Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

The ice cream maker finally made an appearance this past weekend.  We had a few friends over to test out the new grill, so I thought this was the perfect time to whip up a batch of something cool and sweet.  I was torn over what flavor to make, but as soon as I suggested mint chocolate chip, we were set on it.  This recipe was a huge hit - the  mint was so refreshing and cooling, a perfect end to a hot summer day!  I used no more than 1/4 cup of agave, but taste as you go and add the sweetener of your house to your liking. 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

-2 cans coconut milk (I used 1 can full fat and 1 can light)

- 1/4 cup agave or other liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, etc)

- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

- pinch of salt

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in your high speed blender or food processor and blend/process until well combined.  

Add to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.  When ice cream is almost done, mix in the chocolate chips.  Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

My finished product got eaten up too quickly to photograph, but I did get this shot mid-churn - look at the lovely freshness the mint leaves give this! Yum!

DATES

Dates are nature's candy.  And no, I don't mean the dinner-and-a-movie type, although those are sweet too.  Seriously, who can argue that a dense, gooey medjool date isn't just as good, if not better than any candy?  For those of you who don't taste the similarity, try this simple recipe.  I promise when you try these chocolate covered bites of heaven, you will swear you are eating a Snickers (with no guilt, sugar rush, or sugar crash).

 

Nature's Candy (Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates)

1 TBSP coconut oil

3 TBSP natural peanut butter **Sub any seed or nut butter if you have allergies/intolerances/aversions

1 cup vegan dark chocolate (chips, bar broken into pieces, whatever you want)

10-15 medjool dates, pitted (will depend how big your dates are and how full you stuff them)

1. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil and peanut butter. 

2. In the center of each date (where the pit used to be), spoon a small amount of the peanut butter mixture, about 1/2-1 tsp depending on the size of the date. You don't want the date overflowing with PB, but try to get as much as you can.

3. Place stuffed dates on a tray lined with parchment paper and stick in your freezer to firm up.

4. While dates are in the freezer, melt your chocolate using a double boiler (or microwave). Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

5.  Remove dates from freezer.  Coat with melted chocolate and return to tray.  Once you've covered all your dates, stick the tray back in the freezer for about 30 minutes.  Then transfer your treats to a container and store in the freezer until ready to enjoy.  

These come together quickly, which is good because they will disappear quickly too!  I'm already getting ready to make my third batch... 

Shhh... Don't tell anyone I'm eating the last one!

What's your favorite healthy indulgence?

Kitchen Sink Trail Mix Cookies

Snow days were made for baking.  Cold afternoons when you are stuck inside just call for a warm oven and the smell of cookies.  Earlier this week we had a snow day here in DC.  It wasn't really that snowy, but the government shut down and most people stayed home from work, so it felt like a genuine snow day.  And I decided it was the perfect opportunity to make cookies.

I had saved this recipe for trail mix cookies a while back so it served as an inspiration for these cookies.  I used what I had in my kitchen (a whole assortment of nuts, seeds, and fruits) and thus I coined these cookies "Kitchen Sink Trail Mix Cookies."  Slightly sweet with chunks of nuts and chocolate, they make the perfect healthy dessert and afternoon pick-me-up.  

Kitchen Sink Trail Mix Cookies - Vegan and Gluten Free

Wet ingredients:

1 large ripe banana (mashed)
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup nut butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cup GF flour

1/2 cup GF rolled oats

1/4 cup raw cashews, chopped

1/4 cup raw walnuts, chopped

2 TBSP sunflower seeds

2 TBSP pumpkin seeds

4 TBSP hemp seeds

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 (scant) brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir wet ingredients until well combined.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add the wet to the dry, and mix until just combined.  Scoop tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet (you may have to roll the dough into balls and then flatten slightly).  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

