Chocolate Chickpea Bites

Hey all you people, hey all you people, hey all you people won’t you listen to meeeeeee????

GUYS, HI! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written a post, created a funky recipe or even scrolled through the wonderful feed of WordPress… But here I am! I’m so excited to be back and I’m hoping to be a little more present this semester.

I just returned back to school from a LOVELY weekend break at home with my family. I hung out with my grandparents, was tackling by my adorable dogs and took some serious time to recollect and breathe before a month long stretch of school. Definitely needed!

Anyways, as I was home, my family and I decided to throw a small Super Bowl party consisting of… us! Yep, just us four and honestly, it was wonderful. My dad was screaming a lot (which is hilarious because he does NOT watch football unless he’s with my mom) and my dog Walter was mesmerized by the commercials and practically pressed his nose against the screen. ((ps- the Justin Timberlake commercial for Bai…. SWOON VILLE!)) We ordered pizzas, I made a veggie tray and homemade guac and we hung out together as one big Q fam…

I realized early on that we definitely needed a sweet after pizza ((I mean, come on, no dessert?!)) SO i decided to whip up a cute and easy little recipe for some tiny chocolate chip cookie bites using chickpeas and my favorite Enjoylife dairy-free chippies! SO simple, SO delicious, and SO healthy. BAM BABY.

They aren’t super sweet, but they give a good bite and satisfy your need for a little chocolate for sure.

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servings: 28 cookies 

prep time: 20 minutes 

cook time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 Cup raw oats
• 1 can chickpeas (15 oz)
• 1/3 Cup raw cashews
• 1 very ripe banana
• 1/3 Cup pure maple syrup
• 1 pasteurized egg
• 1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons nut milk
• 1/2 Cup Enjoylife chocolate chips

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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Blend together the raw cashews and chickpeas in a blender or food processor until the mixture becomes somewhat smooth.
3. Add in the oats, banana, extract, maple syrup, baking powder and egg as the processor is going. The mixture will become very thick (which is where the nut milk comes in!) and you may have to take some out and work in shifts.
4. Move the mixture once blended from the processor to a medium mixing bowl and add in the chocolate chips. Mix those babies in! You can also add some cacao powder to make chocolate bites, too!
5. Drop a tablespoon and a half of dough onto cookie sheets. You can press them down slightly for a cookie shape or leave them round for little bites.
6. Place cookie sheet in the oven for fifteen minutes; take them out and let them cool for two minutes.
7. DEVOUR!

 

Simple Almond Flour Waffles

I love a good waffle just as anyone, but unfortunately when you go away, most waffle mixes available to you are highly processed, and chocked full of ingredients I can’t understand.

As you can probably guess, I haven’t been eating waffles at school since I got there. And that makes me incredibly sad!

Waffles have been a huge part of my life ever since I started to recover from anorexia two years ago, and they have stuck in my life as I have continued to grow my interests in cooking and holistic food choices. I have constantly upped my game, and am always searching for new recipe including fewer, more complex ingredients to make the perfect, crispy waffle (as I like mine!).

This morning, I craved a darn waffle and I knew I wanted to try something with an almond flour base as I tried Simple Mills over Thanksgiving break and fell in love with the concept of it. I decided this morning would be the morning to give it a shot, and boy am I glad I did!

Few mistakes were made: forgot to oil my waffle makes (DUHHHH!), and I also forgot to top with pure maple syrup…. THE STRUGGLE OF MY LIFE, FRIENDS.

Don’t worry, they’re still amazing no matter if they need to be yanked from the maker or you just eat them plain (dipped in black coffee, anyone?). Waffles are waffles, no matter how messy your morning turns out to be.

Poor Walter!

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Makes: 3 small waffles, or one large

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 C. plus 2 TBSP. Almond flour (I used Almond Pro)
• 1/4 C. Unsweetened almond milk (Califia Farms)
• 2 Egg whites
• 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
• 1/2 TBSP. Coconut sugar
• 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 TBSP. Coconut oil

*optional toppings:  banana, blueberries, pure maple syrup, nut butter, etc….*

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1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure they are all consistently blended together. I like to use a fork to press them into each other.
2. Melt coconut oil into the waffle maker (unlike I did!) to ensure the waffles come right off!
3. Evenly divide your batter into three parts as you cook your waffles.
4. Top those babies right away with any fruit or nut butter, pure maple syrup, honey  , etc…. and dig a fork in while they’re still hot!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

I’m sure so many of you indulge in pumpkin pie around the holidays. I mean, it is the season!

