Choco-PB Breakfast Cookies

I'm always looking for an easy breakfast for my kids. I usually make double batches of waffles, pancakes or muffins on lazy days but that can get boring.  A few years ago, before we cleaned up our diets, a quick breakfast I would give the kids was a popular, store-bought "breakfast cookie" that I thought looked healthy. I was incredibly wrong. They were full of GMOs, trans fats, artificial colors and flavors, and a whole mess of chemicals. My version of breakfast cookies contain none of that and are made with only 7 ingredients. They're also naturally gluten free. Add the delicious glaze if you feel the need to indulge a bit, they are tasty either way.

Choco-PB Breakfast Cookies

For the cookie

1 c ground oats (can be ground in a food processor, blender or coffee grinder)
1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 c nut butter (I used PB)
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt (my favorite is real salt)
3 ripe, smashed bananas 
1/3 c dark chocolate chips 

For the glaze

2 T maple syrup
2 T cacao
1 tsp coconut oil
2 T peanut butter

Preheat your oven to 350F. Mix the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined. Add in the salt, ground and whole oats, stirring until incorporated, then fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon 1/3 c batter onto baking sheet, making large, round cookies, 2-3 inches wide. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. (sometimes I broil them on low for a minute to get a golden color on top) 

Let cool on a wire rack before adding the glaze.

To make the glaze, I used a double broiler, added all of the ingredients to the bowl and whisked until combined. Spoon the mixture into a ziploc bag, snip a tiny corner off the bag for piping, and decorate the cookies in whatever pattern you like.

This recipe makes 10 large cookies.

Salad Ideas

As a healthy eater, I get asked a lot, "Do you eat anything besides salads?" Yes, yes, I do. But I also DO eat A LOT of salads. I know they are very good for my skin, digestive system and overall health, but they can get very boring. So, here are a few samples of the salads that my family and I eat.

Raw walnut taco salad has become one of our new favorites. Just process 2 c walnuts until they are small pieces, add in 3 green onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 bell pepper, juice of 1 lime, 1 T chili powder, 1 T cumin and 1 t oregano. Pulse until combined. I serve it with guacamole or cashew ranch.

Leftover falafel is amazing on top of a salad. Served with cashew ranch and lemon marinated cucumbers and tomatoes.

    

Black beans, lime juice, tortilla chips and spicy cashew ranch give a regular salad some kick.

There is nothing wrong with some pretty greens, colorful veggies and your favorite dressing.

Italian Pasta Salad, my favorite to take to parties.

Red potato salad with Cashew Aioli, capers, white beans, spinach, arugula and red bell peppers is a family favorite. 

Tropical Green Smoothie

Iron is essential in keeping our bodies healthy. It strengthens our immune systems, treats insomnia and helps with concentration. It's also a key factor in preventing anemia. What you may not know is that for our bodies to absorb Iron properly, Iron-rich foods (plant based ones, like whole grains, beans and veggies) should be accompanied by Vitamin C rich foods when eaten. When digested together they form a compound that makes the Iron more absorbable. This Tropical Green Smoothie gives you the best of both world.

I recently bought a case of oranges and had planned to juice them all. But then I got to thinking about how Iron needs Vitamin C  to be absorbed and then this smoothie was born. I was very surprised at how tasty it was because I put a lot of spinach in it. But the sweetness of the fruit really mellowed out the bitterness of the greens.

You'll need: 

2 c fresh, baby spinach
2 bananas, fresh or frozen
1 c pineapple, fresh or frozen
1 c freshly squeezed orange juice (I hand-squeezed 3 oranges)

Let's get started!

Blend the orange juice and spinach until smooth. Add in the fruit and blend until creamy. This makes about 3 cups.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

In the winter, I make soup 4-5 times a week. It's my favorite go-to meal and with a little help from the slow cooker, it makes my nights a bit less busy. I've been making this soup for years, but recently cut out chunks of tomato in favor of adding just tomato paste. My kids enjoy it much better that way. For some reason the chunks of tomato were not appealing to them. This recipe is very easy, yet flavorful, I hope you enjoy it.

To make life simpler, grab a bag of organic mixed veggies instead of cleaning and chopping fresh.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

You'll need:

1 jar of tomato paste, such as Bionaturae

1 c chopped carrots

1 c chopped celery

1/2 c peas

1/2 c corn 

4 c vegetable broth, or more

1 chopped bell pepper

5 cloves garlic, pressed or smashed

1 c green beans

1 medium onion, chopped

4 red potatoes, quartered

Option: add in your favorite beans

Let's get started!

For stove top

Throw your onions, garlic, celery and bell peppers in a pot ( medium heat) with 1/2 c of water and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add in the rest in the rest of the veggies, tomato paste and broth, and let boil for 10 minutes. Lower heat and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until everything is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

For slow cooker

Throw all ingredients into a slow cooker and set for 6 hours. That's it! 

Raw Cheesecake with Almond and Cacao

This cheesecake is delicious and easy to make. It's perfect for when you want something sweet but don't want the naughty feelings afterwards. Made with no gluten, no oil and no refined sugar, you'd think it would taste bland and boring, but that's definitely not true. Dates, almond butter and cacao give this little cake an enormously scrumptious flavor. A dehydrator isn't necessary and all you need is a blender, food processor and a freezer. 

You'll need:

Crust

1 c raw cashews

1 c raw almonds

1 c soft, pitted dates

2 T cacao powder

Filling

2 c soaked, raw cashews

2 T raw almond butter, like Artisana

1/4 c lemon juice

1/2 c date paste* or raw coconut nectar, such as Coconut Secret

1 c water

1 t vanilla bean powder or 2 t vanilla extract

1 t cacao powder

* date paste: 2 cups pitted and softened dates blended with 2 c water

Let's get started!

To make the crust, pulse the almonds and cashews until they are broken down into small pieces. Add in the dates and cacao and pulse until combined and the mixture holds its shape. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a spring-form pan, or for mini cakes, press into the bottom and sides of a muffin tin. 

To make the filling, blend all of the ingredients except the cacao powder until smooth and silky. Pour all of the mixture, except 1/4 c, over your crust. Add the tsp of cacao to the leftover mixture and blend until combined. 

Now comes the fun part. With a spoon, drizzle the filling over the cake, in lines. Try to get them as close together as you can. They definitely don't have to be perfect, because you are about to mess them up.

Now, grab a toothpick, or a skewer, and use it to make perpendicular lines through the batter, changing direction every line (up and down).

After you've finished decorating your cheesecake, cover it and place in the freezer for 4-5 hours to set. Let it thaw out for 15 minutes before cutting. The cheesecake can be stored in the freezer for up to two weeks. I usually cut it up and store slices individually for easy access. 

Peary Green Smoothie

This is my kids' favorite smoothie… even though it's green! At first, I just told them that the green came from the pears, until they caught me adding spinach in!

Smoothies are a great way to start your day. You literally just drink your vitamins and your meal. They are my go-to breakfast if we are in a hurry or to take along with us. I just pop an Eco Jarz lid on and off we go. And if, at the end of the day, I feel like I haven't had enough nutrients, I'll make a quick smoothie before bed or even as dinner (an extra large one!)

This smoothie is very, very simple. 

You'll need…

1 pear, cored
2 c fresh spinach
1 frozen banana
1/2-1 c nut milk

Blend nut milk and spinach until smooth. Add in the pear and banana, and blend until smooth. Drink up!

Oven Fried Okra (Vegan and Gluten Free)

 

I came across some fresh, gorgeous okra at the farmer's market this weekend. Right away, the kids started asking for fried okra. For Vegan MoFo, my goal was to make and post easy, yummy and healthy recipes. Growing up in the South, my family always made fried okra. But usually, it was from a bag and then tossed into canola oil. I wanted to make some for my kids, but a lot healthier and unprocessed.

When we got home I washed and then cut up the okra. 

Then coated it with a flax egg and cashew milk.

Then I tossed the okra with cornmeal, chickpea flour and spices. Then I let it bake.

You'll need...

1 lb fresh okra, cut into pieces

1 c nut milk, I used cashew

1 flax egg (1 1/2 Tbsp ground flax mixed into 1/4 c warm water)

1 c cornmeal

1 c chickpea flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Let's get started

Preheat oven to 400*. In a medium sized bowl, whisk flax egg into nut milk. Pour cut okra into milk mixture and evenly coat them. Add cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper to a large bowl and mix well. Evenly coat the okra with the flour mixture and spread them onto

a baking sheet. (I used a stone dish, coat with coconut oil if using something else). Bake for 35 minutes or until brown, turning once. Sprinkle with a little more salt if desired. 

Glorious Green Juice

Welcome to day 5 of Vegan Mofo and my 2nd blog entry! 

I love juicing. It's one of the easiest things you can do to fuel your body with tons of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. I like to make a big batch of juice and the family and I try to drink it within 24-48 hours. 

Juicing with a theme is super fun, and helps you decide what to pick or buy. Like only leafy greens, or only berries, all things red or even "clean out the fridge day." This juice definitely has an all green theme. while it's not a very sweet juice, it's definitely delicious. If you're new to leafy greens or vegetable juices, feel free to add fewer greens or a little more fruit.

I try to buy all organic produce, but if that's not available or in your budget, try these tips. 1. It's very important to wash your produce. It might look clean, but just imagine how many people touched it before it got to you. 2. Peel your cucumbers after you wash them. 3. Soak your produce in a sink full of cold water with 1 cup of vinegar mixed in. This gets rid of mold spores and can "refresh" your produce. Rinse produce thoroughly after. 

You'll need...

2 cucumbers
2 green apples, cored
6 leaves romaine lettuce
2 kiwis
4-5 leaves kale

Juice all ingredients. Follow the leafy greens with something sturdy and hard, like the apples. Pour juice through a fine mesh strainer, if desired. Store in fridge, and drink within 24-48 hours, if not immediately. 

This juice is Emerson approved!