A few notes:
- My cookies were a bit on the dry side (I like an underdone cookie).  This may be attributed to the GF flour that I used (Trader Joe's brand, which is a combination of rice flours).  Next time I will probably try with oat flour, as I have had better luck with it in the past.  I would also bake for less time (12-13 minutes).
- The consistency of the wet mixture will depend on two things: the size of your banana and the thickness of your nut butter.  I suggest using a type of natural nut butter, which is generally more liquidy than conventional.  If your dough feels too dry (there are still big patches of flour even after mixing), add a bit more nut butter and applesauce.
- Feel free to mix it up - I used the nuts and seeds listed above because that is what I had in my pantry!  Check out the original recipe here for more ideas for add-ins.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

As a kid, Reese's Peanut Butter cups were one of my favorite candies - who didn't love the mix of creamy peanut butter with sweet dark chocolate?  No offense to Reese's, but these homemade cups are SO much better than that candy of my childhood.  Made with all wholesome ingredients, these treats let you indulge without the guilt, or the sugar crash. 

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

Bottom chocolate layer:
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 packet stevia (optional)

Top peanut butter layer:
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix all bottom layer ingredients together and spoon the mix into candy molds (or mini cupcake liners), filling the molds half way with the chocolate mix.  Place in freezer for 5-10 minutes to set.  While bottom layer is firming up in the freezer, stir together all top layer ingredients.  Remove cups from freezer and spoon peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer to fill up the molds.  Place back in freezer to set.

Keep the candies in the fridge, or freezer for longer storage.  Share with those you love!

Note: The chocolate layer on these cups is very dark and rich.  If you prefer a sweeter cup, be sure to include the stevia.  Taste the mixture before assembling the cups, and add more sweetener if desired. 

Superfood Energy Bites

While traveling in Thailand, I discovered a few different places selling raw energy balls with spirulina, which were absolutely delicious.  I have made my own energy bars with spirulina in the past, but was never happy with the taste.  Upon tasting versions that I loved during my travels, I knew I had to try making my own again.  Back in my kitchen and reunited with my food processor, I set out to replicate these tasty treats and the following deliciousness was born:

Super Food Energy Bites - Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Raw
Inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life

1/2 cup raw nuts (I used half walnuts and half cashews)
3/4 cup raw seeds (I used equal parts chia, hemp, and sesame seeds)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

2/3 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup raisins
1 heaping cup dates
2-3 T spirulina
1 t turmeric
1/4 cup cacao nibs or chopped dark chocolate
Dash sea salt
1-3 T melted coconut oil
Additional sesame seeds for coating (optional)


Throw all ingredients except coconut oil in your food processor and process until well ground and combined.  Add coconut oil, as needed, until mixture begins to stick together.  Form into bite sized balls and roll in sesame seeds (if desired). Store in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze to keep longer. 

These don't taste exactly like my favorite ones from Thailand, but boy are they delicious - sweet gooey bites of chocolatey goodness.  I gave some to my mom who is not always a fan of my healthy desserts and she agreed that they taste like candy, and she could not believe that they were healthy. Chock full of super foods and healthy fats, a few of these bites make the perfect snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you full for hours.

For nutrition nerds like me, here's some fun facts on a few of the superfoods that make these bites so healthy:


- Chia seeds: An excellent source of fiber (which helps you feel full longer). Full of protein, packed with antioxidants, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are the richest known plant source of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Raw cacao: Raw cacao is the number one source of magnesium of any food on the planet, contains 314% of the US RDA of iron per serving, and contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil is a raw saturated fat containing mostly medium-chain fatty acids that the body can metabolize efficiently and convert to energy quickly, which helps ease digestion and the absorption of vitamins. Coconut oil is also considered to be anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.
-Spirulina: Spirulina consists of 65-71% protein, the highest concentration of protein found in any food. Each gram of spirulina protein is four times more absorbable than the same gram of protein in beef.  It is considered a complete protein source - contains all eight essential amino acids, and eighteen amino acids in total, as well as lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  
- Turmeric - In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric was considered a whole body cleansing herb and has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation. 
- Flax seeds - An excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, flax seed also contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. 
- Hemp seeds - Also known as hemp hearts, hemp seeds are another complete protein source, and are easily digestible.

 Source of nutritional info (besides what I have collected in my brain over the years): David Wolfe's Longevity Warehouse. 

