Tag Archives: Vegan

Super Simple, Super Chocolate Mousse

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Time for another Oldie!!  The last time I made this I called it Chocolate Morphine, remember?  Of course you don’t.  But holy crap, you guys…this needed to happen again.  Can I just say that, for the ladies among us, this luscious concoction is a cure for anything and everything that ails you–hormones, trouble at work, bad hair days…?  That’s a biological fact right there.  Trust me…I mean, I could totally be a doctor some day if I wanted to.

So I’m in DC this weekend visiting my bestest.  There will be lots of eating of chocolate and in all probability som outlandish wine consumption.  Go ahead, judge me…because when I get back ill be back in training mode for a competition in May.  I’m still on the fence about going to Nationals…but I figured a local gig wouldn’t hurt too much.  It’s a chance to see if I’m ready, learn a little bit, and see if I can still stand in those horrific shoes.  Plus it’s right here in CO so I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get there.  I’m poor.  And about to be jobless.  Which is actually why I’m here in DC–got a pretty hot-to-trot interview Monday, but I’m not going to say what it’s for because I’ll jinx it…I just know it.  I probably shouldn’t have even mentioned it.  Crap.  Now I WILL be homeless.  I need chocolate.

5.0 from 2 reviews

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Super Simple, Super Chocolate Mousse
Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 1-2
 

Ingredients
  • 1 can Full-Fat Coconut Milk, refrigerated a few hours or overnight
  • 2-3 T Cocoa Powder (depending on how rich you want it)
  • 2-3 T Maple Syrup or Honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
  • Toppings: whipped cream, carob chips, shredded coconut, dollop of almond butter, cinnamon, etc…

Instructions
  1. Chill the can of coconut milk, unopened, for a few hours or overnight.
  2. Open the can and scrape out the solidified cream layer into a bowl. Beat vigorously with a whisk or an electric mixer until softened. Add the honey and cocoa and beat until light and fluffy.
  3. Top with your garnishes of choice, and enjoy!

 

The “Cereal” Matrix (and Carrot Cake!)

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There are plenty of those folks who will tell you, “Oh, no…I don’t miss ANYTHING from my non-Paleo days!”  Not this girl.  I mean, there’s a lot of stuff I just don’t really care about anymore (bread, for example…which is totally insane because there was a period of my life when a hunk of bread with butter or jam or cheese and a glass of milk was literally all I ate for every meal of the day…and I wondered why I was anemic…).  And then there are those occasional cravings I get for the most random stuff–pizza, pancakes, CAKE–but after a few years I’ve gotten pretty good at either Paleo-ifying said dishes or at least imitating the flavors and textures of my old favorites.

Oh, but then there’s cereal.  There’s something about stumbling out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, grabbing the box, dumping a mound of bran flakes in a bowl, and smothering it with ice cold milk.  For the most part, Paleo “cereals” just don’t do it for me…they’re almost always nut-based and more granola than cereal.  You have to understand, I’m partial to flake or puff-like cereals like your Raisin Bran, Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs, Special K, Honey Nut Cheerios, Oh’s…you get the idea.  Since I’ve been dabbling with the higher carb Perfect Health Diet protocol lately, I’ve thought about trying some organic rice-based cereals, but for one I have yet to find one that’s not either brown rice based or full of wacky additives (the second ingredient on Chocolate Chex is corn syrup) and for another I’m not as crazy about white rice as a carb source because it’s so devoid of nutrients.  OK, sorry…that’s another conversation completely.  So, cereal.

I’ve been playing around with some different stuff, trying to come up with something fast, easy, and with good texture.  And then I got a little artsy-fartsy and made The Cereal Matrix.

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All you gots ta do is pick an item(s) from each column to build your cereal.  Boom.  It’s kinda fun, and in the process I made some good ones–like my recipe for Carrot Cake Cereal.  Kind’ve a big deal.  But if that’s not your bag of chips, try some bananas.  Get wacky and add some exotic dried fruit (or veggies!  I won’t judge!).  Can’t eat nuts?  Don’t add nuts.  On a Whole30 or 21DSD?  Nix the sweetener.  Did you think of something awesome not listed on The Matrix?  Add it anyway!  (And share in the comments!)  Democracy is fun :-)

And now for my personal best of the weekend…

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The “Cereal” Matrix (and Carrot Cake!)
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Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 1
 

Ingredients
  • 1 Large Carrot, grated
  • ¼ c Raisins
  • ¼ c Diced Pineapple
  • ¼ c Slivered Almonds
  • 2 T Unsweetened Coconut
  • 1 T Maple Syrup (nix if you’re on the Whole30 or 21DSD)
  • Pinch Salt
  • Pinch Cinnamon
  • ¼ t Vanilla
  • Milk of Choice

Instructions
  1. Mix everything up in a cereal bowl.
  2. Top with milk of choice.
  3. Dig in!

