Cranberry bliss bars! Slice of heaven!

These were one of my all time favorite treats when I use to work for starbucks! The starbucks version I’m sure is loaded with sugar, wheat, dairy and other naughty things. My version is just as yummy with only healthy ingredients. I made it without a ton of oils and fats also because you know how I feel about digesting fats and sugars together! They don’t work well together!

Cranberry bliss bars

1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds

1/4 cup ground gluten free oats

1/4 cup ground raw buckwheat groats

2 tablespoons ground sesame seeds

1 tablespoon tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons melted vegan butter (or grass fed butter)

juice of 1 small orange

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons chopped white chocolate (see below for my recipe)

4-5 packets stevia (or 1/4 cup maple/honey)

pinch of sea salt

Orange cream cheese frosting

Blend/process until creamy:

1/4 cup soaked cashews

1/4 cup soaked macadamia nuts

juice of 1 small orange

juice of 1/2 of a small lemon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon orange zest

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2-3 packets of stevia (or just add more maple/honey)

pinch of sea salt

* If you want to make your own white chocolate chunks you can melt 1/4 cup cocoa butter and mix in 1 tablespoon cashew butter and a sweetener such as stevia, honey or maple. ( I used stevia) Then let cool in the fridge until it hardens.

* Mix the cake ingredients together and form into a large 8-10 inch “cookie” on parchment paper lined pan.

* I lightly cooked this at 250F for about 15-20 minutes.

* Let cool before applying the frosting.

* Top with orange zest and dried cranberries.

* Makes 8 servings

This recipe can also be seen herehttp://glutenfreehomemaker.com/gluten-free-wednesdays-9-25-13/  with lots of other gluten free recipes

Chocolate cup cakes with creamy chocolate frosting (GF/vegan)

I have been craving chocolate cake lately so I gave in and made these yummy moist chocolate cakes. I added some beets too to give a little extra nutrition. The beet flavor is completely unnoticeable. I used avocados as a base for the frosting and it was so rich and creamy I kept eating it by the spoonful. My husband even approved and he is a pretty tough critic! If you want to make these grain free you can use buckwheat groats instead of oats.

Chocolate cup cakes

1/4 cup ground shredded coconut

1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds

1/4 cup ground gluten free oats (or buckwheat groats if you want grain free)

1 tablespoon oil (coconut,olive etc.)

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

1 apple peeled

2 tablespoons coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1/2 small beet

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup honey or maple

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

optional: a few drops of stevia for extra sweetness

* process the apple,beet and water and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

* fill  greased or lined cupcake pan and bake for about 20 minutes at 350F or until slightly firm.

* Makes 6 cupcakes

Chocolate frosting

2 avocados

2 tablespoons smart balance butter (or grass fed butter if not vegan)

1/2 cup honey

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

optional: a few drops of stevia for extra sweetness

This recipe is also seen here http://www.allergyfreealaska.com/2013/08/08/whole-food-fridays-8-9-13/  and here http://dietdessertndogs.com/2013/08/08/wellness-weekend-august-8-12-2013 and here http://www.thetastyalternative.com/2013/08/allergy-free-wednesdays-week-80-august.html along with many other gluten free recipes.

Easy 3 ingredient tortillas and chips (grain-free,vegan)

Tortilla chips are a major weakness of mine (especially dipped in hummus) so I like to have some grain free options to cut down on my carb load. I have found a few brands of blue tortilla chips that are non GMO/organic and that makes me happy. I still haven’t been able to find a non GMO corn tortilla so we are avoiding those until I can find some that I approve of. These squash tortillas can be made with pumpkin, butternut or any type of squash. Dip these chips in pesto, hummus, salsa or any yummy dipping sauce!

