Carrot Cake Bites with Creamy Orange Maple Frosting (Raw Vegan Dessert)

Too good to be true.

That’s what you might think upon biting into one of these carrot cake bites. But you would be wrong.

This is the real deal, ladies and gentlemen. You CAN have the best of both worlds. These delicious bite size portions of bliss are made with 100% healthy ingredients!

Why would you restrict yourself from delicious food, count calories or eat pre-packaged products when you can make something this incredible with real, whole ingredients?

Here’s a fun fact: all of the ingredients used in this recipe could be were eaten on their own. Can’t say the same for all cake recipes (who wants a spoonful of baking soda or canola oil?)

So what happens when you put them together? Magic.

Healthy Carrot Cake Bites with Creamy Orange Maple Frosting 

 Frosting:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight

Juice from 1/2 orange 

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

Splash of any vegan milk (almond, coconut, soy, hemp, oat, etc.)*

Cake:

4 carrots, chopped into chunks

1/2 cup raw walnuts

1/2 cup raw pecans

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds

1/4 cup ground flax

8-12 Mejdool dates

Handful of raisins

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

For the frosting: process all ingredients except for the milk in a high speed blender. If it is too thick, add a splash of milk and blend until creamy and smooth. You could also add some orange zest to the frosting for a stronger orange flavor. Set in the refrigerator.

For the cake: process carrot pieces in food processor a bit before adding the pecans, walnuts, dates, flax, coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The texture can be as chunky or smooth as you want. I like mine pretty smooth. Once you have processed the mixture to your liking, mix in the raisins and roll the entire mixture into a ball like you would with cookie dough.

I used a tea cake pan and pressed the cake into the molds. It took a bit of effort to get them out afterwards, so next time I will sprinkle some coconut flakes in the molds first so it pops out more easily. If you don’t have tea cake molds, you might have something else that will work. Cupcake molds? You could also form individual balls and shape them. Or simply press into a small dish and build a cake-in-a-cup! I’m sure you’ll think of something because I know how bad you want to make these!

Spread the frosting over the cake and garnish with orange zest, carrot strings, coconut shreds, or nuts.

Colorful Spring Rolls with Creamy Garlic Peanut Sauce

Colorful Spring Rolls with Creamy Garlic Peanut Sauce (and a pep talk for health)

Taste the rainbow.  The colors in these spring rolls are from real,whole ingredients. Not to be confused with the toxic storm of chemicals coloring the product whose advertising campaign I just borrowed.

These spring rolls are going to help you do your job of providing your body with the quality of food it needs.

Imagine knowing that your body is functioning exactly the way it should be. Your immune system can handle any threat because it has been nourished from the cellular level. Makes you feel pretty badass, huh? That’s plant power!

Because here is the bottom line: the body that you are sitting in right now is the only thing that enables you to experience this beautiful life. Do us all a favor and take care of it, because we want you around for a long time!

You can add whatever ingredients you like. I used collard green, red pepper, carrot, cucumber, avocado, mushroom, cilantro, basil, and mint.

Baked tofu strips and vermicelli (skinny rice noodles) would be a great addition and are usually found in spring rolls featured in restaurants. Honestly, I just didn't plan these that far in advance. 

It is difficult to photograph these suckers (especially when you have zero photography knowledge) so you'll just have to believe me when I say these are beautiful in person. Because I added so many fresh herbs, there are a lot of strong flavors going on here. The sauce has raw garlic and ginger, so it has a bite to it as well. You could eliminate or scale back on those ingredients, but I love how each bite bursts with freshness and flavor! Another option would be to roast the garlic first. Mmmm... roasted garlic...

The sauce would also make an excellent salad dressing if it was watered it down just a bit! 

Colorful Spring Rolls with Creamy Garlic Peanut Sauce

Peanut sauce:

1/3 cup peanut butter

2 TBSP of each: rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Rolls:

5-15 sheets rice paper (depends on size and how full you like them)

Collard green leaves

1/3 cucumber

1 avocado

1/2 red pepper

2 carrots

2 mushrooms

Fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, mint

*Optional: baked tofu, vermicelli, sweet potato, anything else you can think of.

