Category Archives: Uncategorized

Dark Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites

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{“head_note”:”These energy bites are inspired by Larabar\u2019s new Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte flavour. I prefer to roll them into bite sized balls rather than bars because it\u2019s much faster, but shape them however you wish.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. In a food processor, process the almonds until finely chopped. It\u2019s ok if some bigger pieces remain. Just be sure not to pulverize it into a flour as you want some texture.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Remove 1\/3 cup of the processed almonds and set aside for the final step.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Now, add the pitted dates and dried cherries and process until finely chopped and sticky. A dough ball will start to form.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Add in the chocolate chips and pecans and process until they are chopped. Add salt to taste and pulse the mixture. Finally, pulse in the reserved 1\/3 cup almonds. If the dough is too dry to roll into ball, add water, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together.<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Roll into small balls. Place in a container or baggie and store in the fridge or freezer.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”This recipe makes 1 and 1\/2 cups of packed dough\u2026.mmm. I\u2019ve concluded it\u2019s impossible not to eat it straight from the processor!”}

Green Monster Vegan Overnight Oats

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{“head_note”:”Now you can get in a serving of greens (without tasting it!) in your morning bowl of vegan overnight oats. Feel free to add any toppings as you wish: fruit, nut butter, granola, coconut, etc.\r\n\r\nInspired by: lovely blog readers.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. In a blender, blend together the spinach, banana, chia seeds, and almond milk until smooth.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. In a cereal bowl, add the oats and then pour the smoothie on top. Stir well until combined.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Place in fridge (uncovered is fine) overnight. Give it a good stir in the morning and then enjoy it cold, straight from the fridge. Add desired toppings as you wish such as nut butter, granola, coconut, fruit, etc.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:””}

60 Second Homemade Berry Sorbet

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{“head_note”:”Thick, delicious, and healthy homemade sorbet in just 1 minute flat”,”instructions”:”

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  1. In a blender (or a food processor may work too), process all ingredients until thick and creamy. Add the almond milk a little bit at a time, as needed. Serve immediately.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:””}

Sneaky Shamrock Spinach Crackers

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{“head_note”:”Another sneaky way to get in your greens\u2026and no one will be the wiser, especially kids! Crispy but chewy, wholesome, green, and the perfect vehicle for your favourite festive dip or spread.\r\n\r\nAdapted from Homemade Wheat Thins<\/a>.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 400\u00b0F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Or just use 1 baking sheet and bake 2 separate batches like I did.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, dill).<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. With a pastry blender (or two forks), cut in the Earth Balance into the flour mixture until crumbly. See image below.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. In a blender, blend the water and spinach until smooth. Now pour this into the flour and Earth balance mixture. Stir this mixture until it just comes together and then gently knead with hands until it forms a ball. Be sure not to over handle the dough.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Split the dough in half. On a non-stick mat or lightly floured surface, roll out one half of the dough very thin (1\/16th inch). Cut with cookie cutters or with a pizza roller. Gently lift off with fingers and place on prepared sheet. Repeat as necessary. Sprinkle with more salt (I used Herbamare and it tasted amazing!)<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Bake for 9-10 minutes, rotating pan half way through baking to ensure more even baking. Crackers should be lightly golden when ready. My crackers took 10 minutes, but watch closely after 8 minutes. Be careful because they burn quickly. Cool completely on baking sheet and serve immediately. Store leftovers in a glass container.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:””}

Easy Lemon Dill Tofu

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{“head_note”:”White, wintery looking tofu is now dressed up in greens for the spring.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Rinse and press the tofu for about 25 minutes.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the lemon dill dressing in a processor. My mini processor worked well for this (just call me a broken record).<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Preheat a large skillet over high heat and add a teaspoon of oil. Meanwhile, chop up the tofu into small, thin squares.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. When the skillet is HOT (the tofu should sizzle when placed on it), add the tofu (being careful not to let the pieces touch too much or they will stick) and cook on high heat for 6 minutes or so, flip, and cook for another 6-8 minutes, reducing heat if necessary to avoid burning.<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. When tofu is golden brown on each side, remove from heat. Pour dressing into a medium-sized bowl and add the cooked tofu and stir well until coated. Serve immediately on its own, in a wrap, on a salad, or over grains and vegetables.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”I\u2019m in love with this lemon dill dressing. Who knew you could pack in 3\/4 cup of greens into a dressing?”}

Homemade Baileys Irish Cream, made vegan.

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{“head_note”:”Ultra creamy and delicious, this vegan Baileys will knock your socks off. And not just because it\u2019s strong!\r\n\r\nInspired by Janessa<\/a>.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. In a medium or large pot, add the cans of coconut milk and whisk. Now whisk in the sugar. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes, while stirring frequently, until it cooks down and thickens slightly.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Remove from heat and stir in the espresso or coffee. Don\u2019t have a coffee maker? Just buy a cup from the coffee shop and use that. Add in espresso\/coffee to taste.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Add a pinch of salt and finally the Jameson, to taste. I added about 3\/4 + 2 tbsp of whiskey and it was strong, but so is the original! Make it as strong or weak as you prefer.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Store in sealed jars and serve over ice, with coffee or tea, or in baked goods. The whiskey and espresso settles to the bottom of the jar slightly, so give it a good stir before using. I\u2019m not positive how long this keeps in the fridge, but it\u2019s been good in our fridge for a couple days now and I expect it to last 4-5 days. Well, not technically\u2026!<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”I\u2019m thrilled with how this turned out. It\u2019s very strong, but then again, the original Baileys is as well and I wanted it to be as close to the original as possible.\r\nYou can serve it over ice\u2026″}

