Sweet Summer Smoothie

I love kiwis, I adore strawberries, and I can never get enough bananas. I had to make a smoothie that combined all three, along with some sweet and tangy pineapple to boot. This healthy fruit smoothie is full of goodness, and it looks oh so pretty in pink. Add in some ground chia or flax seeds to get in your daily dose of fiber and omegas (these are just two benefits among a lengthy list of others).

Ingredients:

 -6 fresh strawberries, cut into pieces
-1 fresh kiwi, peeled and cut
-1 ripe banana, diced
-1 large slice of fresh pineapple, no rind
-1 tsp of agave
-1/2 cup chunks of ice
-1 cup coconut milk or almond milk
-Optional: ½ tsp of ground chia seeds OR ground flax seeds

Directions:

1. Place all washed and cut fruit into the blender. Drizzle with agave, and sprinkle your chia or flax seeds on top. Pour in the ice, and coconut milk. Blend until a beautiful pink smoothie comes to life, and all chunks seem to be blended. Serve chilled – top with some fresh fruit if desired.

This recipe makes 2 yummy glasses of the Sweet Summer Smoothie (or one giant portion for yourself).

Fresh Carrot Orange Juice

This Carrot O-J bevy is probably my new favorite juice, especially with summer peeping just around the corner. The juice is full of colour, and the citrus flavour is beyond refreshing. I added a little bit of cucumber to dilute the juice a tad, while adding some healthy veg into the mix.

Ingredients:

-3-4 medium large carrots
-2 large ripe oranges
-1/2 large cucumber (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash your veggies and peel your oranges. Cut up the carrots properly so they will fit into your juicer. Break apart the orange pieces so they fit as well.

2. Juice away, until a bright and bold colour appears into your glass. Stir before serving, and enjoy.

This recipe makes two generous sized glasses of fresh carrot O-J. Remember, all fruits and veggie sizes are different, if you do not like the flavour feel free to adjust by adding more carrot or O-J.

Sour Green Apple Juice

For serious sour apple fans only –  if you love to bite into a fresh green apple, this is a must try juice recipe for you. The sourness of the green apple and grapes is set off by the watery cucumber and celery, and the pungent and distinct ginger flavour can be tasted throughout (not to mention, ginger has digestion-friendly properties as well as numerous other health benefits). This is a great recipe to get in a whole bunch of green goodness in just one glass of juice. Happy juicing!

Ingredients:

-4 celery stalks
-1 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
-1 green apple
-3/4 cup green grapes
-1/2 large cucumber
-1/2 inch cube of fresh ginger
-Optional: handful of fresh kale if you have some at home

Directions:

1. Wash and cut all your fruits and veggies so they are able to pass through your juicer.

2. Stir the finished product in it’s juicing container before pouring it into a new glass. Try your best to separate any foam from the juice while pouring it into the glass. Drink up before the liquids separate!

***I try to keep my fruits and veggies chilled in the fridge so my juices come out perfectly chilled***

 

Natural Peppermint Patties

These little things are to die for. I always love a mint and dark chocolate combo, but on top of that there’s also coconut – real, natural, delicious coconut flakes. The cool peppermint centre is bursting with flavour, yet the treat as a whole is fairly light. You can actually taste how fresh and natural these peppermint patties are. The first two ingredients of a typical peppermint patty are sugar and corn syrup (barf city), not to mention the rest of the lingering ingredients are made up mostly of other sugars, preservatives, and artificial flavours. There are only five ingredients in my recipe, and not one of them contains gluten, dairy, or refined sugar. Oh yeah, and they also taste pretty kick ass. 

Ingredients:

-1 ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
-¼ cup agave nectar
-3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
-¼ teaspoon peppermint extract 
-1 cup of dark chocolate chips (or dark chocolate bar pieces)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, process the shredded coconut for about 15 seconds or so, until it becomes a bit more fine. Add in your agave and pulse. Next add in your melted coconut oil and peppermint extract and pulse until a paste forms. ***TASTE YOUR PASTE*** If the 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract doesn’t tickle your fancy, add more (1/8 of a teaspoon will kick it up a bit). 

2. Remove the paste from the food processor and start forming little patties with your hands. I made mine about an inch and a half in size (about the size of a poker chip). Place the patties on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 10 – 15 minutes until they harden.

3. Place your chocolate in a microwavable bowl and microwave until the chocolate has melted – this will take about four minutes. If there are still chunks of chocolate, stir the chocolate until it fully melts.

