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!

“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!

it’s easy being green! oriya organics review

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

I love supporting companies who are genuine in not only their pursuits to create wholesome, nutrient-rich and clean products, but are also 100% genuine to talk to and you can just sense a deep passion for their products and what the company stands for.

That’s why I was really excited when I was contacted by Oriya Organics to try out some of their products and post a review!

First a little, about the company and then I’ll share the products I was given and my thoughts!

Taken from the Oriya Organics website:

Oriya Organics brings you nature's greatest superfoods in their true organic form! Our whole food supplements are nutritionally dense and unadulterated – delivering revitalizing whole-body wellness benefits you can feel. Every ingredient in our product line is certified organic, non-gmo, vegan, and raw. Our superior-quality products are manufactured with the highest integrity. No fillers, artificial ingredients, flavors, sweeteners, or synthetic nutrients are used in any of our products — ever. Period. This natural approach, combined with our stringent practices in manufacturing, formulation, and quality control enables our products to resonate in harmony with your body.

All of their products are also peanut, soy, dairy, wheat/gluten and tree nut free, manufactured in a facility that does not process ANY of the above! So anyone with a food sensitivity can rest assured this is safe. They also source their ingredients directly from producers following fair trade principles, so these are products you can really feel good about consuming!

Now, lets get into the nitty-gritty of the products I was sent!

product1

Superfood Protein Medley

This contains only the ingredients you see printed on the front- Sprouted chia seeds, spirulina, sprouted brown rice protein, hemp protein and chlorella. It’s organic, non-GMO, and there are no other additives, fillers or sweeteners that you would normally see in other products! Each serving gives you:

18g of protein
3g of fiber
53mg of chlorophyll
450mg of omega-3 fatty acids
Live enzymes, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals

That’s pretty impressive for a protein powder! I love too that it’s 100% raw, vegan, gluten-free and sprouted meaning it’s super easy for your body to assimilate all the nutrition! It also has spirulina and chlorella, meaning you’re getting a bonus greens hit with your protein.

Now while I love that it contains no other additives, just pure nutrition, this does mean that it tastes pretty funky! Just mixing it with water or a non-dairy milk like the package suggests is a little hard to get down! But don’t worry- I have a couple delicious recipes for you on that front!

It blends really well into recipes leaving you with minimal grittiness which I loved and thanks to the highly-absorbable protein and the fibre from the chia seeds , this keeps you full for ages! It has a very neutral taste as well, so you can make your smoothie taste however you want! No having to worry about vanilla or chocolate undertones getting the way, which while can be nice, is not always what you want!

product2

SuperGreen Medley

This is another super-nutrition-packed product! It’s a greens powder containing spirulina, chlorella, wheat grass and barley grass. Using multiple different greens in this powder ensures you are getting a broad range of nutrients from each individual component. Each serving contains:

4 g of protein
2 g of fiber
99 mg of chlorophyll
Live enzymes, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals

This is such a great way to get more greens into your diet, especially for the typical Western-style eater. Even if you eat a totally healthy diet already, we can always use more greens for their alkalizing properties!

Again, mixing this product with only water leaves you with a VERY “green” tasting drink. I found it fun to mix a scoop with a little water and do it “shot” style, but you can also mix it into other recipes which I will provide for you :)

This product also blends really well into recipes, but definitely has a distinct flavour. It is fairly easy to work with though if you use other spices and flavours to incorporate it!

Now how to use these great products?

Firstly, I used both of them in my Tropical Pineapple Coconut Green Smoothie

The SuperGreen Medley features in my St. Patty’s Day Green Monster Dip

And finally, using the Superfood Protein Medley, I bring a new recipe…

Protein-Packed Chocolate Avocado Pudding!

The concept of pudding made with avocado is by no means revolutionary in the blogosphere, but I make them so often and have never posted a recipe for one, so I thought it was about time.

For those of you who have never tried the amazingness of a chocolate avocado pudding, you simply must! It’s rich and creamy, but loaded with nutrition in the form of healthy fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the avocado and antioxidant and mineral rich from the cacao. Naturally sweetened with a little coconut nectar and maple syrup, this is a treat you can feel good about indulging in!

And this time around I kicked it up a notch with the addition of OO’s Superfood Protein Medley. This blends in pretty seamlessly to the creaminess of the avocado and really gives this pudding some staying powder. Plus the addition of protein to this treat means the sugars in the sweetener will be slower to absorb into your system, lowering the effect on your blood sugar. So you can enjoy this pudding as a dessert, snack or even breakfast. AWESOME!

Protein-Packed Chocolate Avocado Pudding (Vegan, Gluten-free, Sugar-Free, High Raw, Paleo)

Ingredients (serves 2-4 depending on appetite)

1 avocado
6 tbsp coconut milk
1/4 cup cacao powder
1 tbsp carob powder
2 tbsp coconut nectar
2 tbsp maple syrup
Splash vanilla
1 scoop raw protein powder (I used Oriya Organics)
Favourite toppings: I used goji berries and coconut shreds

Instructions

Add all ingredients except protein powder to a processor and process until smooth. Add in the protein powder and process for about a minute, until all grittiness from the powder is gone!

Served chilled and top with favourite toppings! I used coconut shreds and goji berries.

Oriya Organics is also generously extending a 10% discount on all their products for veggienook readers! So if you want to try the products, head on over to the Oriya Organics website, use the coupon code oriya1 at checkout and enjoy a 10% discount + free shaker bottle!

Canadian readers might want to order through Upaya Naturals to make delivery faster and to avoid customs. Click here to check it out!

*Disclaimer* I was provided these products free of charge but I was under no obligation to review the products or post a positive review. All opinions are completely my own and I was not provided any compensation for my review.

healthy in a hurry- pineapple coconut green smoothie

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

Ecuador Trip- 2008

It’s that time of the year again when I wish I was in the tropics. Laying on the beach with a (vegan) piña colada in hand, soaking up the sun and getting a good dose of vitamin D. Lounging the day away with not a care in the world other than what delicious dish I’m going to eat for dinner and weather to get a massage or a manicure.

You know what? I’d even settle for a day where I didn’t have to venture out in the cold!

The solid 6 months of winter is starting to wear on me. Anyone else? While there is an end in sight, I need a little escape! And while my budget doesn’t allow for a trip, I can certainly try and mimic the tropical feel with a few ingredients hiding away in my fridge and pantry.

And best yet, this treat comes together in a matter of minutes so you’ll be sailing to the tropics in minutes!

Now apart from the much-needed escape this smoothie provides, it’s packed with nutrition!

Pineapple: apart from the numerous vitamins and minerals, pineapple is also naturally high in enzymes which help to digest your food!
Coconut water: rich in electrolytes, coconut water is a super hydrator
Coconut oil: rich in medium-chain triglycerides to give you loads of energy and high in lauric acid for antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal properties
Flax seed- rich in fibre to help keep you regular and phytoestrogens to help regulate hormone levels
Spinach: rich in minerals to help alkalize your system
Coconut flakes: fibre and healthy fats
Protein powder (I used Oriya Organics): easily digestible plant-based protein
Greens powder (I used Oriya Organics): energy, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, pretty much everything!