To make the sauce: blend all of the ingredients with a high speed blender until smooth and creamy. I used a NutriBullet, which is definitely not the most powerful high speed blender (I’m not in the Vitamix club), but works just fine for my needs.

To make the rolls: you will need to soften the rice paper sheets in warm water until they are pliable. Do this one at a time. Lay the sheet down on a flat surface to arrange chopped veggies and roll like a burrito. Whichever ingredients you put down first will be visible on top, so you can play with how you want them to look. I like to put the collard green down first and wrap everything else inside of it.
Garnish wish fresh herbs or sesame seeds.

Eat as much as you want and enjoy!

Balsamic Avocado Toast with Hemp Seed, Fresh Basil and Sun Dried Tomatoes

There are foods you like, and then there are foods you really LOVE.

Having this toast for breakfast falls into the latter category. I can't tire out of eating this, no matter how hard I try (I don't). I have, however, almost entirely eliminated bread from my diet. I realized that I just feel better when I eat whole foods, so that's what I do. 

...buuut I still can't get enough of the avocado/tomato/basil/balsamic flavor combination. So now I just use the same ingredients, only with some greens, quinoa, potato or squash. The options are limitless, that's the beauty. 


Four mentionables regarding the glorious avocado:

• Two words: avocado toast. Get familiar with this concept. Avocado = nature's butter. <-- real talk.
• Avocados deserve a presence in your daily life. On a sandwich, in a fresh spring roll, as a salad dressing, with fruit, or with a spoon. 
• Avocados are fickle. Make sure you know how to tell if your avocado is ripe.
• During our brief (3 month) stint living in Florida, we were introduced a whole new world of avocados! There are a ton of different varieties besides the Hass variety we typically see at grocery stores. Florida green skin avocados have a smooth exterior and the ones we ate were about 3 or 4 times the size of a Hass. Hass VS. Florida Green Skin

Literally all six of today's ingredients are in the title: toast, avocado, sun dried tomato, basil, hemp seed, and balsamic vinegar. In that order. Breakfast is now complete.

But seriously, it's easy.

hemp seeds
are like little bonus sprinkles of health. 

Health sprinkles that can go on almost anything. They're extremely versatile - I recommend trying them sprinkled on some yogurt with fruit, or on a fresh spinach salad. They are a great source of protein (11 grams per 3 tablespoons), are high in omega-3's, and contain all 10 essential amino acids. 

Let yourself fall in love with your food and what it offers your body. Nature provides some pretty incredible stuff, right? 

No worries if it gets messy, you will want every last drop. This is one of those situations where you lick the plate after you're done. 

Balsamic Avocado Toast with Hemp Seed, Fresh Basil and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 slice toasted bread (this is sprouted grain from Trader Joe's)
1/2 an avocado
A handful of sun dried tomatoes
Fresh basil 
Spoonful of health sprinkles, aka raw shelled hemp seeds
Balsamic glaze to drizzle 
*Optional: add fresh sliced red pepper, fresh sliced tomato, a few spinach leaves, or sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes

Matcha Green Tea Smoothie

I love bananas. They're the perfect snack on the go because they come prepackaged (thanks, nature!). Bananas are loaded with sweet nutritious energy, so they are a perfect pre-workout snack to fuel your body (try eating one an hour before your workout). 

I just described bananas as perfect, twice. But I'm not gonna change it because they really are.

And although delicious alone in their natural form, bananas are food superstars because they can also be used as a binder in baking recipes, make a beautiful soft serve ice cream, and they are the perfect ingredient for smoothies. I don't typically use any milk in smoothies because as long as I have a banana, it is creamy enough with just some water. 


Unfortunately, there is one not-so-great thing about bananas. They are are not local. Never heard of a banana from New Hampshire. Or Colorado. They're so available and common and I forget they are a tropical fruit and that it probably took a whole lot of energy to get them to me. Here's why we should all try to eat locally.