4. Take your frozen patties from the freezer and coat them in the chocolate by gently dipping them in the bowl. Your chocolate will probably be pretty hot if you do this right away, so it’s a good idea to let it cool down a bit (or alternatively, you can dip them using chopsticks). Lay them again on the baking sheet and freeze again for 10 – 15 minutes, until the chocolate has hardened.

5. Voila! All natural peppermint patties. Make sure to store any leftovers in the fridge.

This recipe makes about 14 baby little peppermint patties.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Vegan. Simple. Delicious. This is such a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe that it’s just too easy not to try at least once. I made a batch of these wheat free babies and they were devoured extremely quickly by my pals. I made my cookies small and placed them inside a mason jar to give  as a gift, and I have to say I think it looks pretty adorable. For a healthy cookie packed with dark chocolate chunks and sweetness, try this recipe.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups almond flour
-1/4 cup coconut Oil
-1/4 cup agave nectar
-1/4 cup melted coconut oil
-1/4 tsp Baking Soda
-½ tsp vanilla extract
-Pinch of Sea Salt
-1/4 cup vegan or dark chocolate chips (or a bit more if you desire)

 Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Pour your almond flour into a mixing bowl and make sure there are no clumps. Add in the baking soda and sea salt and combine all together.

3) In a second bowl, combine the agave nectar and melted coconut oil. Add in the vanilla extract and mix all together.

4) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Combine all together until a batter forms. Fold in the chocolate chips until they are nicely mixed.

5) Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Form dough into miniature balls and press them down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake for 12 minutes – they will turn golden brown.

6) Allow to cool for over 15 minutes before eating – these babies are fragile and need to harden first!

This recipe makes 24 perfectly awesome little chocolate chip cookies. 

Banana Oat Smoothie

This smoothie is perfect at breakfast or just as good for when you’re craving something sweet, yet virtuous. This five ingredient recipe is very simple and basic, but it offers a tremendous amount of flavour and sweetness. This smoothie is now one of my favorites to make in the mornings. Swap the honey for agave nectar if you want this to be vegan.

Ingredients: 

-1 banana, sliced
-1/4 cup gluten free rolled oats
-1 cup coconut milk (or almond milk)
-1 1/2 tsp honey
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place the banana, gluten free rolled oats, coconut milk, honey, and cinnamon in a blender and pulse until smooth. If you would like the smoothie to be colder, leave it in the freezer for five to ten minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and rolled oats to serve.

This recipe makes a single serving smoothie.

Honey Lavender Cookies

Okay, we have a winner. I know it’s been a while since I posted a recipe, but I promise you that you will fall in love with these pretty little cookies. These cookies are gluten-free and dairy-free. If you would like them to be vegan you can substitute the honey for some agave nectar. The sugar that I used is coconut sugar, and I used very little at that. These cookies are packed with lavender flavour, and offer a crispy yet soft texture with a delicious buttery taste. These are also extremely easy and quick to make and bake! These are a must try. I really hope you enjoy them!

Ingredients:

-1 cup almond flour
-1/2 cup all purpose gluten free baking flour
-1 tbsp arrowroot starch
-1 tsp baking powder
-2 tbsp dried lavender flowers, finely chopped
-¼ cup coconut sugar
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-2 tbsp honey
-1/2 cup melted vegan butter

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl: flours, coconut sugar, baking soda and sea salt. When everything is blended, mix in the finely chopped dried lavender.

3) Mix in the melted vegan butter and honey and combine all together until a nice dough forms.

4) Using your hands, form little balls with the dough and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Gently press down each ball with the back of a spoon to flatten them.

5) Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

This recipe makes 15 adorable little lavender cookies.

Coconut Banana Walnut Muffins

The next day after making these muffins, my grandpa called me on the phone and told me that he was at our house earlier, and happened to have tried one of these muffins. He told me that it was the best muffin that he had ever had, because the chunks of walnuts that he got in every bite were big, and not “measly” little bits of walnuts. Maybe he was just being a nice grandpa but I still think that says something about these muffins! These guys are gluten-free and dairy-free (but of course, you can substitute the eggs) and are full of coconut flavour, a hint of banana, and yummy cinnamony-walnut chunks. I hope you enjoy them!

Ingredients:

-1 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour
-1/2 cup almond flour
-1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-2 eggs
-2 bananas
-1/2 cup agave nectar
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 cup walnuts – you can chop them if you prefer – I like to keep them nice and big

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 2. Mix all dry ingredients into a bowl: flour, coconut, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

3. Mix all wet ingredients into a bowl: bananas, eggs, coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla. Mash in the bananas first, until most of the chunks are broken down.

