no-bake walnut brownies (vegan + gluten free)

i love finding new ways to make some of our favorite treats a bit healthier.  brownies are certainly delicious, but they are far from healthy or low in calories.

brownies are typically loaded with butter, sugar, eggs, and flour . . . you know, all of the good stuff that makes them delicious.  however, these brownies don't contain any butter, sugar, eggs, or flour!  they're vegan and gluten free.

these brownies get their substance from walnuts and dates.  ground walnuts take the place of flour, and the dates naturally sweeten the brownies and bind all of the ingredients together.

since these brownies are "no-bake" they don't require any time in the oven, which is especially welcomed on a hot summer day when you are craving chocolate but don't want to heat up the house with the oven.

these brownies are awesome.  they come together in just a few short minutes with just a few simple ingredients.

they are so moist and rich.  they are dense and full of deep chocolate flavor with a wonderful hint of espresso.  the chunks of walnuts add a great crunch to them too!

no-bake walnut brownies (vegan + gluten free)
prep time: 5 minutes
chilling time: 15 minutes
yields: 16 small brownies
adapted from minimalist baker

ingredients:
1 1/4 cups raw walnuts, divided
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoons espresso powder
a pinch of sea salt
1 1/4 cups medjool dates, pitted

directions:
place 1 cup of the walnuts in a food processor and process until finely ground.  add the cocoa power, espresso powder, and sea salt.  pulse to combine.  transfer the mixture to a separate bowl and set aside.  place the dates in the food processor and process until only small bits remain.  transfer the pureed dates to a separate bowl and set aside.  add the nut mixture back into the food processor.  run the food processor while dropping small spoonfuls of the pureed dates down the spout of the food processor.  continue until you have added all of the pureed dates.  add the mixture to an 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper.  press the mixture firmly into the baking pan.  chop the remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts.  sprinkle the walnuts on top and press them into the brownies.  place the brownies in the refrigerator to chill before cutting.

enjoy!

love, laurie

vegan creamy roasted acorn squash soup

it was a bit chilly this weekend.  to combat the damp cold weather, i made a big pot of soup.

soup is such a great comfort food when the weather is cold outside.  it's like a liquid blanket that warms you from the inside out.

we bought a lovely looking acorn squash at a farm stand recently, so i was excited to put it to good use in a pot of soup!

i roasted the acorn squash with pumpkin pie spices and then pureed it with sauteed onions, garlic, vegetable broth, and coconut milk.

the acorn squash is sweet and delicious, and the pumpkin pie spices give it great fall flavor.  the coconut milk makes this soup so wonderfully creamy, you would never know there isn't any dairy in there.

this soup is so very easy to make.  you just need a little bit of patience while the acorn squash is roasting in the oven.  (which, by the way, will make your whole house smell absolutely amazing!)

this soup is packed with great flavor and it is super nutritious too!  it's healthy comfort food at it's finest.

vegan creamy roasted acorn squash soup
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 45 minutes
cooking time: 20 minutes
yields: 6 servings
adapted from oh my veggies

ingredients:
1 large acorn squash
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  chop the tip and the tail off the acorn squash, then cut it in half length-wise.  scoop out the seeds (you can discard them or you can save them and roast them like pumpkin seeds).  drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the squash and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and salt.  place both squash halves (cut side up) on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  roast the squash for 45-50 minutes, or until the flesh is very soft.  once baked, use a spoon to remove the squash flesh from the skin.  discard the skin.

heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  saute the chopped onion until translucent.  add the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes.  add in the coconut milk and the vegetable broth.  add the mixture to a blender along with the roasted squash.  blend until completely smooth.  return pureed soup to the soup pot and warm over low heat.  season with salt and pepper to taste.  serve warm.

enjoy!

