Tag Archives: whole foods

Olive & Fig Tapenade

Try this recipe for your next Italian inspired dinner! Make some extra and bring it in your lunch. Tastes great with your favourite crackers, pita bread, veggie sticks, or as in the photo, with homemade sunflower seed paleo bread!

Ingredients

1.5 cups pitted kalamata olives

6 large dried figs, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

2 small garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup packed mint leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Method

In a food processor, pulse the olives, figs, capers, garlic, mint, and olive oil until the tapenade is thick and somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tapenade to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 1.5 cups

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

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Chocolate Zucchini Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates
3/4 cup hot water
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup organic light spelt flour, or buckwheat for gluten free option.
1/3 cup raw cocao powder
1/4 cup organic coconut sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
1 cup finely shredded zucchini, by hand or with a food processor
1/4 cup walnut pieces or pumpkin seeds for a nut free version

FROSTING:

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

Instructions

Place the dates in a small bowl and pour the hot water over them. Allow to soak until the dates are soft, about 1/2 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8×8-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper or oiling lightly.
Put the dates and the soaking water in the blender with the applesauce and vanilla. Blend at high speed until completely smooth. Set aside.
Combine the flour, cacao, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the zucchini and walnuts, if using. Add the blended date mixture and stir until all the flour is moistened. The batter will be thick. Spoon it into the prepared pan and smooth over the top.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until brownies are no longer liquid in the middle and edges are firm but not drying out. Allow to cool.
You can eat them plain or add the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting:
Combine the chocolate chips, non-dairy milk, and nut butter in a double boiler, cook and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Frost brownies immediately. Allow to stand about 20 minutes to firm up. Enjoy!

Inspired by Fat Free Vegan.com

Vegan Chocolate Pudding for Dinner! {made with sweet potato and black beans} {free of refined sugars}

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…So this started off as making sweet potato brownies, but didn’t end that way! After trying what was supposed to be my batter, I turned off the oven and decided this was absolutely amazing as it was… no need to turn it into anything else. So here you are, a healthy, nutrient dense, chocolate pudding that is filled with plant based protein, fibre, and antioxidants, magnesium rich raw cacao, and healthy fats like almond butter and coconut oil. This recipe is free of refined sugars and only sweetened with local maple syrup. Enjoy!

This recipe makes about 4 portions, depending on who is making it and doing the “quality control” 🙂 🙂 🙂

Ingredients

1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cubed.

1/2 cup black beans, cooked or canned (I like Eden Organics)

3 T organic coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

1/4 maple syrup (you could also use Medjool dates, but would have to add more water)

1 Tbsp almond butter, smooth or crunchy

1-2 Tbsp filtered water

Pinch of Himalayan sea salt

Dash of vanilla extract or a pinch of powder

Your favourite berries and superfoods for topping

1/2 cup almonds, ground, or nuts of choice (optional…add for crunch!)

Method

This recipe can be prepared in a blender or food processor. For a Vitamix use the damper stick, for any other blender (and perhaps the food pro), continue to stop the blender and scrape down the sides with a baking spatula, as you add more ingredients.

Steam cubed sweet potatoes until soft, about 20 minutes. I like to use a bamboo steamer. In the mean time, take out the other ingredients, melt the coconut oil, grind the almonds, etc.
To your blender or food processor, add sweet potatoes, black beans and coconut oil. Pulse/blend until they start to combine well.
Add cacao powder, maple syrup, almond butter, salt, vanilla and 1 tbsp of water. Blend well.
Add additional water until desired consistency is reached.
Remove the pudding from your blender, place in a bowl and stir in the ground almonds or nuts of choice.
When ready to serve, you can top the pudding with fresh berries, additional almonds or any of your superfood toppings like bee pollen, chia, cacao nibs, spirulina or goji berries.

Looking for something lighter? Replace the sweet potato and black beans with 1/2 a papaya.

Mexican Night…and its all Raw!

