Roasted Cauliflower Hummus

If beans don't agree with you or you're trying to eat raw, clean or paleo this recipe is for you. I'm a HUGE lover of hummus. It's probably my favorite go-to snack of all time. I guess I'm sort of a hummus snob, so I didn't expect much with this recipe. My expectations were low in thinking that this would come out tasting like my favorite classic hummus recipes. Well…I was wrong. This is pretty darn good and it's pretty darn good for you. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

                                    Ingredients 

• 1 medium head of cauliflower 
• cooking spray
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• salt & pepper to taste 

                                      Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with oil or cooking spray.
   
2. Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet. Spray with additional oil or cooking spray. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and cool.
   
3. Combine cauliflower, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in food processor. Process until smooth. Add water one tablespoon at a time for a thinner consistency, if desired.
   

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve with lemon wedges, pita bread, and fresh veggies.

Healthy Vitamin C Fruit Gummies

After reading tons of articles about the benefit of gelatin, (you can read for yourself here and here)  I decided to give it a go and try some recipes using it. I came across a bunch of different recipes for fruit gummies and decided to take advantage of our orange tree and make some yummy orange gummies packed with vitamin C and grassfed gelatin. I also added some camu camu to give it a super boost of vitamin C power. This treat is great for kids that need some added protein and vitamins. It's also an easy take-along snack. 

Ingredients  

• 1 1/2 cups of orange juice (I used fresh squeezed)

• 7 T of grass-fed gelatin powder 

• 4 T honey

• 4 tsp of vitamin c powder (I used camu camu)

• 1/4 tsp vanilla

• pinch of sea salt

Directions

In a saucepan, heat orange juice over medium heat. Pour gelatin over mixture and whisk. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a light boil. Pour mixture into molds and refrigerate for about an hour. Once the gummies are set, pop out and enjoy! 

Raw Vegan Strawberry "Cheesecake"Bites

Cheesecake is by far my absolute favorite dessert, but not such a healthy choice when an average slice is about 1,000 calories. These are a wonderful substitute and are full of healthy ingredients.  These are by far the best raw food desserts I've ever made (and I've experimented with a lot!).
They are free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar. Don't let the 3 steps to this recipe fool you, it's actually a lot simpler than it looks. You just throw all the ingredients in each step into the food processor and that's it! Enjoy!

 

 Ingredients 

For the crust:

•  2 cups of almonds
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut
• juice for 1/2 lemon

For the filling:

• 3 cups of raw cashews   
• 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 3/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1 Tbs vanilla

  For the topping:

• 8 medium to large strawberries
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1 Tbs honey
  

 Directions

1. Place all of the ingredients for the crust in a food processor.  Process until you have a sticky dough consistency. 
2. Take a small amount of crust and roll it into a ball.  Then place it on the bottom of your muffin tin and press down firmly so it holds together.  
3. Clean your food processor and place all the ingredients for the filling inside.  Process until you have a smooth cheesecake filling consistency
4. Layer the filling on top of the crust, leaving just a little bit of room for the topping. 
5. Place all of the strawberry topping ingredients into the food process and blend until you have a sauce like consistency.
6. Add the topping on top of each mini cheesecake.  
7. Place in the freezer for about an hour or until they are set. 
8. Enjoy! 

 

Yummy No-Bake Energy Bites

It's been awhile since I've posted anything on this blog. Feels good to be back. Lots of things have changed. Most importantly... I'm a new mommy now! I have a 12 week old lil girl named Olive. She's my world and I've been trying to eat super healthy to be the best I can be for her. When I was searching for healthy snacks I came across this recipe in an online breastfeeding group that I'm in. When becoming a nursing mother, you have to constantly eat (hopefully healthy) to help your body continue to produce the much needed milk for your little one. I've tried about 4 different protein bars, balls, you name it, recipes and although they were all good, this one is my favorite. I love these! So easy to make and such a great snack even though they taste more like a dessert to me. They're great for everyone and also a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt. These are vegan, gluten free and have no refined sugar. Super easy snack to have on hand for anyone! Enjoy!

 

Ingredients  

 

•  1 cup (dry) oatmeal
• 2/3 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter you prefer)
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (I used cacao nibs, but you could also use raisins)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract    

 

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour. Once chilled, roll into 1" balls and store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. Now how easy it that!?