Squash tortillas/chips

1 cup of cooked or canned squash

2 tablespoons ground chia seeds

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

(optional) herbs, sea salt, lime juice for flavoring

Mix ingredients together and let sit for about 5-10 minutes for the solidifying action of the seeds to occur. Place 1 large spoonful of the mix between two pieces of parchment paper and flatten by hand or with a rolling pin. Bake at 300 for about 15-20 minutes or until you are able to peel the paper off without it sticking and it feels slightly firm and bendable. For chips turn down the heat to 200 and cook until crispy or put in a dehydrator for about 3 hours.

Rooibos tea butternut breakfast bars

I can’t really eat eggs so I am always on the look out for an egg free breakfast alternative. These bars are really tasty and would make a great breakfast option.  They have a bread pudding type consistency and would be really good with a little coconut milk over the top.  I went outside to soak up some sun for a few minutes today and my 3 year old had decided to come in the house and eat half of the pan of these bars. I guess that means they get the kid seal of approval!

Rooibos tea butternut breakfast bars

1 cup cooked butternut squash

1/4 cup fresh ground coconut flour

1/4 cup whole pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup ground dry roasted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons raw honey

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon orange zest

30 drops vanilla stevia

1 teaspoon molasses

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tea bag of rooibos tea

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cardamon

pinch of sea salt

Combine the ground flax seeds with the warm water and mix for a minute or so. Combine all the ingredients together in a greased 8×8 baking pan and sprinkle the top with some of the chopped walnuts. Cook at 300 for about 20 minutes or until slightly firm.

Carob cream pie (dairy free/grain free)

I have a carob obsession lately, especially mixed with cocoa butter. This is a great pie that is easy to make and my kids go crazy over it. I use my cashew coconut whip cream on top with some crushed dark chocolate chips. This recipe contains a small amount of chocolate but you can just leave it out if you are trying to avoid it all together.

Carob cream pie

crust:

1  3/4 and 1 tablespoon ground cashews

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

2 tablespoons raw honey

pinch of sea salt

filling:

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (full fat or if reduced fat add 1 tablespoon coconut oil)

1 cup carob powder

3 tablespoons raw honey

3 tablespoons cocoa butter pieces

30 drops vanilla stevia

2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

optional: 1/2 cup ground roasted hazelnuts

pinch of sea salt

Prepare the crust and flatten out to the bottom of a pie pan.  Cook on medium the filling ingredients just to melt the cocoa butter and chocolate chips.  I use a whisk to make sure it is smooth and creamy. Pour onto pie crust and refrigerate for a few hours until the pie sets. Top with some cashew/coconut whip cream and crushed chocolate chips/bars. I will leave the recipe for my whip cream also below.

Cashew/coconut whip cream 

Will post tonight -misplaced recipe:)

 

What I ate Wednesday and a grain free walnut flax bread recipe

For breakfast I ate a piece of my walnut flax bread with jam. I have been working on making a sandwich bread that I can use instead of buying it from the store. This bread is fairly dense and is good for a snack or with dinner but a little dense to use for a sandwich. It is a great source of fiber and loaded with anti inflammatory omega-3 fats.

Walnut flax bread (grain free/vegan)

2/3 cup ground walnuts (soaked or freshly shelled)

1/2 cup coconut flour (freshly ground)

1/4 cup ground flax seeds mixed with 1/4 cup warm water (let sit for a few minutes to thicken)

1/4 cup ground raw buckwheat (a gluten free seed-not a grain)

3 tablespoons tapioca flour

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 teaspoons vinegar

pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix ingredients together and bake in a greased pan at 300 for about 45 minutes (or until the knife comes out clean after you test it)

 

 

 

For lunch I made some black bean garden chili. I love making chili because you can slip  in a ton of veggies and the kids don’t really notice. I threw in shredded carrots, shredded beets, butternut squash, cilantro, red bell peppers, onions and tomatoes (technically a fruit along with bell peppers).  I usually put a half of a chopped avocado on top but I was out so I just put a little coconut milk and fresh veggies. I had the lunch leftovers for dinner as well. For desert I made some really tasty raw carob raisin bars that I didn’t get a picture of because we ate them so fast and it was dark out so the lighting would have been no good. I will post those tomorrow.

