Clean Eating Cappuccino Pops

Before we begin....
Yes, I know what that popsicle resembles. Get it out. Laugh it up. Those were the ONLY shapes that Bed, Bath and Beyond had that day. Dirty bastards.

Ok, so I know that Mother's Day has passed but my mama was a coffee fanatic!! That is probably where I get it. I was going to make these on Sunday and then realized I didn't have the molds. I made them Monday and took them out of the freezer today and they are.....AMAZING!!! They are clean and healthy and the perfect fix for a chocolate craving....YUMMY-NESS! I got this recipe out of one of Tosca Reno's Clean Eating Diet books.

2 tsp arrowroot
1 cup low-fat milk (I used soy)
2 Tbsp semisweet chocolate chips (I used vegan dark chocolate chips)
1/4 cup of pure honey
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup of freshly brewed espresso or very strong coffee (I used decaf because of Chrissy's "dicky" heart)
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl whisk the arrowroot and 1/2 cup of milk. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips on medium-low heat. Stir in the honey, cocoa powder, espresso, salt and the reserved arrowroot-milk mixture and remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Increase the heat to med - high and whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup and pour into the pop molds....the recipe said that it would fill 6 molds, but mine only filled 4.

Set molds in the freezer over night. To unmold, run under luke warm water.

Ginger-Lemon Kale with Squash and Chickpeas

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around. I found this on a clean eating website and couldn't wait to make it. The original recipe was made with lime juice and pomegranate seeds, but the store was OUT of limes and lime juice and there were no pomegranates to be found....

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and seeded (cut into 3/4 inch cubes)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil divided
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root (I used ground ginger)
1 can (16 oz) of chickpeas/garbanzo beans
8 cups thinly sliced kale leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl toss the squash with 1/2 tbsp oil. Place the squash onto a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.

Place the rest of the oil in a deep/wide skillet and cook the onions and garlic on high until the onions are clear (cooked through). Add the ginger and stir for thirty seconds. Add the kale. Mix for about ten minutes or until the kale has wilted. Add the chick peas. Stir until the chickpeas are cooked through. Transfer everything into a large salad/mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt and cranberries. Toss. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Facts:

Hella healthy....don't worry 'bout it.

Portabella Mushroom Burger

The meaty texture of a mushroom is the perfect substitute for a burger AND the healthier option considering that one grilled mushroom contains about 30 calories and no fat, sugar or cholesterol. This is awesome especially considering that a 4 oz hamburger patty contains around 240 calories. Yes, this is not a burger. It is a grilled mushroom.

Portabella Mushroom Burger

2 portabella mushrooms, stems removed
3 tbsp of white vinegar
3 tbsp of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos

 1/2 cup of Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the vinegar, soy, mustard, salt and pepper. Marinate each side of the mushroom for about 15 minutes.

 Put on a hot grill and grill each side for 7 - 10 minutes. I also added shredded Daiya Pepperjack "Cheese" the last two minutes of grilling. The "mayo" that you see on the bun in the picture is Nayonaise and I used guacamole as well to help add some protein. Enjoy!!

Peanut Curry Stew

Easiest thing I think that I have ever made! Courtesy of The Vegan Stoner.

1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of chickpeas
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 onion chopped
2 medium potatoes chopped
Thyme and Curry Powder to taste

Literally put all of this in a pot on medium. Stir OFTEN! When boiling, cover and let simmer continue to stir OFTEN for about twenty minutes! Put on brown rice or eat it on it's own! I was also thinking peas or cauliflower and carrots would be good in this too!

Flourless and Eggless Chocolate Cake

My birthday was this last weekend and I LOVE chocolate cake. I found this recipe for a flourless cake and I made it eggless. The most amazing part? The main ingredient is black beans!

Black Bean Cake

1 15 oz can of black beans
5 large eggs (I use Egg Replacer)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp earth balance buttery spread or unrefined coconut oil
1/2 cup honey (I used agave nectar) and 1/2 tsp Stevia
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Add the can of drained black beans, 3 of the "eggs", the vanilla, salt and the Stevia to a blender or food processor. Blend until the beans become a liquid.
In a large separate bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
In one more small bowl, beat the butter and the honey/agave until it becomes light and fluffy. Add the other 2 "eggs" one at a time, beating after you add each. Combine the bean mixture into the large bowl with the cocoa mixture. Mix these and then add the butter/agave and mix.
Pour into a greased 9" cake pan and bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

The Unhealthy Frosting (Yum!)
4 tbsp earth balance buttery spread at room temp
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Beat ingredients in a bowl until light and fluffy. Spread. Yum!

Cookie Dough Dip

I found this recipe on http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/. She is a little vegan genius. I tried it and altered it a bit. I found that the amount of sugar she recommended was TOO sweet. You can use stevia instead. Below is the exact recipe that I used. Check out her site! She is awesome!

1  can chickpeas drained
A little over 1/8 of a tsp of salt
A little over 1/8 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2 tbsp ground flaxseed

Add everything except the chips into a food processor. Blend. Remove and add chips. Enjoy by the spoonful or use as a dip for graham crackers, sugar cookies, etc.

Vegan Pizza

When you are vegan you get asked a lot of the same questions:

"What DO you eat?"
"Where do you get your protein?"
AND
"What do you miss the most?"

The easiest question for me to answer on this list is the last one. Pizza. I didn't eat pizza very often prior to becoming vegan. In fact, I probably only ate it about two or three times a year. Regardless, I do miss it. I watched a vegan you tube video on how to make your own pizza. I was too lazy to make my own crust, so I found one at Whole Foods that was whole wheat and vegan. I added my "cheese sauce" as well.

 

Vegan Pizza!

Pizza crust, ready made or you can buy vegan dough at the hippie store

1/3 cup pizza sauce

1/3 cup of  my "cheese sauce" *this recipe is included in the enchilada blog entry

1/2 cup Daiya mozzarella cheese

1/2 yellow pepper chopped

1/2 red pepper chopped

1/4 cup mushrooms chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your crust and smooth out the pizza sauce and the cheese sauce to cover the entire pizza. Add your mozzarella and the rest of the toppings (anything else you like). Pop in the oven for 12 minutes. Done!

*Daiya cheese is an excellent cheese alternative. In fact, it is the only one that I have found even tastes similar to actual cheese.