Chickpea Blondies

     So, we have all seen the black bean brownies on different blogs (which are amazing!), and here is a take on the blondie! Chickpeas are a great source of protein and fibre and are really versatile. Honestly these taste nothing like chickpea (which I suppose is good when baking ;) ), and are delicious! Lately I have been favouring grain free over just gluten free and I think it has been making a difference. So for those of you who are looking into grain free or just looking to eat healthier desserts, this recipe is perfect for you!

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of chickpeas
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup medjool dates
• 1/3 cup stevia
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350
• In a food processor, blend all ingredients together to form a paste
• Add in chocolate chips
• Pour batter into a 9" pan, lined with parchment paper
• Bake for 30-35 minutes

Serves 16

Per Serving:

Calories: 162

Fat: 12 g

Carbohydrates: 17 g

Fibre: 3 g

Protein: 5 g

Enjoy! In my personal opinion these taste best when cooled! :)

Avocado Quinoa

This recipe is super delicious and easy! The fam jam loves it and Gavin doesn't even like avocado all too much. So, if you already like avocado, then you will love this recipe!

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 avocado
• Garlic powder to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste if desired

Steps:

• Cook quinoa as you would typically.
• Once quinoa is cooked, add in mashed or blended avocado.
• Add in a dash of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix it all together and serve warm

Makes 4 servings

Per 1 serving

Calories: 208

Fat: 9.5 g 

Saturated Fat: 0

Cholesterol: 0

Carbs: 26.8 g

Protein: 4.8 g

Enjoy!

Cocoa Beef Kale Salad

     I love this salad! Really, anything with steak in it I will eat! Kale is considered a super food, and is not only great for your body, but it's also delicious. It is high in fiber, iron, Vitamin K, calcium,  is great for the liver and detoxification, and has many other benefits! The first time I made this salad I cut up the beef into strips and then coated it... please do not do this needless to say I could not breathe when it was cooking in the pan. So coat the sides of the beef and cut it into strips once it has already been cooked! :) This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and also paleo!

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 4 ox filet mignon (or really however much you like)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup chopped portobello mushroom
• 4-5 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil if needs be)
• Kale

Steps:

• Mix cocoa powder and red pepper flakes together on a plate, and coat both sides of meat in mixture.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place beef in skillet and sear each side for about 2 minutes.
• Add beef broth and simmer for 7-10 minutes, depending on how rare you like your meat. When cooked to you liking remove the beef and put it on a plate and cover with tin foil.
• Add mushrooms and oil to broth and simmer until warm.
• Place kale on plates and slice the beef into thin strips. Top with mushroom and pan juices.

Serves 4

Per Serving:

Calories: 197

Fat: 12 g

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Carbohydrates: 9 g

Protein: 15 g

Fibre: 3 g

Sodium: 592 mg

Cholesterol: 35 mg

Based off of P90X2. Enjoy!!

Turkey Chili

     Love this recipe. Super simple and the whole fam jam loves it too. The substitution of lean turkey meat in place of beef means that it has less fat, and is high in protein, iron, zinc, potassium, and the B vitamins. The meat is low G-I and can help keep insulin levels stable. This is perfect for a cooler day, especially if you are looking for something simple and healthy to make.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
• 1 1/2 pounds learn ground turkey meat
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I omit this because spice makes my stomach ill)
• 1 15 oz can kidney beans (or soak your own, which is a better option)
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley 

Steps:

• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium high heat.
• Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until turkey is no longer pink.
• Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne, and stir for 1 minute.
• Stir in kidney beans and tomato sauce; bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally for 15-20 minutes.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

Makes 4 serving, 1 1/2 cup each

Per serving:

Calories: 433

Fat: 16 g

Saturated Fat: 4 g

Cholesterol: 117 g

Sodium: 794 mg

Carbohydrate: 33 g

Fiber: 11 g

Sugar: 10 g

Protein: 43 g

This recipe is adapted from Body Beast. Enjoy!

