Healthy Almond Joys

I can't believe it's been months since I've blogged. I guess I'm not very good at balancing my life! :) Many of you haven't heard, but the SQD family is growing! Our baby is due in June, so needless to say life has been busy.

Before I got pregnant I was following a whole-food plant-based diet. I also gave up all processed sugar for 2 months! Can you believe it? I can't. Ha! These little Almond Joys got me through my bad sugar cravings and they are so packed full of nutrients. It's ridiculous that these are actually good for you. I make these for potlucks and family gathering and they are always a hit. I have made them individually and also as a 9x13 pan of bars. Either way, they taste great. Almond Joy is my favorite candy bar and these little treats have it beat! This recipe was adapted from my Health Coach, Cynthia Sumner. Side note: if any of you are looking for an awesome online Health Coach, check out Cythia's site Green Healing Leaf. Her program changed my life.

For those of you that are into "clean" eating or even Paleo, most of these ingredients may be familiar to you. Most can be purchased at a health-food store, bulk-food store or even Costco. I buy my pure maple syrup, coconut oil and chia seeds at Costco. I buy the macaroon coconut and Cacao powder at my local health-food store. I also make my own almond flour in my Vitamix or you can purchase that at a health-food store also.

Every time I share this recipe, people always ask me, "What is cacao powder? Is it the same as cocoa powder?" Cacao powder is basically chocolate in the raw and the "fruit" of the Cacao tree. It is very strong and kind of bitter on it's own. Raw cacao is an excellent source of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, calcium and sulfur. Cocoa powder is what we commonly see in grocery stores and use in our baking. Cocoa powder is basically the cacao bean that has been heated, roasted and processed. Because of this nearly all of the nutrients and antioxidants have been stripped away. Cacao powder is expensive (typically $16-$17 for 1 lb.) but a little goes a long way, so it lasts.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. This is one of our family's favorite raw treats. My kids love helping make them, too. If you'd like to see more raw treats or raw recipes, please leave me a comment. :)

Here's what you need:

3 c. finely shredded, unsweetened coconut (I use unsweetened macaroon coconut)

1 1/2 c. almond flour (just blend or process whole, raw almonds into a flour in a high-powered blender)

3/4 c. pure maple syrup

1/4 c. raw honey

1/3 c. softened coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp.sea salt

3 T. chia seeds

Chocolate Sauce:

3/4 c. coconut oil, melted

4 T. cacao powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. pure maple syrup, room temp

1. Combine coconut, almond flour, maple syrup, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, salt and chia seeds in a large bowl. Stir well until combine. Roll into balls. Place in freezer to set up. 

2. Make the chocolate sauce by combining coconut oil, cacao powder, vanilla and maple syrup together. 

Stir until smooth, drizzle over almond joy balls, top with an almond and a little shredded coconut and freeze until set. 

3. Store these in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes about 45 almond joys.


Enjoy and Happy Baking!

Printable recipe here.

Banana Drop Cookies

So I've been on a health kick lately. I'm trying really hard to train for some 5ks this summer in addition to losing baby weight. We have been doing juicing, blending and increasing our physical activity as a family. The hardest part when I'm trying to eat right is avoiding sweets. I completely and thoroughly enjoy a well-made dessert. I've been on a quest for healthful cookies. It seems like they either aren't truly healthful or they taste healthful (and not in a good way). It's hard finding both. Because we enjoy juicing frequently we always have fruit pulp leftover. We felt guilty throwing this nutritional bi-product away, so I tried thinking of ways to use it. We use it as organic compost for our garden, but I wanted to benefit from the fiber. I decided to try adding some of the pulp to these cookies as a source of fiber and it turned out great. You couldn't even tell that it was in there. If you don't juice, don't worry about adding the pulp to the cookies. It's completely optional.

So as far as the cookies I couldn't believe how yummy they turned out and they are packed with so many good-for-you ingredients. I also love that they are dairy and fat-free (if not using chocolate chips) and packed full of fiber. They are the perfect balance of sweet and chewy and I loved the texture of the chia and flax seeds with the oats. And they are SO moist! If you haven't tried adding chia and flax seeds into your diet, you are missing out on some great benefits. You can buy either at health food stores, but I have found mine at my local Winco and Kitchen Kneads stores for a fraction of the price. Maybe I'll do a post on the nutritional benefits of these lovely seeds for those of you that don't know much about them.

