Chocolate Chip Blondies

These bars are something between a cookie, a cake and a brownie. They're super soft and so delicious the next day. Right out of the oven, they're a little crumbly and are best if allowed to cool for at least 30 minutes before devouring. I am always looking for a good modification on any recipe that both increases the nutritional profile and of course improves flavor. These blondies are gluten free and can be made vegan by substituting coconut oil for the butter. They're egg free, sugar free and contain a deceptively nutritious ingredient that you won't believe! Chickpeas! They make these moist and a little creamy while not losing any of the classic flavors of a chocolate chip cookie. It also makes them very high in protein, fiber and amino acids. What a win! My kids devoured them and had no clue they were anything less than a rich, calorie-laden treat when they were actually anything but. This recipe is not a healthier substitution for the 'real thing', they're just plain healthy for you. We also ate them with a scoop of ice cream, which could also be made vegan by using Coconut Bliss or Rice Cream. I suggest trying all of these!

INGREDIENTS
1 c cooked or canned chickpeas
1|3 c almond butter
1|2 c butter or coconut oil at room temperature
1|3 c maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1|2 c sorghum flour
1|4 c almond or oat flour
1|4 c tapioca flour
1|2 tsp xanthan gum
1|2 tsp baking powder
1|4 tsp baking soda
1|4 tsp sea salt
1|2 c dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with butter or coconut oil. Blend the chickpeas, syrup, butter or coconut oil, almond butter and vanilla in the food processor or beat in a bowl with a hand mixer. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Pour the wet ingredients into the middle of the dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips. Of course, there is room for many optional embellishments such as shredded coconut, chopped nuts or white chocolate. Have fun with your recipe and make it just what you like! Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow them to cool for half an hour before cutting or eating. This recipe sets up beautifully overnight. Wrap your cooled pan with two layers of plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature. Refrigeration has a tendency to dry them out. They'll be gone before you know it!

ENJOY!

Sprouted Green Lentil Hummus

A word on sprouting and soaking your legumes. This practice will make them more user-friendly by leaching out the complex, indigestible sugars and the phytic acid that are found in most of them. These are the most difficult forms of vegetables for the human digestive system to break down. When you don't soak them, these sugars remain intact in the large intestine where bacteria ferment them and create carbon dioxide and hydrogen - the two main components of gastrointestinal gas. 

There a few kinds of legumes that do not need to be soaked, however. This includes lentils, aduki beans and split peas. These varieties are perfect for sprouting though, which enriches their nutritional profiles by increasing their protein content while decreasing starch and shortens their cooking time. 

To properly soak hard beans, rinse well and soak overnight in enough filtered water to cover the top by at least 1|4 inch. Drain the soaking liquid off and cook them in fresh water. This will also make the minerals more bioavailable. For this recipe, I sprouted the lentils for 24 hours, then cooked them in a little salted water until most of the liquid was absorbed, and drained the rest. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup green lentils

1 large tablespoon of raw tahini (sesame butter)

1|2 lemon, juiced

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 - 2 T good quality olive oil

1 T filtered water

cumin

smoked paprika

freshly chopped cilantro (parsley is a fine substitute if you prefer it)

SERVE WITH

toasted pita wedges or your favorite chips

assorted crudite

crumbled feta cheese

fresh greens

DIRECTIONS

Cook the sprouted lentils at a 2:1 ratio for about 20 - 25 minutes, until tender. Drain off any excess liquid that remains. Let them cool for 15 minutes. Add them to your blender with the remaining ingredients and season with sea salt at the end. Blend until thick and creamy. Garnish with extra smoked paprika and some whole leaves of cilantro. This makes a perfect appetizer dip or on a sandwich with your favorite embellishments. 

ENJOY!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

 I have a pretty tried and true chocolate chip cookie that I've been making for ten years that is the go-to dessert in our house and everyone's favorite indulgence. It's not vegan or gluten free and that's probably why it feels so decadent. However, I have been fudging the recipe back and forth with flour substitutions and embellishments, trying to land on the perfect modification in order to achieve a healthier version that is just as popular. Gluten is something that we try to minimize as much as possible but still allow room for at times in moderation. Certainly, the nutritional profile of this cookie is far superior to the one made with flour. I used a blend of hazelnut, almond and oat flours in lieu of gluten. I prefer the texture of this one in fact, and my kids were just as happy with the result as well.

