grain-free, paleo and vegan carrot zucchini muffins!

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

Hello my lovely veggies! Thank you all so much for all your votes in the Vegan Recipe Challenge! I came in 3rd and that was way more than I was hoping for!

It’s been a busy week around here- I'm so sorry to my fellow bloggers whose blogs I've been neglecting. I am trying the best I can to catch up and will read every one of your wonderful words. But I’m back and eager to share a ton of stuff with you! You can expect some delicious food coming up on the blog!

I’ve been playing around with my diet again, trying to come up with a combination that helps my tummy feel it’s best. For those of you who are new readers, I’ve suffered from very uncomfortable digestion for years and I’m on a quest to correct it! Read this post for a few things that I’ve found helpful recently.

So in playing around with my diet, one thing I’ve done is cut out grains. I know, crazy right? It’s something I never thought I would do and I always thought that “paleo inclined” eaters were insane! What do they do without quinoa? Fresh baked goods? No sushi? No BREAD?

turns out you just need to find the right kind of baked goods!

Just goes to show you the lengths I’m willing to go to fix this problem. And it actually hasn’t been too bad! I don’t really miss them the way I thought I would (except when out at restaurants- even harder to find options now!) and I do think it is helping.

You see, due to the make-up of grains, people with delicate digestive systems often find them aggravating. The carbohydrate content of the grain is primarily made up of starches as well as some sugars that require extra steps to digest. If you are unable to digest them properly due to a weak system, we are left with undigested fragments that are then used to feed the no-so-good bacteria in our system. This can lead to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria and a crowding out of the good guys. The bad guys can also begin to produce toxic substances that can damage our intestinal lining, leading to something called leaky gut. And what leaky gut basically means is that the tight junctions between your intestinal cells become “loose” due to damage and now undigested proteins and particles can make their way into your bloodstream and cause inflammation, allergic responses and general havoc! All in all, not a pretty picture for proper digestion.

So through cutting them out, I’m hoping to further help to heal my digestive system. I by no means think this will be a permanent move for me, but I will continue with it for as long as I feel I need to.

Now, one of the upsides to this dietary change is that I get to experiment in the kitchen! Grain-free baking was really daunting to me, but my recent success with my berry crisp and now these muffins is making me feel like all that fear was unwarranted. Now I can say I LOVE grain-free baking!

I love that when you bake with nut meals and coconut flour, there is a ton of natural sweetness and healthy fats in there- meaning you can use less added oil and sweetener! Not only that, nut meals and coconut flour are so healthy! Lots of healthy fats and fibre! While they are not exactly low in calories, you’ll find that you are wonderfully satisfied after a small portion.

Like take these muffins. They certainly are not light bites. BUT they are filling, nutritious and delicious. And they surprisingly don’t feel heavy- they have a wonderful crumb that would satisfy the most traditional baker. I hope you all try them- I’m certain you’ll love them!

Grain-Free Carrot and Zucchini Muffins (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-Free, Paleo, SCD)

Adapted from these at Amazing Paleo.

Ingredients (12 muffins)

Dry

2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon of coconut flour
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of sea salt

Wet

1/4 cup applesauce
¼ cup melted raw honey
¼ cup melted organic coconut oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp water
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Add-ins

½ cup of grated carrots
¾ cup of grated zucchini (unpeeled)
1/8 cup of raisins (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease with coconut oil or line a 12 muffin pan.

Mix all your dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix your applesauce, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and cinnamon. In a final small bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, water, baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Now add the applesauce mixture to your dry ingredients and combine well. Now add in the coconut oil and baking soda mixture. Finally, mix in the carrot, zucchini and raisins.

Spoon the batter evenly into your muffin pan. You want to do this fast since you want to make sure the baking soda and vinegar will still be reacting to give some lift in the oven. Bake for 35min, or until tops are browned and a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

grain-free berry crisp with spiced cashew cream

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

I’m jumping the gun a little bit with this recipe. Even though spring remains elusive to us here in Toronto, I was simply too excited for spring and summer produce to hold off on making something with berries and lots of them. While there’s nothing quite like a peak-of-the-season berry, frozen berries stand in nicely in this recipe.

No, let me re-phrase that: they stand in amazingly, beautifully and deliciously!

Finally, my impatience has paid off.

One bite of this dish and I was transported into berry heaven. Every bite was like a revelation. And I know that’s a big word. But oh man.

Baking the berries gave them a rich sweetness that just can’t be matched and the grain-free topping gives a delicious crunch and nuttiness that pairs beautifully. I decided to make a spiced cashew cream to top it and it’s not too sweet but super creamy and just the perfect pairing.

Nutritionally speaking, this crisp is also pretty bomb. Tons of healthy fats and fibre from the nuts, it’s low glycemic thanks to the berries and packed with antioxidants. I even soaked the nuts I used beforehand to make them more digestible (releases phytic acid). This is definitely a breakfast you can feel good about starting your day with. Or a dessert to end the day ;)

I’ve been getting into grain-free baking a lot more recently, I’ll explain why in a future post. While making raw dishes is usually the easiest way to go grain-free (at least for the inexperienced like myself), I wanted to challenge myself with some baking. And anyway, a warm berry crisp when it feels like 0 degrees sounds so much more appealing no?

I used berries here, but feel free to switch up the fruit! I’ll bet peaches and strawberries or even mango would be amazing as we head into summer!

Grain-Free Berry Crisp with Spiced Cashew Cream (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-Free, Paleo, SCD)

Ingredients (6 servings)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, soaked
1/2 cup chopped pecans, soaked
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
1/2 cup hazelnut flour
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups blueberries, frozen
1 1/2 cups raspberries, frozen

Spiced Cashew Cream

1/2 cup cashews, soaked
4 cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
2 all spice pods
2 tsp honey
5 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Soak your walnuts and pecans overnight or for a few hours. Drain and rinse when ready to proceed with recipe.