And while some love pumpkin pie, some love a good pumpkin spice latte. Well, this girl loves a darn good bowl of oatmeal as it comes to November and December.

Okay- I love oats all the time- just, bear with me for the sake of the cheesy opening to my recipe!

Anywho, I’ve been bored lately, and so I’ve started really working on creating new things I can munch on in my dorm room which is super fabulous because I’ve truly missed cooking and have felt extremely detached from a part of me that I really enjoy. So I woke up this morning, and remembered the organic pumpkin that was on sale at target I bought on Friday! I also received pie spice from my friend’s mom on Saturday, and knew oats were on the way.

This breakfast literally kept me full for hours on end, powered my workout, and celebrated fall all in one bowl! Now that’s what I call a good start to a Tuesday morning!

I also named this skeleton Fredrick for October, and since I have to put him away…. he needed a small appearance!

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prep: 5 minutes

cook: 2 minutes (in microwave!)

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. raw rolled oats
• 1 tbsp. chia seed
• 1/3 scoop vanilla protein (Sunwarrior)
• 3 tbsp. organic pumpkin puree  (Simply Balanced)
• 1/2 C. unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp. pie spice (Penzy’s)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 C. water
• Small banana*
• 2 tbsp. granola (Lovegrown Foods)*
• 1 tbsp. almond butter, raw (Woodstock Foods)*

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1. Add to a bowl your raw oats, chia seed, pumpkin and protein. Stir the ingredients until mixed. (if you are using a stove, this should be a pot over medium heat!)
2. Now add in your water and about half of your almond milk. The other half will be used to top the oats.
3. Stir this around until creamy and smooth. You may need to add a touch more water.
4. Start adding your spices, and stir these into the mix.
5. If you are using a microwave, cook for two minutes. The stove top requires a longer time frame, and should cook until the oats have absorbed all the liquids.
6. Add another sprinkle of cinnamon and top those suckers with all them toppings and your left over almond milk!
7. SMASHHHHHH!!!!!

*Toppings are not necessary but are HIGHLY recommended. I mean, what’s a bowl of oats without some killer toppings???

Cacao Coffee Overnight Oats

Here we go- another darn bowl of oats.

Nah, I’m kidding’ you- these oats have been inspired by my drive to add more variety and spunk to my diet again after some serious hard times of eating the same things and ending up gorging on foods my system does not like. It’s a long story, but starting this week, I’m making it my goal to eat new foods, and explore some fun recipes for my dorm.

These make the list.

I had a concert last night, so of course I want a breakfast I can grab to run to class, and give myself a couple extra hours. Then, when I was thinking about that, I remembered that I didn’t finish a cup of coffee from the morning.

“MR. KRABS, I HAVE AN IDEAAAAAAAAAA”

I took the coffee, grabbed almond milk and some cacao powder and went ham.

Then, I layered some Siggi’s yogurt, banana slices, coconut chips, hemp seeds and cacao nibs for the most perfect bite in the morning I’ve ever had.

Love ya overnight oats!

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serves:1

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 2-3 hours; or overnight 

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. rolled oats
• 1 TBSP chia seeds
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder  Sunwarrior)
• 1 TBSP. cacao powder
• 1/2 C. brewed black coffee
• 1/3 C. unsweetened almond milk (Califia Farms)
• 1/2 container of plain Siggi’s
• 1 banana
• 1/2 TBSP. hemp seed
• 1 TSP. cacao nibs
• 1 TBSP. coconut chips

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Instructions:

1. Find a cute ass jar.
2. Now add the oats, chia seed, cacao  and protein powder. Make sure you stir the dry ingredients around before adding liquids!
3. After you stir the dry ingredients, add your coffee and almond milk until you get the consistency you enjoy.
4. Stir and stir WELL! You don’t want chunks of chia, now do you???
5. Slice a full banana and add half, then layer on the yogurt To the oats.
6. Layer the other half of the banana on top of this, then add the rest of the toppings as you like!
7. Scoff this sucker down!

Curried Bean Bowl (Dorm Friendly!)