You can create high protein flour substitutes by making your own or buying them at the store. Nut flours are higher in fiber and have a natural oil content that can replace excess butter or oil in the recipe. I blended gluten free oats into a flour in my food processor. Then I did the same with whole hazelnuts. I always have almond flour on hand from making almond milk. You can read the tutorial on making almond milk and flour in this blog post here. I always use fresh, scraped vanilla bean whenever possible and of course, dark chocolate. You can use coconut oil or butter.

These are a little crispy on the outside and warm and nutty on the inside. I think they go perfectly with a fresh, almond milk latte for breakfast or a chilled glass of milk for a treat.

This almond milk latte is my favorite way to take my espresso. It tastes the very best when you make the milk while the coffee brews. The milk is room temperature and you can use the foam just like the cafes do. Don't waste the pulp! Spread it out on a sheet pan with parchment and dehydrate it to stock your pantry with healthy almond meal and flour for your next recipe!

INGREDIENTS
1|2 c oat flour + 2 T whole oats
1|2 c almond flour
1|2 c hazelnut meal
1 T flax|chia powder (optional, but recommended)
1|4 t sea salt
1|2 t baking powder
pinch of cinnamon
1|4 c melted coconut oil or grass-fed butter at room temperature
1 egg
1|2 t vanilla
1|4 c coconut sugar
1|4 c dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix the first 7 ingredients into a medium sized bowl with a whisk. In a separate bowl, mix the coconut oil or butter with the sugar then add the egg and the vanilla until light and fluffy. A hand or stand mixer works well for this. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto a non-stick sheet pan. You should get 10-12 out of this recipe. Bake 6-7 minutes, then rotate the pan for another 6-7. You should smell them baking and the tops become brown on the edges. Remove and let them cool 10 minutes before devouring!

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cereal Bars

I posted an earlier version of these bars here a few months ago that were very good but totally different in texture and taste. The basic recipe is the same, using oats, nuts and a natural sweetener but obviously there are a multitude of options when it comes to just those things. The former version was halfway between a crunchy and chewy bar like a rice crispy treat. These were much softer like a true cereal bar and my kids now prefer them over the others. Wrapped individually and kept in the refrigerator, they are such a winner when it comes to quick and delicious. My fourth grader took one in his lunch everyday until they were gone!

 Toasting the oats and the nuts brings out a delicious, buttery flavor that is a must when making these.

I used whatever random cereals I had on hand, plus finely shredded coconut, oat flour and flax | chia powder. This stuff acts like flour and binds it all together. Just pulse the cereal flakes in the food processor until they are coarsely ground.

The uncut brick is so pretty in this natural light. You can just lift the parchment paper right out of the baking dish and set it on a cooling rack until it's ready to cut.

This recipe makes 8 rectangular bars in an 8 x 8 square baking dish, or you can cut them in half for a smaller treat. I used rich, dark chocolate chips and they were incredible!

INGREDIENTS
1 1|4 c gluten free rolled oats
1|2 c diced walnuts or slivered almonds
1|4 c chopped cashews
1|4 c unsalted sunflower seeds
1|2 c maple syrup + 2 tablespoons raw honey
1|2 c chocolate rice crisp cereal
1|2 c heritage flakes
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1|4 teaspoon sea salt
a big pinch of good cinnamon
1|4 c oat flour
2 tablespoons finely shredded coconut
2 tablespoons flax | chia powder
1 c dried fruit , dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs

*A note on ingredients: modify this recipe as needed using what you have on hand or whatever you prefer if there is something you don't like. The same goes for the cereals. The important part is that you use 1 c of crunchy cereal and 1 cup of nuts. Just get the ratios right and really, this recipe is pretty flexible. The sweetener can be entirely honey or brown rice syrup, if that's what you have. It will change the consistency a little though, as those sweeteners will make a tackier bar instead of something soft.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350. Pour the oats and the nuts onto a sheet pan and lightly toast for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Remove and allow the pan to cool before mixing everything together. Drop the heat down to 300. Put the crunchy cereals into a food processor and pulse until it's crumbly and a little coarser than flour. In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together, add the cereals, and stir in the oats and the nuts you toasted. Line a square baking dish with parchment paper. Press your mixture into the corners and flatten it on top. Bake for about 23 - 25 minutes until it's slightly brown on top and fragrant. You can let it cool in the baking dish, or you can gently lift the sides of the parchment out and set the entire thing on a wire cooling rack. It will cool much faster this way. Wait at least 20 minutes before you cut into them. Wrap individual bars in parchment and tie with string for a nice presentation or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for a firmer bar or at room temperature for something a little soft and crumbly.

ENJOY!!