Iced Mocha Dandy

*dandy drinkMy sister Jill brings her Dandy Blend with her to Starbucks to make her hot and cold versions of this delicious coffee substitute…Me being me was like “I’m going to make it!” So I did…and it’s delicious!!!! Whether you drink coffee or not, this is just tasty AF. Serve warmed, hot, over ice or blended with ice to create a frozen Frosty style treat.

Iced Dandy Mocha

1T Dandy Blend or other coffee substitute

1T Raw Cacao Powder

1T Coconut Manna

1T Coconut Sugar or Date Sugar

3-4 Raw Cashews

1c water

2t Maca powder *optional (makes it malty yummy)

Pinch pink salt

Pinch vanilla

Place all ingredients in a blender and process till smooth and creamy. Serve over ice or blended with.

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Ginger Turmeric Chai Spice Cashew Latte

ginger-turmeric-chai-spice-cashew-latte

My sister Jill came for a visit and around 8pm she was like…”I want something hot, rich and creamy, frothy and yum like sweet steamed milk but vegan”…in about 30 seconds flat, we had this major revelation in a  mug….SO DELICIOUS….SO GOOD. I make this in my Vitamix and blend it for at least a couple of minutes giving it a nice heady froth. I haven’t missed coffee since! I actually woke up this morning and CHOSE this over my brew. SO spicy and warming- I love it. Turmeric is an amazing anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial super root so ya, this is for your health. 😉

1/4c cashews

1″piece of ginger

1 1/4c boiling water

1/4t turmeric powder

Pinch vanilla powder or 1/2t vanilla

1/2t cinnamon

Pinch chai spice *opt

Pinch pink salt

Pinch nutmeg

2t agave or maple syrup

Combine all ingredients into a blender and process until well combined and frothy- about 2 minutes. Top with more cinnamon and nutmeg.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous.

AMAZING Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes

GF vegan pancake

AMAZING Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes 

1/4c oat flour

1/4c all purpose gluten free flour

1/4c corn meal, blue or yellow

2t baking powder

1T flax seeds (or flax meal)

1/4t cinnamon

2t apple cider vinegar

1T agave, date or coconut sugar

1/4t salt

1T maple syrup

¾-1 cup cashew nut milk (or other nondairy milk)

1c local blueberries *optional, see below

1T coconut oil plus more for cast iron pan

1t pure vanilla extract

Place your cast iron over low heat with no oil added and start your batter.

Sift all of the dry ingredients except the flax seeds together in a mixing bowl.

In a blender, add the melted oil, flax seeds, nut milk, maple syrup, extract, and blend until smooth.

Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Add water if needed to the batter if it thickens.

In a medium hot cast iron griddle or pan, add some coconut oil to cover the surface. *Drop in, using a 1/4c measure, the batter, well spaced in the pan. Let heat through until the edges look dry, and flip. Place cooked pancakes in a toaster oven or oven at 300 degrees until all pancakes are made. Should make 9-10 pancakes.

Serve topped with vegan butter, maple syrup and fresh fruit.

 I usually do one “starter” pancake to test the temperature of the pan.

Variations:

*add 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

*add 1 chopped banana to the wet ingredients after blending

*add vegan chocolate chips

*add 1apple, peeled, chopped and cored and add an additional 2t of cinnamon and 1/4 chopped walnuts

White Girl Gingered Cabbage & Corn Congee

*White Girl Gingered Cabbage & Corn Congee

 This is an incredibly comforting and healing food. It is reminiscent of a Chinese egg drop soup, the broken rice lends a rich, starchy consistency to the soup that just feels amazing going down. I had squirreled away the most gorgeous corn this past summer and in lieu of BEING DONE WITH THIS WINTER and getting ready for the spring….I pulled it out of the freezer. Of course the ingredients can change but the combination was so satisfying plus the addition of the Beyond the Meat vegan chicken…it just a bowl of yum. I love this as a breakfast too!

