Sweet Potato Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

12/26/2014 1 Comment

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season so far and are enjoying yourself wherever you may be! My husbands birthday is 2 days before Christmas so I tend to be more focused on his big day than on the holidays. I ensured he was pampered all day long. We enjoyed a beautiful hike together with the most beautiful views. It was very nice to get in nature and work some different muscles that hadn't been used in a while. :)

We started his big day with Sweet Potato Lattes and a Smoothie Bowl!

It was a strawberry, banana, pineapple smoothie infused with beet powder, served with fresh mango and cranberries on top. He said it was better than cake. Success!

We enjoyed "cheese" and crackers on the trails and it was so special, what a treat for vegans. The recipe is featured in my new e-Book that you get upon subscribing!! :)

When I was growing up it was tradition that we'd get whatever our heart desired for our birthdays for dinner and dessert. I asked my husband what he would like and he asked for a vegan omelet! I responded "with home fries and a biscuit with jam?" He smiled and said yes! I knew I was up for a challenge but thankfully Richa with VeganRicha.com came to the rescue. If your an omelet lover like my husband then you must try her incredible recipe, click HERE. It came out PERFECTLY! My husband declared it was the best one I've made yet and raved about how good it was. I HIGHLY recommend her inventive recipe. The home-fries recipe can be found HERE and the gluten-free nice and easy biscuit recipe HERE. The meal can be yours too!!! :) We ended the day with a special cheesecake creation that I'll gladly share soon.

Now, back to the sweet, warm, soft, moist cookies!

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that are out of this world, hard to stop at two, unbelievably good cookies!

We shared them with our friends on Christmas Eve and I was asked "YOU made these??" I proudly said yes! Knowing they're gluten-free, vegan, refined-sugar-free and oil-free!!! Healthy cookies that taste like your having a guilty treat but wait - no guilt here!! Only a couple cookies remained when we left and everyone raved about them even asking for the recipe. Fortunately I modified a recipe of mine so I was able to easily share on the spot. So here it is!!

Makes 24 cookies
Ingredients:

2 Cups Almond Meal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1.25 cup sweet potato puree*
1/4 cup mashed banana for oil-free (or olive oil)
1.5 tsp Flax Meal
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup dates
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp agave syrup (or use a maple syrup or honey for vegetarian)
2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
2 cups raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet with baking paper or lightly grease.
Create the almond flour by blending raw almonds together until a fine powder is formed (or use a prepared almond flour).
Place almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl and mix until well combined.
Mix the flax meal and warm water in a small bowl. Mix well to create a vegan egg substitute. Set aside to congeal. For non-vegans an egg could be used here.
Combine the dates and warm water in a food processor, pulse until a chunky paste is formed. In the same container, add the flax mixture, vanilla and agave syrup. Pulse until mixed well.
Incorporate the wet to dry until mixed well. Slowly add in the oats and raisins, folding until well combined.
Take a big spoonful of batter, form into a nice sized ball and press into the shape of a cookie. (Wet hands help here!) Place on the prepared cookie sheet, I have a smaller pan so I filled 8 cookies per pan for 3 total batches. Cook each batch for 20 minutes. Use a spatula and place on a cooling rack or surface to cool and ENJOY! Oh my gosh these are SO great and deserve to be enjoyed by you and as many other people as possible!

*TIP: My favorite way to make sweet potatoes is to peel, cut and steam for about 20-25 minutes until soft and then proceed to blend in the blender or food processor until nice and creamy. Proceed to use or store in the fridge or freezer for future recipes.

To plant based living!
Christa

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Winter Glow Smoothie

12/11/2014 0 Comments

Refresh and reset your system with a Winter Glow Smoothie filled with leafy greens and fresh fruit to boot! Don't let the green scare you away it actually tastes very delicious. Gerald was surprised at how green it was yet how great it tasted. With everything finely blended into a smoothie it's incredibly easy on your digestive system and offers an immediate energy boost!

The smoothie is filled with bananas, papayas, lime juice, water and 2 cups of dark leafy greens with enough nutrition to have your body smiling back at you for being so kind to it.

This smoothie fills my HEART CHAKRA or Anahata up with LOVE! The dark leafy greens provide the vibrational rate needed to balance our love chakra helping us start our day out right...in love. The heart chakra relates directly to the Thymus Gland. We chose Bak Choy a Chinese Cabbage, a cruciferous vegetable, which appears to enhance thymus function. Some say a life without love can negatively effect your Thymus gland. Join me and feel the love with this smoothie!

