Cinnamon bun biscuits

A cinnamon bun and a biscuit in one?

These have the flavor of an authentic cinnamon bun, but the texture of a flaky biscuit. They're yummy dunked in coffee or with jam or with nut butter.

Directions

In a bowl, put the following ingredients:
-1+1/4c + 2 Tbs flour (any kind works)
-3 - 4 packets of stevia
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-2 tsp cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients.
Then add the wet:
-3/4 - 1c almond or soy milk
-5 Tbs earth balance (melted)

Roll into 4 balls, flatten with your fingers or a fork and dust with more cinnamon.

Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes.

Chocolate cream pie

Directions:

Crust:
In your blender, put the following ingredients:
-8 large pitted medjool dates
-1/8 cup almond flour
-4 Tbs shredded coconut

Blend!

Mold crust into a pie pan and set aside.

Filling:
In your blender, put the following ingredients:
-1/2 block silken tofu
-1 ounce of melted dark vegan chocolate
-1 Tbs cocoa powder
-2 packets of stevia or 2 Tbs agave
-1 Tbs almond milk

Blend!

Pour the filling onto the crust and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before eating.


Okay, okay...just one more picture!

Strawberry cheesecake

As you have probably noticed, my website is overflowing with sweet and decadent dishes. There, I warned you!  

This cheesecake is heaven. Out of all of the sweet things I've made in the past week, this by far tops them all.

Crust:

In a blender, add the following ingredients:
-6 - 8 pitted medjool dates
-1/4c shredded coconut
-1/4c buckwheat OR oats

Blend!

Mold crust into the bottom of a flat bottomed bowl and about 3/4 an inch up the sides.

Filling #1:

In a blender, add the following ingredients:

-5 strawberries
-1/4c - 1/2c cashews
- 6 dates
-1/4c shredded coconut

Blend!

Filling #2:
-8 strawberries
-5 dates

Blend!

Layer filling #1 and filling #2 onto the crust.

Top with shredded coconut.

Freeze for about 2 hours.

{serving size suggestion: 1/3 - 1/2 of this entire pie is a single serving}

Love in a cup

Yes, that's it. Love in a cup! Rich chocolatey mousse and strawberries with a crumbled snickerdoodle on top. It doesn't get much better than that.

Hard to believe that something this decadent is actually good for you and vegan? Believe it!

Directions:

In a blender, combine the following ingredients:
-1/2 block silken tofu
-3 Tbs vegan chocolate chips
-1 Tbs cocoa powder
-2 packets of stevia
-3 Tbs almond OR soy milk

Blend!

Layer with 1 cup of chopped strawberries and top with a snickerdoodle (click for recipe).

Coffee cake

This. This coffee cake was delicious! It was slightly dry, so the recipe that I will give you will be a little different than the one I used, so that yours comes out perfectly moist, instead of a bit too dry and too crumbly.

 

Directions:

For the cake, combine the following ingredients in a bowl:

-1c coconut flour
-1/4c almond flour
-1c almond milk
-1/3c melted coconut butter
-2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 packet of stevia
-1 small mashed banana

Combine and then set aside.

For the crumble, combine the following in a separate bowl:

-1/2c coconut flour
-1/3c melted coconut butter
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 packet of stevia

Combine until it becomes crumbly.

Put the batter in a greased, square/rectangle ramekin.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until you can stick a tooth pick in it and it comes back clean.

{serves 6}

Raw vegan carrot cupcake bites

I love making raw desserts. There's little preparation, few ingredients, less clean-up, no baking required, more nutrients, quick, and full of flavor!

I think I've found my niche! Desserts. They're definitely the most fun to make because you can be creative with sweet things, and I sure have a big sweet tooth.

These cupcakes taste like your basic, traditional carrot cake in the form of a cupcake. The topping is smooth, but also kind of chunky. It compliments the cupcake perfectly. The texture isn't exactly the same as regular carrot cake, it's a little more "wet", but the longer you refrigerate it for, the better they get (but don't refrigerate too long, otherwise they'll go bad because they use such fresh ingredients)!

Are you siked about making and eating these cupcakes? I know I am!