 

Smashed Potatoes

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This is not an original recipe at all but I’ve been seeing one version or another all over Pinterest for a while now and decided to give it a try.  Holy Moly…it’s a little extra work but SO worth it.  YOU GUYS!!  I made a giant batch of these for dinner the other night, and lemme tell ya…sure, they’re good on their own.  But they’re good with ketchup and mayo, too.  They’re good topped with cheese.  They’re good with runny eggs and bacon.  Hell, they’re even good dipped in coffee.  

You see, when you get ‘em all soft and smash em down, then let them crisp up in the oven with a wee bit of oil, they get all crisp around the edges, but still ooey gooey and sweet and soft inside.  The natural sugars of the sweet potato caramelizes ..and you’ve got like…a little sweet potato beignet.

To the Internet Angel who made this viral on Pinterest for all to see…I owe you a little piece of my soul.

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Smashed Potatoes
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Cook time: 
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Serves: 4
 

Ingredients
  • 2 Large Sweet Potatoes or Yams (either works very well)
  • 2 T Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
  2. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, slice your potatoes about 1-inch thick.
  3. Add the potatoes to the water and boil for 15 minutes, or until they’re soft (but not mush!).
  4. Remove the potatoes to a greased baking sheet.
  5. With a spoon or the heel of your hand, smash each one down slightly. If they fall apart, just scrunch them back together.
  6. Brush each piece with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  7. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp around the edges.

 

Baked Ginger Cilantro Tempura Butternut Squash Fries

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I don’t know about you, but tempura ANYTHING is solid in my book.  It’s like…you know…fried food but somehow a little more classy.  Less Popeye’s and more Boston Market.  Ya know?

So school started up again and I only have my capstone left–then I’ll be a real grown-up with a real Master’s degree!  Isn’t that exciting?  Except we’re moving again and all the BS that goes along with that is…well, BS.  I hate moving.  It hasn’t even been a full year that we’ve been in Colorado–by FAR my favorite place I’ve lived in my 26 years–and already time to bid farewell.  How is that fair?!  Since I graduated high school, the longest I’ve lived in one place was my year in Iraq.  Military life, man…it’s a little rough for this homebody.  Which is why fried foods come in handy.  We’re good friends.

Speaking of fried food, I chose to bake these since I’ve had a few mishaps of late frying things.  It seems that just…you know…THROWING things in a pot of hot oil doesn’t often end well for the skin on my arms and face.  Oops.  I need a deep fryer, like, last week.  Besides, I’ve been capital-L LAZY this winter.  Baking these meant I could dip ‘em, set ‘em, and bake ‘em quickly and watch The Mindy Project while they were in the oven.  Too easy.

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Ginger Cilantro Tempura Butternut Squash Fries
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Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Ingredients
  • 1 large Butternut Squash
  • 4 Eggs
  • ¾ c Tapioca Starch
  • 1 T Fresh Cilantro, chopped
  • 1 T Fresh Ginger, grated
  • ½ t Salt

Instructions
  1. Cut the squash into “fries,” about 3 inches long and ½ inch thick.
  2. Arrange on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove and let cool.
  3. Make your tempura batter… whisk together the tapioca starch, eggs, and seasonings.
  4. Dip your half-baked squash fries in the batter, then arrange them on the baking sheet once again.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes longer.

 

Pumpkin Pie Hummus

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There was a time in my life when I could put down some hummus like…well, like by the bucketful.  And…if you promise not to tell anyone…it’s one of those non-Paleo foods that finds its way into my belly every now and then.  There, got me.  If you’re feeling a little rebellious one of these days, try a turkey, bacon, and avocado wrap with hummus on one of these tortillas.  Just…just do it.

So anyway, I had a hankering for some hummus but started wondering how a sweet version would turn out.  After all, this one was awesome, so why not make it a step further?  Capital O-M-G, you guys.  Every breakfast for the last week has been pancakes with this stuff schmeared right on top.  You’re welcome.