White Girl Gingered Cabbage & Corn Congee

6 strips of Beyond Meat Vegan No Chicken, thawed, cut into small pieces

3/4c white broken rice or short-grain white rice

1 vegetable bouillon

1/2c yellow or red split dal

2-inch piece of ginger, minced or grated

2 stalks celery, medium dice or cut on the bias

1/4 small head of green cabbage, chopped

2 teaspoon salt + more to taste (I add ½ smoked salt, ½ pink)

½ large onion, minced

2 clove garlic, minced

1c corn niblets

2T coconut oil

1/2t smoked chipotle powder

6 to 8 cups boiling water

In a large pot, heat up 2t of coconut oil. Add in a pinch of the minced ginger, a pinch of minced garlic and about 1T of the minced onion. Sauté the vegetables over medium high heat just until golden. Add in the chopped cabbage and continue to sauté over medium high heat, just until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.

In the same pot, add the remaining coconut oil. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and celery and sauté over medium heat just until golden. Add in rice and the split peas and the vegetable bouillon. Cover with about 4-5 cups of boiling water and mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to cook partially covered for at least 45 minutes, stirring frequently, adding water if necessary- there should be plenty of water for the porridge to ‘grow’ into. After about 30 minutes, add in some of the salt and chipotle and check for seasonings. It should be thickening as the rice and the dal start to break down. Add water in as necessary to achieve the desired consistency- I prefer mine on the thicker side, but still very much soup like. Overall, it should be ready after about an hour of cooking but will only get softer over time.

In the last minutes of cooking, add in the corn, the vegan chicken, and the sautéed cabbage.

I like to also add in some fresh ginger at the end to give it a fresh kick.

Salt and pepper to taste…this IS comfort food.

The Best Bowl Of Oatmeal

Best Bowl Of Oatmeal

The Best Sweet Oatmeal

This almost tastes like custard it is so creamy and delicious. For me it is all about the balance between sweet and salty. I like to cook a little bit of sweet and salt into the oats while they are cooking so any adjustments in the bowl are only for fine tuning. Taste your oats after they are done- before you steam them to the finish so you can adjust for your liking prior to serving- the add ins are just that.

I also like adding the sweet into the cooking oatmeal because I find it’s a bummer when the add ins brings the temperature of the oatmeal down- I like my oatmeal hot!

Oatmeal Prep

1c oatmeal

1 stick cinnamon* optional

3c water

1t lemon juice

1/2t pink salt

In a non reactive pot, add in the oats, salt, lemon juice and water and let stand overnight on the stove- no heat, just to soak or soak for at least 8 hours. The acid from the lemon helps to break down the phytic acid in the grain, making it easier to digest and absorb the nutrient content in the oats- this goes for all grains! You can cook in the soaking liquid. Soaking also substantially shortens cooking time for grains which is always a plus.

Oats after soaking, ready to be cooked!
Oats after soaking, ready to be cooked!

The Oatmeal

In addition to the ingredients already in the pot soaked, add:

1/4c coconut sugar or maple syrup or more to taste

2t cinnamon or more to taste

1T coconut oil

More water as needed during cooking.

Over medium heat, bring the contents of the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and allow to slowly cook until the desired creaminess is achieved about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add:

1/4c cashew or other nut milk

1T coconut oil

Let this steam on the stovetop off heat for 5 minutes- taste this then let steam. After 5 minutes or so mix well and taste again. In an individual bowl, you may add whatever mix ins you love, I add more coconut oil, and maple syrup with a sprinkling of more cinnamon, maybe a pinch of salt.

Steamed with nut milk, no heat
Steamed with nut milk, coconut oil, cinnamon- no heat

Other amazing add ins:

  • Fresh fruit, like bananas, berries of any kind
  • Dried fruit, could also be cooked in from the beginning, also added during the initial soak to soften up even more
  • Nuts for added protein, walnuts and pecans are particularly delicious.

Wheat-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread

pumpkin spice bread

YUM.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

wheat-free

1-1/2c barley flour

3/4c maple sugar

1/2c walnuts – Optional

1t baking soda

1t baking powder

1/2t salt

1T cinnamon

1/4t nutmeg

1/4t allspice

1/4c coconut oil

3/4c pumpkin puree

1″ piece of ginger, grated

 3/4 nut milk

1t vanilla

1 lemon- juiced

Topping:

3T maple sugar

1t cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a loaf pan or 6 muffin tin/ containers.