Directions:

For the cupcakes:

In the blender, put the following ingredients:
-6 pitted large medjool daates
-4 - 5 large carrots, chopped into fourths
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 packet stevia
-1/4c almond flour

Blend until it forms a thick battery consistency.

Make 10 balls and form each into a cupcake shape.

Now for the "frosting"!

-6 pitted large medjool dates
-1/2c raw cashews
-2 Tbs water
-1 packet stevia
-1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend until smooth or slightly chunky.

Spread 1 - 1.5 Tbs the frosting on each of the cupcakes.

{Recommendation: Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before eating OR if you're in a rush, freeze for 45 minutes - 1 hour}

Banana mango coconut refresher

Not only is this smoothie a powerhouse of nutrients and potassium, it's a powerhouse of flavor!


Directions:

-Crack open a young Thai coconut and get out all of the coconut water (there should be about 1 cup of it).
-Put the coconut water in the blender, along with:
-1/2 mango
- 2-3 large and very ripe bananas
-1/4c raw soaked buckwheat groats OR soaked rolled oats *(optional - it makes the smoothie more creamy)*.
-1/2 scoop vanilla rice protein powder *(optional)*

Blend!

Serve right away.

Raw vegan blueberry pie

 Guess what? This pie only has three ingredients. Just three ingredients!

Crust:

-10 large pitted medjool dates
-1/4c shredded coconut

Pulse in the blender until it forms a gooey paste.

Mold the paste into the bottom of a pie ramekin.


Blueberry filling:

-5 large pitted dates
-3/4c fresh blueberries

Blend until smooth.

Spread 1/2 of the filling onto the crust.

Spread 1/4c fresh blueberries on top.

Then pour the rest of the filling on top of the blueberries and spread evenly.

Put in the freezer for about 1 hour before eating.


Are you ready for the big and awesome shockeroo?

This entire pie serves two to three people. Why, you might ask? Because it's mostly just fruit so you can have as much as your heart desires because fruit is unconditionally good for the body, mind, and soul!

Enjoy!

Summer salad with orange and mango dressing

Tonight was a salad extravaganza! This was probably the best salad I've ever made (and I have a long salad making history)! I just looked in my refrigerator and threw things in a bowl and blended some fruit and nuts for a dressing. It's simple, quick and delicious! It's nice a and light meal, but also very satisfying and hearty.

Salad ingredients:

- 2.5 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
-1/2c baby rainbow tomatoes
-1/3 chopped avocado
-1 cup fresh, raw corn
-1 steamed sweet potato, chopped

In a bowl, combine all of the vegetables.
Top with the avocado and sweet potato.

Now onto the dressing!

Dressing:

In a blender, put the following ingredients:
-1 sliced oranges
-1/8 - 1/4c water
-1/2 mango
-12 cashews

Blend until creamy.

Pour 3/4 of the dressing onto the salad and mix.
Top with the rest of the dressing.

Dig in fellow veggie lovers!

Caramel butterscotch fruit pudding

More fruit!? Duh. Fruit is energy and vibrancy. Fruit is full of readily available carbohydrates for the body to absorb quickly and convert into stable energy to use during the day! Not to mention that it's also 10000% delicious! It's very important to fulfill your carbohydrate needs during the day to feel your ultimate best. It's also very important to make sure that you're getting the right amount of healthy fat and protein. It's very easy to do this on a vegan lifestyle. This pudding has it all! Healthy fat, protein, and lots of sweet carbohydrates! Okay, okay - enough with my little nutrition lecture! Onto the recipe! But before I share it, I want to articulate how much I really enjoyed this lunch, so I highly suggest that you make yourself some fruit pudding right now, especially if you have a sweet tooth, like me.

Directions:

In your blender, put the following ingredients:
-2 bananas
-5 large pitted medjool dates
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 Tbs coconut
-1/4 c soaked raw buckwheat groats OR 1/4c soaked rolled oats
-12 cashews

Blend!

Top with any more fruit you desire and some more coconut.

That, my friends - is decadence.

