Category: snacks

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

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The season of bulky scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, and colorful leaves is upon us. Happy fall folks!

Now that it’s officially pumpkin season, here’s one of my favorites – spiced pumpkin bread!

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1/2 c honey, maple syrup, or agave

1/4th c brown sugar

1/2 c coconut oil

2 eggs

1/4th c almond milk (or milk of choice)

1/4th c apple sauce

1 c pumpkin purée

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp baking soda

2 c whole wheat flour

Pecans or walnuts (optional)

Sprinkle oats on top (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt the coconut oil then immediately mix it with the honey, sugar, and eggs. The coconut oil will begin to solidify so stir in other ingredients right away. If clumps of coconut oil begin to appear, place in warm place (for instance, on top of the oven). Then add in the almond milk, pumpkin purée, apple sauce, and vanilla.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients together (nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and flour) then combine it with the coconut oil mixture.
  4. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan (9″ x 5″ x 2 1/2″). Sprinkle a few oats and cinnamon on top. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, around 35 minutes.
  5. Let cool and serve with pumpkin butter from TJ’s.

Energy Balls

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Matcha and coconut and cocoa, Oh My!

If you are low on time, these energy balls are great to have on hand as a snack or healthy dessert. They are kid-approved and last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. So this year, fill your Halloween bag with energy balls coated with your favorite toppings.

S/o to my little brother for being my hand model! 6180853072_img_0040

1 c old fashioned oats

1/2 c cashews

3/4 c dates (chopped)

1/3 c flaxseed

2/3 c shredded coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c agave or honey

1/4 c coconut oil

Preferred Toppings (Pictured: matcha, black sesame seeds, cocoa powder, coconut shreds, flaxseed)

  1. Mix the dry ingredients (oats, cashews, flaxseed, coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg) together in a food processor or Vitamix.
  2. Once the dry ingredients have reached a flour consistency, add the wet ingredients (chopped dates, vanilla, honey, and coconut oil). Blend together. The mixture should resemble cookie dough. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of soy or almond milk.
  3. Roll into 1 inch balls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Some more cookies for ya!

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Oatmeal Cookies with either raisins or blueberries 

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These are my favorite (relatively) healthy cookies. They are a great snack, dessert, or complement to your afternoon tea. Add pecans or walnuts to make them more filling.

Ingredients:

¼ c earth balance

¼ c peanut butter

1/2 c maple syrup

½ c brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 ¼ c whole wheat flour

1 c oats

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ c flaxseed

½ c raisins or blueberries (fresh is best but frozen also works)

pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Heat the earth balance and peanut butter together on the stove top or in the microwave.  Transfer to a bowl and combine with the maple syrup, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together.
  2. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pinch of salt, and flaxseed. Combine the flour mixture with the wet ingredients. Then fold in the raisins or blueberries.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop the cookies into ~15 cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Eating my way through Rue Montorgueil

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Discover Walks  invited me and a few other bloggers on a food tour along rue Montorgueil. Our lovely guide, Marie, gave us an authentic tour of this iconic Parisian street that is home to numerous cafes, boulangeries, patisseries, and butcheries. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning and all the shops were just beginning to open. Our tour concluded in a picnic with all the French staples: bread, cheese, charcuterie, and pastries…

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Marie posing with our baguette 

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Our first stop was a fromagerie called La Fermette. Marie told us that France has 370 types of cheeses so if you’re up for the challenge you can eat a different kind of cheese each day of the year. Roquefort is the oldest (and smelliest). The origin of the blue color is from the limestone in the Roquefort region. We settled with a less pungent Roquefort and a few goat cheeses.

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Next, we headed to a boulangerie Blouet to buy our baguette. Bread is sacred to the French. The French are so reliant on their baguette that there is a French law forbidding boulangeries in the same area from going on vacation at the same time. Nevertheless, I know French families who keep a frozen baguette in their freezer, just in case. There is a competition each year called the Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Française for the coveted prize of best baguette of the year. In 2015, the winner was Le Grenier a Pain. Originally the baguette was bread for working men who would get into fights with their bread knives. To discourage the use of knives, the longer traditional baguette was created so it could be broken, not cut. This is why now you break your baguette. Do not make the faux pas of cutting a baguette! Fun fact: the croûton or end of the baguette is supposedly the best part. It is always a fight to get it!