Weekend in Blacksburg

This past weekend, I headed down to Blacksburg, Virginia for my little brother's graduation from Virginia Tech.  While I give my brother a hard time for going to VT (as I went to UVA), I am extremely proud of him and know that this was the right place for him to go to school.  I've only visited him down at school once before and while Blacksburg will never compare to Charlottesville in my book, I have surprisingly enjoyed both of my visits quite a lot. 

I drove down with my parents Thursday afternoon.  We arrived to (gasp) an extremely clean apartment and visited with my brother for a little while before dinner.  Mark (my bro) and his girlfriend (who also graduated) had whipped up a feast for their families:  whole roast chickens with vegetables, chickpea salad, and a green salad.  I threw together some guacamole from avocados my mom tossed in the car at the last minute.  Tip:  My "secret ingredient" for simple, yet amazing, guacamole is CUMIN.  My foodie friend taught me that adding this common spice to mashed avocados makes for a great guacamole when you may not have fresh garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, or whatever else you normally mix into your guacamole.

I did not partake in the the chicken, but the chickpea salad was fantastic, filled with the flavors of dill and pickles which remind me so much of summer.  I was happy (but not at all surprised) to hear that my brother's girlfriend got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs.  Head over to Oh She Glows for the recipe - I know I will be making this one soon!

After dinner we had Deep Dish Cookie Pie - another one of my go-to dessert recipes.  This dessert, like the Chocolate Fudge Pie, is from the creative Chocolate Covered Katie, and, like the Chocolate Fudge Pie, this is a crowd pleaser that no one will believe is healthy.  Spoiler alert: its made with chick peas and can be completely sugar free!  We all went to bed stuffed but very satisfied.

Coffee + Coconut Milk Creamer

On Friday, I woke up and went for a run, making my way to main campus and the downtown area.  Blacksburg doesn't have a very big "downtown" area, but there are a few streets with cute shops and restaurants.  The forecast was calling for rain, but the skies were clear and the temperature was starting to warm up as I finished my run.  I returned to my brother's apartment (where I stayed) to find freshly made coffee along with coconut milk creamer.  I was touched that he bought this special for me! 


At little before noon we headed to the university-wide graduation ceremony that was held outside at the football stadium.  By this time, it was HOT out.  While I was enjoying the sunshine, I was happy for the graduates' sake that the ceremony did not last very long (I know from experience that it is no fun to be sitting in the direct sun in a black cap and gown with no water).  After the ceremony, we grabbed a late lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing.

Friday night we had dinner reservations at the Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar, located about 45 minutes away in Salem, VA.  I called ahead and explained my dietary preferences, and the chef said that he was more than happy to accommodate me.  When we arrived our waitress had ready the chef's suggestion for me which sounded fantastic: quinoa with spring vegetables plus an Asian-inspired. salad.  The salad was refreshing - crisp butter lettuce with a miso-ginger dressing.  I also tried my brother's salad which was arugula with blueberries, Marcona almonds, and a lemon-honey vinaigrette.  Both were unusual and very tasty.

The Blue Apron offers most of its dishes in both appetizer and entree portions, so you can have a typical meal, or try many small plates.  Since many items on the menu looked good, most everyone else got appetizers (mussels, scallops, shrimp, crab cakes to name a few) and I did not hear one complaint.  Shortly after our entrees came out and I was immediately wow-ed by the beautiful plate placed before me.  It tasted as good (if not better) than it looked - perfectly cooked quinoa with assorted mushrooms, golden peas, asparagus, zucchini, topped with a sun-dried tomato chutney and fresh sprouts.  Although I was not super hungry, I ate every bite.   Everyone else also polished off their entrees and agreed that everything was amazing.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early - Mark graduated from the School of Engineering and the diploma ceremony was at 8 AM that morning.  After the ceremony, we went to check out the Blacksburg farmer's market (you know I was so stoked when my brother suggested this).  While the market was small, we all found some goodies: fresh almond butter and fruit + nut treats (me), cinnamon roll and coffee (mom), burgers with avocado and yam biscuits (Mark and dad).   We also picked up some produce to take back with us.