With that said, I'm still not ready to eliminate bananas from my diet. They are just so... perfect. <3

The other star ingredient in this super smoothie is the matcha green tea powder! 

This is hands down one of my favorite ingredients, ever. I don't remember the first time I had matcha, but I know it was love at first sip. Matcha is the result of grinding green tea leaves into a fine powder. Green tea has a plethora of health benefits, most notably it's high antioxidant content. But matcha is even better for you than green tea steeped in water (bagged teas) because you are ingesting the leaves, as well as the dietary fiber and chlorophyll.

The antioxidant content found in one cup of matcha is equivalent to 10 cups of brewed green tea!

By the way - the green tea frapp I used to love getting from Starbuck's has nothin' on a home-blended matcha smoothie. Their matcha powder mix actually has more sugar in it than green tea (yuck). Then, they add even more sugar. Then, they charge you five bucks for it. Then, you end up with a stomach ache and/or an energy crash. Then, you say "I've had it with this crap, I'm making my own green tea smoothies from now on!"

And you will.

Matcha Green Tea Super Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 scoop green superfood powder (this!)
1 scoop green tea powder (find on Amazon, at a health food store or Asian grocer)
Almond milk (or soy, coconut, hemp, oat, rice milk), amount desired
Ice
*Optional: Sprinkle with coconut shreds, hemp seed, or goji berries


Combine ingredients in a high-powered blender, and blend.
The banana and pineapple were sweet enough so there was no need for any extra sweetener. 
I kept adding almond milk a little bit at a time so I don't know how much I actually used in the end. It's always safer to start slow with the liquid, adding more as needed.
You can also use fresh spinach or other greens instead of the superfood powder. I like having the powder on hand, it's a great boost for any day. 

Vegan Picnic Potato Salad with Mushroom and Dill

Yesterday, while posting a recipe for Ol' Reliable Chickpea Salad for Sandwiches and Wraps, I was also keeping a secret. 

While making the chickpea salad, I was simultaneously throwing together a potato salad. It happened on accident. As I have mentioned, I tend to go heavy (um, overestimate) on the vegetables. While prepping the chickpea salad, I cut up so much onion, celery, and red pepper that I realized I was hardly going to have any chickpeas in my chickpea salad (which is actually okay with me). To even out the chickpea:veggie ratio, I had to use the chopped veggies elsewhere. I also happened to have a leftover baked potato in the refrigerator, along with some mushrooms I thought it would go well with. The result: a picnic-worthy potato salad.

Potato salad makes me think of picnics and now I am daydreaming about picnics on the beach this summer! Especially since Bill's grandma gave us the most adorable wooden picnic basket last fall and we haven't had the chance to use it. Plus, I've never lived near the ocean. I know you can have picnics anywhere but on the sea just sounds so picturesque. Other picnic-friendly items will be on my mind as I consider new recipes to try...

In the meantime, I'm just going to keep playing this song (from a New England band!) on repeat...

Vegan Picnic Potato Salad with Mushroom and Dill

Ingredients:
1 leftover baked potato
2 baby portabello mushrooms
Fresh dill (to me, the dill makes it)
Onion
Celery
Red Pepper
Mustard
Salt and pepper
Vegan mayonnaise (you can buy in most stores, or make your own)
*Optional: splash of apple cider vinegar or squeeze of lemon juice, sun dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, fresh herbs, roasted garlic, broccoli florets, chopped pickle or relish, sriracha sauce

Chop ingredients and combine. Use any amount of ingredients that sounds good to you. My philosophy in cooking is that you should adapt recipes to what makes sense to you and your taste buds (and budget, availability, diet restrictions). 
Place the potato salad in the refrigerator for at least an hour before eating to let the flavors come together in holy deliciousness. 

I like that this is creamy enough without being drenched in mayonnaise or mashed smooth. I appreciate the texture that all of the ingredients offer. The crisp crunch of the onion, celery, and red pepper complements the softness of the potato and mushroom. Then there are the flavor bursts of green onion and dill... yum. Cheap, delicious, and an easy option to throw together especially if you have leftover baked potato you want to use up.

