Not much I can say about this one…it speaks for itself. More specifically, it’s calling your name! Originally supposed to be a banana bread variation but when I went to retest it we didn’t have any bananas on hand, so this happened instead. Unplanned recipe successes are my favorite, woo!
Vegan, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
You’re probably wondering whatttttttt the name of these brownies means. If you know me at all, you know that I have a savory craving 9 times out of 10. But the other night the sweet tooth I never knew I had was asking for brownies and it just wouldn’t shut up. Since I had just come home for the weekend from school, I didn’t have many groceries to work with here. And then, I saw them: a sweet potato and a ripe avocado, all cute and comfy snuggled up on the counter. You know where it goes from here…I gotta say, I didn’t think these would work but they. are. so. GOOD. You don’t taste either the potato or avocado, they’re purely for texture. And trust me, the texture is what makes these. Rich and fudgy and so dense…what are you waiting for?
Kitchen Counter Brownies:
-1 large steamed sweet potato
-1 large ripe avocado (or 2 medium ones)
-1/2 cup cacao powder
-1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup (save the tbsp for later in the recipe)
-1/2 cup almond flour
-vanilla
-sea salt
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts (split in half, some for the batter and the rest for topping)
To quickly steam the sweet potato, I poked a few holes in it and then wrapped it in two layers of damp paper towel. Put it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for about 7-9 minutes (depending on how strong your microwave is, i did 8). While thats cooking combine the avocado and maple syrup. In a food processor and pulse until well-mixed. then add in the cacao powder and almond flour and mix again, add the two tablespoons of maple syrup. Add the steamed sweet potato (no skin) and blend on high until fudgy and rich (about 3 minutes). Fold in the walnuts (DONT blend, pulse quickly or do it by hand). pour batter into a parchment paper lined 8×8 brownie pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. These won’t hold together all that well since they’re insanely fudgy, so let them cool completely (I did overnight) before cutting and serving!
I could literally talk for the next 3 days straight about my undying loyalty to hummus, but if you know me you know that by now. And if you don’t, just note that the previous statement is NOT a hyperbole. I love hummus so much that I decided to make dessert with it. Hear me out: chocolate hummus can make a FINE cheesecake sub. Like, veryyyyyy fine.
Chocolate Hummus Cheesecake Bars:
Crust:
1 bag @healinghomefoods peanut butter chocolate chip granola
1/3 cup coconut oil
Blend these until well combined and then press mixture firmly on the bottom of a brownie pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer to harden.
Filling:
1 can rinsed and drained chickpeas
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
sea salt
vanilla
Blend these ingredients together and spread on top of the crust. Place back in freezer for about an hour or until hardened. I placed these back in the fridge to soften a little before eating and store them there from that point forward!
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This is the first time I’ve tried whipping the butter, sugar, and egg together in a cookie recipe and I’ve got to say, I found it to make a big texture difference. These are soft and chewy and everything a cookie should be. Plus, omitting the oats leaves you with a grain-free chocolate chip cookie, so it’s almost a double whammy right?
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:
•1/2 cup coconut sugar
•1/4 cup melted vegan butter
•1 flax egg (can sub regular egg) (mine is 2 tablespoons ground flax with about 1 tablespoon water, sitting for about 5 min)
beat this together with an electric mixer. in a separate bowl mix:
•1 cup almond flour
•1/4 cup coconut flour
•1/4 cup oats
•chocolate chips
pour wet mix into the dry and mix thoroughly until well combined. roll into balls and baked on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for about 12 minutes. let cool completely!
The beginning of the semester is always hectic: adjusting to a new schedule, figuring out which professors allow for snacks (and the ones who don’t…yes they exist!), etc. can be overwhelming. I baked up these hearty, grain-free muffins packed with healthy fats and protein to keep me full during my first days back. I’ve been popping one or two before my early classes and they’re not only insanely delicious, they also keep my stomach from grumbling halfway through lecture. The addition of quinoa flour packs a plant-based protein punch and gives the muffins a moist yet firm bite. Try it out for yourself!
Recipe:
1.5 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/5 cup quinoa flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
splash of vanilla
pinch of baking powder
sea salt
Mix all ingredients together (I used a food processor) except for the blueberries and the nuts. Once the batter is well-mixed fold in the remaining ingredients. Bake in a muffin tin at 350 for abut 25 minutes!
It’s almost like risotto…ALMOST. Either way it’s out-of-this-world satisfying. Think rich and creamy, hearty, cheesy…okay okay, just make it. I’ll be honest and say that cauliflower rice never satisfies me. But ever since I made up this recipe awhile back I haven’t NOT had a bag of this riced veggie in my fridge for when the craving hits.
Recipe:
Cashew Cream: blend 1/2 cup soaked and drained cashews, sea salt, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 1/2 cup almond milk until thin and place in fridge to settle overnight.
When ready to assemble, throw about 4 tablespoons into some cauliflower rice on the stove and cook the mixture into the rice until soft!
healthful radiance 