I  really loved the addition of the dark chocolate chips to this recipe. These can be optional if you want these to be more healthful, but I thought a few added a great flavor and made me feel like I was eating regular cookies. If you freeze your ripe bananas and you use them for these cookies, you may need a little more agave for sweetness. I've made these cookies with fresh and frozen bananas and I've noticed that I don't need any extra sweetener when I use fresh bananas.

I hope you enjoy these. I love that I can still have a little something sweet without completely breaking my weight-loss goals. I love storing the leftovers in the fridge--they taste SO good cold!

Here's what you need: Makes 25-30 cookies

3 ripe bananas, mashed with some chunks
1/3 C unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C almond milk
1 T chia seeds
1 T flax seeds
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 T agave (or stevia)
2/3 C dried fruit, cranberries and raisins mixed together
1/3 C dark chocolate chips or carob chips
2 C oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c fruit pulp, opt

1. Preheat oven  to 350 degrees. Combine mashed bananas, applesauce, almond milk, cinnamon salt, agave and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Add baking soda and stir until incorporated

2. Add chia and flax seeds, dried fruit, chocolate chips, oatmeal and fruit pulp if desired. Stir until well incorporated.

3. Spoon on to parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350° for 15-16 min until top begins to brown.

4. Remove from oven and allow to rest on baking sheet 2-3 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and enjoy a cookie while they are still warm. :)

Enjoy and Happy Baking! (And Healthful Eating!)

Here is the printable recipe.

Pesto Quinoa Salad

Our family gathers once a quarter to celebrate birthdays in the extended family. We always do a potluck and I'm usually scrambling the day of to think of something awesome to take. This recipe totally happened by accident. I had a bunch of stuff in the fridge that needed to be used and I wasn't sure how this potpourri salad would turn out, but it rocked. This is a great salad because you can throw whatever fresh veg you have in your fridge and add it. Or you can customize it with your own favorite veg.

This salad is light, fresh and the lemon adds a wonderful brightness. It's very filling, so you can serve as a side dish or add more veggie to make a main dish. I love basil pesto and the lemon was a great compliment to it. I also used prepared basil pesto. My favorite place to buy it is in the refrigerated section at Costco or Sam's Club. It's really yummy and cheaper than making it yourself  if you don't grow your own basil. I  also served this chilled, but it would be delicious also served warm. I also love incorporating chia seeds into my salads. They look like little poppy seeds and they had a great crunch. Not to mention that they are packed full of protein and vitamins. They are so good for you. If you haven't tried fresh goat cheese, you are missing out. The texture is similar to cream cheese, but a little more crumbly like feta cheese. It's also tangy like cream cheese. I love using goat cheese because it's very flavorful and doesn't have as much fat as most other cheeses. Give it a try--I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I also buy goat cheese at Costco.

Here's what you need:

-2 C quinoa
-4 C water or vegetable broth
-1.5 C fresh sugar snap peas, coarsely broken into pieces
- (1) 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-1/2 C kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
-3 green onions, sliced
-1/2 C dried cranberries
-1/2 C raw almonds, whole
-2 handful of fresh spinach leaves, separated
-1/4 C fresh parsley, finely chopped
-1 tsp. chia seeds, optional
-1/4 C goat cheese, crumbled (about 2-3 oz.)
-salt to taste

Dressing:

-1/2 C prepared basil pesto
-juice of 1 medium lemon
-2 TBS balsamic vinegar

Garnish:

-5 slices of lemon
-a few pieces of parsley

1. In a medium sauce pan take quinoa and water and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil uncovered for 15 min or until majority of liquid is gone. Remove from heat, add one handful of spinach and cover pan with lid. Fluff with fork after 5 minutes and stir in wilted spinach. Remove lid and set aside.

2. While quinoa is cooking, add peas, chickpeas, olives, cranberries, parsley and almonds to a large mixing bowl. Toss to mix.

