chai chia pudding + 3 minute raw grainless granola (sugar free)

chai spices are beneficial to our bodies for a number of reasons, but i love them not only for that, but because they taste amazing! 

this pudding is easy to throw together at night to have a nutrient-dense breakfast waiting for you in the morning! it makes a large batch that should last you up to 8 servings.

1 c chia seeds
3.5 c homemade nut milk of choice
3 t cardamom
3 t cinnamon
11/2 t ginger powder
1/2 t clove powder
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t star anise
1/2 t vanilla bean powder
stevia, raw honey or brown rice syrup to taste

-place all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well. cover, set in fridge and stir every hour for 2-3 hours, then let sit overnight. enjoy with your favorite toppings! pictured, i topped with a bit of my grain + sugar free rawnola + fresh organic blueberries.

3 minute grain-free rawnola:
1 c tiger nut flour
1 c coconut flakes
1 c sprouted seeds of choice
1 c sprouted nuts of choice
3 T collagen
2 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla bean powder
1 t sea salt
pinch or two of nutmeg
1/2 c lakatno sugar (or stevia to taste)
optional: healthy chocolate chips

-mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. melt 1/2 c coconut oil and pour over mixture. add 1/4 c water and mix with hands until everything is incorporated well. set in freezer for 30 minutes before enjoying with your favorite nut milk or this chia pudding!

*store in freezer. lasts forever so double the batch!

summer cucumber noodle salad with mango, radish + cilantro-tahini sauce

this light summer salad is a fun way to switch up the traditional greens. with a little spice from the radish + juicy sweetness from the mango, your taste buds & belly are sure to love it (:

cilantro-tahini sauce:
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 T lemon juice
2 T raw tahini
1 T evoo
1/4 t sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
2-5 drops stevia
water to desired consistency
-add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until very smooth.

salad:
2 large cucumbers, spiralized
8 radish, thinly sliced
2 large mango, peeled and chunked
1 large handful baby greens, chopped
-add all ingredients to a large salad bowl and toss with dressing. serve immediately.

gluten and sugar-free oatmeal cream pies

these tasty treats require a bit of love and work, but the end result is definitely worth it.

cookie:

1 c ghee, room temp

¾ c coconut sugar

½ c soft dates

2 large organic eggs

1 t vanilla

11/2 c gf oat flour

1 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

½ t sea salt

3 c gf rolled oats

-preheat oven to 350F. line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside.

-in a blender, add butter, sugar and dates, blend until creamy. add in eggs, vanilla, and salt and blend to combine.

-in a medium bowl whisk together the oat flour, oats, baking soda, and cinnamon. mix in the wet ingredients well. drop 1-2 T of cookie dough onto prepped baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. allow cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

cream filling:

1/2 c coconut butter, softened

¼ c ghee, softened

21/2 c powdered coconut or lakanto sugar

1 t vanilla extract

-add vanilla, coconut butter and ghee to a blender and blend on high for about a minute. gradually add in the powdered sugar until completely incorporated. blend for another minute or so until it thickens up quite a bit.

-once cookies are completely cooled, spread a generous amount of cream between 2 cookies, repeating with the whole batch. 

brunch happiness: grainless biscuits and gravy

all the fluffiness, creaminess and flavor, without the refined flour, sugar, and heavy cream.

i made this the other day for my husband (who eats all the bagels, biscuits, and bread he wants..the unhealthy kind!), he said it was the best bite of biscuit he's ever had....yes! 

with few ingredients and easy prep, this meal will definitely become a staple in our house. i found myself using the biscuits later days to make sandwiches + avo toast and they were delish! dreaming of a fried egg on top of one today...

biscuits:
21/2 c almond flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda
2 eggs
1/4 c melted ghee
1 T raw organic honey
1 T chopped rosemary 

-in a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, & soda. in a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the ghee, honey & rosemary. add the wet to the dry and mix well until a sticky dough forms. cover place in fridge for at least an hour or up to three days. 
-when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. using hands, place dough on another piece of parchment and press down evenly to 1" thickness. using the ring to a mason jar lid, cut out circles in dough. whisk 1 egg in a bowl and brush on top of biscuits. bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top. 

chicken sausage gravy:
3 T ghee
3 large chicken sausage links, cut up into pieces (i used a clean organic applegates brand)
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried sage
pinch of sea salt & nutmeg
1 T pepper
1 c unsweetened nut milk
1 T arrowroot starch

-heat a skillet over medium heat. add ghee, onions + garlic and cook until translucent. add sausage and spices and cook until sausage is lightly browned.
-in a small bowl, whisk together nut milk and arrowroot. add to the sausage, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
-cut lightly cooled biscuits in half and ladle gravy over top. enjoy!

sprouted mung bean & pine nut hummus

another killer hummus recipe-since i am an addict. this time made with sprouted mung beans, a better alternative for those who do not tolerate beans very well.

2 c mung bean sprouts (see this post on easily sprouting your own + benefits!)

