, and what I noticed first after just a few days was the burst of energy and optimism I felt. I expanded my healthy habits beyond smoothies and never looked back. (Take my FREE Smoothie Challenge Here!)
Now, as I work to create recipes that fit me and my family members, I also incorporate the concepts behind local and seasonal buying, the EWG.org's dirty-clean produce list, and the importance of avoiding processed foods and ingredients when possible. I also embrace the positive impacts on the planet of veganism, no-wasted food, and plastic-free habits.
I believe the choice of one's diet is a personal one and should follow one's own personal needs, so I won't be telling you what diet you should follow. However, the recipes I share here on GSG always use whole food, plant-based ingredients that are free of dairy and meat and anything else from an animal. And I try to keep ingredient lists short, and I somehow prefer no-bake to turning on the oven, so there is a lot of not turning on the oven in this blog, haha.
You'll also find lots of desserts, especially chocolate, that are healthy and often have hidden vegetables. Take my FREE Chocolate Treat Course here. I teach you how to make quick healthy chocolate desserts with few steps and ingredients.
Note that I strive in my ingredient lists on the course and on my blog to avoid processed foods. Balance is key though, so sometimes I eat something not fully healthy and that's okay too.
There is lot to juggle when transitioning or sustaining a whole-food plant-based diet, especially for an entire family. I hope my recipes can help you on your journey.
If you are in need of a smoothie starting place, I suggest a simple smoothie a day - actually just a cup of frozen berries, a half-cup of spinach, blended into 1-2 cups of dairy-free milk.
My Free Smoothie Challenge Is a Great Place to Start
Want some help establishing a smoothie-a-day habit? Join my short but useful FREE 6-day Smoothie Challenge.
For a slightly more involved smoothie, and a review of how to build smoothies, check out my Best Green Smoothie. And if you are looking to boost your immunity,my Ginger Shot made in a blender is one of my most popular immunity booster recipes.
Thank you for joining me! Be sure to reach out via comments on my posts or DM me on Instagram where I post all new recipes first.
Love, Dee xx