Category: munchies

Not really M&M cookies

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The Not Really M&M Cookies

(vegan and not healthy)

2 cups of flour
1 Tbs cornstarch
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
¾ “butter” (I use earth balance)
1 NOT-egg (either flax egg or the Follow your heart “eggless egg)
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag of Unreal chocolate gems (I used the peanut ones)
+ about 2 oz of dairy free mini chocolate chips

Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda in medium bowl
In separate bowl mix the sugars, add in melted butter, and “egg”. Stir well, add vanilla.
Slowly pour the dry mixture into the wet, stirring as you go.
Finally add in chocolate pieces.
Refrigerate about ½ hour until it firms up a little.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On baking pan, spoon about 1 Tbs of cookie dough, leave about  2 inches between scoops (they will grow).
Bake 10 minutes, allow to cool on cooking rack.

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almond butter

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This is seriously one of the easiest recipes; who knew?!

The main ingredients, almonds and patience.

It started two weeks ago, when I was out at a bar for my friends birthday and someone gifted her a couple jars of almond butter. I’m thinking “Ok, I need to get to know this girl”.  We immediately hit it off and started talking about recipes! She ensured me this was way easier than I thought.

In two weeks I’ve made at least 8 batches; altering and adding slightly different ingredients.

Here’s my favorite and most clean recipe:
2 cups of almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of Himalayan sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degree.
Line pan with tin foil, spread almonds out and slightly salt.
Roast for about 7 minutes in the middle of the oven.

While the almonds are still warm, place in Vitamix and start to grind.
The texture will turn from a grainy flour, then to a paste, and after a while, you’ll eventually obtain a pourable creamy butter.

This is where you need to be really patient.  It can take up to 20 minutes of just blending to reach your desired texture.  I typically run it on low, and do other things around the kitchen while I wait.

Check on it periodically to scrape down the edges and then blend some more!
Once it’s creamy: this is the point where I throw in the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Another flavor I am digging:
1 tsp cacao powder and 1/2tsp espresso powder (also top of my list)
you can also add maple syrup to sweeten it up a bit (just a tsp is plenty)

Strawberry Sorbet

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16 oz strawberries, de-stemmed and frozen
1 5oz container of Coconut yogurt (I like So Delicious)
1-2 Tbs Juice from one Lemon
3 Tbs agave

Blend in high power blender [vitamix] until smooth.
Prepare a metal bread pan with parchment paper, covering bottom and sides
Pour the blended mixture into pan, freeze 2 hours, serve.

(If you leave the sorbet in freeze longer, let thaw about 20 min before serving, to help soften it up.)

Strawberry- Lemonade muffins

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2 cups flour
1 1/2 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Two handfuls of strawberries cut up into small pieces
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 lemon for zest + juice (2 Tbs)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup almond milk
2/3 Coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup coconut sugar + sprinkle for topping
organic food coloring- optional

 

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
In medium bowl, sift together flour, mix in baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Sprinkle in the zest from one lemon (I love flavor so I get as much as possible).

In separate large bowl, mash the banana. Mix in the sugar, and add vanilla. Juice your lemon and mix that in. Stir in the coconut oil.
Next, pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir well, and slowly pour in almond milk
Fold in the strawberry bits, and make sure they’re mixed around well.
Optional to add a little food coloring for color and fun!
Line muffin pans with liners, fill about ¾ way, sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top of each muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy!

Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

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½ cup peeled, chopped carrotsnacho-sauce
½ cup chopped yellow potatoes
1/3 c raw, cashews
1 cup dairy free milk
2 ½ Tbs nutritional yeast
1 Tbs lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
*option: pinch of cayenne or paprika for a little kick

 

-Steam potatoes and carrots in a pot for 15-20 minutes until softened
-In blender or food processor, pulse cashews into a flour; set aside
-Drain any access water for veggies and scoop all veggies into blender with ½ cup of milk; blending until smooth
-Add in cashew flour, nutritional yeast, ACV, and salt
-Add in in remaining milk and mix well.
-Pour sauce from blender into a medium size pan on medium heat, bringing it to a boil. Reduce heat and whisk continuously until the sauce thickens to your desire consistency.