Prepare the dry ingredients by sifting them into a large mixing bowl; the barley flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, and maple sugar. Add in the chopped walnuts if using.

In another small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients; the pumpkin, oil, grated ginger nut milk, and the vinegars.

Mix the wet into the dry and pour into a well-oiled pan. Mix only until just incorporated- do not over mix.

Sprinkle the maple sugar over the entire surface of the loaf and bake for 35 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to bake for another 8-10 minutes.

Let cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes and then remove the loaf entirely to the rack to let cool. Once cool, you can place it back into the loaf pan.

*For the loaf, let it cool thoroughly before attempting to slice into it.

Hearty Split Pea Soup with Brown Rice and Carrots

Split Pea Soup with Brown Rice and Carrots

Split Pea Soup with Brown Rice and Carrots

This is a meal in a bowl- SO hearty and satisfying. Amazing way to use up left over cooked rice also! You can find smoked salt in the bulk section of the market or it also available online at specialty purveyors- it gives it an earthy delicious flavor paired well with the chipotle. Add sautéed or cooked greens in at the end of cooking for added flavor, texture and nutrition. I eat this shit morning noon and night.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

2c green split peas, cooked

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

1 large carrot, cut into rounds

1” piece of fresh turmeric, grated

2t chipotle powder

1/2t fresh ground black pepper

1/2t cayenne pepper

1t smoked salt

1 1/2c cooked long grain brown rice

3T extra virgin olive oil

6c boiling water

1t pink salt to taste

 —

Bring 6c of water to a boil.

 —

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until golden and soft. Add the peas, smoked salt, chipotle powder, black and red pepper. Add the peas, mixing them into the vegetables. Add the boiling water and the cooked rice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Th consistency is personal, for a heartier, stew like soup, cook longer with more water but let most of the water cook out. Be sure to adjust your seasonings. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the carrots rounds, partially cover the soup so that they will steam/cook in the soup but still hold their shape.

Summer Tofu Scramble

*summer scrambled tofu

Another crazy hard crossfit workout this morning!!! Thrusters and GHD sit-ups – SO GOOD. Came home on a mission to eat and had two lovely heirloom tomatoes on the counter that were screaming to be used. I chopped them up and remembered I had both basil and arugala pesto in the fridge. Seeing as I used all of my miso paste up making the pesto, I used what I had left of the miso and supplemented with the arugala pesto AND OH MY GODDESS…..YUMNESSSSS!!!!

Summer Tofu Scramble

1 package (15oz) firm tofu, crumbled

2T coconut oil

1c fresh summer tomatoes- heirlooms are best- medium dice

½ medium onion, small dice

1/4c nutritional yeast- more if desired!

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2t ground turmeric

1/2t salt

1/4t black pepper

2t miso

1T prepared arugala or basil pesto

2T water- more if needed

Mix the miso paste with the water and set aside.

In a heated skillet or fry pan over medium high heat, heat up the oil and add the onion, garlic, turmeric, salt, black pepper and sauté until aromatic and golden.

Add the diced tomatoes and the crumbled tofu and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, coating the tofu with the onion mixture.

 Mix the miso paste into the scramble, then add the pesto. Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and mix until well incorporated.

Serve immediately with toast or in a breakfast tofu burrito, sprinkled with additional nutritional yeast.

Chocolate Almond Power Smoothie

*Chocolate Almond Power Smoothie

Chocolate Almond Power Smoothie

1c nut milk

1T hemp seed

2 Medjoul dates

2T Raw Almond Butter

1T Chia Seeds

2t maca powder

1T gold flax seeds

2T raw cacao powder

1T coconut sugar

1t vanilla

1 scoop protein powder

 —

1c ice

Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed

Add the ice and blend just until smooth.

Blueberry Maqui Maca Berry Power Smoothie- Recovery Fuel

*Blueberry Maqui Maca Berry Power Smoothie

Blueberry Maqui Maca Berry Power Smoothie

1c nut milk

2T hemp seed

1t raw agave or raw local honey

1T coconut oil

1c Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2T Maqui Berry Powder

1T flax seeds

2t maca powder

1t vanilla

1 scoop protein powder

 —

1c ice

Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed

Add the ice and blend just until smooth.