*We ended up tossing this potato salad onto a bed of arugula, adding some fresh squeezed lemon juice, a sliced avocado, and a handful of sun dried tomatoes. It was a delicious salad!

Caramel Pear Ice Cream Pie (Raw Vegan Dessert)

Is it an ice cream cake? A cheesecake? A pie? 

I am not really sure what to call this little creation, but I can verify that it is delicious! I made it last night, and we loved it so much that we ate it for breakfast. It feels very indulgent, but it is made with 100% healthy ingredients and is actually good for you! 

Caramel Pear Ice Cream Pie 

Vegan, Raw

Crust: 

1/4 cup oats (I used rolled and steel-cut)

5 medjool dates, pitted

1 handful raw pecans

1 handful raw walnuts

1 handful raw almonds

Optional: cinnamon, sea salt

Filling: 

2 pears

1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least an hour

10 dates

2-3 tbsp coconut oil

Optional: vanilla bean

Topping:

Cacao nibs

Chocolate drizzle (coconut oil + cacao powder) or (melted coconut oil + vegan chocolate chips)

Sliced or dried pear

In a food processor, combine the crust ingredients and process until it forms a sticky dough. If it is not sticky enough, add another date. Press the mixture into a cake pan or pie dish and place in the freezer.

Next, process the filling ingredients in the food processor until smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust and spread even.

Sprinkle cacao nibs and drizzle chocolate. Place back in freezer. 

I feel that it is best kept in the freezer but refrigerating it may work too. If it is frozen, let it soften for a few minutes before digging in. 

SO. GOOD.

Ol' Reliable Chickpea Salad for Sandwiches and Wraps (Vegan)

I am currently laying down with my foot iced and elevated. I broke my 5th metatarsal on my left foot. Nope, it didn't happen flipping at gymnastics or while climbing a treacherous mountain. It happened as I was running up my stairs at 6:00 in the morning in a rush to start my car before leaving for work. If it wasn't so cold, this wouldn't have happened. Thus, I blame the winter. 

Being incapacitated has it's advantages, though. For example, I can't go to work but the extra free time has allowed for more time hanging out with this guy:

Fortunately for me, this is literally ALL he does all day. Sleeps. Like a cat.

Anyway, I've also had time to try out new recipes. My mind is reeling with so many fresh ideas, but this chickpea salad is a longtime favorite and just needed to be shared. Hehe.

Chickpeas are a staple food item at my house. I use them often whether it's for hummus, Indian curry dishes, or even desserts! They are rich in nutrients and extremely budget friendly. Especially if you cook them yourself. One of my favorite go-to options to have on hand is a basic chickpea salad. It is essentially a vegan take on a tuna salad, but much tastier, as well as better for you and for our ocean friends. Call me superficial, but it also smells better and is so much prettier! 

 

It makes a delicious sandwich, wrap, salad topping, or you can just eat it plain!

Ol' Reliable Chickpea Salad for Sandwiches and Wraps

Vegan and Gluten-free

Ingredients:

Cooked (or canned) chickpeas/garbanzo beans

Onion

Celery

Red pepper

Green onion/scallion

Chopped pickle or relish

Chopped walnuts

Fresh dill

Mustard

Salt and pepper

Vegan mayonnaise (you can buy in most stores, or make your own)

*Optional: drizzle with balsamic glaze, add dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, slices of avocado, or sriracha sauce if you like a spicy kick!

Use a fork to mash the chickpeas to your desired texture. I keep mine pretty chunky with whole beans left unmashed. It's also less work ;)

Chop and combine the rest of the ingredients with the chickpeas. I don't measure, and neither should you! Recipes are made to be broken. Your taste buds know best. I typically go heavy on the vegetables - it's what I do.

You can make just enough for lunch, or you can make a big batch to last all week, which is a great time-saving idea. The taste improves with time, as the flavors come together and absorb into the ingredients. 

