Vanilla - Infused Dream Whip

You will never buy that awful, store-bought whipped topping again after tasting what REAL whipped cream is like. First, the ingredients are super basic and there is no corn syrup or oils, which are totally unnecessary anyway. This is made from pure, organic cream with three forms of real vanilla and a little coconut sugar. Frozen, it's nearly ice cream and from the refrigerator, it's amazing on top of your favorite dessert. I put it between two of my Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies as a sandwich and my kids were in heaven! Try it on top of my Dark Chocolate Super Brownies or with frozen bananas and my Dark Magic Shell. All of these recipes can be found right here on the site. The cookies and brownies are gluten free, low on the glycemic index, full of healthy ingredients and wide open for lots of tasty embellishments to suit your lifestyle!

INGREDIENTS
1 pint of organic heavy cream
vanilla paste or 1 whole vanilla bean
vanilla extract
vanilla salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar

DIRECTIONS
Using a hand mixer is the easiest way to go. You can do this by hand but it will take a little longer and a little elbow grease. Pour the cream into a medium-sized bowl. If you are using whole vanilla bean instead of the paste, take a sharp knife and split the bean in half. Take the end of the blade and scrape the resin from the inside of each half into the bowl on top of the cream. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, the coconut sugar and a few dashes of the vanilla salt. Now mix! This process to go from thick cream to a dreamy, airy whip takes about ten minutes of constant stirring. You will see it get thicker and fuller as it comes together and then eventually, thick folds begin to form and peaks come to the top. You're finished! Store this in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Lasts about a week in the fridge, longer in the freezer.

ENJOY!!

Vanilla - Infused Dream Whip

You will never buy that awful, store-bought whipped topping again after tasting what REAL whipped cream is like. First, the ingredients are super basic and there is no corn syrup or oils, which are totally unnecessary anyway. This is made from pure, organic cream with three forms of real vanilla and a little coconut sugar. Frozen, it's nearly ice cream and from the refrigerator, it's amazing on top of your favorite dessert. I put it between two of my Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies as a sandwich and my kids were in heaven! Try it on top of my Dark Chocolate Super Brownies or with frozen bananas and my Dark Magic Shell. All of these recipes can be found right here on the site by searching for them in the right hand sidebar.  The cookies and brownies are gluten free, low on the glycemic index, full of healthy ingredients and wide open for lots of tasty embellishments to suit your lifestyle!

INGREDIENTS
1 pint of organic heavy cream
vanilla paste or 1 whole vanilla bean
vanilla extract
vanilla salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar

DIRECTIONS
Using a hand mixer is the easiest way to go. You can do this by hand but it will take a little longer and a little elbow grease. Pour the cream into a medium-sized bowl. If you are using whole vanilla bean instead of the paste, take a sharp knife and split the bean in half. Take the end of the blade and scrape the resin from the inside of each half into the bowl on top of the cream. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, the coconut sugar and a few dashes of the vanilla salt. Now mix! This process to go from thick cream to a dreamy, airy whip takes about ten minutes of constant stirring. You will see it get thicker and fuller as it comes together and then eventually, thick folds begin to form and peaks come to the top. You're finished! Store this in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Lasts about a week in the fridge, longer in the freezer.

ENJOY!!

Macrobiotic Black Bean Burger

Over the last month, I've literally made over 100 of these, and changed the recipe at least three times. I made 100 of them for the BIG OM YOGA RETREAT I cooked for earlier this month, and they were well-received! Check out their page for announcements on upcoming yoga retreats in Oklahoma!

The secret to the best vegetarian burger is the ratio of grains and vegetables to your sticky ingredients, such as flour, breadcrumbs and egg. I recently did a vegan version for a family I was cooking for and though they were delicate and softer than the ones made with egg, the taste was incredible. The trick is to let them cool for 5-10 minutes before assembling your burger or salad in order to allow them to set up. This recipe, as always, has room for many tasty embellishments and substitutions to fit your lifestyle preferences. I'll include those at the end of the recipe directions. Meanwhile, you can imagine the multitude of ways to have these deliciously healthy patties. Assembled traditional burger-style, on a salad or in a wrap, they make a protein-rich addition to any vegetarian ensemble just about.

INGREDIENTS
1 c cooked or canned black beans
3|4 c toasted, cooked quinoa ( be sure to rinse the quinoa before cooking )
1|2 c yellow onion, minced
2-3 carrots, grated
4 medium mushrooms, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T white miso
1|4 c oat flour
1|2 c breadcrumbs ( you can toast gluten free bread and put into the food processor if needed )
1 egg or substitute a flax egg if you're vegan ( 1 T flax meal hydrated in 1 T water for 5 minutes )
1-2 T nutritional yeast
pinch of cumin and smoked paprika
fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
sea salt + black pepper + cayenne to taste ( or fresh, diced jalapeño )
olive oil for sautéing

Good vegetable modifications are grated zucchini, bell peppers and sweet potato!

