Easy Avocado Dressing!

This has definitely become my go to meal this summer, a salad drizzled with a creamy and zesty avocado dressing.  It's actually quite easy and quick to make! With just a few ingredients and five minutes you can enjoy it too!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Avocados
• 1 Lime
• 2 Garlic Cloves peeled
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt 
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1.  In a small food processor or blender combine the garlic, avocado, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. 
2. Blend ingredients together until smooth (you may need scrape down the sides with a small spatula)
   
   • You can also thin down the salad dressing with a little water to reach a desired consistency.
   
   
     Your dressing will last a few days refrigerated in a airtight container.
   
   
   My favorite way to enjoy this zesty dressing is drizzled over a salad with a few Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders. (as pictured above) 
   
   
   Enjoy!

Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich!

I have always loved buffalo anything! My husband and I have been making Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, both battered and just roasted, for sometime now. What's better than a buffalo bite? A whole buffalo sandwich, of course!

What you need
1 head of Cauliflower
2 Sandwich Rolls
1 Red Onion, sliced
1 large Tomato, sliced
Lettuce
*optional* Vegan Ranch

Batter Ingredients
2/3 Cup Flour
2/3 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1Tbsp Onion Powder
1Tbsp Paprika
1Tbsp Garlic Powder
1tsp Kosher Salt
1tsp Cracked Pepper
2/3-3/4 Cup Cashew Milk or other plant milk


Buffalo Sauce
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance or other Vegan butter substitute (Melted)
1/2 cup Franks Red Hot or other Vegan wing sauce

You will want to line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 450 F (Tip: spray a light layer of olive oil or cooking spray to avoid sticking). Remove the greens from the base of the cauliflower while keeping the stems in tact.  Cut your head of cauliflower in half, and then cut a 1/2 inch "steak" from each side. You will only be able to get a few large steaks from one cauliflower, but save the leftover pieces and florets! You can batter, coat and cook them with the steaks to make buffalo bites, or use them in another recipe like Oven Roasted Cauliflower, or even juice them!

Mix all the batter ingredients but the Panko Bread Crumbs in a large bowl until well combined. Then slowly mix in the Panko. Submerge the steaks in the batter, you may want to use your hands to coat thoroughly in all their crevices.

Place the battered cauliflower on the coated, parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 40 mins at 450F.

While the steaks are cooking, whisk your melted vegan butter and hot sauce in a large bowl. After the 40 minutes, remove the cauliflower from the oven. Coat the cauliflower in the buffalo sauce. Then, place them back on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake for another 10 mins at 450F.

Now it's time to assemble your sandwich! Layer your roll your cauliflower, lettuce, tomato and onion. I also like to spread some delicious Vegan Ranch on both sides of my bun.

ENJOY!

The Best Damn Vegan Ranch!

Just because your Vegan doesn't mean you have to give up the delicious flavor of Ranch Dressing! There are many times that creamy and zesty flavor comes in handy, from salads to sandwiches! You would never know it's dairy free, and best of all it contains no additives and preservatives!

Vegan Ranch Dressing

• 3/4 Cup Grapeseed Oil Veganise or other Vegan Mayo
• 1.5 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4tsp Salt or to taste
• 1/4tsp Fresh Ground Pepper or to taste
• 1Tbsp Fresh Chives
• 1Tbsp Fresh Dill

Finely chop the the fresh herbs and mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl 
Enjoy!

Paleo Peanut Butter Cups!

This recipe for Paleo Peanut Butter Cups is super fast and easy to make.  They are a great snack for when you are craving something sweet. I have a huge sweet tooth and these hit the spot.  Ever since I was a kid I was obsessed with Resse's peanut butter cups. They were by all accounts my favorite food group.  These days I have adopted more of a clean eating lifestyle and stay away from highly processed foods and candy.  So with traditional Resse's being out I decided to create my own clean version of my favorite childhood treat.  They contain no hydrogenated oils or refined sugars, just natural clean ingredients.  This delicious snack only requires a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes!  For more healthy snacks to help you get through the holiday season check out some of the ideas over at Nuts.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup smooth Almond Butter (or peanut butter if not Paleo)
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1 tablespoon Raw Honey
• 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (or Enjoy Life Chips)

For my cups I used a small chocolate mold, you however can use a muffin tin or even an ice cube tray.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl add your chocolate chips and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until melted.
2.  Evenly divide the chocolate into your mold/tray
3. In a small bowl place your almond butter, oil and honey, then microwave for about 30 seconds or until it's melted.
4. Pour your almond butter mixture on top of each of the chocolate bottoms.
5.  Place your mold/tin in the freezer for about an hour.
6. When you take your cups out of freezer you may be able to just pop them out of your mold/tray.  If not carefully go around the edges with a knife and they will pop out.

ENJOY!

Homemade Clean Apple Crisp!

Recently I have been overloaded with apples after an Apple Picking adventure, so I decided to create some new fall recipes.  First I took on the beloved Apple Crisp, or as some may refer to it, Apple Crumble.  At first I wasn't sure if I could create a Healthy Apple Crisp that would still taste great, so while I made my new creation I had my husband make a traditional apple crisp.  Once done we let our family be the judges!  Not only did everyone love my Apple Crisp, they actually preferred it to the traditional recipe.  Now, nothing against my husband's cooking skills, but I think the clean ingredients made the difference.  Below is my newest recipe for delicious Apple Crisp that is Gluten free, Grain Free, Dairy Free and contains no processed sugar!

For this recipe I used 6 apples of different varieties.  1 Jonathan, 1 Golden Delicious, 2 Red Delicious and 2 Cortland. I also did not peel the apples.  After Coring the apples I sliced them into small chucks and placed them in a medium sized mixing bowl.

  Filling:

• 6 Apples
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon 
• 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Tsp Raw Honey
• 1 Tsp Pure Maple Syrup 

 Combine all the filling ingredients in your bowl and stir until all the apples are evenly coated.

  

 Once your apples are coated spread them out into a large baking dish.

 

Topping:

• 2 Cups Gluten Free Oats
• 1 Cup  Almond Flour
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Cup Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1/4 Cup Raw Honey
• 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

Combine all the ingredients for the topping in your bowl and stir until mixed.

 

Crumble the topping over your apples until evenly coated.

 

 Bake the Apple Crisp at 350' for 45 Minutes.

 

ENJOY!

Guilt Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies!

There's nothing better then fresh chocolate chip cookies! Even if you eat clean you can indulge in these sweet treats.  My Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe is so irresistible, everyone I know can't get enough and I am always asked to make them!  These cookies are grain free, dairy free and made without processed sugar.





What You Need

• 3 Cups Blanched Almond Flour THIS is my favorite brand, it is the finest almond flour I have found and is great for baking!
• 1/2 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Cup Unrefined Coconut Oil or Palm Shortening
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1.5 Cups Enjoy Life Mega Chunks

1.   Preheat the oven to 375'F
2.  In a mixer combine your melted Coconut Oil, Maple Syrup, Eggs and Vanilla
3.  While your mixer is on a low speed slowly add your dry ingredients

4.  Once the batter is combined stir in your Chocolate Chunks 

5. On a Silpat or Parchment Paper place balls of dough (I use a small ice cream scoop)

 6. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes or until golden brown

Serve your cookies with a glass of Fresh Homemade Almond Milk! 

How To Make Almond Milk!

Many people seem to be switching over to nut milks lately. One of my favorites is Almond Milk! It is a great substitute for dairy milk but is also great all on its own.  I very rarely drink dairy milk these days and always seem to have Almond milk in my refrigerator.  I tend to use almond milk most often for protein shakes and smoothies.  It has a wonderful flavor and a creamy consistency with less fat and calories than dairy milk.

Bonus: Almond milk contains a wide variety of essential vitamins and minerals!

 I have been drinking nut milks for some time now and I find myself less and less likely to buy them from a store.  The basic ingredients consist of the chosen nut, water and sweetener, yet its hard to find a brand with that few ingredients.  Obviously they would need to include a preservative to help keep them shelf stable but I don't like buying things, even "healthy alternatives" riddled with chemicals and ingredients I can not pronounce. You may think it would be a hard and time consuming ordeal to make your own fresh almond milk, however it is not. How do you make almond milk? Here is my quick and easy guide to making fresh homemade, creamy, delicious almond Milk! 

Bonus: Aside from avoiding unwanted chemicals you will save money too!

 

What do you need to make almond milk?

You can make as much or as little as you want.  When making almond milk you can choose to use blanched almonds (skins removed) or regular almonds (skin still on). The only difference between using almonds with or without skins when making almond milk is that you may need to strain your milk a bit more if you use regular almonds.  I don't find that it changes much.  For this post I made a small batch. I used one small bag of regular Almonds (about 1 cup)

 

Ingredients
Raw Almonds (uncooked & unsalted)
Filtered Water
Vanilla
 *Sweeteners if desired (dates, honey, agave, maple syrup or cinnamon) 1tsp or to taste

Equipment
Bowls
Mesh Strainer
Blender or food processor
Cheese cloth or Nut bag

To make almond milk there are only a few easy steps.

Soak the almonds.  You want to soak your almonds overnight for at least 8 hours. To do this place your almonds in a container or bowl, then fill with filtered water.  You will want to add about an inch or two of water above the almonds since they will absorb the water and grow in size.

Drain the almonds. After the almonds have soaked you want to drain and rinse them under cool water. 

Blend the almonds. Pour your almonds in a blender and cover with water. I like to use about a 3-1 ratio during this step.  If I started with 1 cup of dry Almonds I would add about 3 cups of filtered water to the blender.  For 2 cups of dry almonds I would use close to 6 cups of water.

Blend the almonds and water on the highest speed for at least 2 minutes. Your almonds should completely break down and the liquid should be white and opaque.  

Strain the almonds. Place a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth over a bowl and pour the almond/water mixture through it.  Once all the liquid has drained through, gather the excess cheese cloth and twist the remaining almond meal into a ball to remove more liquid.  You can continue to twist and squeeze more liquid from the pulp with your hands.

Sweeten the milk. Once you have finished straining all the liquid you will want to taste it.  If you prefer a sweeter flavor you can add a flavoring and or sweetener.  Pour the liquid back into your blender, add the flavoring or sweetener and blend for about 15 seconds.  For this post I added a tsp of vanilla to my milk.  If you like you can quickly strain the milk again to achieve an even cleaner finished product.

Store your almond milk. You want to store your almond milk in sealed container in the refrigerator.  Your almond milk should last for about 3-5 days since there are no chemicals or preservatives.  This also means that your milk will settle.  You will want to shake the milk up before each use.  If you notice it tastes at all sour you will want to discard it and make a fresh batch. 

TIP: Don't just throw away the remaining almond meal that is left behind.  It can be added to a multitude of things such as cookies, muffins, oatmeal, pancakes and smoothies. You can dry it as well in the oven then freeze for future baking needs.  Stay tuned for posts about ways to use left over almond meal.

Do you drink nut milks? Would you consider making your own?