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Pumpkin Pie Hummus
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Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

Ingredients
  • 2 c Pumpkin Puree
  • ⅓ c Tahini
  • 1 T Fresh Orange Juice
  • 1 t Cinnamon
  • ¼ t Salt
  • 1 t Pumpkin Pie Spice

Instructions
  1. Toss everything in a food processor.
  2. Pulse until very smooth.

 

Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Torte w/ Sun Butter Mousse

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It’s also Raw and Vegan, too…so it’s totally good enough to make a well-balanced breakfast ;-)

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You might remember a couple weeks ago, I had the most UH-mazing chocolate torte with peanut butter cream.  Well, this is my answer to that, duderinos.  Although why I chose to make a frozen version in January, I’ll never know.  I think all this moving business is going to my head.  In the not good way.  I’ve been wearing the same pair of Lulus for 4 days.  Ew.  You didn’t need to know that.

So…this dessert really reminds me of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich–you have to get one full bite with the nutty crst, strawberries, chocolate, and then the mousse…oh, the mousse.  Any nut butter will do (I be coconut butter would rock it…hmmm, just figured out my purpose in life today!) but I chose sunflower seed butter because, at least to me, it’s the closest in flavor to actual peanut butter.  Of all the beans and legumes, I wish peanuts were somehow magically not horrific for your guts.  Please?  I have some catching up to do…

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4.0 from 1 reviews

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Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Torte w/ Sun Butter Mousse
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Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

Ingredients
  • 2 c Pecans or Walnuts
  • ¼ c Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 2 T Coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ c Honey
  • 1 t Vanilla
  • ½ t Salt
  • 3 Avocados
  • ⅓ c Full Fat Coconut milk
  • ½ c Honey
  • 1 T Arrowroot Powder
  • ¼ t Salt
  • 1 t Vanilla
  • 10 oz Dark Chocolate Chips (I use Enjoy Life), melted in 1-2 Coconut Oil
  • ¼ c Unsweetened Cocoa
  • 1 c Diced Strawberries
  • 1 can Full Fat Coconut Milk
  • 2 T Sunflower Seed Butter
  • 1 T Honey

Instructions
  1. For the crust, place the pecans or walnuts in a food processor and grind into a coarse meal.
  2. Add ¼ c cocoa, melted coconut oil, ¼ c honey, vanilla, and salt, pulsing and wiping down the sides if the food processor with a spatula until well combined. Press into a baking dish or pie plate (I use a springform pan) and spread the diced strawberries on top.
  3. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
  4. For the filling, puree the avocados in a food processor.
  5. Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time and blend until very smooth and creamy.
  6. Pour the filling over the crust and spread to even it out.
  7. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.
  8. For the mousse, chill the can of coconut milk for a few hours, then spoon out the solid portion into a bowl.
  9. Whip the coconut milk until the consistency of whipped cream.
  10. Add the sunflower seed butter and honey, then whip some more until well combined.
  11. Add a generous dollop to your torte.

 

Turnip and Sweet Potato Puree

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It’s been a while since I actually put any work into a good side-dish.  I’ll be honest…99.99999% of the time I’ve got either roasted brussels sprouts or sweet potato fries on the side of whatever I’m cooking.  The 21DSD, though, kinda put a damper on the sweet potatoes, so I was desperate for something besides sprouts or salad.

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This was amazing.  Like, I could eat a hot bowl of this for breakfast kind of amazing.  Actually, I did.  See the bowl in the picture?  Ten minutes later it had a couple eggs on top and I was a happy girl.

I added a little sweet potato mostly so I could have an extra boost of carbs after a sprint workout I did, but it added just the right amount of sweetness to offset the bitterness in the turnips without being cloyingly sweet like straight up mashed sweet potatoes.

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INGREDIENTS

**Printable Recipe**

2 Large Turnips

1 c Mashed Sweet Potato

1/4 c Coconut Milk

1 T Dried Chives

1/4 t Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Cube your turnips and steam them until soft (10-12 mins).

Toss your steamed turnips, sweet potato, coconut milk, and seasoning into a food processor and whip till smooth and creamy.  You can do it in batches if you like.

Cookie Dough Fudge

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Oh. My. Gawwwwwddddddd. Can we please get all of the chocolate out of my house. Puh-leez? I’m going to Cancun in a week. And have to wear a swimsuit. In front of other people. This relationship just…isn’t working.