METHOD
Warm the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and the carrot and sprinkle with salt to soften. Cook about 5-7 minutes and add the mushrooms and the garlic for another 5 minutes. Combine the quinoa and the black beans in a large bowl. Mash them together with a fork or potato masher until about half of the beans are broken down. Add the cooked vegetables and stir. Add the remaining ingredients and combine until the texture resembles a typical burger consistency, making sure that it is not too wet. You can add a little more breadcrumbs or flour until it becomes a little sticky and more on the dry side. Adjust your seasoning and put the bowl into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before you cook them.

When it's ready, warm some more olive oil in the same skillet and form them into burger patties, making sure that they are mostly flat on both sides and have smooth edges. This can all be done with your hands. They will cook evenly this way but they are mostly cooked already, except for the egg. Cook for about 6 minutes on either side on medium to medium high. They can be prepared ahead and refrigerated or frozen between sheets of parchment paper for later and are easily reheated in the oven on a baking sheet or back in the skillet.

Serve them on whole grain buns with your favorite condiments and fixings or on a salad with fresh sliced tomatoes and avocado and a creamy dressing. Also great on pita or tortillas as a pocket or a wrap. The sauce in the photo is greek yogurt, whole grain mustard and sriracha! Topped with cilantro, this was my favorite way to eat them. Super light for breakfast and easily adapted as vegan and gluten free!

ENJOY!

Mediterranean-Style Stewed Chickpea Salad

I can't seem to get enough salad variations in spring + summer. This Mediterranean-inspired twist adds tons of extra flavor and nutrition to basic chickpeas, paired with a creamy avocado-yogurt-tahini dressing with lots of lemon, crunchy radishes and fresh cilantro. Getting hungry yet? This would make a great salad served family-style on a large platter with the dressing in a bowl on the side as a starter for falafel, lamb or even a chicken kabob. These flavors just holler summer and would make a nice dinner eaten outside on the patio. My family loves doing this. It adds a little special something and almost feels like we're eating out!

INGREDIENTS
1 - 2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
2 ripe avocados
1|2 cup plain greek yogurt
1|4 cup raw sesame tahini
1 lemon, juiced and zested
5 - 6 radishes, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
cherry tomatoes cut in half
peeled, diced cucumber
red onion, thinly sliced or shaved (optional)
your favorite salad greens
cilantro, green onions, mint, parsley about 1 T each
cumin, turmeric, paprika about 1|8 tsp each
crushed red pepper or cayenne for heat, if desired
olive oil or ghee
sea salt + black pepper to taste
sprouted flatbread or pita

METHOD
Warm the olive oil and a teaspoon of ghee if you have it in a medium sauté pan on medium. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly because they burn easily. Add the powdered spices and stir for another minute until they become fragrant and bloom. Stir in the chickpeas and a about 1|4 cup of water or stock to make a little pan sauce. Add the parsley, a bit of lemon zest and cover and turn off the heat. Make the dressing as this cools down a bit. Combine the avocado, yogurt, tahini and juice of 1 lemon, a pinch of salt and half of the mint and cilantro. Whisk it with a fork or blend it in a blender for a super creamy consistency. Assemble your salad by starting with a bed of greens, then tomato halves, cucumber and shaved red onion if desired. Spoon the chickpeas on next and wedge the radishes into that on their sides so that the red rim is showing. This makes a nice presentation. Top with your green dressing and garnish with the green onions and the remaining herbs. Toast your pita or flatbread and cut into wedges for scooping and dipping.

ENJOY!

Rosemary, Thyme + Lemon Raw Cashew Cheese

I've been really fascinated by artistic, vegan cheeses for some time now. Fortunately, I failed the first time. That fueled my determination to keep trying. Intentionally, I did not go out and buy the most popular food book on the topic, but instead, collected lots of information and spent the money on good, raw, organic cashews. The result? A darn success! This cheese turned out exactly what I wanted - soft, firm, flavorful, sharp and RAW. I'm now experimenting with other seeds and nuts like sunflower and brazil nut. Recipes to come! I would recommend consuming this with a fine cracker or flatbread. It SLICES. You'll want to take advantage of this as you can also dredge it in breadcrumbs and fry it in a good butter if you want to really go hard. However, I curated this recipe as a raw, confectionary thing that is intended to be consumed cold, as such. But I still love to hear about adaptations on these recipes and certainly anything you think could improve a good thing.

You'll need some thick muslin and|or a thin dish towel or cloth napkin. It drains for a few hours. This is basically a super thick cashew cream, with the whey drained out. Similar to making Panir, a traditional whole milk Indian cheese, this uses the same method by removing the moisture, leaving the curd, which in this case is the cashew pulp, smooth and creamy. I pressed fresh herbs, lemon zest and pink sea salt into the outside when it was done to create a flavorful crust. Recommended!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw, organic cashews
1 lemon
fresh herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Oregano or Parsley
coarse pink salt such as Himalayan or Maldon, to taste
1 Tb nutritional yeast
freshly minced garlic
filtered water
cheesecloth, muslin and a thin dish towel
colander

METHOD
Soak the cashews in enough filtered water to cover them by one inch. Do this for a minimum of 4 hours, and up to 24 hours. Strain the soaking water off and rinse the cashews. Put them into a food processor or blender with a pinch of the salt, the nutritional yeast, fresh garlic and the water a tablespoon at a time until it is blended thick, creamy and smooth. You want to use the least amount of water possible but still get a completely smooth slurry. Line the colander with the cheesecloth, muslin and the dish towel. Pour the cashew cream into the middle and fold the ends over. Place this over a bowl that can catch the liquid that will drain from the cashew puree. I put a plate and a bowl on top of the towel to press more liquid out and I think that's a good way to get it really dry. Let this press for 6-12 hours or overnight, and then remove the cheese round to a cutting board. Press in your dried herbs and lemon zest or salt or pepper or jalapeño or anything that sounds good! This will keep about 5 days in the fridge, wrapped in plastic or stored in a storage container. Serve with crackers, crisp breads, on salads or breaded and fried.

