Chocolate Almond Butter Tarts (Imitation Hail Merry)

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I like to try and post at least once a week, especially since the blog is so new and I'd like to build on to it as much as I can. I've been dealing with some things which I definitely intend to talk about in an upcoming post, mainly having to do with some internal issues I've been trying to figure out how to deal with. The past few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster ride, and I'm just now trying to get back into the groove of things, which can be difficult because it feels so much like almost starting off from scratch. But here we are, and to try and start getting back into my groove and feeling well, I figured the best way to do that would be make some sweets, and what's better than a rich, decadent, chocolaty dessert?

When I used to shop at Whole Foods I discovered Hail Merry Miracle Tarts. They're insanely delicious, and contain ingredients that I feel comfortable consuming everyday, like coconut oil, almonds, real maple syrup for sweetener, and they're also vegan, gluten free, paleo, and essentially raw aside from the fact that they use cocoa instead of cacao. The main problem though, they are far too expensive for me to buy almost ever. I have a pretty strict budget when I go food shopping because organic produce is my main priority, which adds up quickly. So spending almost $5 on a tiny treat which will last me all of two seconds just isn't in the cards. You can purchase a 12 pack from Hail Merry's website for $100, which sounds kind of insane to me since I just can't imagine having the ability to drop that kind of cash on 12 little chocolates, but more power to those that can afford it.

After a bit of consideration I realized that I already have all of the ingredients needed to make one of these, and I'd actually made similar desserts before without realizing there were recipes for these kinds of sweets, back before I knew there were entire real food and raw food communities. So I figured why not give it a try? I thought even if it doesn't come out tasting the same it'll probably still be delicious. The good news is that these do taste incredibly similar, and are very delicious. All you'll need for this are a few simple ingredients, and some baking cups.

Chocolate Almond Butter Tarts

Makes about 6-8 tarts

Crust Ingredients:

-1/2 cup Almond Flour

-2 Tbsp Raw Cacao Powder

-1.5 Tbsp Coconut Oil

-1/8 tsp Sea Salt

Center Ingredients:

-1 or 2 Tbsp Raw Almond Butter

Method:

-Line a cupcake tin with baking cups.

-Mix together your dry ingredients.

-In a separate bowl warm your coconut oil just until it's a clear liquid.

-Add coconut oil to dry ingredients and mix well.

-Scoop about half tablespoon (a bit more or less may be needed) into baking cups, and press down with your fingers, molding the mixture into cup shapes.

-Place in the refrigerator while mixing filling.

Filling Ingredients:

-1.5 Tbsp Coconut Oil

-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

-1/8 cup Raw Cacao Powder

Method:

-Melt your coconut oil just until it reaches a clear liquid consistency.

-Add maple syrup, and cacao powder and thoroughly mix.

-Take crusts out of the refrigerator, and scoop a bit more than 1/2 teaspoon almond butter into each cup, then fill the rest of the way up with your chocolate filling.

-Refrigerate for at least an hour, or if you're eager like me then you can pop it in the freezer.

Zoodles with Sun Dried Tomato Marinara (Raw/Vegan)

Zoodles you say?
Yes zoodles, deliciously vibrant zoodles!
So... what are zoodles?

Well, zoodles are essentially spaghetti noodles which are made from zucchini. Simple enough concept so far. Now there are a few different methods for making zoodles, for starters you can serve them both cooked and raw, but I prefer raw because not only are you taking in the full nutrient content from the vegetable, but I also like that slight crunch that you get when you chow down on a zucchini noodle. So how do we achieve these thin, spaghetti-like strands from a solid veggie like zucchini? Well, you've got a few different options, and they each have their pro's and con's. I'm going to start with my least favorite method, and work my way up. 

3. Mandoline - Using a mandoline slicer is probably both the messiest, and most time consuming method, though it will certainly work to julienne your zucchini. Another downside, though really very small, is that you'll only be able to julienne your veggies using this method, so you won't be able to achieve the spaghetti-like curls, or spirals. If a mandoline was all I had to work with then I'd most definitely use it, because zoodles are just that fantastic, but this isn't the most ideal method for me personally. Though I do use my mandoline very frequently for many other dishes, you can find the one that I use here, they're typically anywhere between $15-25.

2. Julienne Peeler - A julienne peeler is great because it's quite small, and very easy to wash, making prep and cleanup an absolute breeze. You can also find really great ones for less than $10, and these guys will generally last a long while. You use this much the same way that you'd use any vegetable peeler, just hold your zucchini lengthwise and peel from end to end, making sure to flip the zucchini over once you hit its seeded center. Again, I really love this for it's ease of use, but you will only be able to achieve a julienne style noodle, so they'll be a bit shorter, and not curly.