Cardamom Almond Pear Crisp for Two

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{“head_note”:”This crisp is flourless, all-natural, low in sugar, and vegan. I love the chewy topping thanks to the almond mixture. To make this gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.\r\n\r\nAdapted from my Flourless Strawberry Apple Breakfast Crisp<\/a>“,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 400\u00b0F and grease two (8-oz) ramekin dishes with oil.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the fruit mixture ingredients (chopped pears, sugar, cornstarch, cardamom\/cinnamon, and vanilla).<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. In a processor (I used my mini processor), process the almonds until finely chopped. Now add in the oats and process just until chopped. If you don\u2019t have a processor, you can probably do this by hand.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Now stir in the rest of the topping ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons of the topping mixture into fruit mixture and stir until combined. Divide the fruit mixture into ramekins. Sprinkle the rest of the topping on top of the fruit mixture.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Cover ramekins with lid (or cover with tin foil and poke a couple holes). Bake, covered, at 400\u00b0F for 22-25 minutes. The topping will burn if you don\u2019t cover it. Allow to slightly cool for 10 minutes before serving with a scoop of vegan ice cream. Dig in!!!<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:””}

Vegan and Gluten-Free Vanilla Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

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{“head_note”:”Light, fluffy, with chunks of banana and juicy blueberries, these pancakes taste so good they can be enjoyed plain. Be sure to use raw buckwheat groats (and not toasted buckwheat\/Kasha) as the raw buckwheat has a much more mild and pleasant flavour. I buy my buckwheat groats from Upaya Naturals. I tried subbing the rice flour for oat flour and the pancakes completely stuck to the pan, so I would advise against that substitution. As always, if you\u2019d like the pancakes strictly gluten-free, be sure to check all labels before using.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. In a blender, blend the buckwheat groats on high speed until a fine flour forms. Place into a large bowl. Now whisk in the rest of the dry ingredients (rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder).<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Pour in the almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk the batter until no clumps remain.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Fold in the diced banana and scraped vanilla bean. If using fresh blueberries, mix them in now.<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Lightly grease skillet. Scoop 1\/4 cup of batter onto the preheated skillet. If using frozen blueberries, sprinkle on a heaping tablespoon of blueberries. Cook until many bubbles appear and then flip and cook for another couple minutes. Repeat for the other pancakes.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”Note: If using frozen blueberries, pour batter onto skillet first and then top with blueberries to prevent bleeding. I also tried subbing the rice flour for oat flour and the pancakes completely stuck to the pan, so I would advise against that substitution.”}

Citrus Beet Salad with Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing

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{“head_note”:”According to World\u2019s Healthiest Foods<\/a>, beets are anti-inflammatory, rich in antioxidants, support detoxification, and are high in folate, manganese, fibre, potassium, vitamin C, iron, and more. A handful of reasons to dig in! Feel free to add nuts, seeds, grains, etc if you wish. I also suggest using a grapefruit on the sweeter side (such as a Ruby) or just leave out the grapefruit if you prefer”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Trim both ends of each beet and wash well. Place a few beets on a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle with oil and wrap up. Do the same for the other 3 beets on another sheet of foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45-75 minutes, until a fork pricks through fairly easy. Check beets after 30 mins of roasting, and every 15 minutes thereafter. Cooking time will depend on the size\u2026mine took 60-75 minutes.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. With oven mitts on, carefully open the tin foil and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Now peel off the skin and discard. Slice beets into wedges.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. While the beets roast, prepare the citrus. De-pith and slice into segments (as shown in post). Set aside. Reserve the scraps of juicy flesh as you can use this to squeeze into your dressing.<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Blend the dressing ingredients together in a processor. I used my mini processor and it worked well. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more sweetener, juice, or salt if desired.<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. To assemble, add greens (I used a mix of blanched beet greens and baby romaine), followed by the beets and citrus segments, top with nuts, seeds, and\/or cooked grains, and finally the dressing.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”Dressing makes 2\/3 cup”}

Crispy Baked Onion Rings

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{“head_note”:”Crispy, flavourful, and good-for-you, these onion rings make a great snack or addition to any meal. I could also see a big batch of these being made for a party served with a homemade dip. To make these gluten-free, use gluten-free bread crumbs and gluten-free flour (and of course, double check the rest of your ingredients). Also, keep in mind, you\u2019ll have coating leftover that isn\u2019t used up.\r\nInspired by Fresh<\/a> and my Crispy Tofu Strips<\/a>.”,”instructions”:”

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  1. Preheat oven to 425\u00b0F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil. Slice onion into rings, 3\/4 inch in width (larger than shown in pictures as I made mine too thin), and reserve about 15-22 or so, wrapping up the leftovers for another use.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. In a shallow dish, whisk together the batter ingredients (flour, broth, cornstarch).<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. In another shallow dish, whisk together the coating ingredients (cornmeal, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, sesame seeds, garlic powder, and herbs).<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. With a fork, dip an onion ring into the batter, coating all sides. Now transfer it to the coating mixture and toss it around a bit. Use a clean & dry hand to scoop up coating and sprinkle it all over the ring. If at any time your hands get sticky or coated, simply rinse and dry before starting again. Place onion rings on prepared baking sheets and repeat for the rest. Don\u2019t worry if things get messy or they don\u2019t coat \u201cperfectly\u201d\u2026just consider them rustic and call it a day! You will have coating leftover that isn\u2019t used up.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. 5. Bake for about 18 minutes at 425\u00b0F, flipping once after 10 minutes. You can broil them for a minute or two at the end to brown. Serve with your favourite dip or ketchup. These are best served immediately.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:””}