ENJOY~!!!

Chocolate - Drizzled Almond Oat Shortbread Bars

Let's talk about how delicate and pretty these are. Something between shortbread and a biscotti, they're flaky, crumbly and have little notes of nutmeg and fennel. Really perfect with a coffee or your favorite hot tea, for breakfast or a snack that isn't too sweet. It's really the dark chocolate drizzle that makes it seem like a dessert. My favorite baking sweetener is always coconut sugar. I like using maple syrup in things that are raw. You can easily make your own oat flour at home by grinding whole oats in a food processor or even in a coffee bean grinder if that's all you have. You can find gluten free oats in health food stores by carefully reading the label. Other than that, I used almond flour and the combination of these two makes a beautiful texture and keeps it gluten free. I used a good, organic butter and have not tried this with coconut oil. I don't have a pastry bag so I found that spooning the warm chocolate into the corner of a heavy duty quart bag works just as well. You just twist the top of the bag and clip the very tip of one corner and it is easy to control your fancy drizzle. I always say that a pretty zig zag makes anything feel just a little fancier.

INGREDIENTS
1 1|2 c old-fashioned rolled oats plus extra for garnish
3|4 c almond flour
1|2 c unsalted butter at room temperature
1|2 c coconut sugar plus extra for garnish
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1|4 t sea salt
1|2 t freshly grated nutmeg
1|2 t ground fennel or fennel pollen
2 1|2 ounces dark chocolate (72% or higher)
Flaked sea salt , such as Maldon, or coarse grind pink Himalayan salt for garnish

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, pulse the oats to create a coarse flour, allowing a big of texture. Set aside. Still using the processor, cream the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg. Add the oat flour back in, the almond flour, salt and spices. Combine everything and scrape the sides down at least once.

Lay out a sheet of parchment paper. In a line from side to side, sprinkle some of the reserved whole oats and a sprinkle of sugar to create a crust. Turn the dough out into the middle of the paper. It will be fairly tacky. Using the parchment, roll the dough into a log about 3 inches in diameter. Wrap it up in the parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Working quickly, slice the log into 1|2 inch coins and lay them about 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges just begin to brown, 14-16 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a wire cooling rack.

Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl set over a double boiler at medium low. Transfer to a plastic bag and create your zig zag pattern. Sprinkle with flaked Himalayan salt and let them cool for 20 minutes.  This recipe was adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook.  ENJOY!!

Dark Chocolate Tahini Buttercups

Tahini in a dessert? It's an amazing, silky combination. Tahini on it's own is a little....tart for lack of a better word. It's not sour or bitter or salty. It has this amazing note of creaminess that can not be imitated by another butter. In essence, if you don't know, it's sesame butter. When I combined it with coconut oil, which is a little sweet in it's natural state, it totally bloomed! Especially when paired with  the semi-sweet layer of dark chocolate, it was incredible! So, I posted a similar tahini cup recipe before that had a date-caramel layer instead, which is amazing, but this was way different. I made the chocolate layer from coconut and almond butter and cacao powder and a little maple syrup. You could totally use a chocolate ice cream or Coconut Bliss if you didn't want to make it from scratch or have the time. I'm all about quick, healthy substitutions. I mean, we don't always have the time to do it all and in a pinch, I use fixes like anyone else. I'm including the recipe for it, which is what I did. I should note that I made these in mini silicone cups. They are not muffin sized. I highly recommend investing (like $10-$15) in these reusable cups. It reduces waste by not using paper and allows you to avoid using an aluminum muffin tin.

INGREDIENTS
equal parts tahini + coconut oil,  melted
chocolate butter or
1|2 cup almond butter + 2T raw cacao powder
1|4 cup almond milk or coconut milk
1T maple syrup
pinch sea salt

DIRECTIONS
Pour a bit of the tahini mixture into the bottom of each cup. Put them on a sheet pan and put into the freezer for half an hour. In the mean time, make the chocolate mixture in a blender or food processor. Blend until thick and pourable. If you need to add more coconut milk or liquid, do it until it's smooth and creamy. Pull the cups out of the freezer. Pour in about 1|4 inch for each cup, depending on how many you're making. This recipe makes 10-12 mini cups. Pop them back into the freezer for another 30 minutes. Then top them with the remaining tahini mixture and then back into the freezer until set. These are ready to eat in about an hour. So delicious!

ENJOY!!