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And I never understood the weird obsession with raw cookie dough. I mean…just bake some effing cookies already. But yes, I will grant you that it is delicious and that I, too, will consume massive quantities if left alone with a fresh batch. Or even if I’m not alone. Let’s be honest.

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Then again, I’m trying to bulk over the holidays, so this is GOOD for me, right? RIGHT?! And I mean, come on…if I wasn’t stuffing my face through the whole month of December (and let’s be honest…Channukahwanzahh Season starts right after Halloween these days) then I’m just not doing my civic duty. So in the interest of patriotism and World Peace, I give you the chocolaty-est, cookie dough-est holiday recipe I’ve ever made. Everrrrrrrrr!! Oh…and if you haven’t entered my GIVEAWAY…do it. Do it now!

INGREDIENTS

**Cookie Dough**

1 c Almond Meal Flour

3 T Honey

1/4 t Sea Salt

1/2 t Vanilla

1 1/2 T Coconut Butter

1 1/2 T Coconut Oil

**Fudge**

1/2 c Raw Almond or Cashew Butter

1/2 c Raw Coconut Butter (Not coconut oil!!)

1/4 c Dark Cocoa Powder

1 t Vanilla

1/2 t Salt

2 T Raw Honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat the ingredients for the cookie dough together, then set aside.

Do the same for the fudge.

In an 8×8 dish lined with parchment paper, press half of the fudge mixture into the bottom. Press all of the cookie dough on top (it doesn’t have to be pretty, don’t worry). Then press on the last half of the fudge.

Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until firm. Or you can just start spooning it out right then, I won’t judge.

*Note: You can sub out maple syrup for honey if you’d like a Vegan option

Citrus-Brandy Applesauce

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It’s officially winter.  And Christmas season.  You know, with, like, lights and snowmen and the sweet scent of cinnamon and pine everrrrrrrywhere.  I love it.  Except when the Colorado Springs Festival of Lights parade backs traffic up to the interstate.  All I wanted to do last night was go to Phantom and drink copious amounts of wine and chow down on sweet potato fries…only to be blocked by a zillion cars and screaming kids and chicks dressed up like slutty Santa running through the street.  I mean, we totally still made it, and I guess the one saving grace of a ginormous Christmas parade is that the bars were completely deserted.  So…win?

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OK so back to Christmas and smells and applesauce.  So you may recall that, way back in July,  mad this AH-MAZING apple cobbler.  Well, Britney is back in town for my promotion and true to form, we’ve been cooking and eating.  A lot.  It’s obscene.  Know what else is obscene?  Our Crossfit Totals, fueled by Overnight Citrus-Brandy Applesauce (and bacon).  I mean, look at that face.

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Yep, PR’s all around…thank the applesauce.  Anyhoo, I decided to do up the apples the other day but make them a little more Christmas-y with lemon and orange and cinnamon and booze.  Yay, booze!

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Obviously, we did the whole appleSAUCE thing instead of cobbler this time, mostly because  overslept and left it to cook a few more hours than I intended, but who the hell cares?  My blog, my food.  And it was good.  But of course, you can do cobbler instead of sauce if you want to, just reduce the cooking time to 4 or 5 hours instead of the, um, 8 or 9 that I left mine.

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INGREDIENTS

8 Apples, cored and sliced

1 T Coconut Oil

1/2 c Brandy

3 T zest from a Buddha’s Hand, (or 1 zested lemon and 1 zested orange)

1 t Salt

1 T Vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Grease the bottom of your crockpot with the coconut oil.

Place all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.  Pour into the crockpot.

Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours for cobbler or 8+ hours for applesauce.  Serve topped with raw nuts and coconut.

Chimichurri Roasted Purple Potatoes

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When my Paleo Pen Pal sent me a jar of home-made chimichurri, I kinda stared at it for a while…tossed it in the fridge…then just started throwing it on beef for about 6 days in a row.  But it was last night that this stuff saved my ass and became the base of a last-minute Thanksgiving side dish.

Forgive my brevity today…Ross just came home from Boston and my kitchen is full of half-assembled pies.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs Purple Potatoes

1 c Chimichurri Sauce (Cari didn’t give me her recipe but here’s a good one)

INSTRUCTIONS

Quarter all of the potatoes and toss them in a large bowl with the chumichurri.  When all potatoes are generously coated, pour into a large baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but delightfully crisp on the outside.