Fruity peach and banana breakfast smoothie

This could have been mistaken for a *gasp* milkshake! It was so smooth, sweet, and creamy.
Fruit has also always been a huge staple of my vegan lifestyle. Even before I was a vegan, I always had a love for fruit. It's satisfying, sweet, pretty, and there are endless kinds of fruit to try! I love going to Asian markets and picking out new fruits to try. Persimmons are my all time favorite fruit, but the downside to that is that they're only available in the winter (and I don't like that season very much because it's so cold) so it's a trade off, but it's something to look forward to!

Anyway, here is another snapshot of my gorgeous breakfast smoothie.




Start your day off right and have this smoothie for breakfast!


(serves one)

Directions:

In your blender, put the following ingredients:
-2 (pretty ripe) large bananas
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 giant peach
-1/2 scoop vanilla rice protein powder
-2 - 3 Tbs shredded coconut
-1/2c almond milk
-1/3c crushed ice
-1/4c soaked (overnight in water) buckwheat

Blend!

Top with another sliced banana.

{Nutrition fun fact: this smoothie has about 20g protein}.

Chocolate and vanilla layered fudge

*Squeal* this was probably the best thing I've eaten all day. And it was well worth it!  You know how at fairs, they have vendors who are always selling fudge? Imagine if they sold vegan fudge! Emily would be a very happy customer. So I figured that that would never happen, so I made my own of course! It was rich, decadent, and bursting with flavor.

Are you ready to make some marvelous fudge?

Directions:

-Set aside 2 bowls.
-In one bowl, combine 1/3c melted coconut butter, 2 packets of stevia, 2 Tbs cocoa powder, and 1/8 tsp salt. Mix until it's a smooth consistency.
-In the other bowl, combine 1/4c coconut butter (also melted), 1 packet of stevia, 1 large mashed banana, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
-In a square shaped bowl, (or round if you want it to look like slices of pie!) spread the chocolate mixture on the bottom.
-Spread the vanilla mixture on top.
-Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before eating.
-Cut into 6 squares or slices.

{An idea I just thought of: you can top these with another layer of 1/4c melted coconut butter, 2 packets of stevia, 3 Tbs nut butter and 1/2 tsp cinnamon for a third layer if you want}.

Enjoy your fudge! Pretty hard to believe it's also healthy, right!?

Melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookies

One word: YUM.

These cookies were heaven! I just had 2 of them right out of the oven and gave the rest to my parents. They said that it was the best cookie they've ever had! Wow, I'm flattered.

These cookies are gooey, melt in your mouth, "buttery", rich, and are absolute bliss.

I'm going to guess that you'd like the recipe. Here it is!

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the following:
-1 cup of almond flour
-2 Tbs of melted coconut butter (just warm it for 30 seconds in the microwave).
-1.5 Tbs agave nectar
-4 Tbs + 1 tsp almond milk
-Add chocolate chips last and mix them in.

-Grease a cookie sheet with 1 tsp oil.
-Mold each cookie in your hand first, then plop it onto the cookie sheet and press down just slightly until it's your desired shape and thickness.
-Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

Please, do yourself a favor and make. these. now!

Baked apple pie oatmeal

Directions:

In a bowl, combine:

-1/2c rolled oats
-1 packets of stevia
-1 chopped apple
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp baking powder

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Top with any toppings you like! I topped mine with melted cashew butter.

Peaches 'n cream pancakes

Rainy Sunday mornings. There's something comforting and cozy about them, but they're also kind of melancholy. A lot of people have a tradition where they eat pancakes on Sundays, so I thought I'd join and partake in the tradition! I had a perfectly ripe peach in my fruit bowl in the kitchen and some new coconut butter that I bought at the farmer's market yesterday, so I figured I'd combine them into some delicious peaches 'n cream pancakes, since it's pancake Sunday after all.


My oh my. 
These pancakes were delicious.
Don't you want to put this picture right on your wall?

Directions:

For the batter:
-1/2c flour
-1/2c almond milk
-2 packets of stevia
-Pinch of cinnamon
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp baking powder

-Grease your pan with 1 tsp oil or coconut oil (or melted coconut butter).
-Pour 1/4 of the batter into the pan.
-Place finely chopped peach slices onto the pancake and lightly press down.
-Flip after about 1-2 minutes, or when it bubbles.
-Let cook another 1-1.5 minutes and then repeat previous 3 steps 3 more times so that you end up with 4 pancakes.