4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a nice batter forms. Fold in the walnuts.

5. Spray a muffin tray with baking spray and spoon in batter to fill almost the entire muffin mold. There will be enough batter in the recipe to do this. If your heart desires, sprinkle some more cinnamon onto the batter before placing in the oven.

6. Bake for 28 minutes. At the ten minute mark, sprinkle some shredded coconut onto the muffins. Allow to cool before taking muffins out of the tray.

These recipe makes 12 large and delicious muffins.

No Bake Chocolate Pie

I decided that I had to try making my first gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan pie. I wanted this pie to be unique, so I chose to create a recipe for a no-bake pie (yes, that’s right) with a delicious fruit based filling that only looks like it could clog your arteries. The filling of the pie was actually inspired from one of my previous dessert recipes, called velvety chocolate mousse. The crust of the pie is made with only three ingredients: gluten-free graham crackers, vegan butter, and a smidge of brown sugar. This pie is an absolutely must try – it is super fun to make, it looks like perfection, and it tastes heavenly. 

Ingredients:

For the crust:

-One box of gluten free graham crackers (the box should contain about 220 grams or 8 oz minimum of graham crackers – I used a box from Kinnikinnick foods) OR 2 cups of ground gluten free graham crackers
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 1/2 cup melted vegan butter

For the filling:

-2 large ripe avocadoes
-1 ripe banana
-1/4 cup raw cacao powder

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 -2 tbsp. coconut milk (depending on power of blender)

-1 1/2 tbsp. agave nectar (and more for drizzling)

-Cinnamon for sprinkling
-Shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:

1. Place broken up graham crackers in a food processor and blend until most pieces have broken down. Mix in your melted vegan butter and brown sugar, and blend until a consistent texture forms.

2. Remove the mixture and place in the center of a pie tray (my pie pan was about 9 inches). Flatten and spread the mixture until it evenly coats the bottom of the pie tray, as well as the sides. Make sure to create a crust.

3. To make the chocolate filling: Remove the skin and pit from the avocadoes and place the meat in a bowl. Add in a fresh banana, cut-up into coins. Add in the raw cacao powder and vanilla extract and mash them into the avocado and banana.

4) Place the mashed mixture in a blender and add in the coconut milk and agave nectar. If you desire, add in cinnamon. Blend until smooth. If the taste is not sweet enough for you, you can drizzle on some more agave nectar.

4) Remove the mousse filling from the food processor and place in the center of the pie, on top of the crust. Spread the mousse evenly so that it fills the entire pie, with the exception of the crust. Sprinkle with shredded coconut.

5) Place the pie in the fridge and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before eating. You can cut this pie into little appropriate slices, or alternatively just eat it out of the pan with a spoon (like I choose to do). 

This pie should be kept and served cold. Keep it in the fridge. 

Banana Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

 

I had no idea what streusel actually consisted of until I made these muffins. In case you didn’t know, streusel is the crumbly topping that is sometimes found on pastries and deserts, and is typically made from butter, flour, and sugar (it is so so delicious). I decided to try making my own batch of streusel type muffins that are gluten free, dairy free and vegan. If you’re a banana fan and are intrigued by trying to make your own streusel topping, then these guys are perfect for you to try. The end result is a sweet, cinnamony muffin topped with a yummy crumbly topping. The ingredient list for these muffins is lengthy but that’s only because they are packed with goodness.

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

-1 cup all purpose gluten free baking flour
-1/3 cup millet flour (you could also use almond flour)
-2 tbsp group chia seeds
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/3 cup dark brown sugar
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-2 ripe bananas
-1/3 cup agave
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
-2 tbsp almond milk (or soy, coconut, rice)

For the streusel:

-1/2 cup all purpose gluten free baking powder
-3 tbsp brown sugar
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-Handful of gluten free oats – about 1/2 cup (optional but recommended!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix all together (flour, chia, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar).

3. Combine the wet ingredients into a bowl and mix together (bananas, agave, vanilla, almond milk, melted coconut oil). Make sure the bananas are nicely mashed up.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix until a nice batter forms. 

5. Pour the batter into a muffin tray. Make sure the tray is sprayed with oil, or alternatively you can use muffin/cupcake liners. 

6. Put the tray aside and begin making the streusel. It is so easy! Just combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and oats into a bowl and mix all together until a thick batter forms. Place a spoonful of the streusel on top the batter. 

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 24 minutes, or until the sides turn golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 

This recipe makes 12 delicious streusel muffins.