Now that your chickpea salad is all mixed up, you can use it countless ways. Bill likes his piled on a baguette in sub sandwich fashion. Since I am much less active now that I have a foot out of commission, I went for a lighter option. I wrapped it in a collard green leaf, topped with tomato and sprinkled with parmesan (ground up raw cashews). 

Another idea: Chickpea melt. Pile chickpea salad on a slice of toast or an English muffin. Top with sliced tomato and vegan cheese. Melt. Enjoy. Mmmmm...

German Chocolate Brownies (Vegan and Gluten-free)

It's still hard to believe I live in New Hampshire. It's almost spring and I am eagerly awaiting warmer weather and exploring my new home. I've been here for 5 months, the majority of which has been a cold, snowy winter. I look forward to picnics on the beach, and spending my free time mountain biking, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. I will also be coaching gymnastics and working for a brand new organic juice bar opening in Portsmouth this month. Spring represents new beginnings, and my life is definitely a reflection of that!

I haven't seen my beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains since June and my heart aches for them, as well as for my family and friends I left behind. The past year has been a whirlwind; graduating with my Master's, setting out on a cross-country move to Tampa, then a short 3 months later doing it all over again, this time to New Hampshire. 

Anyway, my super amazing mom celebrated her 55th birthday two days ago. Every year, my dad makes her a German chocolate cake for her birthday. Perhaps nostalgic thoughts of home were the inspiration behind these German Chocolate Brownies (gluten-free and vegan, of course).  These tasty treats are for you, momma. Since you can't be here to indulge, I will make sure to enjoy them for you. ;)

My mom has been following a mostly vegan diet for the past several weeks. I am incredibly proud of her for sticking with it. I'm also thrilled that my passion for health has sparked her interest in my lifestyle, enough to try it for herself. The beginning is the tough part, and it gets easier and more exciting over time. Then, at some point, you realize that everyone else is missing out on something amazing. Plant powered is the way to be, I am 100% sure of this. My goal is to share the plant love with as many people as I can!

These brownies do not have the texture of cake, they are more fudgy than fluffy. They could be made with any type of flour, but I used organic quinoa flour. That word is pronounced "keen-wah" but I'm sure you already knew that. Quinoa contains all eight essential amino acids, and is a complete protein. It's delicate nutty flavor worked perfect for these brownies. These brownies are seriously packed with protein and energy, and they would make the perfect pre- or post-workout treat. There is opportunity to make adaptations according to your own tastes (like adding pecans!), but here is what I did:

German Chocolate Brownies

Vegan and gluten-free

Wet ingredients: 
15 oz. cooked black beans (or 1 can, rinsed)
3 medjool dates, pitted 
1 cup water (I used leftover brewed coffee for added flavor)
1 tsp vanilla
1 handful vegan chocolate chips or cacao nibs (I added some of both)
Maple syrup (to taste)

Dry ingredients:
1.5 cup flour (I used organic quinoa flour)
1 tsp salt (I used Himalayan pink salt)
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 cups sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 to 1 1/4 cups raw cacao powder

Caramel-coconut frosting:
1 cup medjool dates, pitted and soaked
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup water (approximately)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use coconut oil to grease a baking dish. My dish was a 9x13 inch glass casserole dish.
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. 
In a food processor, mix all of the wet ingredients (except maple) until very smooth. 
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Taste the batter, and add maple syrup as needed for desired sweetness. If it is too dry, you can also add a little bit of water.
Pour into baking dish and spread out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 
Stick a knife into the center of the dish and make sure no batter sticks to it. It should be very moist but still firm.
Let the brownies cool while you prepare the frosting. Simply blend all ingredients together in the food processor until you reach desired consistency. You could blend the caramel (dates, vanilla, and water) first, and add the coconut last. I jumped the gun and did it all at once. Still delicious.
Once brownies are cool, you can cut them into squares and top them with the caramel-coconut frosting.
Sprinkle some extra coconut shreds on top. Why? Because the more coconut the better. Now enjoy!