Apple-Carrot Muffin

 

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 TBS melted vegan butter (I use

1/4 cup agave

1 flaxseed egg (1 TBS ground flaxseed combined with 2 TBS water and let sit)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup finely grated or food processed apple

1/2 cup finely grated or food processed carrot

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl

3. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until just combined, do not over mix

5. Pour into pre-greased muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes

Spinach balls

Ingredients:

1 bag 10-12 ounces frozen spinach

2 TBS ground flaxseed

2 TBS lemon juice

3 TBS nutritional yeast

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 cups breadcrumbs (I ran out and added croutons that I food processed....oops)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine flaxseed and lemon juice and set aside

3. Steam spinach and squeeze out excess moisture.

4. Combine all ingredients, except the breadcrumbs

5. Add breadcrumbs gradually until the mixture is less moist, but not quite dry. Set aside excess crumbs, you'll use them later.

6. Set in refrigerator for 30 minutes 

7. Form balls (about 1 1/2 TBS) or small patties and roll or mush in excess breadcrumbs.

8. Place on a pregreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes - flip about halfway through.

Savory waffles

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini
1 large carrot
1/2 cup sweet corn
1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (I used Follow Your Heart, Cheese Alternative, Cheddar Shreds)
1 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 cup pancake mix (I used Birch Benders, Pancake & Waffle Mix, Plant Protein)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Dash of salt and pepper

Method:

1. Grate or food process zucchini and carrots and add to a bowl.
2. Add all other ingredients to form the batter.

3. Grease the waffle press

4. Spoon batter into a waffle press, panini press, or pan. 

My family these in a few different ways:
1 - with marinara
2 - with salsa
3 - topped with black beans and avocado (and salsa)
4 - topped with avocado (my favorite)

5 - with a side of pickles --> a kiddo favorite!

Homemade Vegan Nutella

Adapted with slight modification (to reduce bitterness) from one of my favorite vegan bloggers, Sadia at Pick Up Limes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups roasted and peeled hazelnuts
1/3 cup almond milk
1 TBS liquid coconut oil
3 TBS maple syrup
6 pitted dates
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Using a food processor, process the hazelnuts until they resemble any nut butter. Smooth and creamy!
2. Add the remaining ingredients and continue processing until smooth.
3. Enjoy on EVERYTHING!!
4. If any is left, store in an airtight container in the fridge.

School Year 2017-2018 (Week 1)

Strawberries, Kix, date, cashew, hard-boiled egg, ham, banana pancakes,
avocado toast sprinkled with chia seeds

Blue box: Clementines, pumpkin cherry oat cookies**, steamed carrots and
broccoli, banana pancakes (with syrup), veggie sticks, and PB and homemade
jam** sandwich
Purple box: except she chose apples, sliced raw carrots, and cinnamon
chia seed pudding

Pink box: Superhero bananas**, quesadilla (with guac), roasted broccoli, apples,
and cinnamon chia seed pudding.
Green box: He had the same except he chose corn over broccoli.

Clementines, blueberries, banana pancakes (with syrup), roasted broccoli,
cinnamon chia seed pudding, ham and cream cheese roll-up,
Triscuits topped with peanut better and date slices.

Pumpkin Cranberry Oat Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

2/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

2 flax seed eggs (or 2 eggs)

1/4 cup agave

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

2/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a microwavable bowl combine coconut oil and agave (microwave until melted)

In a large bowl combine oats, pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and oats

Add pumpkin puree and eggs, to the heated coconut oil and agave. Combine well.

Add the the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Shape 12-15 cookies

Bake for 12-18 minutes, edges will lightly brown.

Homemade Jam (adapted with slight modification from www.pickuplimes.com/single-post/2017/04/06/Easy-Berry-Chia-Seed-Jam)

Ingredients

2 cups frozen mixed berries

2 Tbsp chia seed

1 Tbsp orange juice (or agave if you'd like it sweeter)

Method

Heat frozen berries in the microwave for 3 minutes (stir every minute)

Food process thawed berries

Transfer berries to leak proof container 

Add chia seeds and juice (or agave)

Shake to combine

Let cook with top off then refrigerate for up to a week

Superhero Banana

Ingredients

Banana

Peanut butter (heated for 30 seconds)

Hemp seeds

Mini chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Method

Slice bananas and set in a single layer

Drizzle heated PB over bananas

Sprinkle hemp seeds and chocolate chips

Mango-Strawberry Fruit Leather

Breakfast: LA had mango and strawberry pancakes.  LQ had a hard-boiled egg, strawberry pancakes and mango.

Lunch: Baked chicken breast, steamed broccoli with Mexican rice with blueberries and mango.

Afternoon snack: Strawberry mango fruit leather, cashews and yogurt.

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Fruit leather

Ingredients

1 cup apple sauce

2 cups frozen fruit -- 1 cup mango, 1 cup strawberries

** I've used blueberries, strawberries, mango, banana, and raspberries and pretty much every combination.  I even made it with apple sauce and cinnamon.

Methods

1.  Thaw fruit 

2.  Blend fruit and apple sauce until smooth

3.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet

4.  Pour mixture on the cookie sheet and spread it out evenly

5.  Place in oven at 195 degrees and leave the oven slightly ajar, it allows for easier dehydration.  It usually takes me about 3 hours, but times will vary depending on the thickness of your fruit leather.  At some point I usually trim the cooked edges, likely cause by my super old cookie sheet.  Keep an eye on it.

Grilled Burritos and Cinnamon Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

Breakfast: Cinnamon apple pancakes and yogurt

Lunch: grilled burritos filled with cheddar cheese, black beans, avocado and spinach and a clementine

Afternoon snack: pretzel sticks and peanut butter

Breakfast: Cinnamon apple pancakes and baked turkey and egg

Lunch: Peanut butter and banana sandwich, apples and yogurt

Afternoon snack: Hummus and carrots

Breakfast: Cinnamon apple pancakes, had-boiled egg and clementines

Lunch:  Pita filled with turkey, cheese, and hummus, apple and steamed mixed vegetables

Afternoon snack: Yogurt and trailmix (Barbara cereal, cashews and pumpkin seeds)

Breakfast: Cinnamon apple pancakes, hard-boiled egg and blueberries

Lunch: Fusilli with veggie packed marinara, topped with cheese and black olives, grilled chicken and clementine

Afternoon snack: Peanut butter Triscuit sandwiches and cinnamon vanilla chia seed pudding

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Grilled Burritos

Whole wheat tortilla

cheddar cheese

black beans

avocado 

chopped spinach

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and combine well.  Place the mixture in a tortilla.  Fold both ends of the tortilla (to prevent mixture from falling out), roll into a burrito and grill.

Cinnamon Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

2 TBS white chia seeds

3/4 vanilla almond milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp agave

Place all ingredients in a spill proof container, shake and place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 5 hours.