I wasn’t sure what to call this.

I think I have  a problem with that….  like, naming recipes and all that jazz? It’s so confusing because I really just like to throw stuff together and NOSHHHHHH before I can think of something clever to call it.

Oh well, Curried bean bowl it is!

 

This bowl is simple, delicious and quick to make when you have long days and the hanger strikes as you pull your sick bicycle into your residence hall bike rack after a long freakin’ day of classes and exercise or vegetation. Also super easy to make when the only things you have available to you are a microwave and a mini fridge.

Can you tell that that’s how my days have been going these past few weeks?

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Curried Bean Bowl

serves: 1-2 (pending on your hunger)

Serious yumminess.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup organic chickpeas and black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 to full sweet potato
• 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 tablespoon cumin
• 1/4 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups mixed veggies (I used carrots, peas, corn, onion, cauliflower, mushrooms, and tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

*Optional toppings: nutritional yeast, sriracha, avocado and tahini. Optional, once again. BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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1. Pierce your sweet potato with a fork and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes, depending on size.
2. Place beans, spices, and raw vegetables into a bowl.
3. Add tomato sauce to the mixture and stir away!
4. Once the potato is cooked, place bean and veggie mixture into the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.
5. As this is “cooking”, deskin potato and chop that baby up.
6. Throw your greens and potato into a bowl, and once the bean mixture is done, place that in the bowl as well.
7. NOW TOP AWAY, GRAB A FORK AND SMASH!

 

Cheap, easy and damn delicious. Just the way we broke college kids like it.

Coconut Matcha Energy Balls

First dorm room recipe EVER!

And I’m really excited about this one, because it’s protein filled, easy to make and simply delicious for any time of the day. YES, ANY TIME OF THE DAY! WOOOOOOOO!

I started off with a base of dates because I haven’t used dates in forever and I grabbed an entire bag of them before I left for the good ol’ Iowa State. Then, I received a package on campus….

HEMP PROTEIN!

Oh my goodness, when I went down into the mailroom and got two packages from the fabulous Pure Goodness, I knew it had to be good. I opened those suckers up and what was in there? Vanilla hemp protein. Something I’ve been DYING to try!

I immediately thought dates and protein to combine into some kick ass energy balls I could store in my bag for later usage during class. Then I sifted through other products, found my matcha tea powder from Healthworks and went to work!

These will keep you full, happy and healthy as you knock it out this semester! (Or for you with an actual job, just life!)

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yields: 12 energy balls

cook time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 12-13 pitted medjool dates
• 1/4 cup organic coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons creamy, unsalted almond butter
• 1 scoop vanilla hemp protein (I used Pure Goodness)
• 1 tablespoon matcha tea powder (I used Healthworks)
• 2-3 tablespoons hot water
• 2 tablespoons hemp seed (optional, for coating)
  

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Instructions:

1. Soak dates in warm water as you get your other ingredients ready.
2. Add all the ingredients into a food processor, and blend until the mixture comes together as one.
3. Scoop out the mixture and keep cold for about five minutes. It will be sticky!
4. Remove mixture from refrigerator and roll into twelve even, bite sized balls.
5. You now have to option to roll in hemp seeds (but I highly recommend!). Store in an air tight container in the fridge and GO CRAZY!

Foodie Essentials: College Edition

It’s August.

I kid you not, this is August and on Monday, I leave for college. Summer flew by quickly, and here the big change is coming in only a couple days. And what am I doing these few moments before I leave for my adventure?

Last minute shopping because I love procrastination!

I’ve been thinking a TON about what I’m going to be bringing for college and as a foodie, one of my biggest things is where I’ll be storing my essentials for meals on campus. Sure, I’ll be using the dining hall; but we all know you can’t survive off of that! In this post, I’ll be sharing some of the fun finds and key pieces I shopped for to bring with me for my dorm room.

 

Snackities

Hummus

I am ADDICTED, i repeat ADDICTED to hummus. Hope foods hummus has just recently been a part of my rotation, so I couldn’t help but grab a HUGEEEE container of it at Costco with my mom. Pray it fits in the mini fridge!

Bean Snacks

These little roasted beans are a serious must for a salty craving that is chocked full of healthy proteins and carbs. As a vegetarian, I wanted to make sure I had a snack I could rely on in-between class changes that would fuel me the right way, and it so happened that these were also at Costco! I often make my own roasted beans at home, but since I won’t have an oven, these are great.

Bars

Bars are something I stay sort of away from just because you never know what the ingredients can come out to be. But, as life moves fast, you also need fast snacks! I love lara bars, kind bars, perfect bars, etc. as they have ingredients I can understand and trust. They’re more for emergency, but we all have emergencies, right?!

Dates

If I didn’t have dates to dip in nut butter or create energy bites, then I would die.

*other snacks I’m bringing include: brown rice cakes, plantain chips and popcorn kernels!

NUTS AND SEEDS

Chia Seeds

Chias are perfect for snacking too, especially when made into a simple pudding so these will have to be a staple at all times. I’m always throwing them into my oatmeal, sometimes adding to my toasts. They add a healthy fat and protein in a quick pinch!

Raw Nuts

I think my go-to snack is almost always a good serving of raw nuts just because there’s never added sugar in them and they really help to keep you full when you won’t be eating again for quite sometime. My favorites include pistachios and almonds, and this one pack has pecans thrown in there, too!

Almond Butter

So this is a hugeeeee and delicious jar of almond butter that will hopefully last me awhile! I’m obsessed with nut butter. It’s good on everything.

*also bringing my tahini, homemade nut butters and hemp seeds!

Grains:

Quinoa

I’m in love with quinoa, and Ancient Harvest has some of the best blends so a huge bag is necessary for the microwave cookin’!

Brown Rice

I got this small pack of brown rice at a fest that I went to, so it’s pictured but I do have more short grain brown rice I’m bringing with also to be cooked in the microwave! Super great for those macro bowls to fill up on cheap, yet nutritious food!
*other grains include Ezekiel bread, Engine 2 wraps, raw oats, bean pasta and coconut flour!

Random extras:

1. Containers and a lunch bag: How else would you carry your stuff around campus?! I got a ton of rubbermaids, cute collapsable salad bowls, and regular containers for storage.
2. Tea Towels: Gotta have cute towels when you’re instagramin’ some weird looking meals, am I right?
3. Cute bowls and plates: ^^^^^^
4. Almond milk: Duh.
5. Cutting board and knife
6. Can opener: Hello, I only eat beans like 8 days a week.
7. Sriracha and nutritional yeast: goes on everythannnnnng.

 

There’s so many other essentials I’m sure I’ll be packing, but for now, here ya go! Let me know what types of essentials you use daily and would bring where ever you could!

What I Ate Wednesday 7.20.16

It’s been so long since I’ve done one of these; I’m excited to be back!

Lately, I can’t stop eating vegetables (like always!). But, it’s becoming intense. Most days I’ll wake up and actually crave vegetables for a bit. But after I drink some water, then I kind of realize I don’t want a bag of spinach for breakfast…
This was actually my Monday meals, but since I got a full day of pictures when I wasn’t working during the day, I figured it would work out fine for our purpose!

Breakfast

  I’ve really been wary of how much dairy I consume as it messes with my stomach. For some (wonderful) reason, greek yogurt doesn’t usually create any pain or discomfort, probably as it’s cultured.. As a person whose been working on getting more proteins into my diet, especially in the AM, a good ol’ Siggi’s dairy yogurt bowl (and black coffee!) with my homemade vegan muffins and granola works perfectly and kept me full through my hot yoga sesh! With breakfast, I always try to hit the three macros: protein, carbs and healthy fats.That way I get the best start to the day.

Lunch:  

Lately, I’ve been insanely interested in middle eastern food. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always been in love with spice, and now it’s really kicking in. An inspiration of mine recently has been Caitlin over at frommybowl ! A vegan food blogger and youtube, she’s helped me start to think about recipes and different things to try. I hate being stuck in ruts and unfortunately I’ve been eating a lot of the same things. THIS BOWL THOUGH! Curried lentil “chana masala” (or at least close???) With a ton of spices, flavor and paired with quinoa and greens. I’ll have to post my take on it.

Snack:

 

I picked blueberries (10 lbs, people) the other day so right after lunch I devoured like, half a container. I’m obsessed, okay?

 Then I went shopping for dorm things, and ate raw nuts and ended up at our local farm where i bought a pickle. Not in a jar either. My first ever fresh as heck pickle. Super neat. Once home, I did some ab work, made my lunch for the following work day and threw together a really pretty salad to eat at work later that night because I have to work at a desk for five hours and I need some good food to tide me over…

Dinner:

My amazing salad: bed of greens, roasted sweet potatoes (cold! the best way to eat them!), balsamic tofu, roasted veggies and roasted red pepper hummus from Cedar’s (not pictured). The only way to get through my night.
 

That was my day! What types of things do you use to fuel your weekdays?

 

 

 

 

Cheezy Black Bean Burrito Bowl

Okay, so I have a bit of an obsession with Mexican foods.

Give me tacos or give me death.

Here’s the problem though: I don’t ALWAYS have excessive to amazing food. When the hunger cues begin and there’s no time to drive to an incredible restaurant, you’ve got to work with what you’ve got. AKA pantry and cabinet!

So that’s what I did. And what came out ended up being pretty darn delicious!

I started with organic black beans I got from Costco. The cans are even BPA free! How can you go wrong?

As I had those cooking, I started my favorite grain in the entire world: QUINOAAAAA. Yes, it’s weird to pronounce. Yes, it’s weird to cook. BUT YES, IT IS AMAZING! And when combined with beans, it’s the perfect complete protein to rock your meal and keep you full. And of course, who doesn’t love a good cheezzzzy flavor to their quinoa?

That’s when I grabbed my favorite meal addition: nutrition yeast. As a kid whose converting to vegetarianism, nutritional yeast has become a best friend to me. 3 grams of protein for a tablespoon with killer flavor? Yes PLEASE!

Alright enough of my babbling about food. I’ll get to the recipe.

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serves:1.  

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Ingredients

• 1/2 C. Organic black beans, rinsed
• 1/4 C. organic white quinoa
• 2 C. greens mix
• 2-3 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 to 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
• Diced cherry tomatoes
• Organic salsa

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1. Begin by cooking your black beans on the stove. Rinse first, and then add to a small pot to heat the beans. As they are heating, add a touch of water, and then begin adding spices such as cumin and chili powder. These give the beans some flavor. Simmer.
2. As the beans cook, begin the quinoa. Add 1/4C quinoa to about 3/4C water and bring to a boil.
3. Let the quinoa simmer with a lid for about fifteen minutes.
4. While the quinoa and beans are cooking, prepare your bowl of greens, dice the tomatoes and mushrooms, and slice your avocado.
5. Once the quinoa has been cooked, mix in the nutritional yeast to give it a cheeeeeezy flavor! I also add a little chili powder and flakes to give the quinoa a spicy kick!
6. Add the beans, quinoa and all the toppings to your bowl of greens. This includes all the chopped veggies and avocado, as well as the salsa.
7. Now go crazy and face plant! I usually drizzle mine with tons of sriracha, but feel free to eat it with whatever you like!

Caramel Coconut Cashew Bites

I’m a huge fan of energy bites.

I used to be so, I don’t know, LAZY about my snacks! Sure, larabars are fantastic, but homemade snacks are one, an accomplishment and two, a great way to save money when in a pinch for a snack!

Now that I’ve started really working to make a lot of my own foods to ensure ingredients and sugars I would want to eat, flavors and experimenting with them has thrown me for a loop. I LOOOOOVE trying out new things, and these were a total accident after I messed up a batch of cashew butter.

The great thing about energy bites is that one or two satisfies you to pump out your workout or get through till the next meal. They’re definitely become a staple in my diet, and of course in my weekly prepping on Sunday afternoons.

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makes 12 bites

prep time: 5 minutes

cook time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1.5 Cup raw cashews, unsalted, and soaked for ten minutes
• 2 TBSP. warm water
• 15 pitted dates, soaked
• 1 tsp. caramel extract
• 3 TBSP. coconut flour
• Pinch of sea salt

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1. Begin by using a high speed blender or food processor to cream the cashews. This should create a smooth, ball of cashew goodness.
2. Add the dates in, as well as the water and let the two ingredients combine.
3. After these have combined, add the caramel extract, coconut flour by a tablespoon each time, and the sea salt. Let these all blend together.
4. Remove the batter from the blender and roll into twelve mini balls. These should be around a tablespoon of the batter.
5. Refrigerate or freeze and enjoy the heck out of these babies!