Cream sauce:

-1 - 2 coconut butter, melted until soft and syrupy.
-2 Tbs almond milk
-1/4 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 packet stevia

Mix and pour over pancakes.

Happy Sunday!

Japanese squash with coconut and a kale, avocado and cashew salad

Does the kale and Japanese squash look familiar? I bought them at the farmer's market today. They were delicious! I used almost 3/4 of the bunch of kale. I guess I'm not guilty of not eating my greens!

 

Japanese squash preparation

-Chop 1/2 of a Japanese squash and cut the half into cubes.
-Bake in the oven at 435 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
-Season with salt (helps to bring out the sweetness) and shredded coconut.


Kale, avocado and cashew salad

-Take about 5 leaves of kale and remove the stems (it'll look like a lot, but it shrinks down).
-Mash 1/4 of an avocado.
-Massage the mashed avocado into the kale with your hands, while adding 1-2 Tbs nutritional yeast and 1/4 tsp salt.
-Top with a few more avocado slices and some cashews

Toast with almond butter and cherries, mango, and soy nuts

Earlier this morning, I went for a great run. The weather was beautiful and it was so relaxing, but exhilarating. It's very important to refuel properly after a workout, so this is what I ate after I worked out. This isn't really a recipe per se, it's more of an idea for what you could have after a workout.

All I did was spread 1 Tbs of raw almond butter on a piece of toasted cinnamon raisin ezekiel bread, and topped it with cherries. Then on the side, I had some slices of mango and some roasted soy nuts. This whole mini-meal (or snack) had about 15g protein. It's very good to refuel with protein and carbs carbs carbs as well as some salt (in the soy nuts), to replace what you lose when you work up a sweat. And water. Lots of water!

* * *

So later, I went to the local farmer's market and bought some goodies from mother nature. I got a bag of large carrots, a Japanese pumpkin, kale, 2 yellow zucchinis, a cucumber, raw coconut butter, 5 peaches, and 2 kinds of sweet potatoes. Yum! I like supporting local produce farms. The closer the produce from where you buy it is, the fresher it is, which always tastes better in my opinion.

Tropical mango and peach overnight oats

Let's take a vacation to a tropical island, shall we? These overnight oats will bring your mouth to the sunniest, most tropical island. Get your spoon ready to embark on this flavorful journey!


***


But first, coffee!

How do you like your coffee? Light? Medium? Bold? Extra bold? I like mine bold with just a splash of soy milk. I have a Keurig machine, so it's easy to make a single cup of coffee without having to make an entire pot of coffee for me to have one cup of and then share the rest with the sink. So this is the perfect gadget for me! I suggest that every coffee lover invest in one of these magical machines.


Now, are you finally ready to make your tropical mango and peach overnight oats?

Directions:


Prepare this the night before:


In a jar, combine the following:

-1/2c rolled oats
-1c almond milk
-1 mashed banana
-1-2 Tbs almond butter *(optional)*
-1 Tbs chia seeds
-2 stevia packets
-1 tsp coconut or vanilla extract


Mix well and refrigerate overnight.


In the morning, mix it again and then add a chopped peach and chopped mango.

Banana and Japanese sweet potato salad with a sweet almond butter sauce

I can already read your mind, as you look at the title of this recipe. Bananas and potatoes? Does that even go? Let me introduce you to something unique and delicious! Sound weird? Maybe. Will it tantalize your taste buds? Absolutely!

I love the combination of sweet and savory. If you love this combination too, you will love this recipe! Three of my favorite foods are sweet potatoes, almond butter and bananas. So I thought, why not combine the three into one dish?

Directions:

Steam one Japanese sweet potato in the microwave.

Take out and dice into cubes.  Transfer to a large bowl

Throw 2 chopped bananas into the bowl of chopped sweet potato.


Sauce:

2 Tbs almond butter
1/2 tsp  vanilla extract
3 Tbs almond milk

Mix the sauce until it's smooth. 

Pour 3/4 of the sauce onto the bananas and sweet potato.

Mix and toss with 1/4 tsp salt.

Plate and pour the rest of the sauce on top.

Enjoy!