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We then stopped at a butcherie to complete our charcuterie board with pâté, garlic sausage, goose rillettes, and saucisson. We went to a park by Les Halles where we enjoyed all the delicacies we bought from the day.

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#bloggers

Let’s not forget dessert. Next we strolled to Sohrer, the oldest pastry shop in Paris, where the Queen of England visited. They pride themselves on having the best chocolate éclair in Paris. We ended our tour at Fou de Patisserie, which sells all the best pastries of Paris from the most renowned chefs and shops. We sampled lemon Financiers and the Mille-Feuille, consisting of layers of puff pastry and cream. A perfect ending to the tour!

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If you would like to take part in this awesome tour, use my code BLOGLOVE10 to receive 10% off.

Gluten-Free Almond Breakfast Cake

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Serve for breakfast or as a healthy dessert. To make it more decadent add maple syrup or honey on top. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 lemon (juice + zest)

1 banana (mashed)

1/4th c honey

1/2 c sliced almonds

125 g almond flour

1 t nutmeg

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

butter or coconut oil for greasing

Directions:

  1. Mix the eggs, lemon juice and zest, banana, honey, and vanilla together. In a separate bowl combine the almond flour, 1/4th c sliced almonds, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
  2. Combine the two mixtures and transfer the batter to a greased baking pan. Sprinkle the rest of the sliced almonds on top.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Zesty Coconut Cauliflower Chickpea Salad

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1 head cauliflower (chopped into bite size pieces)

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas

1 cucumber

1 tomato

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons coconut milk

juice of 2 limes

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower and chickpeas on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper on top. Cook for ~40 minutes, until the chickpeas and cauliflower have become brown on the edges and crispy.
  2. While the cauliflower and chickpeas are cooking, make the dressing by combining olive oil, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, coconut milk, and lime juice together.
  3. Cut the tomato and cucumber into small pieces and set aside.
  4. Once the cauliflower and chickpeas have cooled combine with the tomato and cucumber. Then toss with the dressing. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes on top.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup (DF)

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Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower (chopped into bite size pieces)

2 cups milk of choice (I used almond milk)

½ cups water

1 onion

2 cups mushroom

1 teaspoon fresh garlic

basil or cilantro for garnishing

salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper on top. Cook for ~40 minutes, until the cauliflower has developed crispy edges. Take out and let cool.
  2. Meanwhile sauté the onion, mushrooms, and garlic together. Once they are golden set aside to cool.
  3. Combine the cauliflower, onion, mushroom, garlic, milk, and water in a Vitamix and blend together. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a large pot and blend together with an immersion blender. Add salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Serve with basil or cilantro on top.

Pumpkin Oat Muffins

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‘Tis the season for PUMPKIN! Here is an easy and delicious recipe for pumpkin oat muffins. Happy fall everyone!

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Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup honey (maple syrup or agave work too)

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin purée

1/4th soy milk (or milk of choice)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 ½ cup whole-wheat flour

½ cup oats (plus more for garnishing)

Recipe makes 12 muffins

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt the coconut oil then immediately mix it with the maple syrup, eggs, pumpkin purée, soy milk, vanilla, and almond extract. The coconut oil will begin to harden again so it needs to be stirred in with the other ingredients right away.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients together (baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, flour and oats) then combine it with the coconut oil mixture.
  4. Divide the batter between the twelve muffin tins. Sprinkle a few oats on top of each muffin. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, around 20 minutes.
  5. Let cool and serve with pumpkin butter from TJ’s.

Chocolate Avocado Peanut Butter Pudding

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Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado
1 banana
1/4th cup cocoa powder
1/4th cup peanut butter
1/4th cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4th cup honey or maple syrup
Directions:
  1. Blend all the ingredients together. I used a regular blender but a Vitamix or food processor works best.
  2. Add more sweetener and/or avocado until you reach the desired sweetness and consistency.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Breaded Curry Cauliflower

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Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2/3rds cup coconut cream (canned from TJs)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cut the cauliflower into large pieces.
  2. Mix together the coconut cream, egg, almond meal, curry powder, coconut oil, salt, and pepper.
  3. Coat each piece of cauliflower with the mixture.
  4. Cover a baking sheet with coconut oil and cook the cauliflower at 350 degrees for 25- 30 minutes.
  5. Serve with ketchup or dijon mustard. Enjoy!