1. Spiralizer - The down side to using a spiralizer is that you will have more parts to wash, but it's all pretty simple to clean, and I've never had anything get stuck in the blade. The upside is that you have three size options for your noodles, the smaller blade being about the size of spaghetti, and the largest being similar to a fettuccine style. This is also the only method where you'll be able to achieve noodle-like curls. For those reasons alone I think the two minute extra cleaning is worth it, and I honestly just think that the spiralizer is so much fun to use. Here is the one that I own, but if you're looking for something a little less expensive there are smaller handheld spiralizers for about half the price, though you won't have different size blades with these. 

Zoodles with Sun Dried Tomato Marinara

Makes about 2 servings

Ingredients:

- 2 large Zucchini

- 3 medium Tomatoes

- 1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomato

- 1/2 small Red Onion

- 1 clove Garlic

- large handful fresh Basil

- 1 tsp. Dried Oregano

- 2 Tbsp. cold pressed Olive Oil

- 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

- 1/2 tsp. Turmeric

I like to add turmeric because it has a very mild flavor, but has amazing nutritional qualities. Curcumin is the main active ingredient found in turmeric. Curcumin is a very potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. Chronic, low level inflammation is now believed to play a role in many debilitation illnesses including heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and Alzheimer's (1, 2, 3). Studies are now finding that curcumin is such a strong anti-inflammatory that it's just as effective as many anti-inflammatory drugs, and also in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and even depression (4, 5, 6, 7). For some people it may be good to take a curcumin supplement, though it's important to first consult with your primary care provider because curcumin is such a potent compound, and can cause blood thinning when taken in high doses.

Method:

- If your sun dried tomatoes are not already packed in oil you can either allow them to sit in olive oil overnight to rehydrate them, or you can allow them to sit in a bowl of warm water for about an hour.

- Slice you onion, garlic, and tomatoes and place them into your blender with all other ingredients aside from zucchini, and blend until you reach the consistency that you like. You can add some of the water from your soaked sun dried tomatoes for a thinner, creamier consistency. I prefer mine a bit on the chunky side.

- Spiralize, or slice your zucchini and place onto a serving plate topped with your marinara sauce.

Unfortunately I didn't take very many photo's, and I made this a bit late in the evening. But I will post better photo's the next time that I make this dish.

Italian Dressing (Vegan & Paleo)

I need to start off by saying one thing, I love condiments, I really do. I was raised on condiments. As a young child I absolutely loved to slather my chicken nuggets in BBQ sauce, my burgers would overflow with mayonnaise, my potatoes were covered in mountains of sour cream, and if I had happened to have eaten any vegetables I can guarantee they were slathered in salad dressing. Of course this was just another factor which contributed to my sugar addiction, as virtually all  commercially made condiments contain large amounts of high fructose corn syrup, or other kinds of sweeteners.

Both corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are unhealthy for a number of reasons, one being that they are highly processed and contain many chemicals, including trace amounts of mercury. Most sugar is made up of both fructose and glucose, but high fructose corn syrup is chemically separated so that it contains just fructose. When eaten that fructose goes straight to our livers, and causes fat deposits, or fatty liver disease which is a precursor to Type 2 Diabetes.

Another good reason to avoid commercially made condiments is because they're most often made with unhealthy oils like canola, or vegetable oils. These oils are high in trans fat, which raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, and lowers HDL (good cholesterol) levels. These oils are also what's known as hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated oils, which means that they've undergone a chemical process by which the oils are treated with hydrogen to break their natural chemical bonds. This makes the oils solid at room temperature, and thus more shelf stable, which is why processed foods last much longer than their more natural counterparts.

Healthy fats include coconut oil, grass fed ghee (clarified butter), and extra virgin olive oil; though each one of these fats is better suited for different kinds of food. All fats have what's known as a smoke point, or a point at which they begin to burn. Once an oil reaches its smoke point it becomes carcinogenic, and shouldn't be eaten. Olive oil has the lowest smoke point, at 320 degrees, and is best used for cold dishes and salad dressings, which is what I used for this dressing recipe.

Italian Dressing (Vegan & Paleo)

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

-2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-1/4 cup raw Apple Cider Vinegar

-1 Tbsp Raw Honey or Maple Syrup (optional)

Seasonings:

-2 tsp Dried Oregano

-1/4 tsp dried Thyme

-1/2 tsp Dried Basil

-1/2 tsp Dried Parsley

-1 tsp Garlic Powder

-1 tsp Onion Powder

-1/4 tsp Dried Mustard

-1 1/2 tsp Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt

-1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

 

Why Apple Cider Vinegar instead of regular white? Well, for a multitude of reasons. Raw apple cider vinegar is made by introducing yeast to crushed apples, which begins the fermentation process. Next, bacteria is added which helps convert alcohol into acetic acid, the main component in apple cider vinegar. ACV has been shown to be beneficial for diabetics in controlling blood sugar, raw ACV also contains the "mother," which are strands of proteins, enzymes, and probiotics which can aid digestion. Probiotics are also highly beneficial for those that suffer with mental disorders like anxiety, and depression. Here's a great article briefly describing how gut health plays a role in mental health, and here's the brand of raw ACV that I use, which you can buy at any health food store, I buy it at Whole Foods.

