Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Rainforest Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rainforest Nut Butter cookies - simple, delicious, vegan and gluten free.  The ingredient that makes these so amazing is Nuts to You Nut Butter Inc. Rainforest Nut Butter with Coconut - a combination of cashew and brazil nut butter with a hint of coconut.  It's SO yummy!

Ingredients
1/3 cup Rainforest Nut Butter with Coconut
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup almond milk (or coconut milk beverage)

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup diary free chocolate chips

Instructions
Mix first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add remaining 3 ingredients and stir together.  Drop spoonfulls on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes.  Makes about 12-14 cookies.


Sunday, June 18, 2017

Almond Butter Banana Whole Food Snack Bars

Wet Ingredients
2 mashed medium very ripe bananas
1/2 cup almond butter 

1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract


Dry Ingredients
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup oat flour
1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice (I use whey but you can go vegan if you like)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 tsp cinnamon



Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x9 baking dish with butter or coconut oil. Mix all wet ingredients in one bowl and all dry in another. Mix wet into dry. Pour into baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 23 min. Let cool and cut into bars.



Saturday, August 13, 2016

Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

With every one's garden in full harvest I have been receiving tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini's as gifts from several of my staff, friends and colleagues.  Since I'd rather bake than cook I made muffins out of the most recent offering of zucchini :)

I LOVE the website Oh She Glows!  I don't think I've ever made something from this website I didn't like.  I own her hard copy cookbook too!

I made this recipe exactly as instructed and the muffins are hit at my house.

Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins


Saturday, May 21, 2016

Marinated Shrimp on Rice

I just made the most amazing shrimp dish...and then I sat out on my balcony and ate it with my favorite person.  At least 85% of my ingredients are organic.

Ingredients

4-5 cloves garlic
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh raw shrimp (peeled)

1 cup white basmati rice
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth


Instructions:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let sit in fridge for minimum 30 minutes.  Bring rice, broth and butter to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn heat completely off and let sit another 10 minutes.  While the rice is sitting cook shrimp and all the marinade in a pan for about 10-15 minutes.  Poor shrimp over rice and serve.





Sunday, March 27, 2016

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Late night baking again!  I came up with this epic creation just minutes ago and they have now been coined the best brownies ever.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup agave nectar (or maple syrup)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup chocolate protein powder (I used Iso Flex Peanut Butter Chocolate Whey)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another (leaving out chocolate chips and walnuts).  Fold dry ingredients into wet.  Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts last.  Press into greased 9x9 baking pan.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Turn oven off and let sit in over for another 15 minutes.  Cool and serve.





Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Antioxidant Cherry Blast Smoothie

Antioxidant Cherry Blast Smoothie

1 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cherries (pitted)
1/4 cup filtered water or ice
1 small banana
1 scoop protein powder (vanilla or unflavoured)
1-2 tbsp. peanut butter (or other nut butter)


Blend all ingredients in high powered blender.



Saturday, April 11, 2015

African Inspired Sweet Potato Mushroom Stew

This dish is actually inspired by a date I had with a man from Senegal.  He said he wanted to cook for me.  I wasn't going to turn that opportunity down so I went to his house and he prepared a traditional African dish of sweet potatoes and lamb in a spicy peanut sauce served on a bed of rice.  It was really good so I  have tried to create a vegetarian version of the meal because I have never cooked lamb in my life!

And, in case you're wondering, there was no second date but I sincerely appreciated the meal.

Sweet Potato Mushroom Stew

Ingredients:
1 onion chopped
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 tsp grated root ginger
2 medium sized sweet potatoes cut into bite sized cubes
1.5 tbsp. curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 - 2 cups vegetable broth
8 oz. button mushrooms, quartered
2 large handfuls spinach
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp. coconut milk (optional)
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
salt and pepper


Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large pot, add the onion, garlic, ginger and fry for 5 minutes.
Add the curry paste to the onion mixture and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes, stir to coat with the onion mixture.
Mix the tomato paste and vegetable broth in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are almost tender.
Add the mushrooms and spinach to the stew and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through.
Add peanut butter. To take the edge off the curry you can add the coconut milk if desired.
Add coriander, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with coriander sprigs.