love, laurie

chocolate peanut butter chia seed smoothie

i found a leftover banana sitting on our kitchen counter that was getting pretty ripe.  so, i decided to put it to good use in a smoothie.  into the blender it went with cocoa powder, peanut butter, soy milk, and chia seeds.  in my opinion, you just can't go wrong with the combination of chocolate and peanut butter and banana.  yum!

laurie, you put chia seeds in there?  yes!  now, i will be the first to admit that i was skeptical when i initially heard of chia seeds a few years ago.  it took me awhile to warm up to them, but now i'm a huge fan.  i didn't know what i was missing all this time, and who knew there were so many uses for those little seeds?!  we are totally on the chia seed bandwagon at our house now.

this smoothie is delicious.  it is like drinking liquid dessert.  you would swear it was a milkshake, but there isn't any ice cream in there.  in fact, there isn't any dairy at all.  soy milk all the way.

the chocolate and peanut butter give this smoothie an awesome flavor, and the banana acts as a great base.  the chia seeds make it super thick.  when chia seeds mix with liquid they expand and become gelatinous.  (it's like nature's version of gelatin.)  it's super weird, but it's super cool too.

you certainly could make this smoothie without the chia seeds, but you'd be missing out for sure.  chia seeds are rich in antioxidants, protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acid.  cheers to good health!

chocolate peanut butter chia seed smoothie
total time: 5 minutes
yields: 1 large serving

ingredients:
1 banana
2 teaspoons dark chia seeds
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
1 cup vanilla soy milk

directions:
blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

enjoy!

love, laurie

vegan zucchini bread

if you tasted this zucchini bread and didn't know that it was vegan, you would never believe me when i told you that it was.

we got a ton of zucchini from the farmer's market and we needed to use it up.  so, we made three (yes three!) loaves of zucchini bread.  we kept some for ourselves, shared some with my parents, and took some into work.  our co-workers loved it and could not believe that it was vegan.

it was moist, light, and fluffy inside with crispy edges on the outside.  so delicious!  (it also freezes really well too!)

this might just be the best zucchini bread i've ever had!

vegan zucchini bread
prep time: 10-15 minutes
baking time: 1 hour
yields: 1 loaf
adapted from joy the baker

ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3 tablespoons ground flax seed meal
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  grease the sides of a loaf pan and line the pan with parchment paper.  set aside.  in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.  set aside.  in a measuring cup, mix  together the milk and the vinegar (to make buttermilk).  in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together the milk, flax seed meal, vegetable oil, vanilla, and sugars.  whisk thoroughly to combine.  mix in the shredded zucchini.  gradually add the sifted dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  whisk together until all of the flour is thoroughly incorporated into the batter.  pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.  once baked, allow the bread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing the bread from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie

coconut mango oatmeal

we love fun breakfasts on weekend mornings, but sometimes we need a break from all of the pancakes and waffles that we make. the other morning,  i was in the mood for something tropical for breakfast, so i got the idea of making a tropical-style oatmeal.

i made a batch of oatmeal and mixed in some honey, diced mango, and roasted coconut chips.  instead of regular milk, i made the oatmeal with almond milk.  so, it was dairy free and vegan!

the coconut mango oatmeal was so good, we absolutely loved it.  it had such a great flavor, and just a little bit of sweetness.  it was super easy to make and only took a few minutes.  a perfect breakfast for a dreary cold morning.

coconut mango oatmeal
prep time: 5 minutes
cooking time: 5-7 minutes
yields: 2 servings

ingredients:
2 cups almond milk
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup roasted coconut chips
1 mango, diced

directions:
bring the almond milk to a boil in a sauce pan.  stir in the oats and reduce the heat to medium.  cook for 5 minutes, until the oats have absorbed the almond milk.  remove from the heat and stir in the honey, coconut, and mango.  let sit for 2 minutes, until the coconut chips have softened.  serve warm.

recipe note:
the roasted coconut chips are unsweetened.  if you substitute sweetened shredded coconut for the roasted coconut chips, simply omit the honey, otherwise the oatmeal will be overly sweet.