 

 

Walnut flour and carrot chocolate chip cookies (vegan/grain free)

Carrots are great for digestion so I eat them or drink them with just about with every meal. They promote the growth of the good bacteria in the body (prebiotics). All coconut products promote healthy bacterial flora as well. Walnuts are a strong anti inflammatory because they are loaded with omega 3 fatty acids. So these don’t have to be desert-you can eat them for breakfast or snacks! These cookies are even better the next day! Yum!

Walnut carrot chocolate chip cookies(vegan/grain free)

1/4 cup carrot and apple juicer pulp

1 cup fresh shelled and ground walnuts( leave some chunks when you grind them if you like chunky cookies)

1/2 mashed banana

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

2 tablespoons ground sunflower seeds

3/4 teaspoon molasses

1 tablespoon tapioca flour

1/4 cup chocolate chips

4 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

15 drops vanilla stevia ( or to taste)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

What I ate Wednesday and some new recipes

For breakfast today I had a big bowl of chia breakfast pudding. I have been working out a lot lately so I need to give my body some extra nourishment. Chia seeds are a great source of  many minerals such as iron and magnesium and along with flax seeds they are the best plant source of omega 3 fats( the anti inflammatory fat) . You can do so much with chia seeds such as: adding them to water or juice for a great electrolyte thirst quencher, dairy free puddings, smoothies, use them as egg replacers in baking, and adding them to cereals or oatmeal.

Chia breakfast pudding

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup coconut milk

15 drops vanilla stevia

handful of goji berries (or other berries)

handful of cashews( or other nuts or seeds)

cinnamon(optional)

Mix ingredients together, and if you like it more soupy just add more water or milk. The chia seeds will expand about twice to 3 times their size within a matter of a few minutes.

For lunch today I had some of my favorite korean sushi from the asian market along with some red dates. I usually try to get to the asian market about once a week to get my some of my staples such as: seaweed, coconut milk, thai and chinese food condiments, tapioca flour, and red dates. I will post my recipe for my version of the korean sushi soon. If you look at the ingredients list to most of the pickled items that go in sushi almost every one has MSG, food coloring, aspartame, and other things that should not be edible. I also made some green juice from my juicer-here’s what I put in:

Green energy juice

handful kale (about 6 leaves)

handful of cilantro

2 apples

2 cucumbers

3″ chunk ginger

1 lemon

1/2 orange

10 drops vanilla stevia

I also dilute my juice with water 1:1 ratio so I can have some through out the day.

For dinner I made some cod fish sticks with pumpkin seed batter, rosemary roasted carrots and a green smoothie. I thought the fish sticks were good but the kids weren’t too excited about them so I ‘m going to keep working on that one until it gets the kid approval. They definitely approved of the strawberry chocolate ice cream cake I made for desert thought. I couldn’t keep their little hands of of the thing, they were like wild vultures fighting over it( although they fight over everything so that’s just the norm for this house)

strawberry chocolate ice cream cake (vegan)

strawberry ice cream:

1 1/2 cups coconut cream

2 cups strawberries

3 tablespoons maple syrup

35 drops vanilla stevia

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

chocolate cake:

1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 tablespoon ground coconut shreds

1 tablespoon coconut oil melted

4 tablespoons of melted chocolate chips

6 soaked red dates

* Use your ice cream maker as directed to make the ice cream to soft serve texture.

* Line a bowl with a plastic bag (to avoid sticking). I used compost bags for this.

* Slice strawberries around the the inside edge of the bowl.

* Pour ice cream to fill the bowl.

* Add a few strawberries to the ice cream (push them under so they are covered with ice cream)

* Freeze for about 1 hour

* While ice cream is freezing mix together cake ingredients and make a round “cake” about 2-3″ thick on a plate and refrigerate.