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It’s a raw Mexican Fiesta! Tonight we served walnut-sunflower seed taco meat wrapped in collard greens from the garden. These tacos are best enjoyed with a creamy cashew red-pepper cheezy sauce! …and of course, no fiesta is complete without guacamole and salsa. You can use cabbage cups or kale for the wrap.

The texture, taste (and the look) of these tacos are so similar to your typical non-veg taco filling, so its an easy way to introduce your friends or family to meatless favourites. This recipe is enjoyed my both raw foodies, vegan and even meat lovers!

This recipe is inspired by a great friend of mine, Jamie at The Blissful Kitchen, and I have added my own touch as well.

If you’d like to reduce the amount of nuts and seeds, you can substitute with mushrooms.

TACO MEAT by Jamie www.theblissfullkitchen.com

Ingredients
1 c. sunflower seeds (or mushrooms)
1 c. walnuts
1 red onion
2 tomatoes
1 jalepeno, vein and seeds removed
1 garlic clove
1/2 c. coconut aminos or 1/4 c. gluten free tamari
juice of one lime
1 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 T. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
pinch of cayenne

DIRECTIONS: Pulse sunflower seeds and walnuts in food processor until a very fine, mealy consistency is achieved. Place in bowl. Next add remaining ingredients to food processor and pulse until well-combined and tomato and onion are finely minced. Add food processor ingredients to bowl with seed/nut mixture; stir until well-combined. Allow flavors to meld 1-4 hours before serving.

To serve: Scoop taco meat into collard green, kale or romaine leaf and roll into a little burrito wrap-rolling parallel to the stem and folding in the sides. Serve with guac, salsa and cashew red pepper cheese sauce.

Baked Maple Pecan Granola

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Simple and classic. Enjoy with banana oat milk, or your favourite non dairy beverage. Top with additional fixings like coconut flakes, ground flax, chia or fresh fruit.

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

1⁄2 cup pecans or almonds

1/2 cup mixed dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, figs, prunes, apricots, peaches, cherries

1/3 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds

2 tsp cinnamon

1⁄2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1⁄2 cup maple syrup, or liquid sweetener like agave. It’s best not to bake with honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

PREHEAT oven to 275° F. Line Baking sheet with parchment paper. IN A LARGE BOWL, combine oats, pecans, cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt. IN A SEPARATE BOWL, combine maple syrup, ginger, coconut oil and vanilla. ADD maple syrup mixture to oat mixture and combine well. SPREAD granola in a thin layer on baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes to prevent burning. Cool completely and store for up to a week in an airtight container.

Maca-Cacao: superfood chocolate milk

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This smoothie literally tastes like chocolate milk. It is extremely nutrient dense and filled with healthy fats, protein and whole food carbohydrates. The dairy free milk is made from omega-3 rich nuts and seeds + coconut milk. Enjoy as a morning energy boost, afternoon treat or post work out fuel. It is such an easy and delicious (and chocolaty!) way to include the benefits of so many amazing foods into your diet like coconut oil, hemp seeds, brazil nuts, maca, medjool dates, cacao and chia.

Benefits

Maca is a root vegetable grown in the Andes mountains of South America. It is often referred to as the “Peruvian ginseng” for its abilities to energize the body, increase stamina, reduce stress and increase libido. Maca has adaptogenic qualities which aid in balancing hormones and supporting the endocrine system.

Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids that are easily digested and utilized as an energy burning fuel source, rather than stored as body fat. It also acts as a natural anti-viral to eliminate parasites or viruses.

Hemp seeds are a complete protein containing all the amino acids needed by the body for energy, repair, building and healing. These little powerhouses also contain the perfect balance of healthy fats omega 3, 6 and GLA, among many other benefits.

Brazil nuts are one of the highest sources of selenium and contain a variety of important minerals required for heart health and a strong immune system.

Medjool dates are an excellent source of potassium, copper and fibre. They are the perfect way to sweeten a smoothie or nut mylk, and can also be enjoyed on their own. So decadent!

For raw cacao benefits, please see Raw Superfood Truffle Recipe.

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