Nourishing Flourishing

Not going to lie… I meant to attempt this when I first made my other 3 dessert hummus recipes, but ultimately ran out of time and ingredients. So today, I actually followed through on my conception: something reminiscent of the cinnamon sugar toast I loved in my youth, but packed with nutrition. Dippable, dunkable, spreadable. Snack or dessert. Yum Town. It was definitely worth the wait! When I had the BFF Manfriend taste test it, he said it was like cinnamon frosting. Um…how can that be bad?! We loved it. This is perfect for topping oats (not only a boost of protein, but remember: it tastes like frosting, friends. Frosting.), toast, graham crackers, tortillas, apples, bananas, and pretty much anything that can otherwise be used as a vehicle to your mouth.

Like last time, I want to thank Evan at The Wannabe Chef for the inspiration! After I stumbled upon his dessert hummus, I knew I was in for it. As you can see from that last 3-recipe-post extravaganza — Evan…you’ve ruined me. It’s all hummus, all the time over here now. (Note: I just now saw he has since posted a snickerdoodle hummus, too!)

Ingredients
1 C cooked and well-rinsed white beans (if chickpeas, peel for smoother texture)
2 Tb cashew butter (or any natural nut butter, though flavor may vary)
1/2 C sweet potato puree (or pumpkin puree)
2 t vanilla
3 Tb agave, 100% maple syrup, or honey (I used a natural maple-flavored agave)
2 Tb cinnamon
sprinkle of salt

Recipe
1) Place all but cinnamon into food processor (or blender) and whir it up until everything is smooth.
2) Add cinnamon (start with just 1 Tb at first if you are cinnamon-shy, adding more as you like) and continue to process.
3) Spoon into a bowl and serve. (Feel free to be real classy like me and drizzle just a little agave on top, and dash cinnamon for garnish. The simple things… The simple things.)

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More flavors coming soon…obviously. ; ) And do I need to tell you how healthy this is? Hellooo Protein!  Oh, and hey Fiber — didn’t see you there in all that deliciousness. Yo! Antioxidants! Didn’t know you were coming to the party — so glad you could make it! Cinnamon, you old anti-inflammatory, how you doin’ these days? (….Annnd SCENE.)

But seriously. This is awesome. If you’re wondering about the sweet potato puree, you can either nuke a sweet potato in the microwave (I don’t have one), bake it in the oven, or boil it on the stove. I boiled mine and processed it before adding other ingredients — it ended up being 1 small tater. Easy peasy!

(Part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday)

What are you doing to celebrate TGIF
(other than wishing ABC would bring the real TGIF back)?

If you like Indian food, chances are you already know what lassi is. A yogurt-based drink, lassi is usually made with fruit puree and sugar, but can also be savory. Mango is probably the most popular flavor, and once you taste this version, you might understand why. I didn’t like mangoes before I tried mango lassi. Now I heart them. A lot. Seriously. Jump on this trolley, friends. You won’t regret it.

I blame the sunshine. (J.K. Sunshine — don’t leave me! xoxo) With all the warmer weather we’re having (mixed in with the random snow or hail storm, of course), and mangoes on crazy sale everywhere I turn, I had to at least make a valiant effort at replicating the dairy-based lassi for a vegan version. I don’t eat soy, and I didn’t want to have to go through the process of making or buying coconut milk yogurt, etc. I try to keep it simple enough that anyone can try these recipes. A soy-free, dairy-free mango lassi is a true challenge. But I went for it. And…um… I totally lucked out. This was an all-out slam dunk win victory success triumph booyahhh moment.

My BFF Manfriend’s first sip response was, “Does this have yogurt in it?” Obviously, he was perplexed, because we don’t eat yogurt or drink milk. When I told him the ingredients, he was shocked; “That’s all?! Crazy! This is seriously bomb!” And you know what “bomb” means. It means…you better go make this. ; )

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 C frozen mango (start with 1 1/2, add more if your mango isn’t as flavorful)
1 C almond milk (I used vanilla unsweetened)
Juice of 1 lemon (or less)
Stevia (optional — for a sweeter lassi)

Recipe:
1) Place frozen mango and almond milk in a blender. Whir it up until it is smooth and thick.
2) Add 1/2 of lemon juice and blend. Taste and add more if desired.
3) Add additional mango and/or stevia if desired.

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The lemon is not vital, per se; you will still have a delicious drink. However, I added lemon juice to enhance the mild acidic bite, mimicking yogurt in a traditional lassi. I highly recommend using the lemon juice, but you won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t ; ) It turns out very thick, like a yogurt smoothie, which I think is awesome! If you prefer it thinner, simply add more almond milk.