* When the ice cream is solid combine the ice cream and the cake and top with crushed chocolate chips. Let thaw for about 15-20 minutes before serving.

* Makes about 6 small servings or 4 regular servings. (very rich, I would suggest eating small servings!)

This recipe can also be found here http://www.allergyfreealaska.com/2013/05/02/whole-food-fridays-5-3-2013/  along with many other yummy recipes!

vegan orange muffins with raw glaze/frosting and eating for your body type

I had to make these because I have been craving orange flavored foods for some reason lately, maybe my body needs more vitamin C.  Oranges are actually fairly heating for my body type so I need to eat/drink them in moderation. In East Indian and Chinese medicine eating foods with the correct thermal nature is very important in keeping your body/organs functioning properly. That is why I eat more cooling/drying foods in the spring and summer such as raw foods, and warming and nourishing in the fall and winter such as soups and seafood. I also live in an environment that has all 4 seasons so I have a pretty big contrast in my diet from summer to winter. Whereas someone from a warm climate would stick to mostly cooling foods all year to keep their body balanced. If for example someone with a heating constitution (called pitta in Ayurveda) were to eat large amounts of  red meat or coffee and also living in a warm climate such as the southwest united states their body would be on “fire” and many health issues could result such as heart disease, diabetes etc. You can read more about that at this link: http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/history/00-04-18/l02-chinese.html. The Ayurvedic(East Indian) explanation of body constitutions and diet seems to be the most layman’s friendly. I strongly suggest taking an online quiz to find out your dosha type so you can be working with your body and not against it. Here is a link to a the quiz from the Dr. Oz website  http://www.doctoroz.com/ayurvedic-body-type-find-your-dosha

Orange muffins (vegan)

3/4 cup coconut flour (I grind the shredded coconut instead of buying coconut flour, it tastes better)

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

3/4 cup garbanzo/fava flour

1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon apple puree/sauce

1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon raw honey

3/4 cup coconut milk

zest of 1 medium sized orange

about 40 drops vanilla stevia or to taste

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoon vinegar

1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

pinch of sea salt

Mix ingredients together and fill muffin molds to the top and bake on 350 until soft and springy. Makes a dozen muffins.

Raw orange frosting/glaze

Blend or process:

1/3 cup soaked raw cashews

1 1/2 bananas

3 tablespoons of avocado

1/2 cup soaked shredded coconut

12 soaked dates

1 cup nut milk (I used coconut)

zest of 1 medium orange

1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

3 tablespoons raw honey

about 30 drops vanilla stevia or to taste

pinch of sea salt (optional)

1/2 carrot and/or pinch turmeric for orange color(optional)

Raw lavender blueberry cheese cake

I have been wanting to try this for a while I just haven’t had the time and right ingredients. I still didn’t have cashews so I improvised and tried some other things that I thought would work.I thought it turned out good and kids gobbled it up so I will post the recipe . I don’t like overly sweet cheese cake but if you do just double the amount of maple syrup.

Raw lavender blueberry cheesecake

1 1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 avocado

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup blanched almonds

1/2 cup thawed or fresh blueberries

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons coconut milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup (add 2 more if you like it really sweet)

pinch of sea salt

3 teaspoons lemon extract

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2-1 teaspoon(depending on how stong of a lavender taste you want)  ground dried lavender

Crust

3/4 cup ground blanched almonds

3/4 ground flax seeds

1/4 cup melted smart balance butter(vegan)

1 teaspoon molasses

pinch of sea salt

Soak in water the shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, and almonds for about 20-30 minutes. Drain the water and add all ingredients to the blender/ processor. Press the crust batter to the bottom of the dish. I used a large bowl for this so it made enough for 4 people. Pour the blended cheesecake ingredients onto the crust and refrigerate for about 1-2 hours. Top with fresh blueberries or blueberry jam.

This recipe can also be seen here http://dietdessertndogs.com/2013/04/11/wellness-weekend-april-11-15-2013 check out this link for other great recipes also.