banana, ab & j cups

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

Life is full of tough decisions.

saving or spending? buy or rent?

school or work? exercise or sleep in?

superman or batman?

healthy or indulgent? PB & J or PB & banana?

Good news is, I can help with those last 2. Because I have a treat for you that is not only healthy AND indulgent, but it also combines the 2 greatest sandwiches ever created!

I firmly believe that when it comes to nutrition and taste, one should never have to sacrifice either. The trick is simply knowing how to marry both worlds. Being healthy shouldn’t feel like a chore or depriving. It should be fun and exciting!

Enter in some of my absolutely favourite ingredients that help bridge the gap between health and taste. Natural nut butters and coconut oil.

Both are packed full of healthy fats so they are nourishing to your body (better skin, higher metabolism, balanced hormones) but also taste rich and decadent. Almond butter is packed with fat soluble vitamins and minerals like calcium, and coconut oil has incredible antimicrobial properties. So you are doing both your body and taste buds a favour by eating them!

I’m really excited about these treats too because they combine 2 sandwiches that whenever I would eat them, make me feel like a kid again. Peanut butter and jam and peanut butter and banana. Both extremely delicious and soul-satisfying. And that’s why I always want them both! So why not combine them? I opted to use almond butter since its a more nutritious option and since I’m not eating grains I had to find another way to get my fix. Enter these little morsels…

These are adapted from my recipe for frozen tahini banana cups which are another awesome variation on this idea. Check them out if you haven’t yet!

Raw, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, SCD-Friendly and of course Vegan, these are an easy choice. So make them and save your brain power for debating the more important issues in life.

To be or not to be…Oh screw it, I have treats ;)

Banana, AB & J Cups (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Paleo, SCD)

Feel free to use any nut butter you want, or try sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option!

Ingredients (14 mini cups)

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp almond butter
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp liquid sweetener
pinch salt
1 banana, sliced thinly
~12 or so raspberries, mashed

Instructions

Over low heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the almond butter to it so it softens and mix well. Add your sweetener of choice and the pinch of salt and mix.

Line up your muffin cups. Put a spoonful of the almond butter and coconut oil mixture into the bottom of the cups. Put in the fridge to harden.

Once hard, remove and place one small scoop of mashed raspberries and on top, one thin slice of banana. Try and make this as flat as possible. Put another scoop of the almond butter mixture over top so it covers the banana and spreads all the way to the sides of the cups. Put back in the fridge to harden.

Store in the fridge or freezer and take out only right before you're going to eat them. I liked these ones in the fridge, but if you freeze them the banana takes on an almost ice cream-like texture which is delicious too!

I'm sharing this on Allergy-Free Wednesdays.

Enjoy and I’ll be back tomorrow with a guest post! Have a great Tuesday :)

“peanut butter” & caramel-filled chocolate eggs

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

Even though I’m not spending Easter with family this year, that does not mean I won’t be eating chocolate.

But not just any chocolate. I’m talking “peanut-butter” and caramel-filled chocolate eggs that would rival any silly Cadbury/Reese/Nestle/Hershey confection.

Guys I am really proud of these.

I decided to go with almonds instead of peanuts in the filling because they are more nutritious (and paleo!) but when combined with the other ingredients, this almond filling really takes on a peanut taste. The medjool dates add a caramelly flavour and the coconut flour gives the filling a nougaty-texture. Best part? This also uses almond pulp leftover from making almond milk! Waste not, want not! If you don’t have almond pulp though don’t worry, almond meal or any ground nut should do the trick.

And let’s not forget the coating. I decided to make my own chocolate shell from my usual cacao powder and coconut oil. I used slightly different ratios than I usually do, but the results are still delicious.

The result? A slightly misshapen (I’m lazy and no culinary genius) but entirely vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, raw, paleo, and maybe even other diet-friendly treats that will delight adults and children alike!

Sometimes I think it’s funny I didn’t like nut butters when I was little…clearly I have a love affair with it now ;)

“Peanut Butter” & Caramel-Filled Chocolate Eggs (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Paleo, Raw)

Ingredients (16 eggs)

Filling

6 medjool dates, pitted
3 tbsp almond butter
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/8-1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp almond pulp (dry) or almond meal

Chocolate Coating

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut syrup/maple syrup

Instructions

Add all filling ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Then add the almond meal and process again until a smooth consistency is reached. Put the filling in the fridge to firm up a little while you make the chocolate.

In a small bowl over low heat, melt the coconut oil. Whisk in the the cacao once melted and add in the coconut syrup. Remove from the heat.

Take the filling out of the fridge and shape into egg-shaped balls. Using 2 forks, dip each "egg" into the chocolate, ensuring all sides are coated. Place onto a parchment paper-lined sheet and continue until all eggs are coated.

Put the eggs in the fridge for about 40 minutes to get firm. Store in the fridge until ready to eat!

I'm sharing these on Raw Foods Thursday & Wellness Weekends!

Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover or nothing at all, I hope you all have/had a wonderful holiday! See you tomorrow for Healthy Vegan Friday!

sugar-free carob almond butter cups

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

what’s the best cure for the monday blues?

delicious desserts! how do carob almond butter cups sound?

ok well maybe they aren’t the best cure, but they certainly do help don’t they? rich sweet carob with a creamy almond butter filling. and even better- these are totally guilt-free! why is that do you ask? there is absolutely no added sugar or sweetener of any kind in these!

i used this recipe of mine for raw almond butter cups to start, but tweaked the ingredients to make it completely free of sugar and sweetener. the result was a surprisingly delicious sweet that totally fit in with the guidelines for my sugar-free challenge!

what’s the secret? naturally sweet carob stands in for the cacao, meaning that to make the “chocolate” base, all you need is carob and coconut oil! the filling uses naturally sweet almond butter with a little vanilla and my secret ingredient, nooch (or nutritional yeast if we’re speaking all proper-like) to make the filling.

despite the fact that these have no bad ingredients in them, they are also packed with loads of goodness! carob is commonly used as a chocolate substitute and it comes with loads of health benefits of it’s own!

it improves digestions
has no caffeine
acts as an antioxidant
can be used to help allergies and asthma
and is super rich in calcium, phosphorus and magnesium- great for bones!

plus, combine this with calcium-rich almond butter and these pack and huge punch of nutrition for your bones! forget those processed chocolate calcium treats (that probably don’t do too much anyway) and have one of these! your body will thank you :)

and in case you still need a reason to make these, i brought a few over to janet’s for her and rob to try out and they were very well received! thanks again you guys for a lovely evening and the delicious dinner, i’m glad you liked my small contribution!

step aside reese’s peanut butter cups, you’re no longer needed ;)

sugar-free carob almond butter cups (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free)

delicious chocolatey treats that are high in calcium and are completely guilt-free. no added sugars or sweeteners, but complete deliciousness!

ingredients (8 cups)

"chocolate"

6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup carob powder, sifted
1/8 tsp vanilla bean powder

filling

1/4 cup raw almond butter
1/4 + 1/8 tsp nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp vanilla bean powder

instructions

melt the coconut oil in a bowl, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted carob powder and vanilla. continue mixing until everything is combined.

spoon about half the mixture in to the bottom of 8 muffin liners. for complete instructions on making the cups, see this post. put them in the fridge to harden while you make the filling.

mix together the filling ingredients and put into the hardened muffin liners. you want to try and spread the filling out as flat as possible so it's easier to cover with the rest of the carob.

spoon the other half of the carob mixture on top, making sure to spread out all the way to the sides of the cups. put back in the fridge to harden. store in the fridge until ready to eat, since these get quite melty at room temperature!

I'm sharing these on Allergy-Free Wednesday and Wellness Weekends!

hope these help make life just a little sweeter for you all. have a lovely week!

the second virtual vegan potluck- almond butter and quinoa fruit salad

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

i’m so excited it’s finally here! the second virtual vegan potluck! i had so much time participating last time so of course i jumped at the opportunity to join in again. for those of you who don’t know, the virtual vegan potluck is a twice-yearly, plant-based food party for vegan and vegan-friendly food bloggers. bringing 105 vegan food bloggers together to share a virtual potluck, linked by a blog circle – and our love of cooking, eating and sharing. participating bloggers will post recipes – from appetizers to desserts – and photos on the day of the event. non-vegans welcome as long as they prepare a cruelty- and animal-free dish. this time around it was organized by the lovely annie, somer and jason so thanks so much guys for putting so much hard work and dedication into this event!

this potluck acts as a sort of chain where there is a beginning and an end, starting with appetizers and finishing with desserts. if this is your first stop make sure to scroll to the end of the post to find links to the post before mine and the one that follows! if you want to go to the beginning and follow it on through, go to vegan blogger’s unite, the host site!

now, when i was trying to figure out what to bring, my initial thoughts were a dessert. i mean, they are my absolute favourite thing to make. but i brought a dessert last time- come on gabby branch out a bit! so i opted to sign up for a salad, with no real idea what it was going to be. slowly the potluck started creeping closer and closer and i still had no idea what i was doing. i eat salads everyday and yet putting together a well-composed and thought out salad was just not happening. then i got an idea, and while it’s a bit of a cheat, i hope my fellow potluckers and visitors don’t mind ;)

you see, ever since i made my quinoa pilaf with flax citrus dressing and chocolate chunks, i’ve been obsessed with adding sweet components to salads. then i got an idea for an almond butter dressing and from there the whole idea morphed into what i like to think of as a more substantial fruit salad. or more specifically a “gluten-free nut butter, jam and banana sandwich quinoa salad”. i know it’s a mouthful but it’s so delicious i swear you won’t mind! it tastes just like those sandwiches we had as kids with gooey nut butter, sweet jam and sliced banana, maybe even a little honey drizzled on top. epic yes? there’s no honey here, but it tastes like there is thanks to a lovely little product called bee free honee!

this would be a great salad to bring to a potluck for a few reasons:

it can be made ahead of time
it is delicious cold and room-temperature
it makes a lovely sweet side dish to other main meal components
it is more substantial than a regular fruit salad
leftovers can double as dessert or breakfast
it’s delicious!

so i hope you don’t mind my little cheat! not your typical salad, but still delicious. and without further ado here’s the recipe for my nut butter, jam and banana sandwich quinoa salad

nut butter, jam and banana sandwich quinoa salad (vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free)

ingredients (6 servings)

dressing

1/4 cup almond milk
2 tbsp almond butter (I used raw)
1 tbsp honee
pinch sea salt

salad

1 cup dry quinoa
1 3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
1 1/2 bananas, sliced thin
squeeze lemon juice

instructions

first you'll want to cook your quinoa. heat a saucepan over medium low heat. rinse your quinoa, then add it to the saucepan to dry toast it. this will give it a lovely nutty taste. stir it continuously while it toasts until it starts to smell nutty and most of the water from the rinsing has evaporated. when it's all toasty, add your 1 3/4 cup water. bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. when it's done, set it aside to cool.

next chop all your fruit and place in a large bowl. squeeze some lemon juice over top, about 1/2 a small lemon and set aside.

next make the dressing. blend all dressing ingredients in a blender until combined.

when the quinoa is cooled add it to the bowl with the fruit, then toss with the dressing. serve cold or at room temperature.