Preheat oven to 375 and grease an 8×8 square baking pan with coconut oil.

Combine all crisp ingredients except the berries in a bowl. Add the berries to the bottom of your prepared pan and spread them out evenly. Next put the crisp mixture on top, carefully spreading it out so it's even on top of the berries.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the crisp topping is a little crunchy. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with spiced cashew cream. This recipe freezes great too!

To make the cashew cream: soak your cashews overnight and in the morning drain and rinse them. Add them to the blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge.

This recipe is being shared on Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

And one more thing!

If you could all head over to Ethical Ocean and vote for my Raw Chocolate-Coated Key Lime Pie, in the Eat What’s Good Vegan Recipe Contest, that would be amazing!. You can vote everyday so even if you voted once I would sure appreciate a second (or third, or tenth!). Thanks!

virtual vegan potluck- coconut lime layered bars

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

Yay, I’m so excited to be blogging today, because it’s one of my most favourite events! The Virtual Vegan Potluck!

Hello to new readers and loyal followers alike! Welcome to the veggie nook. This is my little corner of the world where I talk about all things food, nutrition and health while pursuing an education in Holistic Nutrition. I believe healthy eating can be delicious and fun and it is the goal of my blog to show you all just how true that is!

For those of you who don’t know, The Virtual Vegan Potluck is the brain child of Annie over at An Unrefined Vegan. A HUUUUGE shout out to her and of course to Somer and Jason who have helped organize the last two! The VVP is an event where food bloggers from all over the world sign up to bring a vegan dish and then we all share it and post it at the exact same time! You can follow all the dishes like a big chain too, kind of like walking down a buffet line. At the bottom of my post you’ll see links to go to the previous blogger in line and the one after. Definitely visit all the blogs if you can!

For this potluck, I’m sharing a dessert, my favourite thing to make. I don’t know why I like making desserts so much, maybe it’s because they just feel so special!

The inspiration for this dish came from the Nanaimo bar. A treat usually made around christmas that features chocolate layers with a cream filling, sometimes mint too. But I wanted to “summer-ize” this treat and maybe even take away the chocolate. I know, I know, why on earth would I want to do that??? Well my friends, the result is amazing I assure you!

In this treat I used almonds, coconut flake and coconut oil to form the base, with avocado, coconut oil, banana and lime to form the “cream” filling. The lime tastes so bright next to all the coconut! And the final layer, which would normally be pure chocolate, I decided to go with coconut in it’s finest decadent form- coconut butter. The creaminess is offset by the freshness of the flavours and the colours are just perfect for spring!

Nutrition-wise, this dessert is a powerhouse as well! Tons of fiber, healthy fats and not too much sweetener. This is a satisfying, decadent yet healthful treat that I know you’ll all love!

Coconut Lime Layered Bars (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Paleo, SCD)

Ingredients (12 bars)

Base

1 cup coconut flakes
3/4 cup ground almonds
1 tbsp coconut flour
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp sweetener
pinch sea salt

Filling

2 small avocados, peeled and pitted
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup raw coconut nectar
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 banana, divided- 1/2 of it sliced thinly

Top

1/3 cup coconut butter
2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Add all of the crust ingredients to your food processor, and process until a "dough" forms. Press this into a plastic wrap-lined loaf pan (I used 9×5) and put in the fridge while you make the filling.

Next, add all the filling ingredients except the melted coconut oil and 1/2 the banana to your processor and process until smooth. Next, with the processor running, pour in the melted coconut oil until incorporated. Pour this on top of your base and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the remaining sliced banana on top of this layer, pressing them into the filling to create a flat surface. Put this in the fridge while you prepare the final layer.

Over very low heat, in a small dish melt together the coconut butter and coconut oil until runny then pour over the filling. Put in the fridge to harden for about an hour. It is helpful at this point to take it out and cut it in the pan, then put it back in to continue hardening for a couple hours. When ready to serve use the plastic wrap to remove from the pan.

Store in the fridge or freezer.

Now make sure you continue on in the potluck!

To visit the dish after mine at The Little Green House, click below.

To visit the dish before mine at Sift, Stir & Savour, click below.

Or, go to the BEGINNING :)

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the potluck!

lemon raspberry quinoa pancakes: guest post at cooking quinoa! and vegan food swapping

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Gabby @ the veggie nook

Today I’m really excited to share with you all another pancake recipe! Yes that’s right, I’ve had TWO pancakes successes recently! I think my relationship with pancakes might finally be changing!

These lemon raspberry quinoa pancakes don’t use any flour, rather used soaked whole quinoa grains to preserve maximum nutrition and make them easily digestible!

I bet you want the recipe, don’t you? Well then please make your way on over to Wendy’s blog, Cooking Quinoa!

And while you’re over there, wish her congratulations, she just welcomed a precious little girl, Skye to her family :)

And just before I go, I want to show off what I got in this month’s Vegan Food Swap!

With all of my restrictions, Jessica had quite the task- no gluten, no refined sugar, no nightshades, etc. And she did amazing! Included was:

Giddy YoYo Vanilla Bean and Mountain Salt raw chocolate bar- my absolute favourite!
Nüd Food Carrot crackers- the person who started this company actually went to the same school as me which is pretty cool. These are raw and vegan but I can never justify buying them though so these were a treat! I’ve also had the Green Energy ones before which are great!
Higher Living Vitality Tea- a delicious herbal blend that I’ve been enjoying every night!

Thank you so much Jessica!

Now if you live in Canada and want to get involved in some vegan swapping, sign up at MeShell in Your City!

Now get on over to Cooking Quinoa for my pancake recipe!

I'm sharing these on Allergy-Free Wednesday.