Farmer's Market treats

My parents were eager to get on the road and get back home, as they are leaving the country this week (my mom's first time to Europe)!  I was also ready to go since I still needed to prepare for my upcoming trip as well.  So we packed up our stuff and our goodies and got on the road.  It was a fun weekend, and I know my brother was happy we could all make it down (although I'm sure he was also happy to see us leave and have so me time to himself).

In the past 6 years I have gone to 5 college graduations (two of which were this past month).  Its always fun to spend time with family and celebrate the graduate, but the ceremonies all start to sound the same!  I think it is safe to say that I am graduated-out, at least for the time being.  Good thing I don't have any close friends or family planning to graduate in the near future... well at least not from college.  I imagine a yoga teacher training graduation is a much different experience.... =)

Yogi Potluck + Vegan Enchiladas

Hello and happy Monday!  It does not feel like a Monday - this weekend was chock full of yoga happenings: lectures from a well known Swami, a Kirtan concert, and a series of challenging workshops with a master teacher.  Definitely not your typical laid back weekend!

I haven't mentioned this on the blog, but I'm currently going through training to be a yoga teacher.  The past two weeks and this past weekend specifically have been very intense, so I thought it would be fun to have the other teachers-in-training over for a potluck dinner so we could relax and decompress after all this activity.

Right away I knew the recipe I wanted to make - Jackfruit Enchiladas from Keepin' it Kind.  Jackfruit is a starchy and fibrous fruit from South/Southeast Asia, and depending on the variety the flesh can range from soft to hard.  Because young, unripe jackfruit has a texture very similar to meat, it has been used as a natural meat substitute in savory dishes for years.   I've had two cans of jackfruit in my pantry for weeks (what, you don't?), so I knew this was the perfect opportunity to test out this recipe.  I also knew this would be a good recipe because I could do most of the prep beforehand, and simply assemble and bake the enchiladas the night of the potluck.  While this dish took some time and planning (roasting peppers for the enchilada sauce, soaking cashews for the "crema,"  cooking jackfruit filling, etc), the recipe itself was not difficult.  

Jackfruit

My fellow yogis and I chatted over chips and fresh salsa and fresh guacamole as the enchiladas baked, and  I crossed my fingers that this dish would be as delicious as the recipe promised.  When I cook vegan/vegetarian dishes for my non-veg friends, I always want to make something that is over-the-top delicious.  I feel as though I need to prove that a) I do not just eat carrots and tofu, and b) food can be just as amazing as, if not better than, dishes with meat and animal products.  These enchiladas did just that - everyone went back for seconds and I even got some requests for the recipe.  Score!

As this was a potluck, we had other items to complement the enchiladas.  Fresh made salsa and guacamole (with mango!), a quinoa dish with veggies, and sesame cucumber salad.  AND JUICE!  Lately, a few of my fellow teachers-in-training have been interested in juicing and juice cleanses, so I told them to bring produce and they could test out my juicer.  We had a short 'Juicing 101' lesson and made a very green blend of kale, spinach, celery, carrot, and apple.    

Giving a juicing demo

We were all stuffed after dinner, but no one could resist dessert - Chocolate Fudge Pie.  This pie is one of my go-to desserts - I have made it countless times and it never fails to impress.   I figured since I was taking a risk trying a new recipe for dinner, I should stick with something solid for dessert.  Once again, it was a hit - we all had seconds of dessert too (remember that we have been doing a lot of exercise lately) and no one could believe that this decadent pie was healthy!  Head over to Chocolate Covered Katie for the super-easy recipe and to find out the secret ingredient that makes this pie good for you!
 

Chocolate Fudge Pie - YUM!

While it wasn't a particularly relaxing weekend, it was still fun and a good break from the hum drum of the work week.  I was happy that the new recipe was a hit, and that we all got to spend some time together outside of the yoga studio.  Everyone agreed that the potluck was a grand success and that we would need to plan another again in the near future.  I'm already thinking about what my contribution will be next time...

Do you like to cook for others?  Do you have a signature dish or recipe you can always count on?