3. In a separate bowl combine pesto, lemon juice and vinegar. Stir until well incorporated.

4. After quinoa is mainly cooled to room temp, add it to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Pour dressing over top and mix to ensure the dressing is well incorporated. Taste salad and add salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

5. Once ready to serve, take remaining handful of spinach and spread over serving platter. Pile quinoa on top of spinach, sprinkle with chia seeds and crumbled goat cheese. Add a few pieces of parsley and add lemon slices to garnish.


Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Here's the printable recipe.

Cinnamon Apple Raisin Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Cinnamon Apple Raisin Steel-Cut Oatmeal

One of my favorite memories when I was younger was sitting on the heat vents before getting ready for school. My mom would throw a blanket in the dryer and we'd all huddle around the heat vents and bury ourselves underneath the warm blanket. My mom would cook us oatmeal or Cream of  Wheat on those really cold winter mornings. To this day, I love hot cereal on cold mornings.

Many people have no idea what steel cut oats are, so I'm going to give you a quick lesson. The whole oat grains are typically referred to as "oat groats." These oat groats are cut up into smaller pieces and then called "steel-cut oats." Oat groats that have been rolled out are "old-fashioned oats." Old-fashioned oats that have been cut up into smaller pieces are "quick oats."

Left: Oat Groats, Right: Steel-Cut Oats
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Left: Old-fashioned Rolled Oats, Right: Quick Oats
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Oat Groats, Steel-cut Oats, Rolled Oats, Quick Oats
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The main difference between steel-cut oats and old-fashioned & quick oats is that the latter have been steamed to aid in quicker cooking. Steel-cut oats also have a chewier texture. They typically have a little more fat, fiber and protein because they are less processed than rolled oats. They also take longer to cook since they are the whole grain. Steel-cut oats also seem to make you feel fuller longer. Now you are an oat expert. :) I prefer to buy my steel-cut oats at a health food store or in the bulk section at your local grocery store. You can get them for less than $.89/lb. If you try buying the name brand in the oatmeal section, you'll pay $2-$3 or more per lb. I always buy these oats in bulk and I always have them on-hand.

This recipe takes about 35-45 minutes to cook, but it's well worth it. You also don't have to be tending to it constantly, so you can multi-task during the process. This makes a perfect breakfast on a cold, snowy morning and it definitely sticks with you. It's thick, creamy and slightly sweet. The buttermilk is awesome in this recipe. It gives it a mild tang and creates an awesome, creamy texture without all of the fat of cream. I also loved toasting the oats. It gave them a really wonderful, nutty taste. My daughter loves oatmeal and I was curious to see how she would like the new texture. She asked for seconds, so I know this recipe is a keeper. It's also relatively healthful, so you won't have to feel guilty eating it.

Here's what you need:
-1 TBS coconut oil (or butter), separated
-1 C steel-cut oats
-3 C boiling water
-1/4-1/2 tsp. coarse salt
-1/2 C raisins
-(2) apples, cored and thinly sliced
-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, separated
-2 TBS brown sugar, 1 tsp reserved
-1/2 C 1% milk
-1/2 C low-fat buttermilk, separated
-1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract
-1/4 C. coarsely chopped almonds (optional)

1. In a medium sauce pan heat 1/2 TBS of coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is heated add oats and toast until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning.

2. Add boiling water and salt. Turn heat to med-low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. While oats are simmering, get a medium skillet and heat remaining 1/2 TBS of oil over medium-high heat. Add apples and saute until golden and tender, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Set aside. (I LOVE using my apple peeler/corer/slicer from Pampered Chef for this step. It makes it so fast and easy.)

Sauteed Apples
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4. After oats have simmered for 25 minutes, add milk, 1/4 C of buttermilk, raisins and remaining 1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon. The oatmeal will look thick and saucy. Stir to combine. Continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir to combine.

5. Take 1/2 C of cooked oatmeal and place in serving bowl. Top with a dollop of remaining buttermilk, some cooked apples and sprinkle with cinnamon and almonds to garnish. Serve hot.

Hearty Chewy Goodness
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Enjoy and Happy Cooking! Doesn't that look awesome?

So Delicious
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Here's the printable recipe.