Serves: 2 Time: 5 minutes Calories per serving: 176 WW Points: 5

Ingredients:

2 cups dark leafy greens
1 cup papaya
2 ripe bananas
2 cups cold filtered water
1 freshly squeezed key lime (2" diameter)
OPT: Any additional super-foods or protein powder

BLEND - SLURP - VIBRATE! :)

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Spicy Bok Choy with Beet infused Quinoa and Lentils

12/9/2014 0 Comments

Our garden has been very kind to us! We planted it a bit late but with a little sun and water it is thriving. We harvested such a big harvest yesterday that the picture below is not the complete harvest but a portion of what was shared! Everyone loves food, especially fresh from the garden including us. We are so thankful!

I wish we could have captured the moment when we shared the fresh dill. Three woman gathered around with bright eyes smelling the fresh scent and examining how nice it was. As the farmers who grew it, Gerald and I were both proud like parents. It was a nice moment in time and we are thankful for the harvest!

We saved some for ourselves and had an incredible lunch. The inspiration came from MommyTang on Instagram who taught me how to eat Bok Choy - blanch it! This is turning into one of our favorites and it is time to share it with you all.

This meal is so flavorful you would never know you just ate an entire bundle of Bok Choy! Mix all of those greens with quinoa and lentils and it is a well balanced meal.

Servings: 2 Calories per serving: 293 Weight Watcher + Points: 7

Spicy Bok Choy with Beet infused Quinoa and Lentils

1/2 cup quinoa (*or your favorite grain)
1/4 cup lentils
1.5 cups filtered water (*or vegetable broth)
1.5 tsp beet powder (*read more here)
Opt: Top with a fresh herb (we chose dill due to our harvest today)
1 large bundle of Bok Choy
1/4 cup Tamari (or GF Soy Sauce)
1/2 cup water
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lime - juiced
Sesame seeds for oil-free or a dash of sesame oil
Red pepper flakes for spice (to taste)
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the quinoa and lentils with water in a rice cooker. Add 1.5 tsp beet powder, stir and press cook.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Rinse and cut Bok Choy lengthwise and in half. Set aside.
Prepare the sauce by mixing the tamari sauce, water, garlic, lime juice, sesame seeds (or oil), red pepper flakes and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Once the water is boiling add the Bok Choy to blanch. Stir for 1 -2 minutes watching closely as not to overcook. Drain (save water for plants or other meals if you can) rinse to cool to touch and squeeze the excess water out.
Place the squeezed Bok Choy in the small bowl with the sauce, mix well to incorporate the flavor.
Take a measuring cup (I used 1 cup) and pack it with the quinoa lentil mixture. Place it in a bowl and surround it with the Spicy Bok Choy. Pour excess sauce on top of the quinoa and lentils. Top with a fresh herb and serve. Serves 2. ENJOY this nutritious meal.

Good points

Very low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
Low in sugar
Very high in dietary fiber
Very high in iron
High in manganese
High in magnesium
High in phosphorus
High in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin B6
Very high in vitamin C

I hope you had a great start to the week and have an even better finish!

Christa

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Sweet Potato Blondies - Vegan + Gluten-Free

12/7/2014 0 Comments

This dessert is so moist and decadent it's hard to believe it has sweet potatoes in it! It is so good we had it for dessert last night and breakfast this morning with a latte. :)

These are shockingly scrumptious and almost fudge like. A blond brownie with ingredients picked with lots of love. It is hard not to go back for more. I personally love the corner pieces.

The ingredients and flavor couldn't be more timely for the upcoming winter. If you can share... it would be a great treat for all to enjoy! We'll surely be making more and until then I'll be dreaming of them.

Total Time: 35 Minutes | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Servings: 12-15+ Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten-free all purpose baking flour (Like Hodgson Mill or homemade)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup coconut butter*
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup mashed banana or 1/4 cup mashed sweet potato
1/3 cup almond butter or preferred nut/seed butter
1 cup peeled, cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (about 1 large sweet potato)*
1/4 cup hot water
4 medjool dates
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
oil to coat the pan or use parchment paper
OPT: 10 cacao butter wafers - chopped or chocolate chips/chunks!