Method:

-Measure out your olive oil & apple cider vinegar into a bowl, and add all of your spices. Whisk together all of your ingredients. This dressing can be saved in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days.

Grilling in a Pinch on a Semi Raw Diet

August is the pinnacle of summer for us, there's lots of family BBQ's, and late nights spent grilling. Grilling in general can be rather difficult for a person who eats a mainly whole foods, plant based diet. The easy go-to for most non-omnivorous eaters are meat replacements, veggie burgers from brands like Boca, or Morning Star, which are what I like to call "food-like products." Unfortunately, these products are about as on par nutritionally as meat that many Americans now consume, which come from factory farms, and are highly processed as well. To put it simply, these "food-like products" are extremely lacking in nutrients, and many of the ingredients wreck absolute havoc on our bodies. Which for me becomes glaringly obvious because my anxiety almost immediately increases, and my OCD symptoms kick up about 5 notches whenever I used to eat these foods. Mental health is completely intertwined with intestinal health, and many of these foods are highly inflammatory. So when your intestines become irritated, or inflamed, it's going to stimulate a response from the brain.

First off, most of these products contain soy. Roughly 90% of all the soy grown and used in the U.S. is non-organic, and genetically modified. Non-organic soy is extracted using hexane, which is a byproduct of petroleum refining. Hexane has been shown to cause brain tumors, and this chemical is also released into the air through processing, contributing to chemical smog and air pollution, which has been heavily linked to childhood asthma.

My second issue is with the kinds of oils used in these products. When reading the ingredients list you're likely to find one or more of these oils: canola oil, soy oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, sunflower, or safflower oil. The problem with these oils is twofold, one issue is that the plants which most of these oils come from are genetically modified, and non-organic. But more importantly these oils are hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated, meaning they're highly chemically processed. Processed vegetable oils are also very high Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, which are known to lead to heart disease, and numerous types of cancer.

But sometimes all I want is a nice veggie burger, slightly charred on the grill. So what's a girl to do in a pinch? Well I've finally found one brand that stands far and above any other, Hilary's Eat Well. 

The ingredients in these are so pure, and delicious that there's almost no reason to even bother trying to make your own burgers...almost. Hilary's products are organic, certified non-GMO, they're also dairy, egg, soy, corn, and gluten free. But here's the real kicker, they're made with COCONUT OIL. The only ingredients in these little beauties are organic vegetables, organic spices, and organic coconut oil. That's it!

Coconut oil is one of my favorite oils to use because it's made up of medium chain triglycerides, or medium chain fatty acids, which have been shown to have therapeutic effects on brain disorders from Alzheimer's, and epilepsy, to mental illnesses like anxiety & depression. Here's a great post, with citations, about the many health benefits of coconut oil.

So all we did for our delicious burgers was slice up some veggies.

But instead of a bun I decided to use collard greens to wrap it all up in. Collard greens are part of the cruciferous vegetable family, which also includes kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage & turnips. They've gained quite the reputation for being serious nutritional powerhouses, and rightly so, but I make it a point to only consume a sparing amount of these veggies in their raw form. Why though? Well because there's now a growing body of evidence which has shown that consuming large amounts of raw cruciferous vegetables contributes to Hypothyroidism. According to the Oregon State University Micronutrient Information site:

Two mechanisms have been identified to explain this effect. The hydrolysis of some glucosinolates found in cruciferous vegetables (e.g., progoitrin) may yield a compound known as goitrin, which has been found to interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis. The hydrolysis of another class of glucosinolates, known as indole glucosinolates, results in the release of thiocyanate ions, which can compete with iodine for uptake by the thyroid gland.

So how can we avoid this? By cooking our veggies. The goitrogenic properties of cruciferous vegetables become dramatically lessened when they are cooked. So in general I like to keep my intake of these raw veggies to a minimum, though I wouldn't be worried about consuming small amounts, especially if you regularly consume seaweed, or any other food that's high in iodine, which has been shown to help counter, or balance the effects of these vegetables on the thyroid.

I bought Hilary's Hemp & Greens, and Adzuki Bean burgers, and they were fantastic! I especially loved the flavor from the green chili's and cumin, not really spicy, but very flavorful. My omnivorous partner in crime was even craving more.

The Easiest, Most Delicious & Nutritious Ice Cream You'll Ever Make!