1/4 c nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 c raw pine nuts

1 T evoo

juice & zest of 1 lemon

3 whole garlic cloves

1 t cumin

2 T acv

sea salt & pepper to taste 

-add all ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and process until very smooth. transfer to a container and pour over a generous amount of evoo. enjoy on sandwiches, naan, with your favorite chips, crackers or veg sticks!

raw salted dark chocolate-mulberry-peanut crunch bites

THESE babies are addicting. you've been warned. mulberries are sooo yummy and when dried, have a caramel-like flavor to them. so you could say this is pretty much a way better version of a snickers bar (:

to keep the nutrient quality high, i used raw organic wild jungle peanuts...but of course you can use whatever you have on hand, or sub for another favorite nut!

how to:
-gently melt 8oz raw organic cacao paste (if you don't have this, you can use a high quality chocolate bar or chocolate chips) in your dehydrator (or oven on a very low temp). takes up to an hour. once melted, mix in 1/2 c chopped peanuts + 1/2 c dried mulberries, optional: stevia or raw honey to taste. mix until everything is coated well.
-line a small glass dish with parchment paper and sprinkle the bottom evenly with flaked sea salt. spread chocolate mixture evenly into pan and set in freezer to harden. once firm, pop out of dish and cut with a sharp knife into small pieces. stores great at room temp or in fridge/freezer.

chilled spring carrot + turmeric soup with raw sunflower flatbread

like sunshine in a bowl, this soup is light and refreshing chilled, with a little kick of heat from fresh ginger... pair it with this raw, grainless sunflower flatbread (that you can also turn into a cracker!) and you have perfection! 

this meal is getting me all excited for summer!

soup ingredients:
2 T coconut oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

pinch of red pepper flakes
1 ½ lbs young carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 t fine sea salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground turmeric
freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups filtered water or bone broth

coconut yogurt and parsley for serving

-melt coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. sauté onions, garlic, minced ginger, and pepper flakes for 1 to 2 minutes or until glossy. add carrots, salt, cinnamon and turmeric and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. add water or broth and bring to a boil. reduce heat, and simmer until carrots are very soft, 20-25 minutes.
-puree soup in batches in a high speed blender & chill overnight (you can also serve hot right away!)
-divide soup between 4 to 6 bowls and place a spoonful of yogurt or drizzle of coconut milk in center of each and finish with chopped parsley or carrot fonds and a pinch of additional salt and freshly ground pepper if desired. 

sunflower bread:
3 c raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight & drained
2 zucchini, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 T collagen (gelatin)
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c water
sea salt + pepper to taste

-add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until very smooth. spread out on parchment paper in rounds 1/4-1/2 inch thick & sprinkle with turmeric powder. 
-dehydrate at 115F for 7-9 hours for a pliable flatbread or 10-12 hours for a cracker-like crispy flatbread. both ways are delicious!

a mother's day delight: strawberry pie with heavenly coconut whipped cream

what a beautiful day to celebrate all of the strong, beautiful, forgiving, kind, selfless mothers in our lives! since i am the only one in my family who is not a mother (and will actually do something!), i put myself in charge of mother's day lunch/dinner! the menu looks something like this:

-ham & swiss puff pastry (a family recipe that is so not healthy, but requested by many!)
-cucumber noodle salad with radish, juicy mango and a cilantro-tahini sauce (recipe to come!)
-baked sweet potato fries with special sauce
-steamed lemony asparagus
-fresh fruit bowl
-peanut + dark chocolate mulberry crunch bites (also, recipe to come!)
-great grandma lulie's fresh strawberry pie, re-vamped a bit and upgraded to a healthier version!

i love taking old, traditional family favorite recipes and making them in a healthier way. it really is my passion since i believe in indulging in childhood favorites that bring back a flood of beautiful memories!

this pie is no exception. ever since i was little i remember my mother and grandmother making this pie and loving it so much! a light and flaky crust with the sweetest strawberry filling and a little whip on top. so today i make it to honor these wonderful women, and my great grandmother, who i believe is the one who made up the recipe, probably using fresh strawberries from her garden-amazing!

the recipe is fairly simple and fool-proof. instead of making the crust with white flour and corn oil, i used a mix of tigernut four, which is wonderfully sweet and a great source of prebiotic fiber, along with green banana flour, which is not sweet, but also a great source of resistant starch, and for the oil, i used cacao butter, melted, which gave it a hint of white-chocolatey goodness....yes!

what really made me excited about making this pie was using my new toy, an ISI stainless steel whipped cream dispenser that i used to make a super healthy version of whipped cream with coconut cream, vanilla bean powder and a touch of stevia. the dispenser makes the consistency perfect! but of course, if you don't have one you can always make coconut whipped cream with a whisk and a speedy arm (:

for the crust:
-preheat oven to 425F.
-in a bowl, mix well:
1/3 c gently melted cacao butter 
1/2 c banana flour
1/2 c tigernut flour
1/2 t sea salt
-use hands to mix, then add in 2 T water. grease a pie pan lightly with cacao butter and press crust evenly into the bottom and up sides of the dish. bake for 8 minutes, then cool. 

strawberry filling:
in a medium sauce pan, add: 
1 c chopped strawberries
2/3 c water
-bring to a boil, while mashing berries as they soften. once boiling and thoroughly mashed, add in:
1 c sugar of choice (i used a mixture of 1/2 c lakanto sugar + 1 dropper full of vanilla stevia to keep it very low in sugar. you could also use coconut sugar or all stevia. you can even try brown rice syrup or honey!)
1 T gelatin/collagen
1/3 c water
-whisk well while boiling for 2-3 minutes, then remove and cool.
-add a thin layer of strawberry glaze to the bottom of the baked pie crust, then top with 1-2 c chopped strawberries. pour the remaining glaze over the top and smooth over. chill pie. 
-option to serve with this delicious coconut whipped cream:

coconut whip:
-place 2 cans full-fat coconut milk in fridge overnight. in the morning, open and scrape off the cream that has solidified on the top in to a bowl. you can save the coconut water or discard it. add to the cream in the bowl: 1/8 t vanilla bean powder + stevia to taste (you don't even need to add stevia if you don't want!). whisk well and chill, or transfer to your whipped cream dispenser and follow the directions for use. 
-top pie, and enjoy this beautiful, healthy, summer treat!