Serve with tortilla chips or potato wedges

Fall Granola

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granola-fall2 ½ cup pecans and walnuts, chopped
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup coconut flakes
¾ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ sesame seeds
¼ cup ground flax seed
1 tbs cinnamon, or as much as your heart desires
½ tsp pumpkin spice
about ¼- ½ tsp sea salt
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ coconut sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • If you buy whole pecans and walnuts, chop using blender or food processor. Chop roughly into about halves or quarters. In large bowl mix all nuts, seeds, and coconut flakes. Stir together and add in spices with a pinch of salt.
  • In separate smaller bowl, melt coconut oil. Stir in sugar and maple syrup until well combine.
  • Pour wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until all pieces are coated evenly.granola-ingredients
  • Line large pan with parchment paper. Pour mixture onto pan and spread out evenly.
  • Bake about 20 minutes, checking halfway through and stirring, to ensure even baking.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes, on baking pan.
  • Crumble and place in air-sealed jars.

 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

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I’m usually starving when I finish running. It could quite possibly be because I leave the house rarely eating breakfast before I go, I know it’s a bad habit. It could also be that I spend 60+ minutes in my own head, all those random thoughts bouncing around as I zone out along the strand. Well today was no different: The idea of a “healthy” snack in combination of my favorite season [FALL] led to this:

pumpkinchickpeas

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas, rinses and towel dried
1 ½ Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp agave
(1 tsp brown sugar, optional)

Preheat oven to 375.
Line baking pan with tin foil.
In a medium bowl toss the chickpeas with olive oil
Sprinkle and stir all the seasoning, to ensure evenly coated.
Spread evenly on baking pan.
Cook about 45 minutes.

 

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

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spicychickpeas2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbs cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
pepper and sea salt, to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking pan with tin foil.
Toss peas in bowl with olive oil, ensuring all are coated evenly.
Sprinkle on spices and continue to toss or stir to make sure all the chick peas will be perfectly seasoned.
Spread pea in one layer on baking sheet.
Bake 30-40 minutes, until dry and crispy.  Allow to cool before storing in an air tight container.

Nutty Pumpkin Oat Bars

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Nutty Pumpkin Oat Bars

 

nuttypump.oat.bars

2 cup oats
1 cup pumpkin
½ cup favorite nut butter (I used PB Company Smooth Operator)
½ cup agave
1 T vanilla
2 T ground flax seed
2 T ground flax seed
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup vegan chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees
2. Lightly grease pan (I use 8×6” pyrex dish)
3. Combine oats and pumpkin, stir well.  Next add your nut butter (you may have to melt a little to be able to stir in, depending on your nut butter thickness).
4. Add all remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips.
5. Finally add your desired amount of chocolate chips (completely optional, but why would you make a treat without chocolate)
6. Bake 30 minutes, pull out of oven, with the top is golden brown.  Let sit for 10 minutes to cool, then dive in and share!

 

 

 

Energy Bites

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Energy Bites
(No-Baking required!) 

1 ½ Cup (dry) Oatmeal (I used the quick cook)
¼ Cup coconut flakes (more or less to your liking)
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup ground flaxseed
½ cup non-diary chocolate chips (mini work best!)
1/3 cup agave
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir all ingredients in a bowl until mixed thoroughly. (I melt the peanut butter a little in the microwave to stir into the mixture more easily).  Let sit in the refrigerator to chill for about half an hour (will harden a bit).  Once chilled roll into bite size balls.  Store in tuperware and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week!

You can create many variations by adding or swapping in:
chopped dried fruit and berries (cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds
other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, M&Ms, etc.)

(Makes about 20 balls)