Easter Baking

     Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Easter. This is my first Easter since I have taken junk food out of my diet.... so needless to say I definitely had to be creative when coming up with some treats! I found a few recipes on other blogs, and created one myself, and played with them a bit so they suited my dietary needs. Here are three sweet recipes that are perfect for anytime of the year. :)

Chocolate Cupcakes

     I have to say that this recipe could still use some playing around with.... but the icing is on point! The cupcake is really sticky and is hard to get off the cupcake cup. So, I suppose the alternative would be to just cook them in a pan without the cup, possibly in coconut oil. The icing recipe I used is from Elena's Pantry. First I tried to create one using vegan butter, that is not happening again. Ever again. So here it is!

Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 cup sugar (use here what you wish, I used cup-for-cup stevia, and used 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 3 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tin.
• Combine dry ingredients, then add wet and mix well.
• Add in cupcake cups and bake for about 20 minutes.
• This makes around 20, depending on size.

Coconut Cream Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup honey
• pinch sea salt
• 5 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 1/4 cup coconut oil

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk, agave, honey, and salt for 10 minutes.
• In a bowl, combine arrowroot and water to form a paste.
• Pour arrowroot mixture into saucepan.
• Mix with hand blender, and bring to a bowl, briefly.
• Remove pot from heat and add in coconut oil.
• Place mixture in freezer for 35 minutes, or until it has formed a solid white substance.
• Remove from freezer and blend again.
• Spread over cupcakes.

Raw Vegan Coconut Balls

     I love these! These are from Organic Olivia, who pretty much makes my all time favorite recipes. Please check out her blog for the recipe, here!

Avocado and Lime Tarts

     I also found this recipe online! They are so good! The only difference is that I made them in muffin tins, so they are smaller than the originals. For the filling I also used 1 and a half of the recipe so I had more, but stuck to the regular base. Please check out the recipe, here! 

I hope that you guys will try these out! Enjoy!! :)

Protein Power Balls

     Hi everyone! There are quite a few recipes out there for protein balls, and this is mine! Some days I have a difficult time balancing my macronutrients, and this is a perfect way to get more protein! These are both crunchy and sweet and all around delicious.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 scoop protein powder (I used pea protein)
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 3/4 cup oats or quinoa flakes
• 2 tbsp seeds of choice (I used pepitas)

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
• Shape into 24 balls.
• Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

*Note: You can use all almond butter or all peanut butter instead of half and half

Makes 12 servings of 2.

Per 2 balls:

Calories: 171

Fat: 12 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Carbohydrate: 11 g

Fibre: 2 g

Protein: 8 g

Enjoy!!

Plantain Pizza

     Yes, it's pizza crust made with fruit! A plantain is in the same family as a banana, however it is large and starchy, in contrast to bananas, which are smaller and sugary. The best type to buy is one that is more green than yellow. Plantains are made of complex carbs, which will leave you feeling fuller for longer.It is also low on the glycemic index, meaning it is a great carb for those who are paleo. This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, as well as paleo. I personally did not add cheese, but Daiya Cheese is a great vegan substitute. This recipe was found at organicolivia.com! She has many more amazing organic recipes!

Recipe

Ingredients for Crust

• 3 green plantains, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, to taste
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Steps

• Place chopped plantains and garlic into food processor.
• Add water and olive oil and blend again until smooth.
• Add salt, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar and blend again.
• Scoop pureed mixture onto parchment paper.
• Bake just the crust for 20-25 minutes.
• Place toppings of choice (I had: organic tomato sauce, portobello mushroom, onion, tomato, turkey bacon).
• Place back in oven for about 10 minutes til golden brown or until it is cooked to your liking.

Serves 4 (Nutritional Value for Crust only)
Calories: 326
Fat: 18.3 g
Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
Carbohydrate: 43.2 g
Protein: 1.6 g
Fibre: 3 g
Sodium: 719.9 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Enjoy!!