Confession time, I have a sweet tooth. A very serious sweet tooth, which has made switching to a whole foods, plant based diet incredibly difficult at times. After years spent eating prepackaged, processed foods (especially faux meat products), microwavable meals, tons of pasta, and store bought condiments & sauces which are all LOADED with large amounts of refined sugar, I developed a very real physical addiction without even realizing it. I eventually began suffering from withdraws where I'd become anxious, and have intense mood swings when my body was craving sugar. Late night 7-11, and supermarket runs became a norm for me, and nights when I couldn't get my fix I'd toss and turn all night until I'd eventually scrounge up a high carb, bread heavy meal to fill the void. Even when I began to find my way into healthy eating I still had cravings, and major setbacks all because I hadn't yet realized that even some of the "healthy" foods I was eating at the time still contained high amounts of sugar.

Well I still get cravings, I'm afraid that won't ever go away, because I really do just love sweets. The difference now is that I don't feel an intense *need* to consume sugar regularly, which means I really get to enjoy the desserts that I make. So here's an incredibly simple dessert that's not only immensely scrumptious, but is jam packed with all kinds of goodness our bodies need to thrive.

Chocolate Almond Crunch Ice Cream

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

-4 Large ripe or overripe Bananas

-4 to 6 Tbsp. raw Cacao powder

-1 Tbsp. raw Honey

-1/2 tsp. Bee Pollen (you can purchase Bee Pollen at most health food stores, or online here, but it's preferable to try and find locally sourced pollen which I buy at our farmers markets.)

-4 Tbsp. raw crunchy Almond Butter

You won't actually taste the bee pollen, but it packs a serious nutritious punch. Bee pollen is made up of about 25% protein, and contains 22 amino acids, 18 vitamins including numerous B vitamins (B12 included), 25 minerals, and 11 enzymes or co-enzymes. It's considered by many to be one of the earth's most perfect foods.

Method:

-Thinly slice your bananas, and place them single layer onto a parchment sheet lined pan, cover with another sheet of parchment paper and place it in the freezer for about 1 hour. IMPORTANT, you want the bananas to be very cold, but not completely frozen solid.

-Place your frozen bananas, honey, bee pollen, and cacao powder into a blender, blend on low speed at first, gradually getting faster as you help to press all of your ingredients down with a tamper.

-Once well blended, scoop into any kind of freezer safe container, I just used one of my glass tupperwear containers. Layer a bit of your ice cream, then swirl some almond butter in, and add more layers until all of your ice cream has been transferred into the freezer safe container.

-Place back into freezer for at least 3 hours, or until your ice cream "sets." Scoop, and serve.

It was late when I made mine, and I didn't want to wait, so I ate mine straight out of the blender, which made the consistency a bit thin. Allowing it to set in the freezer will give you a more solid, ice cream-like consistency. But you will not be able to tell the difference between the consistency of this and regular dairy ice cream, they are wonderfully similar. I scooped half out for myself, and saved the other half in the freezer.

Avocado Lemon Basil Dressing

This post is a bit late, my apologies, it's been a busy summer with a very active two year old on my hands. Because of that I like to keep lunch really simple, since I'm usually trying to squeeze in a quick, uninterrupted meal during my daughter's nap. Most days it's either a wrap, or a salad, with one of a few different dressings that I like to make to help keep it interesting. We've had an overload of avocados recently, so I've been using that as a base for many of my dressings.

Avocados are a wonderfully nutritious food that I try to incorporate into my meals everyday. They contain in excess of 25 essential nutrients, including vitamin A, B6, C, E, K, copper, iron, magnesium & potassium (60% more than bananas!). They also contain fiber, protein, and are chock full of healthy fat that our hearts and brains need to function an optimal level. So here's just one avocado dressing recipe that I enjoy using.

Super Simple Summer Salad & Avocado Lemon Basil Dressing

For the Salad:

-1/2 Cucumber

-1/2 small/medium Zucchini

-2 Carrots

-1 Tomato

-1/4 Red Onion

(but of course you can use any veggies & fruits that you like)

For the Dressing:

-1 medium/large Avocado

-1 large Lemon

-1 Lime

-1 or 2 cloves Garlic

-2 bunches of fresh Basil

-1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Method:

Thinly slice, or chop all your veggies for the salad. I used my Norpro mandoline slicer, which I got off Amazon for less than $20. Definitely worth the money since I use this handy gadget nearly everyday. 

For the dressing scoop your avocado into a blender, add basil, lime juice, depending on how lemony you like it add the juice from half or more of your large lemon.

Chop 1-2 cloves of garlic, I added two because I like the sort of mild spiciness that it adds. Add about 1/4 cup water, and blend until a smooth, even consistency is achieved. For a thinner consistency simply add a little more water.

Now just layer this creamy dressing right onto your salad. It actually makes quite a bit, probably enough for two salads, so if you wanted to save some for the next day just pop it in a container and leave it in the refrigerator for no more than 1-2 days. Now just sit down and enjoy this super simple, incredibly scrumptious salad.