Flourless Chickpea Pumpkin Cookies

Are you ready for the most yummy and versatile cookie recipe ever?!

These babies can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and the night that I made them I ended up eating them for dinner!

Totally free of:

Refined sugar

Flour

Oil

Butter

They are packed with protein, with vitamins and minerals (especially vitamin A), and have tons of fiber!

Plus-- what I like to do it make a batch, put the cooled cookies in a ziplock bag, then pop them in the freezer. So whenever I want one for breakfast or part of lunch, I can just put one in the microwave for 45 seconds, and top it with yummy things! That way they keep for months.

Although they might not taste amazing on their own (not my favorite, but you might like them), I absolutely LOVE them as a cookie base for other recipes.

Flourless Chickpea Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 1/2 Cups Chickpeas (Cooked and Drained)
• 1/4 Cup Pre-Soaked Dates
• 1/4 Cup Agave Nectar (or 1/2 cup honey)
• 1/2 Cup Almond Butter
• 1/4 cup chia gel (or egg replacer)
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 Cup Ground Flax
• 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Ginger
• 1/2 Cup Pumpkin
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
• 3/4 Cup Finely Shredded Carrots

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place all cookie ingredients (aside from coconut and shredded carrots) into your food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Using a spatula mix in the carrots and coconut.
5. Using a spoon scoop batter on to cooking sheet leaving space between each cookie.
6. Use the spoon to shape and smooth the tops of your cookies.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Remove cookies from oven, place on a cooling rack and let cool completely.
9. Pick topping ideas from below, OR make your own!
10. Freeze any extra cookies, and defrost in microwave for 30-45 seconds when you please!

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Banana Ice Cream Cookie

*recipe below serves two

• Two frozen bananas
• Two cookies
• Milk of your choice (I like almond milk)
• 1 nectarine (sub with any fruit that you please!)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• A few pinches of clove
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Honey drizzling to your taste

1. Chop fruit (unless you are using berries) as shown above. Set aside.
2. Blend bananas in a Cuisinart (unless you have a high powered blender like a vitamix or blentec, then the ice cream might come out too runny). Add milk little by little to make the bananas more creamy. Don't add too much liquid! 
3. Add spices and vanilla to the banana ice cream, and pulse just a tiny bit to make sure that the cream doesn't get liquidy.
4. Top cookie with banana ice cream, fruit, and drizzle with maple syrup.
5. Some yummy herbs to throw on top could be fresh rosemary, fresh basil, or fresh thyme!
6. Enjoy!

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Breakfast Cookie

What a perfect breakfast? Protein, carbs, healthy fats, and zero refined sugars!

• 1 cookie
• Half a ripe banana
• A generous honey drizzle
• A few pinches of shredded coconut (or coconut butter, as shown above)
• Sprinkle of cinnamon and clove
• 1 tbs chia seeds (optional)
• Any other toppings that you want (fruit, nuts, spices, oats, etc...)

1. Drizzle honey generously over the top of a cookie.
2. Slice banana, and lay it over the cookie.
3. Top with coconut, spices, chia seeds, and anything else!
4. Enjoy!

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Other ideas:

• Break up cookie into pieces, and put it in your oatmeal.
• Spread your favorite Jam on top, then top with fruit, nuts, etc...
• Make a healthy banana ice cream cookie sandwich, putting banana ice cream in between two cookies.
• Make it a savory meal by sauteing kale, garlic, a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and a scrambled egg in a pan. Then topping the cookie with saute mixture! 

So many options! Tell me how you enjoyed this recipe in the comments below!

Enjoy!

"Cheezy" Quinoa Bowl

Winner winner-- Quinoa dinner!

This recipe is so insanely good! I was craving a healthy lunch yesterday, and this just so happened to pop out of my imagination.  It's so good that my grandmother wouldn't believe me when I told her that all of the ingredients were totally vegan, and totally healthy.

Here is a little spotlight for the nutritional powerhouses that star in this dish!

Quinoa

• Like meat, quinoa is a complete protein-- which is great news for the vegetarians and vegans of the world. Plants have amino acids (the building blocks of protein). That's one of the reasons that it is important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables-- because different plants have different amino acids, that can form complete proteins. Luckily quinoa already does that for you! 
• It has so much fiber that your intestines will flow freely with gratitude. 
• Another plus for the vegans, vegetarians, and diabetics-- one cup of this grain has 15% of your daily iron value, and 29% of your magnesium value. Magnesium stabilizes blood sugar levels, and relaxes the blood vessels (keeping you healthy AND reducing inflammation). 

Turmeric

• Due to it's anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric (if consumed regularly) can lower your risk for onset Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, and asthma.
• Several recent studies have found that turmeric can induce apoptosis, a process that triggers the self-destruction and elimination of damaged (cancerous) cells. Further research is still required before the full effects of turmeric on cancer cells can be determined. However, existing studies suggest that daily turmeric powder or supplements combined with a balanced, nutritious diet may help prevent or even destroy cancer cells. 
• Hey all of you diabetics out there-- eat more turmeric! The antioxidant agents in turmeric can help lower your insulin resistance.

Nutritional Yeast

Fun story: My mother's parents had a cat named Edgar. He died about two years ago, living to be almost twenty! I remember when I was a little kid, I always saw them sprinkling some weird flakey, yellow, cheesy smelling stuff on his cat food. I never knew what it was until I started being more knowledgeable about health. I discovered this superfood called "nutritional yeast"! Now all of a sudden, I am eating this weird flakey yellow stuff on my popcorn, salads, and quinoa dishes! 

• Six grams of protein per two tablespoons.
• Dense in minerals.
• A vegan's miracle food, since it has a "cheesy" flavor, and can resemble gas station nacho cheese when mixed with a bit of water.
• Again, a vegan's savior due to it's vitamin B12 content! Vitamin B12 is usually found in animal products-- but vegan's need it too because it helps stabilize thyroid function, gives you energy, and builds the immune system (to name a few functions). 
• Gluten free, and salt free.

But what exactly is nutritional yeast?  

Nutritional Yeast is a deactivated yeast (not to be confused with Brewer's yeast, which has a completely different taste and purpose).  Nutritional yeast is a living microorganism grown on sugarcane and beet molasses.  When the yeast is ready, it is killed (deactivated) with heat and then harvested, washed, dried and packaged. 

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Now on to the recipe!!

"Cheezy" Quinoa Bowl

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• Half of a large avocado
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• A few pinches of salt
• Some pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh garlic
• Four tablespoons nutritional yeast

1. Add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, put heat on low for about 20 minutes, or until water is gone. Set quinoa aside once done.
2. Halve and avocado and cut into small pieces. Then add to quinoa.
3. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic, almonds, and nutritional yeast to quinoa.
4. Mix well, and add salt or pepper to taste.
5. Serve!
6. Keep in mind that you can add anything to this recipe-- some yummy options would be cooked spinach, chopped and cooked zucchini, cooked carrots, etc...

Enjoy!

Honey Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

Hello my healthy hedonists!

I was at Trader Joe's the other day, and bought their roasted almonds that had been coated in sugar and cinnamon. OH MY GOD-- to die for. After eating the entire bag by myself in less than a week, I wondered how I could make a healthier version for a daily snack that won't make me feel bad when I eat it.

I looked up the formula for making honey roasted almonds, and then I started throwing whatever spices that I wanted into the pot. MMMMMHHMM-- so freaking yummy. Especially since I decided to add some coconut oil into the mix which adds nutrition AND a super yummy nutty flavor.

Here it is!

Recipe

**Caution: When I cook, I do not use measurements. So when I write out recipes for you, I try my best to imagine exactly how much that I used. Exact measurements may vary, and you should use your senses to add more of anything if you feel the need to. 

• 2 cups almonds (preferably not already roasted)
• 8 tbs water
• 4 tbs honey
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/3 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/3 tsp salt
• A few sprinkles of cayenne pepper (a little goes a LONG way)
• 1 tbs coconut oil

1. Spread almonds on a baking sheet, and roasted at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
2. After they are done, heat up all other ingredients in a pot on medium/high-- mixing often. 
3. When mixture starts to simmer, immediately add almonds.
4. Stir often for about 5 minutes (or until the liquid becomes a simple syrupy consistency). 
5. Once there is little syrup left (try not to burn), pour mixture over parchment paper on your baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle with any more spices that you like (salt, cinnamon, cardamom, all spice, black pepper). 
7. Do not try until the nuts are completely cool.

Can you say yum? YUUUUM! 

Hope you enjoy. ;-) 

Isabella

Watermelon "Daiquiri" Refresher

Hello my healthy hedonists!

I'm in love with my new city!!!

Portland, OR

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Anywho-- Are you ready to get hydrated and refreshed?

Introducing my "Watermelon Daiquiri"!

Ingredients:

• Half of a watermelon
• 1 lime
• Two spoonfuls of strawberry or raspberry perserves 
• 1 cup of ice
• A touch of rum to taste (totally optional!)

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients into a blender (preferably a high speed/high powered blender for a smoother consistency), and blend until smooth!
2. Taste, and put more of any ingredients to your liking.
3. Serve over ice, and maybe add a touch of rum to stay true to the name. ;-)

Lots of love you guys! Stay hydrated, and eat your greens!

Isabella

Chocolate Chocolate CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate Coconut Almond Clusters

• 1 bar of dark chocolate (85% or higher)
• Almonds (you will eyeball the amount)
• 2 Tbs Coconut butter (optional)
• Handful of coconut flakes
• 1-3 Tbs honey (or maple syrup)
• Pinch of salt

1. Put chocolate bar in pot at a low medium heat so that the chocolate melts, but doesn't burn.
2. Stir in honey, coconut butter, and salt-- making sure that everything is blended and melted together.
3. Next, throw in a few handfuls of almonds and coconut flakes, and turn the mixture gently to make sure that the almonds and coconut get covered with chocolate. Make sure that the mixture isn't too viscous (liduidy) and not to dry, so that you get clean clusters when spooning onto plate.
4. Take a large plate, and cover with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spoon clusters onto plate and set in freezer until they harden!
5. Serve with cherries, strawberries, and/or mint for guests at a party (I definitely will be for my grad party)! 

***When making this recipe, I did not include coconut flakes-- but thought that they would be a lovely addition after the fact.

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Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

• 2 bananas 
• 1/2 cup coconut butter (buy at your local natural foods store)
• Pinch of salt
• 4 Tbs cacao powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Peanut butter (you will eyeball the amount)

1. Put all ingredients besides peanut butter in a bowl and blend. I find that a hand-immersion blender works the best.
2. Take out a cupcake pan (you should use cupcake liners in the pan-- otherwise you have to cut out the individual peanut butter cups out of the pan). 
3. Fill liners (or bare pan) with a small layer of your chocolate batter. Then layer some peanut butter on top of that. For the last layer, put another small layer of chocolate batter.
4. Another option is to fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way with batter, then swirl in peanut butter (like I did in the picture below).
5. Freeze for 30 minutes.
6. Serve with strawberries, cherries, and/or mint!

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Chocolate Superfood Smoothie

• A few handfuls of kale (or any green that you like)
• 3-4 tbs of cacao powder
• 1-2 bananas (for a creamy consistency)
• 1-2 Tbs chocolate protein powder (optional)
• 1-2 cups milk of your choice (I like almond milk)
• A few ice cubes

1. Blend and top with chia seeds if available. :)

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I hope that you enjoy these recipes! Just to let you know, cacao is PACKED with iron, antioxidants, and super healthy minerals to keep your endocrine system and blood working nicely! 

Eat up! But don't forget the kale. ;)

Much love <3

Isabella

Guilt Free and Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Hello everyone!

Today I made the most divine chocolate recipe in the woooorrrllldddd!!

It's completely vegan, nutritionally dense, and full of vitamins and fiber.

Here is what you'll need:

Watch the video for the recipe!

Tis' the Season for Rhubarb!

I was in "Whole Paycheck" last Sunday grocery shopping, when I stumbled upon rhubarb (which is totally in season right now). Every week I force myself to branch out and buy a fruit or vegetable that I have never either heard or, or used. And this time around it just happened to be rhubarb!

I've grown up eating my grandmother's delicious rhubard pies, and the tart flavor of this rich stalk have always had a special place in my heart. So last night, I decided to make whole wheat strawberry rhubarb muffins, and they were DIVINE.

So here are two recipes that I created with delicious rhubarb!

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Whole Wheat Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Recipe:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (or half whole wheat, half white flour for fluffier muffins)
• Two bananas (mashed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, or 1 tbs vanilla powder
• 1/2 cup non dairy yogurt
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup oil of choice 
• 1 cup minced rhubarb
• A very generous amount of strawberries ;)
• 1 cup of honey (less or more, to your taste)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup applesauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put flour in a large bowl, and set aside.
3. Put bananas in a medium sized bowl, and mash away until mostly pureed.
4. Add all other wet ingredients to the banana bowl (vanilla, egg or yogurt, oil or butter, rhubarb, strawberries, honey, and applesauce).
5. Mix well.
6. Add wet bowl to dry bowl, and mix.
7. If the consistency is too dry, then add some milk of your choice (dairy, nut, or soy milk) to the batter to make more wet.
8. After desired consistency is reached, then add baking powder, and mix (avoid over mixing).
9. Grase a cupcake or bread pan, and add batter.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
11. Cool on a cooling rack.
12. Enjoy!

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Rhubarb Oat Crisp

Recipe:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup whole wheat
• 1/4 cup unbleached wheat flour
• 1 cup honey or brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 6-7 cups of 1/2 inch cut rhubarb
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat six 8-ounce ramekins (or an 8 x 8-inch square baking dish) with grease.
2. Make crumb mixture by adding oats, flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to medium bowl and whisking together until well blended. Add oil, and mix into crumb pieces.
3. In a large bowl, add rhubarb, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract and gently mix together with spoon.
4.  Combine the 1/3 cup sugar and the 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a small cup, then sprinkle over the top of the rhubarb mixture and stir.
5.  Distribute the fruit mixture evenly between the ramekins (or pour into prepared square baking dish).
6. Top the fruit mixture evenly with the crumb mixture.
7. Bake until the rhubarb is tender (about 30 minutes for the individual dishes or 40 minutes for the 8 x 8-inch dish).
8.  Let cool slightly and serve warm.

I hope that you love these recipes! :)

Love, Isabella