Peaceful Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan or use parchment paper.
Place the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt in a large bowl and mix well.
In a small bowl combine the melted coconut butter and palm sugar and mix well. Add the mashed banana, almond butter, mashed sweet potato and mix. Blend the hot water and medjool dates in a food processor or blender and add to the wet ingredients along with the vanilla and cinnamon. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Slowly incorporate the wet to the dry and mix well until thoroughly combined.
Transfer to the prepared 9 x 13 pan. I found once it was in the pan, placing plastic wrap over my hand and gently spreading out the dough made it smooth and easy to work with. Opt to top or mix in the cacao butter pieces for hints of white chocolate or chocolate chips. I've done both, and neither, it's all good. Bake 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out with a little bit of crumbs. Let it cool for 10 minutes and dig in!

Notes:

Boil the sweet potato or steam for 20 minutes and then mash. It is also wonderful with a baked and mashed sweet potato.
Coconut butter is easier on your digestive system than coconut oil as it contains the fibers, both work well in this recipe.
Coconut Palm Sugar is the boiled and dehydrated sap of the Coconut Palm with a lower glycemic index score of 35 vs. table sugar at 65 to 70. I LOVE the brown sugar taste the coconut palm sugar added to this treat. You could substitute this for agave or dried fruit. I did not test this but based on my experience I think it would work.
Adapted and Inspired from: The Tolerant Vegan

From my kitchen to yours,
Christa

UPDATE 2016: I re-made these in a 9 x 13 pan after feedback, and they are perfect! The recipe has been updated to reflect this. In this version I subbed the mashed banana with more mashed sweet potato, used coconut oil as I didn't have the butter, and was out of cacao wafers so passed and added chocolate chips to half. They were GORGEOUS! Baked quicker than 20 minutes, were the consistency of a perfect brownie yet blonde. My husband and I LOVE THESE!!! They are incredibly hard not to eat. The 9 x 13 yields much more bars so it is technically less calories! Yeah! Enjoy!

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Mandarin Strawberry Banana Superfood Smoothie

12/6/2014 0 Comments

This morning we wanted something smooth that was easily digestible and would make us feel on fire! I decided to take a little bit of this and that and ended up with a taste bud tingling flavor sensation! 2 bananas, 5 mandarin oranges, 1 lime, 1.5 cups frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup aloe very juice (opt or water), 1/2 cup filtered water and as much superfoods as I could find. Flax nopales protein mix, spirulina powder, moringa powder, our homemade Popeye powder, beet powder and more! Halfway through my husband said he could feel it pumping up his veins and was just what he needed.

Here is a glimpse in my world today. A little blogging, painting, smoothies, good vibes and more. I love Saturdays, don't you??

I've been busy working on a new e-book! It is my holiday gift to ALL of YOU! Featuring 10 must-have recipes that are all FREE for subscribers. I wouldn't be able to do what I do with out you. It's an honor to be invited into your home. Thank you! The e-book is a teaser of what's to come in my new cookbook due 2015!!! The new books will have awesome new features like a nutrition report card with calories and weight watcher points. I grew up in a home with cupboards that had points listed on boxes. I am happy to report I no longer count my calories or points but know how important it is for those who do!

With out much further ado- let's get our smoothie on so you can feel great too!!!

Mandarin Strawberry Banana Superfood Smoothie

5 Mandarins - freshly squeezed
1.5 cups frozen strawberries
2 bananas
1 lime - freshly squeezed
3 medjool dates
.5 cup aloe vera juice (or water)
.5 cup filtered water (Ours had colloidal silver in it!)
2 tbsp of your favorite protein powder
OPT:
- 1 tsp Spirulina
- 1 tsp Beet Powder
- 1 tsp Greens Powder
- 1 tsp Moringa Powder
- 1/4 tsp Reishi Mushroom Powder
- 1 tsp Chaga Mushroom Powder
- 1-2 tsp Elderberry Powder

BLEND, SERVE, SIP and FEEL NATURES FINEST FLOWING THROUGH YOUR VEINS! I served ours with 1,000 IU Vitamin C and 10,000 IU Vitamin D to further protect and activate our immune system. To your good health!

Best wishes for a beautiful and blessed day!
Christa

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Sweet Potato Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Winter Glow Smoothie

Spicy Bok Choy with Beet infused Quinoa and Lentils

Sweet Potato Blondies - Vegan + Gluten-Free

Mandarin Strawberry Banana Superfood Smoothie

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