enjoy!

love, laurie

chickpea chocolate chip cookies

i always enjoy trying new types of food and making new recipes.  i absolutely love traditional chocolate chip cookies.  they were a staple dessert growing up, and they always remind me of my family.  you just can't go wrong with a classic like that.

so, i was intrigued and curious (and even a little bit skeptical) when i came across this recipe for chickpea chocolate chip cookies.  this recipe doesn't have any flour, eggs, butter, or milk in it, making it vegan, dairy free, and gluten free.

since i have been exploring cooking/baking more vegetarian and vegan lately, i thought i would give them a whirl.

it always amazes me how ingredients can come together.  i would have never thought of making a cookie out of chickpeas, but it actually worked.

these cookies have a look and a texture that is surprisingly similar to that of a traditional chocolate chip cookie.  (although they are a bit more moist than traditional cookies.)

i have tried several vegan and gluten free recipes that ended up tasting like cardboard, so i was pleasantly surprised that the flavor of these cookies was so good.

i certainly won't be replacing my traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe with this recipe any time soon, but it is a great alternative if you are watching what you eat or if you have to whip up a dessert for friends on restricted diets!

chickpea chocolate chip cookies
prep time: 5 minutes
baking time: 18 minutes
yields: 14-15 cookies
adapted from eating whole

ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in a food processor, combine the chickpeas, almond butter, coconut, oats, maple syrup, baking powder, and salt.  puree until smooth.  fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.  scoop the cookie dough by the tablespoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat.  flatten the dough balls to look like traditional cookies.  bake for 18 minutes.

enjoy!

love, laurie

chocolate fudge crinkle cookies

recently, we had two of our very good friends over for dinner.  we love entertaining, and we find it to be easy, but it can be a tad stressful when you don't have time to plan.  we found out that they were coming over for dinner only 2 hours ahead of time, so we had to move quickly.  we must have looked like cartoon characters running around in a whirlwind trying to straighten the dinning room chairs, set the table, fold the napkins, fluff the couch pillows, restock the toilet paper in the bathroom, hide the dirty laundry buckets, clean the cat's litter pan . . . this is real life.

since i had fresh chicken breasts in the refrigerator, i decided to make chicken parmesan.  easy peasy.  i picked a simple side dish, and i was good to go . . . that is, all except for dessert.  you see, we love to cook and to bake with all of the things that make recipes delicious: butter, eggs, flour, the list goes on and on.  except, one of our friends has a gluten intolerance (and i can assure you that there is no gluten-free flour in our house).  so, i decided to make a cookie that didn't require flour.  yup, these cookies are gluten free!

chocolate fudge cookies dunked in powdered sugar . . . how can you go wrong?  when you eat these cookies, you will be so distracted by their chocolaty centers that you won't even notice the fact that there is no flour in them.  high five!

not only are these cookies quick and easy to whip up when you find out that you have company coming over, but they are so good too.  your gluten-free friends will be so impressed with you and your gluten-free cookies!  i guarantee it.

chocolate fudge crinkle cookies
prep time: 10-15 minutes
baking time: 10 minutes
yields: approximately 24 cookies
adapted from yammie's glutenfreedom

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (divided)
3 large egg whites
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in a glass bowl, melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips in the microwave.  microwave the chocolate chips in increments of 30 seconds until they are completely melted.  stir every 30 seconds until smooth.  once melted, set aside.

in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form.  gradually add in 1 cup of powdered sugar.  beat well.  mix in the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar, along with the cocoa and the cornstarch.  add the melted chocolate and beat until it is completely incorporated.  the dough will be stiff.  stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips.

roll balls of dough (approximately 1 tablespoon in size) between your hands until they are round.  then, gently roll the balls of dough in additional powdered sugar until they are evenly coated.  placed the coated dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  bake for 10 minutes, until puffed and the tops crack.  once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie