In Canada, Thanksgiving has come and gone. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to pack up the pumpkin puree! This dairy free, grain and gluten free, sugar free, vegan pumpkin pie will have you stocking up on cans of puree for months! As long as you have a food processor, this recipe is fool proof! Ingredients
Crust 1 1/2 cups almonds 2/3 cup raisins 1/4 cup shredded coconut 2 t water
Filling 2 cups pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling – loads of added sugar in those cans) 3/4 cup pitted dates 5 T almond milk 1 t cinnamon 1 t vanilla 1/2 t ginger 1/4 t nutmeg 1/2 t cloves 4 T melted coconut oil
Directions
Start by making the crust. Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture becomes sticky. You’ll want to ensure that there are no large pieces left. Using a spring form pan or a pie dish, press the crust firmly into the bottom. Take your time to make it even and thoroughly flattened.
Next, combine all of the filling ingredients, with the exception of the melted coconut oil, in your food processor. Once a uniform filling is achieved, add the coconut oil and blend until well combined. Spread the filling into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours.
If you use a sharp knife and allow the filling to set in the fridge you should have no problem serving this dish in perfect slices. Don’t tell people that this recipe is healthy – they will never even suspect it. It can be our little secret!
By the time you read this I will be driving the highways of Ontario with my man to visit friends and family in my favourite Canadian city – Toronto! Just because I’m on vacation, doesn’t mean I’m leaving you high and dry – I’m just shifting things a little, instead of sharing what I ate Wednesday, I’m showing Tuesday’s eats! No big deal right? Didn’t think so, but if it does bother you, scroll down, I have an awesome peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough energy bite recipe to share to make up for it! You’re welcome ;).
Breakfast – This is my favourite meal ever. Yes, ever. Egg white omelette with spinach and goat cheese, topped with homemade guacamole [avocado, lime juice, salt and pepper], with a side of sweet potato pieces. In the background you can see Neil’s french toast and cherries! Oh and don’t forget the Second Cup French Vanilla flavoured coffee!
Snack – A juicy Ontario peach.
Lunch – Not the best looking meal, but it sure tasted great! Salmon, broccoli and sweet potato [yes I am on a yam bender today].
Snack – Typical veggies in a Zip-lock baggy.
Dinner – A salad beast! Lettuce, fresh blueberries, grilled chicken, goat cheese and candied walnuts [walnuts tossed in maple syrup and heated on the stove], topped with Cranberry – Pear White Balsamic from The Unrefined Olive in Ottawa. If you love olive oils and balsamic vinegars, this spot is a must visit!
Dessert – PEANUT BUTTER, CHOCOLATE CHIP, COOKIE DOUGH balls! Yes I have been on a “bite” creating bender – this recipe is the easiest one yet.
Here is what you need:
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp softened coconut oil
splash of vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. Once the mixture is uniform, fold in the chocolate chips. Roll into approximately 10 balls and place on wax or parchment paper. Place in the freezer for at least half an hour to harden.
You can serve these delicious bites straight from the freezer. Otherwise – store them in the fridge, they will not keep if they are left out. Keep that in mind if you are bringing them to work for lunch…. or maybe just don’t bring them – I learned the hard way.
I know it is only mid November, but is anyone else starting to get into the holiday baking spirit? Last night [a non convicted] Martha Stewart took over my body and I spent the evening baking my famous ginger cookies
Big Soft Ginger Cookies
for my favourite people – and who am I kidding, I made some treats for myself too! The recipe I’m going to share with you has a secret ingredient that makes them healthy and filling. I know it is going to sound a bit strange but just trust me on this one – I’m seriously becoming the queen of “weird” recipes among my friends. Everyone I have shared these cookies with went back for seconds – that is how delish they are – especially right out of the oven when the chocolate is gooey, like this:
Ooey Gooey Chocolate!!!
Okay, so here is the secret – chickpeas [SAY WHAT?!]. Seriously. The base of the cookie is made from chickpeas. Enough anticipation, here is the recipe!
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of natural almond butter (I used raw)
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon baking powder (look for a gluten free brand if necessary)
a pinch of salt
80g of dark chocolate (I used a full chocolate bar minus 2 big squares – you can use more or less depending on how chocolatey you like your cookies)
What to do:
What a mess!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper [this will save you a lot of clean up]. Add all of your ingredients (except for the chocolate) into a high powered food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Even though this mixture doesn’t have any egg and is safe to eat raw I don’t recommend doing so. The batter uncooked tastes pretty brutal – they will get better though, save yourself the disappointment and wait a few more minutes to taste your creation!
Next you’ll have to smash the chocolate into smaller pieces. I use the term “smash” because I literally take a hard spatula and hit the chocolate until it breaks into smaller chunks – I should have taken a video, it is beyond ridiculous, but it is a great way to let out some aggression and it is lots of fun! Once the chocolate is broken into pieces add it to the food processor and pulse quickly once or twice just to mix it in.
Adding the “smashed” chocolate pieces!
You should end up with a mixture that is sticky and a bit slimy [awful way to describe cookies] so you’ll want to use a spoon to transfer the batter into 12 cookies on your lined cookie sheet. These cookies don’t change much in size at all when baked so keep that in mind. I press down on the ball just a bit so they aren’t as puffy. It should look something like this:
Bake for 10 minutes – or a bit longer if you want a bit of crunch, these cookies are very chewy.
Baked Cookies.
They look pretty much the same except you can see the melted chocolate chunks inside and the browned edges! Wait about 5 minutes [if you have any self-control] and dig in while they are still warm!
You can’t even tell that these are healthy cookies, they are so good – this is the 4th batch I’ve made in the past three weeks.
And for your friends and family that are sick of your healthy treats – make them some ginger cookies, they’ll be happy – and that will keep them away from your healthy but delicious desserts [insert evil laugh here]!
Big Soft Ginger Cookies! You can find the recipe on the blog.
Ingredients
A 5'3 Perspective 