Part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free

Do you have an old favorite drink or food that you have yet to adapt to your present needs?

(You never know, I might just take the work out of it and create a recipe for you…! )

Thank you so much for all your amazing e-mails, comments, and tweets yesterday! I can’t wait for the next post in the series : )  xoxo

You know about 1-2-3 cookies right? Basically, you just throw fun (3 ingredients) in a bowl, believe in magic, and a batch of miraculous delicious happiness jumps out of your oven with double rainbows! Crazy, I know.

Only a slight exaggeration. Usually recipes for this type of cookie contain refined sugar, an egg, and hydrogenated peanut butter (ew). This is a healthified, gluten-free-ified, vegan (and even flourless!) version for the rest of us ; ) It’s easy, simple, and fast to boot (or eat, as the case may be). You could whip these up and take them out of the oven in about 15 minutes. Bam.

The delightful Mama Pea set the blogosphere on fire with doughball feevah, and when I got a hankerin’ for fantastical, easy 1-2-3 peanut butter cookies this weekend, I was eager to test out my own doughballin’ dreams… After playing around in the kitchen a little, and making my friends eat the less-than-stellar attempts (thanks for being good sports, Amy, Noel, and Michael), it happened. Stars, unicorns, little bunnies — the whole glorious thing flew out of my oven in all its wonder.

There are two recipes below — one is for a more banana-y flavor (like a mild mini banana bread?), and it had the best texture. The other uses a flax egg, and it is delicious; it’s also a tad more crumbly. BFF Manfriend gave the banana ones his “BOMB” rating (that’s the highest rating, if you were wondering).

UPDATE: I received two notices that this recipe did not turn out as it should (i.e., the balls weren’t balls at all, but came out flat). Please proceed at your own risk until I retest this again to work out the apparent kinks. It may be an issue with different brands/textures/oil content in various different peanut butters, so I would like to experiment more with that. Shouldn’t be too long, but I don’t want anyone else to encounter issues. Sorry, and thanks for understanding! xoxo

Peanut Butter Banana Doughballs (AKA PB Banana Bread Bombs)
Ingredients:
1/4 C peanut butter
1/4 C mashed/pureed banana
2 Tb agave (or honey)

Recipe:
1) Mix everything together very well.
2) Using a small spoon (I used an overfilled 1/2 Tb measure), scoop balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
3) Pop ‘em in a 325* oven for about 10-15 minutes — until they’re browned on the bottom and lightly tanned on the top.
4) Let cool for 30 minutes to set up.

Peanut Butter Flax Doughballs
Ingredients:
1/4 C peanut butter
1/2 Tb ground flax seed
1 1/2 Tb water
1 Tb agave (or honey)

Recipe:
1) Mix flax and water together to make a flax/vegan egg.
2) Mix peanut butter and agave together. Add flax egg.
3) Using a small spoon (I used an overfilled 1/2 Tb measure), scoop balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
4) Pop ‘em in a 325* oven for about 10-15 minutes — until they’re browned on the bottom and lightly tanned on the top.
5) Let cool for 30 minutes to set up.

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Quick Notes:
- You can indeed make these cookies. Just make them silver dollar size for best results.
- The flax doughballs and cookies will brown more quickly than the banana, and they hold together less when warm. Be sure to allow them to cool (I know, I learned the hard way too…)
- While I normally heart chunky peanut butter, the creamy worked best for these (both are good though).
- Feel free to add a drop of vanilla — I just wanted to keep it to 3 ingredients : )
- This recipe can easily be multiplied and reduced; I halved the above amounts and ’twas perfect.

Watch out for unicorns and rainbow beams when you open your oven door!

What’s the most magical thing to happen in your kitchen lately?

Yesterday it was 80* in Boulder. The floor of our porch singed my feet. We walked in the sun. We napped in the park. Absolute bliss. I scrounged our kitchen for something to celebrate this Spring-esque glory, as it is certainly not yet Spring — snow is heading our way today (thanks Colorado, xoxo). All I knew was I wanted something fresh/raw, easy, and fast. This salad is quickly becoming a daily star in our home — snack, lunch, dinner…breakfast? (Sorry. It’s good leftover.) I always have the ingredients handy, and I absolutely love the flavor, texture, and the effect it has after I eat it… This is how I feel with all the green goodness and enzymatic cideriness inside of me:

Even my BFF Manfriend devours it enthusiastically — and he’s from the Midwest! (JK, Midwesterners…sort of. I know your cheese, beef, and canned soup-lovin’ ways!) Fun fact: BFF Manfriend hated the following before marrying me:

- tomatoes
- salad
- Mexican food
- salsa
- chunky marinara (are you catching the tomato theme here?)
- celery
- sweet potatoes
- olives
- ok, any raw vegetable…
- yeah, and most cooked vegetables, too…
- KALE

Just sayin’. Clearly I’m doing my part for the world… ; ) This salad and dressing may not be terribly exotic (do you already have a similar staple?), but it is so refreshing, and so healthy, I wanted to share it anyway. I am certain I can’t be the only one to put these 5 ingredients together, so I confess this most likely is not my most creative attempt, per se. I feel a little guilty even calling this a recipe, as it’s laughably simple.

Ingredients:
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
2 Tb agave (or honey)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1 large (or 2 small-medium) bunch(es) kale
1 small apple

Recipe:
1) Strip kale stems of leaves, and tear into bite size pieces (1-2″ or so). Set aside. (Use stems for another recipe or compost.)
2) Whisk agave (or honey) and vinegar together until it dissolves.
3) Whisk in oil.
4) Pour dressing over kale, and begin massaging into leaves with fingers.
5) Cut apple into small chunks and add to salad. Serve.

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That’s it! You can always drizzle a little more agave/honey directly onto the salad if you find the dressing too sharp. The longer it sits, the more flavor the kale absorbs (but the more it softens, too). This is an excellent dish to bring to a potluck, or throw together at the last minute to complement a meal.

One of the reasons I find kale to be worthy of my affection is it’s amazing nutritional profile, specifically its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are vital for those of us with autoimmune diseases and disorders. It’s also surprisingly impressive as a source of protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamins A, K, C, and B! (<– Transport back to Sesame Street.) One last persuasion: it’s fairly inexpensive — even as organic — and can be found year-round, even in cold winter months!

What are you up to this weekend? Are you pretending it’s Spring too?

We like to joke in our family that the women on my mom’s side have a problem — we love salt, we love vinegar, and we loooove CRUNCH. If crunch were an entity in itself, rather than a quality, I would have married myself off to Crunch decades ago. God forbid any Star Trek crazy alternate realities in which Crunch is an entity. And single.

This is getting awkward, isn’t it? Ok. Well, all that silence on your end and blabbing on about Crunch on my end aside, I should tell you… *deep breath*: I am a crack[er] addict. When I left gluten behind, and soon after grains altogether (yes, I know! I’ll share more about that in an upcoming post; it’s a long story), the most challenging part of my new eating style was that I could only crunch on so many roasted almonds before I felt like I was turning into one.

(“Violet, you’re turning violet, Violet!” <– Only replace “Violet” with “Almond,” and forget the whole spoiled-rich-brat thing…)

Needless to say, I am so, so, so grateful to be able to expand my Crunchy repertoire again!

You all know I’m on a chickpea flour kick lately; I make something with it literally every day. I decided that since I’m happily married, I should meddle, and try to match-make my favorite single friends. Isn’t that what married people do? (Joke.) Crunch, meet Chick Flour. Chick Flour, Crunch.

It was lust love at first bite.

Ingredients:
3 Tb ground flax seed
1/2 C + 2 Tb water
1 C chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 Tb rosemary
1 t basil

Recipe:
1) Preheat oven at 350*. Make flax egg by mixing water and flax. Set aside to thicken for a few minutes.
2) Mix dry ingredients.
3) Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine. (If you need to add another TB or two water, go ahead.)
4) Wet hands with water, and remove dough from bowl.
5) Place dough on a parchment paper-laden baking sheet, and begin to flatten with hands (you may need to keep re-wetting them with water). The thinner, the crisper (but also potentially more delicate).
6) Once you’ve shaped the dough, you can sprinkle a little extra salt on the top (or way too much, like I did), or just pop ‘em in the oven as-is.
7) Watch closely; when edges and top are browned, remove them. It will vary depending on your oven (mine took about 15-20 minutes). The longer they are in there, and the longer they cool, the crisper they will be.

You can immediately break them apart by hand (I did) for a more rustic cut, or score them before they go into the oven. Either way, let them cool 1/2 an hour before chowing, so they can crisp up.

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Did I mention how these really do have the texture of a quality cracker? That they can stand up to the test of hearty dips (I think this would be insanely delicious with tapenade)? That they are healthy to boot — high in protein, iron, fiber, and the antioxidant manganese? Oh, and that they’re vegan? You’re welcome. <3

What healthy crunchables do you enjoy? Have you “married” any wonder foods together lately?

*Edited to Add: My most recent addition to the dessert hummus family of recipes has been a total hit — Cinnamon (Un) Sugar Dessert Hummus with Sweet Potato Power!*

So, I hope you were hanging in suspense at the end of my post yesterday…

Here are some criteria that the following recipes meet:

- Fast
- Easy
- Simple
- Dip-able
- Kid-friendly
- Adult-friendly
- Warm weather-friendly
- Cookie-lover-friendly
- Health-friendly
- Mouth-friendly
- Late-night-snack-attack-friendly
- You probably have all the ingredients already-friendly
- Addict-friendly (wait…maybe that’s a bad thing)
- Pregnant-friendly (did you know chickpeas are high in B vitamins, which help with morning sickness?)

Yeeeep. Cookie dough dip, aka dessert hummus, aka…Oh Yes I Did.

I first encountered the idea via the talented Evan at The Wannabe Chef, as he reposted it this past week. I followed Evan’s basic recipe and tinkered with it, because just to be honest, even though 99% of the time I prefer to just be inspired by ideas/pictures, and then make my own recipe, I was little hesitant. Beans for dessert = intimidating. And I knew that since I was using canned beans (I always cook mine dry at home, which is about 1000x better in flavor, texture, economics, and just about everything else), it could be gross. Rest assured, this is awesome.

The first attempt was cookie dough dessert hummus. It’s very tasty, but only my dear friend Naomi was really enthusiastic about it compared to the other two… Chocolate Fudge Brownie Batter Dessert Hummus (I really like descriptors), and the biggest winner: Peanut Butter Dip for Your Hips (aka Much Less Calories And Fat Than Eating A Cup Of PB, But With The Same Enjoyment)… Serve these with (gluten-free) graham crackers, apple slices, grapes, carrots, celery, whatever floats your boat!

Cookie Dough Dessert Hummus

Ingredients:
1 C cooked white beans (rinsed with water, if chickpeas — peeled for smooth texture)
2 Tb cashew butter (or any natural nut butter, though the flavor will be a little different)
2 1/2 t. vanilla
3 Tb agave or honey
sprinkle of salt
sprinkle of cinnamon if you’re feeling crazy
1/4 C dark chocolate (chips or chopped bar)

Recipe:
1) Put chickpeas, nut butter, vanilla, agave, and salt into food processor (or blender)
2) Whir it up until everything is smooth
3) Spoon into a bowl, add chocolate chips, and stir

That’s…it. Seriously.

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Next attempt: Chocolate Fudge Brownie Batter Dessert Hummus

Ingredients
1 C cooked white beans (rinsed with water, if chickpeas — peeled for smooth texture)
2 Tb cashew butter (or any natural nut butter, though flavor may vary)
2 t vanilla
5 Tb agave or honey
1/4 C cooked sweet potato, squash, pumpkin mash (not vital, perhaps, but does spread it out and fluff it up)
1/4 C cocoa powder
sprinkle of salt

Recipe
1) Put all ingredients into food processor (or blender)
2) Whir it up until everything is smooth
3) Spoon into a bowl

And yes…it tastes exactly like the title.

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Peanut Butter Dessert Hummus

This next recipe was insane. Celebrate Peanut Butter Month with this recipe! :  ) If you love peanut butter, you’re about to love me (I hope). Do you ever feel like you could eat the entire jar? Just me? Ok. Fair enough. Well, at least now I can feel like I am eating a whole jar! It’s fluffy peanut butter that never ends…!!! Yessss.

Ingredients
1 C cooked white beans (rinsed with water, if chickpeas — peeled for smooth texture)
1/3 C natural peanut butter
1/4 C cooked sweet potato mash (or pumpkin, squash, etc.)
2 t. vanilla
1/4 C agave or honey (I would use less if this isn’t a dessert, or if you don’t like it as sweet…my husband <3s sweet, and I <3 him, so I go with it)
sprinkle of salt

Recipe
1) Put all ingredients into food processor (or blender)
2) Whir it up until everything is smooth
3) Spoon into a bowl

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I thought the garnish of raisins put this over the top completely. You won’t believe how delicious this is!

Seriously, try it. Prepare to be awed at the power of…beans. Special thanks to my fellow Classicist Evan for his genius recipe!  :  )

P.S. I recommend using Great Northern (I used them in the last two recipes, sometimes along with chickpeas), and it totally works beautifully. Far smoother than the garbanzo/chickpea versions I made. It’s nice that you don’t have to peel them, too! If you are using canned, though, be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse, because canned beans taste like fish :  P